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Guitar Tube Amplifier – Operating Manual Built By GUITAR TUBE AMPLIFIER – OPERATING MANUAL BUILT BY GRAEHME FLOYD This page intentionally left empty © Graehme Floyd 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction & Specifications .................................................................................. 1 Amplifier Overview ..................................................................................................... 2 Control Panel Layout ................................................................................................... 4 Operating Instructions ............................................................................................... 8 Be Careful ...................................................................................................................... 11 Example Tone Settings ............................................................................................. 12 © Graehme Floyd 2020 This page intentionally left blank © Graehme Floyd 2020 THE OVERTURE TUBE AMPLIFIER The Overture is a one-of-a-kind, custom-built, hand-wired, guitar amplifier. Its circuitry is based around an 18-Watt, British-style, EL84, Class AB, Push-Pull design, driving a 12” Celestion speaker. The Overture includes a number of special features which allow it to achieve an incredibly wide range of tones. The most notable of which is a power scaling control which lets the Overture operate at the full 18 Watts of power down to just two Watts. The Overture can produce heavily overdriven guitar tones without the ear-shattering volume levels! It is the perfect companion for the lover of vintage British-style guitar tones whether playing at home, in the studio, or on stage. SPECIFICATIONS Wattage: Variable from 2– 18 Watts (RMS) via a Voltage Regulation Module (VRM) supplied by Trinity Amps (https://www.trinityamps.com/) Preamp Tubes: 12AX7 (x2) Power Tubes: EL84 (x2) Power Section: Class AB Push-Pull, Full Pentode, Cathode Biased Power Source: 120VAC – 60Hz, Solid-State, Silicon Diode Bridge Rectifier Tonestack: Baxandall/James Two Knob Power Controls: Main Power Switch, Standby Switch, Indicator Light Rotary Controls: GAIN, TREBLE, BASS, MASTER, POWER Push-Pull Switch Controls: Gain Stages, MIDS, BRIGHT, RAW Mode, ‘NIGEL TUFNEL’ Mode Bottom Panel: Power Input, 2A Fuse, Speaker Output, Tube Compliment Speaker: Celestion G12M, 25 Watts, 12” Guitar Speaker (8 Ω) Wiring: Hand-wired, Point-to-Point Circuitry Dimensions: 18” wide x 10” deep x 16” tall / 45.7 cm wide x 25.4 cm deep x 40.6 cm tall Weight: 31 lbs. / 14.1 kg © Graehme Floyd 2020 1/15 The Overture Tube Amplifier – Operating Manual AMPLIFIER OVERVIEW Name Plate FRONT Carrying Handle Speaker Baffle Screws Speaker BACK Control Panel Panel Screws Back Panel Tube Vent Power Cable Tubes Speaker © Graehme Floyd 2020 2/15 The Overture Tube Amplifier – Operating Manual TOP Control Panel Carrying Handle Chassis Screws REAR (INSIDE) PANEL Power Power Tubes Preamp Tubes Cable 2A Fuse Speaker Jack (EL84) (12AX7) V4 & V3 – Class A/B, V2 – Phase V1 – Parallel Input Push-Pull Power Inverter Gain Stages SIDES Carrying Handle Chassis Screws © Graehme Floyd 2020 3/15 The Overture Tube Amplifier – Operating Manual CONTROL PANEL LAYOUT The Overture features a number of controls, some visible, some hidden, which allow you to precisely dial-in your desired tone. The controls will be covered from left to right, as they appear on the panel: ① ② ④ ⑤ ⑥ ⑦ ⑧ ⑨ ⑩ ③ ① INPUT This is the input jack of the Overture which uses a standard ¼” mono TS jack, typical on most guitar amps. Plug your guitar, or the output from your effects pedals, in here. ② GAIN / GAIN STAGES The GAIN knob controls the amount of signal being sent from the preamp to the power section. Using this control allows you to vary the amount of saturation or ‘break-up’ which occurs. The GAIN control appears after the EQ section in the preamp. For cleaner tones, set the GAIN knob to lower settings (2 – 5) and use the MASTER knob to set the desired volume. For dirtier tones, first lower the MASTER control, then set the GAIN to the desired amount of break-up, and finish by re-adjusting the MASTER for the desired volume level. The POWER knob is also useful when setting the desired drive/volume balance. The GAIN knob may also be pulled-out to adjust the number of Gain Stages which are being used in the preamp section. When in the DOWN position, the preamp utilizes two (2) parallel gain stages sending a louder signal to the power section. This is useful for driving the Overture harder, creating tones similar to the famed ‘jumped’ sound of vintage Marshall amplifiers. When in the UP position, only one (1) gain stage is engaged, yielding a much lower signal in the preamp. This can be very useful when dialing in clean tones as the Overture won’t breakup as easily. ③ MIDS The Overture is equipped with a very versatile, ‘Baxandall/James,’ tonestack. Although lacking a separate mid-frequency control knob, the ‘mids’ may be influenced through the interaction of the TREBLE and BASS controls. © Graehme Floyd 2020 4/15 The Overture Tube Amplifier – Operating Manual There is also a MIDS button located between the GAIN and TREBLE knobs which allows you to shape the mid frequencies slightly. When in the UP position, the mids will be boosted, yielding a tone that cuts through a mix more easily. When in the DOWN position, some mids are cut, producing a more balanced tone. This change will apply at any value of the TREBLE and BASS controls, but will be more pronounced at extremes settings. Alternatively, a ‘mid-boost’ tone may also be achieved by setting both the TREBLE and BASS controls to their lowest settings, while a ‘mid-scooped’ tone may be achieved by setting both controls to their highest settings. In either case, you may need to adjust the GAIN and MASTER controls to compensate for any differences in volume or drive. ④ TREBLE / BRIGHT SWITCH The TREBLE knob controls the high-range frequencies in the tonestack. This is essentially a high-frequency shelving filter with an adjustable gain setting. At higher settings, the high- frequencies are boosted, while at lower settings, they are cut. The TREBLE knob may also be pulled-out to engage the BRIGHT switch which boosts the higher-frequencies even at lower TREBLE settings. This can be effective to further brighten low-volume settings. PLEASE NOTE - the effect of the BRIGHT switch becomes less apparent at higher TREBLE, volume, or gain settings. ⑤ BASS / RAW MODE The BASS knob controls the low-range frequencies in the tonestack. It is essentially a low- frequency shelving filter with an adjustable gain setting. At higher settings, the low- frequencies are boosted, while at lower settings, they are reduced. The BASS knob may be pulled-out to engage the Overture’s RAW mode. This bypasses the entire tonestack sending the full, unfiltered signal from the preamp into the power section. This results in a noticeable boost in output volume and can also be used to drive the power section harder, creating more distortion. The brightest, nastiest, most distorted tones possible from the Overture can only be achieved while using the RAW mode. PLEASE NOTE – When the RAW mode is engaged, the TREBLE, BASS, & MIDS controls are removed from the signal path; their settings will no longer effect the tone of the Overture. However, the BRIGHT switch (TREBLE push-pull) will still affect the tone, but its effect is often hard to notice unless you are using very low volume/gain settings. ⑥ MASTER / NIGEL TUFNEL MODE The MASTER knob is a Master Volume control and allows you to adjust the amount of output signal in the power section. The MASTER knob is most effectively used in conjunction with the GAIN knob to achieve the desired distortion and volume settings. © Graehme Floyd 2020 5/15 The Overture Tube Amplifier – Operating Manual To achieve power tube distortion or overdrive, set the MASTER knob to higher settings (10 – 12) or bypass it completely, use the GAIN control to dial in the desired amount of breakup, and use the POWER knob to adjust the volume level. Be aware that even at lower POWER settings, it can get quite loud. The MASTER knob may be pulled out to engage the NIGEL TUFNEL mode. This completely bypasses the MASTER knob, sending an even louder signal through the power section than when the MASTER knob is cranked. So, you could say that it sets the volume up to 11! PLEASE NOTE – Take care when bypassing the MASTER knob as, depending on the other settings, you may get a sudden increase in output volume. You may need to use the POWER knob to adjust the volume of the Overture to safe levels – IT CAN GET LOUD!!! If you want the loudest tones possible, combine the RAW mode (see BASS control) and the NIGEL TUFNEL mode to unleash the full, unfiltered power of the Overture. Make sure to take the necessary precautions when working with extreme volume levels! ⑦ POWER The POWER knob is used to scale the overall power of the Overture. This is achieved through the use of a Voltage Regulation Module (VRM) made by the Canadian amplifier company, Trinity Amps, who are based in Brighton, Ontario. Scaling the power of the Overture allows you to more effectively adjust the volume and response of the power section for your desired tone. When looking for a clean tone, the POWER control lets you achieve a super-clean, high- headroom tone at higher settings or an ‘on the edge of break-up’ tone at lower settings. For distorted tones, the POWER control will allow you to achieve significantly higher preamp and power amp distortion at more reasonable volume levels. It may also be used to retain a desired tone while adjusting the volume level higher or lower. The POWER knob scales the power of the Overture from approximately two Watts at the lowest setting (1) up to 18 Watts at the highest setting (12). PLEASE NOTE – When first turning on the Overture, you will need to set the POWER control to the highest setting to effectively activate the VRM. Once in full operating mode, with both the Main Power and Standby Switches set to the ON position, reduce the POWER control to the desired setting.
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