FAME Bulldozer User manual

ELECTRIC GUITAR AMP
Owner‘s Manual
Bulldozer

2
Congratulations!
We would like to thank you for purchasing the Bulldozer Electric Guitar Amplifier.
It has been specially designed and developed for the use with electric guitars.
Before using your new amplifier, we advise to read the following pages carefully.
Taking care of your Bulldozer
Safety Warnings
We want you to be aware of certain safety aspects,
for reasons of product safety and liability. With
all due respect, please read the following before
operating your new Fame amplifier.
• Do not use or store your amplifier in or near
moist or wet areas.
• Make sure that the voltage shown on the back of
the amplifier is the correct voltage for the
location you are using it. The Bulldozer can
never be used at different voltages than shown.
• Opening the amplifier housing must only be
done by authorized personnel. No user
serviceable parts inside.
• The power amp is configured to deliver highest
tone at normal volume levels. We advise you
for your own good not to expose yourself to
very high volume levels for long periods of
time. It can lead to hearing damage.
Transporting the Bulldozer
• The Bulldozer is a vacuum tube instrument
amplifier. Vacuum tubes are sensitive,
especially when hot. To avoid damaging
the unit, we recommend using care during
setup and tear down of the unit.
• Allow the amplifier to adjust to the ambient
temperature before operating, 30 minutes
should be sufficient in all cases. Especially the
change between a cold vehicle and, in most
cases, warm stages can cause condensing
fluid inside the electrical circuit. This can lead
to circuit shorts.
• For continued road use, please protect the
amplifier with a professional flight case. Trans-
port only in operating position. Do not trans-
port upside down or on its side.
Daily use
• Never be rough with knobs, connections
or other parts of the amplifier.
• Be careful while pulling out cables. Pulling
plugs quickly can cause damage.
• Disconnect all cables before transporting
the unit.
• Avoid physical shocks, such as hits or drops.
• You should never put any heavy items on top
of the Bulldozer.
Cleaning the Bulldozer
• Usually it is sufficient to wipe down the outside
of the amplifier with a slightly moist
cleaning rag.
• Do not use any abrasive cleaning chemicals.
• Sometimes a vacuum cleaner can be used to
remove dust and dirt from nooks and crevices.
• Avoid putting any vinyl on top of the unit.
It glues and discolours the surface.
Electric enviroment
• This amplifier contains electric circuits, which
can cause interference when operating near
Radio or TV units. If you notice any abnormal
noise, we recommend to put the amplifier
away from such devices.
• Blown fuses can only be replaced with fuses
of equal values. The use of incorrect fuses is
prohibited and can cause severe injury or
damage the amplifier.
• Only use a grounded power cable in good
condition.

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Content
Setting up the Bulldozer ................................................................................................ 4
Peripheral Connections.................................................................................................. 5
Preamp Section ............................................................................................................... 6
Channels........................................................................................................................... 6
Controls & Switches I ..................................................................................................... 7
Controls & Switches II .................................................................................................... 8
Special Gimmicks............................................................................................................ 9
Specifications ................................................................................................................... 10

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Setting up the Bulldozer
WARNING!
To avoid electrical shock or any other damage, make sure that the Bulldozer
and all other devices are switched off before you start connecting them to the
amplifier!
Power Connections/Mains
Before connecting to a grounded power outlet,
make sure the power switches are in the off position
(facing down). The Bulldozer is set up for 230 V of
line voltage. First turn the Power switch to on (facing
up). The indicator will light up. This starts the tube he-
ating process. After about 40 seconds, the tubes have
sufficiently heated up for normal operation. Your Bull-
dozer is now ready for operation and the Standby
switch can be turned to on (also facing up). Premature
activation of the Standby switch will lead to unneces-
sary tube stress and reduce the power tube‘s life span.
Important note
Tubes are electronic components that only function
with vacuum intact and under very high operating
temperatures. Each tube has one or more heating
filaments, much like a light bulb. These filaments heat
up the Anode of the tube. If you switch the standby
switch before these Anodes have reached their op-
erating temperature then the Anode surfaces are not
heated evenly yet; the “operating temperature” of
the tube is not reached yet. This causes undue stress
on the tubes and their related components inside the
amp. One should therefore always give the amp it’s
much needed warmup time, even if musical inspira-
tion hits with full force.
Connecting an electric guitar
The input jack on the right side of the frontpanel
receives your electric guitar signal by means of a
shielded guitar cord with 1/4” mono style plug.
Make sure the master volume of the amplifier is set
to the lowest position to avoid disturbing noise while
connecting.
Travelling Abroad
If travelling to countries outside the EU, always check
their local voltage before operating the Bulldozer.
Mismatched voltages can and most likely will destroy
your amplifier. Should you encounter voltages and
frequencies other than those indicated, a transformer
must be used between the power socket and the
Bulldozer. This transformer must be able to transform
the voltage and frequency to one of the indicated
settings.
Connecting speaker cabinets
The Bulldozer can only work with a connected
speaker cabinet and should never be used without
it. Make sure that you use a mono style 1/4“ cable
for the connection. Always take care of the correct
impedance between the amplifier and the connected
cabinet. I.E. Bulldozer 4 ohms > external cabinet 4
ohms or 2 cabinets with 8 ohms. We recommend our
special designed Fame cabinets for best performance.
Main Fuse
The main fuse is situated in a little drawer which is
part of the power input jack. This sliding fuse holder
also hides a spare fuse. For 230 V, the fuse must be a
3,15 A slow blow. It is crucially important to use the
specified fuse values only.
Tube Maintenance
Power tubes last 1 to 3 years, depending on care,
volume and frequency of use of the amplifier. If you
use your amp only once a month, then the tubes will
last longer. Get it? We have heard tubes that are over
10 years old, but it was not a good thing. Tubes age
very slowly, slow enough for the artist to get used to
the changing tone. To keep things fresh, we recom-
mend retubing, cleaning and biasing once a year if
the amp is used frequently.

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Periphal Connections
Signal In Jack
The Bulldozer features a 6,35mm mono style
input jack on the very right side of the frontpanel.
CONNECTIONS ON THE BACK
Footswitch
With the included footswitch it is possible to
control the channel switching and the effect loop of the
Bulldozer.Tousethisoption,youjustneedtoconnectthe
footswitch with the “Footswitch” jack on the back of the
amplifier.
Loudspeakers
These jacks have been installed for the use of a
speaker cabinet. You should always make sure
that the impedance value on the external cabinet
is identical with the shown value on the back of the
amplifier. Always use a speaker cable with 1/4” plugs.
Slave Out
This jack can be used to connect the Bulldozer’s
preamp to a second device, i.e. a mixing desk,
recording device or a second power amp. When
using the slave output, the signal path to the power
amp will not be interrupted.
Effects Loop
On the back of your amplifier you will find both a
send and a return jack. These will be useful if you
want to loop external effects units between preamp
and power amp of the Bulldozer. The built-in effects
loop is parallel. That means that you can adjust how
much effects signal is being a added to the original
signal, which still flows through the amplifier. There is
always an analog connection between the send and
return jacks.
IMPORTANT: You must set the mix control on the
effects unit to 100% wet when using the parallel loop.
Otherwise there will be nasty phasing problems
resulting in unsatisfactory tone. The signal portion
that is unaffected by the mix control in the effects unit
would reach the amplifier at a different time due to
the cabling, and cause phasing cancellations.
Mains
This jack is used to connect the Bulldozer to a
grounded power outlet.
Your guitar cord is an important part of our signal chain and its quality and
construction type clearly affect the overall tone of your rig. Try and buy the
best quality cord you can or want to afford for maximum sound!

6
Preamp Section of the Bulldozer
Channel 1
The general attitude of the Bulldozer is a very aggressive and
modern basic sound. Although, the clean channel produces a very
straight and lightly compressed sound. It stays very clean, even at
higher volume stages. Furthermore, you will notice that the treble
control has a very high effect on the basic sound. Another option
in this channel allows you to change to a HiGain mode (explained
later in the “Controls & Switches” section.
Channel 2
The concept of this channel is heavy rhythm guitar. The distortion is
noticerbly tighter than in the HiGain mode of Channel 1. The gain
structure of this channel is designed to deliver great distorted sound
even with guitars that have relatively low output, like many vintage
guitars. The side effect here is that guitars with very high output
(active EMG etc.) lose their punch in the band sound and becomes
very undefined. In this case, a radical gain reduction is the cure. The
guitar sound will clean up a little bit, and the overtones and harmoics
will once again sparkle.

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Controls and Switches I
We suggest you start exploring the channels with all controls set to 12:00
o‘clock and the master volume slightly cracked open.
HiGain/Clean
This switch changes between the clean or distorted
mode in the first channel.
CH1/CH2
Switches between the two channels of the Bulldozer.
CHANNEL 1
Gain
This knob controls the preamp‘s level in the first
channel. When activating the HiGain mode, it
adjusts the amount of gain.
Treble, Middle, Bass
The treble, middle and bass knobs control the overall
sound of Channel 1. You can adjust the basic sound
of this channel in all frequency ranges.
Presence
This knob controls the treble part of the power amps
tone spectrum in this channel. Its frequency centers
at about 2,5kHz. Treble is produced and dispersed
in a very small beam from the speaker, so be sure to
position yourself in the projection area of the speaker
when making adjustments.
Master
Controls the master volume of this channel.
CHANNEL 2
Gain
This knob controls the amount of gain in the
Bulldozers second channel. Due to the high effect of
this knob, we recommend to start with a 12:00 o‘clock
gain setting to feel your way to the point of perfection
and very little compression. This works best when the
band is playing with you.
Treble, Middle, Bass
The treble, middle and bass knobs control the overall
sound of Channel 2. You can adjust the basic sound
of this channel in all frequency ranges.
Presence
This knob controls the treble part of the power amps
tone spectrum in this channel. Its frequency centers
at about 2,5kHz. Treble is produced and dispersed
in a very small beam from the speaker, so be sure to
position yourself in the projection area of the speaker
when making adjustments.
Master
Controls the master volume of this channel.
Standby
This switch is responsible for the change between
active or standby mode of the Bulldozer.
Power
Switches the amplifier on or off.

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Controls and Switches II
We suggest you start exploring the channels with all controls set to 12:00
o‘clock and the master volume slightly cracked open.
CONTROLS ON THE BACK
Channel Style Select
This feature has a very high effect on the
overall sound of your Fame Bulldozer. It is possible to
drive one or both of the amplifier’s channels whether in
the Vintage Mode or in the Modern Mode. The
Vintage Mode features a lower voltage flowing into
the power amp, which produces a very spongy sound
with a soft attack. The Modern Mode sounds very
aggressive in the lower frequencies and offers a fast
attack.
Slave Level
This knob controls the output level of the Slave Out. To
avoid damage to the connected devices, you should
start at the lowest level possible until you reached the
desired value.
Loop Select
This chicken head knob determines how the
effects loop of the Bulldozer works. It offers you the
following possibilities:
• Bypass Loop: Switches the effect loop off
• FX on CH1&CH2: The effects loop is activated
for both channels
• CH1: Effects loop is activated for Channel 1
• CH2: Effects loop ia activated for Channel 2
• FSW: The effects loop can only be activated by a
connected footswitch
This intelligent switching system allows you to easily
insert any kind of effects unit in the way you like to
use it.
Send Level
Controls the input level of the connected effects unit.
Return Level
Controls the output level, which runs back into the
effects unit.
Rectifier Hard/Soft
This switch changes between the two operating modes
of the power amp, respectively the rectifier tubes. The
“Hard” mode features a high effect of these tubes,
and you will notice a strong compression at a higher
volume stage. When switching to the “Soft” mode,
this effect will be less strong and the amount of
compression will be smaller.

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External Effects
We are convinced that the basic sound of the Fame
Bulldozer will suit the demands of most guitar players.
Although, the usage of external effects devices can pro-
vide a variety of new and interesting sounds.
These are divided into:
• Level-related effects are: Compresser, Limiter or
Noise Gate
• Time-based effects are: Delay/Echo, Chorus or
Flanger
• Volume-based effects are: Tremolo, Auto-Volume or
Pan
• Filtering-related effects are: Equalizer, Phaser,
Rotary or Vibe
While the last three effects groups can be inserted in the
effects loop of the Bulldozer, level-related units must al-
ways be connected between instrument and amplifier.
A lot of our customers gave us a positive feedback on us-
ing boosts and overdrives. These units can crank up the
sound very nice or higher the volume for a solo passage
in a song.
How to choose the right device
High-quality effects like a vibrato or time-based units
like delays can round up the sound, when placed in the
effects loop of the amplifier. But the final sound is depend-
ing on the choice of the specific unit.
A multieffects processor i.e. digitalizes the incoming signal
by using an AD-converter and inverts it after adding sev-
eral effects. Depending on to the used model, the sound
can be influenced in a negative way. Expensive units con-
tain very capable converters, which keep the signal in it’s
original value and even improve the sound quality.
Analogue units will not harm the signal’s quality, but they
are also limited and normally produce only one overall
sound.
Running the Bulldozer in a midi setup
If you like to setup your system with various effects units,
you will also know that changing between different sounds
can turn out like some kind of a “riverdance”. To simplify
this, you should think about purchasing a midi switch-
er/looper. It is normally housed in a 19” chassis, and
contains effects loops and switching relays. You can switch
the channels of your amplifier as well as loop several
effects units into the signal path. Different combinations
can be saved and accessed by a midi footcontroller, which
makes it possible to change between completely different
sounds with only one footstep.The days of disorganized
chaos at the stagefront are over.
Hints & Gimmicks
We came up with the following advice and “wisdom“ according to our
personal experiences. This will help you to improve the performance of your
Bulldozer.

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Specifications
Power Output: 100 Watts
Tube Types: 3x 12AX7 & 1x 12AT7 Preamp, 4x EL34 & 2x 5U4GB Power Amp
Switches: CH1/CH2, HiGain/Clean, Power, Standby, Channel Style Select, Loop Select,
Rectifier Hard/Soft
Equalization: Bass, Middle, Treble (Channel 1 & 2)
Effects: %
Connection Jacks: Input
Footswitch
Slave Out
Speaker Outs (1 x 16 Ohm, 1 x 8 o. 2 x 16 Ohm, 1 x 4 o. 2 x 8 Ohm)
FX Send & Return
Mains
Dimensions: 65,5 x 24,5 x 24,5 cm L/B/T
Weight: 19 kg
Accessories: Owner‘s Manual, Power Cable
Optional: -