Trinity Amps TRIWATT User manual

TRIWATT Builders Guide Ver. 0.94.doc
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The
TRIWATT
Builder's Guide
March 2009, Version 0.94
Par s © Trini y Amps 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
www. rini yamps.com

TRIWATT Builders Guide Ver. 0.94.doc
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TRIWATT Builders Guide Ver. 0.94.doc
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Table of Contents
Table of Con en s ............................................................................................ 3
Thank You ...................................................................................................... 5
In roduc ion.................................................................................................... 6
Acknowledgemen s .......................................................................................... 6
WARNING....................................................................................................... 7
Please Read his Informa ion Carefully ........................................................ 7
Cus om TRIWATT Lead Descrip ion .................................................................... 8
Gui ar Amplifier Basics ..................................................................................... 9
Dis or ion...................................................................................................10
General Amplifier Opera ion .........................................................................11
Some DO NOTS ..........................................................................................12
Some DOs..................................................................................................12
In roduc ion o Vacuum Tubes and Common Terms ............................................13
Building an Amp .............................................................................................16
In roduc ion ...............................................................................................16
Swi ches and wire .......................................................................................16
Physical layou ............................................................................................16
Grounding ..................................................................................................16
Insula ed jacks ...........................................................................................17
Minimizing ransformer in erference ..............................................................17
Wiring........................................................................................................17
Assembling he amp .......................................................................................17
Before You Begin ........................................................................................17
Tools .........................................................................................................17
Soldering ...................................................................................................18
Tube Pin Numbering ....................................................................................18
Assembly S eps Summary............................................................................20
1. Ins all he Hardware ................................................................................20
2 Wiring.....................................................................................................24
Grounding Scheme...................................................................................25
3 Ins all Transformers .................................................................................26
4 Power Supply Wiring.................................................................................26
Tes he Power Transformer ......................................................................29
5 Turre Board Cons ruc ion .........................................................................30
6 Connec ing he Turre Board ......................................................................32
7 Connec ing he Turre Board o Con rols......................................................32
8 Ou pu Transformer - Ou pu Jacks.............................................................33
9 Inpu Jacks..............................................................................................35
Inpu o V1 .............................................................................................37
9 Final checkou ..........................................................................................38
10 Power Up...............................................................................................39
Trini y TRIWATT 6V6 Vol age Char ...................................................................42
WARNING......................................................................................................43
Please Read his Informa ion Carefully .......................................................43
Troubleshoo ing .............................................................................................44
Hum ..........................................................................................................44
Volume Tes ...............................................................................................44
Faul y ube.................................................................................................44
Severely unma ched ou pu ubes in a push pull amplifier ................................44

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Faul y power supply fil er caps......................................................................45
Faul y bias supply in fixed bias amplifiers .......................................................45
Unbalanced or no -ground-referenced filamen winding ...................................45
Defec ive inpu jack.....................................................................................46
Poor AC grounding ......................................................................................46
Induced hum ..............................................................................................46
Poor in ernal wire rou ing.............................................................................46
Poor AC Chassis Ground a Power Transformer ...............................................46
Defec ive in ernal grounding.........................................................................46
Hiss...........................................................................................................47
Me al Film Resis or Subs i u ions...................................................................47
Squealing/Feedback ....................................................................................47
Radio In erference ......................................................................................47
Scra chy Sounds on Po en iome er(s) ............................................................48
Amp Buzz or Ra le When Ins alled in Cabine .................................................48
Tone Tweaking...............................................................................................50
More Tips for fine uning your amp ................................................................50
Tube Subs i u ions..........................................................................................51
How o read Resis or Color Codes .....................................................................52
Firs he code ..........................................................................................52
How o read he Color Code ......................................................................52
How o read Capaci or Codes ...........................................................................53
FAQ ..............................................................................................................55
Cliff Jacks Explained .......................................................................................57
Hardware ......................................................................................................57
TRIWATT Bill of Ma erials.................................................................................58
Trini y Amps Schema ics and Layou s ...............................................................60

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Thank You
Thank you for purchasing your TRIWATT ki from Trini y Amps. We ruly hope ha you enjoy
building i and ha i will be enjoyed for many years. If you have any ques ions please do no
hesi a e o con ac us and. Please be sure o check he package con en s in case here are any
missing i ems.
we are always looking for feedback form our Cus omers on our produc s. We have checked he
build ins ruc ions over horoughly and are confiden in our produc . However, mis akes do
happen so our advice is ha as you connec each wire and par according o he layou , cross-
check agains he schema ic. If you find any inconsis encies, or have any concerns, please le
us know. Do no hesi a e o con ac us! We wan his build o be successful for you and for
Trini y Amps!
We’re confiden ha you will like our produc and our suppor and when you’re comple ed, we’d
apprecia e your commen s pos ed on any of he in erne forums such as hegearpage.ne ,
18wa .com, AX84.com or rini yamps.com. You will find some ex ra business cards in he
package. Please keep one and pass he res around.
We know you have a choice in suppliers and do apprecia e your business. If here is any o her
produc we can provide o you or your associa es, please ge in ouch and we will be happy o
discuss requiremen s.
Sincerely,
S ephen Cohrs,
Trini y Amps
Web si e: www.trinityamps.com
email: [e-mail]

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Introduction
This guide has been prepared for builders of Trini y Amps Ki s. I is always being improved and
we would apprecia e your feedback and commen s o: [e-mail]
Accordingly, con en and specifica ions are subjec o change wi hou no ice.
We do ry o make i as accura e as possible, bu i is some imes hard o keep up wi h he
changes. Therefore, if you do find an error, please le us know abou i and we will correc i .
Sugges ions are welcome so if you have one, please ge in ouch wi h us.
Sources of help.
Forums: Please use he various forums o ge help. They are an excellen resource and can be
found a rini yamps.com, AX84.com, he Gear Page e c..
Color assembly pic ures and he la es drawings, ips, echniques are all in he Trini y Amps
Forum, in he Resources Forum. To view he Resources, you need o sign up so go o
www.trinityamps.com and click on he Forum bu on.
Email: We can’ help wi h every problem bu if you can no ge your problem resolved, email us
and we’ll do our bes o help.
Phone Call: If your problem can’ be solved, email for a phone appoin men .
Acknowledgements
Much of he con en in his documen is original. Ra her han reinven con en , some par s are
based on con en from o her excellen sources and are hereby acknowledged.
R.G. Keen’s si e www.geofex.com - Tube Amp FAQ, Tube Amp Debugging
AX84.com si e www.AX84.com - Gary Anwyl's P1 cons ruc ion guide version 1.0
GM Ar s websi e http //users.chariot.net.au/~gmarts/index.html - Gui ar Amp Basics
www.18watt.com - websi e for various con en and diagrams – Richie TMB
Aron from diys ompboxes.com
Par s © Trini y Amps 2005. No par of his documen may be copied or reprin ed wi hou wri en
permission of Trini y Amps or con ribu ing au hors lis ed above.

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WARNING
Please Read this Information Carefully
The projec s described in hese pages u ilize POTENTIALLY FATAL HIGH
VOLTAGES. If you are in any way unfamiliar wi h high vol age circui s or are
uncomfor able working around high vol ages, PLEASE DO NOT RISK YOUR
LIFE BY BUILDING THEM. Seek help from a compe en echnician before
building any unfamiliar elec ronics circui . While effor s are made o ensure
accuracy of hese circui s, no guaran ee is provided, of any kind!
USE AT YOUR OWN RISK: TRINITY AMPS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL
LIABILITY FOR INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE RESULTING FROM THIS
INFORMATION! ALL INFORMATION IS PROVIDED 'AS-IS' AND WITHOUT
WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.
REMEMBER NEVER OPERATE YOUR AMP WITHOUT A LOAD.
YOU WILL RUIN YOUR OUTPUT TRANSFORMER!

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Custom TRIWATT Lead Description
The TRIWATT was designed by Trini y Amps o cap ure he classic HIWATT sound wi hou he
usual classic ear-bleeding volume levels. I is closely based on an early '70s s yle Hiwa DR, bu
u ilising ei her 6V6 or KT66 power ubes for more usable power ou pu . Fur hermore, i has he 3-
inpu configura ion used by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, plus an Overdrive s age, as found in
early '80's “Biacrown era” Hiwa Lead amps.
Bright channel - perfec righ ou of he ga e. The en ire ravel of gain knob yields usable ones.
Brigh is AMAZING from zero o dimed, wi h lo s of sub le colours in be ween. This channel really
cu s hrough he mix.
Normal channel - has usable gain from he bo om all he way o he op, and lo s of sub le
shades of clean and semi-clean from around 10 o'clock o 3 o'clock. This channel is impor an
because i 's where mos people will probably spend mos of heir ime. The one, is big and more
de ailed.
Link - is like jumping he wo channels on a 4-holer. There are infini e shades of one possible by
blending he wo channels' volume con rols. The ac ual "sound" of he link inpu s is sub ly more
scooped-mid and sparkly, giving one se of knob se ings wo sligh ly differen ones.
Tone Controls - Treble, Middle, Bass, Presence - hese are less like "boos /cu " knobs and more
like “real” one con rols. They do a lo o he one in a very sub le way. Wi h Fenders/Marshalls
ex reme se ings can ge painful. TRIWATT never ge s painful. Presence in par icular is very
au hen ic - ra her han boos ing a high reble, i opens up or ex ends he op end of he one o
add “air” o he sound. TRIWATT EQ knobs are in very similar places when compared o original
Hiwa amps, dialed in o similar ones.
Master Volume - urning he mas er down isn' a one killer like in some amps. The one is no
compromised when he mas er is under around 11 o'clock. IF you se he OD up appropria ely
(see below), even wi h he MV way down - 7 or 8 o' clock, i s ill sounds huge. This con rol sounds
big, quie , and i i sounds big loud!
Overdrive - This con rol may be he reason someone who owns arguably a Hyligh -era Hiwa 4-
holer, would wan he TRIWATT. This is where he TRIWATT "ar " lives – a . Pull ou he
Overdrive con rol and you ge he ex ra gain s age of a Biacrown era Hiwa Lead amp (push he
knob in and i 's ou of he circui ). This gain s age na urally gives you more gain and more
dis or ion, as well as more compression. So, for rhy hms as well as leads, i 's incredible! The way
i works, is ha when he Overdrive s age is engaged by pulling he Overdrive knob, he s age's
drive/gain level is se by he Normal and Brigh volume con rols, and he s age's ou ou level is
se by means of he Overdrive knob. So i 's possible o se he s age o provide a lo of ex ra gain
bu a he same volume level as when i s no engaged. Bu here are more possibili ies. If you
have o play lead, bring up he brigh /normal gain s age and s arve he overdrive gain and he
one comes forward is more dynamic and bigger. Turning up he Overdrive, wi h an LP and
humbuckers reveals big me al ones, ye rolling back he gui ar volume and playing more gen ly
yields delica e, ransparen , sparkling cleans wi h he Overdrive s ill on. And you can imagine all
he shades in be ween!!!
Guitars - The TRIWATT can handle many gui ars wi h aplomb. Tele, S ra , Danos, Ric, Les Paul
wi h P90's for he single coils, and Les Paul, SG, Seymour Duncan ho -rodded Fender Cyclone for
'buckers, PRS Mira in bo h 'bucker and single mode - have all been es ed wi h his amp, and
every gui ar sounds GREAT. Also, Hiwa s are known for aking a lo of pedals really well. The
TRIWATT does no disappoin in his area ei her.

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Key Points about the TRIWATT Design
•Big Hiwa DR clean ones and breakup a more ear-friendly levels
•Vin age s yle early '70s 103 preamp (wi h ca hode-follower)
•Three-inpu s - Normal, Brigh and Link, like Dave Gilmour's 3-inpu amps
•Swi chable 80s' "Biacrown era" high-gain OL/Lead mode, wi h Overdrive con rol and
op ional foo swi ch
•Early Hiwa s yle 12AT7 phase inver or, wi h 12AX7 op ion for increased breakup
•Solid S a e rec ified, fixed-bias, 22 Wa 6V6 power s age, based closely on Hiwa original
•Op ional 6V6 or KT66 opera ion wi h Ex ernal Bias Con rol and Bias Tes Poin s
• Transformers closely based on original Hiwa Par ridge ransformers for defini ive one
• Preamp easily modded for Pe e Townshend or Jimmy Page/SAP varian s
• Compac physical forma and cabine - chassis also fi s o her s andard cabs
Guitar Amplifier Basics
Elec ric gui aris s can be fairly cri icized for heir reluc ance o change o new
ideas and echnologies; however, here is no doub ha a classic 1950’s gui ar
and ube amplifier in good condi ion s ill sounds grea in modern recordings. This
is a es amen o good design from he s ar . Wha has improved oday is
consis ency, and he cos benefi s of produc ion line manufac uring. This is offse
by he rari y of good gui ar wood (i makes a huge difference, even on an elec ric
gui ar), increased labour cos s for bo h gui ars and amplifica ion equipmen , and
he availabili y of good and consis en quali y ubes.
There is also an elemen of nos algia, wi h memories of many of he grea players
of years gone by, and he desire o use he same ypes of ins rumen s and
equipmen o recap ure he magic. Vin age ins rumen s and equipmen have also
become valuable collec ors i ems (some wi h very infla ed prices) which adds
fur her o he desirabili y of older ools of he rade. There has been a recen
rend by many companies o re-marke heir original ins rumen s and equipmen ;
new gui ars can even be bough now ‘pre-aged’!
This desire for vin age equipmen is also rela ed o gui aris s’ reluc ance o par
wi h ube amplifica ion, and here are many reasons why ube and solid s a e
amplifiers behave differen ly. Qui e simply, if players prefer he sound of ubes,
hey will con inue o buy and use hem. Below are some fundamen als.
Input Impedance Typically 1M, 500K minimum (humbucking pickup
gui ars have volume po s up o 500K, single coil pickup gui ars ypically of 250K) .
Tone Controls Magne ic gui ar pickups are induc ive, and require
compensa ion, al hough his oppor uni y is also used for one enhancemen , no jus

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correc ion. Wi hou compensa ion, hey have a s rong low middle emphasis and
li le high frequency response - overall a very muddy and muffled sound. This is
why ypical hi-fi Baxandall reble & bass con rols are unsui able.
To hear he na ural sound of a pickup, use a ypical gui ar amp wi h he middle se
o full, and bass and reble on 0. This is ac ually se s a fla response in he amp
(see below). Expec o hear a muffled and muddy sound. And ha 's he whole
poin of hese one con rols providing compensa ion for he na ural sound of a
pickup - he middle con rol simply boos s he pickup's normal ‘middley’ sound.
The reble and bass con rols do he opposi e - hey boos higher and lower
frequency levels, leaving a no ch in-be ween for middle cu (see he
Fender/Marshall comparison below). So wi h ypical se ings of a bi of bass,
middle and reble, he overall one equaliza ion complemen s he na ural pickup
sound for a balanced response of lows, mids and highs.
Distortion
The overdriven sound of a ube power amplifier is highly desirable, wi h many
differen ou pu s age designs o produce he varie y of rademark sounds heard
on modern recordings. The only problem is ha a ube power amplifier is only
capable of producing his sound a one volume (usually, fairly loud!).
There are probably 3 dis inc ly iden ifiable ypes of ube power amplifiers used:
Leo Fender's classic early designs used 6V6 ubes, and la er, he higher powered
6L6's. This gave a charac eris ic full and punchy sound, sui able for many s yles
of he day, and la er. S eel and coun ry players like he chime-like clean sounds,
and blues players were quick o discover he classic way i breaks up when pushed
hard. A really high overdrive, hough, he sound becomes qui e dir y, wi h bass
in par icular sounding flabby.
Marshall designs s ar ed as Fender copies, bu soon swi ched o EL34 ou pu ubes,
possibly for local supply reasons. Anyway, he res is his ory. These ubes
exhibi a sof er overdrive ransi ion, and main ain clari y even a high overdrive
levels. They also have a limi ed middle response, giving rise o he famous
Marshall crunch sound. The lower powered EL84 ubes have similar
charac eris ics.
Vox AC30 (and he more popular op boos model) uses a Class AB power amplifier
design, wi h he ubes biased ‘ho ’, so while his opera es in class A a lower levels,
i is a class AB design. There's no nega ive feedback in he power amp ei her, so
his gives a differen sound, of en described as a swee er overdrive. Lis en o
Brian May's sounds for plen y of good examples.
The Fender and Marshall designs use class AB for heir ou pu designs, biased wi h
he ubes almos off wi h no signal. This is more efficien (more wa s per ube),
and be er for ube life. When you play, ubes ake urns handling each half of he
signal. This leads o some (unwan ed) dis or ion as he ubes cross over. Class A
designs are rare in medium o high power gui ar amps, bu rue class A has he
ubes opera ing a half power, wi h no signal applied. When you play, he ube
fluc ua es be ween full and no power, so here is no swi ching o add unwan ed
dis or ion. This is a very superficial explana ion; please read elsewhere on he
In erne for more de ailed descrip ions.

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Wide Dynamic Ran e A plucked gui ar s ring requires a wide dynamic
range o handle he ini ial peak, and hen cleanly amplify he decaying s ring
vibra ions. Some poor designs do no have his capabili y in heir preamp s ages,
le alone he power amp o handle his. Pre-amplifier s ages need generous power
rails, and should no have gain s ages which cause he ini ial plucked par of he
s ring sus ain envelope o be clipped.
Instrument Speakers Unlike hi-fi speakers, which are designed o
keep he coil en irely wi hin he magne ic field o maximize lineari y, ins rumen
speakers are designed o have he coil par ially leave he magne ic field a he
ex remes of cone ravel. This is par ly o pro ec he speaker, bu also produces a
‘sof -clipping’ effec which is desirable wi h gui ar amplifiers. I is also herefore
impor an o ma ch speaker power ra ings reasonably closely wi h he power of he
amplifier. Popular ins rumen speakers are available from Tone Tubby, Celes ion,
Jensen and o hers.
Note: If you were o use wo cabine s hooked direc ly in o he amp, be sure o se
he amp a half he impedance of he cabine s. For example, if your cabine s are 8
ohms each, se he impedance selec or o 4 ohms.
Durability Mos musical s yles will require he amplifier o be overdriven for
ex ended periods of ime, and he amplifier mus be designed o provide his
wi hou duress on any componen s. Common non-gui ar design principles assume
ha circui ry will be designed o avoid overdrive, and echnicians working in his
field have o ‘un-learn’ many basic assump ions. Popular circui s have evolved
hrough rial and error, due o a general lack of documen ed knowledge in he field
of non-linear amplifica ion.
Road Worthiness Musical equipmen of his ype needs bo h physical
and elec rical pro ec ion. A band of en has i s equipmen ranspor ed and se up
by a road crew wi h li le guaran ee of physical care. Likewise, an assump ion
should be made ha he ou pu s age will a imes be inadver en ly shor ed, so
mos professional equipmen is designed o handle his con ingency, preferably
elec ronically, and a he very leas wi hou fuses inside he chassis.
General Amplifier Operation

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Some DO NOTS
• Never, Never, Never run the amp without a speaker plugged in. This
can cause major damage.
•Do no flip he power swi ch off, and hen back on rapidly. This can cause power
supply damage.
•Never replace a burned ou fuse wi h a bigger-amperage one. Remember - here was
a reason he firs one burned ou , usually pro ec ing some hing more expensive.
Pu ing a bigger fuse in will jus ra che up he power level un il some hing really vi al
burns ou . If he second equal-ra ing fuse pops, urn i off and ge a ech o look a i .
•Never ignore signs of high hea inside - a wisp of smoke or a burning smell is NOT
normal.
•Your amp produces lo s of hea , and will con inue o do so even if you block he fresh
air ven s. Blocking he ven s will overhea he amp and you may have o ge some
very expensive repairs done.
•Never ignore a red glow o her han he small orange ends of he filamen s. A red glow
over a large par of he in ernal pla es of he ou pu ubes means hey're abou o
mel . If you no ice his, shu i down and ge a ech o help you find ou wha i wrong.
Some DOs
Add ano her speaker in o he "ex ernal speaker" jack; a misma ched speaker load won' kill i ,
while an open circui (disconnec ed speakers) may do so.
Overdrive he s uffing ou of i . Tubes are very forgiving of massive overdrives, unlike solid
s a e gear. As long as hey ubes don' overhea for long periods, i 's no fa al.

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Introduction to Vacuum Tubes and Common Terms
Reprin ed wi h permission from Aron from diys ompboxes.com
Here are a few erms ha you may see online when referencing ube schema ics. Like dis or ion
pedals, ube circui s seemingly have heir own language! I presen his knowledge in he hopes
ha i may help you decipher he in eres ing life of ubes! :-) Below, is a pic ure and a very
simplis ic view of a ube s age.
As you can see above, in his iny snippe
of a ube schema ic, he erms you commonly see are here in his riode s age example.
Plate - he pla e is usually connec ed o a pla e resis or which is usually connec ed o he B+ or
power supply vol age. Typical Pla e Resis or values are 100K, 150K, 220K. Larger values equal
more gain.
The Grid is where he signal en ers he ube.
The Ca hode is usually connec ed o a ca hode resis or which usually goes o ground. The ca hode
resis or, along wi h he Pla e resis or, con rol he gain of he ube s age. Typical values are
anywhere from 100 ohms o 10K. Smaller values = more gain.
I is common o see a ca hode bypass cap connec ed in parallel wi h he ca hode resis or. By
al ering he values of he ca hode resis or and ca hode bypass cap, i is possible o roll off various
degrees of bass wi h his riode s age. The ca hode resis or and pla e resis or con rol he biasing
of he ube. The ca hode bypass cap also gives he s age more gain.
Some imes you see a capaci or in parallel wi h he pla e resis or, much like he ca hode resis or
bypass cap. I is usually a small value (i.e. .001uF) and i rolls off highs in he s age. Some imes
you see a high frequency roll off cap going from he pla e pin o he ca hode pin - 350pf->500pf
in value.

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You will also see a coupling cap in
be ween riode s ages. The coupling cap con rols he bass and rolls off bass be ween s ages and
blocks DC from en ering he nex s age - which could hrow off he bias on he nex ube s age. As
usual, smaller values roll off more bass, larger values re ain more bass be ween s ages.
Ano her modifica ion you may see is a Grid S opper Resis or, his can also con rol gain be ween
s ages and also in erac s wi h he ube o roll off highs. Values can be 1.5K->100K. Larger values
roll off more highs and reduce gain be ween s ages. The Grid S opper Resis or works bes when
moun ed direc ly or as close as possible o he grid pin.
"Comple e" ypical ube preamp s age:

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The grid ("leak") resis or, ypically se s he impedance of he s age and biasing. I is in eres ing
because i and he previous s age's pla e resis or form a vol age divider on he signal. Wha his
means o you is ha he grid leak resis or can be used o con rol he level in o he s age. Low grid
leak values will a enua e he signal in o he ube s age. If you look a differen ube amp
schema ics, you can see where hey con rol he level in o he s age by using differen values for
he grid leak resis or. There is a maximum value ha you need o adhere o. Check he da ashee
for he ube you are using o see he ypical value of he grid leak resis or. This par icular circui is
called ca hode bias which you can read abou here.
In summary, he ca hode resis or, pla e resis or and grid resis or, de ermine he biasing of he
ube s age. The ca hode bypass cap con rols he degree of bass reduc ion - generally 25uF passes
all frequencies - commonly used in Fender amps, 1uF an 0.68uF are used in Marshall amps. A
capaci or can be placed in parallel wi h he pla e resis or o roll off highs and you see his in bass
channels of amps some imes. The pla e receives he vol age from he power supply hrough a
pla e resis or, he grid receives he AC signal as inpu and he ca hode is grounded hrough a
ca hode resis or.

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Building an Amp
Warning Do not attempt to build a guitar amp unless you know how to work safely with
the dangerous voltages present in a tube amp. These can exceed 700 volts.
Introduction
If you have purchased your Trini y Amp as a ki , his guide will help you build a ube gui ar
amplifier. I is orien ed owards someone who knows a li le abou elec ronics bu is new o do-i -
yourself amps. I ou lines a simple pa h o ge ing a quali y amp build.
Switches and wire
Use s andard UL approved swi ches wi h a 125V/3A ra ing for he Power and S andby swi ches.
Use 20 or 20 Gauge insula ed solid wire wi h a 600V ra ing. I is good o ge a varie y of colors so
you can color code your wiring.
Physical layout
Make sure he jacks, socke s and po s moun ed along he edge won' in erfere wi h par s moun ed
on he underside of he chassis. Imagine how chassis will be moun ed in he cabine and make
sure here is enough clearance for he speaker and moun ing bracke s. Trini y amp chassis are
laid ou wi h serviceabili y and nea ness in mind.
Groundin
I is recommended ha you follow he layou provided wi h your Trini y Amp. I has been es ed
and has proven reliable. If you choose o devia e, consider he following informa ion.
Amps radi ionally use he chassis for signal ground. This is no he bes choice since i can crea e
ground loops and bad ground connec ions may develop over ime. I is be er o use s ar
grounding in which all of he local grounds are collec ed a a single ‘s ar ground’ poin . Wi h s ar
grounding here is only one connec ion be ween he chassis and signal ground.
Here are some rules for laying ou a s ar ground. More informa ion on grounding can be found in
he Tube Amp FAQ and he Tech Info page of Aiken Amplifica ion.
(1) Connec he power ransformer cen er ap direc ly o he nega ive erminal of he firs power
supply fil er capaci or (cap) hen run a separa e wire from he nega ive erminal o he s ar
ground poin .
(2) Collec he ground poin s of each ube and i s associa ed resis ors and capaci ors o a local
ground poin ha is no connec ed o he chassis. Run one wire o he s ar ground poin from each
collec ion.
(3) Run exac ly one wire from he s ar ground poin o chassis.
(4) Insula e he inpu and ou pu jacks from he chassis.
The safe y ground wire from he mains is separa e from he signal ground. Run a wire from he
AC ground o he chassis near where he AC power en ers he chassis.

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Insulated jacks
To insula e he inpu and ou pu jacks ei her use plas ic insula ed jacks or me al jacks wi h
insula ing washers. Some people prefer he increased durabili y of me al jacks. Insula ing a me al
jack requires a shoulder washer wi h a 3/8’ in ernal hole ha fi s a ½’ panel hole.
Minimizin transformer interference
To minimize coupling be ween he power ransformer and ou pu ransformer orien hem so heir
pla es are a righ angles. If possible, place hem a opposi e ends of he chassis.
Keep he inpu s age wiring shor and away from he ou pu s ages. This minimizes he possibili y
of oscilla ions caused by coupling of he ou pu signal in o he inpu .
Moun he grid resis ors as physically close o he grid pins as possible.
Use a wis ed pair of wires for he ube filamen wiring. Rou e i away from AC lines and close o
he chassis.
Wirin
The radi ional me hod of cons ruc ing amps involved moun ing he componen s on ag board or
fiberboard. This is he echnique ha is used for Trini y Amplifiers and is he recommended
approach for service and reliabili y.
Assembling the amp
Before You Be in
When you firs receive your ki , remove all of he par s from he shipping box and place hem on a
well-li , clean surface. Check all of he par s agains he par s lis and verify ha you have
every hing before you begin. Con ac us a once if you are missing any hing, or if some hing
appears o be damaged.
Tools
To assemble he amp you need:
1. 30 o 40W soldering iron
2. 60/40 rosin core solder
3. wire s ripper
4. wire cu er
5. needle nose pliers
6. screwdrivers
7. mul i-me er wi h minimum 500V range
Use a s and for he soldering iron, a sponge o keep he ip clean, de-soldering wick ma erial and
clip leads. You should also have a mul i-me er wi h a leas 500V range, preferably 1000V and an
audible con inui y checker. Try o ge a mul i-me er ha measures capaci ance. This le s you
verify he value of your componen s before you ins all hem.

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Solderin
Soldering is accomplished by hea ing he componen s o be soldered and allowing he mol en
solder o flow on o hem. Do no ry o mel solder on he ip of he iron and ransfer i o he
solder join . I doesn' work.
Follow hese s eps when soldering:
1. Use 60/40 rosin-core solder.
2. Keep he ip of he soldering iron clean. If i 's dir y, wipe i on a damp sponge o clean i .
3. Se he empera ure of your soldering iron o abou 700F.
4. Mel some solder on he ip of he iron. The mol en solder helps o efficien ly ransfer hea
from he soldering iron o he componen leads.
5. Make a good mechanical connec ion firs , and hen make a good solder join .
6. Hea he leads o be soldered by ouching i wi h he ip of he iron.
7. Touch he solder o he leads. The solder should flow on o he leads. Avoid brea hing he
fumes.
8. Remove he soldering iron and allow he solder join o cool.
No e: Do no apply he ip of he soldering iron o he urre board any longer han i akes
for he solder o flow.
The solder join should be clean and shiny. If i is dull looking i may be a ‘cold solder join ’ which
is no a good elec rical connec ion. If a solder join is suspec , hea i wi h he iron o reflow he
solder.
Tube Pin Numberin
The pins on a 9-pin ube socke are numbered 1 o 9 in a clockwise direc ion when a ube or
socke is viewed from he bo om. No e ha here is a gap be ween pins 1 and 9. The pins on an
8-pin ube socke are numbered 1 o 8 in a clockwise direc ion when viewed from he bo om.
No e ha here is a gap be ween pins 1 and 8.
12AX7 12AT7 6V6 /KT66
12AX7 12AX7 6V6

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The pins on he po en iome ers are numbered 1 o 3 from lef o righ when he shaf is facing
owards you and he pins are a he op.

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Assembly Steps Summary
1. Ins all Hardware on he Chassis.
2. Wire up he hea er wires o he socke s.
3. Ins all Transformers on he chassis.
4. Wire up he power supply - Mains, Transformers, power swi ch and pilo ligh .
5. Assemble he urre board and Ins all on chassis.
6. Connec urre board leads o ubes ins alling off-board par s as you proceed.
7. Connec urre board leads o con rols ins alling off-board par s as you proceed.
8. Remove inpu jacks. Wire wi h 1M film resis ors and shielded cable. Re-ins all.
9. Check Wiring.
10. Follow S ar -Up procedure.
1. Install the Hardware
Ins all all he ube socke s. The socke s wi h he shields are for V1 o V4. The o her 8 pin socke s
are for he wo 6V6 or KT-66 ou pu ubes. For KT66 ubes, you may need o ins all he socke s
under he chassis o gain some ex ra clearance in he cabine .
Ins all he wo dual capaci or can caps using he bracke o hold i in place.
Inser he 5 gromme s for wire leads passing hrough he chassis from he power ransformer and
ou pu ransformer.
The fron panel is ins alled and held in place by ins alling he pilo ligh , power swi ches,
po en iome ers and jacks. Ensure he po en iome ers are loca ed in he correc posi ions
according o heir values and he layou . There are loca ing holes cu in o he chassis for he
po en iome ers, so hey won’ spin if he con rol ever loosens. For he jacks you probably will
need only 1 fiber washer on he inside o moun hem flush wi h he fron panel.