If you are levelling up in amp building skill and looking for a treble/bass tone stack, the W.I.S.C GT5 ‘Classic’ is one heck of a good option. The GT5 ‘Classic’ is built upon the same clean/crunch pre-amp as the S5 Mark II with the addition of an active Baxandall type treble/bass tone stack. An extra tube provides the GT5 ‘Classic’ more gain, the level of which you can dial in with dedicated gain controls. DC coupling has been introduced and with a few more tweaks here and there, the result is a powerful and versatile wee amp.
Details
The W.I.S.C GT5 ‘Classic’ full plans pack includes:
• a schematic/circuit,
• detailed layout diagrams accomodating for either a 120v or 240v mains primary,
• a detailed turret board layout,
• a key for the colour coded turrets, • a transformer cable termination guide,
• chassis layout diagrams of both top view and bottom view,
• a front and rear chassis panel layout,
• schematic codes,
• a resource item list, and
• tone stack tweakers guide.
The Tone Stack
A Baxandall treble/bass tone stack is renowned as being a hifi tube amp must-have. However for as yet unknown reasons, they receive little attention from guitarists. But they are good, real good. Unfortunately, when you put a stock standard Bax in your guitar amp circuit, you end up with overwhelming doh punching bass and muted treble. In order to get an active Baxandall to behave the way you want it, you are in for a decent overhaul. It seemed like it took a few 1000 hours to find the sweetspot, but it was worth it. A full 40db sweep, massive treble on tap, a non-flub-out tight bass, and both controls affording cut and boost.
A Little Something Else
To prove I’m not pulling your leg, the tone stack frequency curves are included. The bass and treble sweep plots provide a visual platform upon which you can tweak the mid range by changing the value of just one capacitor. If you long to travel back to 1987, then a mid-cut tweak has your name written all over it. If you want to cut through the mix and make the most of your Celestion V30’s, then a mid-boost response is only a silver mica cap change away.
The W.I.S.C GT5 ‘Classic’ Full Plans Pack is designed for those who want to promote their building skill. You’ll also have something decent to show for all your hard work. Check out the comprehensive video series of the S5 Mark I and the GT5 Halcyon which offer essential tips. Also check out the Blog page to begin wrapping your head around some theory.
Rest Assured
Life throws out some curve balls and I’m well aware of that. If things don’t go to plan be sure to grab yourself a ‘no questions asked’ full refund!