’81 brit-800 50w · 2019-06-27 · this 50w giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal...

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ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS With loads of helpful tips! ’81 BRIT-800 50W AMPLIFIER KIT ORIGINAL BRITISH CIRCUIT The king of shred

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Page 1: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

A S S E M B LY I N S T R U C T I O N SWith loads of helpful tips!

’81 BRIT-800 50W A M P L I F I E R K I T

ORIGINAL BRITISH CIRCUIT

The king of shred

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Contents

About this iconic amp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Parts list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Tools and supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Amp voltages are seriously dangerous! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

How to use a snuffer stick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

How to read resistor values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Capacitor values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Complete wiring diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Prepping the turret board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Tips for great soldering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Installing the chassis-mounted components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Wrapping parts onto the turret board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Soldering components to turret board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Installing the turret board in the chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Installing parts and preparing for testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Testing and troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Final assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Tips for using this amp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Photograph of completely wired chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Learning more: secrets revealed in the schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Circuit schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

More iconic amp kits from StewMac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Full page wiring diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Tube replacement chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

COPYRIGHT WARNINGThis material is protected by copyright and has been created by and solely for the purposes of StewMac . You may not sell, alter or further reproduce any part of this material, or distribute it to any other per-son . Where provided to you in electronic format, you may only print from it for your own private use . Failure to comply with the terms of this warning exposes you to legal action for copyright infringement .

How to build this kit!

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stewmac.com 1 © 2019 StewMac

’81 BRIT-800 50W AMPLIFIER KIT ORIGINAL BRITISH CIRCUIT

This amp is an ICONThis is the defining British circuit that dominated the '80s .

This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit produces that screaming guitar tone that your mother despises . With solid-state rectification there's no sag, and the distortion created by this ciruit is way more about treble than mids or bass .

StewMac ICON KITS bring classics that are no longer made, or are simply unaffordable, within reach . And the best part is you get to build them with your own hands .

We give painstaking attention to parts selection, authentic materials, and instantly recognizable details—everything that makes the originals so sought after .

Build it with StewMacThese immersive instructions walk you through every step of creating your ’81 Brit-800 . And you’ll learn a lot, gaining a deep knowledge of your amp’s inner workings .

Follow our steps closely for safety, too: we’ve carefully laid out a path that even newcomers can follow in handling electrical components .

Building an amp can seem daunting, but nobody makes it easier than StewMac . Watch for helpful tips along the way, too—we’re here to help!

Let’s get building!

Iconic British tone is now in your hands

Be excited!Your new StewMac ’81 Brit-800 will be a blast to play through and even more fun to build .

This amp is renowned for its saturated lead tone that is bright and tight, with an in-your-face crunch . You can scoop the mids and have a completely different tone in an instant . Often overlooked, the clean tone is rich, full, and gives this amp unrivaled presence onstage . This amp fueled the sound of ’80s heavy metal .

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Here’s how to build this amp!

Wiring goes like this:1. First, you’ll wrap the leads, connecting them without solder. 2. Then double-check all the connections. Don’t rush!3. When everything checks out, it's time to solder. The numbered steps tell you when.

Get the turret board ready, starting at Step 1 on page 9.You’ll prep the metal chassis too.

Learn more:You don’t need to read the schematic, but it’s fun! See how your guitar’s signal gets processed into sound on page 47.

Sort your components by type, using the parts list.Quick look:

OutputGain Processing Gain GainProcessing Negative feedback

See page 9

#10735 © 2019 StewMac

GroundJackTransformer Preamp tube

plategrid

cathode

Power tube

gridplate

cathode

screen

Capacitor Electrolytic Cap. DiodeResistor Potentiometers Rectifier tube

plate cathodefilamentplate

Shieldedcable

’81 BRIT-80050WO R I G I N A L B R I T I S H C I R C U I T

OutputGain GainGain

Power

Processing Processing

Pow

er

Negative Feedback

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Hardware

r (4) M6 machine screw, 30mmr (4) M6 cagenut

r (12) 8-32 machine screw, 3/8"r (12) 8-32 locknut

r (6) 6-32 locknut

r (4) 4-40 threaded standoff, 1/2"

r (10) 4-40 machine screw, 3/8"

r (14) 4-40 machine screw, 1/4"r (16) 4-40 locknut

r (3) Filter cap mounting clamp

r (1) Small rubber grommet

r (4) Large rubber grommet

Capacitors & diodes

r (1) 10pF 500V silver mica

r (1) 47pF 500V silver mica

r (3) 500pF 500V silver mica

r (1) .001μF (1nF) 630V Mojo Dijon

r (7) .022μF (22nF) 630V Mojo Dijon

r (2) .01μF (10nF ) 630V Mojo Dijon

r (1) .68μF 630V Mojo Dijon

r (2) 8μF 150V Sprague Atom

r (3) 50μF+50μF 500V electrolytic filter cap

r (1) 1N4007 1000V rectifier diode

r (2) 1N5408 1000V rectifier diode

r (1) Cabinet

r (1) Chassis

r (1) Turret board

r (1) Faceplate/backplate set

Resistors

r (1) 470Ω .5W carbon composite

r (2) 820Ω .5W carbon composite

r (1) 2.7K .5W carbon composite

r (1) 4.7K .5W carbon composite

r (2) 5.1K .5W carbon composite

r (1) 10K .5W carbon composite

r (1) 15K .5W carbon composite

r (1) 33K .5W carbon composite

r (1) 47K .5W carbon composite

r (1) 56K .5W carbon composite

r (1) 82K .5W carbon composite

r (6) 100K .5W carbon composite

r (2) 220K .5W carbon composite

r (3) 470K .5W carbon composite

r (3) 1M .5W carbon composite

r (2) 220K 2W metal oxide

r (2) 10K 5W ceramic

r (1) 1K 5W ceramic5W 1K

5W 10K

+8µF

510K47

10

.01μF

.68μF

.001μF

Green Brown Red Gold

Brown Green Orange Gold

Red Red Yellow Gold

Yellow Violet Brown Gold

Gray Red Brown Gold

Red Violet Red Gold

Yellow Violet Red Gold

Brown Black Orange Gold

Orange Orange Orange Gold

Yellow Violet Orange Gold

Yellow Violet Yellow Gold

Brown Black Green Gold

A magnifier helps!

Green Blue Orange Gold

Gray Red Orange Gold

Brown Black Yellow Gold

Red Red Yellow Gold

50μF + 50μF

500V

+

.022μF

Parts list

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stewmac.com 4 © 2019 StewMac

Parts listTubes, lamps, fuses, and sockets

r (4) Four-lug jack

r (3) Nine-pin tube socket

r (3) Shield for nine-pin tube socket

r (2) Eight-pin tube socket

r (2) Spring retainer for eight-pin socket

r (3) 12AX7 preamp tube (also called ECC83S)

r (2) EL34 power tube

r (2) Fuse socket

r (1) Fuse (3 amp, slow blow)

r (1) Fuse (1/2 amp, slow blow)

r (1) Power inlet

Control pots and more

r (1) 10KL bias pot

r (3) 1M control pot (A-audio taper)

r (1) 5K control pot (L-linear taper)

r (1) 25K control pot (L-linear taper)

r (1) 250K control pot (L-linear taper)

r (1) Impedance selector switch

r (1) Voltage selector switch

r (1) Power switch (5 lugs)

r (1) Standby switch (4 lugs)

r (6) Knob

r (2) Three-lug terminal strip

r (2) Ground tab

r (1) Power cord

Wire

r (1) White wire

r (1) Green wire

r (1) Shielded wire

r (1) White heater wire

r (1) Black heater wire

r (1) Bare copper bus wire

Transformers

r (1) Power transformer

r (1) Output transformer

r (1) Filter choke

Heat-shrink tubing

r (2) 1/8” diameter (2-1/2” length)

12AX7

EL34

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18

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5

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4 3 21

987

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1MA

5K

25K

250K

10KL

8Ω 16Ω

110V

220V 230V

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#0531 StewMac Solder Monster

#3000 Guitar Tech Screwdriver Set

#1606 Wire Stripper

#1607 Wire Cutter

#0501 Solomon SL-30 Soldering Station

#1609 Round Nose Bending Pliers #0505

Kester Pocket-Pak Solder

StewMac’s Solder Monster holds parts while you solder

Tools and supplies

Required Phillips screwdrivers, #1 and #2 Item #3000 Guitar Tech Screwdriver Set

Needle nose pliers Item #1610 Long Nose Pliers

Wire cutter Item #1607 Wire Cutter

Wire stripper Item #1606 Wire Stripper

Soldering iron (preferably 40W) Item #0501 Solomon SL-30 Soldering Station

Solder (at least one Pocket-Pak) Item #0505 Kester Pocket-Pak Solder

Solder sucker Item #0503 Solomon Solder Sucker

Drill with a 5/32" bit For mounting turret board and filter cap

Ruler Item #4905 StewMac Shop Rule

Digital multimeter Item #3618 Fieldpiece Pocket Multimeter

Snuffer stick (bleed resistor) Item #1552 Snuffer Stick

Pencil Wooden chopsticks Glue Wood glue, white glue, or contact cement for gluing a paper label inside the cabinet

Butane lighter or matches For heating heat-shrink tubing

Contact cement

Helpful Round nose bending pliers Item #1609 Round Nose Bending Pliers

Solder wick Item #0504 Solder Wick, 5-foot roll

Soldering aids Item #0521 StewMac Soldering Aids

Soldering stand Item #0506 Solomon Soldering Stand

Solder Monster, or helping hand tool Item #0531 StewMac Solder Monster

Chassis stand Item #10750 Chassis Stand

Printed circuit board vise Scratch awl or center punch Item #3000 Guitar Tech Screwdriver Set

Tray for loose parts Bias meter for accurate biasing Item #1580 VHT Tube Tester + Amp Bias Meter

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stewmac.com 6 © 2019 StewMac

High voltage, even when unpluggedWhen you turn on an amp, the capacitors are designed to take on a charge and hold it . That stored voltage is enough to injure you seriously, or even kill you .

These components aren’t a threat until the first time you plug the amp in . The stored electricity can be safely discharged to ground with a snuffer stick . See how to use it below .

Once your amp has been turned on, don’t touch the wiring with your bare hands—even after turning it off . If you need to press on a contact, use a chopstick or Sharpie marker, which are both non-conductive . Don’t use a pencil, because graphite is conductive .

It’s important that you understand the dangers so you’re working safely . Here’s how to do it right .

Wear rubber-soled shoesRubber soles increase the insulation between yourself and the ground .

Take off your ringA metal ring on your finger can bridge a hot connection to ground .

Wear safety glassesRosin-core solder sometimes bubbles up, and it can spew molten specks into the air . You don’t want molten solder in your eyes .

It’s better not to work aloneElectrical shocks can incapacitate you, and having someone available to call 911 can be a lifesaver .

How to use a snuffer stickTo discharge a capacitor, clip the snuffer stick lead to ground—preferably a mounting bolt on the power transformer . Hold the tip of the stick to the cap’s positive lead and use your multimeter to watch the voltage drain to less than 18V .

Take breaks and stop when you’re tiredFatigue leads to mistakes, and no one can afford mistakes when working with electricity .

Stay suspiciousWhether it’s the first time you’ve been inside a live ampli-fier or the 100th time, don’t become complacent . If you discharge the caps and walk away for a few minutes, check again for residual voltage when you return . Capacitors can self-charge through a phenomenon known as dielectric memory .

Check before powering on It’s easy to forget that you a left a stray tool or wire in the chassis . It’s also easy to forget to re-attach the speaker wire, and that can fry an output transformer in seconds . Constant vigilance is your friend when working on amps .

Always unplug itUnplug the amp whenever you don’t specifically need it plugged in . Some points are always hot when the amp’s plugged in, even if the power switch is off . These points include the lugs on the fuse socket, power switch, and standby switch .

Amp voltages are seriously dangerous!

Professionals who work on amps take these safety habits very seriously

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A resistor’s value—the amount of resistance it creates—is rated in ohms (Ω) . Larger ohm values mean more resistance . For example, a 100Ω resistor creates ten times as much re-sistance as a 10Ω resistor .

The resistors used in amplifiers are too small to have value numbers printed on them . Instead, a system of colored bands tells their values . The key to reading these bands is provided below . However, an easier way to decode these bands is to download one of the many smartphone apps for this purpose .

One band will be the nearest to an end of the resistor . That band tells the first value . Combine it with the value of band 2 to get a two-digit number (68 in our example below) . Multiply that number by band 3 (68 x 1,000 = 68,000) . Thou-sands are represented by the letter K, so this resistor is 68K (kilo-ohms, or KΩ) .

If there is a fourth band, it will be either silver or gold . This indicates the tolerance allowed during manufacturing . The resistors used in this kit have a +/- 5% tolerance, represented by a gold band 4 .

A magnifying glass helps a lot . The bands on a 470Ω resistor are yellow/violet/brown, and the bands on a 47K resistor are yellow/violet/orange . They’re easily confused!

Can’t read the colors?You can always use a multimeter to test a resistor’s value . Set your meter to ohms and connect the test leads on each side of the resistor .

Capacitor values are typically printed on the component . The key values with caps are their capacitance and voltage .

Think of a capacitor as a container that can hold electricity . Capacitance, measured in farads, refers to how much elec-tricity this container can hold—its capacity . One farad (1F) would be much too large for use in an amplifier . Caps for amps are rated in millionths of a farad, called microfarads (μF), or trillionths of a farad: picofarads (pF) . The voltage spec for a cap refers to how much DC voltage it can handle at any given time .

A unique property of capacitors is that they don’t allow DC current to flow past them, only AC current . This is important in parts of an amplifier circuit, such as the path between a preamp stage and a power amp stage . Here, a “coupling capacitor" will block DC voltage, allowing only the AC guitar signal to pass .

Filter capsCapacitors also filter out 60Hz hum, or “ripple," after the AC current from the wall is converted to DC . These capacitors are called filter caps, because they filter out the ripple from a power supply . The filter caps in this amp are the 50μf + 50μf electrolytic can capacitors . This means that each physical capacitor has two caps inside, each with their own positive lug, and they share a common negative lug .

Electrolytic capsElectrolytic capacitors contain electrolyte: a liquid or gel that gives them a large storage capacity . Electrolytic caps are typically polarized .

Polarized capsSome capacitors have polarity and some don’t . It’s extremely important to install polarized caps correctly in a circuit . The positive lead of an electrolytic cap will be indicated by an indented ring around one edge of the capacitor . The nega-tive lead will often be indicated by a band of arrows pointing to the negative lead .

Installing capacitors with the polarity backwards will make the circuit malfunction and quickly destroy the capacitor—even causing it to explode .

Band 1 Band 2 Band 3 Band 4 1st Digit 2nd Digit Multiplier Tolerance

6 8 x1,000 +/- 5%

68K +/- 5%K = 1,000

Blue

Read this band first (closest to an end)

Gray Orange Gold

BLACK 0 0 1 None +/- 20%

BROWN 1 1 10

RED 2 2 100

ORANGE 3 3 1,000

YELLOW 4 4 10,000

GREEN 5 5 100,000

BLUE 6 6 1,000,000

VIOLET 7 7

GRAY 8 8 0.01 +/- 10% SILVER

WHITE 9 9 0.1 +/- 5% GOLD

50μ

F +

50μ

F50

0V

NegativePositive

+ 8μF

How to read resistor values Capacitor values

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stewmac.com 8 © 2019 StewMac

V5EL34

V4EL34

POWER STANDBY PRESENCE BASS MIDDLE TREBLE MASTER VOLUME

PREAMPVOLUME

INPUT (NORMAL)

H.T. FUSE

V312AX7

V212AX7

V112AX7

SPEAKER EXTENSIONSPEAKER

VOLTAGESELECTOR

IMPENDANCESELECTOR

FILTER CAP 3

FILTER CAP 2FILTER CAP 1

MAINS INPUT MAINSFUSE

1MA

12

43

12

43

1MA

1MA

250KL

25KL

1MA

5KL

43

2 1

87

65

43

2 1

87

65

3

6

5

2 1

4

6

4321

9 8

75 6

4321

9 8

756

4321

9 8

75D-

-

D-

-

D-

-

A

B

3

6

5

2 1

4 4 2

3 1

4 2

3 1

.1μF

5W 1K5W 1K

.001μF 510K

1

29

2

26

3 4 5 6 7

20 2122 23 24

27

25

28

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

34 35 36 37 38 39 40 44 45 46333231

19

30 41 42 43

.022μF

.022μF

.68μF

+

500pF

500pF

.022μF

.022μF

.022μF

5W 10K

5W 10K

.022μF

.022μF

.01μF

47

+

8µF

+

8µF

10

Complete wiring diagram

Our diagrams show a flat view of the metal chassis

Here’s the complete Brit-800 50 wiringWhen you’ve finished the kit, you’ll have connected all the parts shown in this wiring diagram . If it looks complex now, don’t worry; we’ll start at the very beginning and do this one step at a time .

Your amp-building skills will get stronger with each step!

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Start by prepping the turret board

n Wrap the leads tightly for a good electrical contact before soldering . Don’t use solder to “glue" loose joints .

n Melt a small amount of solder onto the tip of the iron (“tinning" the iron) . Hold the tip against the joint for a few seconds, until the connection reaches soldering temperature .

Also tin component leads like multi-strand wires to help the solder flow .

You’re ready to build!

Tips for great soldering!

STEP 1

Number the turretsThe steps refer to the turrets by num-ber . Number the turrets on your board by putting tape along the edges and writing with a fine-point marker . You’ll remove the tape before installing the board .

Leave the turrets in the center of the board (#19–28) unmarked . You can identify these turrets by referring to the diagrams .

n Keep your soldering tip clean by wiping it often on a damp sponge . Keep it tinned by occasionally melting a little solder onto it .

n Feed solder to the connection not to the iron . Keep the iron on the con-nection for a second longer to allow time for all of the flux to cook out of the joint .

n Don’t ever blow on the hot solder or touch anything until the joint is completely cool . A good solder joint is shiny—a sign that it was left to cool undisturbed .

1

29

2

26

3 4 5 6 7

20 2122 23 24

27

25

28

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

34 35 36 37 38 39 40 44 45 46333231

19

30 41 42 43

n Trim away the excess wires after the joint has cooled .

n Plan ahead so each joint is only soldered once . Resoldered joints are messy and more likely to fail .

n Position the parts so their specs face out so you can read them later . Many builders also align resistor bands to read in the same direction .

n How much insulation to strip? With plastic insulation, strip 3/8" from the wire ends . Push-back wire works best when you strip away about 1/4" of the cloth wrap .

Component leads are wrapped onto the turrets and left unsoldered while you add other parts . This way, you can check your work and make correc-tions without having to redo a solder joint . Ideally you solder a turret only once, which is the best way to get clean, trouble-free connections .

When it's time to solder, flow the solder all the way around the turret .

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ctiv

e fil

m o

ff t

he c

hass

is,

face

pla

te,

and

bac

kpla

te .

Secu

re t

he

face

pla

te b

y p

laci

ng th

e p

ream

p v

olum

e co

ntro

l pot

(1M

A) i

n it

s ho

le a

nd s

lidin

g th

e fa

cep

late

ove

r th

e sh

aft .

Inst

all t

his

po

t w

ith

th

e lo

ck w

ash

er i

nsi

de

the

chas

sis

and

th

e fl

at w

ash

er a

nd

nu

t ou

tsid

e th

e ch

assi

s . M

ount

the

othe

r end

of

the

face

pla

te u

sing

the

pow

er s

witc

h,

by s

lidin

g th

e p

ower

sw

itch

thro

ugh

the

face

pla

te a

nd

th

e fr

ont

of

the

chas

sis .

Se

cure

th

e p

ow

er s

wit

ch i

n p

lace

by

pul

ling

the

four

bla

ck t

abs

out

from

the

p

ower

sw

itch

hou

sing

so

they

sit

tig

ht

agai

nst t

he in

sid

e of

the

chas

sis .

Secu

re t

he b

ackp

late

wit

h th

e fo

ur-lu

g ex

tens

ion

spea

ker j

ack

and

the

mai

ns fu

se

sock

et . R

emov

e on

e of

the

fiber

was

hers

fr

om th

e fo

ur-lu

g sp

eake

r jac

k an

d in

stal

l th

is ja

ck w

ith o

ne fi

ber

was

her i

nsid

e th

e ch

assi

s an

d t

he n

ut a

nd p

last

ic w

ashe

r ou

tsid

e th

e ch

assi

s . In

stal

l the

mai

ns fu

se

sock

et b

y re

mov

ing

the

nut,

slid

ing

the

sock

et th

roug

h th

e ch

assi

s, a

nd fa

sten

ing

it w

ith t

he n

ut . T

o ke

ep t

he p

anel

tig

ht

agai

nst

th

e ch

assi

s d

uri

ng

ass

emb

ly,

secu

re e

ach

corn

er o

f th

e p

anel

wit

h a

pie

ce o

f mas

king

tap

e .

S

TE

P 3

Pre

p t

he

sin

gle

ter

min

al s

trip

W

ith

a w

ire

cutt

er, s

nip

th

e m

oun

tin

g ho

les

on th

e th

ree-

lug

term

inal

str

ips

as

pic

ture

d ab

ove .

Cu

t o

ne

1" p

iece

of

gre

en w

ire

and

rem

ove

the

insu

latio

n . W

rap

and

sol

der

th

e w

ire a

cros

s al

l thr

ee lu

gs, e

lect

rical

ly

conn

ectin

g th

em . T

his

will

be

used

as

a gr

ound

ing

strip

.

S

TE

P 4

Inst

all fi

ve r

ub

ber

gro

mm

ets

Squ

eeze

th

ese

into

th

e fi

ve h

ole

s as

sh

own .

The

se p

rovi

de

stra

in re

lief f

or th

e tr

ansf

orm

er w

ires

that

will

pas

s th

roug

h th

e m

etal

cha

ssis

.

Insi

de

a tr

ansf

orm

er is

a p

rimar

y co

il an

d a

seco

ndar

y co

il . Y

our 1

20V

AC

hou

seho

ld

curr

ent g

oes

into

the

prim

ary

coil

and

is

tran

sfor

med

into

hig

her

volt

age

whi

ch

is o

utp

ut

by

the

seco

nd

ary

coil .

Th

is

volt

age

can

be

as h

igh

as 5

00V,

and

is

refe

rred

to a

s hig

h te

nsio

n (H

.T .) .

The

lead

s co

nnec

ting

to t

hese

tw

o co

ils a

re c

alle

d p

rimar

y an

d se

cond

ary

lead

s .

S

TE

P 5

Mo

un

t th

e p

ow

er t

ran

sfo

rmer

The

pow

er t

ran

sfo

rmer

has

ten

lea

ds .

Se

para

te th

ese

into

col

or-c

oded

pai

rs a

nd

twis

t the

se s

ets

toge

ther

:

Two

solid

red

lead

s

Thic

k so

lid b

lack

Th

ick

solid

ora

nge

Red

/yel

low

str

iped

Th

in s

olid

bla

ck

Thin

sol

id o

rang

e

Thin

sol

id y

ello

w

Feed

the

twis

ted

red

lead

s an

d th

e so

lid

blu

e an

d so

lid b

row

n le

ads

thro

ugh

the

grom

met

clo

sest

to th

e p

ower

sw

itche

s .

Feed

th

e tw

o t

wis

ted

tri

os

of

lead

s th

roug

h th

e ne

arby

gro

mm

et, a

s sh

own

on th

e w

iring

dia

gram

.

Use

fo

ur

8-3

2 x

3/8"

mac

hin

e sc

rew

s w

ith lo

cknu

ts t

o m

ount

the

tra

nsfo

rmer

on

th

e ou

tsid

e of

th

e ch

assi

s . A

dd

th

e th

ree-

lug

gro

und

ing

str

ip o

n t

he

bac

k rig

ht m

ount

ing

scre

w a

s sh

own .

S

TE

P 6

Mo

un

t th

e o

utp

ut

tran

sfo

rmer

One

sid

e of

the

out

put

tra

nsfo

rmer

has

re

d, w

hite

, and

bro

wn

wire

s . T

hese

are

th

e p

rim

ary

lead

s o

f th

e tr

ansf

orm

er .

Twis

t th

e re

d an

d w

hite

wire

s to

geth

er .

Pas

s th

ese

thre

e w

ires

th

rou

gh

th

e g

rom

met

ed h

ole

clo

sest

to

th

e fr

on

t p

anel

of t

he c

hass

is .

The

othe

r sid

e of

the

outp

ut tr

ansf

orm

er

has

ora

ng

e, g

reen

, ye

llow

, an

d g

ray

wir

es .

Thes

e ar

e th

e se

con

dar

y le

ads

of

the

tran

sfo

rmer

. Tw

ist

the

gre

en +

ye

llow

+ g

ray

seco

ndar

y w

ires

toge

ther

. Pa

ss a

ll fo

ur o

f th

ese

wire

s th

roug

h th

e gr

omm

eted

hol

e as

show

n on

the

wiri

ng

diag

ram

.

Use

four

8-3

2 x

3/8"

mac

hine

scr

ews w

ith

lock

nuts

to m

ount

the

tran

sfor

mer

on

the

outs

ide

of th

e ch

assi

s .

S

TE

P 7

Mo

un

t th

e fi

lter

ch

oke

The

filte

r cho

ke is

a si

ngle

-coi

l tra

nsfo

rmer

, al

so c

alle

d an

indu

ctor

, tha

t hel

ps sm

ooth

ou

t th

e A

C r

ipp

le l

eft

over

in

the

hig

h vo

ltag

e si

gn

al .

This

mea

ns

the

filt

er

chok

e on

ly h

as t

wo

lead

s, o

ne r

ed a

nd

one

bla

ck . T

wis

t the

se le

ads t

oget

her a

nd

thre

ad th

em th

roug

h th

e la

st g

rom

met

ed

hole

, in

the

mid

dle

of th

e ch

assi

s .

Use

fo

ur

8-3

2 m

ach

ine

scre

ws

and

lock

nuts

to m

ount

the

filte

r cho

ke o

utsi

de

of t

he c

hass

is . A

dd

a gr

ound

ing

tab

on

the

top

righ

t mou

ntin

g sc

rew

as

show

n .

Page 14: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

12

©20

19 S

tew

Mac

V5 EL34

V4 EL34

POW

ERST

AN

DBY

PRES

ENCE

BASS

MID

DLE

TREB

LEM

AST

ER

VOLU

ME

PREA

MP

VOLU

ME

INPU

T (N

ORM

AL)

H.T

. FU

SE

V3

12A

X7

FILT

ER C

AP

3

FILT

ER C

AP

2FI

LTER

CA

P 1

V2

12A

X7V1

12A

X7

SPEA

KER

EXTE

NSI

ON

SPEA

KER

VOLT

AG

ESE

LECT

OR

IMPE

ND

AN

CESE

LECT

OR

MA

INS

FUSE

MA

INS

INPU

T

BA

-

BA

-

BA

-

4 3

21

87

65

4 3

21

87

65

6

43 2 1

9875

6

43 2 1

9875

64

3 2 1

9875

Page 15: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

13

©20

19

Stew

Mac

S

TE

P 8

Mo

un

t th

e fi

lter

cap

acit

ors

The

filte

r cap

acito

rs a

re h

eld

to th

e ch

assi

s w

ith

mo

un

tin

g c

lam

ps .

Th

ese

clam

ps

atta

ch to

the

cap

acito

r on

the

sam

e en

d as

the

lugs

, and

are

then

mou

nted

to th

e ch

assi

s usi

ng 4

-40

x 3/

8" sc

rew

s and

nut

s .

Posi

tion

the

clam

p so

you

can

mou

nt th

e ca

pac

ito

r’s n

egat

ive

(–)

lug

fac

ing

th

e fr

ont p

anel

of t

he c

hass

is .

Thes

e th

ree

filte

r cap

s w

ill b

e re

ferr

ed to

as

filte

r cap

1, fi

lter c

ap 2

, and

filte

r cap

3 .

Thei

r pos

itive

lugs

are

ass

igne

d th

e le

tter

s A

& B

for c

larit

y .

Mo

un

t th

e fi

lter

cap

s an

d c

lam

ps

as

show

n in

the

wiri

ng d

iagr

am .

S

TE

P 9

Gro

un

d t

he

filt

er c

aps

Cut

a 2

-1/2

" g

reen

jum

per

. So

lder

on

e en

d of

this

jum

per

to th

e ne

gativ

e (-)

lug

of fi

lter c

ap 1

. Wra

p th

e ot

her e

nd o

f thi

s ju

mp

er to

the

nega

tive

lug

of fi

lter c

ap 2

, b

ut d

on't

sold

er it

yet

.

Cu

t a

1-1/

2" g

reen

jum

per

. So

lder

on

e en

d of

this

jum

per

to th

e ne

gativ

e lu

g of

fil

ter

cap

2 a

long

with

the

jum

per

fro

m

filte

r ca

p 1

. Wra

p t

he

oth

er e

nd

of

the

jum

per

to th

e cl

oses

t lug

of t

he th

ree-

lug

grou

ndin

g st

rip, b

ut d

on't

sold

er it

yet

.

Cut

anot

her

1-1/

2" g

reen

jum

per

. Sol

der

on

e en

d to

the

nega

tive

(-) lu

g of

filte

r cap

3 .

Sol

der

the

othe

r end

of t

he ju

mp

er to

th

e ne

arby

gro

undi

ng ta

b .

S

TE

P 1

0

Co

nn

ect

the

filt

er c

ap p

osi

tive

lug

sC

ut t

wo

1" g

reen

jum

per

s an

d r

emov

e th

e in

sula

tion .

Wra

p on

e ju

mp

er b

etw

een

filte

r ca

p 1

's p

ositi

ve lu

gs a

nd w

rap

the

ot

her b

etw

een

filte

r cap

2's

pos

itive

lugs

. D

on't

sold

er th

ese

jum

per

s ye

t .

S

TE

P 1

1

Ad

d o

ne

gro

un

din

g t

ab

Use

a 4

-40

x 1/

4" s

crew

and

lock

nut

to

mou

nt a

gro

und

ing

tab

on

the

chas

sis

hole

bet

wee

n fil

ter c

ap 1

and

filte

r cap

2 .

S

TE

P 1

2

Inst

all t

he

two

larg

e tu

be

sock

ets

wit

h s

pri

ng

ret

ain

ers

Ori

ent

thes

e ei

ght-

pin

tub

e so

cket

s so

th

at p

in 1

is c

lose

st t

o th

e re

ar p

anel

of

the

chas

sis .

Use

4-4

0 x

3/8"

mac

hin

e sc

rew

s an

d lo

cknu

ts t

o m

ount

the

se s

ocke

ts o

n th

e ou

tsid

e of

the

cha

ssis

. Inc

lud

e a

sprin

g re

tain

er o

n th

e b

otto

m o

f ea

ch s

ocke

t to

pro

vid

e su

pp

ort f

or th

ese

thre

e tu

bes

w

hen

they

’re in

stal

led

late

r .

S

TE

P 1

3

Inst

all t

he

thre

e sm

all t

ub

e so

cket

sPo

sitio

n th

ese

nine

-pin

soc

kets

so

pin

9

is c

lose

st to

the

rear

pan

el o

f the

cha

ssis

. U

se t

wo

4-40

x 1

/4" m

achi

ne s

crew

s an

d lo

cknu

ts t

o m

ount

the

thr

ee r

emai

ning

tu

be

sock

ets .

S

TE

P 14

Inst

all t

he

H.T

. fu

se s

ock

et +

on

e ju

mp

er

Inst

all t

he h

igh

-ten

sion

fuse

sock

et in

the

bac

k p

anel

.

Cut a

1" g

reen

jum

per

. Sol

der

one

end

to

the

bac

k lu

g of

the

H .T

. fus

e so

cket

. Sol

der

the

othe

r end

of t

he ju

mp

er to

the

clos

est

lug

of th

e th

ree-

lug

grou

ndin

g st

rip a

long

w

ith th

e ju

mp

er a

lread

y in

pla

ce .

S

TE

P 1

5

Inst

all t

he

mai

ns

inp

ut

+ t

wo

ju

mp

ers

Use

4-4

0 x

3/8"

scr

ews

and

lock

nuts

to

inst

all

the

pow

er in

put

wit

h it

s ce

ntra

l gr

ound

lug

faci

ng th

e ch

assi

s op

enin

g .

Cut o

ne 2

-1/4

" gre

en ju

mp

er . S

old

er o

ne

end

of th

is ju

mp

er to

the

cent

ral g

roun

d lu

g of

the

mai

ns in

put

. Wra

p t

he o

ther

en

d o

f th

is j

um

per

to

th

e g

rou

nd

tab

b

etw

een

filte

r cap

1 a

nd fi

lter c

ap 2

.

Cu

t o

ne

3" w

hit

e ju

mp

er .

Sold

er o

ne

end

of th

is ju

mp

er to

the

right

lug

of th

e p

ower

inle

t an

d so

lder

the

oth

er e

nd o

f th

is ju

mp

er to

the

bac

k lu

g of

the

mai

ns

fuse

soc

ket .

S

TE

P 1

6

Ad

d t

he

stan

db

y sw

itch

Mou

nt th

e st

andb

y sw

itch

by p

ushi

ng th

e sw

itch

thro

ugh

the

fron

t of

the

cha

ssis

an

d p

ullin

g th

e fo

ur b

lack

tab

s ou

t fro

m

the

swit

ch h

ou

sin

g s

o t

hey

sit

tig

ht

agai

nst t

he in

sid

e of

the

chas

sis .

S

TE

P 1

7

Inst

all t

he

bia

s p

ot

Mou

nt t

he 1

0KL

bia

s p

ot in

the

floo

r of

th

e ch

assi

s as

sho

wn .

In b

uil

din

g t

his

am

p,

you

’ll c

ut

pie

ces

of w

ire to

mak

e co

nnec

tions

. Th

ese

con

nec

tin

g w

ires

are

cal

led

jum

per

s, a

nd y

ou’ll

use

a lo

t of t

hem

in

bui

ldin

g th

is a

mp .

Page 16: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

14

©20

19 S

tew

Mac

V5 EL34

V4 EL34

POW

ERST

AN

DBY

PRES

ENCE

BASS

MID

DLE

TREB

LEM

AST

ER

VOLU

ME

PREA

MP

VOLU

ME

INPU

T (N

ORM

AL)

H.T

. FU

SE

V3

12A

X7V

212

AX7

V112

AX7

SPEA

KER

EXTE

NSI

ON

SPEA

KER

VOLT

AG

ESE

LECT

OR

IMPE

ND

AN

CESE

LECT

OR

FILT

ER C

AP

3

FILT

ER C

AP

2FI

LTER

CA

P 1

MA

INS

FUSE

MA

INS

INPU

T

4 3

21

87

65

6

43 2 1

9875

6

43 2 1

9875

64

3 2 1

9875

BA

-

BA

-

BA

-

12

43

1MA

250KL

25KL

1MA

5KL

4 3

21

87

65

12

43

LO HI

ST

EP

00

Enla

rged

tosh

ow d

etai

lM

ount

jack

s ou

tsid

eon

the

fron

t pan

el

12

43

12

43

LO HI

Page 17: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

15

©20

19

Stew

Mac

S

TE

P 1

8

Inst

all t

he

rem

ain

ing

co

ntr

ol p

ots

Mou

nt th

e co

ntro

l pot

s so

thei

r thr

ee lu

gs

are

faci

ng

th

e ch

assi

s o

pen

ing

. W

hen

w

e re

fer t

o th

ese

lugs

as

left

or r

ight

, it’s

as

sum

ing

you’

re lo

okin

g at

the

pot

from

th

e sa

me

po

int

of

view

as

the

wir

ing

diag

ram

. M

ount

them

as

follo

ws:

Pres

ence

: 5KL

pot

Ba

ss: 1

MA

pot

Mid

dle

(mid

s): 2

5KL

pot

Tr

eble

: 250

KL p

ot

M

aste

r Vol

ume:

1M

A

S

TE

P 19

Wir

e th

e in

pu

t ja

cks

Use

tw

o 4-

lug

jack

s fo

r th

e in

put

jack

s .

For

thes

e st

eps,

we’

ll re

fer

to t

he n

ames

th

ey a

re g

iven

on

the

fron

t p

anel

, hig

h-

sens

itivi

ty a

nd lo

w-s

ensi

tivit

y .

Mo

un

t th

e ja

cks

tem

po

rari

ly o

n t

he

outs

ide

of th

e ch

assi

s, in

thei

r res

pec

tive

hole

s w

ith th

eir l

ugs

poi

ntin

g aw

ay fr

om

the

pow

er s

witc

h .

Mou

ntin

g th

e ja

cks

outs

ide

the

chas

sis

will

hol

d th

em in

pos

ition

and

giv

e yo

u ro

om to

do

the

tric

ky jo

b o

f wiri

ng th

em

up . A

fter

war

d, th

ey’ll

fit n

icel

y in

sid

e th

e ch

assi

s as

a p

re-w

ired

asse

mb

ly .

Cut a

1" p

iece

of w

hite

wire

and

wra

p o

ne

end

to lu

g 2

of t

he h

igh

-sen

sitiv

ity

jack

. W

rap

the

othe

r end

to lu

g 4

of th

e hi

gh-

sens

itivi

ty ja

ck .

Run

one

lead

of a

1M

resi

stor

thro

ugh

lug

1 of

the

high

-sen

sitiv

ity

jack

and

the

othe

r le

ad th

roug

h lu

g 2

of th

e hi

gh-s

ensi

tivit

y ja

ck . S

old

er th

ese

lead

s in

pla

ce o

n b

oth

jack

s, a

long

with

the

jum

per

wra

pp

ed to

lu

g 1,

and

trim

any

exc

ess

lead

s .

Cut

a 1-

1/8"

whi

te ju

mp

er a

nd w

rap

one

en

d to

lug

4 of

the

low

sen

sitiv

ity

jack

. W

rap

the

othe

r end

to lu

g 3

of th

e hi

gh-

sen

siti

vity

jac

k . S

old

er t

his

ju

mp

er i

n p

lace

on

bot

h lu

gs a

nd t

rim a

ny e

xces

s le

ads .

Cut a

2-1

/2"

whi

te ju

mp

er a

nd w

rap

one

en

d to

lug

2 of

the

low

-sen

sitiv

ity

jack

. W

rap

the

othe

r end

to lu

g 4

of th

e hi

gh-

sen

siti

vity

jac

k . S

old

er t

his

ju

mp

er i

n p

lace

on

lug

2 of

the

low

-sen

sitiv

ity

jack

an

d tr

im a

ny e

xces

s le

ad .

Cut a

2-1

/2" g

reen

jum

per

and

sold

er o

ne

end

to lu

g 4

of t

he h

igh

-sen

sitiv

ity

jack

al

ong

wit

h th

e tw

o ju

mp

ers

alre

ady

in

pla

ce . T

rim a

ny e

xces

s le

ads .

Rem

ove

thes

e w

ired

-up

inp

ut ja

cks

and

mou

nt t

hem

in t

he s

ame

hole

s on

the

in

sid

e of

the

chas

sis .

(The

ir lu

gs a

re n

ow

faci

ng th

e p

ower

sw

itch .

)

S

TE

P 2

0

Gro

un

d a

ll c

on

tro

l po

tsTu

rn a

ll p

ot s

haft

s co

unte

rclo

ckw

ise

to

thei

r ze

ro p

osit

ion

bef

ore

star

tin

g t

his

step

. Thi

s is

bec

ause

you

’ll b

e ap

ply

ing

heat

to th

eir c

ases

, and

if th

e he

at li

nger

s to

o lo

ng it

cou

ld c

reat

e an

imp

ress

ion

on

the

wip

er in

side

. Thi

s isn

’t a

conc

ern

if th

e p

ot is

in th

e ze

ro p

ositi

on .

Stra

ight

en o

ut th

e b

are

cop

per

wire

and

ru

n it

fro

m t

he p

ream

p v

olum

e p

ot t

o th

e p

rese

nce

pot

. Sta

rtin

g at

the

pre

amp

co

ntro

l pot

, sol

der

the

bar

e co

pp

er w

ire

to th

e b

ack

of e

ach

pot

. If y

ou a

re h

avin

g tr

ou

ble

ap

ply

ing

en

ou

gh

hea

t to

th

e b

ack

of th

e p

ot to

get

the

sold

er to

take

, cr

eate

a s

old

er p

uddl

e on

the

bac

k of

the

pot

bef

ore

atte

mp

ting

to so

lder

the

bar

e co

pp

er w

ire to

the

hous

ing .

Onc

e yo

u ha

ve t

he b

are

wir

e so

lder

ed

to t

he b

ack

of e

ach

pot

, trim

aw

ay a

ny

exce

ss w

ire .

Page 18: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

16

©20

19 S

tew

Mac

V5 EL34

V4 EL34

POW

ERST

AN

DBY

PRES

ENCE

BASS

MID

DLE

TREB

LEM

AST

ER

VOLU

ME

PREA

MP

VOLU

ME

INPU

T (N

ORM

AL)

H.T

. FU

SE

V3

12A

X7V

212

AX7

V112

AX7

SPEA

KER

EXTE

NSI

ON

SPEA

KER

VOLT

AG

ESE

LECT

OR

IMPE

ND

AN

CESE

LECT

OR

FILT

ER C

AP

3

FILT

ER C

AP

2FI

LTER

CA

P 1

MA

INS

FUSE

MA

INS

INPU

T

4 3

21

87

65

6

43 2 1

9875

6

43 2 1

9875

64

3 2 1

9875

BA

-

BA

-

BA

-

12

43

12

43

1MA

250KL

25KL

1MA

5KL

4 3

21

87

65

LO HI

.1μF

Page 19: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

17

©20

19

Stew

Mac

S

TE

P 2

1

Gro

un

d t

hre

e co

ntr

ol p

ots

Cut

thre

e 1"

jum

per

s of

gre

en w

ire, p

ull

off th

eir i

nsul

atio

n, a

nd b

end

one

end

of

each

into

a h

ook .

Star

tin

g w

ith

th

e p

ream

p v

olum

e p

ot,

sold

er th

e ho

ok e

nd o

f the

jum

per

to th

e le

ft lu

g of

the

pot

. Sol

der t

he st

raig

ht e

nd

of th

is ju

mp

er to

the

bac

k of

the

pot

.

Rep

eat t

his p

roce

ss fo

r the

mas

ter v

olum

e p

ot a

nd th

e m

ids

pot

.

S

TE

P 2

2

Ad

d o

ne

wh

ite

jum

per

Cut a

3" w

hite

jum

per

. Sol

der

one

end

of

this

jum

per

to th

e m

iddl

e lu

g of

the

treb

le

pot

. Sol

der

the

othe

r end

of t

his

jum

per

to

the

right

lug

of th

e m

aste

r vol

ume

pot

.

S

TE

P 2

3

Ad

d t

wo

wh

ite

jum

per

sC

ut

a 3-

1/2"

wh

ite

jum

per

. So

lder

on

e en

d to

the

left

lug

of t

he b

ass

pot

and

so

lder

the

oth

er e

nd t

o th

e rig

ht lu

g of

th

e m

ids

pot

.

Cut o

ne 4

-1/4

" w

hite

jum

per

. Sol

der

one

en

d t

o th

e m

idd

le lu

g of

the

bas

s p

ot .

Wra

p th

e ot

her e

nd to

the

left

lug

of th

e tr

eble

pot

, but

don

't so

lder

it y

et . Y

ou'll

b

e ad

ding

a ju

mp

er fr

om th

e tu

rret

boa

rd

here

late

r .

S

TE

P 2

4

Ad

d a

4.7

k re

sist

or

Run

on

e le

ad o

f a

4 .7k

res

isto

r d

ow

n th

rou

gh

th

e le

ft l

ug

of

the

pre

sen

ce

pot

. Sol

der

thi

s le

ad t

o th

e b

ack

of t

he

pre

senc

e p

ot a

nd t

hen

to t

he le

ft lu

g of

th

e p

rese

nce

pot

. Wra

p t

he o

ther

lea

d o

f th

is r

esis

tor

to t

he

rig

ht

lug

of

the

pre

senc

e p

ot b

ut d

on't

sold

er it

yet

.

S

TE

P 2

5

Ad

d a

.1μ

F ca

pac

ito

r So

lder

on

e le

ad o

f a

.1μ

F ca

p t

o t

he

mid

dle

lug

of t

he p

rese

nce

pot

. Sol

der

th

e ot

her

lea

d o

f th

is c

apac

itor

to

the

bac

k of

the

pre

senc

e p

ot . T

rim a

way

all

exce

ss l

ead

s fr

om t

he

com

pon

ents

on

the

pre

senc

e p

ot .

S

TE

P 2

6

Po

wer

tra

nsf

orm

er b

row

n a

nd

blu

e le

ads

+ o

ne

jum

per

Run

the

bro

wn

pow

er t

rans

form

er le

ad

to t

he g

roun

d ta

b b

etw

een

filte

r ca

p 1

an

d fil

ter

cap

2 . T

rim t

his

lead

to

leng

th

and

sol

der

it t

o th

e ta

b a

long

wit

h th

e gr

een

jum

per

from

the

mid

dle

lug

of th

e p

ower

inle

t .

Run

the

blu

e p

ower

tra

nsfo

rmer

lead

to

the

pow

er s

witc

h an

d w

rap

it to

the

top

le

ft lu

g .

Cut

one

1-1/

2" w

hite

jum

per

and

sol

der

on

e en

d to

the

bot

tom

rig

ht lu

g of

the

p

ower

switc

h . S

olde

r the

oth

er e

nd o

f thi

s ju

mp

er t

o th

e to

p le

ft lu

g of

the

pow

er

switc

h al

ong

with

the

blu

e tr

ansf

orm

er

lead

alre

ady

in p

lace

.

S

TE

P 2

7

Po

wer

tra

nsf

orm

er r

ed le

ads

Run

the

two

red

wire

s fr

om t

he p

ower

tr

ansf

orm

er s

tand

by s

witc

h . T

rim t

hese

w

ires t

o le

ngth

, sol

der o

ne to

the

bot

tom

le

ft lu

g of

the

stan

dby

switc

h, a

nd s

old

er

the

othe

r to

the

rig

ht b

otto

m lu

g of

the

st

and

by

swit

ch . E

ith

er w

ire

can

go

to

eith

er lu

g .

Page 20: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

18

©20

19 S

tew

Mac

V5 EL34

V4 EL34

POW

ERST

AN

DBY

PRES

ENCE

BASS

MID

DLE

TREB

LEM

AST

ER

VOLU

ME

PREA

MP

VOLU

ME

INPU

T (N

ORM

AL)

H.T

. FU

SE

V3

12A

X7V

212

AX7

V112

AX7

SPEA

KER

EXTE

NSI

ON

SPEA

KER

VOLT

AG

ESE

LECT

OR

IMPE

ND

AN

CESE

LECT

OR

FILT

ER C

AP

3

FILT

ER C

AP

2FI

LTER

CA

P 1

MA

INS

INPU

TM

AIN

SFU

SE

6

43 2 1

9875

6

43 2 1

9875

64

3 2 1

9875

BA

-

BA

-

BA

-

12

43

12

43

LO HI

4 3

21

87

65

4 3

21

87

65

Page 21: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

19

©20

19

Stew

Mac

S

TE

P 2

8

Inst

all t

he

hea

ter

wir

esTu

bes

requ

ire a

6 .3

V A

C c

urre

nt to

pow

er

thei

r fi

lam

ents

, w

hic

h a

re a

lso

cal

led

"hea

ters

" in

the

am

p w

orld

. Thi

s cu

rren

t is

pro

vid

ed b

y th

e p

ower

tra

nsf

orm

er

thro

ugh

the

oran

ge a

nd b

lack

lead

s .

The

Briti

sh st

yle

of ru

nnin

g he

ater

wire

s is

to tu

ck th

em in

to th

e b

otto

m b

ack

corn

er

of t

he c

hass

is . K

eep

ing

the

wire

s tu

cked

into

the

bac

k co

rner

of t

he c

hass

is, a

way

fr

om t

he s

igna

l car

ryin

g w

ires,

pre

vent

s th

e A

C c

urre

nt in

thes

e he

ater

wire

s fro

m

ble

edin

g 60

hz h

um in

to y

our s

igna

l .

S

TE

P 2

9

Co

nn

ect

to s

ock

et V

5Ru

n th

e tw

iste

d tr

io o

f ora

nge,

bla

ck, a

nd

stri

ped

red

/yel

low

pow

er t

ran

sfo

rmer

le

ads

to s

ocke

t V5

, kee

pin

g th

em d

own

as c

lose

to th

e ch

assi

s as

pos

sib

le .

Pull

the

stri

ped

red

/yel

low

lea

d o

ut o

f th

is t

wis

ted

trio

. Run

it to

the

sid

e lu

g of

th

e H

.T . f

use

sock

et, c

ut it

to le

ngth

, and

so

lder

it to

the

lug .

Cut

two

6" h

eate

r w

ires,

one

whi

te a

nd

on

e b

lack

. Tw

ist

them

to

get

her

ver

y ti

gh

tly,

lea

vin

g a

bo

ut

1" o

f th

e en

ds

un

twis

ted

. Jo

in t

he

wh

ite

jum

per

to

the

ora

ng

e le

ad b

y tw

isti

ng

th

e en

ds

tog

eth

er . J

oin

the

bla

ck j

ump

er t

o th

e b

lack

lead

.

Sold

er t

he

pai

r w

ith

th

e w

hite

wir

e to

p

in 2

of

sock

et V

5 . S

old

er t

he p

air

with

th

e b

lack

wire

to p

in 7

of s

ocke

t V5 .

Ben

d th

ese

wire

s in

to t

he b

ack

corn

er o

f th

e ch

assi

s an

d t

hen

ben

d t

he

bla

ck-a

nd

-w

hite

pai

r at a

90°

ang

le to

war

d so

cket

V4 .

S

TE

P 3

0

Co

nn

ect

to s

ock

et V

4Cu

t tw

o 6"

hea

ter

wire

s, o

ne w

hite

and

on

e b

lack

. Tw

ist t

hem

tigh

tly

toge

ther

.

Twis

t th

e en

d o

f th

e w

hite

wir

e to

th

e w

hite

jum

per

com

ing

from

V5 .

Tw

ist t

he

bla

ck w

ire w

ith th

e b

lack

jum

per

com

ing

from

V5 .

Sold

er t

he w

hite

pai

r on

to p

in 2

of

V4 .

Sold

er th

e b

lack

pai

r ont

o p

in 7

. Ben

d th

e w

ires

into

the

bac

k co

rner

of t

he c

hass

is,

and

on to

war

d so

cket

V3 .

Sold

er th

e w

hite

pai

r to

pin

2 of

sock

et V

4 .

Sold

er th

e b

lack

pai

r to

pin

7 o

f soc

ket V

4 .

Bend

thes

e w

ires

into

the

bac

k co

rner

of

the

chas

sis a

nd th

en b

end

the

bla

ck-a

nd-

whi

te p

air a

t a 9

0° a

ngle

tow

ard

sock

et V

3 .

Use t

his he

ater-w

ire tec

hnique

to

minimi

ze the

hum c

aused

by AC

voltag

eTh

e tw

iste

d gr

een

wire

s fro

m th

e p

ower

tran

sfor

mer

car

ry A

C v

olta

ge to

th

e he

atin

g fil

amen

ts in

the

tub

es . T

his

volt

age

will

cau

se y

our a

mp

to

hum

if th

ese

wire

s are

allo

wed

to ru

n to

o cl

ose

to si

gnal

-car

ryin

g w

ires .

Twis

t th

e w

ires

tig

htl

y to

get

her

This

tw

ist

isn’

t fo

r lo

oks;

it’s

an

imp

orta

nt h

um-c

ance

lling

tec

hniq

ue

to r

educ

e no

ise

in y

our

amp .

It w

orks

in a

way

sim

ilar

to t

he o

pp

o-

site

-wou

nd c

oils

in a

hum

buc

king

pic

kup .

Ro

ute

th

em a

way

To k

eep

tw

iste

d he

ater

wire

s aw

ay f

rom

sig

nal-

carr

ying

wire

s, r

oute

th

em in

to th

e b

ack

edge

of t

he fl

oor o

f the

cha

ssis

. Giv

e th

em a

sha

rp

right

ang

le b

end

tow

ard

the

next

sock

et a

nd a

noth

er sh

arp

ben

d b

ack

dow

n to

tha

t so

cket

. Thi

s ke

eps

them

shi

eld

ed a

nd a

way

from

sig

nal

carr

ying

wire

s .

Page 22: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

20

©

2019

Ste

wM

ac

V5 EL34

V4 EL34

POW

ERST

AN

DBY

PRES

ENCE

BASS

MID

DLE

TREB

LEM

AST

ER

VOLU

ME

PREA

MP

VOLU

ME

INPU

T (N

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AL)

H.T

. FU

SE

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AX7

V112

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NSI

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AG

ESE

LECT

OR

IMPE

ND

AN

CESE

LECT

OR

FILT

ER C

AP

3

FILT

ER C

AP

2FI

LTER

CA

P 1

MA

INS

INPU

TM

AIN

SFU

SE

BA

-

BA

-

BA

-

12

43

12

43

LO HI

4 3

21

87

65

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87

65

6

43 2 1

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43 2 1

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3 2 1

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6

521

4

3

6

52

1

4

Page 23: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

21

©

2019

St

ewM

ac

S

TE

P 3

1

Co

nn

ect

to s

ock

et V

3O

n so

cket

s V3

, V2,

and

V1

you

will

nee

d to

join

pin

s 4

and

5 to

geth

er . O

n th

ese

thre

e so

cket

s, g

entl

y tw

ist p

ins

4 an

d p

in

5 to

war

d ea

ch o

ther

so

thei

r eye

lets

line

up

. Be

very

car

eful

whi

le d

oing

thi

s, a

s th

ese

pin

s ar

e d

elic

ate .

Cut

two

6" h

eate

r w

ires,

one

whi

te a

nd

one

bla

ck . T

wis

t the

m ti

ghtl

y to

geth

er .

Twis

t the

end

of t

he w

hite

wire

toge

ther

w

ith t

he w

hite

jum

per

com

ing

from

V4 .

Tw

ist t

he b

lack

wire

with

the

blac

k ju

mp

er

com

ing

from

V4 .

Sold

er t

he w

hite

pai

r to

com

bin

ed p

ins

4+5

on V

3 an

d so

lder

the

bla

ck p

air t

o V3

p

in 9

. Ben

d th

e w

ires i

nto

the

bac

k co

rner

of

the

chas

sis,

and

on

tow

ard

sock

et V

2 .

S

TE

P 3

2

Co

nn

ect

to s

ock

et V

2Cu

t tw

o 6"

hea

ter

wire

s, o

ne w

hite

and

on

e b

lack

. Tw

ist

them

tig

htly

tog

ethe

r, le

avin

g ab

out 1

" unt

wis

ted

at b

oth

ends

.

Twis

t th

e lik

e-co

lore

d w

ires

of t

his

new

p

air i

n w

ith th

e lik

e-co

lore

d w

ires

of th

e tw

iste

d p

air c

omin

g fr

om V

3 .

Sold

er t

he p

air

of t

wis

ted

bla

ck w

ires

to

V2

pin

9 a

nd

so

lder

th

e tw

iste

d w

hite

w

ires

to V

2 p

in 4

+5 .

S

TE

P 3

3

Co

nn

ect

to s

ock

et V

1Ru

n th

e b

lack

-and

-whi

te tw

iste

d p

air i

nto

the

bac

k co

rner

of t

he c

hass

is a

nd to

war

d V1

. Sol

der

the

bla

ck w

ire to

V1

pin

9 a

nd

sold

er th

e w

hite

wire

to V

1 p

in 4

+5 .

Car

eful

ly in

spec

t ea

ch s

old

er jo

int

from

th

is h

eate

r w

ire

inst

alla

tio

n, a

nd

on

ce

the

sold

er jo

ints

hav

e co

oled

pus

h yo

ur

heat

er w

ires

into

the

floo

r of

the

cha

ssis

an

d in

to th

e b

ack

corn

er o

f the

cha

ssis

as

muc

h as

you

can

.

S

TE

P 3

4

Inst

all t

he

volt

age

swit

chU

sin

g t

wo

4-4

0 x

3/8

" sc

rew

s an

d lo

ckn

uts

, m

ou

nt

the

volt

age

sele

cto

r sw

itch

as sh

own

in th

e di

agra

m, w

ith th

e lu

g at

tach

ed t

o th

e m

iddl

e sh

aft

faci

ng

the

pow

er in

let .

S

TE

P 3

5

Co

nn

ect

the

volt

age

swit

chTh

e vo

ltag

e se

lect

or sw

itch

allo

ws y

ou to

se

t the

am

plifi

er’s

inp

ut v

olta

ge to

mat

ch

the

wal

l vol

tage

in y

our c

ount

ry .

Cut t

he p

ower

tran

sfor

mer

’s tw

iste

d tr

io

of o

rang

e, b

lack

, and

yel

low

lead

s to

an

app

rop

riate

leng

th t

o re

ach

the

volt

age

sele

ctor

sw

itch .

Sold

er th

e b

lack

wire

to th

e b

otto

m ri

ght

lug

(lu

g 1

in

th

e d

iag

ram

) . So

lder

th

e or

ang

e w

ire

to t

he b

otto

m m

idd

le lu

g (lu

g 2)

, and

the

yello

w w

ire to

the

bot

tom

le

ft lu

g (lu

g 3)

. All

othe

r lu

gs a

re e

mp

ty

at th

is p

oint

.

S

TE

P 3

6

Inst

all t

he

imp

edan

ce s

wit

chU

sing

two

4-40

x 3

/8" s

crew

s and

lock

nuts

, m

ount

th

e im

ped

ance

sel

ecto

r sw

itch

as

sh

own

in t

he

dia

gra

m, w

ith

the

lug

atta

ched

to

the

mid

dle

shaf

t fa

cing

the

p

ower

inle

t .

S

TE

P 3

7

Co

nn

ect

the

imp

edan

ce s

wit

chTh

e im

ped

ance

sel

ecto

r sw

itch

allo

ws

you

to

set

th

e am

plif

ier’

s im

ped

ance

to

mat

ch t

he

spea

ker

cab

inet

yo

u a

re

conn

ecte

d to

.

Cu

t th

e o

utp

ut

tran

sfo

rmer

’s t

wis

ted

trio

of

gra

y, g

reen

, an

d y

ello

w l

ead

s to

an

ap

pro

pri

ate

len

gth

to

rea

ch t

he

imp

edan

ce s

witc

h .

Sold

er t

he

yello

w w

ire

to t

he

bo

tto

m

righ

t lu

g (lu

g 1

in t

he d

iagr

am) .

Sold

er

the

gree

n w

ire to

the

bot

tom

mid

dle

lug

(lug

2), a

nd t

he g

ray

wire

to

the

bot

tom

le

ft lu

g (lu

g 3)

. All

othe

r lu

gs a

re e

mp

ty

at th

is p

oint

.

Page 24: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

22

©

2019

Ste

wM

ac

V5 EL34

V4 EL34

POW

ERST

AN

DBY

PRES

ENCE

BASS

MID

DLE

TREB

LEM

AST

ER

VOLU

ME

PREA

MP

VOLU

ME

INPU

T (N

ORM

AL)

H.T

. FU

SE

V3

12A

X7V

212

AX7

V112

AX7

SPEA

KER

EXTE

NSI

ON

SPEA

KER

VOLT

AG

ESE

LECT

OR

IMPE

ND

AN

CESE

LECT

OR

FILT

ER C

AP

3

FILT

ER C

AP

2FI

LTER

CA

P 1

MA

INS

INPU

TM

AIN

SFU

SE

BA

-

12

43

12

43

LO HI

4 3

21

87

65

4 3

21

87

65

6

43 2 1

9875

6

43 2 1

9875

64

3 2 1

9875

3

6

52

1

4

3

6

521

4B

A

-

BA

-

5W 1

K5W

1K

10

Page 25: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

23

©

2019

St

ewM

ac

S

TE

P 3

8

Gro

un

d o

ne

ou

tpu

t tr

ansf

orm

er

lead

Rou

te t

he

ora

ng

e o

utp

ut

tran

sfo

rmer

le

ad t

o th

e th

ree-

lug

gro

un

din

g s

trip

, tr

im i

t to

an

ap

pro

pri

ate

len

gth

, an

d so

lder

it to

the

right

lug

of th

e th

ree-

lug

grou

ndin

g st

rip .

S

TE

P 3

9

Filt

er c

ho

ke b

lack

an

d r

ed le

ads

+

ou

tpu

t tr

ansf

orm

er b

row

n le

ads

Ro

ute

th

e t

wis

ted

tri

o o

f th

e t

wo

filt

er c

ho

ke l

ead

s an

d b

row

n o

utp

ut

tran

sfor

mer

lead

tow

ard

filte

r ca

p 1

and

fil

ter c

ap 2

. Trim

the

blac

k fil

ter c

hoke

lead

an

d t

he

bro

wn

ou

tpu

t tr

ansf

orm

er t

o an

d ap

pro

pria

te le

ngth

and

sol

der

them

to

filte

r cap

1's

lug

B al

ong

with

the

bar

e ju

mp

er a

lread

y in

pla

ce . T

rim th

e re

d fil

ter

chok

e le

ad to

an

app

rop

riate

leng

th a

nd

sold

er it

to fi

lter c

ap 2

's lu

g A

alo

ng w

ith

the

bar

e ju

mp

er a

lread

y in

pla

ce .

S

TE

P 4

0

Ou

tpu

t tr

ansf

orm

er r

ed a

nd

wh

ite

lead

sRu

n th

e tw

iste

d r

ed a

nd

whi

te o

utp

ut

tran

sfor

mer

lead

s to

V4

and

V5 . U

ntw

ist

thes

e le

ads

at t

he

fro

nt

of

the

tub

e so

cket

s an

d r

oute

the

red

lea

d a

roun

d th

e V5

tub

e so

cket

as

show

n . T

rim it

to

an a

pp

rop

riate

leng

th a

nd s

old

er it

to V

5 p

in 3

. Run

the

whi

te le

ad to

V4

pin

3, t

rim

it to

an

app

rop

riate

leng

th, a

nd s

old

er it

to

V4

pin

3 . T

rim a

way

any

exc

ess

lead

s .

S

TE

P 4

1

Ad

d t

wo

1K

5W

res

isto

rsTh

ese

resi

stor

s p

rote

ct t

he p

ower

tub

es

and

th

e o

utp

ut

tran

sfo

rmer

, an

d i

n d

oing

this

can

get

ext

rem

ely

hot .

For t

his

reas

on, t

hey

need

to b

e m

ount

ed u

p a

nd

away

from

the

tub

e so

cket

s by

1/2

” .

Wra

p on

e le

ad o

f the

firs

t 1K

5W re

sist

or to

p

in 4

of V

5 an

d w

rap

the

othe

r lea

d to

pin

6

of V

5, s

tand

ing

it up

off

the

tub

e so

cket

1/

2" . S

old

er th

e le

ad w

rap

ped

to p

in 4

.

Wra

p o

ne

lead

of

the

seco

nd

1K

5W

re

sist

or to

pin

4 o

f V4

and

wra

p th

e ot

her

lead

to p

in 6

of V

4, s

tand

ing

it up

off

the

tub

e so

cket

1/2

" . So

lder

the

lead

wra

pped

to

pin

4 .

S

TE

P 4

2

Ad

d t

wo

wh

ite

jum

per

sCu

t one

3" w

hite

jum

per

. Sol

der

one

end

of

the

jum

per

to V

4 p

in 6

with

the

resi

stor

le

ad a

lread

y in

pla

ce . W

rap

the

othe

r end

to

V5

pin

6, b

ut d

on't

sold

er it

yet

.

Cut o

ne 4

" whi

te ju

mp

er . S

old

er o

ne e

nd

of th

e ju

mp

er to

V5

pin

6 w

ith th

e ju

mp

er

and

resi

stor

lead

alre

ady

in p

lace

. Wra

p

the

othe

r en

d t

o fil

ter

cap

2 lu

g B,

but

d

on't

sold

er it

yet

.

S

TE

P 4

3

Gro

un

d t

he

po

wer

tu

be

sock

ets

Cut

two

3/4"

bar

e co

pp

er ju

mp

ers

and

ben

d t

hem

bo

th i

nto

a U

sh

ape .

Ad

d on

e ju

mp

er b

etw

een

V5 p

in 1

and

pin

8 .

Sol

der

thi

s ju

mp

er t

o p

in 8

. Ad

d t

he

othe

r ju

mp

er b

etw

een

V4 p

in 1

and

pin

8 .

Sol

der

this

jum

per

to p

in 8

.

Cut a

4" g

reen

jum

per

. Sol

der

one

end

to

V4 p

in 1

alo

ng w

ith t

he ju

mp

er in

pla

ce

and

wra

p th

e ot

her e

nd to

V5

pin

8 .

Cut

a 4

" g

reen

jum

per

an

d s

old

er o

ne

end

to V

5 p

in 8

alo

ng w

ith t

he U

sha

pe

jum

per

. So

lder

th

e o

ther

en

d o

f th

is

jum

per

to th

e m

iddl

e lu

g of

the

thre

e-lu

g gr

ound

ing

strip

.

S

TE

P 4

4

Ad

d o

ne

jum

per

Ad

d a

3/4"

jum

per

bet

wee

n V3

pin

3 a

nd

pin

8 . S

olde

r the

jum

per

lead

to p

in 3

, but

d

on't

sold

er th

e le

ad in

pin

8 y

et .

S

TE

P 4

5

Ad

d o

ne

jum

per

+ o

ne

resi

sto

rA

dd

a 3/

4" w

hite

jum

per

bet

wee

n V2

pin

1

and

pin

7 . S

old

er th

is ju

mp

er to

pin

7 .

Add

a 1

00k

resi

stor

bet

wee

n V2

pin

1 a

nd

pin

6 . S

old

er th

e le

ad to

pin

1 a

long

with

th

e ju

mp

er in

pla

ce, b

ut d

on't

sold

er th

e re

sist

or le

ad in

pin

6 y

et .

S

TE

P 4

6

Ad

d a

10

pF

cap

acit

or

Ad

d a

10p

F si

lver

mic

a ca

p b

etw

een

pin

1

and

pin

3 o

f soc

ket

V1 . W

rap

the

lead

s of

this

cap

so

the

bod

y of

the

cap

sta

nds

up f

rom

the

tub

e so

cket

1/4

", b

ut d

on't

sold

er th

em y

et .

Page 26: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

24

©20

19 S

tew

Mac

V5 EL34

V4 EL34

POW

ERST

AN

DBY

PRES

ENCE

BASS

MID

DLE

TREB

LEM

AST

ER

VOLU

ME

PREA

MP

VOLU

ME

INPU

T (N

ORM

AL)

H.T

. FU

SE

V3

12A

X7V

212

AX7

V112

AX7

SPEA

KER

EXTE

NSI

ON

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KER

VOLT

AG

ESE

LECT

OR

IMPE

ND

AN

CESE

LECT

OR

FILT

ER C

AP

3

FILT

ER C

AP

2FI

LTER

CA

P 1

MA

INS

INPU

TM

AIN

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SE

BA

-

BA

-

BA

-

12

43

HI

4 3

21

87

65

6

43 2 1

9875

64

3 2 1

9875

4 3

21

87

65

3

6

52

1

4

3

6

521

4

6

43 2 1

9875

1MA

12

43

LO

.001

μF51

0K

Page 27: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

25

©

2019

St

ewM

ac

S

TE

P 4

7

Ad

d o

ne

shie

lded

wir

eCu

t a

7-3/

4" le

ngth

of

bra

ided

, shi

eld

ed

wire

. Pul

l the

end

s of

the

bra

id b

ack

to

reve

al t

he in

ner

wire

, and

str

ip t

he e

nds

for s

old

erin

g .

Cu

t a

2" w

hit

e ju

mp

er . W

rap

on

e en

d tig

htly

aro

und

the

shie

lded

wire

, joi

ning

th

e tw

o w

ires

so

th

e w

hit

e in

sula

tio

n is

snu

gg

ed u

p t

o th

e b

raid

. Sol

der

thi

s co

nnec

tion .

Use

1/8

" hea

t-sh

rink

tubi

ng to

insu

late

the

sold

er jo

int a

nd ju

mp

er o

n on

e si

de o

f the

sh

ield

ed w

ire . U

se 1

/8" h

eat-

shrin

k tu

bing

to

insu

late

the

shie

ldin

g on

the

end

of th

e sh

ield

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ire w

ithou

t the

jum

per

as w

ell .

Sold

er th

e sh

ort w

hite

jum

per

to th

e b

ack

of

the

pre

amp

vo

lum

e p

ot .

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p t

he

cent

er le

ad o

f the

shie

lded

wire

—th

e en

d w

ith

th

e sh

ort

jum

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th

e m

idd

le

lug

of th

e p

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p v

olum

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ut d

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er it

yet

.

Run

the

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lded

wire

alo

ng th

e b

otto

m

corn

er o

f the

cha

ssis

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p

in 7

of s

ocke

t V1 .

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ess

lead

s .

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TE

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8

Ad

d a

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acit

or

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ad o

f a .0

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to

the

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dle

lu

g o

f th

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p v

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me

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alo

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ith th

e sh

ield

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mp

er le

ad

alre

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in p

lace

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p th

e ot

her c

ap le

ad

to t

he r

ight

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ream

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e p

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.

S

TE

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9

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all a

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p t

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om

th

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p

arou

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e le

ads

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e 47

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er .

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stor

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to t

he

right

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eam

p vo

lum

e p

ot a

long

w

ith t

he c

apac

itor

lead

alre

ady

in p

lace

. So

lder

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oth

er re

sist

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ad to

lug

1 of

th

e lo

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put

jack

. Trim

aw

ay a

ny e

xces

s le

ads .

S

TE

P 5

0

Ad

d t

hre

e ju

mp

ers

Cut

a 16

" w

hite

jum

per

and

sol

der

one

en

d to

the

mid

dle,

pro

trud

ing

lug

of th

e vo

ltag

e se

lect

or s

witc

h .

Cut

a 13

" w

hite

jum

per

and

sol

der

one

en

d t

o t

he

sid

e lu

g o

f th

e m

ain

s fu

se

sock

et .

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a 12

" w

hite

jum

per

and

sol

der

one

en

d to

the

left

lug

of th

e p

ower

inle

t .

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t th

ese

thre

e w

ires

to

get

her

an

d ro

ute

them

as

show

n, to

war

d th

e p

ower

sw

itch .

Find

the

jum

per

that

has

con

tinui

ty to

the

left

lug

of th

e m

ains

inp

ut a

nd so

lder

it to

th

e b

otto

m le

ft lu

g of

the

pow

er s

witc

h .

Find

the

jum

per

tha

t ha

s co

ntin

uity

to

the

sid

e lu

g of

the

mai

ns fu

se s

ocke

t and

so

lder

it t

o th

e m

idd

le r

ight

lug

of t

he

pow

er s

witc

h .

The

last

tw

iste

d j

um

per

sh

ou

ld h

ave

cont

inui

ty to

the

mid

dle,

pro

trud

ing

lug

of th

e vo

ltag

e se

lect

or sw

itch .

Sol

der t

his

jum

per

to th

e to

p ri

ght l

ug o

f the

pow

er

switc

h .

Sto

p a

nd

insp

ect

you

r w

ork

This

is a

goo

d tim

e to

ste

p a

way

from

the

pro

ject

for

a f

ew m

inut

es . T

ake

a b

reak

b

efor

e re

view

ing

your

wor

k fo

r err

ors .

Whe

n yo

u’re

read

y to

go

at it

aga

in, v

ery

care

fully

wal

k th

roug

h ev

ery

conn

ectio

n yo

u’v

e m

ade

so f

ar . W

hen

eve

ryth

ing

chec

ks o

ut, y

ou’re

rea

dy

to m

ove

on t

o th

e tu

rret

boa

rd .

STOP

Be sus

piciou

s The

re's a

mistak

e, and

you’re

gonna

find it!

510K

Page 28: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

26

©

2019

Ste

wM

ac

1 29

2 26

34

56

7

2021

2223

24

27

25 28

89

1011

1213

1415

1617

18

3435

3637

3839

4044

4546

3332

3119

3041

4243

.022μF

.022μF

.68μF +

500pF

500pF

Page 29: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

27

©20

19

Stew

Mac

You

’re r

ead

y to

sta

rt p

utt

ing

par

ts o

n th

e tu

rret

bo

ard

. In

th

ese

step

s, y

ou’ll

w

rap

the

lead

s on

to t

he t

urre

ts w

ithou

t so

lder

ing,

and

the

sol

der

will

be

add

ed

late

r . Th

is a

llow

s yo

u to

che

ck y

our w

ork

and

mak

e co

rrec

tio

ns

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ho

ut

hav

ing

to u

ndo

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ints

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eally

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int o

nly

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S

TE

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p a

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d t

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d a

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d a

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S

TE

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Wra

pp

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par

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nto

th

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bo

ard

Page 30: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

28

©

2019

Ste

wM

ac

1 29

2 26

34

56

7

2021

2223

24

27

25 28

89

1011

1213

1415

1617

18

3435

3637

3839

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4546

3332

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47

Page 31: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

29

©20

19

Stew

Mac

S

TE

P 6

0

Ad

d t

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acit

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st ju

mp

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et 1

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Page 32: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

30

©

2019

Ste

wM

ac

1 29

2 26

34

56

7

2021

2223

24

27

25 28

89

1011

1213

1415

1617

18

3435

3637

3839

4044

4546

3332

3119

3041

4243

+ 8µF

+ 8µF

Page 33: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

31

©

2019

St

ewM

ac

S

TE

P 6

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all t

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2 a

nd th

e p

ositi

ve le

ad to

turr

et 2

9 .

Ad

d a

no

ther

1N

5408

dio

de

bet

wee

n tu

rret

s 1

and

29 .

Con

nect

the

neg

ativ

e le

ad t

o tu

rret

1 a

nd t

he p

ositi

ve le

ad t

o

turr

et 2

9 .

S

TE

P 7

1

Ad

d o

ne

resi

sto

r +

th

ree

jum

per

sA

dd

a 22

0k 2

W r

esis

tor

bet

wee

n tu

rret

s 2

and

26 .

Ad

d a

7" w

hite

jum

per

to tu

rret

29 .

Cu

t tw

o 1

0" w

hit

e ju

mp

ers

and

tw

ist

them

tog

ethe

r . A

dd

one

end

of

one

to

turr

et 1

. A

dd

on

e en

d o

f th

e o

ther

to

turr

et 2

.

Sto

p a

nd

insp

ect

you

r w

ork

All

the

com

pon

ents

and

wire

s are

now

on

the

turr

et b

oard

. Tak

e a

bre

ak to

rest

you

r ey

es b

efor

e m

akin

g su

re y

ou’v

e fo

llow

ed

each

ste

p c

orre

ctly

.

To fi

nd n

o m

ista

kes

at t

his

stag

e w

ould

b

e su

rpris

ing,

and

its

muc

h le

ss w

ork

to

find

them

now

tha

n af

ter

sold

erin

g! A

s yo

u ch

eck

your

wor

k, m

ake

sure

all

the

conn

ectio

ns a

re ti

ght .

STOP

Be fus

sy Fin

d the

mistak

e now

, not

later!

Page 34: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

32

©

2019

Ste

wM

ac

1 29

2 26

34

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7

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Page 35: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

33

©

2019

St

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ac

S

TE

P 7

2

Sold

er t

he

com

po

nen

ts o

n t

he

turr

et b

oar

dIt

’s t

ime

to s

et a

ll th

e co

nnec

tions

with

so

lder

.

Revi

ew t

he

tip

s fo

r g

reat

sol

der

ing

on

pag

e 9,

then

sol

der

eac

h co

nnec

tion

on

the

turr

et b

oard

.

Aft

er a

ll th

e jo

ints

are

sol

der

ed c

lip t

he

exce

ss le

ads

from

the

tur

rets

. Trim

min

g th

e ex

cess

lead

s is

imp

orta

nt t

o av

oid

a sh

ort i

n yo

ur c

ircui

t . C

heck

all

your

sold

er

join

ts to

mak

e su

re t

hey’

re s

hiny

, and

to

see

that

you

did

n’t m

iss

one .

S

TE

P 7

3

Ad

d n

ine

beh

ind

-th

e-b

oar

d

jum

per

sC

ut

thes

e ju

mp

ers

to l

eng

th a

nd

tri

m

3/8"

of

shie

ldin

g off

eac

h en

d . R

un t

he

exp

osed

end

s up

into

the

bot

tom

of t

he

turr

ets

and

sold

er th

em in

to p

lace

.

Cut a

5" w

hite

jum

per

and

sold

er o

ne e

nd

to th

e b

otto

m o

f tur

ret 2

4 . R

oute

the

free

en

d st

raig

ht to

the

top

of t

he b

oard

, tur

n it

at a

90-

deg

ree

angl

e to

the

right

unt

il yo

u re

ach

the

bac

k of

turr

et 1

1, a

nd th

en

ben

d it

at a

90-

deg

ree

angl

e ag

ain

and

pla

ce t

he le

ad in

the

bac

k of

the

tur

ret .

Don

’t so

lder

it y

et .

Cut a

3-1

/2" w

hite

jum

per

and

sold

er o

ne

end

to th

e b

otto

m o

f tur

ret 1

1 al

ong

with

th

e ju

mp

er a

lread

y in

pla

ce . R

oute

the

fr

ee e

nd o

f thi

s ju

mp

er to

war

d th

e b

ack

of tu

rret

44 .

Cut a

3" w

hite

jum

per

and

sold

er o

ne e

nd

to th

e b

otto

m o

f tur

ret 3

2 . R

oute

the

free

en

d o

f th

is ju

mp

er t

owar

d t

he b

otto

m

of t

he b

oard

and

tur

n it

at a

90-

deg

ree

ang

le t

o t

he

left

un

til

you

rea

ch t

he

bac

k of

turr

et 3

4 . T

hen

turn

it a

t ano

ther

90

-deg

ree

angl

e an

d pl

ace

the

lead

in th

e b

ack

of tu

rret

27,

but

don

't so

lder

it y

et .

Cut a

4" w

hite

jum

per

and

sold

er it

to th

e b

ack

of t

urre

t 27

alo

ng w

ith t

he ju

mp

er

lead

alre

ady

in p

lace

. Rou

te th

e fr

ee e

nd

of th

is ju

mp

er to

war

d th

e b

otto

m o

f the

b

oard

and

turn

it a

t a 9

0-d

egre

e an

gle

to

the

left

unt

il yo

u re

ach

the

bac

k of

turr

et

39 . T

hen

tur

n i

t at

an

oth

er 9

0-d

egre

e an

gle

and

pla

ce t

he le

ad in

the

bac

k of

tu

rret

39,

but

don

't so

lder

it y

et .

Cut

anot

her

4" w

hite

jum

per

and

sol

der

on

e en

d to

the

bot

tom

of t

urre

t 39

alon

g w

ith t

he ju

mp

er a

lread

y in

pla

ce . R

oute

th

e fr

ee e

nd o

f th

is ju

mp

er t

owar

d th

e b

ack

of tu

rret

25 .

Cut a

2-1

/2" w

hite

jum

per

and

sold

er o

ne

end

to th

e b

otto

m o

f tur

ret 9

. Rou

te th

e fr

ee e

nd u

p to

war

d th

e to

p o

f the

boa

rd,

turn

it a

t a

90-d

egre

e an

gle

to t

he r

ight

un

til y

ou r

each

the

bac

k of

tur

ret

6, a

nd

then

ben

d it

at a

noth

er 9

0-d

egre

e an

gle

and

sold

er th

e le

ad in

the

bac

k of

turr

et 6

.

Cut

a 12

" w

hite

jum

per

and

sol

der

one

en

d to

the

bot

tom

of t

urre

t 5 . R

oute

the

free

end

of t

his

jum

per

tow

ard

the

bac

k of

turr

et 2

9 .

Cut a

7" w

hite

jum

per

and

sold

er o

ne e

nd

to th

e b

otto

m o

f tur

ret 2

0 . R

oute

the

free

en

d to

war

d tu

rret

1 .

Cut a

5-1

/2" w

hite

jum

per

and

sold

er o

ne

end

to th

e b

otto

m o

f tur

ret 3

1 . R

oute

the

free

end

tow

ard

turr

et 1

.

S

TE

P 7

4

Ad

d t

wo

mo

re b

ehin

d-t

he-

bo

ard

ju

mp

ers

Cu

t a

4" w

hit

e ju

mp

er a

nd

a 5

" w

hit

e ju

mp

er . S

trip

1"

of in

sula

tion

fro

m o

ne

end

of e

ach .

Ad

d a

5 .1K

resi

stor

to th

e st

ripp

ed e

nd o

f ea

ch o

f th

ese

jum

per

s . O

nce

the

sold

er

join

ts c

ool,

add

1" o

f hea

t-sh

rink

tub

ing

to in

sula

te th

e so

lder

join

t .

On

ce t

he

hea

t-sh

rink

co

ols

, so

lder

th

e re

sist

or-f

ree

end

of t

he 5

" ju

mp

er t

o th

e b

otto

m o

f tur

ret 8

. Rou

te th

e en

d of

this

ju

mp

er w

ith th

e re

sist

or a

ttac

hed

tow

ard

turr

et 3

1 .

Sold

er t

he

resi

sto

r-fr

ee e

nd

of

the

6"

jum

per

to

the

bot

tom

of t

urre

t 7 .

Rou

te

the

end

of t

his

jum

per

with

the

res

isto

r at

tach

ed to

war

d tu

rret

31 .

S

TE

P 7

5

Ch

eck

the

con

tin

uit

y o

f yo

ur

bac

k-o

f-b

oar

d ju

mp

ers

On

ce a

ll o

f th

ese

sold

er

join

ts a

re

set,

flip

th

e b

oar

d b

ack

over

an

d t

est

for

con

tin

uit

y o

n e

ach

pai

r o

f tu

rret

s co

nnec

ted

by

bac

k-of

-boa

rd r

uns .

Use

a

mul

tim

eter

for

con

tinu

ity

test

ing

, as

des

crib

ed o

n p

age

41 .

S

TE

P 7

6

Glu

e b

ehin

d-t

he-

bo

ard

jum

per

s d

ow

n

As

you

r am

p a

ges

, it

will

nee

d p

arts

re

pla

ced

. W

hen

yo

u h

eat

a tu

rret

to

rem

ove

a w

orn

-out

par

t, a

beh

ind

-the

-b

oar

d j

um

per

co

uld

co

me

dis

lod

ged

fr

om t

he b

ack

of t

he t

urre

t, in

trod

ucin

g a

who

le n

ew p

rob

lem

. To

pre

vent

thi

s,

app

ly a

dim

e-si

zed

am

ount

of

cont

act

cem

ent

to e

ach

wir

e's

insu

lati

on

as

show

n . T

his

will

hol

d th

e ju

mp

ers

tight

to

the

bac

k of

the

boa

rd e

ven

whe

n yo

u he

at t

he tu

rret

and

sol

der

liqu

ifies

.

Allo

w t

his

glue

to c

ure

over

nigh

t . Th

is is

a

good

cha

nce

to s

top

and

dou

ble

che

ck

all

of y

our

conn

ecti

ons

one

mor

e ti

me

bef

ore

ins

talli

ng

th

e tu

rret

bo

ard

int

o th

e ch

assi

s .

Sold

erin

g c

om

po

nen

ts t

o t

urr

et b

oar

d

Page 36: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

34

©

2019

Ste

wM

ac

V5 EL34

V4 EL34

POW

ERST

AN

DBY

PRES

ENCE

BASS

MID

DLE

TREB

LEM

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VOLU

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2021

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1011

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1415

1617

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3435

3637

3839

4044

4546

3332

3119

3041

4243

Page 37: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

35

©

2019

St

ewM

ac

You

're

read

y to

inst

all t

he

turr

et

bo

ard

in t

he

chas

sis

It's

tim

e to

rem

ove

yo

ur

tap

e w

ith

the

turr

et n

umb

ers .

Wh

en t

he

bo

ard

's

inst

alle

d, y

ou w

on't

be

able

to g

et to

the

tap

e to

rem

ove

it . F

rom

thi

s p

oint

on

, yo

u ca

n id

entif

y ju

mp

ers

and

turr

ets

by

refe

rrin

g to

the

diag

ram

s .

S

TE

P 7

7

Inst

all f

ou

r th

read

ed s

tan

do

ffs

To k

eep

th

e tu

rret

bo

ard

co

nn

ecti

on

s fr

om s

hort

ing

agai

nst

the

met

al c

hass

is,

the

boa

rd is

mou

nted

on

four

thr

ead

ed

stan

do

ffs

that

ho

ld i

t aw

ay f

rom

th

e ch

assi

s .

Use

4-4

0 sc

rew

s to

mo

un

t th

ese

fou

r st

and

offs

to t

he c

hass

is a

s sh

own

in t

he

diag

ram

.

S

TE

P 7

8

Inst

all t

wo

filt

er c

ap le

ads

Befo

re m

ount

ing

the

turr

et b

oard

in th

e ch

assi

s, t

wo

beh

ind

-the

-boa

rd ju

mp

ers

need

to b

e so

lder

ed to

the

filte

r cap

that

w

ill b

e un

der

the

tur

ret

boa

rd o

nce

it's

m

ount

ed .

Sold

er th

e ju

mp

er fr

om th

e b

ack

of tu

rret

11

to lu

g A

of fi

lter c

ap 3

.

Sold

er th

e ju

mp

er fr

om th

e b

ack

of tu

rret

39

to lu

g B

of fi

lter c

ap 3

.

S

TE

P79

Inst

alli

ng

th

e tu

rret

bo

ard

in t

he

chas

sis

Lin

e u

p t

he

tu

rre

t b

oar

d o

n t

hes

e st

and

offs

and

use

4-40

scr

ews

to m

ount

th

ese

four

sta

ndoff

s to

the

chas

sis .

S

TE

P 8

0

Sold

er t

he

pre

amp

vo

lum

e p

ot

Sold

er t

he g

reen

jum

per

fro

m t

urre

t 18

to

the

bac

k of

the

pre

amp

vol

ume

pot

.

Sold

er th

e gr

een

jum

per

from

lug

4 of

the

high

inp

ut ja

ck to

the

bac

k of

the

pre

amp

vo

lum

e p

ot .

S

TE

P 8

1

Sold

er t

he

inp

ut

jack

sSo

lder

the

whi

te ju

mp

er f

rom

tur

ret

17

to lu

g 1

of th

e hi

gh s

ensi

tivit

y in

put

jack

.

Sold

er th

e w

hite

jum

per

from

turr

et 1

6 to

lu

g 4

of lo

w s

ensi

tivit

y in

put

jack

.

S

TE

P 8

2

Sold

er t

he

mas

ter

volu

me

po

tSo

lder

the

gree

n ju

mp

er fr

om tu

rret

14

to

the

bac

k of

the

mas

ter v

olum

e p

ot .

Sold

er th

e w

hite

jum

per

from

turr

et 1

0 to

th

e m

iddl

e lu

g of

the

mas

ter v

olum

e p

ot .

S

TE

P 8

3

Sold

er t

he

treb

le p

ot

Sold

er t

he ju

mp

er f

rom

tur

ret

22 t

o th

e rig

ht lu

g of

the

treb

le p

ot .

Sold

er t

he ju

mp

er f

rom

tur

ret

13 t

o th

e le

ft lu

g of

the

treb

le p

ot w

ith th

e ju

mp

er

alre

ady

in p

lace

.

S

TE

P 8

4

Sold

er t

he

mid

s p

ot

Sold

er t

he ju

mp

er f

rom

tur

ret

12 t

o th

e m

iddl

e lu

g of

the

mid

s p

ot .

S

TE

P 8

5

Sold

er t

he

pre

sen

ce p

ot

Sold

er t

he j

ump

er f

rom

tur

ret

6 to

the

rig

ht lu

g of

the

pre

senc

e p

ot a

long

with

th

e re

sist

or le

ad a

lread

y in

pla

ce .

S

TE

P 8

6

Sold

er t

he

gro

un

d ju

mp

erSo

lder

the

gree

n ju

mp

er fr

om tu

rret

3 to

b

ack

of th

e p

rese

nce

pot

.

S

TE

P 8

7

Sold

er t

he

jum

per

s to

th

e st

and

by

swit

chRu

n th

e tw

iste

d p

air

of w

hite

jum

per

s fr

om tu

rret

s 1 a

nd 2

to th

e to

p le

ft a

nd to

p

right

lugs

of

the

stan

dby

switc

h . S

old

er

one

jum

per

to th

e to

p le

ft lu

g an

d so

lder

th

e ot

her

jum

per

to

the

top

rig

ht lu

g . It

d

oes

not

mat

ter

whi

ch ju

mp

er g

oes

to

whi

ch lu

g .

Four

sta

ndo

s

Inst

alli

ng

th

e tu

rret

bo

ard

in t

he

chas

sis

Tip

s fo

r le

ad d

ress

wit

h ju

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Page 38: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

36

©

2019

Ste

wM

ac

V5 EL34

V4 EL34

POW

ERST

AN

DBY

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Page 39: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

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mac

.co

m

37

©

2019

St

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S

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Page 40: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

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©

2019

Ste

wM

ac

V5 EL34

V4 EL34

POW

ERST

AN

DBY

PRES

ENCE

BASS

MID

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TREB

LEM

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Page 41: ’81 BRIT-800 50W · 2019-06-27 · This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit

stew

mac

.co

m

39

©

2019

St

ewM

ac

S

TE

P 9

5

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all t

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ker

jack

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all

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mp

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STOP

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stewmac.com 40 © 2019 StewMac

STEP 97

Glue the tube placement chartCut out the chart on page 51 . With a thin coat of glue or contact cement, glue it to the inside wall of the cabinet .

STEP 98

Install the fusesInstall the 3-amp fuse in the mains fuse socket and the 500mA fuse in the H .T . fuse socket .

Installing parts and preparing for testing

STOP!

DON’T INSTALL THE TUBES YET! DON’T PLUG THE AMP IN YET!

The next page is going to keep you out of trouble!

STEP 100

Set the chassis on chassis stand or on blocks for testingSet your chassis up for final testing . Chassis stands are extremely useful for this . If you do not have a chassis stand a couple of blocks of wood can work just fine .

STEP 99

Install the six control knobsTurn the shaft of each pot all the way counterclockwise to the “off” point and install the knob so the indicator line points to zero .

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stewmac.com 41 © 2019 StewMac

At this point, dangerous voltage is forming in the filter caps. Always discharge them before working on the circuit, even if the amp is unplugged. See how to use a snuffer stick on page 6 .

For safety, use only one hand to probe the amp during DC tests.

Keep your other hand behind your back when you need to probe a component . This way, you can’t be a path between B+ voltage and ground—a mistake that would send a dangerous charge through your heart .

Set your multimeter to 600V DC and connect the negative lead to ground . Once the negative lead is secured to ground, flip the standby switch to ON . Measure the DC voltage at lug A of filter cap 1 . It should be roughly 500V DC .

Set the multimeter to 5V DC and check turret 46, which should read around 2 .5V .

Set the multimeter to 500V DC and check turret 43 . It should read around 300V .

Set the multimeter to 100V DC and test pin 5 of the V7 and V8 sockets . These readings should be nearly identical .

Any multimeter will work fine for the two types of tests we’re about to do: checking continuity and reading voltages . The instructions that came with your meter will be helpful .

Continuity testing is simply making sure current flows between two points successfully . Touch the meter's red lead to one end of the section being tested, and the black lead to the other end . If the continuity is good, your meter will beep or register this on the display .

Voltage testing is where you need to be careful . Some steps require the amp to be plugged in and turned on . This becomes dangerous if you’re not cautious . Respect the voltages and follow the directions, and these tests are safe and easy .

STEP 101

Perform a safe power-upAt this point, there should be no tubes installed, and the speaker should be disconnected .

Before plugging the amp in, turn the power switch to ON . Switching the amp on before the first power-up protects you from shock if a mistake in your wiring has created a short to the chassis . If this short exists, an indication would be that the pilot light will not turn on, since the AC current is going directly to ground .

Also set the voltage selector switch to match the wall voltage for your home . In the United States, you will want to set the voltage switch to 110V .

Plug the power cord in . The power switch should light .

For a few minutes, watch for smoke or unusual smells . If anything seems unusual, disconnect the power immediately and carefully review all your connections .

STEP 102

Test the standard AC voltageSet your multimeter to 20V AC . Check the heater voltage across pin 9 and pins 4+5 on the V1 12AX7 socket . This should read between 5-7V AC . If this reading is drastically different, disconnect power and check your connections .

If the amp seems normal, unplug the power cord while still leaving the power switch ON .

Testing and troubleshooting

V1D-

-

ALWAYS discharge the filter cap

before working on the circuit. See how

to use a snuffer stick on page 6.

And seriously, keep one hand behind

your back!

STEP 103

Test the preamp tubes + dangerous DC voltageThe dangerously high DC voltage that passes through the rectifier tube and the filter caps is referred to as “B+” . The next step is to test this B+ voltage .

While the amp is unplugged, install the three preamp tubes .

After these tubes are installed, plug the amp back in and flip the power switch ON . The power switch should light up . Let the amp warm up for a few minutes and then flip the standby switch to ON . Again, if you get smoke or smells, unplug immediately .

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stewmac.com 42 © 2019 StewMac

Use a small flathead screwdriver to turn the center of the bias pot all the way counterclockwise . This will set the bias for the lowest negative DC voltage . Doing this provides a safe voltage for the power tubes while you set the initial bias .

If all of these voltages come within approximately 10% of their expected values, turn the power switch OFF .

Always turn the power switch off before turning the standby switch off . This will drain the filter capacitors as the amp cools down . After a moment, flip the standby switch OFF as well, and unplug the amp .

If the reading at turret 43 shows no voltage or low voltage, follow this test: unplug the amp, drain the filter caps with the snuffer stick, set your meter to read continuity, and make sure you have properly installed the back-of-board jumper from turret 43 to turret 11 .

Turn the power and standby switches to OFF and unplug the amp .

STEP 104

Test the EL34 power tubesWith the amp unplugged, install the EL34 power tubes, turning them so their indexing keys f it correctly in the socket . Turn all of the front panel controls completely counterclockwise, so the indicator line is pointing to "0" .

Connect the amp to a speaker cabinet, adjust the impedance selector switch for the appropriate impedance, and perform these next tests with the speaker turned away from you . If the amp starts to oscillate and squeal, this will help protect your ears .

Plug the amp in and flip the power switch ON . Give the tubes 30 seconds to warm up and then flip the standby switch to ON as well .

After a few moments you should hear a low hum . If the hum becomes very loud, disconnect the power immediately and review your connections .

Set your multimeter to read 500V DC and test for voltage from pin 3 of both socket V5 and socket V4 . This voltage should read around 420V . Write this number in Box 2 of the calculation in Step 106 . It’ll be needed if you use a bias meter to set your bias .

Set your multimeter to read 50V DC and test for voltage at turret 20 . Adjust the bias pot until this voltage reads around -38V .

If all of these voltages come within approximately 10% of their expected values, turn the power switch OFF . After a few moments turn the standby switch OFF as well, and unplug the amp .

Tube bias affects your sound“Bias” refers to the current of electrons flowing from the cathode to the plate inside your power tubes when the tubes are idle . The bias setting determines this flow and is increased or decreased by the screwdriver-adjustable bias pot .

Adjusting the bias affects your sound: a higher setting gives you punchier cleans and grittier distortion, but your tubes will wear out faster . With a low setting, your tubes last longer but the sound is more sterile . A good bias setting falls between these extremes .

STEP 105

Old method of setting the bias: doing it by earIf you have a bias meter, skip this step and go on to Step 106 .

The old-school way of adjusting the bias is by ear: after setting the bias voltage to a recommended starting point, you make tiny adjustments to the bias pot while listening for the sound you want . This inexact method can shorten the life of your power tubes .

You roughed-in the bias setting in the previous step by setting the bias voltage at -38V .

Danger: set your guitar aside before you adjust the bias pot.

Do not touch any amp circuitry while holding your guitar . Doing so would create an electrocution hazard!

Use a screwdriver to make a tiny adjustment to the bias pot . Turn clockwise to increase the current and counterclockwise to decrease it . Then set the screwdriver aside and play to hear to the result .

Watch out for red-platingYou especially want to avoid too much current turning the gray plates to glowing red . If your tubes start red plating, shut the amp down and let it cool before setting the bias to a lower level .

Testing and troubleshooting

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stewmac.com 43 © 2019 StewMac

Plug the amp back in and flip the power switch ON . Give the tubes 30-60 seconds to warm up, then flip the standby switch ON .

Watch the bias meter as the power tubes heat up . Both needles should rise at an equal rate and settle at the same time .

Adjust your bias pot until the bias meter displays the reading you calculated (36mA in our example) . Let the amp idle for a few minutes to make sure that the bias doesn’t drift .

When you see a constant readout of your bias setting, turn the power switch OFF .

After a few moments flip the standby switch OFF and unplug the amp from the wall .

Once the tubes are cool, remove them and the bias probes from the amp and plug the tubes back into the amp's tube sockets without the probes attached .

After removing the bias probes and taking it for a test drive, if the amp is stable and your tests match the voltages specified, feel free to let it rip!

After playing for a few minutes and testing all inputs, if everything seems to be operating normally, go ahead and turn the amp off .

If there are any strange oscillations, squeals, or the amp seems at all unstable, use a wooden chopstick to begin probing for loose connections:

n from the input jacks to the turret boardn from the tube sockets to the turret boardn from the tube sockets to the front panel controls .

It usually takes just a minor wiring adjustment, perhaps resoldering a loose joint, to correct this sort of distortion .

After removing the bias probes and taking it for a test drive, if the amp is stable and your tests match the voltages specified, feel free to let it rip!

STEP 106

Improved method of setting the bias: using a bias meterThe more accurate way to set the bias is by using a bias meter, such as the VHT Bias Tester (StewMac #1580) .

This method starts with a simple calculation to find your bias setting, then you adjust the bias pot until your bias meter displays that reading .

The calculation uses two numbers, the tube’s maximum plate dissipation and its plate voltage .

Plate dissipation . Every power tube has a specified plate dissipation—the maximum wattage the tube can handle . For the EL34 power tubes in this amp, that maximum is 25 watts . Exceeding the 25-watt limit will damage the tube, and operating at the full 25 watts will shorten its life . Our goal is to operate the tube at 60% of the 25-watt limit, or 15 watts . We've entered this number for you in Box 1 of the calculation .

Plate voltage . You already have the plate voltage for these tubes: it’s the number you found in Step 104 and wrote in Box 2 below .

Divide Box 1 by Box 2 . The result is your recommended bias setting for use in the next step . Our example calculation gives a bias recommendation of .0357 Amps . Since bias is typically measured in milliamps, this measurement is written as 36mA .

With the amp unplugged allow the power tubes to cool . Once the power tubes have cooled, remove them from their sockets .

Plug the tubes into the bias probe sockets, which are like tube sockets . Plug the probe sockets with tubes into the power tube sockets .

Testing and troubleshooting

Example:

Your plate voltage from Step 16560% of max. plate dissapation

÷Your bias current setting

=15

BOX 2BOX 1

15 ÷ =

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STEP 107

Install the chassisDischarge the capacitors so you can safely handle the chassis . Remove all the cables from their jacks .

Install the cage nuts in to their holes in each corner of the top lip of the chassis

Slide the chassis in from the back until its front edge meets the front wall of the cabinet . Insert the mounting screws through the f loor of the chassis . Tighten the screws down to hold the chassis tight to the cabinet .

Install the preamp tube shields and install the back panel .

Final assembly

Tube lifeThe life span of the power tubes is affected by how hard you drive the amp . If you are overdriving the amp for hours every day, expect the power tubes to have a shorter life span .

We encourage you to experiment with different tube brands and find the brand that is most favorable to your ears and your wallet .

StewMac is here to helpFor more than fifty years, StewMac has supplied instrument builders and repair shops . Our customer service team really knows how to help if you run into questions .

Call 800-848-2273 from 9AM–6PM

Eastern time, Monday–Friday .

Email: service@stewmac .com

Thanks for choosing this StewMac kit, and welcome to the world of amp building!

Tips for using this ampWhen you think of '80s metal guitar, this is the amp you are hearing . This amp is based on the JCM800 2204 but with a twist . Marshall never released hand-wired versions of the 800s so this is not exactly a replica, but more of a "boutique-style" build . Our version has slightly more gain and sounds a little bit sweeter than its PCB predecessor but make no mistake - the sound is 100% JCM800 .

World renowned for that sizzling in-your-face crunch, this amp is actually a much more flexible circuit than you might think . By working between the two volume controls you can get anywhere from rich clean tones, to sweetened plexi tones, to over the top '80s hair metal tones .

The tone controls are very responsive and need to be adjusted as the master volume is adjusted . At lower volumes, you will want to turn the controls up a bit, especially the treble control, to get an articulate tone . As you turn the master volume up you will want to turn the tone controls down because the overall sound gets brighter as the volume increases .

A good starting point is all knobs except the Master Volume set at 5 . With the master at 0 start turning up the amp until you hit the desired volume level . Use the Pre-Amp control to dial in the amount of overdrive you want, then adjust the tone controls according to your ears .

Here are our favorite settings for medium gain and high volume:

Presence: 2 Bass: 4 Mid: 3 Treble: 2 Master: 6 Preamp: 6

Matt Clouston, StewMac

It's finally time to let it rip!

GO!GO!

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OutputGain

Negative feedback

Processing

Power

Mic level

Speaker levelLine level Line level

You don’t need to read a schematic to build this kit . But it’s fun to see how the circuit works, and to see the different subcircuits that interact to shape your sound .

Working with the tiny signal from the guitar, the amp creates the power needed to drive the speaker . The signal is affected by the gain, processing, output and power stages as it passes through the circuit .

The gain circuit increases the signal to line level (about 1 volt), by passing it through a 12AX7 preamp tube where electrons flow from a heated cathode to be received by the anode plate . The grid between these receives the tiny voltage from the guitar, whose varying musical signal controls the flow of electrons to the plate .

The gorgeous harmonic distortion provided by this amp is produced by the “cold clipping” preamp design . Cold clipping is a type of harmonic distortion created by setting the bias for a gain stage very cold, and then immediately follow that with another gain stage that is biased very hot . This can be seen with V1b and V2a, where V1b is biased with a 10K resistor and V2a is biased by a 820Ω resistor .

The negative feedback loop flattens and extends the amp’s frequency response, reducing distor tion generated in the output stage . This makes the amp’s sound cleaner and more hi-fi . Some players disable this loop completely or add a potentiometer in place of the resistor to create a “grit control .” We don’t recommend this, because it places stress on the output transformer .

The processing stage shapes the tone . This amp has a universal Treble, Middle, Bass tone control . This allows you to shape each section of the three-band equalizer, and being universal means that the tone controls effect both inputs .

The Presence control of this amp uses the negative feedback circuit to introduce more high frequency to the signal, this can be heard as more "bite" to the naked ear . But don't be surprised if the sound engineer at your next gig asks you to turn down the presence, it can be extremely abrasive when mic'd up .

The signal is then sent to the phase inverter which uses all of V3 . The phase inverter then sends the signal to the output section .

The power supply stage provides power to the other circuit stages, as well as the tube heaters .

This circuit receives the AC power from your wall and passes it through the power transformer to create higher voltage . The electricity then goes to the rectifier, the two 1N5408 diodes, which converts it to a pulsing DC current .

This then passes through the filter choke and the filter capacitors . The filter capacitors filter out the pulsing to create a smooth current . As each cap smoothes a bit more, the current is also passing through resistors that lower the voltage .

As the signal from the guitar becomes more amplified, the ripple of DC current becomes less evident and the fully filtered current is sent to the most sensitive part of the amplifier, the first pre-amp tube in the Gain stage .

The output stage increases the line level signal to speaker level, which is typically 8 volts or greater .

Two EL34 tubes drive the output transformer . They receive the split signal, 180 degrees out of phase, amplify those signals, and send them to the output transformer to be recombined into one signal .

T h is t r a ns f o r m e r a djus t s th e impedance to 4, 8, or 16 ohms to drive an external speaker . This amp has an adjustable fixed bias, which means you need to check the bias and possibly make adjustments when you change power tubes .

cathode

plate

grid

We’ve color-coded these stages on our schematic, to show how the parts work together . Symbols for components are in the key at the bottom of the frame .

On the wiring diagram we build step-by-step in these pages, the parts are easier to recognize . But studying these color-coded stages will help you understand where each component fits into the creation of your sound .

Learning more: secrets revealed in the schematic

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It’s your amp. Your tone. You built it!

’57 MINI TWEED 5W AMP KITOne-knob titan of tone.A timeless studio darling whose tiny size hides tremendous punch and versatility .

The 5F1 circuit was meant to be a student amp but wasn’t kid stuff for long; rock’s finest guitarists hijacked it for some of the greatest songs ever recorded . Listen to Eric Clapton (“Layla") or Joe Walsh (“Rocky Mountain Way") while you build this amp!

Our simplest kit; the quickest way to get into amp building .

#10730 5 WATTS / 8" SPEAKER / ORIGINAL 5F1 CIRCUIT

’65 P-REVERB 15W AMP KITSparkling bright, perfect for the surf.Plug your single-coils straight in for that signature clean American tone, or go surfing with onboard effects .

The smallest member of the black-panel family to offer reverb and tremolo, this amp made its name as a jangly pop dream machine . Aficionados treasure its early low-end breakup powered by a pair of 6V6 tubes .

Listen to “Surfin’ USA" and the great sounds of the Heartbreakers .

#10734 15 WATTS / 10" SPEAKER / ORIGINAL AA1164 CIRCUIT

’66 D-REVERB 22W AMP KITFamously clean, with enough guts to gig.Perfect for recording as well as performing, the D-Reverb produces stinging clarity that absolutely refuses to get lost in the mix .

One of the most popular designs ever, this amp lives in the happy middle between bright clarity and rich distortion . It excels in the studio and on the stage . While capable of crystal clear tones at good volume, you can push this one into beautifully saturated, play-sensitive distortion .

It’s all here: clarity, distortion, and rectifier tube sag .

#10737 22 WATTS / 12" SPEAKER / ORIGINAL AB763 CIRCUIT

H OU RS : 6

D I F F I C U LTY

H OU RS : 1 2

D I F F I C U LTY

H OU RS : 8

D I F F I C U LTY

H OU RS : 16

D I F F I C U LTY

’59 TWEED 15W AMP KITDirty little devil that shaped guitar history.With mysteriously fat saturated tone, this little monster makes it easy to achieve seismic distortion .

This amp’s 5E3 circuit is an enigma: Why do the controls on the channel you’re NOT using make your tone so great? The answer: Who cares? This is one of the greatest tone monsters ever created! Listen to Neil Young’s Rust Never Sleeps while building this kit .

Our most popular amp kit and a great learning experience .

#10731 15 WATTS / 10" SPEAKER / ORIGINAL 5E3 CIRCUIT

StewMac ICON KITS teach you the world of amp building, then turn you loose with amazing hand-built tone machines!

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’62 BRIT-PLEX 45W AMP KITThe original British showstopper.This amp started a revolution . It’s been rocking the world for over 50 years, and we still can’t get enough .

Favored by blues and rock players for exceptional sustain and rich creamy tone, the ’62 Brit-Plex is chock-full of harmonic gain, yet it still stays articulate and even a little crispy . Put this head on a classic 4x10 cab and watch out!

While building, listen to Gary Moore’s “Still Got The Blues ."

#10736 45 WATTS / ORIGINAL BRITISH CIRCUIT

’66 BRIT-74X 18W AMP KITLeave your half-stack at home.Born in London, this little blues blaster earns its living every night, gigging in clubs across the USA .

Launched in 1966, this amp quickly became a low-wattage holy grail . This is a stripped-down blues machine: two channels, one tone knob, no master volume . Buckle up and go where this gritty beast takes you! It comes with a footswitch to kick in the onboard tremolo .

Get the plexi tone without blowing the roof off the joint!

#10732 18 WATTS / 12" SPEAKER / ORIGINAL BRITISH CIRCUIT

’81 BRIT-800 50W AMP KITThis hairy monster lives to shred.The defining British circuit that dominated the ’80s .

This 50W giant created your favorite heavy rock and metal albums . Used by Slayer and Pixies, and recorded on early Metallica albums, this circuit produces that screaming guitar tone that your mother despises . With solid-state rectification there’s no sag, and the distortion created by this circuit is way more about treble than mids or bass .

Listen while building: Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream .

#10735 50 WATTS / ORIGINAL BRITISH CIRCUIT

’64 REVERB UNIT KITReverb you can’t get from a pedal.This is the unit that put the waves in surf music! Looks like an amp, sounds like a beach party .

This tube-driven reverb tank relies on good ol’ physics for a perfect effect . Your guitar signal travels along two large suspended springs to produce the reverb that launched the iconic surf sound . This isn't a pocket-sized digital simulation; this is the real deal!

Listen to Dick Dale’s “Misirlou" while doing this easy build .

#10733 ORIGINAL 6G15 CIRCUIT

H OU RS : 1 2

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D I F F I C U LTY

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D I F F I C U LTY

Beginner-tested. Pro quality.StewMac ICON KITS are fun to build, with friendly instructions to guide you and loads of info to add to your knowledge.

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’81 BRIT-800 50WA M P L I F I E R K I T O R I G I N A L B R I T I S H C I R C U I T

StewMac®

I C O N K I T S

DANGER: Unplug the amp before changing tubes.Tube locations from left to right:

EL34 EL3412AX7(ECC83)

V5 V4 V1

12AX7(ECC83)

12AX7(ECC83)

V3 V2

’81 BRIT-800 50WA M P L I F I E R K I T O R I G I N A L B R I T I S H C I R C U I T

StewMac®

I C O N K I T S

DANGER: Unplug the amp before changing tubes.Tube locations from left to right:

EL34 EL3412AX7(ECC83)

V5 V4 V1

12AX7(ECC83)

12AX7(ECC83)

V3 V2

Cut this label on the dotted line with a razor knife and metal straightedge .Fasten it inside the cabinet using thinned wood glue or contact cement .

The duplicate copy below is included as a backup .

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tools + ideas for guitarmakingStewMac

21 N . Shafer St ., Athens, OH 45701800-848-2273 stewmac .com

©2019 StewMac . All rights reserved .#10735 Updated June, 2019