[zozoe]

Greetings,, I'm new to this 'rig' stuff, & I've really gone & done it now, hoping to build & fulfill some sort of fantasy rig for guitar. Not quite sure what preamp to go with, SMS or FYD, so this could go a number of ways...
Fwiw, I'm not trying to mimic, emulate, nor be mistaken for JG, but in search of Single Coil heaven that can exceed that of what I already get with my boutiquee 1x12 combos.

I'm thinking of an FYD with a Dumble OD circuit that (I believe) can switch between super clean & downright rocking Dumblesque drive.. Is this possible symbiosis true?

About the SMS, & in particular Revelation I saw on another thread, I noticed it has a Gain control as well as a Master...& will that give overdrive like a typical head or combo master situation would?

One question is, w/o totally breaking the bank, what are the most robust, reliable, & best sounding 6L6, 7581, 7581a's, or what the chassis is labeled, 1614's,,, & what, if any, major differences might there be between these commonly coveted power valves?

Lastly, necessary to put a 3-prong pug on it??

Thanks you all in advance, & be well & keep rockin'!!  🕉

[Jon S.]

I've owned both and an MC50. The SMS and FYD units sound equally fine. I'd bet the farm no one here could tell them apart in a double blind test other than perhaps based on their reverbs. The SMS is 1U and lighter with digital reverb. The FYD is 2U and heavier with true spring reverb. Honestly, you can't go wrong with either.

[zozoe]

Thanks Jon,, and am I right in that your FYD, or the one I'm looking at, indeed has a 2 volume, master & gain, setup, & that there's an optional overdrive circuit in it? The Reverb capabilities is not of great concern, but a neat OD option is an absolute... I'm not a fan of 99% of OD pedals in the $200 or so range.....
Also, did you go 3-prong on your Macs?
🕉

[Jon S.]

My FYD, which I sold last year, looked like the pic below.

I never can understand when people say they don't want to precede a TR or similar preamp with pedals. Jerry did it, as does almost everyone. I so much more prefer the tones I get from my SMS (and used to with my FYD) when I goose the input with my always on Doozy Boost and (on for leads) FD2.

[zozoe]

Thanks Jon,,, Did you 3-prong your amp? Like I may have mentioned, I'm in uncharted territory as I've been solely a tube guy(kid) since I was 8 in '63 with a Nationsl(Supro) & a Reverb-O-Rocket. I don't plan to play with, or like Jerry,,, I simply want to see how clean clean & pure can truly get... My lower powered amps do all my barking, & the only things I've heard that caught my attention were a Beekeeper & a Vertex Ultra Phonix OD, for a Dumblesque-like ki kni the arse.... Both probably rather pricey,, 200+??

Did you say you once had, or still have an MC30?

I need no BS power tubes while I'm at 'it',,,
THNX for your time & energy...
ॐ

[Jon S.]

I had this done to my MC50 by Pat Hickman of Classic Tube Audio (I don't know if he's still in business):

(1) Replace any caps, resistors, transistors, or other parts that that would benefit from replacement.

(2) Replace the stock power cord with an IEc female connector (for a detachable 3-prong power cord).

(3) Replace the stock input jack with a ¼” female jack (mono).

(4) Replace the output speaker wire screws with two ¼” female mono jacks, one wired for 8 ohms out, the other for 4 ohms out (I didn't need a 16 ohm output but you can easily do that, too).

(5) Add a power switch i.e., power off/on.

[Chocol8]

You would have to be nutz. to want to play a tube amp or preamp without a 3 prong power cord and a properly grounded chassis. A 450+ volt jolt is no joke! Why is this even a question?

[zozoe]

GREAT, & all cautionary actions will be heeded...
Could someone kindly break down the side panel of my MC30, and perhaps where the 1/4" input goes, and specifically which parts I would be bypassing,,,,
1) Are those two 0.5V inputs, (one via an RCA input & the other being the 2 far right +/- posts on the strip) simply paralleled 'ins'?
2) Why does the Output strip have a 'Ground AND a 'Common' for the speakers?
3) Lastly, Am I to totally bypass & forget about that 1 old-fangled multi-pinned round output on the bottom right? The other multi pinned input will serve as my connection to whichever preamp, correct?
A million thanks for a million answers!! 🕉

[zozoe]

Again, it's an MC30, and I'm unable to upload a photo via the 'landscape' tab,,,

[zozoe]

GREAT, & all cautionary actions will be heeded...
Could someone kindly break down the side panel of my MC30, and perhaps where the 1/4" input goes, and specifically which parts I would be bypassing,,,,
1) Are those two 0.5V inputs, (one via an RCA input & the other being the 2 far right +/- posts on the strip) simply paralleled 'ins'?
2) Why does the Output strip have a 'Ground AND a 'Common' for the speakers?
3) Lastly, Am I to totally bypass & forget about that 1 old-fangled multi-pinned round output on the bottom right & use the speaker strip??
The other multi pinned input will serve as my connection to whichever preamp, correct? And where can I procure one of those plugs?
A million thanks for a million answers!! 🕉

[zozoe]

Thanks in advance to all that can help me out..

[Jon S.]

https://www.thetubestore.com/lib/thetu ... ematic.pdf

[tdcrjeff]

GREAT, & all cautionary actions will be heeded...
Could someone kindly break down the side panel of my MC30, and perhaps where the 1/4" input goes, and specifically which parts I would be bypassing,,,,
1) Are those two 0.5V inputs, (one via an RCA input & the other being the 2 far right +/- posts on the strip) simply paralleled 'ins'?
2) Why does the Output strip have a 'Ground AND a 'Common' for the speakers?
3) Lastly, Am I to totally bypass & forget about that 1 old-fangled multi-pinned round output on the bottom right & use the speaker strip??
The other multi pinned input will serve as my connection to whichever preamp, correct? And where can I procure one of those plugs?
A million thanks for a million answers!! 🕉

Few, if any, guitar players using a Mac to get Jerry sound use the MC30. Jerry used a solid-state MC2300, so people tend to use the MC50 (50W), MC250 (2x50W), MC100 (100W), or MC2100 (2x100W) solid-state amps. So it's possible nobody around here has one or is familiar with it.

All of your questions are answered in the manual Jon linked.
1) The schematic shows that the 0.5V RCA jack input and the 0.5V input on the strip are indeed wired parallel.
2) The schematic "Note 1" says "This jumper strap may be removed if ungrounded low impedance outputs are desired." You'll want to just leave the jumper there.
3) Yes you can ignore the round multipin connector for the output. You should use the strip and hook up to match the impedance of your speaker(s).

You can also ignore the round multipin input connector and just use the RCA "0.5V" for input. The manual explains that this multipin is for use with specific McIntosh preamplifers, it actually sends high plate voltage out of this connector to the preamplifier.

Always have your speaker hooked up when you turn on a tube power.

I do not have one of these amplifiers nor have ever seen one, I take no responsibility if you fry something.

[zozoe]

Thnx, TDCRF, & this really helps,,, I haven't fried or lost an amp in my active 58 yrs, & as you can surmise, I want just the most direct signal path...
50% of peeps say MC30 will be fantastic, & the other say no,, but all 100% have never tried one.
Thnx again, & I'll look for that link to that manual.
Much good rock8n' ~ॐ🕉