1976 Marshall Super Bass

[Nitro Express]

I got zoinked by touching the big blue cans before, the filter caps, and survived. It's a pretty big jolt though.

Also keep in mind that even though it's a simple change of parts for a beginner, the layout is a roadmap of confusion for a ook beginner.

I would stick pieces of masking tape down on each connection you lift, and when the parts are removed, tape a masking tape tab on each leg with the corresponding numbers:

circuit board connection #1=resistor leg #1
circuit board connection #2=resistor leg #2

- and so on.

This is a 76, not a plexi so you're dealing with copper tracings on a fiberglas board, not a point-to-point turret holes layout. It is possible if you overheat the trace where you lift a part off it, that the tracing can lift off.

Marshall boards are etched from really thick copper layers so they're not like computer boards and are pretty durable to heat, but they can lift off. The way this happens usually is from someone using a shitty soldering iron say, 15 watts and holding the tip forever waiting for the connection to melt, which never happens, but is just enough heat to detach the pcb tracing from the fiberglas.

Try to use a 40 watt, at the least a 25 watt. And do not use that RoSH solder, that's stuff is ookook shit. It has too high a melting point and has too much tin in it requiring a much hotter iron, you'll hate it.

Use regular 60-40 rosincore solder and you'll do quick and fine work of it, when you fix the tone stack to plexi spec. It's pretty simple if you can just buy the values preselected and put them in yourself.

I was bleeding caps off a Fender Twin using a screwdriver and it welded the screw driver to the chassis!

[BlimpyCHIMP™]

HAHAHA done that..

superbass pictures by ammscray - Photobucket

Enjoy some pics of a 74 superbass someone has for sale on Craigslist Los Angeles section.. $1000

[ELVIS]

Bleeding filter caps is a dangerous operation...

These caps can remember a charge after bleeding and still come back and kill you...

My dad was an electronics technician in the military and he always said to clip two connectors to a meter, stand back, power it on and read your values...

I go by the Tube Amp Book and clip my negative lead and probe the positive with one hand behind my back...

These amps can kill with sometimes more than 600 volt plate voltage...

[BlimpyCHIMP™]

These caps can remember a charge after bleeding and still come back and kill you...

Sounds like my ex-galpal!

[ELVIS]

LMAO!

[Don Corleone]

The Super Bass has a very nice warmth to it that suits guitar just fine. So, i'd be playing with that '76 and seing how I like it before making a snap decision to change anything...

I've got it at here at home with me now (on loan for the weekend to see what I think). I've got to admit, I really like and I've already made my mind up to buy.

As for modding it, I think I'm just going to keep it as it is. I just love the tone that I'm getting from it.

[ELVIS]

After you purchase it, swap the preamp tubes for Chinese gen 9 tubes and put whatever you want in the power amp section or leave the power tubes alone if they are less than five years old and work...

Most people don't realize that the first tube closest to the input has the biggest effect on tone. Get one Chinese tube and put it in that slot and the amp will be really smooth and creamy. Not blairy and shrill, but most Super Bass amps don't have that problem...