circuit modifications in amps

[usernamename]

I want to mod an amp (toobs!). But I dont know what I'm doing and dont feel like taking an EE course.

I'm not touching the power amp, only the pre-amp.
I know not to touch things while the amp is on without covers (High voltage)
Is it safe to add/remove resistors and capacitors at random and not damage anything. Or are there rules to follow?
Antying else I should know to stop the deadly sound of sudden silence?

 

[vigilante398]

Is it safe to add/remove resistors and capacitors at random and not damage anything. Or are there rules to follow?

If you're trying to remove resistors and capacitors at random, you're going to run into some problems. There are of course rules to follow.

Some weirdo made a post a while ago with an introduction to tube preamp design, that may have some useful information for you. But perhaps if you could let us know what it is you're trying to accomplish, someone may be able to point you in the right direction.

 

[tegendemuur]

Sounds like you want to circuit bend, but without any true aim as to what you want to achieve?

I'd at least source a schematic so you can tell which component belongs to which part of the circuit (eq, drive, volume, etc...) so you can swap caps to change filtering or the things that cause clipping.

 

[JohnnyCreepy]

Is it safe to add/remove resistors and capacitors at random and not damage anything. Or are there rules to follow?
Antying else I should know to stop the deadly sound of sudden silence?

It isn’t safe and yes there is rules to follow. And there’s just plenty to know.

First amp I modded did good for 6 months, but went dead after fail in bias circuit which caused tubes to run too hot. There was first heat damage followed by socket arcing on pcb caused by tube failure. The amp sound was amazing just before failure. But back then I was just starting to understand circuit blocks and their function. Lesson learned!

1. Understand schematic and its relation to the build: https://robrobinette.com/Reading_Tube_Amp_Schematics.htm
2. Dive into understanding how amps work: https://robrobinette.com/How_Amps_Work.htm
3. Figure out what you want.
4. Look into possible tweaks: https://robrobinette.com/Generic_Tube_Amp_Mods.htm
5. Do all over again and then apply mods needed.
6. You have just one life, don’t electrocute yourself. It’s not cool.