Question: Tiny Terror mods - Opinions? (w/poll)

Mod the Tiny Terror?

  • Total voters
    6
GDSmithTX

GDSmithTX

Corporate cog
I'm quite happy with my Tiny Terror purchase, but I was researching mods that can be done to it, just because I like to know things like that.

I looked at the Mercury Magnetics transformer+choke upgrade (aka the Holy Terror mod), which sounds nice but would cost as much as I paid for the amp.

Then I stumbled across these: the Orange Glory mod and British Glory mod. I am very interested. Both are quite inexpensive (~ 50 Euros shipped) and both seem to bring out a lot more from the amp. Both are also reportedly completely reversible, unless one chooses to drill a hole in the amp chassis for the included Brightness switch (without the switch, you can choose a single Brightness setting internally).

Orange Glory


British Glory


Thoughts? I play mostly classic rock/blues/hard rock with a little jazz thrown in for good measure.
 
Mysrlf, I buy nothing intending tof mod. I replace parts as performance wains. After all, any tone loss cannot be attributed to my playing. :rolleyes:
 
LeftyTom said:
Mysrlf, I buy nothing intending tof mod. I replace parts as performance wains. After all, any tone loss cannot be attributed to my playing. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I didn't buy it intending mod; I just happened to stumble across a great deal on the Tiny Terror and jumped on it.
 
jp_nyc said:
The Orange Glory mod does sound nice.
Click to expand...

That's kinda what I was thinking. The British Glory mod sounds damned good cranked (holding up quite well against the JCM800), but I have reservations about getting good, non-harsh bluesy cleans and crunches with it. I can always use pedals for more gain.
 
gtrjunior said:
I like the British mod, myself....
Click to expand...

If the image of the two Tiny Terrors side by side is an accurate indicator of the settings they used in the video, they get "that sound" with the volume at 11 and the gain at about 12:45. Pretty impressive.
 
Before you mod it, might I suggest a bit of tube rolling?

It looks like the amp doesn't have a cathode follower so you won't have any issues with long-plate tubes (like the Sovtek 12AX7LPS or the current production Tung-Sol) dying on you in V1. V2 is a bit hairy with that since I don't see exact voltages on the schematic I found, but the cathode is generally elevated, and the problem with those tubes is they can't handle the proper spec voltage difference between the heater and the cathode.

The really cool thing I see is that the 7-watt mode is actually a lower-voltage tap on the power transformer, so you'll also get more crunch at similar settings just by flipping that, and definitely more crunch maxed out.

Might I suggest the JJ ECC803S (that's eight-zero-three) in V1? It's not as dark as JJ's ECC83S and I find it to be a bit more musical. V2 is the phase inverter, but being that the master volume is post-PI, that tube will contribute a bit to dirt tone. The standard JJ ECC83S should work there. I hear the reissue Mullard is decent in the PI position, too. I run a Chinese tube in the PI of my Bugera right now, but I'm looking to try the 803 in that position, too.

What tubes are in it from the factory?

orange_tiny_terror.pdf_1.png
 
GilmourD said:
Before you mod it, might I suggest a bit of tube rolling?

It looks like the amp doesn't have a cathode follower so you won't have any issues with long-plate tubes (like the Sovtek 12AX7LPS or the current production Tung-Sol) dying on you in V1. V2 is a bit hairy with that since I don't see exact voltages on the schematic I found, but the cathode is generally elevated, and the problem with those tubes is they can't handle the proper spec voltage difference between the heater and the cathode.

The really cool thing I see is that the 7-watt mode is actually a lower-voltage tap on the power transformer, so you'll also get more crunch at similar settings just by flipping that, and definitely more crunch maxed out.

Might I suggest the JJ ECC803S (that's eight-zero-three) in V1? It's not as dark as JJ's ECC83S and I find it to be a bit more musical. V2 is the phase inverter, but being that the master volume is post-PI, that tube will contribute a bit to dirt tone. The standard JJ ECC83S should work there. I hear the reissue Mullard is decent in the PI position, too. I run a Chinese tube in the PI of my Bugera right now, but I'm looking to try the 803 in that position, too.

What tubes are in it from the factory?

orange_tiny_terror.pdf_1.png
Click to expand...

It had JJ ECC83s in it when I g0t it and sounded good. I have tried two different 5751s in the V1 slot and a 12ax7lps and an EHX 12ax7 in the V2 slot. Both sets sound really good in different ways.
 
GDSmithTX said:
It had JJ ECC83s in it when I g0t it and sounded good. I have tried two different 5751s in the V1 slot and a 12ax7lps and an EHX 12ax7 in the V2 slot. Both sets sound really good in different ways.
Click to expand...
What EL84s do you have in it?
 
You'll want the bright switch. Without it, you'll always be second guessing "what if".

If the pots aren't board mounted, you could get a push/pull pot and use it for the bright switch.

The Orange Glory sounded best to me.
 
GilmourD said:
Before you mod it, might I suggest a bit of tube rolling?

It looks like the amp doesn't have a cathode follower so you won't have any issues with long-plate tubes (like the Sovtek 12AX7LPS or the current production Tung-Sol) dying on you in V1. V2 is a bit hairy with that since I don't see exact voltages on the schematic I found, but the cathode is generally elevated, and the problem with those tubes is they can't handle the proper spec voltage difference between the heater and the cathode.

The really cool thing I see is that the 7-watt mode is actually a lower-voltage tap on the power transformer, so you'll also get more crunch at similar settings just by flipping that, and definitely more crunch maxed out.

Might I suggest the JJ ECC803S (that's eight-zero-three) in V1? It's not as dark as JJ's ECC83S and I find it to be a bit more musical. V2 is the phase inverter, but being that the master volume is post-PI, that tube will contribute a bit to dirt tone. The standard JJ ECC83S should work there. I hear the reissue Mullard is decent in the PI position, too. I run a Chinese tube in the PI of my Bugera right now, but I'm looking to try the 803 in that position, too.

What tubes are in it from the factory?

orange_tiny_terror.pdf_1.png
Click to expand...

Why thankyou Gilmour D, Destroyer of Worlds, you’ve just revitalised my TT for $22.

2005 vintage, stock JJs, never quite gelled with the driven sound (bit square wavey and grabby?) although liked the power cleans, but your ECC803S in V1 as suggested is just delicious sounding.

Any stock TT owners reading, you gotta try this!
 
vrm said:
Why thankyou Gilmour D, Destroyer of Worlds, you’ve just revitalised my TT for $22.

2005 vintage, stock JJs, never quite gelled with the driven sound (bit square wavey and grabby?) although liked the power cleans, but your ECC803S in V1 as suggested is just delicious sounding.

Any stock TT owners reading, you gotta try this!
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum and glad I could help!
 
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