NAD: Sheldon TT3 (True Tone)

TheBigDipper

I bought this on eBay at the weekend and picked it up yesterday.

For those who don't know, it's a 1x12 valve combo. 1W class in class A operation, rising to a heady 3W in class AB, through a Vintage 30 speaker. There's one input socket, gain and master volume plus a "Compass" control (a surprisingly useful tone control) and a "Freeze" control (that takes the amp from class A to AB as you turn it clockwise).

The preamp uses 2 x 12AX7s. The power amp uses 3 x 12AU7s. These are (apparently) interchangeable with more powerful 12xx7 variants if you want a bit more volume. Construction is apparently point-to-point hand-wired onto an eyelet board. I've not checked. 

To my ears, it sounds great. Lively and responsive to pickup selection and attack. It's early days, obv., but I'm very pleased so far. I'm planning to use it at home for practice or recording.

The Sheldon website looks like it stopped being updated in 2011 or so, so I guess they're no longer trading. Does anyone out there know anything about them? Who designed it? What happened to them? 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23111633/Photo 23-02-2017, 17 46 25.jpg

ThePrettyDamned

A v30 with a 1 watt amp is a bit weird, but other than that it looks pretty cool. I've never heard of them 

ICBM

I remember seeing some press about these at the time, but I've never seen one or known much about them otherwise.

ThePrettyDamned said:

A v30 with a 1 watt amp is a bit weird, but other than that it looks pretty cool.

+1. It's one of the few speakers that really does need pushing a bit harder, and at low power it can sound very stiff and an odd combination of harsh and muddy. I know it was the fashionable 'premium speaker' ten or more years ago, but even then there were far better options. I would swap it out for something a bit more lively at the first opportunity...

TheBigDipper

@ICBM - interesting comment from someone with much more experience of different speakers than me, I'm sure. I'll see how I get on and how I feel after a bit more time with it. I'm totally in the honeymoon period right now. What would you suggest as an alternative?

Collings

I believe they were designed by Shane Dolman who now works with Bluebird amps. I tried a few when they were selling them from a shop in Sheldon in Birmingham and always thought they were great.

ICBM

TheBigDipper said:

What would you suggest as an alternative?

It depends to a large extent on what type of sound you want and how the amp is voiced, but almost any decent-quality speaker will probably sound more lively - if not necessarily as loud in outright volume - than the V30. Celestion Greenback, G12H-30, Blue, Jensen P12N, various Fanes, even an old Goodmans or something! You can easily use a more fragile vintage speaker with no risk, at a maximum power of 3W.

photek

I had one of these, blooming brilliant amp particularly if you can crank it. I swapped the V30 out for a well worn G12H30 but ended up preferring the V30 (which might have been aged because it sounded very sweet for a newish one.

I can't remember what happened to the company but there was some talk of them moving premises and then they seemed to disappear.  Shame as I fancied getting a louder version at the time.

Mine was cream tolex and the serial number was #004 I think. I will call dibs on this if you decide to sell it on  

TheBigDipper

photek said:

I had one of these, blooming brilliant amp particularly if you can crank it. I swapped the V30 out for a well worn G12H30 but ended up preferring the V30 (which might have been aged because it sounded very sweet for a newish one.

I can't remember what happened to the company but there was some talk of them moving premises and then they seemed to disappear.  Shame as I fancied getting a louder version at the time.

Mine was cream tolex and the serial number was #004 I think. I will call dibs on this if you decide to sell it on  

@ICBM Ta for the suggestions. We'll see how it goes.

I don't find the V30 in this harsh or muddy. I'm finding some lovely cleans and edge-of-breakup sounds. Also nailed an SRV-alike tone that is becoming a bit addictive. Serial no is in the thirties, so I guess it's 10 years old or so? Maybe the speaker has mellowed with use. 

Not yet tried it with pedals or humbuckers.

AlexHunter

Aynsley Lister used to endorse them. They came out shortly after the whole low watt valve combo had boomed post- cornford harlequin. As with so many other small U.K. Amp builders they just seemed to vanish.

Collings

I think they went bust. The shop they worked at closed almost overnight. I brought a guitar from them about a week before and I could only pay by cash.

I remember seeing some of the tt3 combos with Greenbacks as well as V30s.

mudslide73

Mark Breecher of Cactus Audio's own brand iirc (Sheldon, Bham). I've met him and Shane independently and they're both top blokes. The amps I tried were great but as always I didn't have the dough. 

Fortheloveofguitar

I had one of their 2x12 combos. Can't remember the model but was red and looked very retro

Was a great amp and hand wired I only moved it on as I needed money for a new cornford stack



 

agibbo

@photek I've got your old one. I remember meeting up with you at a services somewhere around Northants to do the deal! It is an excellent sounding amp. It's also totally different sounding depending on the output valves used. I can't remember which ones I've got in at the moment, but they give more edge, livelyness and output the the other combination I tried.

I also hook it up with an external 1x12 closed-back cab housing a Greenback and it sounds excellent with that - but at its best when running both speakers! It's a great little amp!

Dave_Mc

I remember trying one a local shop had in stock (it was a higher-wattage model, though, i think, and a head), and IIRC it was pretty nice.

TheBigDipper

Please keep these memories coming if you have one to share. 

agibbo

I've just checked and mine is running Philips 12at7's in the power amp section.  I personally think this gives the amp it's best tone. Give them a try!

TheBigDipper

agibbo said:

I've just checked and mine is running Philips 12at7's in the power amp section.  I personally think this gives the amp it's best tone. Give them a try!

I might just do that one day. Still having fun with what I've got at the mo.