NAD - Fender Harvard clone - relic haters look away.

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4114Effects4114Effects Frets: 3131
edited March 2017 in Amps tFB Trader
So this is an interesting one - based on an amp that Fender used to make called the Harvard. When I saw the scehmatic I just had to build one. I think the only other people making these are Victoria, seems to be an overlooked circuit.

 It used to fit somewhere between a Champ and Tweed Deluxe in Fender's lineup. It's an interesting circuit 10" speaker, 2x 6v6 output section, but running at low voltages (305v on the plates), with fixed bias. This means despite the dual 6v6 it only puts out around 10w and the low voltages give it a lovely warm clean and overdriven tone, but with plenty of punch. Also uses an interesting tiny 6at6 single triode preamp tube. 

I've kept as close to the original as possible - NOS 5Y3 rectifier and preamp tubes plus an alnico Eminence 1028K 10" speaker. TAD 6v6 are the closet to a vintage 6v6 tone I've found without paying the silly prices for genuine vintage 6v6s.

This is the first time I've used an alnico speaker in a build, but I'll be doing it again - such a warm and musical vintage sound.

I was inspired by seeing a guitarist play battered old tweed champ at a gig a few months ago - so I wanted to go for that look. I've stained and distressed the tweed, plus aged the control panel a little. I've even put a cheeky Fender-style production sticker inside the cab, because why not. I'm not trying to fool people into thinking it's an old Fender, I just think it looks cool on stage!

Anyway, I'll let the pics do the rest of the talking. 








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Comments

  • LebarqueLebarque Frets: 3755
    Looks great, love it. The Carr Skylark is based on a Harvard too, but modernised.
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  • That's beautiful!
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  • jimificationjimification Frets: 160
    edited March 2017
    That's beautiful!
    I agree, I love it!

    Can I make a couple of small comments, though, please? The tweed seems a mite clean for how ripped it is and the hardware is pretty shiny, would like to see a spot of rust on there! - a spell in some hydrochloric acid gas would sort that out a treat (I'm a sucker for a bit of rust, though...) Soz if you disagree - I know from trying it that relicing is much harder than it looks - you can have first jab when I finally build my relic'd Kemper combo!
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  • clarkefanclarkefan Frets: 808
    Hydrochloric what? Etching solution from Maplins will do the job :)

    Great looking amp! :)
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  • RiftAmpsRiftAmps Frets: 3113
    tFB Trader
    The Harvard is one of my favourites, but one of the hardest to convince people to buy, especially over the Deluxe and Vibrolux. I suspect that when Jesse releases his J10 (also PP 6V6s) that interest in these circuits will spike.

    Great job on the build though!
    *I no longer offer replacement speaker baffles*
    Rift Amplification
    Handwired Guitar Amplifiers
    Brackley, Northamptonshire
    www.riftamps.co.uk

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  • 4114Effects4114Effects Frets: 3131
    tFB Trader
    clarkefan said:
    Hydrochloric what? Etching solution from Maplins will do the job :)

    Great looking amp! :)
    Yep - that's my usual trick - Ferric Chloride. Just waiting for some to be delivered. :)
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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    Dan, dibs pls.

    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • 4114Effects4114Effects Frets: 3131
    tFB Trader
    Gassage said:
    Dan, dibs pls.
    If I do sell then sure. Not sure I can bring myself to sell this one though, it's a joy to play!
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  • nickb_boynickb_boy Frets: 1689
    edited March 2017
    Great work Dan!  It's good to see some of the less well known models being given some love.   I'm sure the circuit on this is pretty similar to one of my favorite old Fender amps the Tweed Vibrolux (5F11) but minus the trem (I'm probably wrong though, @RiftAmps ?).  

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  • 4114Effects4114Effects Frets: 3131
    tFB Trader
    nickb_boy said:
    Great work Dan!  It's good to see some of the less well known models being given some love.   I'm sure the circuit on this is pretty similar to one of my favorite old Fender amps the Tweed Vibrolux (5F11) but minus the trem (I'm probably wrong though, @RiftAmps ?).  

    Certainly seems to be from the schematic. 
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  • RiftAmpsRiftAmps Frets: 3113
    tFB Trader
    The 5F11 can simply be thought of as a 5F10 Harvard + tremolo. Your 6G2 Princeton uses the same circuit as the 5F11.

    Also @4114Effects , I wouldn't take the voltages on any of those of schematics/layouts as gospel, they're usually 'test' voltages with the amp on a current limiter. Simple ohms law will tell you that some of them aren't achievable with the stated resistors and expected current draw.

    Take the 5F10 for example, the stated B+ of 305v from a 5Y3 would require a PT HV secondary of around 245-0-245 @ 75mA. The last original 5F10 that I saw had a 280-0-280 PT with 350v B+ (346v on the anodes).
    *I no longer offer replacement speaker baffles*
    Rift Amplification
    Handwired Guitar Amplifiers
    Brackley, Northamptonshire
    www.riftamps.co.uk

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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    That's lovely (and the covering looks fine as it is).
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  • bbill335bbill335 Frets: 1368
    The Green Onions amp! Would love one of these!!!
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  • clarkefan said:
    Hydrochloric what? Etching solution from Maplins will do the job :)

    Great looking amp! :)
    That's all very well but it doesn't sound properly dangerous...
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  • IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
    tFB Trader
    That is awesome!! I'd loose the corner protectors personally but otherwise, top notch! 

    We've got to hear it now! :)
    http://www.ivisonguitars.com
    (formerly miserneil)
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  • 4114Effects4114Effects Frets: 3131
    tFB Trader
    RiftAmps said:
    The 5F11 can simply be thought of as a 5F10 Harvard + tremolo. Your 6G2 Princeton uses the same circuit as the 5F11.

    Also @4114Effects , I wouldn't take the voltages on any of those of schematics/layouts as gospel, they're usually 'test' voltages with the amp on a current limiter. Simple ohms law will tell you that some of them aren't achievable with the stated resistors and expected current draw.

    Take the 5F10 for example, the stated B+ of 305v from a 5Y3 would require a PT HV secondary of around 245-0-245 @ 75mA. The last original 5F10 that I saw had a 280-0-280 PT with 350v B+ (346v on the anodes).
    Yeah, even the original schematic lists test voltages as +\- 20% ... I just thought I'd build as close to the schem as possible and tweak from there. Plus I had a rather nice PT spare that just happened to be 250-0-250 with heater and rectifier taps ... :-) 
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  • jase128jase128 Frets: 6

    Hi 4114Effects,

    Congratulations on a damn fine looking amp, It really does look the dogs.

    where did you get the tweed from,  im I the uk and would love to have a go but its all soooo bloody expensive?

    thanks


    Jason

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  • Modulus_AmpsModulus_Amps Frets: 2569
    tFB Trader
    Nice work Dan, looks lovely

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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    Wow. Again.
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  • Wow, that's awesome. 
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