From APPJ to Old Buffalo, then tweaked OB til it sang like CARY 300B

...so forgive me my references will be /// very//// old.....:\

so with reading and way too little technical knowledge, i modded the old buffalo

which is a single ended (3 whole watts) tube amp using chinese 6p1 output and 6J1 input tubes.

what did it sound like stock?

almost as bad as the APPJ stock. 

but while you can't really tweak-mod any APPJ to any kind of high end quality, I wanted to try with the OB 6P1 cos it was (AND STILL IS) hard wired, so soldering desoldering etc waaaaaaaaaaaaaay less dangerous wont likely destroy your amp

i do the reading
this site and many others were instrumental (no pun) in pointing me in better directions

i ordered expensive capacitors from the once decent but now criminally odious Hificollective in U.K. (gonna report them to the police soon...)

good change? ok, not too bad. certainly not worse.

Rike paper in oils, 0.47uf for that place between the tubes you know? ya

see? me no not know things. *shrug*

no that alone will not lift this buffalo to fly with the soaring Unison Research's and Audion's of the world circa 1999. 

Rolled the tubes with adapters (from guess where, china) - 6aq5 replace 6P1, Brimar, boy compared to NOS el34s, this was cheap, and good! 

mullard ef95 replaced sino 6J1.

better. still naggy feeling could be better. the buffalo sprouted wings but still wouldnt fly.

changed some wires out for solid core pure silver wires (from....you know....china...) and the beast could levitate 2 inches off the runway. 

got way good AC power cord, whoa. them there right there is what i m almost talkin about, dig?

then mine eye turned to resistors. yes, resistors. 

all the ones in there were all metal film. with that metal film sound. that makes every thing sound so metal...and filmy...

so got some chinese cheap ass carbon films

then researched and found a copy paste of recommended resistor types from bottlehead designer, and I was off!

practically none of the resistors i changed to are big expensive branded ones, you think dale wirewounds count as boutique? not expensive enough!

together with the rike this thing could now......fly???

hover and sputter more like it.

harumph. was there not more? is this it? i cry, cryingly in an crying tone as if i was crying.

:D

so i then accidentally happen on a post at audio asylum singing the praises of the USSR KBG paper oil capacitors, and since i was so desperate i even bypassed the cathode caps with russian KY paper caps, so why not try these, and always wanted to try russian teflons as bypass

when the good

site ( a good russian seller!) sent me these (0.1 KBG, and 0.001uf FT3) and i soldered them in and played a few days and now a week plus in and WOW

Audion sterling amp? Unison Research Simply Two? Pffft

My good OLD BUFFALO not only FLIES
but now does SKY GYMNASTICS around these old commercial amps.

SKY GYMNASTICS.

Closer to say...I dont know...Cary 300b SEI (minus the drag and bloat)
similar sweetness but better timing and speed

I kid you not.
Cheap transformers and all. Still....wow like F

So I just wanted anyone languishing in tweaking-modding who cant afford overpriced 'high end' tube amps to languish no more!

even the mods need not be expensive! banish the boutique capacitors already! had enough of being conned!

had enough i tell u!

MANUALLY ADDED SIGNATURE: 'Buy from Hificollective UK, and BURY your money in an endless pit of despair!'