I have a FM-50 ME that is now up and running on the bench and I've put about 6 hours in it. What a change, or series of changes, those 6 hours makes. I'm using the C-lator as is common/recommended. Here's the progress so far:
Fire-up: After I got it going (thanks to Todd for the assist), I had two overdrive channels. Literally, both channels were overdrives. I started out without the Dumbleator in the loop, but even with it both channels were overdriven. I had the "Volume" on the clean channel at minimum and still getting the OD above about 5 on the guitar volume. The OD channel sounded best with the OD Trimmer on about 2:00.
Two-Three Hours: The loop has been added and I've got all the knobs in the 9-11 range. I can turn the "Out" to 5:00 for more volume, but no need (I'm married...
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). Starting to see some harmonics coming out, and the clean channel is losing the "overdrive". The overdrive is becoming "grittier" and I'm backing down the OD Trimmer.
Five-Six Hours: I have a clean channel. I turn it up to max and I get cleans until the guitar volume knob is above 7, and above that it is all about pick attack. The break-up is minimal. The OD is gaining in harmonics and I now have the Trimmer at about 9:00...
I'm using Magnetic Component trannies and the PT has an extra 15V on the mains, but I don't know if this is normal or not. I don't know for sure that there is a real normal... Anyway, my plate voltage is 458V and 468V respectively. I haven't touched that yet as it isn't too far off optimal (1.5%). My bias is at 37.x and 38.x with my bias pot at minimum, but at fire-up it was more than double that. I don't know how to get it below that without modding the amp.
My test speaker is a 4 Ohm Crate speaker in a combo SS amp my wife bought for $20 at a yard sale. Obviously, this is not an optimum speaker for a D-style amp, but I'm just testing at low volumes right now and it is nothing more than a functional test speaker.
I'm using two Winged C 6L6GC's (matched), a JJ 12AX7 Long Plate Gold Pin in the PI, and two Sovtek 12AX7s in the V1 and V2. I couldn't go NOS right off the bat...
So, anything sound abnormal here? Is the Plate Voltage a big issue? I'd like to get the bias down to about 35mV, but I wouldn't think the extra 10% should be too bad.
I will say that this amp's clean channel is probably on par with my best Fender right now and still improving fast. The OD is the "sound" I go for with a Zen and a Fender, but I'm looking for more harmonics and bloom as it continues to evolve. I feel like the burn-in is still ongoing and significant changes as each hour progressed. I know that 25+/- hours has been stated here numerous times, so it may still be a while.
Does the description sound "typical" for these amps?
Thanks guys for all the info that helped make this a reality!!!