I bought extra cable just to have some extra, so I made the second cable longer.  I have a 6' and a 12' cable.  After the first one seemed to do NOTHING MUCH, I used all the cable I had for the other side... I got some Switchcraft right angle 1/4" (gold) plugs from Mouser.  I coiled cable up in 8"+/- coils. The cable came from an aircraft supplier I found on the web.

The cable is TOUGH STUFF.  Be real careful stripping it with conventional strippers. Also pre-tin carefully so as to be flexible where it needs to be...

The two cables go from the amp to the C-lator and back again.  Not to and from the effects themselves.

I think the single cable I'd made up went from the amp to the C-lator...

Last Friday night I tookl the time to make up one of the RG-400 cables and plug it up.  When I played it I didn't really hear a difference. So I made up the second RG-400 cable last night and plugged it. 

WOW!!!!!!!

I was not "loving" the OD at most any setting (before) as it had some "ice pick frequencies" in there, but what a difference now!!!  I know Todd has talked about the "Fizziness" of the OD above about 9:00 on the OD trimmer...  Well I got the trimmer ALL THE WAY UP with NO FIZZINESS.  The OD has all the gain, but no harshness whatsoever... This amp is starting to really sing both due to the wear in and the RG-400 cables.  Cranking the OD trimmer doesn't really add any noticable gain beyond about 12:00, but I did it because I could.

I am a true believer in these RG-400 cables FOR SURE!!!  Nik ought to suggest them on his website.  They will really tame some frequencies on this beast!!!

Some other things I plan on adding to my FM50 ME:  A finished cab...  , a TC Electronic G# (I know it'd be used, so maybe a G Major II), a Suhr Minimix II, an EVM-12L with custom T806 cab, and a Sennheiser E609 (permanently mounted where I want it).  The TC gear will be the last as it will be replacing a Holier Grail and will be used to generate just a few benign delays.  I currently use a Boss DD-20 for all my song specific delays.

Pictures will be posted when I have some cab photos too....

BTW, thanks everyone for the help in making this a reality!!

When I do post them in the future, I'll use none of the above... I've used a cheap DAW software and the standard microphone jack on my PC with a SM58 dynamic mic and gotten good results.  The software is old and cheap, but it gets the job done. I used the software and a DAW hard disc recorder to do a few demo's for a local guy a couple of years ago. I used a combination of a condenser mic and a dynamic mic on the guitar, a dynamic on the vocal scratch, and a condenser on the final vocal.  Here's a link to Turn The Page:

http://www.myspace.com/waynetibbles/music/songs/turn-the-page-bobsegar-50881732

Just him and an acoustic.  Vocal scratch during the first take then a vocal final to his acoustic from the first take.  The guy nails it everytime like a machine.  Whether he does it like the original or not, he is consistent with himself....   

I have to go out of state to testify in court re: a real estate foreclosure... I leave tomorrow morning and will be gone a couple days.  I'll check these when I get back.  I'd forgotten about the Voltage Chart... Thanks Todd!!!!

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... ). 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!!!

+1

I was that forumite, and I 'll find out real soon if the measurements got me where I needed to go...

Thanks again Todd!!!!

@Erwin... Would you send me that same info on the RG-400 cables please?  I want to do this rig right.

FYI everyone.  I've had my FM50 ME and C-lator sitting here for a month without the funds to finish.  I've got the cab cut and ready for finger joints (this weekend) and my trannies just arrived yesterday.  All that I need after the trannies is tubes and I'll be able to power up. I hope to get those in the next couple of weeks.  Pictures coming soon.

10 R-Angle Switchcraft 1/4" plugs and some RG-400 cable coming up!!!!  Two cables will be between the amp and D-lator, with a third also connecting with the rack mount effects unit in the head... Of course the cable runs for the outboard dely too.... Cabling is going to be tough with my rig, so I need to keep things quiet and with minimal loss.  Thanks!

Erwin,  Do you have a source for pre-made cables that you can share, or do we need to build our own?  What's the optimum lengths? Thanks!!!

Sweet Child o' Mine came from what album?

I use a GE-7, TS 808, OCD, a Zendrive, a Maxon Compressor, a Holier Grail, and a DD-20 (yes, I need them all, right now anyway) through my Blues Jr, but I planned on putting everything through the C-lator once I put the trannies in and fire up the amp.  How come you are putting them in front instead of the loop?  I wanted to buffer all of it, with it not sound right through the loop.

The way to nail anyone's tone is to "possess" them and use their fingers and gear.  Even THAT might not work.

Find YOUR tone and flavor it with stuff you learn about how your favorite players get their tone.

The tone all starts in the fingers, the rest of it is just tools.  Learn the components/tools used for the tones you love through research.  A quick Google search on a player's name with "guitar rig" will usually get you there.

All that being said, answers in a thread like this could really unlock opportunities to get insight you've never had.

Nice amp, but you and I are on the same page.  Head/Cab/Loop for playing in church.  Isolate the speaker somewhere so as to keep the stage volume low.  It is the way it's done.

My OTS FM ME 50 with C-Lator should be done in a few weeks.  I'm building my cab either next weekend or the weekend after. 

I found Ceriatone for two reasons.  Three years ago I was considering a Plexi.  I played one and realized it wasn't quite right.

Three reays later/today:  one word "Dumble".  Since Dumbles are not in my price range, I have to look at clones.  Ceriatone had three tings I wanted: a Dumble clone, a really good price, and a great reputation.

After educating myself and knowing what my end goal needed to be for a Dumble clone, I was doing a SERIOUS custom job on the head and speaker cabs.  A kit made more sense, and it still does.  I don't want to get bogged down with a project, I want what is the best Dumble "tool" for the job I need it for.  That's it... I need what I need, I want a Dumble foundation that I want.  Amplifier narcissism at its best!!!

It's all good.