Parting Out Silkyn Super 50

Sp8ctre said:
...but...the thread...is only...one page...long....
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On MLP.
I went back there tonight, to see what I had missed.
I’m post 2315 page 116.
I was an early adopter of the Silkyn. I got one of the first four transformers...that wasn’t the right type. I think mine was the second or third reported failure.
 
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I went back and looked again...at MLP. I gave in about a month after you Sp8ctre. When Bluesaxe was starting to rip in to his, and making mods on the circuit.
I thought, what the heck....I’ll just build something in to it if it sucks.
It didn’t suck though, as you know, until it died a quiet death. Then there was hope. Then those hopes were dashed, only to be resurrected, and then finally discarded.
It’s funny, I was thinking about it today, over morning coffee...I need to just throw in the Baby Will 18 watt build I have to finish. Suck it up and get it done. The Katana thread made me realize that what I describe wanting is something like that...the 18watt Baby Will in the Silkyn shell. Ought to come in around 35 pounds when done(give or take). It wouldn’t take much to make the cab fairly solid, the speaker is good...it’ll look great with two knobs.
 
Thatbastarddon said:
On MLP.
I went back there tonight, to see what I had missed.
I’m post 2315 page 116.
I was an early adopter of the Silkyn. I got one of the first four transformers...that wasn’t the right type. I think mine was the second or third reported failure.
Click to expand...

I also received one of the original four transformers Bud had left over. I had my Silkyn on the bench, the PT removed and the new one in place. Right before I got
it soldered in I got a message from Bud saying it was a no go and not to use it...I got my first new model PT for free after that and then bough the second.

I still have that first Silkyn torn down and just no will to work on it...I paid an amp tech here local to install the PT in my other one. I didn't do any of the mods
and may never get around to it. My Carol-Ann is so sweet I rarely use the Silkyn, but I put a lot of time into recovering the cab so I'm keeping it...

If I don't sell the empty cab from #2 I'll do another even better recover job and cut the thing down to a speaker cabinet...
 
Sp8ctre said:
I also received one of the original four transformers Bud had left over. I had my Silkyn on the bench, the PT removed and the new one in place. Right before I got
it soldered in I got a message from Bud saying it was a no go and not to use it...I got my first new model PT for free after that and then bough the second.

I still have that first Silkyn torn down and just no will to work on it...I paid an amp tech here local to install the PT in my other one. I didn't do any of the mods
and may never get around to it. My Carol-Ann is so sweet I rarely use the Silkyn, but I put a lot of time into recovering the cab so I'm keeping it...

If I don't sell the empty cab from #2 I'll do another even better recover job and cut the thing down to a speaker cabinet...
Click to expand...

After shopping around some possibilities for mine, I found that the chassis(with a few mods...drilling), cab, speaker, and output transformer(the good/ok transformer) would be suitable for a bastardized 5f6 Bassman build. But I have other things laying around...undone.
 
I am the (proud?) owner of 2 Silkyn amps. One is bone stock, still in the box. The 2nd amp has most of the mods done, but I still have work to do on the dirt mods. Is there anyone that is still happy with their purchase of the Silkyn amps?
 
WavMixer said:
I am the (proud?) owner of 2 Silkyn amps. One is bone stock, still in the box. The 2nd amp has most of the mods done, but I still have work to do on the dirt mods. Is there anyone that is still happy with their purchase of the Silkyn amps?
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Overall, yes.
Would it be my #1 choice as a home player? No.

It has a clean channel that is very comparable to the BF Fender, and a dirt channel that will be almost exactly a 2204 circuit with the mods.
The "No": I cant really wind it up though, the 50w is way more than I need.

It was a steal at $230, but with another around $200 for the PT, not AS much, BUT I knew I was taking a chance on this going in.
I was going to play it until the PT died, toss the pcb board an build something BF Fender with the OT, cab, speaker, etc. and a 6L6GC power section.
I ended up liking it enough to buy the PT instead.

I played it for a couple hours on Sat., mainly as part of conditioning power filter caps at least monthly or so.
I would have played it more in recent weeks, BUT: I have recently scored a couple of transparent OD type pedals and have been working with my other, smaller wattage amps just at break up or more + push with the OD.
The whole Klon thing has me in its sway.
 
67plexi said:
It should not be to difficult to speck out a power transformer
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It was found the high B+, bias tap, and 10 or 12v for the footswitch relays are an odd duck.
Maybe the available filament current as well, I dont recall.

I read over on the MLP thread Mercury Magnetics now makes a Silkyn replacement PT.
 
12 volt power transformer is easy to find for the relays. I have no clue on this amp. Voltage chart the amp from the power transformer secondary's B+1 to the first preamp tube in that order.

Voltage Chart.JPG
 
10VAC @ 3.5 amps is a problem that is strange. I just checked out a dead Crate Vintage 30 with a open 16VAC leg who ever designed these amps just plane stupid.
I lost count of the Peavey 30 watt power transformers that I have replaced Got to Love China wound transformers.
 
UHM.................wtf am I missing --
it seems to have a GOOD one of these amps you need 1-2 MAYBE 3 more -- to pull parts from to keep the 1 amp going???? is this about accurate?

*I think you all are missing the point--- you need to find the DOUCHE that built the amps and beat HIM with the hammer! *

if anyone else had this level of "reliability" they would be out of business---or DODGE!

edit-- Silkyn IS OUT OF BUSINESS-- case closed DODGE WINS (how odd is that!?!?!?)
 
eSGEe said:
UHM.................wtf am I missing --
it seems to have a GOOD one of these amps you need 1-2 MAYBE 3 more -- to pull parts from to keep the 1 amp going???? is this about accurate?

*I think you all are missing the point--- you need to find the DOUCHE that built the amps and beat HIM with the hammer! *

if anyone else had this level of "reliability" they would be out of business---or DODGE!

edit-- Silkyn IS OUT OF BUSINESS-- case closed DODGE WINS (how odd is that!?!?!?)
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This is not correct. The only thing wrong was a bad build on the power transformer. They went with a cheap chinese model that eventually shorts out.

Everything else about the amp is great. They were designed by Mike Soldano...Two channel amp with channel 1 being a Fender circuit and channel 2 a Marshall
 
eSGEe said:
UHM.................wtf am I missing --
it seems to have a GOOD one of these amps you need 1-2 MAYBE 3 more -- to pull parts from to keep the 1 amp going???? is this about accurate?

*I think you all are missing the point--- you need to find the DOUCHE that built the amps and beat HIM with the hammer! *

if anyone else had this level of "reliability" they would be out of business---or DODGE!

edit-- Silkyn IS OUT OF BUSINESS-- case closed DODGE WINS (how odd is that!?!?!?)
Click to expand...

Well, turns out that they were wicked reliable. They are all doomed to suffer the same single part failure. Power transformer...it’s a biggie too.
The clean channel, off the shelf, with no mods, was worth the price of admission.
With a few minor mods, the reverb, and the dirt channel are supposed to be worthy of the stellar nature of the original clean channel.

I played half a dozen gigs with mine, and it was an excellent experience. I was very happy with it as a pedal platform. Great amp until it quit.
 
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