What would you most like to see for new products? Choose one

Doc B. · 4500

Poll

Which of the following kit product ideas would you most like to build? Choose one.

A full preamp kit with phono input built in
19 (21.3%)
A premium priced ($2500+) 50 watt single ended amp kit
32 (36%)
A combo guitar amp kit with an effects loop
5 (5.6%)
A guitar amp head with an effects loop
2 (2.2%)
Guitar pedal kits
5 (5.6%)
A tube DI box kit
2 (2.2%)
A modular tube mixer kit
2 (2.2%)
A ribbon mic kit
1 (1.1%)
A mic preamp kit
3 (3.4%)
Synthesizer module kits
7 (7.9%)
Bring back the Foreplay II preamp kit for $249
11 (12.4%)

Total Members Voted: 88

Voting closed: February 11, 2019, 09:50:37 AM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline elcraigo

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Reply #30 on: February 11, 2019, 02:17:06 AM
Are you Keith Emerson? Wait, never-mind.
I saw Emerson play that modular Moog at a concert on the early seventies. He sure does have some chops.
Off topic: Natural, would you ping me please, I might be able to help you with something from an old post of yours.

Craig Lewis (elcraigo is a nickname a good friend who grew up in Mexico gave me)


Offline Doc B.

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Reply #31 on: February 11, 2019, 06:24:50 AM
Not Keith Emerson, but I'm old enough that the one I played with was being used at the time by Herbie Hancock to make Headhunters. Here's  a pic of him, but I'm not sure what the synth in the picture is. The studio was Different Fur in San Francisco, the other guy in the pic is Patrick Gleeson. I recall they had a Moog 3c and were renting a second one to make some of the patches they wanted. The rig was about the size of the one in the picture, but that doesn't appear to be a 3c. But it was a looong time ago (I was a teenager) and they had several synths. The guy teaching the classes I took was David Litwin, who was working at Different Fur at the time. I recall him playing a tape of an electronic music soundtrack he did for a porno flick in one class, maybe a Mitchell Bros film? Interesting to think back about something like that and how I had no concept of it being music history in the making. It was soooo futuristic.

Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President For Life
Bottlehead Corp.


Offline swich401

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Reply #32 on: February 11, 2019, 01:28:33 PM
50 watt single ended, yikes. Would be looking at something like 3 parallel KT120/KT150 per channel or some other BIG tube...

Would be great though!



Offline Doc B.

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Reply #33 on: February 12, 2019, 09:55:14 AM
Thanks so much to those who participated here. It helps to give us some guidance in what to focus on. Watch for more polls in the future.

Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President For Life
Bottlehead Corp.


Offline pendergast

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Reply #34 on: February 12, 2019, 01:45:12 PM
Hi,

Maybe I am too late, but I am partial for a Foreplay II with flexible paths for upgrades. I know I am not very clear, neophyte as I am, but it would be great to have something that really has potential for experimentation/expansion.

I have a SEX from 2006 that is still the hub of my everything. I wish I had a nicer preamp (I have an Antique SoundLab PhonoDT I got for $35) but it is not something I built...

I do have a CRACK as well as a Reduction, all of those giving joy and brighten my days more even on sunny ones.

I missed the opportunity to acquire a SMASH but it always felt as less open for experimentation even though the proposition for a quality product seemed obvious.

There is something dirty and yet, attracting about the innards of Bottlehead products. I guess that is what I am trying to say.

And instead of 'Foreplay', it could be called 'Taboo'...

;o)



Offline dth31

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Reply #35 on: February 14, 2019, 08:24:33 AM
OK.  I'll go for something different.  How about a hybrid tube/solid state amp?  Would be nice to still get some of the triode sonics we love with 50W or so of good old class A power, without the internal high voltages of an 845 or 211 push-pull amp.



Offline Doc B.

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Reply #36 on: February 14, 2019, 08:32:02 AM
Hi,

Maybe I am too late, but I am partial for a Foreplay II with flexible paths for upgrades. I know I am not very clear, neophyte as I am, but it would be great to have something that really has potential for experimentation/expansion.

I have a SEX from 2006 that is still the hub of my everything. I wish I had a nicer preamp (I have an Antique SoundLab PhonoDT I got for $35) but it is not something I built...

I do have a CRACK as well as a Reduction, all of those giving joy and brighten my days more even on sunny ones.

I missed the opportunity to acquire a SMASH but it always felt as less open for experimentation even though the proposition for a quality product seemed obvious.

There is something dirty and yet, attracting about the innards of Bottlehead products. I guess that is what I am trying to say.

And instead of 'Foreplay', it could be called 'Taboo'...

;o)

I was really talking about doing a run of the original Foreplay II as more of a nostalgia thing. I would suggest that what you are describing might be more of what I am thinking of regarding a full preamp kit. I will be posting another poll about what features builders might like to see in that kit.

Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President For Life
Bottlehead Corp.


Offline Doc B.

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Reply #37 on: February 14, 2019, 08:38:28 AM
OK.  I'll go for something different.  How about a hybrid tube/solid state amp?  Would be nice to still get some of the triode sonics we love with 50W or so of good old class A power, without the internal high voltages of an 845 or 211 push-pull amp.

My thought is that a tube preamp with the SS power amp of your choice will get you want you want. I've spent an awful lot of years trying to make something that sounds better to me than a SS amp, so I may not be the right guy to tackle that project. For a 50W amp design we are not looking at PP. We have a couple of SE design prototypes that use other tubes besides 845 and 211 and do not go over 500 or so volts.

Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President For Life
Bottlehead Corp.


Offline dth31

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Reply #38 on: February 15, 2019, 03:22:13 PM
That sounds encouraging!  I'll keep checking back.



Offline dth31

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Reply #39 on: March 15, 2019, 08:07:24 AM
My thought is that a tube preamp with the SS power amp of your choice will get you want you want. I've spent an awful lot of years trying to make something that sounds better to me than a SS amp, so I may not be the right guy to tackle that project. For a 50W amp design we are not looking at PP. We have a couple of SE design prototypes that use other tubes besides 845 and 211 and do not go over 500 or so volts.

Hi Doc!  I was wondering if your preliminary design work might be far enough along that you could give us a few more details about this potential product?  For example, has it been decided that this will be a product?  And any other details you are comfortable sharing would be appreciated.

Dave



Offline Doc B.

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Reply #40 on: March 15, 2019, 08:32:04 AM
PJ and PB were over yesterday for a design meeting and we did touch on this subject. The two of them have a tentative meeting set for next week to work a little more on one of the 50w amp design ideas. I think everyone came away feeling like it is something that could happen in the future.

Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President For Life
Bottlehead Corp.


Offline oberheim8voice

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Reply #41 on: February 03, 2021, 08:36:13 AM
PAIA is still in business.
I think providing mono modules, that you could build one at a time, and then add, maybe up to 8 voices would be nice.
My Oberheim Dual Manual (pictured above) is an 8 voice, and that's always been enough for me. I usually split the voices 2 and 6 between the keyboard.
The analog module would likely be CV/Gate control I would think. A MIDI to CV/Gate converter, is an easy thing to buy. Using it without a controller for sound effects would be nice.

Hi Craig, trying to get ahold of you to talk about Dual Manuals! if you see this, please PM me. thanks.



Offline Cary

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Reply #42 on: February 04, 2021, 09:07:16 AM
How about a 6V6 amplifier?

Cary



Offline Colonl_Charisma

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Reply #43 on: February 04, 2021, 11:03:02 AM
Would you guys ever consider selling a DAC again? I’ve seen some older pics of the Bottlehead DAC. I would totally purchase one of those.

Ross


Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #44 on: February 04, 2021, 11:32:25 AM
We made the EL84 Seductor and it didn't sell all that well.  We could certainly explore 6V6 push-pull, but the availability of inexpensive 6V6 console amps for less than $200 makes that tough to justify. 

The DAC was an excellent sounding piece of kit, but the Apple OS update that caused all the DACs running on Apple machines to stop working was way too much drama (that has since been resolved by Apple, there never was anything we could do to resolve that on our end). 

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man