White on gray Stereomour

[rbc3]

I finished my Stereomour build today.  The color scheme matches my Mainline I finished about a week ago.  It's too late to crank it up and listen to it with the kids in bed asleep, but tomorrow...  This is my second BH build without any issues!  Just like my Mainline, all the resistance and voltage checks passed and it worked on the first try.  A true testament to how great the build guides are.

 

[kgoss]

Wow, I like the color scheme - nice and clean!

Did you get Dan and Paul Birkeland to autograph the bottom of the plate for you?  If so then you need to get Paul Joppa to autograph it too if you ever get the chance.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

 

[JamieMcC]

Stereomour is on my wish list some time down the road I have been very taken by the capabilities of the Sex amp

The grey on the wood jogged my memory and the colour reminded me of a technique called liming used many moons ago not sure if it would work with the Alder and have only used it on Oak in the  past.

 

[rockdrummer]

I plan to paint all top parts also, and I have read lots about using good paint, prepping well, and such.  But I also remember reading that heat is an issue.  Looks GREAT and I will be working on mine in the next couple weeks.

How did you prep and what did you paint with?

Ben

 

[rbc3]

I just used Rustoleum 2in1 Ultracover.  I sanded everything, washed with degreaser, and sprayed with primer first (also Rustoleum).  Note, that I didn't wash the power transformer or plate chokes, but just wiped them down.  I let the primer cure for 24 hours then sprayed with top coat and let cure for two days.  I hear a week to cure is even better.  I did wait to let the final spray cure a week with the Mainline but I was eager to finish the Stereomour build.  I don't think the sprayed parts get so hot that Rustoleum can't handle it.  Time will only tell.

 

[rbc3]

One more note about heat.  Yes the tubes get hot and I wouldn't want to touch them when powered on, but the rest of the Stereomour isn't so hot that I can't touch it, even the power transformer.  The plate chokes and the aluminum mount panel aren't hot at all.  So I doubt it's really hot enough to warrant really high temp auto paint or something that handles heat better than a standard in-store multisurface spray can pain.  I believe sanding and priming is key, even if the paint says it has primer in it.

 

[aragorn723]

Those are cool looking tubes!  Were those from the kit?  What kind is it?

Dave

 

[rbc3]

Those are Sophia Princess Mesh Plate 2A3 tubes.  I bought them direct from Sophia.  Sovtek came with the amp.  The Sophia Princess tubes are nicer sounding with clearer more detailed highs but aren't as significant of an improvement over the Sovtek as the difference in 300B tubes.  At least not to my ears.

 

[Grainger49]

    .  .  .    aren't as significant of an improvement over the Sovtek as the difference in 300B tubes.  .  .  . 

Robert,

First, a very nice build.  I can't believe you got the screws painted and didn't booger up the Philips slot putting them in.  I would have.

Now to the quote, that is a hard thing to say.  Thanks for being able to say that.  I suppose if cash were more loose, mine isn't, you might think it was worth the additional cash over new Sovtek as a replacement.  It took me some years to finally decide my Sovteks went flat.  I bought a matched pair of Shuguang (sp?) 2A3Cs.  I believe they are a half to full step up from the Sovtek.  Just my opinion.  Poster Paully had bought a pair and I hear his system for a couple of days twice a year.  So I had heard them before.

I've heard a lot of good stuff about the Sophia tubes.  I just haven't had that kind of cash to "try" a nicer pair of tubes.