Well, it’s finally done! I’ve successfully converted the early ’80s Kitty Hawk 100 watt M1 head into a killer 112 combo. And so far, the process was long but simple. It was my first attempt at a cap job, and all seemed to go well. The only thing is – I’m not positive I got all the caps that should have been done, so it will get a final once-over by TC. Once I get his stamp of approval, I’ll be content.
I started this project around the end of October this year. I got a broken Kitty Hawk M1 head for a song. The head had definitely seen better days; the front panel was missing (I still wish that had been there, as it had the Kitty Hawk nameplate on it that I would still like to put on the new amp). The back panel was also missing, and the tolex was torn up. Someone’s name was painted on the side, and the knobs were mismatched after a few repairs.
Speaking of those repairs, when I looked at the chassis, I noticed the previous repairman’s work to be smart solutions, but not the best soldering in the world. So I touched some of them up. The BIG thing was I was told the output transformer was shot, and as a result, the drive channel didn’t work properly. So I knew this may get expensive. But I was in it to win it now, so I decided to get started.
First step was fire it up. Well, they were right about the drive channel. Muddy, undefined, and the tone controls did NOT do what they were supposed to. So I replaced the tubes and tweaked inside a bit. The drive channel, while no Marshall, is now a useable blues tone.
Next was the aesthetics. I took the whole thing apart and cleaned the faceplate, which surprisingly restored nicely with just a little detergent and some light scrubbing. None of the lettering wore off, either. I ordered some old Fender-style knobs from Amplified Parts, and fashioned myself a speaker plug and wire that would run to the soon-to-be-determined speaker selection for the combo.
Now to decide on the appropriate speaker. I still had my original 1963 Fender Brown Deluxe 112 cabinet in the attic, so I grabbed it and started pulling speakers from every other amp I own. I tried V30s, WGS, Centurys, Carvin, you name it. What I found was the early 80s Carvin speakers had the best tone with this head. But two problems: these are the early 80s models, which are no longer made the same way, and they’re only 70-watt speakers. This amp is 100 watts, and I need a single speaker that’ll handle that load.
So I tossed all the original ideas and took a gamble on what I read a lot about online: The Eminence Swamp Thang. It’s funny – no matter WHAT video you watch of gear, it NEVER sounds good. So there’s no way of knowing for sure until you have it right in front of you. What the hey – it’s only $90. So I gave it a try. Well, it sounded HUGE in this setup. Definitely the keeper. Good choice.
So now all I have to do is wait on the amp cabinet I ordered from Mather Cabs in Nashville. These guys do GREAT work, and I’m always impressed by their build quality. But for this, I had a tricky job: I had to design this cabinet. Not that the concept was hard, but I had to take measurements and create a blueprint on something where I don’t even understand physical and tonal tolerances. It was a crap shoot. I measured, drew, re-measured, drew again, and repeated this process about 50 times. This head was far deeper than the 1963 Brown deluxe chassis, and also much taller. the width was the same, however, so I used that cabinet to start my design. I decided on a 12″ deep design because the deeper the cab, the deeper the bass, and I know 112 combos have a terrible reputation as being too heavy on the midrange with no bottom end due to design. This is why most guys with combos opt for 212 designs. I also made it taller than necessary – but only so tall as to not start to make it look like a vertical stack. I just maxed out what I considered the vertical measurement to be in the hopes of adding more space in the cabinet for speaker resonance. After fighting with design characteristics, I chose open-back. Then I went back and re-measured everything before sending everything to Mather.
After 6 weeks, I got my cabinet. It was beautiful. I looked at it for a while before deciding to slip the chassis into it and add the speaker. I screwed the speaker into the baffle and tried to lower the chassis in. But it was too tall! I measured Mather’s opening and checked my notes. They were identical. How could this be? Oh well. I know my way around wood, so I needed to modify this slightly to make it work. The error in measurement was mine, and Mather did an amazing job getting my measurements precise. So I lowered the inside cleats by 1/8″, and cut 1/8″ off the supports. it still stuck heavily. What did I do wrong? I didn’t want to start chopping any more until I understood the problem.
I stared at the chassis for a good half hour. Got out my tape measure. My original measurements should be right! Now I’m really confused. Then I saw it – the faceplate extended 1/8″ below the chassis AND 1/8″ above the chassis. Wow…. OK. So why did this work in the head cabinet? Oh yeah – the head slid out through the front, not the rear! So I need to slide the head through the FRONT of this cabinet. I removed the speaker baffle and it slid in from the front without issue. I bolted it down and went to put the speaker baffle back in when I discovered the grillcloth had a tear in it right along the corner of the baffle – obviously a bonehead FedEx handling job. The amp was packed well, but upon inspection of the box, there was a huge dent in the corner where that area of the cabinet would have rested.
Being from a small town with limited supplies, I did what any type-A guy would do. I went out and bought some burlap to get me through the couple days until I could order a replacement grillcloth. I installed the burlap and went to put the baffle back in. But I’m sure you know the story now. The baffle rests against the chassis faceplate, so it’s 1/4″ too tall. I finally concede to my stupidity and I email Mather with my predicament. His response came within the hour: he’s sorry we hit the snag, and he’s sending me a replacement baffle with the new dimensions – with new grillcloth… for free. Man, I Love that place…
So I peeled back the burlap, rough cut a 1/4″ slice off the bottom, and replaced the burlap. I popped the speaker back in, slid the baffle in, and HA! New problem! I was able to get all the screws to the baffle back in except one… the top right screw (as the screws are on the inside) is obscured by the oversized output transformer on this beast. I could sneak a stubby screwdriver around in there, but it would mean raking my knuckles agains the transformer each time.
So I did it, and winced with each turn….
And it’s done! I’ll have to repeat the final step when the new baffle comes, but it’s worth it. The amp looks like a million bucks and SOUNDS like a million bucks. Best sounding 112 combo I’ve ever owned. In fact, it sounds as good as my Dr. Z Prescription 212 combo. And it’s louder. This was one fun build process. I learned a lot, and it came out amazing. For a simple $800 investment, I have an amazing amp that I could sell for no loss (I doubt I could make a profit, but it’s worth every penny of the $800). Of course, this wasn’t built to sell – it was built to play. So now I’ll have to get a custom roadcase built for it, and I’ll be able to use this bugger live.
Project: Complete
