SSLtech
Well-known member
Steve was rounded up and taken to Tejas for re-programming.
The 'Bloo' 1176 project was an offshoot from a post over in John Klett's old forum at R|E|P, from Andrew over at Purple Audio. He had a dozen or so MC76 boards in un-stuffed condition, and had gone over to the MC77 (with sidechain insert) so was never going to stuff the boards. -Since he had an affection for DIY types, he made these last few boards available. Steve organized a 'group buy' and made a couple for himself, I bought two, my assistant (Carlito) bought one, etc.
Steve also organized the purchase of some front panels, including threaded blind-holes on the INSIDE face of the panel. He chose the name 'Bloo' as a reference to the fact that this was a 'coloured' board (Purple audio) but without claiming to be a purple audio finished product... Unlike Purusha's later approach, by way of contrast. There were ten or twelve in all, from what I recall. Steve, Carlito, myself and one or two others all bought the NOS UTC input transformer together, along with the output TX etc. so all the internals were the same.
Eventually all were built, apart from this one.
Steve then took the 'Bloo' idea and applied it to the LA-2a; making a very similar (very well made) case design, very obviously like the LA-2a, but without claiming to be a UA product, and made turret-board based kits to build LA-2a's inside. His big change was to provide 'adaptor plates' for people to make versions with different transformers, as they wished (some people like UTC, others like Jensen trannys, some others used Luindahl, or Edcor, or Sowter etc.). -This made the transformers from all manufacturers into similar, 'modular' components, so they could all be fitted to the same case.
The Bloo 'series 2' was about the best LA-2a clone kit metalwork I've ever seen. It was gorgeous.
Likewise, the Bloo 1176 is about the most beautiful of the 1176 clones, outside and -when tidily assembled- inside, too!
After the Texan authorities learned of his actions, they recruited a handsome girl to lure Steve to Austin, where he was kidnapped, taken to an undisclosed secret location, and made to divulge the names of his accomplices, before being driven out into the desert, tied to a chair, covered in honey, and left in the sun for the ants to find.
Some 'coyote' immigrant smugglers came across him after three days, begging for the sweet release of death, and nobody has really ever been able to find out what happened next; they never speak of the incident, and -if pressed to disclose the events of that afternoon- they just go silent, and a steely, faraway look comes over their face, and with eyes which once again see what only THEY know... they quietly mutter "La lengüeta"!
No man should ever again be forced to see what they saw.
Keith
The 'Bloo' 1176 project was an offshoot from a post over in John Klett's old forum at R|E|P, from Andrew over at Purple Audio. He had a dozen or so MC76 boards in un-stuffed condition, and had gone over to the MC77 (with sidechain insert) so was never going to stuff the boards. -Since he had an affection for DIY types, he made these last few boards available. Steve organized a 'group buy' and made a couple for himself, I bought two, my assistant (Carlito) bought one, etc.
Steve also organized the purchase of some front panels, including threaded blind-holes on the INSIDE face of the panel. He chose the name 'Bloo' as a reference to the fact that this was a 'coloured' board (Purple audio) but without claiming to be a purple audio finished product... Unlike Purusha's later approach, by way of contrast. There were ten or twelve in all, from what I recall. Steve, Carlito, myself and one or two others all bought the NOS UTC input transformer together, along with the output TX etc. so all the internals were the same.
Eventually all were built, apart from this one.
Steve then took the 'Bloo' idea and applied it to the LA-2a; making a very similar (very well made) case design, very obviously like the LA-2a, but without claiming to be a UA product, and made turret-board based kits to build LA-2a's inside. His big change was to provide 'adaptor plates' for people to make versions with different transformers, as they wished (some people like UTC, others like Jensen trannys, some others used Luindahl, or Edcor, or Sowter etc.). -This made the transformers from all manufacturers into similar, 'modular' components, so they could all be fitted to the same case.
The Bloo 'series 2' was about the best LA-2a clone kit metalwork I've ever seen. It was gorgeous.
Likewise, the Bloo 1176 is about the most beautiful of the 1176 clones, outside and -when tidily assembled- inside, too!
After the Texan authorities learned of his actions, they recruited a handsome girl to lure Steve to Austin, where he was kidnapped, taken to an undisclosed secret location, and made to divulge the names of his accomplices, before being driven out into the desert, tied to a chair, covered in honey, and left in the sun for the ants to find.
Some 'coyote' immigrant smugglers came across him after three days, begging for the sweet release of death, and nobody has really ever been able to find out what happened next; they never speak of the incident, and -if pressed to disclose the events of that afternoon- they just go silent, and a steely, faraway look comes over their face, and with eyes which once again see what only THEY know... they quietly mutter "La lengüeta"!
No man should ever again be forced to see what they saw.
Keith
