Newb-Like Amp Quandary... Tube or SS?? Seeking Perspective.

[Downunderwonder]

''Does this amp make my speaker look small?".

[Count Bassie]

7 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

''Does this amp make my speaker look small?".

That's not really a small cab, that SWR Big Ben!

Edit... I suppose that was the point... 😄

Edited January 5, 2022 by Count Bassie

[Count Bassie]

After a bit of playing through it, I'll just say I'm glad I went this way. This is a killer amp... I like that there is a certain amount of procedure to follow when using it, and the lows out of this head are spectacular. It's a sonic realm of it's own. 

I'll get healed up from my hernia and won't mind carrying it around one bit. 😅 

 

Now I'm curious if a lower output power tube, like a KT-88, would get me some power section breakup without making anyone go deaf...

 

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by Count Bassie

[Downunderwonder]

6 hours ago, Count Bassie said:

After a bit of playing through it, I'll just say I'm glad I went this way. This is a killer amp... I like that there is a certain amount of procedure to follow when using it, and the lows out of this head are spectacular. It's a sonic realm of it's own. 

I'll get healed up from my hernia and won't mind carrying it around one bit. 😅 

 

Now I'm curious if a lower output power tube, like a KT-88, would get me some power section breakup without making anyone go deaf...

 

 

It would be easier to get a really stout low efficiency driver and put it in a small cab.

 

#Bought hot rodded 300w tube amp and want to know how to make it not so loud. 

[Tdw]

7 hours ago, Count Bassie said:

After a bit of playing through it, I'll just say I'm glad I went this way. This is a killer amp... I like that there is a certain amount of procedure to follow when using it, and the lows out of this head are spectacular. It's a sonic realm of it's own. 

I'll get healed up from my hernia and won't mind carrying it around one bit. 😅 

 

Now I'm curious if a lower output power tube, like a KT-88, would get me some power section breakup without making anyone go deaf...

 

 

Looks like a great amp you've got. Regarding the tube change, although it should reduce the volume at breakup it would probably be like going to the volume of a jet plane taking off at 50 feet away instead of at 49 feet away!

[Count Bassie]

1 hour ago, Tdw said:

Looks like a great amp you've got. Regarding the tube change, although it should reduce the volume at breakup it would probably be like going to the volume of a jet plane taking off at 50 feet away instead of at 49 feet away!

Lol, yeah. Had to ask!

[Count Bassie]

2 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

 

 

#Bought hot rodded 300w tube amp and want to know how to make it not so loud. 

😅 Ok, fair enough!

[BassmanPaul]

19 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

#Bought hot rodded 300w tube amp and want to know how to make it not so loud. 

Turn it down??

 

[Count Bassie]

5 hours ago, BassmanPaul said:

Turn it down??

 

Ha ha, ok... Pretty good, pretty good you guys... 😄

[Count Bassie]

On 06/01/2022 at 17:33, Tdw said:

Looks like a great amp you've got. Regarding the tube change, although it should reduce the volume at breakup it would probably be like going to the volume of a jet plane taking off at 50 feet away instead of at 49 feet away!

After hearing what it does with the present tube complement, I'm going to stop worrying it. I've never heard lows so pristine- reminds me a little of Dee Murray's clear, huge, round but defined sound on those old Elton John records. That's pretty cool.

[Downunderwonder]

A more easily reversible mod would be using half the power tubes. It's not as simple as pulling out one set, I think some resistors have to be changed as well, something like that, proceeed only with highly capable tech support....

 

English rockers used to do it with 100w Marshall scream machines to turn them into 50w Marshall scream machines. If they did that with one 12 instead of 4 it would have been quite effective.

[Count Bassie]

2 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

A more easily reversible mod would be using half the power tubes. It's not as simple as pulling out one set, I think some resistors have to be changed as well, something like that, proceeed only with highly capable tech support....

 

English rockers used to do it with 100w Marshall scream machines to turn them into 50w Marshall scream machines. If they did that with one 12 instead of 4 it would have been quite effective.

It is possible to use 6550s or KT-88s, but I'm getting that what you're suggesting is way more radical, and would get the tube breakup I'm talking (trying to!) about. 

I'm still just getting to know the amp, we'll see down there road a'piece. 

I appreciate all the participation and contribution! 

[Downunderwonder]

9 minutes ago, Count Bassie said:

It is possible to use 6550s or KT-88s, but I'm getting that what you're suggesting is way more radical, and would get the tube breakup I'm talking (trying to!) about. 

I'm still just getting to know the amp, we'll see down there road a'piece. 

I appreciate all the participation and contribution! 

You mentioned the amp was modded for the tubes it has in it now. I am guessing that would be for the heater current. Changing back to stock tubes would mean modding again and it would near as dammit make the same output on breakup.

[Downunderwonder]

On the other hand what I suggested originally is very doable. You find a inefficient bass driver and you could easily be 6dB less sensitive than your Bigfoot, right off the bat, ie same loudness with 4x the power. The tricky bit would be handling the 300W and discerning power tube breakup from speaker breaking.

[Count Bassie]

29 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

You mentioned the amp was modded for the tubes it has in it now. I am guessing that would be for the heater current. Changing back to stock tubes would mean modding again and it would near as dammit make the same output on breakup.

I was actually told that you can use KT-88s or 6550s, or any 8-pin tube, just replace, bias and balance. The thing that makes the 120s work is the extra transformer, which handles the filaments and keeps the main transformer from overheating. 

So I'm told.

[Count Bassie]

25 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

On the other hand what I suggested originally is very doable. You find a inefficient bass driver and you could easily be 6dB less sensitive than your Bigfoot, right off the bat, ie same loudness with 4x the power. The tricky bit would be handling the 300W and discerning power tube breakup from speaker breaking.

Might be an interesting idea to do some recording that way...