antichef
pornk rock
I posted a while back asking about single channel tube power amps that didn't have preamps:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/equipment-forums/guitars-basses/tube-power-amp-acmp-73-a-341242/
ocnor suggested a Carvin one that looked pretty good, but I had just got my main amp back from a local guy (Michael Fratus in Houston) who, it turns out, builds stuff, too, so I got him to make a class A EL34 based rack mounted amp (pics below), and now it's hooked up to my ACMP-73. Only needed one channel, no real price difference, and this one's hand wired, point to point, etc. and sounds very clean.
I've got a lot to learn about how it fits together - I was expecting a really clean, loud sound, but instead I've got a **!#$# awesome broken up sound - actually, much of the distortion is coming from the ACMP-73 - I can see that because I'm pegging the VU meter (nyahh -- my guitar amp has a VU meter...) and lighting up some of the clip lights when I push it. In the final chord that rings and (so slowly) decays, you can hear the transistor distortion fall off toward the beginning as the level falls below what clips the preamp (kinda sounds like ass - but that's why people don't like tranny distortion, I suppose). After that distortion is gone, all that's left is the wholesome juiciness of the un-overdriven preamp and that class A power amp.
Really good pick sensitivity - really good.
It does have an amazing clean sound that you won't hear in my clip, but I have to not push the ACMP-73, and so it's not real loud. Working on that. Doesn't really matter, of course.
Having the parametric EQ of the ACMP-73 is wild - *much* more control over the tone than I've ever had - including the possibility of some bad sounds, but also good. It's also got the chimey sweetness of that Chineve circuit that makes me want to play through it for hours (this is what made we want to go this route in the first place.
(how are you all embedding sound files? I've been away for a while) BTW, both the ACMP-73 and the power amp are really quiet - I've got dirty power in my studio room for now, and that's the hum you might hear.
(unfortunately, Fratus's labels are clear, and don't look great on a black background
View attachment 72887
https://homerecording.com/bbs/equipment-forums/guitars-basses/tube-power-amp-acmp-73-a-341242/
ocnor suggested a Carvin one that looked pretty good, but I had just got my main amp back from a local guy (Michael Fratus in Houston) who, it turns out, builds stuff, too, so I got him to make a class A EL34 based rack mounted amp (pics below), and now it's hooked up to my ACMP-73. Only needed one channel, no real price difference, and this one's hand wired, point to point, etc. and sounds very clean.
I've got a lot to learn about how it fits together - I was expecting a really clean, loud sound, but instead I've got a **!#$# awesome broken up sound - actually, much of the distortion is coming from the ACMP-73 - I can see that because I'm pegging the VU meter (nyahh -- my guitar amp has a VU meter...) and lighting up some of the clip lights when I push it. In the final chord that rings and (so slowly) decays, you can hear the transistor distortion fall off toward the beginning as the level falls below what clips the preamp (kinda sounds like ass - but that's why people don't like tranny distortion, I suppose). After that distortion is gone, all that's left is the wholesome juiciness of the un-overdriven preamp and that class A power amp.
Really good pick sensitivity - really good.
It does have an amazing clean sound that you won't hear in my clip, but I have to not push the ACMP-73, and so it's not real loud. Working on that. Doesn't really matter, of course.
Having the parametric EQ of the ACMP-73 is wild - *much* more control over the tone than I've ever had - including the possibility of some bad sounds, but also good. It's also got the chimey sweetness of that Chineve circuit that makes me want to play through it for hours (this is what made we want to go this route in the first place.
(how are you all embedding sound files? I've been away for a while) BTW, both the ACMP-73 and the power amp are really quiet - I've got dirty power in my studio room for now, and that's the hum you might hear.
(unfortunately, Fratus's labels are clear, and don't look great on a black background
View attachment 72887
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