Pentode/Triode...WTF???

  • Thread starter Thread starter cellardweller
  • Start date Start date
The damping affects the type of distortion the speaker adds. With the damping off, you will get more low end but it will be somewhat washy and indefined. This is not a big deal (and can be helpful) with a very midrangey 'singing lead' type of sound, but for a low end heavy chunky rhythm sound it will be a mess.
 
The 'Sovtek' tubes are probably the absolute worst tubes you can use to try and get any good tone out of,....


If you can find someone near you who is a 'tubehead', you might have better luck with some old stock JAN 5881s and old RCA 12AX7s,.... then you shouldn't have as much trouble with your 'tone' search,..... and it also could have something to do with the type of speakers in your amp,.... some are warmer, and better with mids than others,.... then, of course, you have the type of sound you are looking for,... if it is better mids you want, or warmer tones, go for some old stock tubes,... if it isn't the tone you are after, or mids, but more overall 'fullness', then take a closer look at the speakers your amp uses, and then look for an external cab with some Celestion vintage 30s in it,... very nice sound from those babies,.. VERY full and warm....

Eminence has some that are very full as well,.... their newer Red Coat series....


Good luck, ... finding just the right sound for what you are doing is a long and sometimes winding road.....


Steve


Oh yeah, and I build some wicked nice low powered amps too, just right for recording,.....

and not too awful expensive either I might add,.....


:)
 
I really don't think nos tubes will help. The design of the amp is what is screwing up his world. There is probably more transistor distortion than tube in that thing. Besides, it was designed to work with Sovteks and no matter what tube you put in it, you can't get a good tone out of anything with a 'shape' control. He is fighting a loosing battle and $500 worth of rare tubes isn't going to work.
 
Originally, according to the ampeg tech I spoke to, it had 6L6's in it. When I bought it however (thinking it was new) it had 5881's in it.

What difference would there be in these? If there were Sov 6L6's in it, couldn't I replace them with a "better" 6L6? Of course I'd have to shell out the cash to have the amp re-biased...

arghhhhhhhh...

Just wish I had the money to replace it, but I don't, and won't for a while...
 
6l6's and 5881's are pretty much the same thing. There is the american # and the european #. A 12ax7 is the same as an ecc83. If you can borrow tubes from someone, go for it. I don't think it will help much. It will make a difference, but it won't magicaly turn the amp into something it's not.
 
As far as borrowing tubes, wouldn't there need to some kind of biasing done?
 
It is not that big of a deal for temporary situations. If you were substituting a different tube like a kt88, you would need to have it biased for those tubes. Tube amps are really not that fragile, a lot of the stuff you hear about magical NOS tubes and special biasing methods and little tweeks are just little things tht help push a good sound over the edge. None of them will transform an unusable sound into something brilliant.
 
As I've read "get the sound you want, then start with mic placement."
Sounds okay in the cans.

That's probably my biggest hangup... defining "usable".

Is it symptomatic that I can't find anything resembling usable without the intervention of a pedal?

If I have time this weekend (my prayer inserted here), I'd like to record several different "setups" and submit them to you, over my laborious dial up connection for your dissection.

I understand that this may take some time for you to get to (if at all), and that's fine. Whenever you have the time.
 
Farview said:
Their philosophy is all about making stuff that sounds good in your bedroom, unfortunately that kind of sound rarely mics up very well.
Click to expand...


Funny, in my experience that's exactly the sort of amp that DOES mic up well, especially for distorted sounds. The cheaper, smaller, and crappier, the better.
 
Tubes will make a difference you can hear, especially if the amp in question is being run at lower volumes for recording purposes,... and you do not have to spend a fortune on NOS tubes to do that,.... older used tubes have tons of life left in them, and can be had for less than 'NEW' Sovteks,.... with stunning results at low volume.

The Pre-amp tubes would be a great place to start,... that is where you will get instant sound change with no bias problems at all,..... If you change the 12AX7s to 12AT7s, you will lose about 40% of the gain in that stage of amplification,... but you get an equal or greater added tone,... I will send you some JAN 12AT7s just to try if you like,...., some old GE, or RCA 12AY7s will also get you more tone,... and I will include a couple of those too,.... at the recording level volumes you are talking about,... the change in tone from one to another will amaze you.


Let me know,... just E me, and we'll go from there..

Steve
 
WOW!!!

Yes yes yes yes yes!!!

Please confirm receipt of my email, it did not give me confirmation...

And THANKS!!!!
 
bleyrad said:
Funny, in my experience that's exactly the sort of amp that DOES mic up well, especially for distorted sounds. The cheaper, smaller, and crappier, the better.
Click to expand...
What I was refering to was the scooped midrange, over-distorted, over-processed sounds. The ones that sound like the guitar on a metal CD. You cannot start with that sound and have anything at mixdown.
 
Thatupstateguy said:
Tubes will make a difference you can hear, especially if the amp in question is being run at lower volumes for recording purposes,... and you do not have to spend a fortune on NOS tubes to do that,.... older used tubes have tons of life left in them, and can be had for less than 'NEW' Sovteks,.... with stunning results at low volume.

The Pre-amp tubes would be a great place to start,... that is where you will get instant sound change with no bias problems at all,..... If you change the 12AX7s to 12AT7s, you will lose about 40% of the gain in that stage of amplification,... but you get an equal or greater added tone,... I will send you some JAN 12AT7s just to try if you like,...., some old GE, or RCA 12AY7s will also get you more tone,... and I will include a couple of those too,.... at the recording level volumes you are talking about,... the change in tone from one to another will amaze you.


Let me know,... just E me, and we'll go from there..

Steve
Click to expand...
Different tubes will make a difference, but he will still have the inherent design problem. The channel that has the gain only has a semi-parameric eq to shape the tone with.
I really do hope the tubes make the difference, but I'm not holding my breath.
 
Like I said, I am totally at a loss for words...

Sleep deprivation doesn't help, coupled with an immense sense of gratitude... but this is so... friggin' amazing!
Unbelievably cool!

Going to nap now, and wake when I can string together whole sentences.

THANK YOU!!!

:) :D :) :D :) :D :) :D :) :D :) :D :) :D :) :D :) :D :) :D :) :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top