Potentiometer too potent?

  • Thread starter Thread starter cellardweller
  • Start date Start date

Can an amp be damaged by dialing it to 11?

  • Of course, you fucking moron!

    Votes: 2 8.0%

  • Hell no, you circus sideshow freak!

    Votes: 12 48.0%

  • 43

    Votes: 11 44.0%
  • Total voters
    25
cellardweller

cellardweller

New member
I was reading on another message board that I could potentially damage my Mesa by turning the gain all the way up :confused: :eek:

If this is true, it falls into the category of putting a speaker in a combo amp which that particular combo amp can easily blow.... :mad:

Pointless poll to follow....
 
Cellardwellar, I've always heard that you won't hurt a tube amp by running it wide open. The tubes will age faster, though.
 
$ .02

alotta guys like the output wide open get your distortion there not in the front end...
 
I hope not because I max the gain on pretty much everyting I play...
 
If the pot was too potent, like too much resitance, than woulnd't it be too quiet untill a further rotation?


:p


-jeffrey
 
OhSh1rt said:
If the pot was too potent, like too much resistance, than wouldn't it be too quiet until a further rotation?

Pots can be linear or logarithmic-one has a smooth taper through the whole rotation and the other has a drastic change in the first quarter of the turn-I had the last type on and amp and it was a bitch! Either too quiet or too damned LOUD
Click to expand...
 
Hell no, an amp is designed to run at a level that won't destroy itself. In Mesa's the tubes are factory-biased colder than they should be, meaning lower current at the output tubes. Of course running it wide open will wear the tubes faster, but it won't damage anything. Unless you're idea of an overdrive pedal is putting a poweramp in front of your preamp you're not going to hurt it.

Having said that I've never played a Mesa that I had to come close to maxing out the gain on, regardless of how heavy the music style was.
 
You got a link to the thread?

Come on, baby. Give it up. You know you wanna.
 
I was in a music store a while back trying out a few tube amps. When I got to the Fender stuff, I started playing around with a Twin reissue. I asked the sales rep if I could crank it up to see how it sounds. He agreed and abandoned me for the quiter drum room. After about 5 minutes worth of blues licks with the amp dimed, it starting sputtering and shut down. Apparently he did'nt hear the sputtering or pop when the amp gave out. When I came out of the amp room, he waved and i said "yea, I'll see ya later man"..........................................
 

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I am with Farview. Diming a Mesa???? The manual for my mrk 3 does not reccommend running the master over 4 or 5. Done it in Class A mode, no damage more compressed tone WAY TOO LOUD. Not recc. in Simul class, you just don't get better tone and to boot it will crush a mic. Pad all day but the mic just don't like. :eek:
 
Farview said:
You max the gain on a mesa?
Click to expand...
The few times I've tried them out yeah. Tried it once with a 7 string Ibanez and was in death metal heaven! I tend to leave the volume around 2 or 3 though, that's usually loud enough without blowing the speakers out.
 
boingoman said:
You got a link to the thread?

Come on, baby. Give it up. You know you wanna.
Click to expand...
Here it is stated slightly different from how originally implied (damage to amp).

ON boogie board forum said:
treble control above 2:30! Settings above 2:30 can create possible oscillation in certain pre-amp tubes in the V-1 position. You can avoid this altogether by setting the treble control sensibly when the gain control is maxed. Use the presense control for additional brightness!
Concerning channel 2: Due to the Recto's extreme gain potential, the highest regions of the gain control may possibly push the pre-amp tubes past what they can handle, producing microphonic squeal!
Click to expand...
Here you go boingo, it's on the Boogie board forum
 
If you get a quality tube that isn't microphonic, you won't have that problem. The biggest reason not to have both the gain and the treble decked at the same time is: IT SOUNDS BAD!
 
I usually go to about 3:30 on gain :eek: :D . I have only dimed the gain once when I first got the amp, and once after changing the tubes.
 
OhSh1rt said:
Pots can be linear or logarithmic-one has a smooth taper through the whole rotation and the other has a drastic change in the first quarter of the turn-I had the last type on and amp and it was a bitch! Either too quiet or too damned LOUD
Click to expand...
resizing the pot will probably fix this :)
 
Last edited:
I've heard they have a new method of pot reduction surgical procedure.
 
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