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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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Sep 11, 2016 - 01:28pm PT
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that Hartke is nice, i believe there is a tube in there,
some of this class d stuff is amazing, 2000 watts in a cigar box
Carvin makes a 2000 watt bass amp that has the best sound that i have tried,
got some diy studio stuff, quad 8, api, telefunken v76 and v72, langevin am16, la2a, pultec eqp1a and meq5, western electric, working on 1176 rev a and ssl mixbus compressor, fairchild 670,
enclosures here.
http://collectivecases.com/
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Sep 11, 2016 - 03:37pm PT
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Not the amp, but how I am changing my method of joining the guitar to the amp:
http://btpa.com/CA-0446.html
I just bought some of this and some Neutrik connectors to make a cable with lower capacitance so less of the high frequency signal is bled off to ground before it gets to the amp. Some players liked to use the cable itself (e.g. coils in cable to increase length to increase capacitance) as a form of EQ to manage the high frequency spikes from their guitar (e.g. Jimi Hendrix), but I would prefer to have this be configurable in my equipment and not lose any of the signal in the first place. Maybe it doesn't matter for low quality signals, but with higher quality signals the impact of the cable can be significant. I've never played with a low capacitance cable yet, but within the next few weeks I should know if I like it (if it's "like taking a blanket off my tone") and if theory matches up with practice. Maybe this is all hand-wringing and changing the treble knob on the amp by a hair overcomes whatever effect there is from the cable?
When it comes to audio tone, very often I have been wrong about thinking something theoretically and then having that not match up with what I discover after more experience. I am in the midst of a tone quest and realizing how ignorant I am after 25+ years of playing guitar. But I have a good mentor now who is motivating me to go deeper, and I'm digging in. We'll see if I survive the odyssey with my high quality digital modeling of analog amplifiers, or if I end up back in the 1960s stone age.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Sep 11, 2016 - 05:20pm PT
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or if I end up back in the 1960s stoned age.
I think that's what you meant to say?
:-)
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Sep 11, 2016 - 05:31pm PT
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Make it all in one!
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 20, 2016 - 08:05pm PT
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I've decided that my best option all around is a Marshall JCM800 50W replica.
That's 3x 12ax7's in the pre stage and 2 x EL34 power tubes in the output stage. The reason for the change is I need an amp to 'work with'. One with a defined PRE stage and a defined OUTPUT. That will let me do some research on biasing the circuits. And designing new ones.
EL84 pre tubes and 6V6 outputs are always in play too of course. I'd like to limit it to these 4 varieties because they;ll still be around for a while. The Russians knock out some pretty good tubes nowadays. And they will for a while.
So, I'll proceed with a 50W JCM800 replica.
EDIT: Some might ridicule the need for a $1500 cable for audio when all you need is an Iphone with a $15 cable. I think I said before that you'll know really sweet audio when you hear it. It's really what music should be about, but not just the music, how you hear it is also important.
For example, hearing Rush '2112' with headphones for the first time is mind-expanding. Having the clear stereo seperation phasing back and forth through you mind (what it sounds like) is electrifying!!!!
I work in digital audio now, and it has missed and pissed many of old-schoolers. Digital audio is really good now. My company is one of the best, but I'll digress on that.
Analog is the wave of the future. Not really, but it just sounds so good for audio. Hard to explain, but clearly audible. And Measurable!
Analog audio will have a market for a long time I think. Especially tube amplifiers.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 20, 2016 - 08:34pm PT
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Tad, hold onto that Ampeg SVT head! Those things are want I want to 're-do' myself for my bass rig. I played through one once, blew my mind how it sounded. Hard and warm doesn't do it justice, you have to be there and hear it, feel it. Never heard a bass amp as badass as that. It was perfect!
But that's why I want to analyze that model. Prolly won't make it better, but may be able to dial down the wattage and maintain the same 'vibe'.
Tad the standard SVT is 400W, right, or 1000W or some insane sh#t?
I'm trying to buy a new house too, and hoping to get a good shop to get this sh#t going in. Housing market's a bitch right now....
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 20, 2016 - 08:39pm PT
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i-b-goB, who are you?
Are you new? I don't care, just curious. Would we know you from before?
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Sep 20, 2016 - 08:53pm PT
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Ampeg SVT!!!
[Click to View YouTube Video]
The second guitar solo at 2:54 is one of my all-time favorites... so much soul to it, even at mach 2!
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 20, 2016 - 08:56pm PT
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THx, gobi, that's what I thought. Seen the name around, didn't know why.
Back to the amps...
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Sep 20, 2016 - 11:18pm PT
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I've decided that my best option all around is a Marshall JCM800 50W replica.
Well, we agree at a high level on what sounds good! In my digital amp simulator with more than 100 amps modeled in excruciating detail, the JCM800 is what I played with in rehearsal last night. Awesome crunchiness, great gritty cleans, and thick Santana-ish lead sounds all accessible from a single amp setting just controlled by volume knob on guitar.
I had made a separate tone based on a Mesa Mark IV for my cleans, with KT66 tubes replacing the stock, and it sounded great at home. But cranked up with the band it sounded thin and I quickly shifted back to using the JCM800 with the volume knob down on my guitar. It's a much warmer and cutting clean. For the crunchy tones, I don't use the preamp gain very high on the unit itself, but rather rely on an external boost before the amp (actually a "Trim" control added to the amp model). Heavenly sounding.
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kev
climber
A pile of dirt.
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Sep 21, 2016 - 10:37am PT
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Dude,
If you want to make a realy cool/old school display for gain, etc, you should use nixie tubes! Best place to get them is to buy and old frequency counter. Don't just buy the tubes on fleabay as you'll spend way too much.
Also earlier you mentioned hardwood. Watch out don't go crazy and get bubinga wood or something similar - you will destroy many blades cutting this. I know this as a friend of mine made some speakers enclosures out of this and I heard the the saga of blade destruction throughout this project...
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 21, 2016 - 05:33pm PT
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Kev, as for the hardwoods, they're prolly good acoustically for speaker cabinets. I would imagine.
For guitar amps, oak would be fine, I'd imagine. Especially with a good linseed oil/beeswax finish on it!. Pretty solid, somewhat easy to work with, and looks nice.
I love this stuff for a finish on oak. http://triedandtrue.biz/original.html
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Sep 21, 2016 - 08:17pm PT
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It would be interesting to see a study of cabinet building techniques and insights people have had over time for tone shaping. The cabinet and speakers have a dramatic impact on the overall sound, as much as the amp itself and different BMT settings.
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Sep 21, 2016 - 08:19pm PT
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Open back cabs sound better to me in a small area!
Celestion Vintage 30 Guitar Speakers are boss!
And a cab make so it doesn't rattle and make unwanted noise!
Birch is a good wood to use!
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 22, 2016 - 07:01pm PT
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Gobe, roger that on the open-backed cabinets for small venues.
You think birch on material, huh? I have no idea really, but I'd think a denser (red oak) material may be better.
I have to research that, or just build a side-by-side spkr cabinet of both woods. Give one away.
The 30 degree (15 degree) slant of most cabinet fronts should be researched also. Again it all depends on the room you're designing it for. Small house jam, or a medium-sized club.
So many variables. I have a sense that wood-types will not have a big effect, but a heavy (oak) cabinet would be more solid, vibrate less.
Definitely open backed, but how much? I'll experiment with that, that's easy.
Cabinet front angle? Between 10 and 20 degrees is he most I'd think. Hold on!!!! I can make it f*#king adjustable, and still solid!!!! Or not. I'll look at the angle when I build it/them.
EDIT: Oh, I'm also planning on making the amplifier seperable from the cabinet. Kinda like a head and a cabinet. But I'll design the 'head' so that it fastens down hard to the cabinet with hand-bolts, so it's all together. A transportable one-piece unit. But also a switchable head or cabinet. You wan the birch cabinet at 15 degrees, or the mahogany cabinet at 10 degree?
And you could have people specify what specific stains (for your inventory) they want on their cabinet. Light/natural or a deep walnut, or whatever the really dark ones are?
I have organic stains that are baby safe for them to lick on too! Just keep their mouths off the tubes!!!!
Fun stuff!
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Sep 22, 2016 - 07:44pm PT
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Just keep their mouths off the tubes!!!!
So I've been lurking here but that one had me choking on my ale... lol.
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Sep 22, 2016 - 08:10pm PT
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EL34's in action...
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 22, 2016 - 09:38pm PT
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So I've been lurking here but that one had me choking on my ale... lol.
Things just sound weird sometimes. You know what I meant! Funny though....
EDIT:
Celestion Vintage 30 Guitar Speakers are boss!
I hear that too. But I have open ears, I need more suggestions!
Sprock? Ksolem knows his speakers! But Kris may not know instrument speakers.
Sprock? I hear EV makes some good replicas of the vintage speakers.
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