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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 4/30/2006 3:02:56 AM | Yup, all tubes. It's 4 power tubes, 581wxxt's, I believe. Biasing switch on the back which makes it easier to bias. It was a one year thing I believe, master volume amp. It's rare, not exactly a collector's item, but harder to find. Even with the loudest players i've played with, it's still as loud as anyone would really need. 
Why is a 140 watt amp not likely to be tubes? I'm not doubting you, I just want to know why it's not standard practice. I also managed to get a "frankencab"--an unmarked 140 watt cab, with 2 12" Celestions that date back to 1984. 15 ohm speakers, which is pretty rare, right? | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 4/30/2006 7:23:42 AM | The maximum power you can get out of a Sovtek 5881 wxt is 30w per tube, and that's biased "hot" (not a "true" 6L6/5881, the sovtek 5881 is actually a re-labeled Russian military tube, the "wxt" designation just means it has a full base, as opposed the their usual 1/8" base that makes them unsuitable for amps with "bear-claw" clamps). The Fenders that were made in the late 70's - 80's that used ultra-linear output transformers could manage 120w out of four 6L6's. You may have "watts consumption" mixed up with "watts output". What modelf amp is it?
15 ohm Celestions were common, and used in a lot 4x12 cabs. | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/2/2006 5:45:58 PM | let's talk Larrivee acoustics...was at Long's today checkin' out some prices for Taylors, and the clerk got talking about Larrivee...he likes em better than Taylors and it's obvious they're comparable from playing one for a few minutes.....
....but any other opinions on these axes? ....ya ya they're made in Canada YAY! but other than that? | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/4/2006 4:42:17 AM | I own 2 Taylor,s and 2 Godin,s[one nylon, synth ready] and a Adamas carbon top.
Each Guitar makes me play differently i feel you really gotta sit with a Guitar
and play it and decide what your use is for it. Ihe Larrivee,s are very nice
and handcrafted.And use some very good pickup system,s. You cannot really go wrong with one.Though i wonder how they keep the cost down. I notice my Taylor,s have increased
in price when i check them out at the local git shop,s so i geuss this is a plus in owning a
Taylor. | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/4/2006 12:57:21 PM | paulchino ii
I think late did a thing on larviee's early on in this thread............maybe
my experience is that acoustics at that price point are all pretty nice
I would just keep playing 4 or 5 different one and find which one you keep coming back to
ps
don't just go by the intial feel of a guitar, cause lots of shops will do a set up on it if you
buy the guitar | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/5/2006 7:30:35 AM |
Though i wonder how they keep the cost down.
I was interviewed for employment at Larrivee some years back. One cost cutting measure is wages (or lack of) for employees. You have to have a passion for guitar building far beyond monetary compensation for labour put out. I didn't take the job because I couldn't afford to. | |
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| Fender '57 Twin Amp
Posted: 5/5/2006 9:51:34 AM | | I am considering spending the $2700 or so L&M wants for a Fender '57 Twin Amp (I totally dig tube amps, hand-wired point-to-point even more so). Anyone got any thoughts on this one? What about comparable options? | |
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| THE GUITAR PLAYER'S THREAD
Posted: 5/5/2006 3:58:00 PM | | HEY FRIEND IN FRET-HOOD!...THE BROTHER WHO IS CRACKIN' UP ALL THE LES PAULS!! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??...I'VE PLAYED AND OWNED ALL KINDA GUITARS....I'VE HAD SEVERAL TYPES OF LES PAULS AND NEVER BROKE THE NECKS ON ANY!!!....30+YRS OF SOUTHERN AND CLASSIC ROCKING AND HARD TOURING....DO YOU KEEP THEM IN A HARDSHELL OR ROAD CASE???....YOU CHOPPIN' WOOD WITH THEM OR WHAT!!! LOL!!!....HOW ARE THEY BREAKIN' ON YA LIKE THAT MAN??? ~DOC ALLEY~ | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/5/2006 4:31:03 PM | | HEY "LATE"...YOU ARE RIGHT ON TIME!!...I'M DOC ALLEY AND HAVE TOURED WITH SOME BIG BOYS!!...YOU GOT MORE INSIGHT THAN I'VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME!!...YOU'RE DEAD ON ABOUT THE LAYLA RECORDINGS!!...IF YOU KNOW HOW....A LITTLE BIT CAN BOOM A LONG WAY!! PLAYED REAL "BIG" IN SOME HALLS AND CENTERS WITH ONLY A PEAVY RENOWN ON STAGE...MIC IT STRAIGHT TO WHERE IT CAN BE PLAYED WITH A LITTLE/LOT....THAT WOULD BE TO THE SOUND-MAN!!!!....SAVYYYYY???!!!!!! | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/6/2006 10:18:15 PM | | hey hows everyone, so far ive built a bass and a guitar i think ther awsome but i wanna know what other people think of them theres pics in my pro it would be awsome to here from player on what they think of them | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/7/2006 7:12:37 AM | I just picked up an Ibanez RG320FMAM electric guitar. I've also got one of those Roland Microcube practice amps. For the past three weeks, I've been taking guitar lessons and I've enjoy it. I can't play a tune and right now I'm learning chords and practicing chord changes.
It was something I've been curious about and have put off doing for years. I've always dreamt about playing guitar and being especially good at it. | |
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| Traynor Mark 3 combo?
Posted: 5/7/2006 9:01:06 AM | | Just curious what some of you might think of the Traynor Mark 3 2-12" combo amp. All tube, supposedly 100 watts (85 in reality I think I read somewhere). I have one That I have been keeping because of the all tube point-to-point circuitry. They seem to be good amps (I used one for years about 25 years ago, but don't remember getting the tone I wanted plugging straight in. | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/7/2006 11:03:17 AM | | mutherbuckers and it was a on board 5way distortion switch, grover tuners, and a strat style bridge | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/7/2006 2:04:10 PM | mmmmmbaby
I have a traynor mark 3 also
I kinda got a 'love/hate' thing going with it
tonally it can be good ,then too harsh,then muddy,then ...........
that is what mine is like | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/10/2006 3:58:54 PM |
Just curious what some of you might think of the Traynor Mark 3 2-12" combo amp.
Killer amp.
Better built than any Marshall or Fender 100w combo from the same era, ...and pretty much the same circuit.
Like any quality built tube-amp, it's only as good as it's been tweaked/serviced.
As far as big-assed combos are concerned, the only one better is the ampeg VT-22, and that's just 'cause it's a better circuit in regards to it's preamp/tone-stack.
re: Fender 140
Checked up on this, yeah ...it uses the same "135w" UL output-tranny as the "Twin" from that era, it's also likely a Paul Rivera design. Either way, the RMS rating is more influenced by how it's measured, than actual output. Which, typically is going to be around 120w max.
As to "rarity"?
Perhaps, however ...I see a lot of these for sale at less than $200. The original cabs that they were shipped with had EVMs, ...probably "worth" more than the amp, in "raw speakers" alone.
Probably a case of an amp, too "off the mainstream" control-wise, for the average, idiot-guitar player to figger out, as is the case with the ampeg V4/VT22.
Still, after looking at the schematic, the tone-stack looks more "'70s ampeg" than "Fender". I'd love to try one. | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/10/2006 9:16:39 PM | Hello, I'm new to the forums and this is my first post. Forgive me if i am breaking protocol by just jumping in. I am responding to Lates comments:
BTW, I notice some guys putting their amp on stand-by during "breaks", .....this isn't what it's for, it's simply for use as the tube "heaters" are warming up, so that no voltage is applied to the tubes' plates.
This is to prevent something called "cathode stripping", when there's voltage on the plates when they're "cold", ....which causes pre-mature wear to the tube plates.
Indirectly heated cathodes have a thin oxide layer on them that increases the efficiency of thermionic emmission (liberation of electrons by introducing heat to the cathode). This emmission provides a space charge; an abundance of electrons around the cathode. Without this space charge for the plates to draw current from, the electrons are literally ripped from the cathode taking some of the oxide layer with them, whence the name "cathode stripping". This reduces the effectiveness of the cathode of supplying electrons. It is the cathode that is damaged, not the plates, and it is the cathode that must be heated, not the plates.
The amount of heat the plates can tolerate determine the tubes' power dissapation, and effectively the tubes audio power output. These are two separate beasts, one tamed for our use, the other a necessary evil.
As most power tubes are biased very close to their maximum plate dissapation (vintage Marshalls are almost always overbiased by design), it is best to place the amp in standby between sets to prolong tube life. The standby switch does double duty.
Also:
Preamp tubes can even be "swapped" while the amp is powered up, .......no risk/no harm, though you may want to have it in stand-by when swapping preamp tubes, I don't bother though......
Well, this brings us right back to the problem of cathode stripping, not to mention the risk of shock. Use the standby switch religiously...
I hope Mr. Late does not perceive my comments as an attack. I have spent many hours pondering the mysteries of tube amp design in the quest all of us pursue, that of killer tone.  | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/10/2006 10:27:21 PM | well thank you g-man...
sure would like to look at that old traynor
have you tried a filter cap replacement, and/or power tube replacement? | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/11/2006 12:57:09 AM | some tubes were replaced
and caps
it has a hum like 60 cycles all the time
tech thought it might be the transformer it is in the power section
because I can improve my signal to noise ratio by using a powersoak and pushing the preamp a little harder
ps
here is a question
why do spring reverbs always stop working ,,,then you wiggle stuff or hit the amp and they comeback
like a short or dirty contacts | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/11/2006 5:53:29 PM | from the 2 schematics i've found on the internet, and from what you have told me thus far, i would surmise that you have a problem in the bias section of the power supply, the most likely culprits beitng bad filter capacitors. the bias supply is half wave rectified, so there is your sixty hertz. there are two different power transformers for the amps in the schematics i have. one has a separate winding for the bias supply, and the other taps off of the high voltage winding. if you have a schematic, let me know which one it is so we can be on the same page. the bias supply for the separate winding transformer amp has an 8uF@250v cap and a 64uF@64v cap. the tapped transformer amp has a single 64uF@64v cap. figure out what amp you have, replace the caps, fire it up, and set the bias pot so you have 37 volts accross the 64uF cap. that should cure your problems. or i'll take the amp off your hands for $50 =).
as for the reverb, well it's mechanical, and mechanical stuff breaks. i can only speculate. could be a broke wire, or cold solder joint. it's an accutronics so it's a cheap and easy replacement if you can't fix it. | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/11/2006 7:35:32 PM | I will copy and paste that and send it to me amp tech
he can look at it and hopefully help
thanks again
........................................................................................................................................................ | |
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/12/2006 8:22:05 AM | It is the cathode that is damaged, not the plates, and it is the cathode that must be heated, not the plates.
Oops, if I implied otherwise, ...."voltage to the plates", would have been better expressed as "high-voltage to the tube".
As for the stand-by debate, I'll offer the advice of tube guru, "Fat Willie"/"Lord Valve" -
What do I do with the standby switch?
If your amp is equipped with a STANDBY switch, there is only one correct way to use it. DON'T flick both the POWER and STANDBY switches on (or off) at the same time, or leave the STANDBY switch permanently in the "operate" position while using just the POWER switch. When you turn your amp's POWER switch on, make sure that the STANDBY switch is in the "standby" position. A STANDBY switch interrupts the high voltage supply to the tubes; when the amp is on "standby," only the tubes' filaments have voltage applied to them. When you turn the amp on, leave it on "standby" for at least five minutes...ten would be even better. This allows the tubes to warm up gradually; the tubes can take the high-voltage surge when the STANDBY switch is moved to the "operate" position much better when they are warmed up first. After the STANDBY switch is placed into the "operate" (or "playing") position, it will still take the power tubes several more minutes to reach full operating heat. It won't hurt anything to play the amp while the tubes are still not all the way hot, but the amp won't sound as good as it can until the tubes reach full operating temperature.
If you're playing a gig, DON'T PUT THE AMP ON STANDBY DURING THE BREAKS! Once it's hot, LEAVE it hot! Putting the amp on "standby" every time you leave the stand just thermally cycles the tubes (hot/warm/hot/warm etc.) all night long; this causes expansion and contraction of the internal parts, and this is one of the ways that tubes wear out. If you're worried about your guitar feeding back while you're on a break, just turn the guitar's volume control all the way down before you lean it against the amp or place it in its stand. When the gig is over, put the amp on "standby" and let it cool down for five or ten minutes before you turn it all the way off.
But my tube amp doesn't have a standby switch!
Leave the controls zeroed (turned all the way down) while the amp warms up. Tubes can make some strange noises as they heat; popping, fizzing, crackling, creaking, etc. These sounds may be alarming, but they are quite normal. Let the amp warm up for five or ten minutes before you play anything through it.
The amp may have been designed not to need one. Many smaller amps with tube rectifiers have tube complements that work fine in these situations. If your tube amp has a solid state rectifier, though, you may wish to have a standby switch added, especially if the amp seems to eat tubes.
- Fat Willie/"Lord Valve" NBS Electronics
"Swapping" preamp tubes"
Well, this brings us right back to the problem of cathode stripping, not to mention the risk of shock. Use the standby switch religiously...
I hope Mr. Late does not perceive my comments as an attack. I have spent many hours pondering the mysteries of tube amp design in the quest all of us pursue, that of killer tone.
No offense percieved, while most can agree that tube amps are the only way to killer tone, ...there's often a wide range of "opinion" on the details. As for swapping preamp tubes, it's not something I do very often, and usually only to find the best candidate for socket "1". Often an amp doesn't have a "stand-by", either because it is tube rectified, or just not part of the circuit as sometimes happens with older amps such as my GA-15 RVT, which I swap "hot" with the volume turned down, and with one hand in my pocket (also, I did rec. that people use the stand-by for this). Putting a pre-amp tube through a few hot-swaps is not going to have a significant affect on it's lifespan, the GA was made in'65, ...no rectifier, no standby, and still has two original tubes in it (shrug), though as with anything, ...if you aren't familiar with working around tube amps, never do anything to one if it's plugged in, and NEVER assume that unplugging it makes it safe, either.
Hum
If the amp has already been serviced/re-capped and still hums, it could be a few things, from minor grounding issues to transformer gone south, and many other things. So, this is probably best solved on the bench by the tech who worked on it, if he can't find the cause, it might be wise to find a new tech.
PS: While it could be a transformer, I wouldn't think it very likely as Pete Traynor really over-built his amps, especially in regards to "iron".
Reverb
The transducers at each end of the spring are delicate and are easily damaged, ....often don't age well either. The RCA jacks sometimes can be problematic, and using known "good" RCA cable and cleaning the jacks on the tank sometimes fixes problems.
As was said, replacement tanks from Accutronics are dirt cheap.
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| The guitar player's thread
Posted: 5/12/2006 1:03:57 PM | @ Late:
You offer some good advice to newbies for safety. For anyone who is reading this and is uncomfortable working on tube amps, definitely take it to a knowledgable tech. There are lethal voltages in tube amps. Saving $100 or so on labor isn't worth your life. This risk is why they charge as much.
As for the standby debate; to each his own. This debate has been going on for decades with no signs of letting up. I will continue to use it to "standby" during breaks. As fragile as tubes are physically, they stand thermal abuse remarkably well as you have witnessed.
As for the Traynor, from what g-man has told me thus far, the bias caps seem the likely culprits and would be the first thing i would R&R. Hum plus the change of sound, made me deduce this. The fact that he can drive it hard with a power soak suggests the transformers are ok.
Hum sources can be a real mofo to locate.
Reverb circuits can have many problems, and you have to check them all. That is why i can only speculate. RCA jacks and plugs are crap, but what can you do short of replacing them?
@ G-man:
By all means, have your tech look at the amp as he can bias it properly (and probably needs the money). =) | |
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