Question:
Whats a fairly cheap ultra-high gain tube amp (something under 500 prefferably), i mean like 6 or 7 gain stages man. I want somethin with almost too much gain, cause on overdrive i like a really really heavy, raunchy sound, and i need something that i can afford, that will also deliver (and something prefferably in a 2x12, or 1x12 configuration).
Answer:
My Yamaha T50C is absolutely wonderful for high gain tones. It really does have more gian then any other tube amp I've ever played. You can look at my New Amp thread for all the details on it, and some sound clips. I also like the super-high-gain tube amps. They're really hard to find compared to the lesser gain brothers.
Other options are Peavey Ultra/Triumph, used 5150's, maybe a used Marshall TSL or DSL combo.
Answer:
Originally Posted by Rainer. My Yamaha T50C is absolutely wonderful for high gain tones. It really does have more gian then any other tube amp I've ever played. You can look at my New Amp thread for all the details on it, and some sound clips. I also like the super-high-gain tube amps. They're really hard to find compared to the lesser gain brothers.
Other options are Peavey Ultra/Triumph, used 5150's, maybe a used Marshall TSL or DSL combo.
Well how many stages does your amp go thru (im not good at reading schematics so i wouldnt be able to tell )?
And soundclips dont help cause this computer doesnt have windows media player
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I can't tell from the schematic exactly how many gain stages the sound goes through, but trust me, this thing is high gain. Engineered by Soldano (famous for amps with gobs of gain), if that gives you an idea.
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His amp has 5 gain stages total on the OD channel. Keep in mind that in an amp, there is much more to the design than just the # of gain stages.
The amp has 3 pretty hot stages, one colder stage, and another gain. The signal will actually distort at the 4th stage; the 5th looks like it is there to simply boost the signal again after the effects loop and before tone stack (probably to make sure the power amp is at full potential). So, in terms of simply what is used for distortion, it is 4 stages.
When running clean, the signal goes through 4 gains in the basic preamp before the tone stack. Base an amp on the how it sounds, not on gain stages... Potentially, you could run 15 gain stages and run it cleaner than 3 gain stages... design is everything... I could set up 2 gain stages, use diode clipping, and clip that signal to nearly a square wave. It wouldn't be pretty, but can be done, and it would definitely be distorted.
my 2 cents...
Answer:
Originally Posted by demon_hunter 6 or 7 gain stages man
I think the only amps made with that many gain stages are Peavey 5150s, which have 6 stages before EQ and 0 after eq... also especially since the 5150s are discontinued they'd be the cheapest as well, you could probobly find one on ebay. The only other cloest thing is a Soladano's lead channel which has 5 gain stages, or a Mesa lead channel which has 5 (4 before EQ 1 after). Early JCM-800's had 3 1 before EQ and 2 after, the later JCM-800's and JCM-900's have 3 all before EQ.
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Dumb question, but what exactly are "gain stages"? I don't really use high gain amps, in fact, my amp doesn't even have a drive channel.
Answer:
Originally Posted by Mattlock Dumb question, but what exactly are "gain stages"? I don't really use high gain amps, in fact, my amp doesn't even have a drive channel.
Gain stages are found in the preamp; depending on the amp, it may be SS or tube, and there may be only a couple, or in a 'high gain' amp, 5-6.
Basically, a gain stage is a tube/transistor that increases the voltage (amplitude, volume) of a signal. When you cascade them, sending the outputs of gain stages into the inputs of the next, the signal becomes significantly larger. Distortion occurs when either:
1) One of the preamp gain stages gets a signal too hot fed into it and it can't fully amplify the signal, so it gets clipped, or
2) The signal is fed too hot into the power and, again, is then clipped
I can most likely draw up some stuff on circuit maker to be able to show you better what I mean; as for now, I need to get ready for chuch.
Answer:
Originally Posted by tht00 Gain stages are found in the preamp; depending on the amp, it may be SS or tube, and there may be only a couple, or in a 'high gain' amp, 5-6.
Basically, a gain stage is a tube/transistor that increases the voltage (amplitude, volume) of a signal. When you cascade them, sending the outputs of gain stages into the inputs of the next, the signal becomes significantly larger. Distortion occurs when either:
1) One of the preamp gain stages gets a signal too hot fed into it and it can't fully amplify the signal, so it gets clipped, or
2) The signal is fed too hot into the power and, again, is then clipped
I can most likely draw up some stuff on circuit maker to be able to show you better what I mean; as for now, I need to get ready for chuch. Would that be "good" distortion, or "bad" distortion"? (Again, dumb question)
Answer:
Originally Posted by Mattlock Would that be "good" distortion, or "bad" distortion"? (Again, dumb question)
Either one is usually good. Amplitude distortion is the type of distortion that guitarists are after... there are other 'kinds' of distortion (crossover, blocking, etc. that are bad)... and also distortion in preamp tubes will differ from the distortion from power tubes. In high-gain amps, you the distortion typically will come from the preamp. In non-master volume amps (ex. AC15), there are not usually a ton of gain stages, but the power amp can be pushed into distortion... and of course, there are all kinds of combinations between the two.
Basically, distortion means 'change'. When a tube/transistor is pushed beyond what it can fully amplify, so the signal is clipped on the top and bottom. This again depends on the design, and amplitude distortion from a transistor or tube can be good or bad.
Anyway, not a 'dumb question'. This can be some confusing stuff to try to understand.
Any Circuit Maker is acting up... bleh.
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Unless you're on a hi-fi-type system, in which distortion is bad.
The 5150's are the same as the new 6505's. Just renamed, since EVH left Peavey.
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Ok thanx.
Umm, well like i asked in another thread, if i dont like how much drive i get in my amp, it would still be possible to have it modded for more gain (permitting there is room for more tubes)?
Answer:
Originally Posted by demon_hunter Ok thanx.
Umm, well like i asked in another thread, if i dont like how much drive i get in my amp, it would still be possible to have it modded for more gain (permitting there is room for more tubes)?
An alternative would be to essentially add a gain stage before the amp... typically a booster/EQ pedal.
As for a mod, a beginner taking on a task like this would only end you with a dead/damaged amp; you'd want to find someone experienced to do that, and even then, there might not be a whole lot that can be changed with the tone.
Your best bet is to find another amp with the sound you want.
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Or if there's a high-gain amp that's not quite over the top, try it along with a boost in the store, or something.
Answer:
Originally Posted by tht00 An alternative would be to essentially add a gain stage before the amp... typically a booster/EQ pedal.
As for a mod, a beginner taking on a task like this would only end you with a dead/damaged amp; you'd want to find someone experienced to do that, and even then, there might not be a whole lot that can be changed with the tone.
Your best bet is to find another amp with the sound you want.
yah, i wouldnt do it myself. I know nothing of wiring, or anything like that.