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Post by tkjrmiller on Oct 31, 2021 6:24:47 GMT -7
Happy Halloween!
I have some Blackface and Silverface Fenders, and am going to try the BrownBox with them. I am hopeful, as I do find them sounding harsher than I expect they should.
I would like some input on the voltage my newer amps would prefer to see. I gig most weekends with a Maz18NR, and most of the club power here comes in around 123 volts. Is it worth taking the BrownBox on the gig and knocking it down to 120 or less with newer amps?
Thanks all, Todd
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Post by zpilot on Oct 31, 2021 7:43:31 GMT -7
Not in my opinion. Also if those Fenders sound harsh to you a speaker change to something like a Eminence Cannabis Rex might be in order.
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Post by DRZ on Oct 31, 2021 17:20:22 GMT -7
Happy Halloween! I have some Blackface and Silverface Fenders, and am going to try the BrownBox with them. I am hopeful, as I do find them sounding harsher than I expect they should. I would like some input on the voltage my newer amps would prefer to see. I gig most weekends with a Maz18NR, and most of the club power here comes in around 123 volts. Is it worth taking the BrownBox on the gig and knocking it down to 120 or less with newer amps? Thanks all, Todd YES Z
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Post by tkjrmiller on Oct 31, 2021 17:39:02 GMT -7
OK thanks! Can you please recommend a voltage setting? What does the Maz prefer?
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Post by DRZ on Nov 1, 2021 0:49:19 GMT -7
OK thanks! Can you please recommend a voltage setting? What does the Maz prefer? 120 V is optimum for the big sound of the MAZ 18, that is what it's designed to run at. But just a 4 volt increase in wall voltage takes the EL 84's ( if they are JJ El 84's ) past design specs. Understand the Power transformer in a tube amp is is 3 times step up. So, a 120V AC input voltage turns into 360V DC voltage at the EL 84's plates. A touch hot but that is the MAZ 18's sound. So a 4 V AC increase at the wall equals a 12V DC increase at the plates , no longer in the sweet spot pushing JJ's too hard and after a hour or so their tone suffers , and so does their longevity. Large bottled Output tubes like 6L6, EL 34, 6550, KT 66's can handle a 12 V increase plate voltage without breaking a sweat, but not a small bottled EL 84. Now 6n14n's can handle the higher plate voltage and plate currant , that's why all MAZ 18's for the past few years have come standard with 6n14's. One click down on a Brown Box is good for a MAZ 18 running on typical piss poor Bar Wall voltage. Z
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Post by tkjrmiller on Nov 1, 2021 4:02:31 GMT -7
Thank you very much, I really appreciate the help. My Maz is a 2019, and came stock with the 6N14N's.
Take care, Todd
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Post by pcns on Nov 1, 2021 4:18:20 GMT -7
this topic was and answer from Dr Z was worth logging on for today!!
I Love learning new things!
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Post by adam on Nov 2, 2021 5:58:55 GMT -7
I wonder if this has something to do with people in general having problems with tube failure or thinking tubes just aren't what they used to be.
My wall voltage is 124.8 which is in what they call acceptable range (+/- 5% puts the high at 126v). I put in a Furman voltage regulator a lone time ago for the music stuff and haven't had any problems since, but I do have one amp in particular that would last about 5 hours and blow tubes (and a bunch of other stuff with it) and I kind of gave up on that amp, but I bet that was the problem all along with that one.
I also remember one place we used to play in the 80's where it was always below 110. For whatever that's worth.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Nov 2, 2021 19:58:57 GMT -7
About ten years ago I made up a bucking transformer box with a 12 volt center tapped 3 amp transformer, so with 122.5 volts from the wall I can get about 115 and 109 volts from it. I put it in a little project box with a switch and a couple of LED indicators, it worked out great. The whole thing probably cost $15 for parts.
The power in my township goes up and down like a roller coaster, from 120-125 or so depending on the area's load on the grid.
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Post by zpilot on Nov 2, 2021 22:55:08 GMT -7
I built one too and I use it with a vintage Traynor I have that uses EL84s. The plate voltage in that amp runs just south of 400 on our normal wall voltage. I assume the normal voltage in Canada must have been close to 110 when this was built although the amp specs 117 on the back. I drop it down to about 370 and use 6n14n tubes. I have not had any problems running them like that. I run my MAZ 8 on wall voltage and have been happy with that. Yes I know it has a different power amp than a MAZ Jr. I have no idea what the plate voltage is running. I didn't have any problems with the MAZ 18 I used to have either. I don't remember what tubes it came with but I retubed with 6n14ns.
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