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Post by Danny on Aug 27, 2006 10:45:30 GMT -7
I play through a Prescription ES head and 2x12 cab. It came stock with a tube rectifier. What changes should I expect to hear and feel if I swapped the tube for a solid state rectifer? And would such a thing harm the amp?
Thanks,
Daniel
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Post by bluzsteel on Aug 29, 2006 7:29:19 GMT -7
I think it will tighten up the amp ,did it in my Maz 38 , and my old Super Reverbs and my Bad Cat. if you use Tube rect its a good idea just to have one in your bag
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Post by Danny on Aug 29, 2006 8:18:11 GMT -7
bluzsteel,
Thanks for the response. You said if I use a tube recto that I should keep one in my bag. Do you mean keep a SS recto in the bag as a back-up?
I recently sold my Maz 38 Senior to get the RxES and stupidly left my new full set of JJs AND my SS recto in the amp rather than pulling them out to keep as backups, so I'll have to invest in a SS recto or two again.
Cheers!
Daniel
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Post by myles on Aug 29, 2006 11:16:45 GMT -7
I think it will tighten up the amp ,did it in my Maz 38 , and my old Super Reverbs and my Bad Cat. if you use Tube rect its a good idea just to have one in your bag Good advice. It will also give the amp a bit more clean headoom and a bit more wattage. Michael Burks and Buddy Whittington both use SS rectifiers in the MAZ 38's. The amp Buddy used at the Canyon Club has a GZ34 rectifier and Buddy noticed it right away but liked it. You may want to get his take on the difference as this just happened last Friday night. SS rectifiers are cheap and one as a backup in your bag is not a bad idea at all. I generally carry spare tube rectifiers personally but a SS state one will never wear out or be broken from handling in a hard manner.
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Post by dongiesen on Aug 29, 2006 16:39:18 GMT -7
just reading this thread and assuming the question entailed installing solid state circuitry but from the sounds of replies are we saying that a SS has a male socket format and is self contained to plug into the existing tube socket?
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Post by Danny on Aug 29, 2006 20:23:23 GMT -7
just reading this thread and assuming the question entailed installing solid state circuitry but from the sounds of replies are we saying that a SS has a male socket format and is self contained to plug into the existing tube socket? dongiesen, Hi. You're right - we're referring simply to the insertion of a solid state (or 'diode') rectifier into the socket where the tube rectifier presently sits. I've done this with both my Maz 38 and my '59 Bassman RI. It tends to boost the output a bit, minimizes the tube 'sag', cleans things up a bit, and even gives a firmer feel to my playing. I wasn't sure how my RxES would respond to the swap; hence the query. It seems that it will react the same way the Maz 38 did. Cheers, Daniel
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Post by billyguitar on Aug 30, 2006 11:20:51 GMT -7
These solid state rectifiers come as dedicated replacements to the specific tube, 5AR4, 5U4, 5Y3 etcetera. How about running a 5Y3 replacement in a 5AR4 amp? Cut the power and maybe give a little sag?
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Post by bluzsteel on Aug 30, 2006 12:19:10 GMT -7
bluzsteel, Thanks for the response. You said if I use a tube recto that I should keep one in my bag. Do you mean keep a SS recto in the bag as a back-up? I recently sold my Maz 38 Senior to get the RxES and stupidly left my new full set of JJs AND my SS recto in the amp rather than pulling them out to keep as backups, so I'll have to invest in a SS recto or two again. Cheers! Daniel yeah as a back up, wont find ant broken glass at the bottom of your bag !
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Post by myles on Aug 30, 2006 12:32:16 GMT -7
These solid state rectifiers come as dedicated replacements to the specific tube, 5AR4, 5U4, 5Y3 etcetera. How about running a 5Y3 replacement in a 5AR4 amp? Cut the power and maybe give a little sag? A lower voltage with a lower model of SS device yes ... sag no. The rise time of a SS rectifier is much faster than a tube rectifier. You also loose that initial bit of compression followed by the bloom as the tube rectifier does it's natural thing.
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Post by BW on Aug 30, 2006 13:04:12 GMT -7
I must say I really did enjoy the tone of Myles' amp. I've been using the SS plug in for goin' on 10 years and have always loved the sound and increased headroom, but if you listen closely, you'll hear the difference and Myles is right on about the note having that natural 'bloom'. Real organic and pleasing to the ear, maybe not as harsh and 'direct' as the SS.
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Post by billyguitar on Aug 30, 2006 14:52:32 GMT -7
That's what I thought the answer would be.
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Post by rcrecelius on Aug 30, 2006 18:26:22 GMT -7
While were on the subject...what is the difference between a SS rect and Webers Copper Cap rect? Isnt the Weber supposed be more "tube like" in its response?
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Post by myles on Aug 31, 2006 11:42:56 GMT -7
While were on the subject...what is the difference between a SS rect and Webers Copper Cap rect? Isnt the Weber supposed be more "tube like" in its response? It is not like either. But you may like it. To me ... if you want a tube use a tube ... SS then use SS.
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Post by tele1962 on Sept 9, 2006 19:42:49 GMT -7
BW, that's always been the whole point. SS rectifiers make life easy, clean and antiseptically trouble free. Always did. Yet we always wondered where our warm, bubbly, and rounder tone had gone. These boutique makers have brought that back, and I'm prepared to live with all the downsides to tube recifiers. It's part of the overall tube sound, and I'm not prepared to go back to diodes, transistor output stages, or printed circuit boards either.
Works great on a modeling amp I own, but not my Z or old Fenders! You're right about the harshness too, and can I humbly suggest, get back to the tubes, man!
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Post by myles on Sept 11, 2006 10:58:12 GMT -7
BW, that's always been the whole point. SS rectifiers make life easy, clean and antiseptically trouble free. Always did. Yet we always wondered where our warm, bubbly, and rounder tone had gone. These boutique makers have brought that back, and I'm prepared to live with all the downsides to tube recifiers. It's part of the overall tube sound, and I'm not prepared to go back to diodes, transistor output stages, or printed circuit boards either. Works great on a modeling amp I own, but not my Z or old Fenders! You're right about the harshness too, and can I humbly suggest, get back to the tubes, man! Quick question .... what modeling amp has a plug in SS rectifier that can be replaced with a tube rectifer and has a power transformer with a winding for a tube rectifier? I am not aware of such an amp so maybe there is something cool out there that I missed.
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