Feel free to ask Myles

[Junior 1]

Thanks, Myles, that's what I thought. A friend of mine was using a VJ with a Squier Bronco bass, which has a pretty mild pickup. I'll get a cheap combo.

[Junior 1]

Hi Myles,

Got GAS, and thinking of buying a short scale SX Strat. I'm just a bedroom player with small hands and wanted to see if one of these would work. It has a 13.7 inch fretboard radius and my Fender Strat and Squier Tele both have a 9.5 inch radius. Is this better for small hands? What effect does that have on the necks playability?

Thanks

Tony

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by Junior 1:

Hi Myles,

Got GAS, and thinking of buying a short scale SX Strat. I'm just a bedroom player with small hands and wanted to see if one of these would work. It has a 13.7 inch fretboard radius and my Fender Strat and Squier Tele both have a 9.5 inch radius. Is this better for small hands? What effect does that have on the necks playability?

Thanks

Tony

Tony,

 

A flatter radius allow deeper bending without the string fretting out as easily on the higher frets. Generally .... flatter radius necks string bend easier but deeper radius necks (7.25" as on vintage Fender guitars) is more comfortable for chording work.

 

I'd ask some of the guitar heavies in here in a new thread as there are some great guitar builders in here.

[Junior 1]

Thanks Myles, I'll do that.

Tony

[untalented]

Originally posted by myles111:

Originally posted by untalented:

Myles -

 

Thanks a lot for your response, what do you think of the Air Brake vs. THD's Hot Plate?

 

I'm partial to the Air Brake just cos I can use it with anything else I pick up, but it seems to be impossible to find one.

I think each of the units is great and they each have their cool aspects. One cool THD aspect is the line out feature which we use on Carl Verheyen's live rig to feed his effects rack. One cool aspect of the Airbrake is nothing to set for impedance, simplicity, and small size. I use both of them extensively.

Myles, I think I might have found a solution but I wanted to ask your advice before I go blow my amp up.

 

I bought the Hotplate, and I'm pretty ambivalent about the sound. With the Hotplate I can't really tame the amp, dialing down to a manageable volume kills the tone completely.

 

Today I tried a Sadowsky Bass Preamp I found at a pawn shop for $20 a few months ago when I was looking for amps and the results are much better. I patched it into my efx loop like it shows in the picture:

 

http://static.flickr.com/72/200745682_e8f894feeb_m.jpg

 

I can really crank the amp now and get some beautiful distortion and good solid cleans at bedroom levels, I just want to make sure nothing is going to explode in my face.

 

Thanks again for all of your advice.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by untalented:

Originally posted by myles111:

Originally posted by untalented:

Myles -

 

Thanks a lot for your response, what do you think of the Air Brake vs. THD's Hot Plate?

 

I'm partial to the Air Brake just cos I can use it with anything else I pick up, but it seems to be impossible to find one.

I think each of the units is great and they each have their cool aspects. One cool THD aspect is the line out feature which we use on Carl Verheyen's live rig to feed his effects rack. One cool aspect of the Airbrake is nothing to set for impedance, simplicity, and small size. I use both of them extensively.

Myles, I think I might have found a solution but I wanted to ask your advice before I go blow my amp up.

 

I bought the Hotplate, and I'm pretty ambivalent about the sound. With the Hotplate I can't really tame the amp, dialing down to a manageable volume kills the tone completely.

 

Today I tried a Sadowsky Bass Preamp I found at a pawn shop for $20 a few months ago when I was looking for amps and the results are much better. I patched it into my efx loop like it shows in the picture:

 

http://static.flickr.com/72/200745682_e8f894feeb_m.jpg

 

I can really crank the amp now and get some beautiful distortion and good solid cleans at bedroom levels, I just want to make sure nothing is going to explode in my face.

 

Thanks again for all of your advice.

What you are doing is just fine, safe, and dandy.

 

Running a preamp or other effect in the loop is one of many options to get the tone you seek and if this unit gets you there that is great.

 

Happy playing.

[untalented]

Myles -

 

Thanks muchly, I'm gonna return the hot plate today.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by untalented:

Myles -

 

Thanks muchly, I'm gonna return the hot plate today.

You are welcome.

 

Nice guitar in your avatar by the way ... I love P90s !

[Junior 1]

Hi Myles,

About to turn 55 and having a senior moment. When using an extention cabinet with 2 jacks, wired positive to positive and negative to negative, will the 2 cabinets connected to each other be in parallel? Thanks, they warned us this would happen in the 60's!

[soulohio]

Hi Myles,

 

What is the difference between a 7027a and a 7581 output tube? Is there any sonic differences? I have two Ampeg VT40's (one coming today) and one has been retubed with 7581's. Thanks.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by Junior 1:

Hi Myles,

About to turn 55 and having a senior moment. When using an extention cabinet with 2 jacks, wired positive to positive and negative to negative, will the 2 cabinets connected to each other be in parallel? Thanks, they warned us this would happen in the 60's!

The should be parallel but check the cable that will go to the amp and meter the ohms from tip to sleeve ..... a touch less than 4 ohm reading (like 3.7 or so) is 4 ohms the amp will see .... about 7 ohms for an 8 ohm load, etc.

 

55 huh? I have you beat by two years

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by soulohio:

Hi Myles,

 

What is the difference between a 7027a and a 7581 output tube? Is there any sonic differences? I have two Ampeg VT40's (one coming today) and one has been retubed with 7581's. Thanks.

The 7581 is a 35 watt dissapation tube. It shares the same pinout at a 6L6. Some people consider it to be one tube with a great 6L6 tone.

 

The 7027 has a pinout that is unlike a 6L6 or 7581 so do not swap these. The 7027 is a 24 watt tube but the 7027A is a 35 watt tube that can also handle 5 watts on the screen so it is a very strong tube. The 7027A can also handle 600+ plate volts which is much more than the 7027 non A variant.

 

They are both great sounding tubes.

 

I prefer Ampeg amps with the orginal type output tube. They are magic amps. For folks that think a Fender Twin is the master of clean they need to hear a VT-22 type amp with twin 12" Altecs and an output of way over 100 watts with ease.

 

If you want to hear some classic VT-40 tones listen to any of the Rolling Stones work in their first few decades.

 

By the way ... NOS tubes of these types are available without much problem at all. There are also new 7027A's and other tubes the smaller Ampeg amps used also.

[Briandon62]

Hello Myles,

 

I want to try out some JAN6L6WGB tubes in my THD Flexi 50. I've seen the specs, but I have read several different opinions about the plate voltage limitations - Is is safe to run these tubes at the higher 475 plate voltage?

Thanks,

Brian

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by Briandon62:

Hello Myles,

 

I want to try out some JAN6L6WGB tubes in my THD Flexi 50. I've seen the specs, but I have read several different opinions about the plate voltage limitations - Is is safe to run these tubes at the higher 475 plate voltage?

Thanks,

Brian

Brian,

 

Perfectly safe as it is not just plate voltage but screen voltage and bias too.

 

Bias at 30mA per tube ... they sound great in the Flexi.

[Darklava]

Myles i have a Marshall tsl-100 head and a Marshall 4x12 cab,the cab is marked 16 ohm

and on the back of the head you have 4,8,16

ohm inputs,plus a a switch for 4 and 8 ohm.

Question is whats the right way to hook this up?

 

Thanks dumblava

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by Darklava:

Myles i have a Marshall tsl-100 head and a Marshall 4x12 cab,the cab is marked 16 ohm

and on the back of the head you have 4,8,16

ohm inputs,plus a a switch for 4 and 8 ohm.

Question is whats the right way to hook this up?

 

Thanks dumblava

Use 16 ohm.

 

The other 4-8 position should say something about parallel speaker use and you do not want to be in the parallel position.

[synthetic]

After you mentioned that the tube rectifier version of the 18W Marshall was better than the solid state, I decided to order an 18W Marshall kit and build my own head. Now I'm ready to start picking out tubes.

 

What I'm after is a brown Marshall plexi tone I can get at low, apartment-building volumes. Reading through your tube primer, I'm still not real sure about the difference between a 12AX7-C and ECC83-S for the preamp side. On the power amp, I'm thinking about the EL84-Y. I might even get a set with a low GT rating so I can get power amp distortion at lower volumes. The 6CA4 rectifier is the last tube in the chain. Does this sound right to you? Thanks for your help, -jl

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by synthetic:

After you mentioned that the tube rectifier version of the 18W Marshall was better than the solid state, I decided to order an 18W Marshall kit and build my own head. Now I'm ready to start picking out tubes.

 

What I'm after is a brown Marshall plexi tone I can get at low, apartment-building volumes. Reading through your tube primer, I'm still not real sure about the difference between a 12AX7-C and ECC83-S for the preamp side. On the power amp, I'm thinking about the EL84-Y. I might even get a set with a low GT rating so I can get power amp distortion at lower volumes. The 6CA4 rectifier is the last tube in the chain. Does this sound right to you? Thanks for your help, -jl

I prefer short plate ECC83 types in this amp as the originals.

 

I love Brimars or RFT tubes in V1. You can get these from Mike at www.kcanostubes.com. If it were my amp:

 

For V1 this:

 

http://www.kcanostubes.com/content/estore_details.asp?category=&product=31

 

http://www.kcanostubes.com/product_pics/31c.jpg

 

May be a bit pricy but it is an amazing tube that will last at least a decade so in the end it may be less pricy.

 

In V2 - http://www.kcanostubes.com/content/estore_details.asp?category=&product=39 which is the balanced RFT.

 

http://www.kcanostubes.com/product_pics/39c.jpg

 

On output tubes .... not the Ei. Too unreliable and short lived.

 

The EL84S (JJ) is the best of the current EL84 tubes by far but if you want to take the next step up

 

http://kcanostubes.com/product_pics/175b.jpg

 

http://kcanostubes.com/content/estore_details.asp?category=&product=175

 

If you go this route ask Mike that on his output tube tester to find you a set at mid number on the test table on the tester or above but less than 75% of the max range. So a number between 50-75% of his scale on the tester.

 

If your workmanship is above par and you use good pots and transformers I would love to hear this when it is done.

 

Hook this up to a cab with two Vox Blues in it and be amazed.

 

 

It would be great if production amp makers could use these in the new handwired Marshall series but they are not in a large enough supply and are too costly for them. But for a one off amp this is a killer way to go.

[synthetic]

Wow, thanks for doubling my tube budget. I always use good materials throughout, so I have to go for these. I'll probably start with the Sovtec tubes out of my Blues Junior during construction -- just in case I screw up I don't want to fubar a $75 tube.

 

The amp is one of the designs from 18watt.com, who continue to tweak the Bluesbreaker design. The one I'm building is the TMB sIII, which replaces the tremolo with a three-band EQ section and voices that channel more like a plexi amp. I'm using parts and transformers from Trinity amps:

 

http://www.cohrs.ca/staged/Product_Parts.htm

 

Cabinet will be my Blues Junior until I can build a 2x12 cabinet with Tone Tubby greenbacks, or perhaps I'll just buy the Crate V30 cabinet. I'll keep you updated if you're interested.

 

Thanks again for your help, -jl

[synthetic]

This design has a third preamp tube, for the EQ circuit I believe. Would I use an RFT there as well?

 

http://www.cohrs.ca/staged/ForumGallery/trinity/Trinity18_sIII_Schematic_v1.9.gif

[myles_rose]

In the actual Marshall 18 watt circuit V1 and V2 are the only critical tubes with V1 being 80% or so of things.

 

The Sovtek 12AX7WA will make you amp sound like a blanket was put over it.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by myles111:

In the actual Marshall 18 watt circuit V1 and V2 are the only critical tubes with V1 being 70% or so of things but this is a classic Marshall front end (cathode follower tone stack) so get a good V2 as well.

 

The Sovtek 12AX7WA will make you amp sound like a blanket was put over it.

 

In your print, V3 is the phase inverter and this is where I would use a balanced tube.

 

[picker]

Myles,

IF you remember, I have been having issues with my Reverned Goblin. I bought a set of GT 6V6 after one of the Electro Harmonix's it came with cracked. They worked fine for a while, but then the amp started distorting at any level and/or setting. I toolk it back and the tech at the stare sid the amp needed to be re-biased for the new GT tubes. Well, I paid for that to be done, and I got the amp back. First off, when I plugged it in and turned it on, the amp didn't work. The 2nd pre-amp tube looked milky around the top, and when I pulled it out, it was cracked. So, I replaced it and turned the amp on again. It worked, but the same problem it had before is still there; it distorts at any setting. Now, the reverb doesn't work, although there is a slight increase in volume when the reverb knob is turned all the way up. I checked the reverb tube(I think; it's the 12AX7 behind all the other tubes, right?), and it seems fine.

 

Any ideas what might be wrong?

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by Picker:

Myles,

IF you remember, I have been having issues with my Reverned Goblin. I bought a set of GT 6V6 after one of the Electro Harmonix's it came with cracked. They worked fine for a while, but then the amp started distorting at any level and/or setting. I toolk it back and the tech at the stare sid the amp needed to be re-biased for the new GT tubes. Well, I paid for that to be done, and I got the amp back. First off, when I plugged it in and turned it on, the amp didn't work. The 2nd pre-amp tube looked milky around the top, and when I pulled it out, it was cracked. So, I replaced it and turned the amp on again. It worked, but the same problem it had before is still there; it distorts at any setting. Now, the reverb doesn't work, although there is a slight increase in volume when the reverb knob is turned all the way up. I checked the reverb tube(I think; it's the 12AX7 behind all the other tubes, right?), and it seems fine.

 

Any ideas what might be wrong?

This could be many things and it would be almost impossible to guess here.

 

But ... we did learn one thing so far ... find a new tech!

[HAVOC 51]

Miles...

 

Are you the same Miles that looks after Carl Verheyens stuff ???

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by HAVOC 51:

Miles...

 

Are you the same Miles that looks after Carl Verheyens stuff ???

Yes, that is me.

[WaterMan]

Myles,

 

Turns out that the 5751 in V1 in the Maz Jr. results in an annoying hum. Is this typical or perhaps a bad tube? Neither the original ECC83S nor the new 803S result in hum.

 

Also, have you A/B'd the Carr Rambler with the Fargen 20W Blackbird? In my quest for the perfect low watt Fender amp I'm now down to the Deluxe, the Rambler and the Blackbird. Sweetest Fendery power tube overdrive at relatively low volumes (with reverb) for blues is the holy grail for me.

 

Thanks!

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by WaterMan:

Myles,

 

Turns out that the 5751 in V1 in the Maz Jr. results in an annoying hum. Is this typical or perhaps a bad tube? Neither the original ECC83S nor the new 803S result in hum.

 

Also, have you A/B'd the Carr Rambler with the Fargen 20W Blackbird? In my quest for the perfect low watt Fender amp I'm now down to the Deluxe, the Rambler and the Blackbird. Sweetest Fendery power tube overdrive at relatively low volumes (with reverb) for blues is the holy grail for me.

 

Thanks!

You have a bad 5751.

 

The Carr and Fargen are very different amps. One is grid biased and the other cathode biased.

 

If you have played a deluxe reverb and the Carr that right there is the difference.

 

Think of the Fargen as a Fender Deluxe reverb built to a very high quality level with the top components. It also has a midrange control which the deluxe reverb does not have whether that is important to you or not.

[WaterMan]

Originally posted by myles111:

Originally posted by WaterMan:

Myles,

 

Turns out that the 5751 in V1 in the Maz Jr. results in an annoying hum. Is this typical or perhaps a bad tube? Neither the original ECC83S nor the new 803S result in hum.

 

Also, have you A/B'd the Carr Rambler with the Fargen 20W Blackbird? In my quest for the perfect low watt Fender amp I'm now down to the Deluxe, the Rambler and the Blackbird. Sweetest Fendery power tube overdrive at relatively low volumes (with reverb) for blues is the holy grail for me.

 

Thanks!

You have a bad 5751.

 

The Carr and Fargen are very different amps. One is grid biased and the other cathode biased.

 

If you have played a deluxe reverb and the Carr that right there is the difference.

 

Think of the Fargen as a Fender Deluxe reverb built to a very high quality level with the top components. It also has a midrange control which the deluxe reverb does not have whether that is important to you or not.

Thanks Myles. I have played a Deluxe but not a Carr. And while I'm starting to get hip to all the technical stuff regarding tube amp construction, I'm not quite there yet. I do know, for example, that my Maz Jr. is cathode biased, and I know the physics of that vs. fixed bias. What I don't know, however, is how bias translates to the things I really care about when playing guitar: dynamics; warm, fuzz-free, crunch-oriented blues overdrive; and sweet, Fenderesque clean tone.

 

I'm taking my other amp in for Ben to look at, so perhaps I can try one of the Blackbirds then. In the meantime, I am interested in the connection between the physics and "the sound," so if you can point me to a particular spot on your website that discusses this (or anywhere else), I'd appreeciate it

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by WaterMan:

Originally posted by myles111:

Originally posted by WaterMan:

Myles,

 

Turns out that the 5751 in V1 in the Maz Jr. results in an annoying hum. Is this typical or perhaps a bad tube? Neither the original ECC83S nor the new 803S result in hum.

 

Also, have you A/B'd the Carr Rambler with the Fargen 20W Blackbird? In my quest for the perfect low watt Fender amp I'm now down to the Deluxe, the Rambler and the Blackbird. Sweetest Fendery power tube overdrive at relatively low volumes (with reverb) for blues is the holy grail for me.

 

Thanks!

You have a bad 5751.

 

The Carr and Fargen are very different amps. One is grid biased and the other cathode biased.

 

If you have played a deluxe reverb and the Carr that right there is the difference.

 

Think of the Fargen as a Fender Deluxe reverb built to a very high quality level with the top components. It also has a midrange control which the deluxe reverb does not have whether that is important to you or not.

Thanks Myles. I have played a Deluxe but not a Carr. And while I'm starting to get hip to all the technical stuff regarding tube amp construction, I'm not quite there yet. I do know, for example, that my Maz Jr. is cathode biased, and I know the physics of that vs. fixed bias. What I don't know, however, is how bias translates to the things I really care about when playing guitar: dynamics; warm, fuzz-free, crunch-oriented blues overdrive; and sweet, Fenderesque clean tone.

 

I'm taking my other amp in for Ben to look at, so perhaps I can try one of the Blackbirds then. In the meantime, I am interested in the connection between the physics and "the sound," so if you can point me to a particular spot on your website that discusses this (or anywhere else), I'd appreeciate it

Cathode biased amp are "generally" more touch sensitive.

 

Download my 200+ tube primer off my website.