Can you get power tube distortion at low volumes?

[crunch]

Can you get power tube distortion at low volumes or with a low watt amp?

[Guncho]

Post by crunch
Can you get power tube distortion at low volumes or with a low watt amp?

Couple ways to do this.

1 Get a really low wattage amp. Like 1/2 to 1 watt. Some people use
something called a Hughes and Kettner Cream Machine to do this.

2 Hook an attenuator up to your amp. This lowers the overall signal
going to your speakers, so you can crank your amp at any volume. I
recently tried this and wasn't too impressed with the results.

Chris

[Jim]

Post by Guncho

Post by crunch
Can you get power tube distortion at low volumes or with a low watt amp?

Couple ways to do this.
1 Get a really low wattage amp. Like 1/2 to 1 watt. Some people use
something called a Hughes and Kettner Cream Machine to do this.

Good answer. But you forgot to mention that the Cream Machine is also
designed to act like a pedal. You can disconnect the speaker cable, and
it automatically engages a dummy load. Then it gives you both
instrument level outputs (acts like a pedal!) and line level outs
(direct recording with 4x12 emulation or preamp to a power amp).

So, if you choose to use the Cream Machine in pedal mode, you get REAL
power tube type distortion at ANY volume level. Of course we all know
it sounds better when it's louder.

Post by Guncho
2 Hook an attenuator up to your amp. This lowers the overall signal
going to your speakers, so you can crank your amp at any volume. I
recently tried this and wasn't too impressed with the results.
Chris

[Pt]

Post by crunch
Can you get power tube distortion at low volumes or with a low watt amp?

There are several attenuators available that will do what you want.
Tom Sholz Power Soak.
THD Hot Plate.
Marshall Power Brake.
Ultimate Attenuator...expensive but the best out there.
If you should buy one be sure to get one that matches your speaker
impedance.
The Power soak and the Ultimate will work at 4, 8 or 16 ohms.
The trick to good distortion is to mix preamp distortion with power
amp distortion.

Pt

[Guncho]

Post by Pt

Post by crunch
Can you get power tube distortion at low volumes or with a low watt amp?

There are several attenuators available that will do what you want.
Tom Sholz Power Soak.
THD Hot Plate.
Marshall Power Brake.
Ultimate Attenuator...expensive but the best out there.
If you should buy one be sure to get one that matches your speaker
impedance.
The Power soak and the Ultimate will work at 4, 8 or 16 ohms.
The trick to good distortion is to mix preamp distortion with power
amp distortion.
Pt

I actually don't agree with that. On my Seymour Duncan Convertibles I
was getting very little to no preamp distortion. It was all power
tube overdrive.

If you turned the master volume knob down, it was pretty clean.

Chris

[Cliff]

Post by Guncho

Post by Pt

Post by crunch
Can you get power tube distortion at low volumes or with a low watt amp?

There are several attenuators available that will do what you want.
Tom Sholz Power Soak.
THD Hot Plate.
Marshall Power Brake.
Ultimate Attenuator...expensive but the best out there.
If you should buy one be sure to get one that matches your speaker
impedance.
The Power soak and the Ultimate will work at 4, 8 or 16 ohms.
The trick to good distortion is to mix preamp distortion with power
amp distortion.
Pt

I actually don't agree with that. On my Seymour Duncan Convertibles I
was getting very little to no preamp distortion. It was all power
tube overdrive.
If you turned the master volume knob down, it was pretty clean.
Chris- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Some times the obvious can be such a revelation.

If you've got distortion with the master volume on 10 but little with
it turned down then, that's mainly power amp distortion.

I never though to try that and it's so obvious. Thanks Guncho.

Cliff

[Guncho]

Post by Cliff

Post by Guncho

Post by Pt

Post by crunch
Can you get power tube distortion at low volumes or with a low watt amp?

There are several attenuators available that will do what you want.
Tom Sholz Power Soak.
THD Hot Plate.
Marshall Power Brake.
Ultimate Attenuator...expensive but the best out there.
If you should buy one be sure to get one that matches your speaker
impedance.
The Power soak and the Ultimate will work at 4, 8 or 16 ohms.
The trick to good distortion is to mix preamp distortion with power
amp distortion.
Pt

I actually don't agree with that. On my Seymour Duncan Convertibles I
was getting very little to no preamp distortion. It was all power
tube overdrive.
If you turned the master volume knob down, it was pretty clean.
Chris- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Some times the obvious can be such a revelation.
If you've got distortion with the master volume on 10 but little with
it turned down then, that's mainly power amp distortion.
I never though to try that and it's so obvious. Thanks Guncho.
Cliff- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

I have my moments of clarity.

:)

Chris

[Jim]

Post by Pt

Post by crunch
Can you get power tube distortion at low volumes or with a low watt amp?

There are several attenuators available that will do what you want.
Tom Sholz Power Soak.

Just a warning about that device. It's a simple resistive load. Can be
DEATH to many vintage tube amps, like Marshalls. See this hang tag that
came on my Marshall JMP?:
Loading Image...

There's a reason some knowledgeable techs call 'em "tranny toasters"
(they can blow your output transformer). I don't recommend the old
Power Soak. Simple power resistors AND a rotary switch that can get
dirty. Too much impedance (resistance, with simple load) on the output
transformer, and you can get voltage spikes that can arc over tube
sockets leaving carbon traces, and punch right through the insulation in
the output transformer windings! Other mismatches can cause increased
heat, and failure.

Post by Pt
THD Hot Plate.
Marshall Power Brake.
Ultimate Attenuator...expensive but the best out there.
If you should buy one be sure to get one that matches your speaker
impedance.
The Power soak and the Ultimate will work at 4, 8 or 16 ohms.
The trick to good distortion is to mix preamp distortion with power
amp distortion.
Pt

[Pt]

Post by Jim

Post by Pt

Post by crunch
Can you get power tube distortion at low volumes or with a low watt amp?

There are several attenuators available that will do what you want.
Tom Sholz Power Soak.

Just a warning about that device. It's a simple resistive load. Can be
DEATH to many vintage tube amps, like Marshalls. See this hang tag that
came on my Marshall JMP?:http://www.seattle-attorney.com/guitar/2204_hangtag.jpg
There's a reason some knowledgeable techs call 'em "tranny toasters"
(they can blow your output transformer). I don't recommend the old
Power Soak. Simple power resistors AND a rotary switch that can get
dirty. Too much impedance (resistance, with simple load) on the output
transformer, and you can get voltage spikes that can arc over tube
sockets leaving carbon traces, and punch right through the insulation in
the output transformer windings! Other mismatches can cause increased
heat, and failure.

I used a power soak for 15 years with my 100 watt JMP Mk 2 with no
problems.
Guess I got lucky.

Pt

[Twang]

Post by crunch
Can you get power tube distortion at low volumes or with a low watt amp?

epiphove valve junior head
five watts.
el84 power tube

plenty of distortion at bedroom volume. a bit loud for that if you
live in an apartment..

TWANG