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Topic: Steel amp w/ tube front end |
KENNY KRUPNICK
From:
Columbus, Ohio
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Posted 27 Oct 2008 5:25 pm |
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| Why don't somone build a steel amp with a tube pre-amp front end for a warmer tone? I'm suprised that Peavey hasn't stepped up to the plate and designed,and built one. |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Jerry Malvern
From:
Menifee, California, USA
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Posted 27 Oct 2008 8:48 pm
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| Evans does too, and I own one. Just slightly warmer with a bit more compression at lower volumes. I cant tell any difference at stage levels. |
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Len Amaral
From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
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Posted 28 Oct 2008 7:51 am
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| The Tonic preamp with a Furlong split cab with a 1501-4 Neomag has a very nice feel and vibe. The amp looks cool with the speaker offset in the cab and blond striped panels on the top. |
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 28 Oct 2008 8:51 pm
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I just recently bought the new BOSS FBM–1 ’59 Fender Bassman which I use in conjunction with my Peavey N–112's to simulate the Tube Pre-Amp. This helps some, but; I can't say how much!
_________________
<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster |
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Bill Moran
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 29 Oct 2008 6:46 pm
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Why not buy a Black Box and use any good steel amp
with a 15" speaker.
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Bill |
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 29 Oct 2008 6:49 pm
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From what little I understand about it, I guess it's purpose is similiar, however; by a different approach!
_________________
<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 30 Oct 2008 2:35 am
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| A "front-end" tube is usually a 12AX7 - there are a number of preamps for guitarists with these in them, and when they're overdriven they make a Bassman/Deluxe-type distortion. I believe the kind of tube tone that would be most appealing to traditional steel guitarists is the tone that comes from having power amp tubes, 6V6's and the like. Music Man made some well-like hybrid amps with a SS front end and power amp tubes, way back when. It's a tricky thing, you really can't have a healthy tube roar and crystal-clean, string-separated 7th/13th/9th/sus4 chords at the exact same time. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 30 Oct 2008 4:43 am
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David is correct - most of the tube tone we hear comes from the power amp and not the preamp. Preamp tubes will warm things up a bit, but not as much as those in the power section. Many bass rigs use a tube preamp, though; they get a it of tube warmth with the headroom of a high-powered SS power amp.
Actually, most modern stage-quality bass rigs make great steel amps - tube preamps, lots of power and headroom, very full frequency response (as opposed to older bass amps, due to the modern popping and slapping styles) and more volume than you'll ever need with steel.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 30 Oct 2008 7:13 am
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I agree with Jim about the tubes in the power amp section. I have an old MusicMan HD-212 One Fifty amp which I'd stack up beside any amp out there. It's one of the best sounding amps I've ever had and the only one with which I can closely approximate Ralph Mooney's classic Fender sound with my BMI. It's like a "Twin on Steriods" in my opinion. I have another "hybrid" amp which is a Peavey MX with one 12" Black Widow which is a very close second to the MM. It has four 6L6s for the power section as does the MM and is a "Kick @$$" little amp....JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 30 Oct 2008 7:22 am
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I find that simply with a tube preamp alone that the tone is very significantly warmed up compared to transistors. Nothing small or subtle about it, especially with steel guitar and its nature of such having complex overtones as well as sharp, metallic picking transients.
But I agree that there's nothing like real power tubes being driven pretty hard to get that extra punch and smooth, nearly invisible, clipping of the transient peaks to give the ultimate in overall warmth. But for steel guitar where many players want a very clean, loud, and linear power delivery using solid state devices, an all tube preamp or tube buffer stage up front is actually quite a dramatic warming, sweetening factor when compared to an all-transistor preamp section.
But I'd agree that there's nothing quite like an all tube signal path from pickup to speaker.
Brad |
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Ben Jack
From:
Fayettevillle, Ar. * R.I.P.
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Posted 30 Oct 2008 12:39 pm question for Brad
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| Have you come up with a way to mount a Tonic in a rack? |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 30 Oct 2008 3:02 pm
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Hey Ben.
I'm working on a design for some braced rack ears to mount the Tonic. But that may be a couple of months. The way people are doing it is by removing the Tonic's feet and screwing it down onto a metal single-space rack tray. They can be found made by Mid-Atlantic as well as others for about $20.
I'll announce the rack ears thing when it comes to fruition.
Thanks,
Brad |
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