How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

[Young Angus]

How far do you generally need to push an amp for its power tubes to distort to get that creamy tube distortion?

How different is it for different tubes and what differences are there?

For example, my ENGL Savage 120, which as the name suggests is 120 watts, has two kt88's and a 12ax7 for the power section. Now how far should i have to push that baby to get some of that creamy tube distortion?

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

Well turn it up and find out just how far....
All amps are not alike.
And everone has their own sweet spot or lack of.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

If you want to push a 120W amp to the point of PT Distortion, you´ll probably not want to be standing in the same room. Particularly with KT88s in the Power section, those were designed to stay distortion free for as long as possible

 

[McLaughysSN]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

If you want to push a 120W amp to the point of PT Distortion, you´ll probably not want to be standing in the same room. Particularly with KT88s in the Power section, those were designed to stay distortion free for as long as possible

you almost sound like you have experience with blowing yourself away with your on amp like that :laugh2:

it depends on the amp, as said before, all amps are different.

if your amp has a "master volume" like some of the twin reverbs and other misc. amps. you could get the tube distortion real easy without having to push TOO much volume

 

[StefanM]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

Actually, i thought you couldn't do that with a master volume.... master volumes allow you to get preamp saturation, but for power amp distortion you need to run the amp hard. Like everyone else says, this point on a 120w amp would be nuts.

To really get power tube distortion at sane volume levels, you need a small amp working hard.

 

[mrid]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

KT88's need to be pushed VERY hard, like with the volume dimed and an attenuator...I used to do that with my Univalve.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

I find with my amps (ALL non master volume amps!) that I can start

to get a little overdrive at about volume 5 with humbuckers and about volume 6 with single coils.

I like to play my smaller amps ( 20 watt Fender Deluxe style amps ) between volume 5 and volume 7 usually when I'm going for an overdriven tone.

My 50 watt Marshall starts to bark about volume 5 or 6 too.

Lew

 

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

My JCM 800 starts to get power tube dist. on about 4-5.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

you almost sound like you have experience with blowing yourself away with your on amp like that :laugh2:

....

Let´s just say there´s a good reason I use a 50W amp :laugh2:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

Let´s just say there´s a good reason I use a 50W amp :laugh2:

Or that I use a 20 watt amp or a pair of 20 watt amps. My hearing is damaged enough! :smack: Lew

 

[Deadbolt]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

man 120 watts, thats out of control when are you playing the arena gigs?jk jk i am sticking with my 50 watts.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

I have tried cranking a plus 200 watts Hiwatt top into overdrive...6 KT88 tubes is insanely loud.....
Master dimed, preamp more than halfway slight breakup.
A few more notches and the poweramp distorted only alittle.
And it was still just the preamp that gave the overdrive....it is better with a DR103 :burnout:

 

[Grandor]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

I agree with the guys.
You will find it very hard without killing yourself and/or having the cops onto you because of your neighbours to hit Power Tube distortion on a 120 ENGL.

But, Best Of A Luck To You!

Stay Proud,
Stay Loud.

Grandor (RFL)

 

[mrid]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

Or that I use a 20 watt amp or a pair of 20 watt amps. My hearing is damaged enough! :smack: Lew

15 class A watts is almost too much for me! :laugh2:

Honestly, amps like ENGL's and Mesa's are designed for the power section NOT to distort, but just amplify the complex preamp gain.

 

[jmv]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

I can actually get some decent breakup with my 50w amp on 4 with humbuckers... its got 6L6GCs in it. Its a pretty loud for a little room like mine, but not TOO insane.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

I would say, typically, on a scale of 1-10 the power tube distortion gets interesting at 6, good at 7 and creamy thereafter.

 

[StefanM]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

15 class A watts is almost too much for me! :laugh2:

Honestly, amps like ENGL's and Mesa's are designed for the power section NOT to distort, but just amplify the complex preamp gain.

I'm not sure about this statement. Amps like a the Blue Angel & subway blues are specifically designed around driving the power section.

Fair enough if you mean things like their high wattage (100w & 150w) Recto heads etc, but you can't say it about all their amps.

 

[mrid]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

I'm not sure about this statement. Amps like a the Blue Angel & subway blues are specifically designed around driving the power section.

Fair enough if you mean things like their high wattage (100w & 150w) Recto heads etc, but you can't say it about all their amps.

Fair Enough, but when Randall Smith puts SIX power tubes in an amp, obviously the last thing on his mind in power tube distortion.

 

[Dime59hum]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

Its a 100 watt amp. 120 is marketing.

 

[Maximusgordon 2.0]

Re: How far do amps need to be pushed for power tube distortion?

Its a 100 watt amp. 120 is marketing.

HAHA ..... no, 120w amps are really 120w or very close to it, maybe 115w or even 125w, but there about 120w. But still, ive played 60w heads that eat 100w ones alive! It can be very hard to rate an amps wattage. There are at least 10 other HUGE variables in how loud an amp is. Theres a big difference between watts and decibels, oddly for the human ear to recognize a sound as being half the volume of another, it must be roughly one tenth the actual volume! For example, anyone tried ZVEX's Nano head? U know, the one thats rated at 1/2 watt? Well that thing is pretty darn loud even at that! If a 100w sounded 200x louder to us, WE WOULD ALL BE DEAD!!! :laugh2: