What makes the difference...

[Jazz Rock]

circuit wise in an amp, between a fuzzy vintage distortion and clearer modern type distortion?

Is it what people call a rectifier?

 

[Artie]

Re: What makes the difference...

Nah . . . the "rectifier" is just the component that converts AC to DC. Its only influence on the sound is that a tube rectifier is slower to respond than its solid-state equivalence.

Its 6 of one, eleventy-sevenths of the other.

 

[greco]

Re: What makes the difference...

Its 6 of one, eleventy-sevenths of the other.

That is some sophisticated electronics math you are using there, ArtieToo.

Probably that is why I can never really grasp electronics theory, that math is way beyond me.:scared:

Dave

 

[Artie]

Re: What makes the difference...

That is some sophisticated electronics math you are using there, ArtieToo.

Probably that is why I can never really grasp electronics theory, that math is way beyond me.:scared:

Dave

Don't even try brother. It wil rip your brain out and spit it on the floor. You gotta have a Chimay in one hand and a tremelo in the other.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: What makes the difference...

i'm no expert but to me the EQ section of any amp makes or breaks it... so i would figure the filter caps would play a huge roll in the distortion tone... plus a modern style amp would have more Gain as well

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: What makes the difference...

Part of it is power tube selection and how hard you push those tubes. Generally 6l6 and el34 amps retain a certain amount of tightness, but if you push 30 watts plus out of four el84s then you'll start to hear some more fuzzbox-like, looser overdrive. However, if you make an EL84 amp run 18 watts, like a marshall 18watter, soldano atomic or Peavey Classic 20, then the amp's overdrive stays pretty tight.

Speakers are a big deal, too. Lower wattage speakers will distort and loosen the tone earlier than higher wattage speakers.

Rectifiers seem to affect the feel of the amp rather than the sound...

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: What makes the difference...

Rectifiers seem to affect the feel of the amp rather than the sound...

Yup, that'd be the infamous "sag".

 

[James Rock]

Re: What makes the difference...

So is the reason that my pro junior has a quite fuzzy disortion when turned up because of the EL84's breaking up. Because i find a vox ac30 sounds alot tighter and smoother even though lose compared to alot of other amps (is this fixed bias vs cathode??)