Why Do Some Amps Have A "Normal" And A "Bright" Input?
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ItsaBass
New member
Re: Why Do Some Amps Have A "Normal" And A "Bright" Input?
It was simply a more primitive form of bright switch, I'd think. Perhaps cheaper, perhaps lazier. Perhaps amp designers hadn't considered that a bright switch might be preferable by some players, and they just figured someone could easily plug in to the other channel.
Some makers used different input resistors on different inputs too, without calling one "normal" and the other "bright."
Ampeg famously used "guitar" and "accordion" on their two inputs.
I find bright channels and bright switches great for humbucker guitars.
It was simply a more primitive form of bright switch, I'd think. Perhaps cheaper, perhaps lazier. Perhaps amp designers hadn't considered that a bright switch might be preferable by some players, and they just figured someone could easily plug in to the other channel.
Some makers used different input resistors on different inputs too, without calling one "normal" and the other "bright."
Ampeg famously used "guitar" and "accordion" on their two inputs.
I find bright channels and bright switches great for humbucker guitars.
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vinnie1971
New member
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Why Do Some Amps Have A "Normal" And A "Bright" Input?
Some amps have a second channel with 6 to 15 dB of attenuation so that higher output pickups don't hit the preamp so hard. That might be what this is in reference to.
Some amps have a second channel with 6 to 15 dB of attenuation so that higher output pickups don't hit the preamp so hard. That might be what this is in reference to.
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Why Do Some Amps Have A "Normal" And A "Bright" Input?
On a stock tweed deluxe, the only difference is a bright cap between the channels, but on a lot of other amps there is scope to have a completely different voice in each channel. It is really like having two amps in one and is the predecessor to today's modern channel switching amps. It also allowed for two separate instruments to use the amp at once. Take the blackface bassmans: they are designed to have a bass into one channel and a guitar into the other! Not many people do that these days but people like elvis used to run his mic into scotty Moores guitar amp, and buck Owen's and don rich both plugged into a tweed bassman for years.
It can even save your skin. Once at a gig the house pa crapped out, so the singer/harp player in the band I was in ran a vocal mic all night into the unused channel of my twin reverb. Sure it didnt sound amazing, but it certainly had an old skool character lol. It is important to remember that these amps were built in a different era that had different needs and priorities to today. Also the needs and priorities we have today are a direct result of all of the innovations and experimentation of the past.
On a stock tweed deluxe, the only difference is a bright cap between the channels, but on a lot of other amps there is scope to have a completely different voice in each channel. It is really like having two amps in one and is the predecessor to today's modern channel switching amps. It also allowed for two separate instruments to use the amp at once. Take the blackface bassmans: they are designed to have a bass into one channel and a guitar into the other! Not many people do that these days but people like elvis used to run his mic into scotty Moores guitar amp, and buck Owen's and don rich both plugged into a tweed bassman for years.
It can even save your skin. Once at a gig the house pa crapped out, so the singer/harp player in the band I was in ran a vocal mic all night into the unused channel of my twin reverb. Sure it didnt sound amazing, but it certainly had an old skool character lol. It is important to remember that these amps were built in a different era that had different needs and priorities to today. Also the needs and priorities we have today are a direct result of all of the innovations and experimentation of the past.
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Blille
Well-known member
Re: Why Do Some Amps Have A "Normal" And A "Bright" Input?
Yes. There's the output difference between 1 and 2 but in other amps there are inputs with different voicings altogether.
So the Tweed Deluxe for example has two bright inputs (1 and 2 depending on high or low volume pickups) and two normal inputs (1 and 2) for a total of 4 inputs.
Yes. There's the output difference between 1 and 2 but in other amps there are inputs with different voicings altogether.
So the Tweed Deluxe for example has two bright inputs (1 and 2 depending on high or low volume pickups) and two normal inputs (1 and 2) for a total of 4 inputs.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Empty Pockets
BadHairDayologist
Re: Why Do Some Amps Have A "Normal" And A "Bright" Input?
Some theoretical guitarist from the 50s or 60s who likes the sound of one input for some songs and the other input on other songs.
He didn't say it happened. He was just giving an example of how you could use it.
Some theoretical guitarist from the 50s or 60s who likes the sound of one input for some songs and the other input on other songs.
He didn't say it happened. He was just giving an example of how you could use it.
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: Why Do Some Amps Have A "Normal" And A "Bright" Input?
One is for days of depression, the other when the coffee has kicked in...
One is for days of depression, the other when the coffee has kicked in...
FuseG4
Our Neighbor Totoro
Re: Why Do Some Amps Have A "Normal" And A "Bright" Input?
Some of the first 2 input amps had each input going to a different tube or different halves of one dual triode, with different tone shaping circuits on each. and they never thought that guys would wanna switch between them without plugging in a different lead
Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk
Some of the first 2 input amps had each input going to a different tube or different halves of one dual triode, with different tone shaping circuits on each. and they never thought that guys would wanna switch between them without plugging in a different lead
Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk
NegativeEase
New member
Re: Why Do Some Amps Have A "Normal" And A "Bright" Input?
Quotes in case anyone missed this nugget :lmao:
Quotes in case anyone missed this nugget :lmao:
Blille
Well-known member
Re: Why Do Some Amps Have A "Normal" And A "Bright" Input?
So what about those who use them in parallel? Bipolar?
So what about those who use them in parallel? Bipolar?
NegativeEase
New member
Re: Why Do Some Amps Have A "Normal" And A "Bright" Input?
Solid, my friend ....very solid.
and those who dont use either and instead use the FX input suffer from Lupus
Solid, my friend ....very solid.
and those who dont use either and instead use the FX input suffer from Lupus
