Does overdriving a SS amp use up any components, like a tube amp does with tubes?

[andrus108]

As per title. Plain curious.

 

[agedhorse]

Good question.

yes, it can, but in an adequately designed amp you would be talking maybe hundreds of years.

 

[rodl2005]

Straight from the horses mouth

 

[MobileHolmes]

I blew up a Crate B40 when I was young getting it to make the fuzzy noises, but I'm pretty sure that amp violated aged horse's "adequately designed" criteria

 

[andrus108]

Good question.

yes, it can, but in an adequately designed amp you would be talking maybe hundreds of years.

This answer from you is as good as it gets

Where does early Gallien 400RB fit into in terms of design? Got it finally fixed recently, was A/Bing how it overdrives against Ampeg B25, and it made me think..... ;-)

 

[agedhorse]

Good question.

yes, it can, but in an adequately de

This answer from you is as good as it gets

Where does early Gallien 400RB fit into in terms of design? Got it finally fixed recently, was A/Bing how it overdrives against Ampeg B25, and it made me think..... ;-)

I don't see any problems doing that.

 

[pepj]

Not a pleasing sound to my ears.
I think transistor amps need to be clean.

As to life lenght, I dont know, as wouldn't be doing it often by choice.

 

[rodl2005]

Not a pleasing sound to my ears.
I think transistor amps need to be clean.

As to life lenght, I dont know, as wouldn't be doing it often by choice.

No tubes in the Aguilar TH500, and it overdrives very nicely.

 

[pepj]

Never liked the TH for that...same with the Thunderfunk.
Artificial and harsh to my ears.
Add in a valve is the better way to go, imv.

 

[agedhorse]

Not a pleasing sound to my ears.
I think transistor amps need to be clean.

As to life lenght, I dont know, as wouldn't be doing it often by choice.

Are you aware that most of the popular overdrive and distortion pedals are solid state? Players overdrive solid state circuits all the time.

 

[crazyBassClown]

most of the popular overdrive and distortion pedals are solid state? Players overdrive solid state circuits all the time.

Is running the signal through clipping diodes really overdriving the circuits though? A solid state amplifier driven into the rails doesn't sound the way a tube one does.

Edit: A textbook amplifier, I know you can add circuitry to change the performance around that point.

 

[ihixulu]

So we’re doing this again, eh?

 

[crazyBassClown]

So we’re doing this again, eh?

Theres only so many bass related things to talk about, and in the last 15 years this site has probably seen em all a few times...

 

[redacted]

Back in the day I saw a certain Acoustic 126 combo let out smoke on three different occasions when pushed hard. I don't think the smoke got completely used up, as the thing never stopped working, but I am sure it wasn't good for the amp.

 

[Stewie]

Last Summer on a job, my air compressor started sounding like it had eaten a rod bearing. I bought another that night. The next day I decided to run it, just to hear it blow up. It ran fine so I returned the new one unopened. It has made the sound a few times for a few seconds since, but still works fine. This proves that it might be okay to overdrive a compressor, but you probably oughtta be ready to buy another at some point

 

[agedhorse]

Is running the signal through clipping diodes really overdriving the circuits though? A solid state amplifier driven into the rails doesn't sound the way a tube one does.

Edit: A textbook amplifier, I know you can add circuitry to change the performance around that point.

Clipping diodes are only one out of maybe hundred methods of generating distortion.

Simply overdriving a common emitter transistor amp is done all the time, and it's possible to design push-pull power amps with low to no global feedback that also can be overdriven (hard into the supply rails) specifically to generate different types of distortion. Throw in some lateral or vertical MOSFETs and it's yet another path.

The answer is "it depends".

 

[pepj]

Are you aware that most of the popular overdrive and distortion pedals are solid state? Players overdrive solid state circuits all the time.

Don't use them.

 

[beans-on-toast]

You need to define overdriving. Too hot a signal applied at a level and duration that was not intended can damage any input stage. Use common sense. Anything from a bass should be fine. The output of an amp plugged into the input of another amp isn’t good. Yet people have tried this in an attempt to get better sounding distortion.

 

[Jefenator]

What about the power section? When my 50 watt tube heads break up, they just sound awesome (in a dirty, fuzzy way).
When I hit too hard with my 400 watt solid state Glockenklang Soul in the same setting, the fan goes into overdrive and the amp puts out a rather unsettling "hot electronics" smell. (Only time I've ever encountered anything like that. No lasting damage that I can discern, but now I favor other amps for raunchy rock trio duty.)

 

[agedhorse]

What about the power section? When my 50 watt tube heads break up, they just sound awesome (in a dirty, fuzzy way).
When I hit too hard with my 400 watt solid state Glockenklang Soul in the same setting, the fan goes into overdrive and the amp puts out a rather unsettling "hot electronics" smell. (Only time I've ever encountered anything like that. No lasting damage that I can discern, but now I favor other amps for raunchy rock trio duty.)

Depends on the intent of the designer.

When you do this, one thing to be aware of is that the amp can deliver up to 2x the rated power, so you need to be sure your speakers are capable of handling the additional power safely.