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smallest 4ea KT88 bass amp?

lexington125

lexington125

Sep 11, 2013
644
390
hollywood, baby......
#1
Just curious, ignoring the new Mesa Prodigy, which bass amp using a quad of KT88 output tubes has the smallest footprint? Looking for amps built around standard transformers, not torroidal doughnuts. (just to keep things fair)

This post was started in response to a discussion about Sunn 200 and 2000 amps (pair of KT88s and quad of KT88s respectively) and the huge amounts of empty space when they are pulled out of their head case. Modern amps seemed designed to fit all of the components in the smallest area possible, while the 'classic' amps of the sixties seemed to often leave crazy amounts of unused space between components. (Sunn 200 as the ultimate example: a handful of tubes, two transformers and three (3!) knobs in a box larger than the Dual Showman, with twice as many tubes, 3 times as many knobs and two channels.)

Ignoring 'form vs function' arguments, who builds a quad KT88 amp (with standard transformers) in a small enclosure?
 
#9
This :-D

1416597170801.jpg
 
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#10
Mmm. I'd *kill* for an old tube Trace. When my tech talks about his old V8 it makes my eyes tear and mouth water.

EDIT: I did some search-fu. There's a 4xKT88 version of the Sunn Spectrum II.
 
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#11
Also, there's the Sunn Coliseum PA. Hendrix used them before moving onto cleaner sounding Sunn heads followed by Marshalls, Mountain was gifted Hendrix's Coliseums and used them extensively as well. Something about the Coliseum PA circuit, way more gain than a normal Sunn too. Here's the schematic for it if that's of interest to you. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#17
I'm going to vote for the Jaguar 200 as the winner of the 4-KT88amps with the smallest footprint contest. --- Jaguar 200. 4 KT88 - 200 Watts - Head dimensions: 20"W x 10"H x 11 1/2"D; Weight: 50lbs. Nice small box, and not that heavy. Standard transformer by Magnetic Components. The amp has a fan to help cooling. Smaller than the Reeves, but every bit as high quality.

I had the Prodigy for a minuet, and sold it off. I found it to actually be a little too small - as in it felt cramped like everything was too close together. Also found too much break up, too early, on the low notes. The high strings would stay clean, but get down to a low G-E and it would just break up like crazy with the gain at 1:00 or past. The Jaguar has a very nice layout, while still being small. It will break up with the gain cranked, but more clean headroom than the Prodigy, a nicer sounding break up, and it breaks up more evenly across the strings - not just the low notes.
 

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