Noob question. Can you blow up a tube amp with pedals. Say amp volume on 5 with loud ass pedals.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out
- Thread starter Korladis
- Start date
I'm sure you could theoretically design a pedal specifically to blow up tube amps, but I run the volume on the swollen pickle pretty high for a volume boost, and the volume on the bass big muff all the way up when I'm using it as a boost pedal, into an amp that's running pretty loud already, and it doesn't seem to have done any harm.
Nah, neither did the rest of the state apparently. Bernie and Cruz won.
Last band practice tonight before gigs in C.R. and Madison this weekend. Got lots of heavy music lined up.
Edit: Did a quick A-B tonight and, as good as I thought the Behringer DI was solo'd, it couldn't hold a candle to the Sheehan OD as far a full band goes.
Edit: Did a quick A-B tonight and, as good as I thought the Behringer DI was solo'd, it couldn't hold a candle to the Sheehan OD as far a full band goes.
An amplifier whether tube or solid state it's simply a gain multiplier.
Higher signal in means higher(multiplied) signal out.
While you probably won't ever damage the input tubes(which will just distort on too high an input signal) output tubes experience the same wear for the same usage.
Meaning if you have a crazy boosted signal into the amp and your preamp tubes aren't doing much of any gain on their own or you've a crazy low level signal in and your preamp tubes are boosted to 11 you are still driving your power amp the same amount.
(assuming both circumstance yield the same signal level to the poweramp)
Now your average power may be a bit higher in a heavily clipped signal and result in slightly more wear. My understanding is if your poweramp tubes are biased correctly(not too hot not too cold) the difference is minimal.
The too biggest factors of tube wear are biased wrong and having too high of an impedance on your OT. (Like 8ohm on a 4 ohm tap)
Again this is a generality that is more or less accurate depending on actual amp topography.
Higher signal in means higher(multiplied) signal out.
While you probably won't ever damage the input tubes(which will just distort on too high an input signal) output tubes experience the same wear for the same usage.
Meaning if you have a crazy boosted signal into the amp and your preamp tubes aren't doing much of any gain on their own or you've a crazy low level signal in and your preamp tubes are boosted to 11 you are still driving your power amp the same amount.
(assuming both circumstance yield the same signal level to the poweramp)
Now your average power may be a bit higher in a heavily clipped signal and result in slightly more wear. My understanding is if your poweramp tubes are biased correctly(not too hot not too cold) the difference is minimal.
The too biggest factors of tube wear are biased wrong and having too high of an impedance on your OT. (Like 8ohm on a 4 ohm tap)
Again this is a generality that is more or less accurate depending on actual amp topography.
Hmm, the knobs for the controls on my 4003S are screw-on and the ones on the T-bird are push on. Can I still use one of the spare control knobs from the Rickenbacker on the Epiphone (the 4003S came with a bag including allen wrenches and a whole other set of knobs, so I have both the chrome top and the pointer knobs for it).
Also, more ideally, does anyone make knobs and surrounds for the old EB-3 style rotary switches?
Yep. There are two ways I've done it. Either line the set screw up with the gap in the push-on prongs or grab a few of the brass ring "push-on to screw-on" converters. Both methods work well without destroying the pot shaft.
RE: amps
@mbelue I get what your saying with tube amps but am not sure how that applies to SS. To my understanding, SS power clipping is bad both tonally and physically for the amp. To much boost from the pedals would clip a SS amp like crazy and eventually blow it. That's why I was concerned about the same thing with tubes. What you are saying makes total sense, but tubes and OTs have their limits and I'm just wondering at what point is that reached? I guess more often then not, speakers would blow first. I used the dually tonight at practice driven by my 2000s. I was loud enough with a bunch of lows! Amp was only on 3 but my pedals were super loud. With the same pedal settings and my SVP/3.0 rig I would have been far more quiet and clipping the power amp like a slot machine jackpot. That is a disappointing 860w. The builder, when asked about my cab issues, asked if I had tried bridging the 3.0. I am super hesitant to throw 3000w at an 800w cab. I'm thinking the dually may be fine, but class D is the issue and a waste of my time and money. Tubes win though. I'm really just not sure. The JBLs would have blown with what I was doing tonight, but the faitals could keep up. Dually is louder but only with a lot pushing it. I'd add that in order to get enough lows, I had the bass dimed and bass boost engaged on the amp.
More tests needed.
Depends on the solid state amplifier.
Old peavey you can run the poweramp into clipping all day and is no problem.
GK 400rb(original) and 800rb same thing.
I don't know of any other brands you can say that about.
That's not the same as PREamp clipping. Almost any brand you can clip the preamp without hurting the amp as a whole. The issue is the poweramp engaging an output limiter or over current device most are in the poweramp section.
(The only series of amps that puts the output limiter in the preamp portion of the circuit is the new GK mb series, both combo and stand alone. In their case the limiter is after EQ and effects loop prior to line out.)
Again this is as far as I understand things. Assuming the amplifier and pedals are operational. Broken stuff breaks other stuff, just ask Laz.
Old peavey you can run the poweramp into clipping all day and is no problem.
GK 400rb(original) and 800rb same thing.
I don't know of any other brands you can say that about.
That's not the same as PREamp clipping. Almost any brand you can clip the preamp without hurting the amp as a whole. The issue is the poweramp engaging an output limiter or over current device most are in the poweramp section.
(The only series of amps that puts the output limiter in the preamp portion of the circuit is the new GK mb series, both combo and stand alone. In their case the limiter is after EQ and effects loop prior to line out.)
Again this is as far as I understand things. Assuming the amplifier and pedals are operational. Broken stuff breaks other stuff, just ask Laz.
Another good practice. We've actually started to rock out while playing. I felt like a teenager, but instead of air guitaring, I was actually playing 
Third song is finished, fourth one is starting to emerge from a jam.
Spring came, temperature is in high 60's. I'm still pretty broke, but life is good.
Third song is finished, fourth one is starting to emerge from a jam.
Spring came, temperature is in high 60's. I'm still pretty broke, but life is good.
Watched the first episode of Trailer Park Boys season 10 and Bubbles' band was playing and the bassist was rocking an Ibby RB model. And it looked like one of the older Ampeg guitar combos on the stage too.
Sure is. Now that JRoc thinks he is Mexican, the accent he does is friggin' hilarious.
tech question
can i send somebody an entire garage band project or logic composition with all the separate tracks and tempo etc. (not just an audio file)
can i send somebody an entire garage band project or logic composition with all the separate tracks and tempo etc. (not just an audio file)
It's a huge file, but if you can manage the file size and assuming it's compatible for version and has no special aftermarket plugins they don't have, yes. I've tried to do this with Logic and Garageband for a friend before and the file size was crazy. For Garageband they purposefully make it almost impossible to find the files on the computer as well. There are easier ways to send files to either be mixed or for collaboration, it depends what your goal is.
