The Eagle Has Landed!!! Sadowsky All-Tube Head!!!

[tombowlus]

The 6550 will drop right in the socket, but would probly require some bigger hold downs and socket rewiring. If he says it'll take any tube, then we know it's got a big, beefy x-former.

Slug

Actually, the hold down clamps are the larger size, and it is my understanding that (warranty issues aside), you can literally drop in a 6550 (or KT-88, or what have you), rebias, and go!

Tom.

 

[slugworth]

I spoze it's possible, but the pinout on the EL34 is generally
not the same as the 6550, according to Lord Valve...Either
way, I don't think anyone's gonna be doing this mod for a long, long time....Food for thought however....Question..
What's the preamp section using AX7/AT7/AU7?? This
is a 200 watter? Is it loud enough? I've been thinking of
getting an all tube head, but I don't want to carry around
2 of them. I gotta bad back, and I've become a bit lazy in
my bad back/spreading middle/bifocal, middle age..

Slug

 

[tombowlus]

Question..
What's the preamp section using AX7/AT7/AU7?? This
is a 200 watter? Is it loud enough?

I haven't taken it apart yet, but I believe that it has two 12AX7's and another driver tube (forget which type right now). I recall Roger saying that it tested out at something like 230w, and to my ears, it sounds every bit of that and more. For comparison, the DB 359 is rated at 200w, and is not nearly as loud, and the Trace Elliot Quatra Valve, which I believe is rated at just over 200w is pretty close to the volume of the SA200 (and I always thought the Quatra was a "loud 200 watter").

And again, the SA200 is really quite compact and fairly light for an all tube head, and I can tell you that definitely did not skimp on the transformers - despite this low(er) weight.

 

[tombowlus]

At the risk of photographic overload, here are some shots with the rack ears and the rubber feet installed:

And here it is ready to hit the road!

But before I racked 'er up, I took a peak inside. Dang, that is purdy:

This label was most interesting. Perhaps more than just EL34's are covered by the warranty?

Those EL34's do look (and sound) nice, though.

 

[tombowlus]

After a little research, it also appears that Dolf Koch builds other amps that can run both EL34's and 6550's:

Invalid Link Removed

 

[ModulusFan]

Man that thing looks hot!

I have you and Pat to thank for my recent tube GAS!

 

[jokerjkny]

(...)
Those EL34's do look (and sound) nice, though.

hehe,

nice to know Roger and co. have good taste in tubes. love the Invalid Link Removed. have a set in my alessandro.

pretty stuff, T.

 

[Nightbass]

roger also mentioned he's got some secret sauce he'll be pourin' into these cabs e.g. the sensitivity will be thru the roof on these suckers for maximum bass poundage. said he sent the prototype 4x10 to japan, where it got rave reviews.

Secret sauce? Not a SadowSwitch, I hope!

Would someone explain why Sadowsky and Fodera send their prototypes to Japan? Why not to Nashville and NYC and Ohio?

 

[Nino Valenti]

Would someone explain why Sadowsky and Fodera send their prototypes to Japan? Why not to Nashville and NYC and Ohio?

We shouldn't assume we know where the prototypes went..

 

[tombowlus]

also, i dunno if its my fuzzy memory, but i think Roger mentioned that the 4x10 would be rather compact and small. any validation, T?

According to Jim B., the Sadowsky 4x10 will be 25.5" high, 22.75" wide, 15.5" deep, and will weigh 85 lbs. (no neos). It is rumored to be very efficient and punchy as all getout, but we'll just have to wait and see, eh?

 

[MrBonex]

Too bad about the "no neo" thing. The good part is that it helps relieve a little GAS.

I'm anxious to hear your comparison of the SA200 and the V8 (and others).

 

[tombowlus]

Too bad about the "no neo" thing. The good part is that it helps relieve a little GAS.

I think that Jim is still not satisfied with the performance that he is seeing from neo-equipped drivers for bass enclosures. So, if he can hit his design goals with ceramic drivers and still keep the weight to what I would call a very reasonable level, I wouldn't say "too bad" at all.

I'm anxious to hear your comparison of the SA200 and the V8 (and others).

I may need time, but it's on my list! I am looking forward to gigging with the SA200 for the first time tomorrow.

Tom.

 

[MrBonex]

I hear you. But if you could just knock off 20 or so pounds of weight just by using neodymium, I'd sacrifice a small amount of performance and make up for it with my fingers!

 

[jokerjkny]

Too bad about the "no neo" thing. The good part is that it helps relieve a little GAS.

I'm anxious to hear your comparison of the SA200 and the V8 (and others).

eh,

my Acme B-4 is 79 lbs., and i still manage to bring that thing wherever i can.

 

[Larry Kaye]

Don't most amps using 6550's "get" 50 watts a tube? Is the standard an EL34 getting 33 1/3 watts a tube, with the alternatives being a 6L6GC at 25 watts+- a tube or a 6650 getting 50 watts per tube equalling 300 watts?

Or, not being a tuber officianado by any means, is there some other way the tubes can be set to spec out at 200 watts for any of these three different tubes?

LKaye

 

[thewanderer24]

According to Jim B., the Sadowsky 4x10 will be 25.5" high, 22.75" wide, 15.5" deep, and will weigh 85 lbs. (no neos). It is rumored to be very efficient and punchy as all getout, but we'll just have to wait and see, eh?

Interesting. Same dimensions as the HT322 (The best cab I have ever played through by light years), but 3" less depth.

 

[Luke Sheridan]

Man, your wife must be pissed.... All that great gear and the house decor is still stuck in 1975.

 

[Atef]

wo-ow

no really
cool, now I've got limited experience with expensive amps, but this hting sounds good in my imagination, so I'm wondering if koch will sell them over here(where they're made) too

 

[westland]

I didn't know he made an amp ... is this new?

btw it is VERY attractive ... I love the heat sink caps and the toroidal transformers (with what look like sweaters on them). Very clean looking.

 

[tombowlus]

[font=&quot]<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" oreferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <vath o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:11.4pt; height:11.4pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/THOMAS~1.BOW/LOCALS~1/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" o:href="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/images/smilies/colors/smile.gif"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Well, I just had an opportunity to take my SA200 to its first gig. This was a new venue (and a smaller one, at that), so I didn't know the room all that well. It seemed to have some issues with too much bass in one part of the room, and not enough bass in the other (gee, how unusual! ) but the NV215 does great with leveling the playing field, and once again I was struck by how well these two compliment each other. For kicks, I decided to bring along my Trace Elliot 4x5 Bright Box, and I found that it worked really well to add some additional upper midrange/treble bite and clarity (without getting harsh).

<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:11.4pt;height:11.4pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/THOMAS~1.BOW/LOCALS~1/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_image002.gif" o:href="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/images/smilies/colors/biggrin.gif"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--> The majority of the bass in the room was coming from my rig, and our stage volume was not at all out of hand, but loud enough to be forceful on stage. Several people told me that it was the best that we had sounded. At the volume we were playing, I was driving the SA200 hard enough to get some tube overdrive (just barely). The warmth and grit increased slightly as the evening wore on, but I found it pleasing and appropriate. The SA200 never lost its sense of clarity and articulation, though. The overdrive on the SA200 is more of a "tone enhancer" than an "effect", and I was again impressed with the range of options offered by the tone controls and the Clean/Fat switch. The DI sounded great, BTW, too!

All in all, I was very happy, though I do realize that for my outside gigs, I'll likely bring the Trace Elliot V8. <!--[endif]-->

<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1028" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:15.6pt;height:12pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/THOMAS~1.BOW/LOCALS~1/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_image004.gif" o:href="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/images/smilies/bawling.gif"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--> Here are some shots from the gig. Unfortunately, the person taking the photos did not take any of me playing during the two sets where I used my Sadowsky 24F 5 , but did take numerous shots during the set that I played my Fodera.

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