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The Un-Official Sadowsky SA200 Thread...

Thank you sir for the prompt and helpful response. I think not it's not necessary even to change the fuse if going from 100V to 115V - right?

Sounds simple enough for a moderately handy bass player! Or would there be a need to take to an amp shop to rebias? :)

Everything is easy for someone with basic electronics knowledge and the necessary equipment. It may not be safe as lethal voltages may be present inside the amp. In order to do the job with out putting yourself or the amp at risk, you need a multi-meter and a tool or jig to safely discharge the power supply capacitors.

Yes I believe the amp uses the same mains fuse for 100V and 120V, but you should confirm the proper fuse is fitted. If you know how to bias an amp it's an easy process. The amp has two internal controls. I suggest you carefully identify which is which. One is the PI balance and the other is bias. I suggest leaving the PI balance alone until the amp needs a new PI tube. FYI, The stock PI is a 6N1P which is a Russian tube. I suggest the Voskhod 6N1P-EB. There are several variants and the EB version is a well regarded long-life version.

To adjust the bias there is a 1 ohm bias sense resistor on each tube between cathode and ground. I suggest measuring across the terminals of each resistor as I have found measuring from the resistors to ground provides a slightly different reading. Factory spec is 25-30mV measured across these resistors. The readings should be within 15% of each other or the tubes are not well matched.

These amps were originally fitted with Shuguang EL34B. They were labeled Koch but I believe they were tested and matched by TAD. The current recommendation from Sadowsky is to fit the amp with KT88 and use the same bias target (25-30mV. The amp sounds great with EL34s and the original EL34B is about as good as it gets, but the SA200 runs the screens above the EL34's voltage limit. KT88s should have a longer service life.

Internal controls are circled in white.
upload_2020-5-9_17-7-3.png
 
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Everything is easy for someone with basic electronics knowledge and the necessary equipment. It may not be safe as lethal voltages may be present inside the amp. In order to do the job with out putting yourself or the amp at risk, you need a multi-meter and a tool or jig to safely discharge the power supply capacitors.

Yes I believe the amp uses the same mains fuse for 100V and 120V, but you should confirm the proper fuse is fitted. If you know how to bias an amp it's an easy process. The amp has two internal controls. I suggest you carefully identify which is which. One is the PI balance and the other is bias. I suggest leaving the PI balance alone until the amp needs a new PI tube. FYI, The stock PI is a 6N1P which is a Russian tube. I suggest the Voskhod 6N1P-EB. There are several variants and the EB version is a well regarded long-life version.

To adjust the bias there is a 1 ohm bias sense resistor on each tube between cathode and ground. I suggest measuring across the terminals of each resistor as I have found measuring from the resistors to ground provides a slight different reading. Factory spec is 25-30mV measured across these resistors. The readings should be within 15% of each other or the tubes are not well matched.

These amps were originally fitted with Shuguang EL34B. They were labeled Koch but I believe they were tested and matched by TAD. The current recommendation from Sadowsky is to fit the amp with KT88 and use the same bias target (25-30mV. The amp sounds great with EL34s and the original EL34B is about as good as it gets, but the SA200 runs to screens above the EL34's voltage limit. KT88s should have a longer service life.

Internal controls are circled in white.
View attachment 3822271
Per the manual, the caps self-discharge upon power-off. I would not bet my life on it though. Looks like bottom panel comes off to access the AC power selector. That I would tackle. Bias adjustments I would leave to a pro.

That is a 100VAC setting in the pic?
 
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Per the manual, the caps self-discharge upon power-off. I would not bet my life on it though. Looks like bottom panel comes off to access the AC power selector. That I would tackle. Bias adjustments I would leave to a pro.

That is a 100VAC setting in the pic?

Correct, you never assume the caps self discharge. Potentially, it only takes one bad resistor to leave a lethal charge.

The bottom panel exposes the entire circuit card. It will look like the image I posted, minus the white circles ;).

IMHO it's always a good idea to check the bias on a used tube amp; even more so when you need to change the taps on PT for a different mains voltage. It's your amp so you get to make the call. In my experience it can be fairly quick to pull the 1.6A HT fuse if there is any sort of problem.

The image I provided is pretty low resolution, but I believe the switch is in the 230V position. It should be obvious once the amp is open.
 
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Um, did I say holy cow! Or holy grail! This is the best amp ever. Following many hours of playing through an Acoustic, a Kustom, an Eden, a Tech 21, a Genz-Benz and a Glockenklang, that is saying something. Love this forever amp. I will say that the Accu-Groove is a little sterile for old-school beef. The Aggie DB112s are a better fit. Thinking there might be some sort of Bergantino in the future.
 

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Um, did I say holy cow! Or holy grail! This is the best amp ever. Following many hours of playing through an Acoustic, a Kustom, an Eden, a Tech 21, a Genz-Benz and a Glockenklang, that is saying something. Love this forever amp. I will say that the Accu-Groove is a little sterile for old-school beef. The Aggie DB112s are a better fit. Thinking there might be some sort of Bergantino in the future.

the Sadowsky SA410 was an incredible cabinet that was made by Bergantino.
 
I just wanted to share the following......last year we had NY tube amp ace Blackie Pagano overhaul our original SA200. Even though we only use it in our showroom, we had power tube issues more than I would have liked. Blackie told me that the EL34 tubes do not have sufficient voltage headroom for the amp and he installed KT88 tubes instead. We have not had a single issue since, and the amp sounds great.
 
I just wanted to share the following......last year we had NY tube amp ace Blackie Pagano overhaul our original SA200. Even though we only use it in our showroom, we had power tube issues more than I would have liked. Blackie told me that the EL34 tubes do not have sufficient voltage headroom for the amp and he installed KT88 tubes instead. We have not had a single issue since, and the amp sounds great.

I still need to try that (KT88's). Thanks for sharing, Roger!
 
Um, did I say holy cow! Or holy grail! This is the best amp ever. Following many hours of playing through an Acoustic, a Kustom, an Eden, a Tech 21, a Genz-Benz and a Glockenklang, that is saying something. Love this forever amp. I will say that the Accu-Groove is a little sterile for old-school beef. The Aggie DB112s are a better fit. Thinking there might be some sort of Bergantino in the future.

I think you would be very happy with a Berg or two under your SA200. Glad that you dig it! :bassist: :bassist: :bassist: :thumbsup:
 
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OK, ya cornballs.:D Is anyone using a rack bag or a relatively lighter rack case to house the SA-200? As I posted in the Sadowsky thread, I snagged this beautiful amp recently. I'm not looking to get a heavyweight shockmount case. Even if/when things return to normal, I'm not going to be gigging heavily or tossing the amp in the back of a truck, so I'd like to keep the weight of the bag or case to about 10-12 pounds or less. I do want to put it in *something*, though.

Any general thoughts on Gator vs. SKB are also appreciated, as they seem to offer most of the options out there.
 
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That's right. Forgot to write that it is a SKB. It's this model, if I remember correctly.
sku_view_image.png

Roto-Molded 4U Shallow Rack
Model: 1SKB-R4S
Category: Shallow Racks


The re-designed Roto-molded Shallow Rack Cases meet the needs of musicians and pro audio engineers. The new 1SKB-R4S now has a full front and rear cover instead of a rear access panel for easy access. Both doors have a ...

Interior Width: 19.00 in (48.26 cm)
Interior Height: 7.00 in (17.78 cm)
Rackable Depth: 10.38 in (26.35 cm)
Rack Units Total: 4
View 1SKB-R4S Specs »
 
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