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Tubey Goodness

#61
tadawson said:
I dunno . . . I can't recall my reference exactly, but I am an EE by degree, and definitely have seen a credible reference to rectifiers that were designed for a certain filter capacitance failing if the filters are made too large. Not due to oscillation or anything long term like that, but rather due to the surge currents when the caps charge when the amp is first powered up. A diode can carry it's rated current forever, but powerup surge is many orders of magnitude higher than that, and diodes can only carry their surge rating for very short periods, and increased capacitance will cause both the duration and magnitude of the initial powerup surge to increase . . . If the diodes were not very overrated to start with, it CAN cause failures . . . .

Now, having said that, please recognize that this does NOT mean that I agree with a lot of the other meritless crap that has come from seamonkey . . . I am just agreeing on this ONE point . . . .

- Tim
Click to expand...

I don't disagree that it CAN happen at all, just that the amount of increase required to make it happen is going to be so big that it would be ridiculous. Inrush surge is a very real phenomemon. I know that, and I'm not disputing it. My Peavey Classic 400 sometimes trips my house breaker at power up. Shrimp-boy makes it sound as though ANY increase at all will immediately result in power supply problems and he used unlrealistic/phony figures for power supply capacitance to try and shore up his "arguement."

The other point I was making about oscillation was that with an increase in filtering, long before a rectifier would be overdrawn, the extra damping of the power supply would cause problems with the output section itself.
 
#62
Caca de Kick said:
phishaholik,
I think you ended up with my old D-180 (I owned it for years). It's easy to tell. I installed a green power light in the front panel from the original blue one. It was built in 1986

But agreed, the Mesa D-180 is a very loud and powerful amp, and for the going prices it's the best deal. In college and such, I used to be able to use it at loud outdoor heavy-rock gigs pushing two 2x15 cabs and with no PA support...that's how great it is!
Click to expand...

Wow, small world. Mine most certainly does have a green light, not a blue one. You must have gotten something pretty nice to give up this one. It's almost in perfect condition too. The only thing I can think of that would make me sell mine is one of the Sadowsky all tube heads, but I think they run close to three grand. So, I think I'll keep my little 180. I have thought about getting a 400+ too, just in case I ever need more.

Mike
 
#63
flatwoundfender said:
These amp sound great with EV 15's. They really kick when you hook them up to two 15's.
Click to expand...

Only trouble with the combo version is that it's a really tall, really narrow cabinet. I remember one night loading out from a gig at Khyber Pass when Blakely's Studio Bass combo (our old bassist) accidentally fell over on the tilted sidewalk outside the club, trashing just about every tube in the amp. OUCH. $$$

If I could score one of these amps, I'd have it made into a head/cab, or just leave it in the studio.
 
#64
amper said:
If I could score one of these amps, I'd have it made into a head/cab, or just leave it in the studio.
Click to expand...

I've got a chopped down head version of the studio bass and love it. Right now I'm playing it through a single 15, but it really needs to power a couple 15's or a 4x10. It puts out around 180 watts and sounds like a loud,clean bassman. I'd be curious to compare it to a ampeg V4-b.
 
#65
hillbillyfunk said:
I've got a chopped down head version of the studio bass and love it. Right now I'm playing it through a single 15, but it really needs to power a couple 15's or a 4x10. It puts out around 180 watts and sounds like a loud,clean bassman. I'd be curious to compare it to a ampeg V4-b.
Click to expand...

If you do a Goggle search for "fender studio bass", you'll find a site with a schematic, and pictures of one that was modded into a guitar head.
:crying:

I'm sure it probably makes a perfectly nice guitar head, but damnit, man why'd you have to go tearing apart a rare tube bass amp?! At least he's got the schematic up, so we can all build clones.
 
#66
amper said:
If you do a Goggle search for "fender studio bass", you'll find a site with a schematic, and pictures of one that was modded into a guitar head.
:crying:

I'm sure it probably makes a perfectly nice guitar head, but damnit, man why'd you have to go tearing apart a rare tube bass amp?! At least he's got the schematic up, so we can all build clones.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. Many people (including me) consider the Super Twin Reverb to be the absolute worst sounding old Fender tube guitar amp ever built. Converting a Studio Bass to anything resembling that is beyond a waste of time, IMNSHO. Whew, time for some BP meds...:cool:

BTW Flatwound, where did you come up with 16 (or 4) ohm EVs? I know Hillbilly would love to find an 8 ohm 2-15 solution. His amp does sound great for the old school funk thing he uses it for.
 
#68
4Mal said:
Tom, how would you characterize the YBA-200 from a tonal perspective ?
Click to expand...

It is a very clear sounding amp. The mids aren't as full and lush as some amps, but the more time I spend with the EQ, the more I find that I can dial in a variety of useable tones. It's not as smooth or 'together' sounding as some of the older Trace Elliot heads or the Mesa Boogie tube amps, but again, its clarity and articulation are very impressive. While you can dial in some gritty/edgey overdrive/distortion, I am most impressive with its variety of good clean tones.

Again, this is all based upon this being killer for the money. My SA200 puts it to shame, but then again, it should! ;)

Tom.
 
#69
Psycho Bass Guy said:
I don't disagree that it CAN happen at all, just that the amount of increase required to make it happen is going to be so big that it would be ridiculous. Inrush surge is a very real phenomemon. I know that, and I'm not disputing it. My Peavey Classic 400 sometimes trips my house breaker at power up. Shrimp-boy makes it sound as though ANY increase at all will immediately result in power supply problems and he used unlrealistic/phony figures for power supply capacitance to try and shore up his "arguement."

The other point I was making about oscillation was that with an increase in filtering, long before a rectifier would be overdrawn, the extra damping of the power supply would cause problems with the output section itself.
Click to expand...

Totally fair. My point was that if a bit more capacitance is good, a buttload more is not necessarily better . . . .

Myself, when I recap an amp, I use the same size, or if those are no longer available, the next one up. If the amp was clean and hum free in the first place, I generally don't want to deviate from a good sounding design.

- Tim
 
#70
hillbillyfunk said:
I've got a chopped down head version of the studio bass and love it. Right now I'm playing it through a single 15, but it really needs to power a couple 15's or a 4x10. It puts out around 180 watts and sounds like a loud,clean bassman. I'd be curious to compare it to a ampeg V4-b.
Click to expand...
My dad has the same thing, it's nice, great if you have to go up stairs.
 
#71
4Mal said:
Good luck finding a V4 in decent shape for $500. $650 to 700 is more like it for one that isn't in need of re-tube / recap.
Click to expand...

Hey Mal, how're those tuners treating you? :D

If you're talking about an Ampeg V-4, I scored the '71 pictured for $500... It had a failure about two months after I got it, but that was due to a power surge while I was playing it... I brought it to the tech whose sticker was on the back and he made it sing again... My CD changer failed at the same time and I had to send it to it's Valhalla!!

So, this is pretty much my 'roots/rock' rig...

Link Removed

'71 Ampeg V-4
'69/'70 (?) Gibson 800-2B loaded with 2 Eminence Kappa Pro 15LFA's
'00 Dano Longhorn

It's a blastin' setup for the current band... I like a bit of fur, which the Ampeg deals up nicely... I scored the cabinet for free from a guy who wanted it out of his shed... It was a mud-covered mess that cleaned up nicely... Loaded my speakers in it and haven't looked back!

-robert
 
#72
here is my Bassman 135......
rig1.gif
 
#75
Caca de Kick said:
Uhhh FaithNM, all Mesa Bass tube heads say "1982" on the back of them. You actually have to remove the bottom lid and written in black pen on one of the caps the the real date.
In 1982, only the early D-180 without the graphic eq was available, then in '84 the D-180 got the graphic eq section. The Bass400 made its debut in later '86.
Click to expand...

Doh!!!(smacking head with shoe):o



Well... anyway, it's built well, and sounds awesome!:D
 
#80
Kronde said:
Can anyone tell me what the difference (besides the obvious reverb) between a V-4 and V-4B is? Are the eq points different? Do the rocker switches activate different boost/cut freq's?

thanks
thread originator and overwhelmed tube amp inquisitor
Click to expand...

V-4 has an input sensitivity switch and reverb knob that the V-4B does not. Otherwise I think they are pretty much the same.
 

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