variac tests 02

[Strat78]

I thought this thread was big too.

[Jeremy1283]

This thread is, imo, a real break through. ALL ALONG, it was NEVER about what a lone 100 watt Plexi head sounds like. In Ed's case it was about how he integrated, SPECIFICALLY, a variac and a 6 band eq box. There is no such thing as a 'stock' plexi being ran on ten that sounds like that (A Suhr Sl-68 isnt really a 'stock' spec, considering its Cathode values and PPIMV). You can hear an almost 'synthetic' type of midrange just bursting out of Ed's sound, the minute they hit 'On Fire', on any of those '77/'78 boots. This thread is great, because very early on in it, it pretty much demonstrates that the voltage has to be right as well as a certain up front boost. The sliders on Ed's MXR 6 band show that it wasnt just 'slightly' being used........it was frickin' war worldIII . So I think alot more is owed to that little blue box than it has recieved. There are things that can be done to a circuit that can more closely approximate Ed's early tone than trying to make a 'Friedman' spec do it.

That makes sense. I agree man. 6 band a good pup a stock spec plexi a variac some old greenbacks. Its actually quite a few things to nail a good vh tone

[rgorke]

So, getting to Jeremy's question about tightening the bass. Two things seemed to have helped me a lot..

1) using a 100uf PI cap. One of those NOS Erie ones that Valvestorm sells.
2) experimenting with the NFB loop. I think I am down to 27k -33k on the 16 ohm tap.

Everything else is straight 12XXX spec with a 50k mid pot. No extra electrolytic on V2 and I think I have 2.7k on V1B.

And finally...it IS the sum of all parts!!! And a big part of that is volume!!

[JimiJames]

"... And finally...it IS the sum of all parts!!! And a big part of that is volume!!

NO ONE will ever know that at bedroom levels.
Besides brand of parts: what your PT tubes are; what your Tap is; what's used in V1,2,3 or that to use for V1 & V3 respectively; choice in filtering (sag); grillcloth to (A/B) cab - to speaker matchup and beers... If you're slaving, variac- attenuating. reamping, whatever it is, choose what you need this Tone to be *for* - Live, recording or both... most of all just play the darn thing... & LOUD ! "majeeek" starts to happen

[Tone Slinger]

Still, the thing that most here havent done is run thier amp as Ed most probably did . rgalpins clip gets at a certain spongy midrange type thing. All stock super lead clips are missing that. Now you take what Dave Bray does and you start seeing a similarity (in the bloom and mids) to early Ed's. A stock plexi with the two .68ufs on the cathodes is just not gonna get there......too hard bright, thin and biting imo. Its not just the gain of that 6 band obviously, but the way the sound and eq shifts and spreads the sound out, giving it that bloom. Jumpered ch's and or shared cathode , etc can approximate as an ex. IF you dont want to use an eq box. Just saying that a 12xxx spec or any other factory spec Marshall on its own isnt it ( early Ed-tone). We've been hearing a dad'gum little blue box and didnt realize it cause we didnt get the set up right (MAINLY the voltage(variac). Without that being right, the little blue box takes things FURTHER away obviously.

[Jeremy1283]

So, getting to Jeremy's question about tightening the bass. Two things seemed to have helped me a lot..

1) using a 100uf PI cap. One of those NOS Erie ones that Valvestorm sells.
2) experimenting with the NFB loop. I think I am down to 27k -33k on the 16 ohm tap.

Everything else is straight 12XXX spec with a 50k mid pot. No extra electrolytic on V2 and I think I have 2.7k on V1B.

And finally...it IS the sum of all parts!!! And a big part of that is volume!!

I wonder if i am missing out in this 50k pot business. Hmm.

[echoplexi1974]

Yeah, what is the consensus on the mid pot? I tried the 50k in my 68 superbass plexi and didn't hear much of a difference.... I may have to try that again to be sure.....

[echoplexi1974]

I always wondered why Dave Friedman never mentioned the 50k.

[jnew]

50K mid pot sounded like crap to me and I wouldn't bet it was in Ed's #1 plexi in the early days. I suspect they only showed up in his EVH line of amps and people started theorizing possibilities that it was in his plexi. BUT, guys here are using them and reporting good results.

[bmf5150]

I like the 50k mid pot but I do not like the 100k 4ohm tap negative feedback..I much prefer the 47k 16ohm

[jnew]

Gotta use what works. Of my two amps, the one that is doing VH II the best, doesn't use a 330uF on V2. And the one with the the 330uF, sounds better doing VH I.

[bmf5150]

Yeah very true