Variac a Super Lead instead of attenuating

[rgalpin]

No, I don't trust it for gigging yet. Time will tell... I put it back in the head box and used it on Friday night but I didn't have the guts to leave the attenuator at home! In a moment of utter cowardice, I sheepishly hooked it up to the attenuator as usual - so... we'll see.

[dirtycooter]

I have a feeling this is gonna be a place you will start hangin around in low voltage and maybe find out if cathode stripping will be the issue or not. I mean... has cathode stripping really ever happened to anyone here? Just wondering if it is a theory or if it really does happen. All I have seen is warnings but never any real "man I just totally smoked these tubes down and stripped the cathodes completely" to be honest. Is it a viscious theory cooked up to throw people off? Or is there merit to this?
I mean look at it like this-Ed was kinda the pioneer of this... there were no people pondering and then warning him probably back then as variacing was kinda totally unheard of.
Time will tell maybe. I have to admit its sounding crazy good and will have to eat a fat one on my slaving theory now

[dirtycooter]

Another thought

What if he biased hot at 90v then was dropping it from there? 90v comes up alot but what is its real signifigance? Nothing wildly tonal happened just droppin down to 90. But further down here like yours it sounds like the magic is starting to happen.

[TWANGGG]

From what I've read the conditions where cathode stripping can occur is when tubes are run with high plate voltage combined with lower than spec heater voltage. I've seen a graph in a tube data sheet that showed how tubes run as above have drastically shortened lives and I think this is what people that warn against running heaters low have based their conclusions on.

I think if we were going to see reports of people killing their tubes by cathode stripping anywhere it would be most likely here in the VH section of Metro. I believe the reason we're not is because a variac drops all voltages in the amp. So it seems that tube life isn't affected drastically by running voltages lower on both plates and heaters as we're doing here.

[Tone Slinger]

Rob, very nice clip ! I seriously think Ed dropped his voltage in a similar way. That is the only way to implement the 6 band eq in the front of a blaring Marshall.........ESPECIALLY set as pics of Eds show (6 band eq)

[plexified]

J , and Rob ,
Because I love you guys and Shannon too , and wangotango and Dirtycooter and all you all I say this.....You guys are the dumbest mother truckers I have ever known . Yet , you are the coolest and the smartest . I just about got killed recently and shit , I do not want to die with secrets . So it goes like this . The deal is you need a certain power transformer and a certain voltage within the output transformer wind . You all have killed yourselves messin with everything under the sun , however , never taking into consideration regarding my commentary regarding the power transformer . It all circumvents voltages and amperage and the blatant reality of why . Ask why . I answered it so many times I cannot find it in me to just reach out my hand and say , Ok J, New , here is the secret . Or OK , R Galpin , Here is the answer . AND , poor Rob , heard the 12 series I have as many of you may have , he said prime rib . NO J , I do not have clips of the variac between the speaker outputs , because my stuff was in storage . Quick story . I lost my entire house belonings recently , I went to take care of my mom and had three rentors . They sold all my stuff . A car , every piece of furniture and came home to nothing . I was so glad I had my prized gear at my familys house . Why ? I am not sure , Guess I did not trust said girls . SIck bitches man . Meth . That gets me on a tangent . I Love the new show outlaw street racing. Shit meth motors meaning a 676 cube moter on nitro meth ane . Meth motor . he he . S hit , back on track or back in black , I hit the sack, Shit I love this place time to bust a sack ....... The Power transformer is the key ........ WoW the holy grail shit just took place . Fuck , How bad did YOU miss it . ?"?????? Plexified is a duesch bag because he never told us ....... @Wow , pump the brakes boy , Plexified told you all along ,,,,,, and did you listen????? And did you just wake the F&&XCK up regarding the every day; usage of a fu&%()g variac ??? yes , yes you did . Nice participant . Shit I love you all and want to ratchet this shit up , you with me ??????????????

[plexified]

you know the wiki is not going to help anyone shit . I mean so because you have to squish the info so close together for it to make sense . Damn , I will have to become evil kneviel to show and hear the results . Do I start an amp company or do we find a way to do this together . A crowd share , kick ass example of ,,,,,, yeah you can have great tone ,,,,, it goes like this,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,BOOOMMMM

[JimiJames]

*high-five* back atcha !

[rgalpin]

as long as the tennis racket bounces back hard enough to rip cartilage throughout the shoulder region and the finger tips squeak across that shiny, tight, balloon loud enough to make you physically and mentally squint. i'm in!!

[jnew]

Id aint's be dat i is stowpid, eyes dus loin in alongs de way.

But, BUT, I have paid attention and I know you know this because we've had conversations in and out of the forum about things like the power rail, sag and so forth. I think there's just a lot more to this because many people have researched and contributed years of info on an issue that has never been (and may never be) defined by the creator. So a hundred different people will have 100 different approaches to get this guitar sound based on lots and lots of unconfirmed into, speculation and theories. Actually, a lot of the info might be fact but is or can be easily dismissed or diluted. And not just on what gear was used but how it was used. One example is the stock plexi. That alone can be so debatable because 67/68 was far from any one standard. Mustards or Chicklets. .68/820 or .68/2.7K on V1B. NFB 27K, 47K or even 100K. Filtering was all over the place and this plays a role in how voltages behave. You get the idea.

Your knowledge is mad bro and my latest build was ALL around the stuff you and I covered. I know you've probably heard this but listen to it real closely. My amp is panned 100% opposite of Ed's so differentiating is pretty easy to do since VH was produced with Ed's guitars on one side (for the most part)

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_so ... D=13007844

It's as good as I could ever need it to be. The differences might be more so, the digital assembly of little bits of information as compared to the seamless analog smoothness and naturally warm timbre. Or maybe not, I don't know. To me it sounds like VH. And I still haven't made a single change other than putting in the Philips chicklets and 68K Iskra's once they finally had arrived. And I probably won't. It's that good to me and I do have you to thank for that. So now I'll just do another amp the same way but with a 2" OPT and see how that compares.

[jnew]

as long as the tennis racket bounces back hard enough to rip cartilage throughout the shoulder region and the finger tips squeak across that shiny, tight, balloon loud enough to make you physically and mentally squint. i'm in!!

[dirtycooter]

(Scratches head looking perplexed) well gee thanks Plexified. I will take your comment as a compliment.... I think

Its gonna be sweeeeeet if dropping all voltages really skews those test data results as stated. Win win.

Hopin for more clips here though

[rgalpin]

i've got some fancy schmancy .68 chicklets to try - i'll be posting a clip once i get those in for sure...

[plexified]

oh , man , I guess I have to tone it down a bit for you non knuckle draggers to keep up . Sheez , it was out in the open and you all missed it . Now that's why I rag on the wiki . The wiki is cool . But you all in real time were there and missed the goods . How much does it suck to go through a few hundred Plexified threads to find the molecule of nirvana . Your probably gonna get a heart attack bro . I don't want that . I want you to sound like heaven playing your local club , or in some of our circumstance4s on the Grammies or CMT or freakin MTV . My s hit is already there . Like m n m would go 8 miles to git me on his game . Or Rhianna would go 8+ miles to dance on my shit . Or , yeah, I got 850 reasons on my meth motor to rattle your junk . Whaaa ? Plexified is crazy and the list of resisitance goes like this ...... Please get medical help right away if you experience an erection that lasts more than 4 days or loud ringing noise in your ears , or your girlfriend is circumnavigating the globe to find Plexified or you wish you and you yourself wish you were Plexified or even want his amaxzing tone . Do not try this at home or even remotely try to be Plexified at home , the nearest thing would be a superman pair of pajamas that would even damage your own hearing or your neighbors well being . DO NOT let me get off on a tangent as it will last more than a millennium and you , your family and everyone within at least a ten hundred thousand mile radius will be effected not including or limited to .... publications , Television transmisions , local parks , including kids ,kid stuff and when you brain becomes overheated please choose Gatorade , the reach to for those in the know , ok back to our usual programming....... I have un molested basketwe4ave grille clothe for sale and have the usual celestion greenbacks for sale , broken in for 5 thousand dollars per speaker . It guarantees EVH tone . Ed even said so . Ok I have a few broken ribs , I even typed bloken ribs for those over seas , and I mean it . Tell me a joke and god forbid I laugh...... Go visit TheyFly.com . THAT should wake yall up . Y All . Ya....lll . A great freakin southern thing . Low and slow . BBQ , I rule . I gotta get up some clips because its so cool . I cannot host you all at the same time ! ZBut I wanna . AND , this is the type of ENRG . we need here stop this cold boring bullshyitteee . Get it . Pants soiled , sleeves soiled , girfriends stolen , Mind %&#@*&$ and your esteem GONE . Oh , yhea you have been PLEXIFIED .

[plexified]

Can we get a viral thread ? just reading and all . OR do I have to start with a video . I dunno , I will have to post up some fun , but want fun mothers in my back tard dripping with my bbq and loud ringing WHA ? just happened in their ears to support the just happenstance . Boom , does that come with a sonic re occurance . Yes it does Carl , the event circumvented the planet earth you silly and came back around to reimind you of its most awe4someness ..... Yep , Plexified , duh ..