Variac a Super Lead instead of attenuating

[jnew]

My Small Box has a Grid resistor on V3. Can't remember what value now. Maybe 100K?

[dirtycooter]

Holy flippin BALLLLLZZZZZZZZZ!!!


I am floored here. Crank and variac. Done? Goose the front. Viola'?
Amazing Rob. Amazing!

[dirtycooter]

What tubes and where/how did you acheive bias setting??? Bias at 60v?
I have stepped on my dick looking for my jaw. It fell somewhere nearby and still looking. This is insane good

[rgalpin]

hey DC! haha! it's pretty interesting isn't it - this rock has been here a long time, we have flipped it over a few times even and we kind of missed what was there - over the last few months though we keep coming back to it and each time we do things come a little more clear about what is under it...

anyway - the tubes are EH EL34s - pretty unmatched - at 460V they were biased to 28 and 40. !! When i variac'd down to 60V i did not re-bias.

now it's time to go to church and praise God for the variac, all my cool friends here at metroamp, and EVH's creativity and talent.

HAPPY SUNDAY! GO BRONCOS!!

[dirtycooter]

Dude
This is so flippin awesome each time I replay it. Best of all like you posted-no tone robbing attenuator or that mess needed.

There is that saggy chewy thing all over this. In spades!!! And this isn't even 6ca7's? BoofugginWOW! Crazy!
I think you are the first to really do it the old fashioned legendary mythical way and really pop the cherry here.

How does it feel to have found BigFoot, Aliens, Leprechauns, and The Grail?

Is it good under the hands? Any "magic" feeling?

And YES! AMEN!

[ttowne]

Rob

Very nice clip. I never followed the variac threads much in great detail but for Fuc Sake now I feel like I should buy a damn variac and fool around with all this LOL. Anyways, except for maxing the bias I can't remember the details, what do you need to do again to keep the heater voltage to spec? Thanks.

[rgorke]

Rob

Very nice clip. I never followed the variac threads much in great detail but for Fuc Sake now I feel like I should buy a damn variac and fool around with all this LOL. Anyways, except for maxing the bias I can't remember the details, what do you need to do again to keep the heater voltage to spec? Thanks.

The heater voltage will drop but that is part of the magic. The theorists will say this will kill your tubes but with 3 or 4 years at less than 90 volts my tubes are just fine.

[harddriver]

hey DC! haha! it's pretty interesting isn't it - this rock has been here a long time, we have flipped it over a few times even and we kind of missed what was there - over the last few months though we keep coming back to it and each time we do things come a little more clear about what is under it...

Hey Rob nice clip! There seems to be the telltale hair that is usually missing present. Do you feel you need the MXR 6 band with the Wolfgang P/U which is about 14-16K correct? Just curious?

Mike Soldano has stated the magic variac voltage for Ed was 85VAC or when the power transformer sagged heavily and the power indicator light would dim under heavy power chords while Ed played into a super bass head in Soldano's shop, but this was much later than VH1(mid to late 80's) and Ed's preferences had gone somewhat cleaner like the 1982 Largo/Diver Down tone. I am sure Ed would set this to his mood and feel each time he played might be 60... might be 140VAC regardless of the tube wear and I'm sure he had no fear of Cathode stripping.

There is nothing to say ala 1976/77 VH kept getting kicked out of the clubs because of his volume and we all know that the early 77 tone wasn't as saggy or the correct VH1 distortion yet but...Ed has said he would use the variac like a volume control, maybe one night he was threatened to be kicked out of yet another club and Dave, ALex and Mike got on his ass and he just kept turning the variac down until the volume dropped enough and heard the tone that he liked, ala VH1 late summer/fall 1977 into 78.

Anyway cool experiment Rob you always were Metro's resident mad scientist...

[metalhead3ecr]

Can you help me out with the bias resistors for V1a and V1b....I don't know if I am seeing this correctly but is V1b an 820/0.68uF ? Should I assume that V1a is 820/330uF or 2.7k/330uF?

[jnew]

Never believed in the attenuation thing myself. Re-amping or a Variac are the volume remedies as far as I'm concerned. Actually if re-amping, the Variac is still needed for the tone though.

[rgalpin]

Rob

Very nice clip. I never followed the variac threads much in great detail but for Fuc Sake now I feel like I should buy a damn variac and fool around with all this LOL. Anyways, except for maxing the bias I can't remember the details, what do you need to do again to keep the heater voltage to spec? Thanks.

The heater voltage will drop but that is part of the magic. The theorists will say this will kill your tubes but with 3 or 4 years at less than 90 volts my tubes are just fine.

+1

[rgalpin]

Hey Rob nice clip! There seems to be the telltale hair that is usually missing present. Do you feel you need the MXR 6 band with the Wolfgang P/U which is about 14-16K correct? Just curious?

Thanks! The MXR 6 band is a big part of the recipe. When the variac is down low enough to substantially affect the volume, the amp needs a boost in front i would say with any pickup. The MXR also gives you the opportunity to shape the tone in a way that keeps it from getting silly at any particular frequency. My approach was to start it with a 9db boost all the way across and then start subtracting out frequencies that were getting blown out sounding. It's kind of like you are creating a peak at just the right spot by taking away everything that is not in that spot. Would love to try it with the 6 Band 1.2 boost mod that rockstah used in his jaw dropper ITO clip.

[rgalpin]

Can you help me out with the bias resistors for V1a and V1b....I don't know if I am seeing this correctly but is V1b an 820/0.68uF ? Should I assume that V1a is 820/330uF or 2.7k/330uF?

v1b is 1.5K/.68.
v1a is 820/330uF. (i think - will need to check the resistor value - but probably inconsequential either way.
v2a is 1K/.68.

[plexified]

RG , see , it ain't so bad listening to good tunes and eventually ol' plexified comes out of no where . But he was their all along with his footsteps in the sand telling you guys , YEAH, your on it . To just offer justice is a part of acceptance , but letting the crowd go wild is the best . They find it and roll with it . Now , start with a base line . measure 6.0 on the heaters and your way cool to start . That is a nugget . Take it . When you turn down , yes you will sacrifice tube life . BUt , DO YOU HAVE TUBES YOU LIKIE ? Whew , caps got away from me their , Turn down if you like it . Screw the 6.3! I have said , I like the 6.0 . To go further , I like the tight plexi . I find a tight plexi 50 slaved into a 12000 series , original is the end all . I have been up and down the whole volume thing . No 12 is loud enough . No single cab is loud enough . One cab especially a bottom is so laser line its a joke . Poor fan in the way of a small output . Its like a buck hunt . That bow has a a small outcome . But the bow sweet line is small . I call it laser line with a Marshall Bottom . Damn , that cab cannot throw ! Just a small spot in the club . NEVER gonna get you thrown out unless its fre3akin starbucks . Get it . No volume issues ever . Yes , we can pine that , oh the poor vocalist suffered from the volume ...... Bullshit. Bullshit galore here . We know it , we figured it out , and now Ed says , stay away from those forums ...... Shit , OK .. We suck . We are stupid . Not , Just keep roping it in . We are fine and on the map . Ed just told us so . Stay away from those guys that know my sssccchhhhtiiiikkkkk. Done .

[jnew]

Hmm. With the Variac @ 60VAC, I'm sure the heater V's are waaayyy below 6.0. To get it back up to that will bring back the volume for damn sure but as far as too loud, well that depends on so many other things. That's just as subjective as tone but no doubt pretty loud.

David, do you remember what Ronnie Garvin used to do back in the day before he played the Peavey stuff? Had his 72 100W dimed into a Marshall 4X12 loaded with EV SRO's. Clean as hell, loud as f*&^ck and a punch to stop your heart. He cut out a thick piece of carpet and covered 3 of the speakers and mic'd the 4th. He didn't have a volume knob, he had a volume mat.

Anyway, back on topic. Rob, is this your choice setup now. Are you gigging this current config?