Variac a Super Lead instead of attenuating

[Tone Slinger]

Alot of '68 plexis in the serial # right before and after Eds with the same circuit values just dont sound like Eds amp, add to that, Ed got HIS tone with new stock 1959's(1978 ) as bootlegs show. This eludes to a very specific thing that would not be a specific tranny in a specific amp. Obviously the voltages(by way of variac) have alot to do with it, BUT, the icing on the cake is prolly the actual way Ed was running everything. Heyboer has been winding all kinds of special trannys for Suhr (Sl-68) as well as Friedman. Obviously some of those amps get close right out of the gate, but the tranny is like the cake and Eds particular setup/chain was the icing. If Ed used that 6 band (I think he did in '77/'78) then he was using it as Rob has demonstrated.
Jnew, dude, your rig is as good of an early Brownsound as Ive heard.

[rgorke]

Alot of '68 plexis in the serial # right before and after Eds with the same circuit values just dont sound like Eds amp,

They don't? Are there clips that show this?

[jnew]

Thanks Andy.

I don't know what my deal is with 50W's but even with this new 100W build, like Rob, I've pulled two tubes and I run the head at 4 ohms. BTW Rob, what impedance are you running w/two tubes?

[vanhalen5150]

The recordings don't sound the same, but we know why. Live though, Ed would make any 12000 series sound great when playing his style. I'm sure a 25 year old EVH would take any of the 12000's we have built and drop the owners jaw.

[rgalpin]

Thanks Andy.

I don't know what my deal is with 50W's but even with this new 100W build, like Rob, I've pulled two tubes and I run the head at 4 ohms. BTW Rob, what impedance are you running w/two tubes?

EDIT:
in the variac clip i used 4 ohms just because i got scared because i was not using the {ATTENUATOR} to give the OT a cushion between it and the speaker cab. the cab was 2 16 ohm speakers in parallel - and i didn't want to run 16 ohms directly into an 8 ohm speaker set - my 8 ohm post on the imp selector is broken - so the only choice was 4 ohm.

When I use the attenuator, I prefer the sound of the 16 ohm tap. The attenuator "shows" the amp about 20 ohms regardless of what the speaker arrangement is at the cab.

[mr.twistyneck]

Wow.

So I tried the dimed Marshall Super Lead, running it at 60 volts, straight into a 16ohm 4x12. Guitar to an MXR Micro Amp, then a 6 band MXR Graphic EQ, with phase 90, mxr flanger and a boss delay pedal thrown in.

I'm uploading it to Youtube right now. I've run a head this low before - but never with some pedals pounding the front end. The sound is.... very nice. I can only imagine what would happen if I were to be able to re-amp this with a load box of some sort - because it really is bedroom level. But the core is there. I mean REALLY there. TOTALLY FUN!!!!

I'll post the YT vid once it finishes processing and I can figure out the BB code on how to do it. There's some commentary, a walk through of the setup, and some hurried sloppy playing, so apologies if it is annoying. I can't stand my voice or playing.

Okay, here it is. Again, cell phone mics suck. but still.... guitar starts at ~1:43 if you want to skip the babbling.

[Tazin]

Hey Twisty, did you rebias the amp after turning the variac down to 60Vac?

[mr.twistyneck]

by Tazin » Tue Jan 13, 2015 5:12 pm
Hey Twisty, did you rebias the amp after turning the variac down to 60Vac?

Heavens no. I used a multimeter to dial in the 60volts on the Variac, then plugged everything in and let 'er rip. Amp technicians love me.

[jnew]

So Micro amp AND EQ? Jeez, that's a lot juice on the front end.

[rgalpin]

...because it really is bedroom level.

I tol' you!!

[dirtycooter]

Holy shit I am laughin so hard it fricken hurts!
Loved the commentary!
"Well thats fuuuun"
Then lastly
"Damn! Thats FUN!"

You remind me of Jeff Foxworthy gettin up on some hot chick in the sack
That tone was bad ass!!! Twisty you got it. Rob's got it. Who else is gettin it??

Ed must be fuming pissed. There goes EVH merchandise. And attenuator makers will be filing bankruptcy.

I think the case is closed. FINALLY! All thats left is logging how this effects tube life and skimmin through boosts and pickups. Which should now get even easier to narrow down.

[dirtycooter]

The 6 band e.q. throws a spin on tons and makes perfect sense. We know it was there.
But think of all the voicing and gain manipulation and dicken with pickups everyone has done.
All to get that perfect mid hump, the perfect bottom end, the drive, and the top end cutting but a click back to enough to call it sweet. No doubts in my mind the e.q. is integral to the whole thing. It can do so much that its no wonder we find so many different pickups and things fitting but never quite there.
I have to wonder what the boss 10band does here or the cleaner quieter griffin fx modded mxr 6+10 band.
What a suhr koko boost would do with a higher quality cleaner less hissy boost.
Frick! Its simply pants shitting excitement right now.

[rgalpin]

mistertwisty - can you give the guitar spec on that clip?

the voice originating from the guitar is totally critical - just like the spec of the amp is critical - so it's not like you can just throw a variac at anything. [master of the obvious is my strong suit]

[dirtycooter]

How is HEAT in the amp this way? Is it reduced? Tranny run cooler? Or does it seem about the same?

[rgalpin]

How is HEAT in the amp this way? Is it reduced? Tranny run cooler? Or does it seem about the same?

Unscientific answer is... all about the same. I would be interested to hear if someone else had a different experience.