Circuitboard-wired amps that sound great, sound great for decades to that respect.. which include Diezel, Marshall from the JMP's onward (up to about DSL100) and the Boogie Mark4's and 5's which does have a really cleaned-up clean sound in the classic Fender range.
I'm not of the opinion there's a superiority in hand-wired versus PCB-assembled amps because since the Post-Grunge era "return-to-stock configuration" fad came up in the late 90's, it was techs and other people reissuing boutique examples of old vintage circuits out of Aspen Pittman's Amp Book that had no skills whatsoever in CAD and could not make the financial outlay required for a run of printed circuit boards for their amps.
So when they marketed "their" amps' lack of technical integration, a negative became a positive selling feature by tying a more pure, basic tube path sound to the way it looked and was assembled.. "look, 'point-to-point' just like in the old days" easily glossed-over the more stable and serviceable PCB assembly. And all these garage-builder guys started selling - probably much to their surprise - so it began to be an expected feature to request "does this amp have point-to-point handwiring?"
Shit. Who cares about whether the components are soldered to huge rivet lug connections, or copper traces. It's still copper, it's still gonna flow electricity thru it? And if a maker of amps isn't selling a thousand or more amps a year, you can almost guarantee that he's not getting his boards stuffed in China on auto-insertion machinery ::coughFendercough:: so anything sold by its' builder whether it's a PCB or turret-board handwired "point-to-point construction" board, by definition is "hand-wired."
Whether it's any good or not, or as Jay demostrates whether the owner of the amp can play or not, is a whole other issue.
So YES Elvis is correct, handwired dogshit still sounds like dogshit because of the mathematical equation of amplification has problems, not because it is or is not handwired.
Hand wired or circuit board doesn't matter. It's electron flow period. Hand wired amps are easier to do mods on but circuit board assembly is faster and more efficient. Both methods suck if there are poor electrical connection due to cold solder joints, loose solder joints, or inferior traces on the board. In the end, they both allow electrons to flow to the various components with the right resistance value.
My brother was an audiofile and he had all these real high end amps. He was an executive for National Semiconductor and was going to Japan all the time and he had friends over there who were into the same hobby. Mr brother said one night this Japanese guy was showing him his new custom amp who's transformers were wound with pure Italian silver wire. People get nuts. Maybe Italian silver has a different resistance than copper but does it really sound better? People go shit nuts when amps are concerned and if you think guitar players are mad, just talk to some audiofiles. They are certifiable.
Yeah, your peanut-gallery critiques sound like a case of sour grapes to me, quitter. Fuck, you can't even post a picture of an instrument or amp you supposedly own (no not the Kramer picture you found on Google), much less a clip proving you can play your way out of a paper bag, and anyone's supposed to take you seriously?
And bottom-line - hand-wired or PCB, if it sounds good, it IS good.
Look, you're the one asking to be taken seriously. My mission statement clearly says I'm here for the sole purpose of spamming and disruptive commentary, and any apparently honest comment from me should be suspect the moment it hits the db.
That being said: if it sounds good to you Jay, it may NOT sound good to other people. Accepting the fact that me, or Elvis, or anyone would have a differing opinion other than your own is key for you or anyone to follow any thread of opinions without going straight to a shut-down comment like you're doing.
Last edited by GAR; 11-11-2010 at 03:16 PM.
The output transformer is as much a transducer as your guitar pickup, tube, or the speaker. Silver wire has lower resistance than copper, and I would like to try an amp like that.
I bet a silver-wire output tranny provides a more linear response curve to the speakers than a plain-Jane copperwound one, and seriously doubt the difference is insignificant.
Power transformers have less to do with it, they're very important to have stout power as well as stout filter caps, but they're not a part of the signal path although they can affect it. The power transformer wound with silver wire would enable a smaller size than one in copper - that's about efficiency in design not sound. I could care less about a silver power tranny..
Yeah, thanks for clearing that up.
You say that as if there's been any other derisive comments on my sound or playing besides yours and our resident KLANAMBLA member mod ( whom I've heard enough to know he has ZERO room to talk; oh, or your banned troll buddy), and as if a couple or three losers like your opinions matter, or are respected.... it doesn't and they aren't. Accept THAT fact.That being said: if it sounds good to you Jay, it may NOT sound good to other people. Accepting the fact that me, or Elvis, or anyone would have a differing opinion other than your own is key for you or anyone to follow any thread of opinions without going straight to a shut-down comment like you're doing.
So how's about you get back on topic, instead of continuously demonstrating your obsession with me.
Elvis has the wisdom and experience from owning using performing and recording with:
Hammond M100
Marshall JMP
Fender Twins
.. which tells me his opinion is validated when he says he doesn't like your tone.
You're either a) drawing totally different conclusions about what we say, to take it that we hate you and/or your amp, and/or your playing.. or you are b) in acknowlegement of truths in criticisms, yet dismissing those truths entirely.
Whatever the problem is with you, it's not working out as a Moderator of this board .. your behavioural isn't intentional or an act, it's the way you're wired, and my guess is it's probably not benefited your interaction working with others in a band, either. So here you are working out your issues on this Forum.. making Elvis, me and everybody else both your iTherapists and your iBand - otherwise you wouldn't be motivated to respond.
The only thing I'm getting motivated to do is start moving your troll posts to your playpen. AGAIN.
.. how more moderate could one be, I don't know!
I sold my JSX head last month and bought the 6534+ too. I've owned each of the 5150 amps in the past (combo, original and II). They were great but then I graduated to EL34 love. I got to where I couldn't get the crunch I wanted. Now, to me, this is what the 5150 II should have been.
They actually lowered the gain in each channel so it works better with the EL34s, but you wouldn't know it because it is still heavy as fuck. The clean does have more headroom. The real surprise for me is the girth on the first channel. I always thought the 5150 II was flat. This thing has all the balls of the original 5150 and eq controls that actually do something. The crunch channel has a really nice British tone to it now and the lead sounds like they reversed it back to the specs of the original 5150 lead channel to me. I know Peavey said they did some factory mods to the circuit that are popular, ie reduced noise, lower gain and the EL34s, and I also think they changed the values on the lead channel back to the original specs. It was only a couple of values to change.
All in all I'm very pleased with the amp. Plus I got a massive deal from Musician's Friend too. $850 to my door. That's right, $850. It was what they call "used" which means someone returned it and they can't sell it as new. All original packaging and perfect shape. PLUS, when I bought it last month they had the pre Xmas blow out of 15% off, so I took 15% off the "used" price. Blammo!
I also think it is a lot less muddy than the 6L6 version too. It has more clarity.
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