Members phyrexia Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 My Mattel Intellivision from '80' still works and plays games. It's definitely not handwired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SKYNETRP Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by Jeff Seal I gotta disagree with you there, I rarely replace the caps you're referring to unless they're passing DC. I get 50's Fender's that leave the shop with most of the coupling, tone stack caps still original.... Anyone else have thoughts, maybe I'm wrong here.. Jeff Seal NO, you're right about Fenders, but the Fenders seem to do a lot better as far as caps go compared to high voltage Marshalls especially 60's and early 70's. The 100 Watt 60's and very early 70's still had over 600 volts hitting the plates on the El34's and it put a lot more strain on the caps as a result, thus wearing them out faster, hence they say to replace them every 10 years. Marshall started reducing the plate voltages down to 450 volts sometime around 1973. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JamesPeters Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by SKYNETRP NO, you're right about Fenders, but the Fenders seem to do a lot better as far as caps go compared to high voltage Marshalls especially 60's and early 70's. The 100 Watt 60's and very early 70's still had over 600 volts hitting the plates on the El34's and it put a lot more strain on the caps as a result, thus wearing them out faster, hence they say to replace them every 10 years. Marshall started reducing the plate voltages down to 450 volts sometime around 1973. And, this has exactly what to do with coupling caps on preamp stages which see on average 200-250V, when the caps are rated for 600V? Orange drops are good caps too btw. Let's not go spreading hate about them for no reason. Are they "better" than some other caps? Perhaps not. But they are good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SKYNETRP Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by cib11mike Here's our PTP with a PCB for switching. For what it's worth I believe there is no tone difference gained by PTP over PCB. I just think that for your money you should get a little art work along with your sound. PCB and PTP As long as you aren't being charged PTP prices for PCB amps, I think they are fine. But you have to admit that there are a lot of cheap amps out there that only used PCB because it is cheaper to make. PTP will always be easier to repair out on the road though, and that is saying something if you are constantly on the road and take particular liking to that particular amp. If you listen to a Mojave Amp, you will hear something that I have never heard on any other kind of amp. The tube sound seems to squeek out those notes they are so tight and articulate, and the touch dynamic is absolutely outstanding. Touch dynamics are very important to a blues player where the emotions they get from their playing touches your soul when done right. Now of course that doesn't really matter if you are playing heavy metal, but for a blues guitarist it makes all the difference in the world. It all depends on the genre you play. A lot of very good amps these days don't have that sensitive touch dynamic as do the PTP amps (where when your pick attack is harder the volume incresese but keeping that awesome tone, and when you pick lightly, the volume decreases, but the tone is still full and rich. This is how they get emotions out of their guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SKYNETRP Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by JamesPeters And, this has exactly what to do with coupling caps on preamp stages which see on average 200-250V, when the caps are rated for 600V? Orange drops are good caps too btw. Let's not go spreading hate about them for no reason. Are they "better" than some other caps? Perhaps not. But they are good. There are just better caps today than Orange Drops, that's all. I am not sure just which caps my tech was referring to either when it came to the extra high voltage Marshalls were using in the 60's. My Amp tech who works on Marshalls all the time told me this. He used to work on my Marshalls when I still had them, and I had 4 of them. And as far as your question about the caps wearing because of the high voltage, I am only telling you what my tech told me. I would assume that high voltage would effect everything in the amp in one way or another, caps included.....but I have not done enough research myself to reply any further on this topic. All I know is that they replace the caps as a precaution after 10 years on Marshalls. The other guy is correct about caps that have sit up too long, they do dry out and need replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillyCorgan Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Someone post the Diezel Herbert's guts and pwn this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cloudnine Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff Seal Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by DeathMonkey I have heard from people that know quite a bit more than I that as long as the caps are used regularly, they can maintain their effectiveness for indefinite amounts of time. But if the amp sits for too long, they dry out and become faulty. So an amp from the 50's that has been used regularly could feasibly have working caps, whereas a newer amp could sit for ten years and have to have all the caps replaced. I don't know for sure, I know caps in a lot of old amps are replaced as a precaution - my Major sat in a warehouse for 8 or so years and needed new caps, but my old Bandmaster was regularly used and still had its original caps. Perhaps one of our resident amp gurus can clear this up. True enough, the oil filled caps used as Filter caps, bias supply and cathode bypass caps will dry up. But the older HV "decoupling caps" and tone stack caps rarely fail because they are not oil filled, so it's not particularly common to replace them. JS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JamesPeters Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by SKYNETRP There are just better caps today than Orange Drops, that's all. I am not sure just which caps my tech was referring to either when it came to the extra high voltage Marshalls were using in the 60's. My Amp tech who works on Marshalls all the time told me this. He used to work on my Marshalls when I still had them, and I had 4 of them. And as far as your question about the caps wearing because of the high voltage, I am only telling you what my tech told me. I would assume that high voltage would effect everything in the amp in one way or another, caps included.....but I have not done enough research myself to reply any further on this topic. All I know is that they replace the caps as a precaution after 10 years on Marshalls. The other guy is correct about caps that have sit up too long, they do dry out and need replaced. Your tech has evidently been misled. Coupling caps do not need to be replaced every 10 years and especially not because of high voltages on the output tubes. And if you think there are better caps than orange drops, it's a matter of opinion only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeathMonkey Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by SKYNETRP Touch dynamics are very important to a blues player where the emotions they get from their playing touches your soul when done right. Now of course that doesn't really matter if you are playing heavy metal, but for a blues guitarist it makes all the difference in the world. It all depends on the genre you play. A lot of very good amps these days don't have that sensitive touch dynamic as do the PTP amps (where when your pick attack is harder the volume incresese but keeping that awesome tone, and when you pick lightly, the volume decreases, but the tone is still full and rich. This is how they get emotions out of their guitars. See: THD Some of the most touch sensitive amps out there, IMHO. PCB, I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff Seal Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Hey James, long time no see bud! Hope all is well with you! Jeff Seal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JamesPeters Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Hi Jeff, I'm doing ok, thanks! Just playing some Soduko before bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members math2014 Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Hey man, care for some matamp guts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillyCorgan Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by cloudnine Purdy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SKYNETRP Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by DeathMonkey See: THD Some of the most touch sensitive amps out there, IMHO. PCB, I believe. THD's are supposed to be quite remarkable when it comes to touch sensitivity, and they are extremely well made amps. I am currently using their Hot Plates, another very fine piece of equipment. There is more than one use for the Hot Plate, I use it to properly place my time based effects where they belong.....AFTER the saturated Power Tubes. That's a pretty long story and I have posted it here in another thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ralph Stephens Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by SKYNETRP Is that the Mesa? I see an aweful lot of PCB in there.......... no it's the uber, but the mesa's got a whole lot of PCB too. i don't know anything really about building amps, but the mesa and bogner are so damn busy on the inside i couldn't imagine they could make these amps PTP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SteveVHT Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by SKYNETRP This is the inside of a Mojave Peace Maker......outstanding: This is one beautiful Amp: Hey look... It's a Plexi.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Greazygeo Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Here's my Wizard.....my favorite amp too... It's kinda funny all the amps I now own are PTP....are there any "vintage" sounding amps that are PCB? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SteveVHT Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Ahhh Hell...... Here is one of my PTP messes..... This is a Rivera designed Fender 75 head.... Talk about a mess....But who the hell cares for $350... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members carlygtr56 Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by cloudnine Looks like the inside of a computor. That's more impressive than a PTP Marshall/ Hiwatt? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SteveVHT Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by carlygtr56 Looks like the inside of a computor. That's more impressive than a PTP Marshall/ Hiwatt? LOL A hell of alot more impressive.... And a hell of alot better sounding to boot... Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NITEFLY182 Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Wow, I wonder what the inside of my VH4 looks like? Here is a photo of a '94 dual rectifier. Its pretty impressive, especially all the cable bundling and tube socket detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members carlygtr56 Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by SteveVHT A hell of alot more impressive.... And a hell of alot better sounding to boot... Steve Pure tone? I don't think so. Less wiring/knobs/features/bs = better tone Point me to the channel switcher that sounds like Humble Pie at the Fillmore..... The Who- Live at Leeds....I can name dozens....aint happening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members charliedango Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 I posted these in another thread, but since this one started, I might as well repost them here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Digital Jams Posted April 13, 2006 Members Share Posted April 13, 2006 Originally posted by carlygtr56 Looks like the inside of a computor. That's more impressive than a PTP Marshall/ Hiwatt? LOL I don't think comparing a 4 channel midi capable high gain amp to a single channel amp is really the right thing to do. For build quality I would throw a Rocca or Aiken at a HW Marshall anyday of the week. Build quality I am talking about, not one's taste in voicings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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