1

[panhead]

mine also

 

[aftec]

Voltage regulators are a must on gigs with whacky power, regardless if it is changing the sound slightly.
Any super high or low voltage will have a more dramatic effect on your amp, not speaking about harming it. Just use common sense.

Studio is a different story, get a 5A digital readout chinese "Variac" for 55 bucks and be done with it.

Like this below. No affiliation, I'm on the other side of the pond.
https://www.circuitspecialists.com/variac-variable-ac-ps05kva_with_digital_display.html

web images

 

[aftec]

Just to put this into perspective, let's do the math.

You guys with 110-120 volts have around a x4 voltage multiplication in your amps to reach the 450/480 or higher voltages required by your amps. This is a fixed value!
Meaning it will not convert anything to 480 volts but multiplies the voltage whatever comes in.

Now if your amp is an old one and was designed for 110v and your current outlet is a standard 120v, it means that if your amp was designed to do 480v from 110v, now will create 523 volts inside.
If your amps is designed for 120v and your outlet reads 125 the amp will generate 500 volts instead of 480. That will throw off the bias of the power tubes if they were biased for 120v etc. Same with the other way around.

With higher wall voltages like 220/230v it's exactly 50% lesser issue due the multiplier is x2 instead of 4.

 

[RedPlated]

My CircuitSpecialists regulator arrived today. Works really well. My wall voltage today was at 117v. The amp I tested (83’ JCM800) actually sounded better when set to 120v with the regulator. Tighter, punchier. I dropped it to 114v and you can easily tell the difference.

 

[panhead]

My CircuitSpecialists regulator arrived today. Works really well. My wall voltage today was at 117v. The amp I tested (83’ JCM800) actually sounded better when set to 120v with the regulator. Tighter, punchier. I dropped it to 114v and you can easily tell the difference.

Got mine. Damn good deal 89 volts bam

 

[psychodave]

Do you guys use a high quality meter to check and confirm the voltage meter with the variac is correct?

 

[panhead]

No but the volume goes down and it browns out. Oh and biased it for 89-90 volts

 

[RedPlated]

Do you guys use a high quality meter to check and confirm the voltage meter with the variac is correct?

I did. At 120v on the variac's digital display, the outlet on it read 120 on my meter.

I went down to 90v with my Gower Killer Kali++ JMP with SED Winged C el34's. Lower volume and a lot of sag. It's pretty cool. However, my bias went from around 34-35ma to 20ma. From 120v to 117v my bias changed about 1.5ma.

The biggest benefit of this unit to me, is the consistency it provides in the sound of my amps. I can eliminate the voltage fluctuation variables that can make them sound different from day to day.

 

[panhead]

At 89 volts its just right to play a 50 watt non
master on 10. awesome

 

[psychodave]

The biggest benefit of this unit to me, is the consistency it provides in the sound of my amps. I can eliminate the voltage fluctuation variables that can make them sound different from day to day.

I 100% agree.

This is why I also bought tube testers, etc. I know exactly whats going into my amps so I can replicate it as needed.

 

[RockyStar]

Most of us are chasing tone and trying pickups, pedals, cables, speakers, string gauges, you name it when these units could potentially impact things more and simpler than all the other things we focus on.

 

[stephen sawall]

This place I live is old. Measurements at the wall change too often.

 

[aftec]

Most of us are chasing tone and trying pickups, pedals, cables, speakers, string gauges, you name it when these units could potentially impact things more and simpler than all the other things we focus on.

Amen brother, wall voltage and cabs.