100 watt Diezel to 50?

[Deleted member 3520]

Can I safetly run my 100 watt Einstein at 50 watts? If so how?

Will it damage the amp in long run?

 

[synchu]

The question comming first is why?
If for lower volume - this in theory will be only 3 dB quieter, which is barely noticeable. In practice there's some difference between 50W and 100W amps behaviour (in terms of headroom, different behaviour of power tubes )...

 

[Deleted member 3520]

I figured maybe at splitting the watts would allow me to push the tubes harder...no?

 

[ACY]

With two tubes pulled the Einstein will sound a bit smoother. It´s a good idea if you want to make Steini sound like that. Some time ago Peter wrote some words about how to do that right. Search the forum, so you can give it a try!

cheers, "ACY"

 

[wolfeman28]

Just pull 2 from opposite sides....

In other words, if the tubes are 1 2 3 4

you could pull 1 and 3, 1 and 4, 2 and 3, 2 and 4.....

That's how most 100 watters are setup.

 

[Peter Diezel]

Sorry to disagree. Pull 1 and 4 or 2 and 3.
The best would be to pull nothing.

 

[jcj]

Diezel has the best master I've ever tried. Herbert AND Einstein. I've had them both.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsNiNBhG3Gk

You could EASILY talk over this, and it's shot with a cheap(ish) still camera, that can do video.

Just dial a little differently at low volume.

 

[wolfeman28]

Sorry to disagree. Pull 1 and 4 or 2 and 3.
The best would be to pull nothing.

Peter, can you elaborate on why you would only pull those combinations? On my 100 watter I built, the way the power tubes are wired, I don't see how pulling the combinations I mentioned would make a difference... Is it just the nature of how the Einstien is built? And why it's not a good idea to do in the first place? Does it have to do with the transformers not being designed for 50 watts? I need the knowledge

 

[Anonymous]

Most commercially available guitar amps are set up so that the tubes that run in pairs are 1 & 4, and 2 & 3.

I have never seen a power section of a four power tube guitar amp done any other way.

This is not to say that it can't be done as your is, but i have never heard of it being done that way.

In "most" amps, if you pull two power tubes, you must reduce the ohms by one half as well when plugging in.
That is to say, in a four power tube amp which uses a 16 ohm load to the cab, if you pull a pair of tubes, you now need to plug in at 8 ohms.
Some power transformers can handle this tube pulling without any need to change the ohms, but consult with the manufacturer prior to just doing it.

 

[wolfeman28]

Most commercially available guitar amps are set up so that the tubes that run in pairs are 1 & 4, and 2 & 3.

I have never seen a power section of a four power tube guitar amp done any other way.

Don't want to get into a pissing match hear, but if you check the schems on most 4 tube power sections, they are, for the most part, 2 tube setups(50 watts) with 2 more tubes added in parrelel to those tubes. So if you look at it, it doesnt really matter which 2 are pulled, as long as they are from opposing sides. Catch my drift? I just doesn't matter..... I can post hundreds of different amp schems here, and they are almost all the same. All the wires go to all the same places, irregardless of tube combos I mentioned being pulled.

And yes, you are right about the impedance.