Power Amps - whaddya know?

[Ventura]

Yea, if anyone has a VHT 2/50/2 to sell I'll take it if the price is right.....although I'd rather trade my Soldano Avenger for one...otherwise I gotta wait for the Soldano to sell before I can afford the VHT Poweramp

You'd prefer one of these over a Marshall 50/50 or 100/100..?? Just wondering why?? I need to know all the reasons for the choices my fellow RT'ers make - as it'll help me in the interim too.

Peace,
Mojo

 

[Dimebag11]

Yea, if anyone has a VHT 2/50/2 to sell I'll take it if the price is right.....although I'd rather trade my Soldano Avenger for one...otherwise I gotta wait for the Soldano to sell before I can afford the VHT Poweramp

You'd prefer one of these over a Marshall 50/50 or 100/100..?? Just wondering why?? I need to know all the reasons for the choices my fellow RT'ers make - as it'll help me in the interim too.

Peace,
Mojo

I'm not huge on Marshall tone (the DSL and JVM are ok....but, it's not a VHT )...also, I believe they have to be modded for a depth control, only presence on those.

 

[Erock]

If I were you, I'd avoid power amps that are known for being overly tight (like VHT) and power amps that don't have depth controls.

The MAK4 is ridiculously tight, especially on the Dorado channel - IMO, it's best mated with a power amp that can contribute a little sag.

+1

You'll probably want something that's a bit saggy and big on the bottom end IMO. Some kind of depth or resonance control is a big bonus. I wish Diezel offered the Herbert poweramp alone, it's my favorite combination I've tried so far with the Mak4. Huge and just the perfect amount of sag. I'm really excited to hear what Andrew's poweramp sounds like.

FWIW, I slightly preferred the Makoplex with EL34, but greatly preferred the Dorado with 6550. If I could only run one, I would go with the bigger tubes like KT88 or 6550, they sound great with either channel IMO.

 

[Jimmie]

Similclass 2:90 I only endorse it because it will go beyond what you need, owned one and they're brutal.

 

[Ventura]

Similclass 2:90 I only endorse it because it will go beyond what you need, owned one and they're brutal.

Ya but from what I've seen, 6L6 varietal only... I'm not a 6L6 fan. I'd prefer an EL34 loaded amp or 6550, but not 6L6.

As for the comments above regarding Andrew's sole recommendation on the Mesa and VHT/Fryette, he also said he prefers 100W per side (via 4 tubes each side) for harmonic content, and to mess with the actual power supply sag to get the valves to strain a bit to really get some dynamics. So, having learned this (and bear in mind, I am a NEWB when it comes to the whole pre+power rig gig), I'm looking for a power amp that's got EL34's or YES - the Randall with interchangeable everything even though it's limited to 50W per side - and a power distributor/conditioner that I can taper the actual power to the amp.

4 x EL34 per side or 4 x 6550 per side is preferred. This brings me back to Mesa's (4 x 6L6) x 2 but they're 6L6's.

DAMN!! And Fryette's got it going on, only thing that blows is that it's only 2xKT88 per side, and with the 100W per side version, I lose the A/AB option that's available only in the 50W per side version. Mind you, my guess is, A/AB won't be as important with a Mak 4 as say, a power supply sag 'could' be. Just sayin'...


Will keep y'all posted.

V.

 

[Dimebag11]

The Class A/AB is almost the same as the 2/90/2's High Power/Low Power switch.....it runs the transformers at lower power so you can get some more power amp distortion/sag....I also find 50 watts helps in the sag category as well, the higher the wattage the tighter it gets and the harder it takes to push the power tubes.

 

[Ventura]

The Class A/AB is almost the same as the 2/90/2's High Power/Low Power switch.....it runs the transformers at lower power so you can get some more power amp distortion/sag....I also find 50 watts helps in the sag category as well, the higher the wattage the tighter it gets and the harder it takes to push the power tubes.

Well, not splittin' hairs here but there's a vast difference between Class A and Class AB in an articulate amp's tonal range - this I DO know from the various boutique amps I own. I'm a newbie to the poweramp scene matched with a pre, but not too much else. So my beef with the Mesa is that the Makoplex tends to sing nicest with EL34's. The Dorado, best with 6550's. Neither of these are paired with 6L6's. So it's the lesser of 2 evils, hence the looking at the Marshall 100/100. The Fryette seems alright too - but it's running KT88's in its 100W per side model. Does have the 1/2 power thing going on (well, low power - from 98W to 62W or something like that) and you're right, this might be the way to go... Albeit, we're back to neither a EL34 or a 6550 based poweramp!!

Whatever, got months to worry about this and hey, it's Friday night. Where's my Lester and 20thA!!!!

Later Cats!!
Mojo

 

[hunter]

In my humble experience (having owned a 2-50-2, ART-SLA2 and countless Heads) you need well sized transformers to get good tone.

The 2-50-2 was Ok, it was loud, but it didn't have that massive feel like a head with bigger transformers had. In my opinion there is a "bigger" 100dB and a "smaller" 100dB, even if they are measuring identical.

Those VHT2150s, big Mesas or Rivera TBRs and even the big Marshalls all have power sections like amp heads, big transformers and I trust them to rival a head in punch and dynamics. Unfortunately they come big and heavy - like carrying a head along with your pre

 

[Shark Diver]

With this you'd have 8 spaces of Black Death!

 

[threadkiller]

With my Fryette 2502 I can honestly say I can't tell much difference between class A and class AB except that the fan runs faster on class A to cover the heat. Supposedly you get some crossover distortion in class AB but I honestly can't hear it, not enough to matter to me anyway. I run it class AB all the time for longer tube life and less noise. Mind you I don't play metal, other than some 80's hair so that is the tone I'm going for.

You mentioned dropping your power to the amp with a power conditioner or something. Are you talking about dropping your voltage with a variac a la Van Halen. If so be prepared to replace power tubes or worse from what I understand, this is very hard on a power amp.

 

[roadifier]

My mesa power amp, could switch between EL34's and 6L6's. So that was a nice Plus.

 

[Ventura]

My mesa power amp, could switch between EL34's and 6L6's. So that was a nice Plus.

What model was it? The 50W+50W design?

V.

 

[Ventura]

The 2-50-2 was Ok, it was loud, but it didn't have that massive feel like a head with bigger transformers had. In my opinion there is a "bigger" 100dB and a "smaller" 100dB, even if they are measuring....

Completely agree. Sorta like the SS amps out there today, boasting tons of wattage, huge dB output, but there's something thin about 'em. They're not freight trains.

At this time it's a matter of an old VHT in MINT condy, a Fryette (2/90/2) pending on Andrew's recommendation, or, yet again, the Marshall series of poweramps - which have everything I'm thinking could work so far - EL34's, depth, presence, huge transformers, etc. I'm still not ruling out the Mesa's, but as mentioned, I only see 6L6 loaded models for the higher wattage models (the 50W models have bias switches for 6L6 and EL34, go figure ).

Weight isn't a concern - once it's rack mounted, it'll be on casters regardless

V.

 

[roadifier]

My mesa power amp, could switch between EL34's and 6L6's. So that was a nice Plus.

What model was it?

V.

The one I pictured a couple posts back, and also the other one mesa makes, The 2:100 is switchable between EL34's and 6L6's and is only two rack spaces.

 

[hunter]

this looks nice

https://cgi.ebay.com/Rivera-TBR-1M-Rack- ... 0590097743

 

[Ventura]

My mesa power amp, could switch between EL34's and 6L6's. So that was a nice Plus.

What model was it?

V.

The one I pictured a couple posts back, and also the other one mesa makes, The 2:100 is switchable between EL34's and 6L6's and is only two rack spaces.

Ya, this one looks solid but no depth control. Out of of all the Mesa's it's the bomb as far as EL34 to 6L6 switcheroo's, but the lack of a depth control is something that makes me feel it's not all that and then some. Who knows though, really, by the time this all gets sorted out, the Mako poweramps might be out in full force. I know they're supposed to be 100W a side, and either loaded with 6550's or EL34's in the two models available, and either model will come with tube-specific transformers. Price quoted between $1000 to $1500 He doesn't really know yet...

So it goes, maybe just something in the interim. And is it me? Or do people thus far reading this thread just have ZERO love for the Marshall power amps? C'mon, gimme the dirt, lemme know...

Peace,
V.

 

[Ventura]

this looks nice

https://cgi.ebay.com/Rivera-TBR-1M-Rack- ... 0590097743

Thanks for looking, but too fidgety. Too big. And ZERO sales on the Seller's part - caveat emptor.

V.

 

[smdb]

The Randall is really nice. It was designed by Bruce Egnater, it is very loud and very flexible with the midi and the tube choices, ext bias too! You can find them used for $650-$750

 

[glpg80]

My mesa power amp, could switch between EL34's and 6L6's. So that was a nice Plus.

What model was it?

V.

The one I pictured a couple posts back, and also the other one mesa makes, The 2:100 is switchable between EL34's and 6L6's and is only two rack spaces.

Ya, this one looks solid but no depth control. Out of of all the Mesa's it's the bomb as far as EL34 to 6L6 switcheroo's, but the lack of a depth control is something that makes me feel it's not all that and then some. Who knows though, really, by the time this all gets sorted out, the Mako poweramps might be out in full force. I know they're supposed to be 100W a side, and either loaded with 6550's or EL34's in the two models available, and either model will come with tube-specific transformers. Price quoted between $1000 to $1500 He doesn't really know yet...

So it goes, maybe just something in the interim. And is it me? Or do people thus far reading this thread just have ZERO love for the Marshall power amps? C'mon, gimme the dirt, lemme know...

Peace,
V.

to be honest im another "disliker" of the marshall series power amplifiers. not saying their tone is bad - just saying their headroom characteristics are something i dont look for in a power amplifier.

 

[JTyson]

My mesa power amp, could switch between EL34's and 6L6's. So that was a nice Plus.

What model was it?

V.

The one I pictured a couple posts back, and also the other one mesa makes, The 2:100 is switchable between EL34's and 6L6's and is only two rack spaces.

Ya, this one looks solid but no depth control. Out of of all the Mesa's it's the bomb as far as EL34 to 6L6 switcheroo's, but the lack of a depth control is something that makes me feel it's not all that and then some. Who knows though, really, by the time this all gets sorted out, the Mako poweramps might be out in full force. I know they're supposed to be 100W a side, and either loaded with 6550's or EL34's in the two models available, and either model will come with tube-specific transformers. Price quoted between $1000 to $1500 He doesn't really know yet...

So it goes, maybe just something in the interim. And is it me? Or do people thus far reading this thread just have ZERO love for the Marshall power amps? C'mon, gimme the dirt, lemme know...

Peace,
V.

I love mine, would have got a VHT if I had not got the Marshall, but it was less than half the coin, and sounds fantastic. The Langner sounds amazing with the voicing to the B setting, and it has headroom for miles