So what is the Rigtalk view of PCB vs PTP

[Digital Jams]

Even though turrets are not ptp but anyways.....................

Once again I was reading "another" forum and the debate is so predictable.......ptp......

Sounds better
More road worthy even though 90% of the posters will never take their amps out of the house
Milspec...........please bitches your amp is not going to be strapped to the back of a humvee
Easier to repair even though 99% will not be doing the repair themselves.

My view is as long as the design is solid using quality pcb there is no difference in tone, electron flow does not care about wire vs traces as long as the traces are good. The "boutique" guys use ptp because it costs big bucks and takes time to CAD out a proper pcb board and then get them manufactured, we can see that from Steve's current project and we all saw Mike's Meathead hybreed design how much time that must have taken.

Fiddlesticks I say to this debate.

 

[Code001]

As long as it sounds good, who cares?

 

[Jeff Hilligan]

Had this discussion with a PTP snob in Louisville Friday night. My Dr. Z at $3500 is soooo much better. Then he gets to hear our $700 Rebel 30 head. My friends band was playing and I let him use it. After the first two songs the guy comes over and says that amp is PTP right I said no, it's PCB and its made overseas! He says no way. At the end of the night he said well I guess some people just get lucky with PCB. If you ask me they are all nuts when it comes to PTP vs PCB. I just know that the amp rocked and it was a PCB designed board. I sold 10 heads that night the band down the street came down while they were on break between sets to the bar the Rebel 30 was in to hear it and they were blown away!

 

[thiswaythatway]

As long as the amp isn't made from broken blender parts from a Malaysian scrap yard like the JVM, then PCB is good enough.

So, is TAG going to take the Pepsi challenge that John Suhr offered to put up?

 

[Digital Jams]

Had this discussion with a PTP snob in Louisville Friday night. My Dr. Z at $3500 is soooo much better. Then he gets to hear our $700 Rebel 30 head. My friends band was playing and I let him use it. After the first two songs the guy comes over and says that amp is PTP right I said no, it's PCB and its made overseas! He says no way. At the end of the night he said well I guess some people just get lucky with PCB. If you ask me they are all nuts when it comes to PTP vs PCB. I just know that the amp rocked and it was a PCB designed board. I sold 10 heads that night the band down the street came down while they were on break between sets to the bar the Rebel 30 was in to hear it and they were blown away!

Another internet forum reader with zero electrical knowledge that guy was imo and glad your Rebal did so well with him

 

[Digital Jams]

As long as the amp isn't made from broken blender parts from a Malaysian scrap yard like the JVM, then PCB is good enough.

So, is TAG going to take the Pepsi challenge that John Suhr offered to put up?

Mine is over 2 years old and has been at jams at gig levels over 50 times and still going strong and 3 years left on the warrenty

I love Tag but he is nuts if he can tell the difference

 

[thiswaythatway]

As long as the amp isn't made from broken blender parts from a Malaysian scrap yard like the JVM, then PCB is good enough.

So, is TAG going to take the Pepsi challenge that John Suhr offered to put up?

Mine is over 2 years old and has been at jams at gig levels over 50 times and still going strong and 3 years left on the warrenty

I love Tag but he is nuts if he can tell the difference

50 times? Pics or it never happened.

 

[Rufus Leaking]

I honestly think there is something to it. I can say for certain that the amps I've played that I would consider the most 'organic' and natural feeling are PTP - i.e. old Marshalls, Two Rocks, Bad Cats. The amps that have felt fake and disconnected to me have an extensive PCB layout, ribbon cable etc.. - Engl, Diezel, JVM.

Having said that I'm not at all opposed to PCB amps and buy/try them all equally without pre-judging. I do think a simple, stout PCB like the 70's Marshalls and the SLO can sound every bit as good as a PTP amp, but in my experience, once it starts looking like a computer inside tone and espcially feel suffer.

Just my observations...

 

[Digital Jams]

As long as the amp isn't made from broken blender parts from a Malaysian scrap yard like the JVM, then PCB is good enough.

So, is TAG going to take the Pepsi challenge that John Suhr offered to put up?

Mine is over 2 years old and has been at jams at gig levels over 50 times and still going strong and 3 years left on the warrenty

I love Tag but he is nuts if he can tell the difference

50 times? Pics or it never happened.

They are just Sunday jams with two other 40 somethings in the drummers basement or garage, no pics of that I think the other guitarist has some edirol recordings.

 

[glpg80]

As long as it sounds good, who cares?

+1

either works for me. IMHO its up to the builder - if it adds costs o well - thats the builders and designers decision

 

[Digital Jams]

I honestly think there is something to it. I can say for certain that the amps I've played that I would consider the most 'organic' and natural feeling are PTP - i.e. old Marshalls, Two Rocks, Bad Cats. The amps that have felt fake and disconnected to me have an extensive PCB layout, ribbon cable etc.. - Engl, Diezel, JVM.

Having said that I'm not at all opposed to PCB amps and buy/try them all equally without pre-judging. I do think a simple, stout PCB like the 70's Marshalls and the SLO can sound every bit as good as a PTP amp, but in my experience, once it starts looking like a computer inside tone and espcially feel suffer.

Just my observations...

I do agree with the computer comment, my thoughts are in regards to simpler amp designs and not multi channel switchers with additional options. When speaking pcb I am refering to quality builders like THD, Suhr, Soldano, Fuchs, etc.

 

[glassjaw7]

Most of you have probably read this http://www.bogneramplification.com/customshop/Pcboard.php

I personally don't care how an amp is built as long as it is durable and sounds great!

 

[ericsabbath]

 

[Shiny_Surface]

The only thing I'm concerned about with my pcb amps are how well they will hold up being used in the extremely harsh environment of sitting in my basement.

 

[muudrock]

Wouldn't it matter what components are being used, not if it's PtP or PCB? Top of the line components are going to sound like top of the line components if they're stuffed in a board or wired by hand to each other. The opposite is true as well.

 

[chunktone]

this

http://www.bogneramplification.com/cust ... cboard.php

 

[blackba]

The only thing I'm concerned about with my pcb amps are how well they will hold up being used in the extremely harsh environment of sitting in my basement.

PCB amps are fine, but I do prefer that the tube sockets are chassis mounted and that the PCB is double sided FR4. I have 3 amps with PCBs and 3 handwired (I have been corrected that fender SF amps are not PTP )

Honestly the feel of the knobs and input jack feel is more important to me than if the amp if PCB or PTP. If the knobs had alot of 'shaft wobble' and the input jacks feel super cheap, that bothers me. Seeing a PCB inside an amp does not bother me....

 

[thiswaythatway]

As long as the amp isn't made from broken blender parts from a Malaysian scrap yard like the JVM, then PCB is good enough.

So, is TAG going to take the Pepsi challenge that John Suhr offered to put up?

Mine is over 2 years old and has been at jams at gig levels over 50 times and still going strong and 3 years left on the warrenty

I love Tag but he is nuts if he can tell the difference

50 times? Pics or it never happened.

They are just Sunday jams with two other 40 somethings in the drummers basement or garage, no pics of that I think the other guitarist has some edirol recordings.

I also find it funny when some guys shell out 5k for an amp that's PTP only to boost it with a solid state pedal. Don't get me wrong, i love stomp boxes, but it shoots to shit their theory of keeping their "Holier Than Thou" signal chain cleaner than a virgins you know what.

 

[Anonymous]

Turret boards are purdy.

Steve

 

[scottosan]

The same goes for people complaining about a solid state loop that goes through their non tube fx unit

As long as the amp isn't made from broken blender parts from a Malaysian scrap yard like the JVM, then PCB is good enough.

So, is TAG going to take the Pepsi challenge that John Suhr offered to put up?

Mine is over 2 years old and has been at jams at gig levels over 50 times and still going strong and 3 years left on the warrenty

I love Tag but he is nuts if he can tell the difference

50 times? Pics or it never happened.

They are just Sunday jams with two other 40 somethings in the drummers basement or garage, no pics of that I think the other guitarist has some edirol recordings.

I also find it funny when some guys shell out 5k for an amp that's PTP only to boost it with a solid state pedal. Don't get me wrong, i love stomp boxes, but it shoots to shit their theory of keeping their "Holier Than Thou" signal chain cleaner than a virgins you know what.