Spongiest Amps?

[stratotone]

Bogners are saggy

They also sound like they have blankets over them.

 

[thegame]

Mesa 2:90 Simul-Class power amp. Spongier than Elaine Benes's closet

 

[JTyson]

Dual recs in spongy mode. spongiest Marshall I've heard was a DSL in LD2

 

[JTyson]

Mesa 2:90 Simul-Class power amp. Spongier than Elaine Benes's closet

 

[rupe]

A tube rectifier amp *IF* it's power section is really pushed and the front end is fairly clean. I'd also say EL84 amps before I'd say class A, personally. But the main thing is cranking the hell out of the output stage so the tube rectifier can't 'catch up' and it compresses more.

I have to somewhat disagree here about EL84s/class A. True that many EL84 amps exhibit sponginess, but a lot of those are also class A...my Boogie Studio .22+ is pretty damn tight for a 2xEL84 amp, even when cranked. My Matchless Chieftain is a class A (questionable if its true class A) 2xEL34 amp and its got a great spongy feel to it. A buddy used to have some sort of Tophat (don't remember the model...4x6V6 in class A) that I borrowed for a while and it was spongy as hell.

To support your point though, my old AC30 was probably the spongiest amp that I've ever played...but is it the tubes or the fact that its a tube rectified class A amp? Or both?

I had a studio .22, cranked it at a recording date on the clean channel but with the master dimed, it was spongy as hell! Plate voltages have a lot to do with it too, on amps that have a switchable tube/solid state rectifier, unless it's cranked to hell you are hearing the results of the lower B+ voltage, not so much the rectifier being unable to cope with current demands and 'sagging'.

Pete

Cool...I learn something new all the time here

Odd that we have such different experiences with our .22s...could the actual tubes be the difference?

 

[stratotone]

A tube rectifier amp *IF* it's power section is really pushed and the front end is fairly clean. I'd also say EL84 amps before I'd say class A, personally. But the main thing is cranking the hell out of the output stage so the tube rectifier can't 'catch up' and it compresses more.

I have to somewhat disagree here about EL84s/class A. True that many EL84 amps exhibit sponginess, but a lot of those are also class A...my Boogie Studio .22+ is pretty damn tight for a 2xEL84 amp, even when cranked. My Matchless Chieftain is a class A (questionable if its true class A) 2xEL34 amp and its got a great spongy feel to it. A buddy used to have some sort of Tophat (don't remember the model...4x6V6 in class A) that I borrowed for a while and it was spongy as hell.

To support your point though, my old AC30 was probably the spongiest amp that I've ever played...but is it the tubes or the fact that its a tube rectified class A amp? Or both?

I had a studio .22, cranked it at a recording date on the clean channel but with the master dimed, it was spongy as hell! Plate voltages have a lot to do with it too, on amps that have a switchable tube/solid state rectifier, unless it's cranked to hell you are hearing the results of the lower B+ voltage, not so much the rectifier being unable to cope with current demands and 'sagging'.

Pete

Cool...I learn something new all the time here

Odd that we have such different experiences with our .22s...could the actual tubes be the difference?

Could be. I literally had the master on 10, clean channel, and preamp at around 7. Was stupid loud but really nice vintage blues tone. Usually when I played that amp, I kept the master around 3 tops, lead channel RIPPED!

 

[Crunch Master]

VHT/thread

 

[bravedude2]

are you sponge worthy?