Which channel do you prefer?

[DaveHale]

Hi guys, I just wanna know which channel do you prefer, the Normal or the Tremolo? Is the Tremolo channel any different from the Normal channel aside from the tremolo?

[Bieworm]

Assuming you mean the modern classic or 1974 type 18 watt…
The normal channel has 2 gain stages, where the trem channel has only 1 stage. So that results in the normal channel having more overdrive when cranked. It sounds fantastic! The trem channel is less gainy, but also sounds very complex. I couldn’t choose though.. both sound awesome
The downside is both channels are immediately very loud and hard to dial in at home. You could tackle that by putting a lesser gain tube in that channel, such as a 12AY7. Hard to put it into overdrive, but overall a very sweet and complex tone.

[JMPGuitars]

The normal channel has 2 gain stages

Does it?

[Bieworm]

The normal channel has 2 gain stages

Does it?

Ok I meant a double triode gain stage

[JMPGuitars]

The normal channel has 2 gain stages

Does it?

Ok I meant a double triode gain stage

Depending on which build, it's either single (half) or parallel (both) usage of a double triode gain stage. Unless you cascade the two triodes, and then...

[Bieworm]

Does it?

Ok I meant a double triode gain stage

Depending on which build, it's either single (half) or parallel (both) usage of a double triode gain stage. Unless you cascade the two triodes, and then...

Superlite without tmb?

[JMPGuitars]

Superlite without tmb?

lol, sure. It's cascaded, which gives you two gain stages in 1 dual triode. The SL is not the only amp with a cascaded preamp. But, I guess without the TMB you could make it a SuperDuperLite.

[chaliapin]

Assuming you mean the modern classic or 1974 type 18 watt…
The normal channel has 2 gain stages, where the trem channel has only 1 stage. So that results in the normal channel having more overdrive when cranked. It sounds fantastic! The trem channel is less gainy, but also sounds very complex. I couldn’t choose though.. both sound awesome
The downside is both channels are immediately very loud and hard to dial in at home. You could tackle that by putting a lesser gain tube in that channel, such as a 12AY7. Hard to put it into overdrive, but overall a very sweet and complex tone.

Does putting a lower gain tube in work very differently from turning the volume down? Just give you more useable sweep at lower volume?

Also am i right the lite 2b is the same gain stages but without tremolo effect?

[Bieworm]

Superlite without tmb?

lol, sure. It's cascaded, which gives you two gain stages in 1 dual triode. The SL is not the only amp with a cascaded preamp. But, I guess without the TMB you could make it a SuperDuperLite.

A cascaded 12AX7 with a single tone control behind it would yield some serious preamp overdrive. But to have a good tone there would be some serious tweaking of voltages involved..

[Bieworm]

Assuming you mean the modern classic or 1974 type 18 watt…
The normal channel has 2 gain stages, where the trem channel has only 1 stage. So that results in the normal channel having more overdrive when cranked. It sounds fantastic! The trem channel is less gainy, but also sounds very complex. I couldn’t choose though.. both sound awesome
The downside is both channels are immediately very loud and hard to dial in at home. You could tackle that by putting a lesser gain tube in that channel, such as a 12AY7. Hard to put it into overdrive, but overall a very sweet and complex tone.

Does putting a lower gain tube in work very differently from turning the volume down? Just give you more useable sweep at lower volume?

Also am i right the lite 2b is the same gain stages but without tremolo effect?

It’s not the same as lowering the volume with the pot. You do have more volume travel and control in the first half of the sweep. But the tone will be cleaner and somewhat different

[JMPGuitars]

A cascaded 12AX7 with a single tone control behind it would yield some serious preamp overdrive. But to have a good tone there would be some serious tweaking of voltages involved..

I would use a gain knob. Look at the parallel / cascade mod. You could do that to a Lite 2b and have a pretty awesome 3 knob tone machine.

[JMPGuitars]

It’s not the same as lowering the volume with the pot. You do have more volume travel and control in the first half of the sweep. But the tone will be cleaner and somewhat different

Voltage tweaks may also be needed to compensate for the different tube.

[KagliostroAmpwww]

Before to change the tube with a lower gain one you can give a try to a "Split Load" resistor

Change the Plate Resistor of the triode that is pushing too hard the following stage with two resistors connected in series (the sum of the values of the two must be equal to the Plate Resistor value),

The purpose is to feed the following stage from the junction of this two resistors instead that at the Plate of the tube (the value of this resistors must be set experimentally, as a begin you can try with 1/3 + 2/3 of the Plate Resistor value, the lower value resistor is to be connected to the plate, the higher value resistor is to be connected to the node that feeds the triode)

The purpose of this architecture is to maintain the stage to work as standard (same point of work or "tone" if you prefer) but feed the further stage with a lower signal

To try this mod is very simple and you require only some resistors as to try different values till you obtain the desired result

Some people use a pot instead than resistor to find easily the correct values of the resistors to be used, this till they find the values to be used, then swap the pot with resistors, but is a practice that is to be applied with a lot of attention, electrocution (turning the shaft of the pot) is easier than we can think, so if you use this method pay a lot of attention to what you are doing and rotate the pot shaft when power is OFF

K

[Graydon]

I like both channels for different things. The normal channel is thick and a little bit dark when using the hi-input because this parallels the two triodes. If you plug into the lo input you get only one triode and that is a little brighter and less gainy. The lo input almost sounds a little like the tremolo channel.

The Tremolo channel uses only one triode for gain so it is a little brighter and chimey-er. Plus you can kick in the tremolo which is really nice.

I use an AB switch to choose which channel I'm using and a footswitch to turn on/off the tremolo. Then I place a Stamps Drive-o-matic pedal in front to add two levels of gain and a Source Audio Collider for some delay and reverb. All of this together is an awesome little rig with many great sounds. A second 18W would make it stereo which would be pretty awesome too. I'll have to try that...

IMG_7720.JPG