Your next amp

[Hink]

okay so the Frenzel sounds the best* so far with a 6L6 imo (though in triode mode the EL34 is starting to sound great). But here's a tough question I would love to figure out...it works with the 6L6 tube from my Jet City but it will not work with any of my 4 groove tube 6L6s and they all work fine in my boogie

*subject to change by the minute

[Dean Aka Nekro]

from what you are describing, you aren't describing noise you are describing cycle hum which in these things is a big difference and yes transformers can cause hum if mounted on the inside of the amp and are unscreened - if you are getting hum then there is something wrong and it's not down to the size of the transformer. it is probably old capacitors which are past their best. you're looking far too technically for solutions - things like EMI and core flux theory should be best left as an absolute last thing to look at unless you happen to have any of those "walwarts" nearby - they are never screened but I've never seen a bare transformer on an amplifier
I know you have a similar Bugera amp to me and the one I have (mine is 130watt 6262) doesn't hum at all, the valves are screened as are the transformers which are about as big as they get.
your experience may tell you that it's transformer size but it really isn't
all it will be doing is lessening the effect of something else that is wrong which I would look into because it could just kill your amp if you leave it that way.

I dont have a Bugera, I have a Boogie SOB, an Egnater Rebel, a Jet City 50, the Frenzel Champ Super Sporster (CSS for short 'cause I'm lazy) which is the new one, and the Frenzel Pre with the two watt power tube (a 12au7). I've looked at a few Bugeras but I just have no need for the power of the ones you and Dean like so much (now that is, just like two years ago I had no place to even mic up a cab things change and if I have the second room one day then everything changes.

Yes I'm talking about the hum, but to me it's all noise and you may have taken my post wrong because I'm not saying it's a problem. What happens like with any amp like this I have owned when I turn up the Jet City or the Boogie say to about 8 I'm going to hear the hum. When I'm standing right in front of the amp tweaking it of course it's going to be louder and as I walk away (because if I'm on a stage I'm not standing 8" away from amp while playing) that part of the noise dissipates and I always just chalked it up to EMI (of course at that volume there can be a whole bunch more noise from pedals, pres on my ax and way too much gain but that's not the same).

In my post I was speaking to why I dont want a lot of power, my studio is not huge and I like my amp close by because I do tweak a lot. The lower powered amps like the Frenzels are near silent, the Jet City turned down is no problem at all and actually the amp unlike some amps does well with it being lower and then of course sometimes in that amp I use the Yellow Jackets which brings down the power even more.

With the Boogie one of the things I liked best about my first one in the 80s was the cascading gain stages on channel one (channel 2 is just one gain). It's all kinds of noise if I turn it up on the dual gain channel which is precisely why I want to recap the amp. On channel two it's no different than the Jet City or the Egnator. It's not all that expensive for the parts and as long as I drain the caps it's an easy retro, I know it isn't tubes because damn do I have plenty of tubes to swap out and all matched pairs for power tubes

The overkill on the power amp side of things as of maybe two days ago became not a problem anymore by picking up one of these little gems each:

http://www.ratvalveamps.com/dummy-load

They can only do 50 watts but can easily handle 100/120 watters such as Paul's Bugera 6262 (or 5150+/6505+ clone) so long as one is sensible when cranking the power amp (same principle as using a higher powered power amp to drive monitor speakers such as the good old Yamaha NS10s). All I can say is an absolute bloody steal at the price and no shit design flaws or skimping/cutting corners. Anyone with any all valve amp will thank me for the tip after buying themselves one and they cost £55 GBP - Thats 2 or 3 times less than what I have and still would happily spend on an overdrive pedal or other single! Also alot of other really useful stuff that they have available, Definately worth bookmarking IMveryhumbleHO Treat yourself, You deserve it, Bosh the line output into your mic'd cab IRs of choice = Total win

All the best to all as always

Dean

[Hink]

I would like to hear how it sounds Dean, tbh the line out on the Weber is a disappointment, if I crank the gain (or the master) too much it gets squeal sound that kills everything in it's path. It's like some kind of feedback loop thing and I have tried everything. I've tried it with every amp and even with the two watt if I crank up a gain there it is and I got the Weber with a balanced line out. I have tried it through my radial on every setting, line in and instrument ins on my firestudio, with a TRS and with just a TS cable. The odd thing is it has nothing to do with how much attenuation is going on either, it's been that way since I got it.

So please keep me posted...how's the tooth?

[Uncle E]

I would like to hear how it sounds Dean, tbh the line out on the Weber is a disappointment, if I crank the gain (or the master) too much it gets squeal sound that kills everything in it's path. It's like some kind of feedback loop thing and I have tried everything. I've tried it with every amp and even with the two watt if I crank up a gain there it is and I got the Weber with a balanced line out. I have tried it through my radial on every setting, line in and instrument ins on my firestudio, with a TRS and with just a TS cable. The odd thing is it has nothing to do with how much attenuation is going on either, it's been that way since I got it.

If your Radial has a through, put it before the Weber and use it to get your line out. You'll still get the response of your amp plugged into your Weber but the actual signal path will be cleaned up.

[Hink]

I would like to hear how it sounds Dean, tbh the line out on the Weber is a disappointment, if I crank the gain (or the master) too much it gets squeal sound that kills everything in it's path. It's like some kind of feedback loop thing and I have tried everything. I've tried it with every amp and even with the two watt if I crank up a gain there it is and I got the Weber with a balanced line out. I have tried it through my radial on every setting, line in and instrument ins on my firestudio, with a TRS and with just a TS cable. The odd thing is it has nothing to do with how much attenuation is going on either, it's been that way since I got it.

If your Radial has a through, put it before the Weber and use it to get your line out. You'll still get the response of your amp plugged into your Weber but the actual signal path will be cleaned up.

you want me to put the radial aby box between my speaker out and my attenuator?

[Uncle E]

you want me to put the radial aby box between my speaker out and my attenuator?

Sorry, no, I thought you were referring to a Radial DI. Get a Behringer DI100, it sounds like the Avalon U5 when used in that configuration.

[Rangtangtang]

you want me to put the radial aby box between my speaker out and my attenuator?

Sorry, no, I thought you were referring to a Radial DI. Get a Behringer DI100, it sounds like the Avalon U5 when used in that configuration.

Not been following thread but the Behringer DI DI100 can handle 3000 watts I think A attenuator or power soak are handy if you want the sound of the amp driven whithout too much noise.

Iv been thinking about getting a few different inexpenive amps. Send/return, audio input and valves too are important considerations to me. As well some amps are closed back while others are open back. Anyway Iv been painting and tidying up so I have space now to make use of miking things. That 12ax? tube is in everything now. Do they come in two sizes. I thought the smaller ones were tungsten. I think the smaller ones are more suited for the stereo than live playing. I was considering the behringer vintager AC108 amp. Im sure their bugera amps must have the real deal I suppose.

[Hink]

you want me to put the radial aby box between my speaker out and my attenuator?

Sorry, no, I thought you were referring to a Radial DI. Get a Behringer DI100, it sounds like the Avalon U5 when used in that configuration.

Not been following thread but the Behringer DI DI100 can handle 3000 watts I think A attenuator or power soak are handy if you want the sound of the amp driven whithout too much noise.

Iv been thinking about getting a few different inexpenive amps. Send/return, audio input and valves too are important considerations to me. As well some amps are closed back while others are open back. Anyway Iv been painting and tidying up so I have space now to make use of miking things. That 12ax? tube is in everything now. Do they come in two sizes. I thought the smaller ones were tungsten. I think the smaller ones are more suited for the stereo than live playing. I was considering the behringer vintager AC108 amp. Im sure their bugera amps must have the real deal I suppose.

12ax7s, 12at7s, 12au7s are the same as ECC83, ECC81, and ECC82 respectively, pretty much the standard for pre-amp tubes. Frenzels sound exactly like you want but something is up with their page right now.

[insonicbloom]

I have to say that those Frenzel amps aren't that good, they are really noisy
and just really weak, I'm really quite surprised at how noisy they are, even looking on youtube you can hear people have added noise reduction to the video it's that bad and the overdrive is just too spongy, I can't imagine it coming across that well in a recording situation

[Uncle E]

I have to say that those Frenzel amps aren't that good, they are really noisy
and just really weak, I'm really quite surprised at how noisy they are, even looking on youtube you can hear people have added noise reduction to the video it's that bad and the overdrive is just too spongy, I can't imagine it coming across that well in a recording situation

I still haven't figured out if you and Dean were being serious in those Alex Lifeson posts or if you were taking the piss. English people are confusing.

[Hink]

I have to say that those Frenzel amps aren't that good, they are really noisy
and just really weak, I'm really quite surprised at how noisy they are, even looking on youtube you can hear people have added noise reduction to the video it's that bad and the overdrive is just too spongy, I can't imagine it coming across that well in a recording situation

I so disagree Paul, like I said many is the time that I didn't even realize that my ns-2 was off. But that's okay, I love both and if you dont care for them it's not going to change much. They do fine for recording here

[hibidy]

I'm waiting for insonicblooms "new found glory" tribute album

[insonicbloom]

I have to say that those Frenzel amps aren't that good, they are really noisy
and just really weak, I'm really quite surprised at how noisy they are, even looking on youtube you can hear people have added noise reduction to the video it's that bad and the overdrive is just too spongy, I can't imagine it coming across that well in a recording situation

I still haven't figured out if you and Dean were being serious in those Alex Lifeson posts or if you were taking the piss. English people are confusing.

no we talk to each other like that all the time, he's here now

[hibidy]

Ah, you trying to finish the creed tribute first. I see

[insonicbloom]

Ah, you trying to finish the creed tribute first. I see

what do you mean??