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my new old tube amp--help!

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(@sdolsay)
Reputable Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 206
 

Toolmasta,

Yes, it is a Capri, it had a sweet sound before it died.

Ricochet,

Nice Vette!! :)

My Duster:

Scott

I havn't found my tone yet, and I have no mojo....but I'm working on it :)


   
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(@ricochet)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 7833
 

Nice shade of red! :D

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."


   
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(@sdolsay)
Reputable Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 206
 

Nice shade of red! :D
Laff!, ya Hemi Orange Red, hehe :)

Scott

I havn't found my tone yet, and I have no mojo....but I'm working on it :)


   
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(@superchouf)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 4
 

RICOCHET you have talk about grounding those amp and i'm in this problem at the moment:
i have an harmony h303a (love it) and a kay 703 (love it too) wich i bought in usa on e'bay, and they are of course with us plug and i use them here in france with a 110/220 transfo. I Wanted to ground them for safety and to loose some more hum (already done some caps job). It's not possible to buy a 3 sprong and simply solder it , i don't understand why? You talk about polarized plug? In my case does the transfo do the safety job or not? thanks and i hope my language is good enough to be understood.

ps: the harmony h303 is not the champ of the poor !! They are less loud ok but who cares, but they have their own sound wich is very different from the champ (i own a silverface too) but usefull. I actually have 4 vintage small tubes amp and they are all different sounding but all so coooool (fender champ, kay 703, harmony h303a and a small garen , a french amp from the 60,s wich is the clearest of the forth, maybe used mainly for jazz "a la django" !


   
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(@Anonymous)
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Joined: 1 second ago
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Topic starter  

Just curious, which amp do you prefer? :D


   
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(@superchouf)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 4
 

Just curious, which amp do you prefer? :D

It's impossible to tell as i'm not that kind to look for one sound and to keep it.
I have some guitars, some effects (tremolo, overdrive, delay, filter, booster that's what i uselly play) and what is nice is that each combination will do something different with each amp.
That's what i was looking for .. I really love the kay (wich is branded under another brand and seems to be maybe more a 503 than a 703 but as far as i know it's the same box and shematics) wich is only 3 watts i think but i love the way it overdrive : very smooth one. that's my favourite of the day (just beside the harmony because i own them since few weeks and the champ since 2 years so they are new to me), as it's the only one i mainly play without any effect.
I love the champ with just a tube screamer to boost it a bit without drive but level at max (and a filter autowah) and for clean
The harmony seems to be the most versatile as it seems that i can have many differents crunch, overdrive, ditorsion depending wich combination or level you use, at the moment it seems endless.
i can get only a few sound out of the kay but they are so different and smooth that i love it.
I don't talk about the garen as it doesn't work since this summer but i remember it sounded closer to the champ but more "dry" and overdrive like more a vox . I worked on it when i had some time but still have a problem after recaping, resolder some pcb "line" etc.. so i gave it just today to a tech because i didn't want to made measure with the amp on (600v are much too much for me !! ) How will it sound after all i changed on it??? i don't know but it's a beautiful one....


   
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(@ricochet)
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Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 7833
 

Superchouf, if you're using the amp through a 120-220V transformer that's a true transformer (not an autotransformer), you've got nothing to worry about with grounding! The safest way of all to operate electrical gear is through an isolation transformer that puts the amp on a separate circuit isolated from the power outlet. Two separate windings on the transformer, a primary connected to the wall outlet, and a secondary that the amp plugs into. The only connection between them is the magnetic field in the transformer's core.

An autotransformer shares wiring between the primary and secondary and isn't as safe. It's a bit cheaper to build one of those, because it uses less copper wire. Check the specs for the transformer you're using.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."


   
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(@superchouf)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 4
 

ok ricochet, thanks a lot for your answer . I feel better now :lol:
Do you think the little hum i still can hear after changing the main capacitor, could leave with a 3rd plug connected to the transformer ground hole and to the ground of the amp?

I know that there's still 2 electrolytic caps that i should change too .(they will be in my next components order)


   
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(@ricochet)
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Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 7833
 

No, that sort of grounding is for safety, not hum elimination.

Replacing the old filter caps will likely help, but tube amps are seldom hum-free.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."


   
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(@superchouf)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 4
 

ok, i don't want them to be absolutly silent, i just want to record with them, so i need "quite as possible" amps.
Thanks again for your help


   
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(@teiscomaniac)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 2
 

I have a Silvertone 1430, which uses the same tube line-up as the Harmony 303. I've been using the Silvertone for the past several years, and it remains my go-to amp. I like cranking it up to the max and playing slide through it. It does overdrive nicely, although I still like to hit the front end with a pedal or two to get more of a roar. Lately, I found that running a PreSonus TubePRE into the amp makes for a great sound.

With that thought, let me add that the Silvertone is a bit of a little tank. I have put some seriously hot pedals into it, and it's still working fine.


   
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