TylerDeadPine wrote: Mon Jan 10, 2022 12:20 pm So you 'amp up' (waka waka) the talk

TylerDeadPine wrote: Mon Jan 10, 2022 12:20 pm

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Sun Jan 09, 2022 10:24 am

losthighway wrote: Sun Jan 09, 2022 9:16 am

Maybe because to the uneducated Class A means the best kind?

Yeah most likely. It's something that started bubbling up like 15-20 years ago or so that the world suddenly seemed to care what operating class their amp was, and the misinformation train got rolling. It was probably based on misinformation to begin with, tbh.

I can tell you from first hand observation, that people who don't have a lot of amp knowledge, and are in sales or in charge of national marketing campaigns, love talking about things like amp Class. Amps are magical sound boxes and seems like a parity product compared to the competition because the specifics are dweebs-ville nerd talk. So you 'amp up' (waka waka) the talk about Class like it's the only thing that matters. Class A is Jimi Hendrix. Class A will get your wife to sleep with you again, in the same bed, because you groove.

I was just wondering because I'm starting to study tubes in general to try to fix my Sovtek.

Mickey242 wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 12:45 pm

TylerDeadPine wrote: Mon Jan 10, 2022 12:20 pm

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Sun Jan 09, 2022 10:24 am

Yeah most likely. It's something that started bubbling up like 15-20 years ago or so that the world suddenly seemed to care what operating class their amp was, and the misinformation train got rolling. It was probably based on misinformation to begin with, tbh.

I can tell you from first hand observation, that people who don't have a lot of amp knowledge, and are in sales or in charge of national marketing campaigns, love talking about things like amp Class. Amps are magical sound boxes and seems like a parity product compared to the competition because the specifics are dweebs-ville nerd talk. So you 'amp up' (waka waka) the talk about Class like it's the only thing that matters. Class A is Jimi Hendrix. Class A will get your wife to sleep with you again, in the same bed, because you groove.

I was just wondering because I'm starting to study tubes in general to try to fix my Sovtek.

I should clarify that I didnt intend to single you out in any way, just noting that there's a lot of disinformation out there. I've never seen a Sovtek amp that isnt push-pull. Push-pull amps are largely class AB, unless specifically designed to be class A. Doing such will mean a loss of power output and most builders wont bother with it. The exception might be boutique builders who are trying to ride the class A hype, and who are also decent enough people to actually build a class A amp and not just call it a class A amp.

Mickey242 wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 12:45 pm

TylerDeadPine wrote: Mon Jan 10, 2022 12:20 pm

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Sun Jan 09, 2022 10:24 am

Yeah most likely. It's something that started bubbling up like 15-20 years ago or so that the world suddenly seemed to care what operating class their amp was, and the misinformation train got rolling. It was probably based on misinformation to begin with, tbh.

I can tell you from first hand observation, that people who don't have a lot of amp knowledge, and are in sales or in charge of national marketing campaigns, love talking about things like amp Class. Amps are magical sound boxes and seems like a parity product compared to the competition because the specifics are dweebs-ville nerd talk. So you 'amp up' (waka waka) the talk about Class like it's the only thing that matters. Class A is Jimi Hendrix. Class A will get your wife to sleep with you again, in the same bed, because you groove.

I was just wondering because I'm starting to study tubes in general to try to fix my Sovtek.

fun! which one?

^ It's a Mig-50

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:54 pm

Mickey242 wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 12:45 pm

TylerDeadPine wrote: Mon Jan 10, 2022 12:20 pm


I can tell you from first hand observation, that people who don't have a lot of amp knowledge, and are in sales or in charge of national marketing campaigns, love talking about things like amp Class. Amps are magical sound boxes and seems like a parity product compared to the competition because the specifics are dweebs-ville nerd talk. So you 'amp up' (waka waka) the talk about Class like it's the only thing that matters. Class A is Jimi Hendrix. Class A will get your wife to sleep with you again, in the same bed, because you groove.

I was just wondering because I'm starting to study tubes in general to try to fix my Sovtek.

I should clarify that I didnt intend to single you out in any way, just noting that there's a lot of disinformation out there. I've never seen a Sovtek amp that isnt push-pull. Push-pull amps are largely class AB, unless specifically designed to be class A. Doing such will mean a loss of power output and most builders wont bother with it. The exception might be boutique builders who are trying to ride the class A hype, and who are also decent enough people to actually build a class A amp and not just call it a class A amp.

Oh no I didn't think that at all! Thanks for the info above. Yeah I think I might have found the right schematic? Total disinformation LOL

my car has a dual overhead cam that runs in class-A and this bitchin' hemi itches in the quarter mile.

anybody ever run 6k6 or 7ey6 or something else in place of 6v6? tubes is too damn expensive.

scrotescape wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:26 pm my car has a dual overhead cam that runs in class-A and this bitchin' hemi itches in the quarter mile.

anybody ever run 6k6 or 7ey6 or something else in place of 6v6? tubes is too damn expensive.

Not recommended. Most of the 6-whatever-6 tubes other than L or V were spec’s for very low plate voltage and often had higher heater current. Both dangerous for your amp.

To add a little more to this BS.

I blame the "class wars" on two things.

1. Vox AC-30
2. Mesa Boogie Simul-Class amps

Voxes were the only major and famous amp in the U.S. which used EL84 tubes for a LONG time. These are cathode biased and kinda-sorta operate in class A. Because of this, two fallacies have developed in amp folklore.
1. EL84 tubes means an amp is class A
2. Using Cathode Bias means an amp is class A
Neither of these statements is true.

Another thing to add is that the classic Vox amps have no negative feedback. That definitely has a sound. I believe a lot of people conflate the "no negative feedback" sound and playing feel with a "Class A" sound and feel, since they have been told that Voxes are Class A.

As for Mesa, I just had to look at what a SimulClass amps was doing. I dug up the original patent
https://patents.google.com/patent/US4532476A/en
It looks like it runs a set of power tubes in regular A/B, fixed bias, pentode (or tetrode) operation, and then another set of power tubes in a triode configuration with some fixed bias as well as some grid leaking going on.
I am pretty good with amps and I can't tell from the schematic if anything in there is really operating in Class A or Class A/B. I also don't know how this would affect the tone of the power amp. I do know that I've never personally enjoyed running power tubes in triode mode.

Cheers all!

Oh yeah I forgot about that amp. How about how Meas wasn't beat up at recess for their frustrating Single/Dual/Triple rectifier names.

Guitar players have a hard enough time knowing what cab won't blow up their heads, give them a break!