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Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2022 4:58 pm
by Owen
bigc wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 11:38 am
Dr Tony Balls wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 11:30 am
I dont understand a few things here. 1) If you dont need that much power, why is a 100W combo amp gonna be an improvement. Its still 100 watts, though it'll sound a bit quieter due to less speakers. I dont personally get the need for 100W guitar amps....30 is fantastic. 2) a 2x12 combo is only going to save you a little vertical space, but would be just as wide.
I guess I should have said 'an amp that's loud enough to play live with, but is smaller than a head and 4X12 cabinet'. Just looking to downsize a little while maintaining rock-ability.
Edit to add: and was hoping that I could sell the head and cabinet for a lot more than I'd pay for a replacement combo.
Do you still want it to have a Hiwatt character or are you looking for a different sound?
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 9:15 am
by Dr Tony Balls
There's probably a few options. Downsize the cab? Get a 1x12 or 2x12 cab and run the Hiwatt with that. Pull two tubes if you like and run it at 50 watts and it will still be plenty loud for a band.
For replacing it....there are probably tons of good options on the used or new market that would suit you. There arent really good Hiwatt circuit combos that I know of (maybe Hi-Tone?), though, but you could get close enough.
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 9:44 am
by bigc
Owen wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 4:58 pm
Do you still want it to have a Hiwatt character or are you looking for a different sound?
I think the Hiwatt sound is a little too mid-rangey for my tastes, so I'd be open to something a little smoother sounding.
Really appreciate y'all entertaining such an open ended question.
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 9:45 am
by bigc
Dr Tony Balls wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 9:15 am
There's probably a few options. Downsize the cab? Get a 1x12 or 2x12 cab and run the Hiwatt with that. Pull two tubes if you like and run it at 50 watts and it will still be plenty loud for a band.
For replacing it....there are probably tons of good options on the used or new market that would suit you. There arent really good Hiwatt circuit combos that I know of (maybe Hi-Tone?), though, but you could get close enough.
Slimming down t a 2x12 is a great idea. As for pulling power tubes, do I just yank a couple? Does it matter which two?
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 9:58 am
by Dr Tony Balls
bigc wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 9:45 am
Dr Tony Balls wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 9:15 am
There's probably a few options. Downsize the cab? Get a 1x12 or 2x12 cab and run the Hiwatt with that. Pull two tubes if you like and run it at 50 watts and it will still be plenty loud for a band.
For replacing it....there are probably tons of good options on the used or new market that would suit you. There arent really good Hiwatt circuit combos that I know of (maybe Hi-Tone?), though, but you could get close enough.
Slimming down t a 2x12 is a great idea. As for pulling power tubes, do I just yank a couple? Does it matter which two?
On *most* amps, including a Hiwatt, you just dont want to yank the two leftmost or the two rightmost tubes. They work in pairs, like horses pulling a cart. If you look at them in a row numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, tubes 1 and 2 are working one side, and 3 and 4 are working the other. As long as you keep the horses balanced the wagon wont run in a circle.
Also if you do that your output impedance will be double what is shown on the selector (i.e. 32, 16, and 8 ohms)
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 10:01 am
by tommy
bigc wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 9:45 am
As for pulling power tubes, do I just yank a couple? Does it matter which two?
It does. I have ZERO experience with hiwatt. With other amps people generally pull either the two inner (0XX0) or the two outer (X00X) tubes. I wouldn't pull two from one side (XX00 - 00XX). But I'd wait for someone like Tony to confirm how Hiwatts are wired.
Pulling two tubes also changes your output impedance. If your selector says 4/8/16 it will now actually be 8/16/32.
EDIT: Tony beat me to the punch on all accounts!
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 10:55 am
by mdc
Don't DR103s have master volumes? That's a much better way of turning down a loud amp in my experience.
The difference in overall volume between a 50W and a 100W amp is what... 3dB? Something like that... in my certainly non-exhaustive experience, pulling tubes can make a difference in headroom if you're trying to push a non-master volume amp into overdrive earlier, but it doesn't really have a huge effect on volume. I'd just use the master volume.
Trying a speaker like a cannabis rex 12" might also help tame the mids - though in the end, if you're not stoked on the amp then you're not stoked on the amp.
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 11:12 am
by Dr Tony Balls
mdc wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 10:55 am
Don't DR103s have master volumes? That's a much better way of turning down a loud amp in my experience.
The difference in overall volume between a 50W and a 100W amp is what... 3dB? Something like that... in my certainly non-exhaustive experience, pulling tubes can make a difference in headroom if you're trying to push a non-master volume amp into overdrive earlier, but it doesn't really have a huge effect on volume. I'd just use the master volume.
Trying a speaker like a cannabis rex 12" might also help tame the mids - though in the end, if you're not stoked on the amp then you're not stoked on the amp.
Masters - YEAH they do, but they're the 2204/2203 pre-PI type and they dont work as effectively and transparent as some other ones.
Tubes - you're very right, BUT pulling tubes in conjunction with less, maybe less efficient speakers will help a bit more.
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 12:51 pm
by tommy
Dr Tony Balls wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 11:12 am
mdc wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 10:55 am
Don't DR103s have master volumes? That's a much better way of turning down a loud amp in my experience.
Masters - YEAH they do, but they're the 2204/2203 pre-PI type and they dont work as effectively and transparent as some other ones.
No doubt that a PPIMV sounds better, but I think the master on my 2204 sounds great! But I keep it around 5.5 on the MV. I'll admit that it gets thin once you start getting below halfway.
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 12:54 pm
by mdc
Dr Tony Balls wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 11:12 am
mdc wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 10:55 am
Don't DR103s have master volumes? That's a much better way of turning down a loud amp in my experience.
The difference in overall volume between a 50W and a 100W amp is what... 3dB? Something like that... in my certainly non-exhaustive experience, pulling tubes can make a difference in headroom if you're trying to push a non-master volume amp into overdrive earlier, but it doesn't really have a huge effect on volume. I'd just use the master volume.
Trying a speaker like a cannabis rex 12" might also help tame the mids - though in the end, if you're not stoked on the amp then you're not stoked on the amp.
Masters - YEAH they do, but they're the 2204/2203 pre-PI type and they dont work as effectively and transparent as some other ones.
Tubes - you're very right, BUT pulling tubes in conjunction with less, maybe less efficient speakers will help a bit more.
Ahhhhh didn't realise that. Then yeah trainwreck that MV and partayyy