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previous: Carlo This is what Gil said about the FET... -- 12/29/1999 1:39 AM

Re:More words of wisedom on the D_word clone?

12/29/1999 7:08 AM
Gil Ayan	Re:More words of wisedom on the D_word clone? Carlo's quote is accurate. I have three amps, all of the with the FET stuff and what can I say? I prefer the "normal" input. The advantage of the FET, I mean the potential advantages that I can think of, is that you have a larger input impedance, which can be a good think when using piezoelectric pickups (which are capacitive in nature). A 1Meg input impedance is PERFECT for a typical electric guitar pickup though. However, if you guuys ever record directly to boards, you will know that strange things happen with the volume and tone controls on the guitar when you go into a different impedance like that. So, anyway, the 3.3M input impedance MAY BE a plus for some. Then, there is the fact that the FET preamp can be dialed in pretty hope. There is a pot a the output, so you can set the level such that the gain is unity, but the little bugger has A LOT of gain on tap. So if you like the sound of the input of the amp being smacked hard -- some people like to goose the amp with a clean boost pedal -- then the FET is for you. But, to me, that contradicts the philosophy of those types of amps; the gain is built gradually and meticulously so that the sound is smooth, responsive, etc. So then, why be rude and overdrive the first stage right off the bat? It doesn't make any sense to me. So, I repeat myself. You shoudl probably build one and hear it for yourself, and then decided whether its worth having in there. To me, it was a matter of "completeness" only. Gil

12/29/1999 7:08 AM

Gil Ayan

Re:More words of wisedom on the D_word clone?

Carlo's quote is accurate.

I have three amps, all of the with the FET stuff and what can I say? I prefer the "normal" input. The advantage of the FET, I mean the potential advantages that I can think of, is that you have a larger input impedance, which can be a good think when using piezoelectric pickups (which are capacitive in nature). A 1Meg input impedance is PERFECT for a typical electric guitar pickup though.

However, if you guuys ever record directly to boards, you will know that strange things happen with the volume and tone controls on the guitar when you go into a different impedance like that. So, anyway, the 3.3M input impedance MAY BE a plus for some.

Then, there is the fact that the FET preamp can be dialed in pretty hope. There is a pot a the output, so you can set the level such that the gain is unity, but the little bugger has A LOT of gain on tap. So if you like the sound of the input of the amp being smacked hard -- some people like to goose the amp with a clean boost pedal -- then the FET is for you. But, to me, that contradicts the philosophy of those types of amps; the gain is built gradually and meticulously so that the sound is smooth, responsive, etc. So then, why be rude and overdrive the first stage right off the bat? It doesn't make any sense to me.

So, I repeat myself. You shoudl probably build one and hear it for yourself, and then decided whether its worth having in there. To me, it was a matter of "completeness" only.

Gil

Replies:

Steve A. Gil: &nb... -- 12/29/1999 9:59 AM
Mark Abbott Dear Gil, Steve ,and Carlo<... -- 12/30/1999 9:29 AM
Mark Abbott FET circuit and the "content" etc controls? -- 12/30/1999 9:30 AM