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Vintage threads from the first ten years

The impossible dream?

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4/30/1999 9:14 AM
fet	The impossible dream? With the incredible talent and know-how exhibited every day on this BB, I can't help but ask: is anyone here interested/involved in designing/creating a really good-sounding solid-state guitar amp? One that sounds like my old Bassman head? I would think that if anyone could do it, the Ampagers could. Just a thought...

4/30/1999 10:22 AM
R.G.	Well... The whole world has been chasing something similar for a long time. I have breadboarded an all-JFET preamp with very similar circuits to the old Fender preamps, and it sounds pretty good - just not as good as tube versions do. I'm working on an all-MOSFET preamp that should be better. We'll know in a little while...

4/30/1999 10:48 AM
Joe Fuzz	I'm in fet's camp. I've spent hours and dollars creating stompboxes=preamps for "that sound." I've already colored the sound enough. I need something that can cleanly reproduce the sounds that I've tailored. The solid state amps that are out there seem to have stompboxes built into their preamps i.e. transtube, overdrive emulation, etc. How about a nice clean 60W solid state amp?

4/30/1999 10:58 AM
R.G.	Clean? Clean is easy!

4/30/1999 11:15 AM

I have been working on this. I have 1 of 260? PRS solid state heads made. Sounds good at ear bleed level rated at 70 watts uses a huge autotransformer in the output section. I One thing I have done was to place the PA transformer that RS sells on under 10 watt solid state amps Warms the sound right up. In the Marshall book an older marshall SS has an autotransformer so this is not a new idea. I have also built mosfet gain stages that can warm up a solid state amp. FWIW the fender, crate, marshall tube sound SS amps all seem to use current feedback (the speaker z vs freg. can change the sound of that kind SYSTEM)some do not sound too bad. Look at a fender champ 110 contoring in the preamp and other circuit designs. like R.G. has stated many time EQ at the right place in the circuit can help alot. Plug one of the champs into a 4x12 it sounds OK. I have other ideas written down as well as tests in my notebooks.

Gus

4/30/1999 4:08 PM
Joe Fuzz	I have also built mosfet gain stages that can warm up a solid state amp...I have other ideas written down as well as tests in my notebooks. I (for one) would love to see these.

4/30/1999 3:55 PM
Don Symes	Clean is real easy - any PA/Monitor amp with enough watts to get the requisite volume, maybe playing through a PA/monitor cab to get the high end that guitar cabs would lose. Once you have the sound shaped right, go HiFi!

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