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Re:More words of wisedom on the D_word clone?

12/29/1999 1:40 AM
Mark Abbott	Re:More words of wisedom on the D_word clone? Dear Gil Thank you very much for your advice, I really appreciate it. I do however have one more question. I have looked at Gil's page and I have noticed the amps have several controls I'm not sure about "content","volume", and "master". Do these controls deal purely with the lead channel or both channels. I have wondered if you also built the FET input as well, I've heard SRV never used the FET input, I've heard from Steve A the FET input was primarily used for acoustic guitar pickups. Any thoughts here? Once again much thanks Gil. Mark.

12/29/1999 1:40 AM

Mark Abbott

Re:More words of wisedom on the D_word clone?

Dear Gil

Thank you very much for your advice, I really appreciate it.

I do however have one more question.

I have looked at Gil's page and I have noticed the amps have several controls I'm not sure about "content","volume", and "master". Do these controls deal purely with the lead channel or both channels.

I have wondered if you also built the FET input as well, I've heard SRV never used the FET input, I've heard from Steve A the FET input was primarily used for acoustic guitar pickups. Any thoughts here?

Once again much thanks Gil.

Mark.

12/29/1999 1:39 AM

Carlo

This is what Gil said about the FET in thread below titled '1990's "D-Word" Clone'

quote:
""Looking at the amp from the front, the leftmost board on the side is a FET buffer -- advice: unless you want to build one because you feel like it, don't bother.""

12/29/1999 7:08 AM
Gil Ayan	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

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 9:59 AM
Steve A.	Gil: I've never found a stock electric guitar amp that sounded half-way decent with a piezoelectric pickup. Seems like if someone is paying $5k to $15k for a guitar amp, it is a nice touch to make it more usable with an electric-acoustic guitar as well... (Do you have a piezoelectric pickup to test it with just to see how much it really helps?) --Thanks! Steve Ahola

12/30/1999 6:56 PM

Gil Ayan

quote:
"Gil:

I've never found a stock electric guitar amp that sounded half-way decent with a piezoelectric pickup. Seems like if someone is paying $5k to $15k for a guitar amp, it is a nice touch to make it more usable with an electric-acoustic guitar as well... (Do you have a piezoelectric pickup to test it with just to see how much it really helps?)
"

You know Steve? I actually do! for a while there I played acoustic for a living -- nylon string -- and I have this guitar with a Fishman system on it. True, while the majority of the guitar amps out there wouldn't sound half as good as a P.A. for piezo applications, maybe it is because of the 1 Meg input impedance.

My thing has the graphic EQ on it, so I could tweak that scooping the mids and raising the lows and highs and get a reasonably decent sound through my Boogie amps when I gigged with the nylon string.

I will see if I remember to check that and report back.

gil

1/3/2000 11:40 AM
GFR	Hi Gil, I think adding a tweeter (with a proper passive crossover) can help make it less "electric" and more "unplugged" If your amp is too hissy however it will be dreadful.

12/30/1999 9:29 AM
Mark Abbott	Dear Gil, Steve ,and Carlo Once again thanks for the help. Gil, do you know where a copy (something very similar, but of course not the real thing,Mr HAD)of the FET pre-amp is? My thoughts are maybe I'd like the pre-amp, maybe I'd hate it, but best to try it. In my last post I asked what is the purpose of the controls on Dumble amps marked "content","volume", and "master", these controls are all together. I thought maybe they are the three pots in the overdrive circuit, but the circuit diagram has two of the pots marked down as trim pots. Any clues as to this question? Much thanks Mark.

12/30/1999 9:29 AM

Mark Abbott

Dear Gil, Steve ,and Carlo

Once again thanks for the help.

Gil, do you know where a copy (something very similar, but of course not the real thing,Mr HAD)of the FET pre-amp is?

My thoughts are maybe I'd like the pre-amp, maybe I'd hate it, but best to try it.

In my last post I asked what is the purpose of the controls on Dumble amps marked "content","volume", and "master", these controls are all together. I thought maybe they are the three pots in the overdrive circuit, but the circuit diagram has two of the pots marked down as trim pots.
Any clues as to this question?

Much thanks

Mark.

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