Well several of you have already seen my thread for my first build. I am going to take her out for her maiden voyage this Saturday. I would like to run my Airbrake on it since it has el34's in it, and here at home in the studio it's just so beastly loud I will need to tame it a bit--not a lot. The Airbrake is an awesome tool, but only for the first two attenuation levels (at least for my ears - starts getting fizzy after that).
But my Airbrake is built for an 8 ohm load...and I'll be running it into my 4-12 slant front at 16. Mind you, I have a 2-12" that has an 8 ohm load (or I could run half of the slant cab it's stereo split), but would like opinions on "how risky is it". I know KF recommended running Marshalls at 16 because of their design in to the Airbrake, and that's what I've been doing with my 50watt for a year now, with no seemingly adverse effects. But this is not a Marshall design...opinions? Safe or not safe?
Will my new Wreck Express tolerate an 8 ohm Airbrake?
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Will my new Wreck Express tolerate an 8 ohm Airbrake?
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Be sure your tinfoil hat has a good low impedance ground.
Be sure your tinfoil hat has a good low impedance ground.
Re: Will my new Wreck Express tolerate an 8 ohm Airbrake?
OK cool...60 people have looked at this question...and even I understand why no one has ventured an answer. I went ahead and tried the airbrake last Thursday on my 8 ohm 2-12 cab...and it just wasn't really floatin' my boat for tone. It probably would be better if i had worked it for a bit (making adjustments on the fly so to speak) but it was just a jam, and I didn't have the capability to do that since I was singing quite a lot during the playing.
Rather than the brake, I am going to go to 6v6 and see what that gets me in terms of reducing the headroom to a manageable point. Last night I had to dial back the master vol (LarMar) half way, AND take the vol control down to 2.5 (less than 9 o'clock) just to get the amp at a level that was "just out front" of everything else...I had to chuckle about that as this thing sounds sooooo great when its just short of halfway up on the vol. control....yet its too loud to mix. And of course at 8:30 (barely cracked open really) it still sounds good...but not opened up enough to start singing the way it can and should. Ah the irony of it. I may just have to build a 16 ohm brake for this beast if the 6v6's don't get me where I need to go.
Rather than the brake, I am going to go to 6v6 and see what that gets me in terms of reducing the headroom to a manageable point. Last night I had to dial back the master vol (LarMar) half way, AND take the vol control down to 2.5 (less than 9 o'clock) just to get the amp at a level that was "just out front" of everything else...I had to chuckle about that as this thing sounds sooooo great when its just short of halfway up on the vol. control....yet its too loud to mix. And of course at 8:30 (barely cracked open really) it still sounds good...but not opened up enough to start singing the way it can and should. Ah the irony of it. I may just have to build a 16 ohm brake for this beast if the 6v6's don't get me where I need to go.
https://www.facebook.com/trialbyfirerocks
Be sure your tinfoil hat has a good low impedance ground.
Be sure your tinfoil hat has a good low impedance ground.
Re: Will my new Wreck Express tolerate an 8 ohm Airbrake?
The Airbrake is an adjustable resistance load. That's what varies the volume.donzoid wrote:OK cool...60 people have looked at this question...and even I understand why no one has ventured an answer.
https://tubeamparchive.com/download/file.php?id=8823
Look at the schematic and do the math. Does your question still make sense?
Re: Will my new Wreck Express tolerate an 8 ohm Airbrake?
Thanks Zippy...maybe it doesn't. I am still way green and learning so that's always a possibility.
The reason I asked, was because some power brakes have adjustable ohm load settings (or for example the hotplates are set to 4, 8 or 16 as you buy them) and the airbrake does not have a variable setting as Ken designed it and its been improved on here on the forum. I've seen people on the forum build them for an intended 16 ohm load by installing 16ohm wirewounds instead of 8 (like the one I built, and believe me my Marshall 50 LOVES this thing).
I just didn't want to overheat or damage my new wreck because the load being reported back to the OT are weird...that's why I asked. You are right, I should go research this more.
The reason I asked, was because some power brakes have adjustable ohm load settings (or for example the hotplates are set to 4, 8 or 16 as you buy them) and the airbrake does not have a variable setting as Ken designed it and its been improved on here on the forum. I've seen people on the forum build them for an intended 16 ohm load by installing 16ohm wirewounds instead of 8 (like the one I built, and believe me my Marshall 50 LOVES this thing).
I just didn't want to overheat or damage my new wreck because the load being reported back to the OT are weird...that's why I asked. You are right, I should go research this more.
https://www.facebook.com/trialbyfirerocks
Be sure your tinfoil hat has a good low impedance ground.
Be sure your tinfoil hat has a good low impedance ground.