cathode follwer vs plate driven TS...my observations

[iknowjohnny]

As i discussed in a previous thread, i removed the CF stage in my 2204 style amp and used the 3rd stage as the final preamp stage before the tone stack and PI. I did this because i was becoming very disillusioned with the marshal tone, a sound i've used for years mainly because the mids work so well live and because fenders don't give you the grind till you play at levels i cannot play at in small bar gigs or at home, but i LOVE that sound more than any other. So it's always been MV marshalls for me and thats why i built this amp...to build a BETTER marshall high gain pre style amp. But my real love is SRV style tone. It has plenty of mids unlike a lot of fender tones, but can't be had with fender preamp gain. So in the search for that style of tone i removed the cathode follower.

At first i was presently surprised and thought i may well leave it like that, with of course any changes i would make to compensate for this new and considerably different configuration. so i did make some changes that i felt might be more fender like such as a 1.5k cathode on V1A and a few other things. Well, long story short, this thing is sounding much better than before, better than ever in fact. If i had to describe it i would say it's SRV fender tone meets JCM tone. All the things i love about the fender mildly driven tones with the guitar pot on 5-7 is there, but i don't have that fender mid dip that often leads to getting lost in a live mix. Yet the high gain tones with a clean boost are better than any marshall tone i've used. It has it all except extremely clean sounds, tho the ones it does have are again way ahead of how it was b4.

I'm digging this so much that once i clean up the experimental solder slop and get everything neat i'm going to put the chassis back in the combo cab for the first time in god knows how long. I haven't felt like doing that in a long time, but this amp is now just so right. The way it responds....the dynamics, and the tonal balance has changed dramatically for the better. In short, i am DONE DONE DONE with cathode followers !

[Andy Le Blanc]

So you went from a "Master Lead" to a "Club & Country"......?

A 2204, to a 4140.... the nerve.....

It's nice to change tone, I don't think I play the same amp out more than twice.

Put them together in the same head with ch. switching and verb.

[iknowjohnny]

I wouldn't even want the other tone now. But i WOULD like verb. If i have an entire free tube instead of just that 1/2 unused one i have now i'd certainly consider the 1 tube verb.

I have to look at that country club and see what you mean. I think schematic heaven has it but i never looked at it.

[Andy Le Blanc]

take a look at an echo jet, it clips on to your speaker and acts as its own
verb recovery. BIG stereo delay, and you can make it any wattage you like.

put some spinning styrofoam with it and you'll nail a vibrotone leslie.

[iknowjohnny]

That wouldn't do me any good, as i would have another amp to carry, and eliminating that was my only reason for wanting verb built in. As of now i DI to a effects unit and from there into a small amp for effects. Same idea basically, and it works real well. With built in verb i would be able to eliminate that and have the ability to just plug in the amp by itself and go and still be able to had a touch of ambience which i so crave. i still may do it down the road if i can figure out where i could mount another tube, and assuming i have enough juice for one more.