Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Express, Liverpool, Rocket, Dirty Little Monster, etc.

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Thunderfunk
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Re: Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Post by Thunderfunk »

UR12 wrote:You are right I didn’t read the white paper. I actually tried one of these power cables on a Guitar amp , (not a mixing board, bass amp or Sound system) and formed my own opinion. Isn’t that a strange approach? (Maybe we weren’t close enough to a radio station). We actually had 5 or six guys try it and came to the same conclusion, so I guess we’re all deaf no talent bum amp builders compared to some of the Gods around here who were born with golden ears.

I am not assuming anything. I am stating my direct experience with the product, just like you did. Your take is that if someone can’t hear a difference then there must be something wrong with our hearing and not the product.
I can't even reply to you. You're all over the road. Oh, a GUITAR amp. That's different. I didn't try that. You're very confused, and deaf. So are your friends. But don't worry. You just saved $180 and you'll never even know the difference! :lol:

If you can't hear a difference, for God's sake, don't waste your money! If you can hear a difference, you're welcome.

Thank you very much,

Dave
Thunderfunk
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Re: Why Do I Bother?

Post by Thunderfunk »

Voodoo_Man wrote:
Thunderfunk wrote:

I took the ferrite bead/clamp from the power cord of my DVR and put it around one of my amps power cord and it didn't seem to attenuate any high frequencies or produce more clarity. Amp sounds the same with or without. Do I need the one from Radio Shack or what? :wink:

God Bless,
John
You're misunderstanding what I'm saying. IF you have RF coming through your amp (hearing a radio station in your speakers) you should TRY clamping a ferrite bead on the instrument cable, and/or the power cord. It's not meant to make your amp sound better or reduce audible high frequency. It's only meant to reduce RF into the amp.

According to Radioshack:

"Effective, easy-to-use RFI fighter.
Cut down on RFI (radio frequency interference) with this snap-together Ferrite Choke Core. Simply snap it over any coax cable, AC or audio cord."

The funny thing is I'm accused of selling VooDoo, yet a huge company like Tandy is saying the same thing.

And how about Kodak? What do THEY know? Just a big, greedy business, making money by adding ferrite beads to USB cords for no reason. This forum is too much.

Dave
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rhinson
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Re: Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Post by rhinson »

Thunderfunk wrote:
stink wrote:
bnwitt wrote:Dave,
how would you describe this audible difference delivered by the power cord?
Come on bro, it's "monster" power cord... it HAS to sound better... :roll:

Such a deal price too....only $180

-Steve
If you don't know, Monster cords come with a lifetime guarantee, and last about 90 days. The way they do it is it's a 75% discount to the dealers and strict sales price controls. We're not talking about that. Listen to the download video off ESP's webpage. Even with the poor quality of the video you can hear the difference. Read the white paper. Why would I stake my reputation on some product that's hype and I don't even make any money on it?

Describe the sound? More "real?" For those who don't know I'm building a bass amp that's knocking off the big boys. Last year I changed the first chip in the signal chain from an opamp to a preamp. Until this proprietary chip was available you had nothing to compare it too. Opamp to opamp still sounded like an opamp. Some better or worse. But when you can compare an opamp to a PREamp, then you hear what was missing all along. until then, you didn't know. How would you? There was nothing to compare it too.

The cord sounds clearer, smoother, louder, and more natural. Now maybe you won't sound any better with it (practice) but your system will. A friend used one on a small Allen & Heath mixing board and now won't change it back. From Michael's webapge I never knew he was selling them for VIDEO systems as well. Maybe you can't hear, but you should be able to see. For guys cloning Trainwrecks, I thought you should know.

Now, I downloaded someone's "Trainwreck" samples and I gotta say, it sounded more like a Boogie than a 'Wreck. If you don't know what a 'Wreck sounds like, go hear!

http://www.myspace.com/glenkuykendall

Listen to the harmonics he "squeezes" off. How delicate the transistion is from clean to dirty to harmonic. More subtle than a Dumble. And it's true, you can't build a 'Wreck without NOS tubes. Mullard and Telefunken.

So maybe the power cord doesn't matter if you can't play to begin with (not saying I can), but you should know, these things work. And being in the guitar world you might not know who Victor Wooten is besides being an ESP endorser, but I'd say he's the most influential bass player in the world. And Bill Dickens showed me these cords at the 2008 Summer NAMM. What caught Bill's eye was that Henry Johnson was using one. Henry taught Bill how to play bass. And if you don't know who Bill Dickens is (besides being a Thunderfunk endorser) he's first call to backup Nathan Watts for Stevie Wonder. Now maybe you think these guys are deaf and can be conned or bought off, but you're just wrong. Billy told me that he still has to audition for the gig, and sounding the best he can is important to him. So laugh if you want, but I'm just telling you, these things work.

Dave
hey dave, i've never heard of this particular type of ic. do you have a link to the company that makes them? i'd like to look at a datasheet and see how the internal generic schematic compares to the standard single/dual opamps we all see in pedals, guitar amps, etc. thanks rh
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UR12
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Re: Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Post by UR12 »

Thunderfunk wrote:
I can't even reply to you. You're all over the road. Oh, a GUITAR amp. That's different. I didn't try that. You're very confused, and deaf. So are your friends. But don't worry. You just saved $180 and you'll never even know the difference! :lol:

If you can't hear a difference, for God's sake, don't waste your money! If you can hear a difference, you're welcome.

Thank you very much,

Dave
Dave
I thought I was being very to the point and qualifying Exactly how we tested the cable. This is a guitar amp forum and not a prosound or audiophile forum. Granted we discuss some of the most expensive amps on the planet but they are still being used to reproduce the guitar. You need to go back and re-read my statements. I never said we couldn't hear a difference. I said "My opinion of the cord I tested was that I could find a lot more bang for my buck spending that $180 on something else. " and that myself and about 5 other guys came to the same conclusion. That is just my opinion. You have yours and I have mine.

You know it would make perfect sense to this old deaf guy that if this was such a great product and made any guitar amp sound like a million dollars that all the guitar players in the world would have bought one by now and all went out and bought new Peaveys or Valve Juniors, plugged their $180 power cord into their $99 amp and would have no need for an expensive TW, Thunderfunk or Dumble.

So I guess we are all taking your advice and saving our $180 for the next smoke and mirror device from the next snake oil salesman that comes down the road. At least we will be happy confused deaf guys with a little extra money still in our pockets. :lol:
Thunderfunk wrote: The funny thing is I'm accused of selling VooDoo, yet a huge company like Tandy is saying the same thing.
At least Tandy isn't selling their $10 ferite bead for $180.

Your very welcome!
funkmeblue
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Re: Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Post by funkmeblue »

all sorts of positive energy coming frome here......they are just tube amps give it a rest
anything worth doing, is worth doing right
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Voodoo_Man
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Re: Why Do I Bother?

Post by Voodoo_Man »

Thunderfunk wrote: You're misunderstanding what I'm saying. IF you have RF coming through your amp (hearing a radio station in your speakers) you should TRY clamping a ferrite bead on the instrument cable, and/or the power cord. It's not meant to make your amp sound better or reduce audible high frequency. It's only meant to reduce RF into the amp.

Dave
Dave, I just figured if the power cord is such a huge cotributor to the amps tone, then strapping the power cord with the clamp-on ferrite would change something. I was wrong of course. :) Furthermore there are so many components to mess with in an amp, that a power cord is the last thing to be concerned with imo. If at all. I can get some really nice tubes for $180.00.

God Bless,
John
Thunderfunk
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Re: Why Do I Bother?

Post by Thunderfunk »

Voodoo_Man wrote:
Thunderfunk wrote: You're misunderstanding what I'm saying. IF you have RF coming through your amp (hearing a radio station in your speakers) you should TRY clamping a ferrite bead on the instrument cable, and/or the power cord. It's not meant to make your amp sound better or reduce audible high frequency. It's only meant to reduce RF into the amp.

Dave
Dave, I just figured if the power cord is such a huge cotributor to the amps tone, then strapping the power cord with the clamp-on ferrite would change something. I was wrong of course. :) Furthermore there are so many components to mess with in an amp, that a power cord is the last thing to be concerned with imo. If at all. I can get some really nice tubes for $180.00.

God Bless,
John
Part of the TW inventory I have are some genuine TW power cords. I bought them at Mouser. :lol: :lol: :lol: Ken didn't believe in wire. He used low temp solid wire because that's what they had at the store when he went to buy some. Oh well. Another myth busted?

Dave
Tubetwang
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Re: Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Post by Tubetwang »

i use mostly old stock 18 gauge wire that i take from road side dump appliances...MacGuyver style...
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Structo
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Re: Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Post by Structo »

Yes the molecularly aligned vacuum power cords!

Whatever, everybody has an opinion.

Good luck with the amp clinic Dave.

I'm sorry I am so skeptical, I would love to hear a live demonstration or even better try one on one of my amps that I am familiar with how it sounds.
Tom

Don't let that smoke out!
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rooster
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Re: Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Post by rooster »

Dave - All over the road?

"Part of the TW inventory I have are some genuine TW power cords. I bought them at Mouser." Eh? Was Ken keeping them at Mouser then - and you bought that inventory from them?

"Ken didn't believe in wire. He used low temp solid wire because that's what they had at the store when he went to buy some." Eh? You mean that all the comments quoted to KF that I have read over the years, stressing the importance of his wire choice ---- is crap?

Dave, Dave, Dave. Where did you take a wrong turn writing such crap for my eyes? Whatever you think you have been privy to, in having been able to hang with Ken, you still have to know that all the comments and preferences he had were well documented.

What exactly then are you trying to do with these little pot-shots of Funk conclusions? Rewrite the KF page? Well, if you think you have that in you, then I would read it - every bit of it. But here, in this forum, you are starting to look like a guy that needs some attention at the expense of KF. No, not looking like such a nice guy, Dave.

Clean it up please, you are an already an established amp builder in my world. I don't need to know that you are just another guy who resents Ken's ability to make a great sounding amp and picking up a large fan base by doing it. You are better than this.
Most people stall out when fixing a mistake that they've made. Why?
Thunderfunk
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Re: Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Post by Thunderfunk »

Structo wrote:Yes the molecularly aligned vacuum power cords!

Whatever, everybody has an opinion.

Good luck with the amp clinic Dave.

I'm sorry I am so skeptical, I would love to hear a live demonstration or even better try one on one of my amps that I am familiar with how it sounds.
Yes, Mouser #173-53102

There. I gave away the secret of Trainwreck.
:lol:
Dave
Thunderfunk
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Re: Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Post by Thunderfunk »

rooster wrote:Dave, Dave, Dave. Where did you take a wrong turn writing such crap for my eyes? Whatever you think you have been privy to, in having been able to hang with Ken, you still have to know that all the comments and preferences he had were well documented.

What exactly then are you trying to do with these little pot-shots of Funk conclusions? Rewrite the KF page? Well, if you think you have that in you, then I would read it - every bit of it. But here, in this forum, you are starting to look like a guy that needs some attention at the expense of KF. No, not looking like such a nice guy, Dave.

Clean it up please, you are an already an established amp builder in my world. I don't need to know that you are just another guy who resents Ken's ability to make a great sounding amp and picking up a large fan base by doing it. You are better than this.
You really need to lay off the coffee. I still don't get you. Everyone here would like to know what I know, and when I tell you, you imply that I'm a liar? And what would my point be? To profit from giving away information? Your logic is faulty. Low temp solid core wire because that's what they had at the store. That's what Ken told me. If you want to believe something else, go ahead, but how about being civil about it. It's hard not to insult you because you make no sense.

Ken's preferences are well documented? What does that mean? That you already knew Ken liked solid core low temp wire? Sorry for wasting your time. Do you think he picked it for it's sonic qualities? Not a problem, you're just wrong. I need attention? Why do you think I rarely post here? Because I don't have better things to do and desire attention? How about all those clones I've built = NONE. You're a sick puppy. It's sad that people like you drive away people like me. I guess that leaves you King of the Hill. Have fun. Waiting for your next insight. :cry:
Dave
tweedeluxe
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Re: Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Post by tweedeluxe »

Dave, maybe Ken told you he bought low-temp solid-core wire becease it was cheap, and maybe he didn't. I have to take you at your word.

However, I, and many others on this forum, have read interviews with Ken in which he states that he was extremely selective of wire for his amplifiers - down to the insulation color and even direction!

That discrepancy is likely where Rooster's incredulity came from. Instead of resorting to personal insults, how about you offer an explanation of why Ken seemingly told you one thing and everyone else something different?

Maybe Ken was just trying to throw all us "cloners" off track. I could believe that.

I must say that your arrogant attitude and insulting comments have completely soured me toward Thunderfunk amps.
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jjman
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Re: Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Post by jjman »

Before I flip the standby switch I always:

-Jump up and down 3 times
-Roll a head of cabbage
-Giggle

This kills the interference that might come in thru the power cord. Oh, and it also kills 2-Headed Orgs. :twisted: :twisted:
If it says "Vintage" on it, -it isn't.
Fischerman
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Re: Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

Post by Fischerman »

Roll a head of cabbage
Red or White?

Love my new sig. :lol:
Early brewers were primarily women, mostly because it was deemed a woman's job. Mesopotamian men, of some 3,800 years ago, were obviously complete assclowns and had yet to realize the pleasure of brewing beer.
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