Cool. My tweed power ain't working (properly)

[EirikBrandal]

Hello,

My tweed power has never been working like a clock. The manual describes the tweed power as the most gainy thing ever, but I experience the opposite. It sounds like a cheap gorilla amp saying his last words (like "give this letter to my mom"). I can't live with the fact that other kids are playing happily with their tweed power, while I must remain with my full power. Anyone know anything about this?

 

[newfinator]

Sorry, I have no explanation for you but I will say that I find that Full Power sounds better than Tweed even when set at the same relative volume. Maybe it's just me but it seems to be richer sounding... more... "full" :wink:

 

[Stonge]

I agree 1000%

I thought I had my tweed kicking *** for awhile and then I felt I needed more head room. So there you have it. MORE POWER!

 

[EirikBrandal]

and yeah, while your mentioning it; my triode is humming as well. think my mark has to take the trip to the amp doctor someday in the future. haha I'll play it as long as the wheels are turning

 

[Bourque]

I can't say I understand the volume thing. With mine there's not much difference between Triode/Pentode Tweed/Full in terms of volume. They change the punchyness and headroom. Going from Tweed and Triode to Full and Pentode even doesn't make me much louder, it just makes it alot stiffer and punchier.

 

[dmt]

according to Mike B, the 'Tweed' feature cuts the input level by 25% or so. That's all it does.

As for Class A/Half Power, it will drop 100 watts to 60, and 85 to 15-25watts in Simulclass. That will change your tone much more.

 

[EirikBrandal]

well, I actually notice a little difference in volume when going from triode to pentode, not much, just a slight. Couldn't use it as a boost for solos or whatever, but it is there.

 

[phyrexia]

according to Mike B, the 'Tweed' feature cuts the input level by 25% or so. That's all it does.

As for Class A/Half Power, it will drop 100 watts to 60, and 85 to 15-25watts in Simulclass. That will change your tone much more.

"Tweed" cuts the VOLTAGE coming into the amp from 120v to ~93v.

 

[EirikBrandal]

Are you sure? That sounded a bit weird.

In Norway, we use 230 V whatsoever

 

[phyrexia]

Are you sure? That sounded a bit weird.

In Norway, we use 230 V whatsoever

Tweed uses a different tap on the power transformer. I don't know how the export models are set up but I would bet in tweed power a 240v amp sees about 200v from the wall.

 

[zebpedersen]

Isn't all the power taken down to 120v by the input transformer anyway? Otherwise you'd have completely different components in each country. My UK Mark IV has 120v on the bottom of the input tranny.

I wish they'd bring back the days of the switchable export transformer, but ho hum.

Anyway, I always use Tweed, always have and probably always will - I was told by someone who's had a IV since its launch that tweed will lengthen the life of the power tubes.

 

[EirikBrandal]

I wouldn't sacrifice good sound just to make the power tubes last longer, though

 

[phyrexia]

Lots of people like the softer feel that Tweed gives over the tightness or stiffness of Full, but it does lower the high voltages coming into the tubes and as such they should last longer.

 

[newfinator]

I find full power more responsive to touch and dynamics as well but maybe that's just me.