The treasured "old" or Pre CBS Fender amps are valuable because our guitar heros used, and still use them to get the guitar tones we love and have learned to appreciate as "the sound." Even back in the 60's early 70's, when we (musicians - I was a working pro then) wanted the tone, we gravitated to the old amps because they "sounded better" Was it all quality, or was there some other factor going on? After studying my personal vintage black face and tweed amps, with a musician's ear and a scientists eye, I discovered and perfected a "technology" based on what was found in these amps. It can hurt one's feelings to hear it, but these amps are not "gifts from the gods" and are not made to some kind of super exacting specifications. The parts used are normal parts of moderate price - with tolerances of 10 to 50% AND over time, parts drift off values with use, and in some cases (caps and resistors) with age. What happens then? If certain resistors go up in value, or ARE ALREADY OFF IN VALUE when made, the gain of the stage will be increased. Since the stages are in SERIES, increase in gain is multipled by the next stage. As an example. If a stage has a gain of 50 and is increased by drifted parts, it may go up to 55. Run that to the next stage and multiply it - stock 50 x 50 = 2500 drifted 50 X 55 = 2750 A whole lot more! But drift three stages, then multiply them, and you have an entirely different amp. Couple that with capacitors drifting, changing not only gain, but modifying frequency response of the stages - in most cases, very drastically. An old amp sounds "old" from these effects - they are chaotic but the Pre CBS kit (and application in the Super Texan, Texas Boogie Tone, DM-2000 and many other kits) causes the Torres amps and kits to sound "vintage" to a far greater degree than slavish copying of schematics. Check it out. |
NOTICE - THE ORANGE DROP CAPACITORS USED IN OUR KITS HAVE BEEN 100% DISCONTINUED BY THE MANFACTURER FOR EVER. THEY WILL NEVER BE MADE IN THE U.S. AGAINHIGH QUALITY Mallory Tubular Capacitors will be included in your kitwe apolgize for this, but no one anywhere was warned or informed in any way prior to discontinuance.We can install any and all of our kits in our custom workshop - email for info.Check out Torres Guitars.com our new info site
| ||
