Name:    Steve Kennedy
Email:   steve@pacair.com  
Subject: 210 HD130 distortion
Thread:  286
Time:    Thu, 29 Nov 2001 03:53:29 UTC

Running "Loud" can be done in a variety of ways. If you overdrive the input of the amp by using electronics ahead of the amp (and not a direct connection to the instrument) you can get distortion at ANY level.


Plug in your guitar ONLY (no electronics) directly into the amp input. Now turn the Gain or Volume control up to 5. Now turn the Master up to 5. This ought to be fairly clean and startng to get loud.


If you turn the Master all the way up, the first distortion you should encounter is TUBE distortion from the phase shifter and output tubes. If your tubes or power supply are weak you may be getting un-natural distortion much ealier than normal.


If you turn the GAIN or VOLUME control up, you may induce preamp distortion which is much harsher sounding. Is your amp on High power?


If your speakers cannot take the power, then THOSE could be distorting as well. All of these different types of sidtortion SOUND different and you can learn to distinguish them by experimenting and listening.


Steve