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A question about low voltage to tube guitar amplifiers?

Posted by admin in Monday, June 1st 2009

Topics: Blues

Paul Hxyz asked:

I was running an amp this afternoon and noticed that the power conditioner was indicating the voltage was lower than normal. The amp didn’t sound quite right to me - am I imagining this, or is there something to this? The amp is a Rivera Clubster 25, the speaker is not “broken in” yet, but I know what it usually sounds like. An air conditioner is on the same circuit is drawing a lot of power, which is why the voltage is lower (109 volts versus 119). Also, I was playing through another, different amp - was my perception affected by the other amp or is there really something to this? Am I perhaps going to need a voltage regulator to keep the voltage constant so the tone is the same? HELP! Thanks!!!

Btw: I used the same guitar on both amps, same settings.
Addition: I now know the answer to this question, but if you still want to post please do - you might have something we all didn’t know before, so its always cool to learn something new! The first answer is VERY good, btw.

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3 Comments

edjdonnell said in June 4th, 2009 at 4:42 am

low voltage means that when the voltage goes down, the Amperage (heat,power) goes up, and heat is what damages all electroic components, tubes can handle it better than micro chips, but it will age your equipment and caasue damage over time. why can’t you use another circuit than the one the a/c is on? they both draw alot of amperage, and that generates alot of heat, and you are also damaging the A?C unit over time as well. fuses on amps usually do not blow by low voltage, but by a spike of voltage, so don’t trust in your “slo-blo” fuse to keep your tube equipment safe. run a havy duty contrction extention cord (those orange ones, 25″ or under) and plug into another outlet, not on the same circuit as the A/C. tube equipment draw much more power, and generate more heat than micro circuits, and your problem will get worse over time. Keep the tube equpment, it all sounds bette than any non tube for warmth of sound and depth of sound, but it’s the price you pay for the trade off.

vinster said in June 7th, 2009 at 5:27 am

Well, from my unschooled point of view…….other than the fact i’ve been playing and dealing with gear issues , for about 30 years - My understanding is that a power conditioner will read the incoming voltage, and then adjust accordingly to give a steady output, as in a regulator, or am i wrong? Seems if i am, then a power “conditioner” is just a catchy name for a power supply. I WOULD just run from a source that doesn’t have much of a load on it, but i’m almost sure you’re ok anyway. And YES , your perception will always be different using other gear….

Steel UR FaiTh said in June 8th, 2009 at 7:57 pm

the other answers sound pretty good. I would definetly run on another circuit, another circuit completly, the a/c kicking on and off will definetly surge. What you have is a parrallel circuit when both are plugged in the same socket. current divides, voltage is not. but the load of the a/c is “pulling” harder. electrons follow the path of least resistance. the a/c is like a big magnet, ******* in the electrons, over powering the demands of the amp. therefore. less current. less volatage. useing the “pie” formula and kerchoff’s law, your amp being “z” or impendance. kerchoff’s law states basically “the sum entering will equal the sum exiting”. p =power, over, i(induction or voltage) x e(energy or current, amperage). so, your amp has demand as well, they are fighting for source energy. you have a good ear, your in tune and I have been up for a while! thanks for the challenge to think about something I havent thought about in years! ….(hey, if you cant dazzle them with brillance, baffle them with….) or it it the other way around?.. take care buddy!