Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: TerryD on November 23, 2015, 04:29:29 pm

Title: Fender Tube 100 watt PA Head
Post by: TerryD on November 23, 2015, 04:29:29 pm
I might be able to get my hands on this for 250.

What could I do with this for a guitar amp?  Or what couldn't I do with this for a guitar amp.  I hate to even say this.  This would be in my bedroom.

 I have the Sholtz power soak for a speaker attenuator.
Title: Re: Fender Tube 100 watt PA Head
Post by: eleventeen on November 23, 2015, 04:37:47 pm
$250 would be a great price....provided it is isn't blown up and requiring $350 in repairs and/or new tubes.


It's pretty much a 4-channel Twin Reverb. It's obviously massive overkill for a bedroom amp but it's reasonable trading material if you do that.


You can pull 2 6L6 and cut the power in half, but that's still massive for a bedroom amp.


It will *never* be as good as a little something or other with a headphone jack and only a few watts output into a small speaker in a convenient package with effects and channel switching...because you're starting with a bulldozer.


But they are entirely valid tube amps and can be easily made to sound good for guitar.
Title: Re: Fender Tube 100 watt PA Head
Post by: eleventeen on November 24, 2015, 12:36:12 pm
Different people have different ideas in mind when they say "bedroom amp".


Some people want something like a Champ, that will specifically play out loud but not too loud and break up like a tube amp is supposed to do.


Some people want an amp that will drive a set of headphones with a nice sound that will let you practice for hours. They're simply two different items.


Many will argue that a $129 solid state whatever amp ($50 from the local kid who's giving up guitar, used, on Craigslist) with a bit of modeling and reverb will never sound like a just-before-breakup with a NOS RCA 6V6 and a 5751 preamp tube. I'll grant you that. But if you are into practicing with headphones, a Champ doesn't do that. It's my view that having some reverb into headphones is immensely desirable for practice purposes, eg; scale exercises et al. If you are going to do that, to study some pieces of theory.


So those are two very diff pictures of what one might call a "bedroom" amp.
Title: Re: Fender Tube 100 watt PA Head
Post by: zapped on December 04, 2015, 09:01:05 pm
It has the same iron as a silver face Twin Reverb it its a PA 100. I recycled all iron, tubes, sockets and reverb tank into a repro Twin Reverb chassis then found a beat up cabinet and speakers on Ebay. Was a lot of work for a first amp but it I learned a lot with the build. It was a fun winter project. Good luck with your conversion.