Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: arjepsen on January 30, 2016, 05:57:17 am

Title: help to decide on next project.
Post by: arjepsen on January 30, 2016, 05:57:17 am

Hey.
I'm sort of debating with myself what to build next (I imagine most of you know the feeling?) :-)
Right now I'm sort of looking at either the D'Mars, the TOS or the Hoso56.
But I find it a little difficult to find soundclips that clearly show me the difference in their range of tones.
(I've searched through the soundclip thread, but haven't really found clips that I felt could be used well enough as a comparison between them)
If anybody had all three it would be great to have a sort of comparison soundclip.
Otherwise, could someone point me in the direction of soundclips that would give me a good idea about the difference?

/Anders

Title: Re: help to decide on next project.
Post by: tubenit on January 30, 2016, 06:47:49 am

This is the most accurate soundclip I have of what the D'Mars sounds like in person:

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=11842172&q=hi&newref=1 (http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=11842172&q=hi&newref=1)

This is the most accurate soundclip I have of what the TOS sounds like in person:

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=9488477&q=hi&newref=1 (http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=9488477&q=hi&newref=1)

This is a reasonable representation of the HoSo56 using 6BM8 tubes instead of the EL84 and 6AQ5's that DaGeezer used:

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=7988948&q=hi&newref=1 (http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=7988948&q=hi&newref=1)

The D'Mars is the most complicated build but perhaps the most versatile from clean to OD tones.  Greatest amount of headroom of the three.

The TOS is just a great blues/rock amp that has more sustain and overdrive. Significantly less headroom of the three.

The HoSo56 has less gain but is very touch sensitive with the 5879 in V1 and sits in that tone zone right on the edge of breakup so when you pick lightly, it sounds reasonably clean and when you dig in .... it has a nice overdrive tone.  DaGeezers sound clips of the HoSo56 were MUCH better then mine and did a much better job of showing the touch sensitivity of the amp.

The D'Mars has the most musically sweet tone of any amp I've built.  Likewise the HoSo56 has a very sweet musical tone, IMO.  The TOS has a more driven vowel tone almost like a wah pedal that is set in one middle position.

With respect, Tubenit

Title: Re: help to decide on next project.
Post by: arjepsen on February 01, 2016, 08:02:52 am

Thanks a lot for your answer.
I think I went past those soundclips in my searches too, and while they sound great(!), they give me one problem:
They pretty much show just one specific tone/setting on the amp.


Right now I'm torn between the D'Mars and the 56. And I just relistened to the D'Mars clip, and realized that that one actually did show different tones. However, I was hoping to find a more thorough workout of the amp, showing the variety of tones available by adjusting the controls of the amp, and also differences between guitars (humbucker/single coil).