Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => AmpTools/Tech Tips => Topic started by: BadAssBluesDude on December 10, 2008, 10:55:42 pm

Title: The most basic of newbie questions.
Post by: BadAssBluesDude on December 10, 2008, 10:55:42 pm
Here's the deal, in the "big hair" 80's I used rack gear, and then in '92 I got a cruise ship gig and started using Roland's first digital modeler. I've been a professional musician all my life and I haven't played through a real amp in over 25 years. I've actually only owned two amps in my whole life. subsequently I know shocking little about them. I'm just getting into the Epiphone Valve Jr. mod thing (addicted) and I'm trying to catch up on what I've been missing out on.

Here's my questions.

What does class A mean?
What does class A/b mean?
What does push/pull mean?

Thanks,
TC
Title: Re: The most basic of newbie questions.
Post by: tubesornothing on December 11, 2008, 12:46:14 am
Welcome aboard.  These are all questions with lots of explanations on the net.  Use you exact phrases with "tube amp" and you will get lots of answers.

Visit http://aikenamps.com/ look under tech info.  Lots of good stuff there.

ToN
Title: Re: The most basic of newbie questions.
Post by: BadAssBluesDude on December 11, 2008, 07:57:06 am
That link has exactly the information I was looking for. Thank you.

My new year's resolution is to try and teach myself how to read a schematic.

Thanks,
TC
Title: Re: The most basic of newbie questions.
Post by: PRR on December 12, 2008, 12:20:31 am
> What does class A mean?
> What does class A/B mean?


1) engineering pop-quiz trivia

2) marketing BS

If you find "A" or "AB" on sales literature, assume it is meaningless.

> What does push/pull mean?

Your string swings both ways, your speaker swings both ways.

In a tube (or transistor), current only flows one way.

How can we get audio??

2) use two devices teeter-totter. One pulls one way, the other pulls the other way, effectively pushes.

1) use a single device, idling at half max flow. Wiggle it more/less. Ignore the steady idle, swing the speaker.

> Epiphone Valve Jr.

Single-Ended, and Class A until it fuzzes.