Power Amp Q

[Mr White]

What is a power amp? I really have no idea. I thought it was like a guitar amp but I saw one and it looked nothing like one. The controls I mean. Is it to amplify the power rating of an amp?
Theres a Peavey one in a shop near me for £125 ($175).
What do they do?!?!?!

James

[Misanthrope189]

Re: Power Amp Q

Hey James!
Power amps are the power tube section of a regular amp, basically. A guitar amp, like a head, is a pre amp section, which would include the pre amp tubes, like 12ax7's...the parametric eq controls - bass, mid, treble - the presence, a pre amp volume, perhaps..clean channels, distortion channels, "lead", or "solo" channels, it all depends on the pre amp. The power amp is the section that requires EL34's, or 6L6's, or KT88's or 6550's...and is the volume section of the amp. If a head is 100 watts, the 100 watts comes from the power amp. So if you buy a pre amp and a power amp separately, you're just buying two units that together would make a head, although you can get variability, and different tones out of combinations of pre amps and power amps. You usually have a power on, stand by, volumes, and some have a presence control. Power amps are the amplification for the pre amp. It's like taking a head, and splitting it into two units, pre amp and power amp. I hope that helps...seems kinda run-on, repetitive and lacking in all but basic information...so maybe others can add more technical things.

Cheers,
Nick

[taxistationary]

Re: Power Amp Q

Basiclly a power amp is just like a head, but without the distortion, EQ, etc...Basiclly all a power amp does is make something louder (thats the bare basic's of it).

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: Power Amp Q

power amp = Mesa 50/50 others can be neglected .. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I use it for the following:

1) Make that neighbor that says I suck playing a bit more miserable and bitter with his life

2) Intimidate my drummer when he is getting too cocky and noisy

3) maintain a clean reputation of brutality in my university residence

[ April 14, 2003, 04:13 PM: Message edited by: rodrigo_echeverri ]

[Mr White]

Re: Power Amp Q

Thanks lads,
Thats briliant, I understand now.

James