Headroom???

[dangerbut]

When talking about tubes, what do you mean by headroom?

[the_drip]

Re: Headroom???

I think it relates to how loud you can turn it up before the clean channel starts breaking up....but I'm an idiot so I could be completely wrong. I do know that you're supposed to have more head room with more wattage though.

[Black Mariah]

Re: Headroom???

It's how much you can turn it up before the tube starts distorting, not just the clean channel. The power amp section of the distortion channel also has a certain amount of headroom. If you have a good amp, the power amp distortion is where things start to get interesting. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Fragle]

Re: Headroom???

yeah, thats the well know problem: how can i build an amp which doesnt distort the clean channel to early and at the same time makes the power amp distorting when playing on the overdrive channel [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] when playing 50watt heads, you have great distortion but cannot turn the clean channel loud enough. with 100 watt heads you have clean headroom for days but getting power amp distortion when playing the overdrive channel is just a pain in the ass :/
maybe thats why the road king is such a cool amp: you can choose el34 for distortion and 6l6 for lots of clean headroom.

fragle

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Headroom???

Well, headroom, in some peoples vocabulary, means a tube that will distort and give nice harmonic saturation, yet isn't totally compressing the signal to where it sounds squashed or lacks transient qualities.

EL34s, have less of this headroom. KT88s have a lot.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Re: Headroom???

bassicaly, yeah. a lot of people use 2 rigs with and a/b box.

[Fragle]

Re: Headroom???

i think i would use 2 rigs, too, if i would have enough cash [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
really, there is no justice in this world: poor men like you and me who have to work hard for their money have to pay much, and guys like those wimpy numetal kids (think linkin park [img]graemlins/puke.gif[/img] ) get this **** (almost) for free.

fragle

[pcutt]

Re: Headroom???

EL34s, have less of this headroom. KT88s have a lot.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">How about EL84s, 6L6s and 6V6s? Where would these different tubes fit on a scale of little to lots of headroom?

[raymo]

Re: Headroom???

EL84's are pretty much your distortion powerhouse for push'n the poweramp. Thats How I think of them anyway [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I love them. They're like mini EL34's to me [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] They're good clean too, but I'd imagine if you wanted to really crank your clean you'd start to get some really bluesy vibes outta just about any amp.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Headroom???

This is not to say any of these tubes are bad. And I'm sure some people will have a diferent opinion. And they may have merit in that opinion.

IMO, From less to more:

EL84s, EL34s, 6L6s, KT88s

I don't know anything about 6V6s.

There are other characteristic about all these tubes that make them unique, and of course they all excell at things that the others don't. User choice etc.