could everyone please post their model-t settings?

[thomas]

hi. if anyone of you has a 70´s model-t it would be cool to post your favorite settings. i can´t get any decent tone out of it and maybe i´m doing something wrong (what i don´t think, cuz i tried everything!!!). greets, thomas

[((Ohiosunno))]

what kind of cabinet are you running?

[thomas]

i´m running it with a ´78 ampeg v-4 4x12. it´s loaded with 4 square magnet eminence 75watters.

[JoeArthur]

Are you using 70's to mean like a 1970 vintage... or meaning some Model T produced during the 70's decade?  Does this amp have a three position mid frequency select under the middle control?

[thomas]

it´s the one with white control knobs and the 3-way mids-switch. i think it must me from around ´74. i think either the cab or my guitar is the problem (epi sg-400).

[JoeArthur]

NO... any model T with the 3 way mid switch is a second generation model, regardless of the knob or face plate color.  Your problem is with the amp.

The only decent distortion sound I could find with this amp were plugging into the both input, both brite and normal volumes on 10, bass and treble both on 10, presence on 10, the mid switch all the way to the left (750hz) and the middle control at zero.  Master volume to taste.

Try this... set the preamp volumes low (around 1-2) and the master at 10.  Play something.  Then turn the master volume down to 8 and play something.  Is the setting at 8 louder than the setting at 10?

[thomas]

i changed the pi-slot tube from a 5751 to a JJ 12ax7a and don´t use the standby-switch anymore. the amp is either on or off. this is what a guy told me in another topic. no warmup anymore. i dont wanna push my luck, but this seemed to solve the problems i had.  i have my channel volumes both on 7 and the master on around 4-5. presence on 3, bass 5. all the rest on 0. i use ear-protection but right now it´s almost too loud even with the protection. the distortion is quite useable, no high-gain here, but it´s no mesa or whatever. i´ve noticed that it´s better to use bright strings with gauge around 11 or 12. this will bring a clean heavy tone without mud. even tuned down to A! this will make most people upset, but i just wanted to try how low i can go. just for fun. i just need a good reverb, cuz that´s one thing i miss. greets

[thomas]

oh. that guy was you. sorry joe, i just didn´t noticed. thanks for that.
greets

[thomas]

seems like i´ve pushed my luck. the thing´s down again. maybe i should open it and take a (secure) look inside. are there any specific things to look at? there are no techs around here so i dont know what else to do. maybe i should trade it for a ampeg v-4. this really pisses me off.

[Anonymous]

Thomas, it might really be nice if you could describe "down" to us folks that really don't have a clue as to what your problem is.  People on this board seem to be more helpful when they don't have to guess what you really mean.

[thomas]

sorry. as i described it before my amp doesn´t give me any decent tone. it´s a sceond generation model-t. there are new tubes in it. it´s not even as loud as a 60w marshall-combo. it sounds much better but isn´t that loud at all. the highs seem really shrill to my ears and the lows are muddy. that´s really strange. when i started this topic my amp was like it is now. between my last post (with the "no-warmup time anymore") and now it was quite good. i began to love it, but now it sounds bad again. it was really clean even down to A! and now it´s muddy and the distortion sounds ugly like some solid state thing. there seems to be another guy with an 2000s with the same problem. the cab & guitar can´t be the problem cuz they sound cool, (if the amp´s running as it should). if i can´t solve the problem i will sell it. i don´t know what the guy that had it before me has done to the amp, but it seems all stock. the tech who put my tubes in told me that there were bugs inside (dead, of course), and so i think, that there were no one inside for a long time...

[JoeArthur]

So... can we assume your tech either recapped the amp or told you the electrolytics didn't need replacing?  And that you haven't changed anything else... anything meaning absolutely positively nothing... no guitar cords, no speaker cords, no additional tube swapping... anything?

You keep saying something about the amp being turned to A! and that doesn't mean anything to me.  Can you explain this setting?

I just noticed your location is Europe.  Are you using a stepdown transformer... if so, what is the output wattage rating... and/or is your electric utility known to do brownouts where they lower the mains voltage during periods of high demand?  Most Sunn amps will function their best at a 120 volt mains supply, and that supply must be able to produce the necessary wattage.

One more thing... try the master volume control check I mentioned above on March 7th and let me know the results.

[thomas]

the tech guy did nothing but biasing the new tubes. he told me the amp were ok. the amp had 3 old telefunken 12ax7a´s which were worn out and 2 pairs of 6550´s in it. the new tubes are a quarter of svetlana 6550´s and 3 JJ 12ax7a´s.  with tuning down to A i mean i tuned my guitar down 3,5 steps which is sick, i know, but i wanted to try how far (or low) i can go. even in standard tuning it sounds as i described. i changed the guitar cord and changed the speaker cord for much better quality stuff a few months ago with the same reuslts. but i can´t afford an additional tube swap. my amp is modified for german voltage which is 220 volts. it was being sold in that way like many other amps in the 60s and 70s here. about the master volume thing. yes, it sounds quieter on 10 than on 8. i red something about cutting one simple wire (blue-white wire, i guess) on the inside to fix this.