The "Bordello Red" GSG build and questions
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 10:03 am
Hello All,
I've never owned an SE amp of any kind, and after much research, I find myself here - the GSG looks like a great starting point. My friend recently called up wanting to put together a modded Dynaco like the one I've got - a KT88 monster that can rock the house; it was based on of the mod kits and ended up getting way out of hand. It sounds fantastic. But...
The new tripath amps come pretty close to glass quads these days. They might lack some of the magic and detail of a big tube amp, but, at the risk of being labelled a heretic, one must admit, they're about 80% of the way there; and if you're listening loud, the difference isn't that big. The unobtainable sound that is still the sole domain of glass is the S.E.T.; the low power's not an issue because near field is where it's at for critical listening. So I told Matt (the guy who called) that's the way he should go; after all he already had a bigger tripath. So then he gets back to me and says, "I've ordered us two GSG boards."
That's great - but what's with this "us" stuff, Cochise? And so it begins.
I initially went through the same process most people here have: What's the highest regarded triode? I thought it was the 300b. What, you say 2a3's are more detailed? Huh, who knew? And a 6a3 is a 2a3 with a 6 volt filament? And a 6B4G is an octal of a 6a3? Ok, then.
So I looked at all the schematics of S.E.T.s I could find. At one point I told Matt to quit ordering parts. Ultimately, the GSG looked like a very pure, clean circuit that's been thoroughly evaluated by folks like you; looks like Matt made the right choice.
Here are my beginning questions:
1. I have an original dynaco 060s power transformer; can that be used in a GSG or is the B+ too high?
2. Is there any value (other than tube availability) of modding to a 2a3 right off the bat?
3. Has anyone added a passive volume control? What mods to the circuit did you do? Did you use a standard 100k pot? How much did it affect the sound quality?
Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance!
I've never owned an SE amp of any kind, and after much research, I find myself here - the GSG looks like a great starting point. My friend recently called up wanting to put together a modded Dynaco like the one I've got - a KT88 monster that can rock the house; it was based on of the mod kits and ended up getting way out of hand. It sounds fantastic. But...
The new tripath amps come pretty close to glass quads these days. They might lack some of the magic and detail of a big tube amp, but, at the risk of being labelled a heretic, one must admit, they're about 80% of the way there; and if you're listening loud, the difference isn't that big. The unobtainable sound that is still the sole domain of glass is the S.E.T.; the low power's not an issue because near field is where it's at for critical listening. So I told Matt (the guy who called) that's the way he should go; after all he already had a bigger tripath. So then he gets back to me and says, "I've ordered us two GSG boards."
That's great - but what's with this "us" stuff, Cochise? And so it begins.
I initially went through the same process most people here have: What's the highest regarded triode? I thought it was the 300b. What, you say 2a3's are more detailed? Huh, who knew? And a 6a3 is a 2a3 with a 6 volt filament? And a 6B4G is an octal of a 6a3? Ok, then.
So I looked at all the schematics of S.E.T.s I could find. At one point I told Matt to quit ordering parts. Ultimately, the GSG looked like a very pure, clean circuit that's been thoroughly evaluated by folks like you; looks like Matt made the right choice.
Here are my beginning questions:
1. I have an original dynaco 060s power transformer; can that be used in a GSG or is the B+ too high?
2. Is there any value (other than tube availability) of modding to a 2a3 right off the bat?
3. Has anyone added a passive volume control? What mods to the circuit did you do? Did you use a standard 100k pot? How much did it affect the sound quality?
Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance!