Community: Message List

Re: Replacing preamp tubes in my spider valve mkii hd100

support@line6.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:43:18 GMT

Just passing through man and wanted to commend you on such a great reply!!!

By what I see I need to be proud of all you guys. You are all doing a great job on the forum .

I've been good and I'm still playing my SV. lol. It's still my favorite amp, but I still can't play worth a crap.

Later man, and good luck to all you guys!!!

Mtrash

Re: Replacing preamp tubes in my spider valve mkii hd100

support@line6.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:27:44 GMT

Nice reply spaceatl. I liked it.

Re: speaker cabs

support@line6.com — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 23:28:50 GMT

I like the V30 in a closed back cab but I only have a 112. I've never tried a closed back 2x12 with V30's.

I do know a 2x12 cab that doesn't have a divider between the speakers can change things somewhat. I'm currently fighting with my 2x12 avatar cab that doesn't have one. I think a divider would help it and will try one someday.

I think closed back helps to tighten up the V30. My marshall also sounds good (to me) with my closed back V30 cab.

I say go for it. If you can stand it open back then you should really like it closed.

Good luck

M^T

Re: tubes not working

support@line6.com — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 23:18:51 GMT

Since you've already spent your whole life without this amp and have only had it for a couple days and now it has a problem I vote you take it to your nearest L6 dealer (service center) for repairs. Yea you could try a new heater fuse (its inside the chassis BTW) but if its blown then you probably have a tube issue and its probably a power tube issue. You need to get it fixed for free and hopefully get it fixed right. lol

Good luck

M^T

Re: Mixin' 12ax7's

support@line6.com — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 22:35:18 GMT

I agree with just about everything thats been said so far. I too think changing 12ax7 tubes has a minimal effect in my SV amp. I agree that long plate tubes can increase the midrange while tending to tame the highs and clean up the lows a little. This leads to their basic design I think. I also agree that its a personal thing too and all kinds of tubes are not for everyone.

IMO these SV amps are designed to amplify what the DSP puts out without much coloring the tone on their own and a basic 12ax7 tube swap isn't going to give all that much difference overall because the circuits are so midly driven and the amp isn't designed to exhibit its own gain or voice. IMO these amps are designed to be absence of their own voice, but thats just my opinion.

Different tubes do sound differently and those Chinese 12ax7s in my stock amp I just didn't like. I found them harsh and grainy overall. But in the same breath I can say that out of all the long plate tubes I've tried I find it harder to get a real quiet tube than when trying short plate ones of the same brands. Also I don't prefer the increased midrange some of the long plate tubes I've tried has given me because I do find the V2.0 DSP in my SV to be somewhat too strong in the midrange department for my tastes anyway.

Instead of trying to change the tone with 12ax7's or different power tubes I've found it far better to just change out the capacitors in the signal pathway. This I have found is a far better and less expensive venture which gives better results overall. A good cap job I've found really opens up these power sections and gives a more even and smoother tone. More than I could ever get by just changing out tubes. lol

I've also found that these SV amps are strong man. Their power sections are nothing but quality and I don't believe you will ever hear anything different. Yea, tubes go out, but besides that their power sections are rock solid and stong. IMO they deserve having good caps in there. I just wish L6 offered that option to us. Besides I think L6 could open up a new market with these tube amp power sections if they wanted to. They are that good IMO,,,,, if they had good caps in there that is.

Good luck

M^T

Re: Spider Valve HD 100MK1 Mod Questions:

support@line6.com — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 09:42:14 GMT

check your PM Wolf.

M^T

Re: RE: Volume pot on Spider Valve mark II

support@line6.com — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:41:55 GMT

The channel change pop could be a volume change issue between patches. I know its probably only an increase in gain causing the channel volume to raise but none the less it can be called a channel volume difference between patches. Which I understand is not a problem at volume, lol, only at bedroom output levels. This is not exactly a bedroom amp IMO, at least its not setup to be so IMO. Its a loud amp thats designed to get down and play loud. Their choice of OT says that to me at least.

If you plug into the PowerAmp-In jack you will fully understnad the power section of these SV's and I promise it won't take long to do so. The SV's power section is pure honesty. Try it and you will see what I mean. Understanding it will help you understand the DSP section. Again I promise. The problem is the difference is "output volume" levels of the DSP section between patches.

IMO - changing the master volume pot is out of the question for the normal player. Have you tried an attenuator? That I know works.

Good luck guys

M^T

Re: Spider Valve HD 100MK1 Mod Questions:

support@line6.com — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:02:45 GMT

Ok, I'm at home on my big computer and tried looking over your shots and I can only say they are so blury I can't see anything. But what I can see is, what I would call, a misplaced V1 gain control, with too long 'loosely twisted' wires running to "who knows where". I can't read that board in those blury photos.

The V1 gain mod needs short wires so its 1m pot should of been located as close as possible - directly behind it on the rear panel (IMO) to keep from having added noise om the sig. Drilling and mounting it all the way across the chassis like that appears to be a waste and IMO shows no sense to me. Its only asking for problems. What that has done I can't say, only you can now.... And where its coming from I can't say either by these shots. I would need some close ups, and not blury photos to find out.

Also, I see no evidence of the volt mod being done in any of these shots. lol

M^T

Re: RE: Volume pot on Spider Valve mark II

support@line6.com — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:47:26 GMT

I think there's more to it than just a software problem. But this is only in my opinion of course.

Since the power section of the MK2 must be identical to the MK1 amps since I don't think Bogner redesigned or modified the MK2 then the output of the new MK2 DSP must be different then the Mk1 amps were. IMO - The amps has a loud OT - intentionally - so these amps are loud in general. IMO - If the channel output volume is increased in the MK2's over the output of the channel volume of the MK1's then the MK2 amps are going to be louder overall. Sorta reflecting what L6's representative said above. lol

Your only recourse is to reduce the channel volume for quiet playing and the amp should react exactly like the MK1 amps does. If it doesn't then I'd like to hear the reason why now.

Good luck

M^T

Re: Spider Valve HD 100MK1 Mod Questions:

support@line6.com — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:21:43 GMT

Yea, those shots aren't very good. Kinda blury but I'll take a look at them this weekend (when I have more time) and let you know what I think. But for right now I'd say that board is quite a bit different than my 112 and I seriously doubt if the ## match up. I also don't figure I can read the board layout from these pics....... But I'll try man.

Later

M^T