This Variac thing is UNBELIEVABLY AMAZING

[jnew]

David (PLEXIFIED) got me on to this. AND IT'S SICK. It's been mentioned and talked about but I don't think anyone has done it because no one has reported back here about it. Unless I missed it.

Stock plexi circuit variac'd to taste and pushed, as usual. Speaker + and - from head, out to the 2nd variac set at 90, and then to the cab + and -. Simple as that. NOTE: the 2nd variac is NOT plugged into the wall. Only plug it into the wall to set it to 90VAC. Then unplug from the wall and use "hot" and "neutral" blades on the plug as the + and - for the speaker cable. Ground is not used. And then from the variac's normal AC out, again no ground used. Use the "hot" and "neutral" to the + and - of the speaker cable to the cab. The 2nd variac I bought made this really simple because it's really old and uses binding post's for the in's and out's. So old, there was no ground.

IMG_0236.jpg

(1.64 MiB) Not downloaded yet

I need to find my SM-57 and interface and make a clip but do this. Then report back after you've SH*&^T your pants.

[JimiJames]

kickass ! Ole Plex giving the gift of tonal happiness ! Thanks David !
This is just in time. I finally put a housing on an old one too, that used those old binding post's for the in's and out's. Works great now with lighted switch & 3 prong receptacle.
Looks like a second one is in order, now. Must continue the madness...
Thanks jnew !

[rgorke]

So, the second variac is acting like an attenuator for the second cabinet?

[jape88]

Looking forward to a clip jnew.

That's got me thinking of that black n white 79 backstage amps pic with the two variacs on top of one amp! one bringing the voltage down and one between amp and cab?

Roger, I think it's just one cab unless I'm reading this wrong?

[vh junkie]

A few of us tried this years ago.
Phil:
http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php ... or#p381205

Me:
http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php ... r&start=15

My impression was that it kinda flattened the mids... but it still makes it sound a little pissed off at the same time!

[Strat78]

Yeah, goose bumps just thinkin' about it.

[JimiJames]

ho man ! This is just great !
Thanks ALL you guys !

[jnew]

DOH!
Well I guess I did miss it but I just caught up on some of those other two threads. Phil, your ITO clip in that other thread NAILS IT. That unique special something is there. To me, it's the realization of the the hairy, complex harmonic, compression, sag and feedback ingredients that is early VH. Major AH HA to the ears for me. At least on my junk.

[jnew]

So, the second variac is acting like an attenuator for the second cabinet?

Not so much attenuation, although it might be a little quieter. But just the way it makes the amp behave and it's added sort of nastiness. And the feedback that swells in is just butter. A must try.

[rgorke]

So, the second variac is acting like an attenuator for the second cabinet?

Not so much attenuation, although it might be a little quieter. But just the way it makes the amp behave and it's added sort of nastiness. And the feedback that swells in is just butter. A must try.

amp variaced to taste...amp out to 2nd variac to cabinet...just one cabinet?

[jnew]

Exactly. It's the real deal.

[vh junkie]

You should still post a clip! I'm not sure that we went very low on the up front variac... need to try it again with some of the lower variacing that rgalpin started us doing recently! It flattens the freq response but it does make the FB cool!

[jnew]

I sure will. Just got to get the mic and interface set up. Stuff is unpacked but just not organized or in place as of yet. Been playing a lot of golf.

[plexified]

Hey Gang ,
I'm glad you guys dig it . However , don't forget I just passed this along from Chris Merrem and yes it can be turned down from the 90 volt setting as an attenuator . Chris was using his engineering mind and commenting on the New Years Eve pic when Ed had back up gear right side stage in front of his bomb and two variacs were evident. He also was closely working with Ken Fischer around the time of Fair Warning and this 'concept' came of it . Ken from Trainwreck also engineered a hot Plexi front end with a 6V6 to get the extra hair and tame some volume . Mostly design nirvana dudes with mad skills . Ken used 20 + feet of speaker wire for his VOX amps . He would run an AC 30 TB all tuned up into an extension 2X12 VOX extension cab with blue Celestions and single lower baffle for 'sparkle' . He said it had 'jangle' . The idea Chris was pointing out was the sneaky speak of Ed. He was loud as a freight train and turning down was like government disinformation about UFO's. He pointed out that the 90v on the variac was equal volume on the output or feedback loop. Push Comes Shove has a certain shimmer that is very similar to the effect you get , it quivers and moans with feedback on my stock 12 series . The kicker is you 'can' turn down to attenuate here. Safely . So you have an almost laughable amount of tone shaping going on here when you think of 90volts as his wall voltage , the variac attenuation in the feedback loop and the proposition of slaving . Its a huge swiss army knife of tones to coax out of a lot of amps. Like I said before , if he attenuated it was to keep expensive greenback speakers alive. For example my 12 series into a basketweave slant with 20 watt Celestions was godlike , but if I blew it up I would be out 5 grand. That's market adjusted cost compared to the 70's. Either way blowing up a transformer or speaker set 10 years old limited production is hard to replace or Afford!
So you have a very logical take here with the industries brightest minds telling the truth as opposed to Ed playing CIA operative and just claiming he can't remember. His propaganda was obviously much thicker than we origionally thought.

[jnew]

Well there's the man himself.

I ran it again this morning and dialed that 2nd variac down to about 70 on the knob and it does get a little quieter so yes. It can attenuate. And the tone, oh the tone. Woman and Children first tone never sounded so good. Same with VHI and FW. VHII stuff is there too but I think the amp was maybe a little cleaner and/or album was produced differently and may mask a little. I don't know but this is the biggest step for me since I got into these amps back in 07.

A clip to come soon.