• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

Converting a dirty channel to clean?

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I have an Ashdown DSP60 2X12 tube combo. It has 2 channels but they both have gain knobs and it's almost impossible to get a really clean tone and still have some volume because you have to cut the gain down sooo far to get it to clean up. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on where to look for info on this. I was thinking about maybe a push-pull pot or something for the gain knob on 1 of the channels so I could still have the option.
 
Well here is a link Ashdown Engineering | Guitar Amplification
for those who want to check out this exotic bease.
There isnt much I can tell without a schematic, and I will bet it is hard to get. Sombody has put a lot of effort into the product and I would not blame them if they dident want to let the cat out of the bag. Your only hope is to find a schematic and post it. There are more than a few guitar amp folks around and ideas will flow, but without that, tough!:spin:
 
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OK well the third page is what you would be making your changes in, but I wonder if you are going to atempt the work yourself, and do you know about high voltage/ soldering type stuff. I sure would hate for you to end up with a broken amp. :no:
 
I have an Ashdown DSP60 2X12 tube combo. It has 2 channels but they both have gain knobs and it's almost impossible to get a really clean tone and still have some volume because you have to cut the gain down sooo far to get it to clean up. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on where to look for info on this. I was thinking about maybe a push-pull pot or something for the gain knob on 1 of the channels so I could still have the option.


I just look at it. This is a very complex amp build using transistors, opamps and digital processing. it is NOT the kind of amp you or most anyone else can modify.

It you want an amp that can be tweaked you need something that is built using more traditional technique and a simpler design. For example here the kind of circuit board in an amp built in the traditional way. It is easy to understand and modify

http://www.turretboards.com/images/PRODUCT/boards/_vti_cnf/loaded_fender_deluxe_5e3.jpg

One option for you is to completely by-pass the entire preamp section. What you do is build or buy a guitar preamp and then plug the guitar into that then the preamp feeds the effects loop return in the big amp. This way you are only using the power tubes in the big amp. If you want clean and no tone controls a tube preamp is easy to make.

But I don't think I'd built one. I'd buy a new Fender Champ for $149 and mod it to add a line out jack. Just tap the signal right at the master volume wiper terminal and remove the power tube from it's socket and you have a Fender-toned preamp for $149 (plus $2 for the jack). Put the tube back in the socket and you have a cool 5W practice amp.

Bottom line is that you can't take a solder iron to a modern printed circuit board digtial processor based amp thinking you are going to change the sound at best you just by-pass 90% of the amp

The best thing is to ask around on the forums or just go listen to people play and see what some Jazz guitarists are using.
 
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I had a look at the schematics. If I were you the first thing I would try is to remove 1 or more of the cathode bypass caps. Easy to do and easy to reverse. As Nigel suggested this amp is built for a high gain, dirty sound.
 
Hey thanks for the response guys! I think ChrisA has it right. I have looked inside of this amp and it's not a 'normal' amp that I can just dive in to. I think I'll just play around with some pre-amp options through the effects loop. It really bugs me that it won't give me the clean tones I want, but hey, it's an Ashdown Fallen Angel.....BALLS TO THE WALL! My bud has a Boogie half stack and my combo amp will destroy it, kinda funny.
 
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