sound differance of a lowered voltage PT in a 5e3

[eljee]

Hi,
What would be the differance sound wise if you use a lowered voltage PT 0f 330-0-330 Volts in a 5e3 amp, instead of 380-0-380 volts.
They say the lower voltages make the sound more "vintage", but what does that mean?
Thanks
Leon

[wyatt]

Lower headroom and less tight, in theory more "touch responsive" but that may be negligible on a 5E3 already.

What are your B+ and/or plate voltages currently?

[eljee]

Hi,
I have't build the kit yet, but I noticed they send a 330 volt PT instead of a 380. Before I decide to send it back I would like to know which one would be more suitable for me.

[Atmospheric]

Wall voltage was 110 - if you were lucky, NOT 120 like it mostly is today.

So the lower PT voltages are a means of compensating for the generally higher wall voltages today.

330 seems too low to me. If 120V in = 380V out, then 110V in = ~348V out.

So to compensate, you would want a PT that accepts 120V in and puts put ~348-350V

Maybe someone has an old Fender schematic with the voltages marked.

Originally Posted by eljee

Hi,
What would be the differance sound wise if you use a lowered voltage PT 0f 330-0-330 Volts in a 5e3 amp, instead of 380-0-380 volts.
They say the lower voltages make the sound more "vintage", but what does that mean?
Thanks
Leon

[eljee]

Hi Atmospheric,
Well Ilive in the Netherlands and we get 230Volts out of the wall. So by using the 220v input of the 330PT would result then in 345 Volts.
Ohterwise using the 240V input on the 380 would come down to 365 Volts.
Which means I have something to play with, but what are the normal values?

thanks
Leon

[phsyconoodler]

Quote:"They say the lower voltages make the sound more "vintage", but what does that mean?"

Lower voltages make the amp sound 'browner' or more spongy and darker.

[5992]

FWIW, I built a 5E3 circuit with a vintage NOS Thermador transformer that was marked 300-0-300. IIRC, I got about 380v using a solid state plug-in rectifier, about 360v using a 5AR4 and about 325v using a real 5Y3.

With higher voltages the amp is louder, brighter and more aggressive sounding. Consequently the amp is darker and not as loud when using a 5Y3 recto.

[eljee]

hi 5992,
thanks for the voltages, That are really significant differances. I can imagine you could fry your tubes if you do these changes on a 380 transformer.
What is the "normal" voltage you would like to achieve on a 5e3?
I've got a sovtek 5y3gt is that what you consider a real 5y3, what are the fifferances within that

thanks a lot
Leon

[donnyjaguar]

Test the tranny and see what it puts out. Very easy to do. Standard cautions when working with high voltages apply. 330Vac will charge up a full-wave solid state bridge to 466V with no current drawn, BTW.