[7 Dying Trees]

I think I've always regretted selling mine, so have been just lusting after one for a while now. I know it isn't terribly high gain (to say the least) but those amps just have something magical about them...

Suffice to say I have been playing around with the models on the pod and boosting them and really liking the tones coming out of that (even though I know they pale from first hand experience).

Any advice on these? Are the PCB versions that much different from the point to point wired ones? I know I had a point to point wired one (took it apart several times) with the old circular mains plug...

Should never ever have sold it :/

[Popsyche]

Mine:

[7 Dying Trees]

I take it that means you no longer have yours either?

[Popsyche]

Nope! .. I mean yup... er. I still have it. That is what I play through most of the time. Being an old packrat, I have tons of weird amps that I think I will start a thread about...

This amp is actually a 1974 Superbass that has been hot-rodded by cascading the inputs and adding a master volume. It really screams while maintaining that sound we both so love. I bought it in a pawn shop in Las Vegas for $100.00.

[7 Dying Trees]

Is it point to point wired or PCB?

[Popsyche]

IIRC, point to point.

[7 Dying Trees]

ANy idea what the differences are between the point to point and the PCB ones are? I'm eyeing up one from the year i was born (nice to get myself as a 30th birthday present) but am not sure if it's PCB or PTP and if it actually matters.

It also has the master volume mod which is nice (for the eardrums)

[Popsyche]

Originally Posted by 7 Dying Trees

ANy idea what the differences are between the point to point and the PCB ones are? I'm eyeing up one from the year i was born (nice to get myself as a 30th birthday present) but am not sure if it's PCB or PTP and if it actually matters.

It also has the master volume mod which is nice (for the eardrums)

Folks seem to think that the point to point ones sound better.

[starsnuffer]

Originally Posted by 7 Dying Trees

ANy idea what the differences are between the point to point and the PCB ones are? I'm eyeing up one from the year i was born (nice to get myself as a 30th birthday present) but am not sure if it's PCB or PTP and if it actually matters.

It also has the master volume mod which is nice (for the eardrums)

It doesn't matter tone-wise. People like the PTP amps because they're easy to work on and mod. Since modded marshalls were the mainstay of rock amps for so long, PTP became the buzzword.

There's some really nice clones you should check out, like Metropoulos Amplification -- The best vintage Marshall plexi replicas in the world.

-W

[zimbloth]

From VHT's Website...

Originally Posted by VHT

12) What are the advantages of printed circuit technology over point to point wiring?

For the record, all VHT amplifiers are primarily hand built PCB assemblies. No automated board stuffing or flow solder processes are used. Honestly, if we felt that the sound quality or execution of our products would be improved by the exclusive use of point to point assembly, we'd be doing it. On the other hand, hard wired assemblies are utilized wherever it is determined that sound quality, reliability and consumer safety is best achieved. AC mains, main power supply, board to board interface, long, high impedance audio signals and rectifier tube sockets are areas where hand wiring is clearly the superior method. All other components such as resistors, capacitors, pots, switches, tube sockets (that's right…Tube sockets…pre and power) and various other items are properly and confidently PCB mounted. We use top quality double-sided glass epoxy boards with heavy copper plating and plated through holes for maximum reliability and signal integrity. Boards are mounted on heavy-duty tubular aluminum supports attached to the chassis with machine screws. You won't find any floating preamp boards or pop rivets here. Small tube sockets have large diameter solder pads and a center support pin, also soldered to a large plated through pad. Large tube sockets are attached to the board with heavy tubular aluminum supports and chassis mounted with machine screws to form a solid and bulletproof board to chassis assembly. We know of no other amplifier manufacturer that uses this rugged and costly method of construction. In fact, most other PCB mounted preamp tube sockets we've seen don't even have a center support pin!

There are a lot of misconceptions and misinformation surrounding the debate over printed circuit board versus point to point assembly. The problem we see is that many times information gets taken out of context, leading to the creation of fresh manure. We will discuss the issues as they relate specifically to the manufacture of our products. Sure, we're probably going to hit a nerve or two somewhere along the way, "but" as Stuart Smalley reminds us, "that's…sigh, OK".

Since we're all pretty much in agreement about the origin of point to point wiring and PCB's, we'll skip the history lesson and get right to the pros and cons.

We encourage your questions and comments.