Wire polarity?

[tubelovin]

I would like to know the text that this info was taken from.

I would guess that if KF did indeed say this, it might have different meaning if the context was known. His point may simply have been, every little thing can add up to alot.

There could be some truth in this. If I told someone without amp knowledge that by moving a couple wires around you could change the sound of an amp they would think I was crazy.

[grangeramp]

It's in the KF interview in the book "The Guitar Amp Handbook: Understanding Tube Amplifiers and Getting Great Sounds" by Dave Hunter

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/087930863X

IMO, the orientation (one end or the other) of a wire in a guitar amp isn't going to make any significant audible difference.

[Zippy]

IMO, the orientation (one end or the other) of a wire in a guitar amp isn't going to make any significant audible difference.

I don't think it will make a DETECTABLE difference.

[wallybob]

I've worked in the communications & radio RF field for close to 30 years. I have never heard of wire polarity being a concern at RF frequencies. If it is not important at HF, VHF, UHF and beyond I don't think it will be an important parameter at audio frequencies.

[tubeswell]

It's in the KF interview in the book "The Guitar Amp Handbook: Understanding Tube Amplifiers and Getting Great Sounds" by Dave Hunter

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/087930863X

Yep that was the book I read it in. Cheers

[Dai H.]

some of the stuff he said seemed wacky but wasn't (fer instance two people building the same amp design from the same schematic from the same parts but turning out differently) while other stuff just seemed wacky and was (red Teflon sounding different because of something in the dye). IMO "wire polarity" was one of the things that was wacky.

[gearhead]

IMO, the orientation (one end or the other) of a wire in a guitar amp isn't going to make any significant audible difference.

I don't think it will make a DETECTABLE difference.

It makes a difference with capacitors. A guitar cable has some capacitive effect.

[Zippy]

It makes a difference in the case of capacitors because the foil at the outer end of the wrap provides a shielding effect. Similarly, it may make a difference in some guitar cords because of their type of shielding (ex. foil vs braid).

We're talkin' WIRE.

[Richie]

i 'think' he also mentioned he could hear the direction of a resistor,or one way sounded bettter than the other, and he always put them in his amp a certian way or direction..
lead dress and wire placement can also have an effect. If there was an oscilation or interference. and someone replaced the wire with a different color,but also rerouted or slightly moved the new wire,it could effect how the amp sounded,may have cured the oscilation,and the amp sounded better..so they might think it was just the different color wire made all the improvement.

Just thinking out loud..

Ever[by mistake] use a non shielded speaker cable for your guitar cable ?

Marshall used that pink wire, maybe they have to have it.

[geetarpicker]

Then there is the difference between the dyed PVC wire which is white inside with only the outside colored, and the solid color PVC which is colored all the way through. HOT TIP I think Ken used the later, it probably added more color to the sound.



Who knows, but I don't question it. When I built my pair of clones it was monkey see monkey do. However I guess my wire and resistors could all be in backwards? At least I know the caps are ok.

Truly though, Ken talked to me many times about wire color and such and I do truly believe he thought it made a difference. He even thought the type of wood in the cabinet made a difference. He even had a friend that he thought had "powers" of such and could go through a pile of transformers, pick them up and feel their vibe and pick out the best set. He said he would then build the amp and sure enough, it would turn out to be one of his best ones. An interesting example of something that Ken believed made a difference but that he himself couldn't even predict and he had to get someone else "with the force" to do it for him. Seriously! On another note Ken mentioned that sometimes he would build a Wreck that turned out "just ok" as in it wasn't one of his best efforts and that he really didn't know why. He seem to chaulk it up to they all had personalities that you just couldn't predict or fully control though he seemed to try.

The remarkable dude will be missed that's for sure, even if one only believes half of his guru tales...

[rooster]

Glen, that was a fascinating read. I believe you, yes, but I am glad you added the exclamation 'seriously' to your comments because I would be questioning it right now.

You know, we are talking about wire and component placement here but another thing occurs to me, too. Especially when you give an example of how Ken would do all the right things and then just feel that the particular amp was 'OK'. Have any of you spent much time thinking about the actual solder joint? I went from turrets to eyelets because I thought it might result in the components actually touching each other - which might make a better sounding amp. But I don't know how I could make a case for any build method.

And with this notion, turret vs. eyelet, there's this other thing that really wacks me out. Have any of you ever wondered if the amp will sound different if the end of a resistor/capacitor/wire, you know, the tip of the lead, were completely bathed in solder - the very end of it vs. somewhere near the end of it? I mean, if you do it one way, the skin of the wire is conducting the signal and maybe transfering energy to the core - and the other way, with the tip ofthe wire bathed in solder, you are maybe encouraging the core to handle more of the signal carrying duties? Did I express this properly?

I say this as I sit here having just built my third EXP version. I have to say that because it is Ken's design, I find myself really agonizing about how well I perform the task. As if the proper completion of the build will maybe 'share' the magic that was Ken's somehow. Hard to explain.

Jeez, Glen, I am really glad you posted this tonite! Tomorrow when I wake up and fire that amp up, if it sounds just 'OK, then I know what I have to do - find me a witch DR. to pick out some trannys!!!!!!!!

[novosibir]

Does it also make a difference, at what time you fire up the amp the first time?

At waxing moon?
At waning moon?

Did you already know, that especially violet wires become better, when you put them for one night on the grass outside the house at full moon?

But don't do it, when in your area werewolves are hanging around! They like to eat violet wires!



Larry

[Fischerman]

Bridgekeeper: What is your name?
King Aurthur: King Arthur.

Bridgekeeper: What is your quest?
King Arthur: To find the holy grail tone.

Bridgekeeper: What is your favorite wire insulation color?
King Arthur: Blue...no wait...yell...weeeeeeeeeee!

edited cuz I orig thought the bridgekeeper was Tim the enchanter...lol.

[rooster]

Fisherman - Yeah, that's perfect....

Anyway, I did fire the amp up this morning and all was good. Even after an hour of play time I consider this way past OK. So the solder bath is working for me and I'll hold off on the witch Dr..

BTW, this is the first EXP build that I used the stock Bright Switch values, 100pf and 500pf. Man, Glen I see why you use that 500 position - the humbuckers just take off! Funny, I wouldn't have thought this would be the case. I mean I thought it would be different, but not in that way. Cool, thanks for stressing the 500pf cap.

In that article from that book, Ken also presented the idea that wood as a material for the circuit board would alter things. ?? Don't you just start to think that once he had The Tone thing figured out and that he could duplicate it pretty consistantly, he just moved on to the next thing, which would be Guitar Her......... Oh no, wait a minute, that was wrong. Er, he moved on to the next thing which was to just nail it down? God knows he tried different trannys, how much wire did he sample? Oh well, I am very glad he left 100 signposts behind. Thank you Ken!!

[bnwitt]

Truly though, Ken talked to me many times about wire color and such and I do truly believe he thought it made a difference. He even thought the type of wood in the cabinet made a difference. He even had a friend that he thought had "powers" of such and could go through a pile of transformers, pick them up and feel their vibe and pick out the best set. Seriously!

Wow! This just brings it all to a head for me. As I have been believing for quite some time now (and no offense to anyone in here is intended) this "TW/Dumble holy grail, build them exactly like the two saints of tonehood did with no variations at all" mentality is about as Jim Jones drink the kool aid as you can get. Wire polarity and crystal lattice structure indeed. This thread is very liberating. Hearing this makes me get up and walk right out of Reverend Wright's church. Yep, I've heard enough alright. Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

If anyone needs trannies selected I'll whittle up a divining rod and come on over.