Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Fender Blackface/Silverface Tube Amps' Volume Drop-Off at ~3--Why?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Fender Blackface/Silverface Tube Amps' Volume Drop-Off at ~3--Why?

    Hi, everyone--

    I'm sure this has been asked and explained somewhere before, but my googling is not turning up an answer.

    It seems like just about every blackface or silverface Fender tube amp I've tried has the volume control essentially drop off at or below around 3 on the dial.

    Yet, my JMI VOX AC15 build's volume controls (OA-031 circuit) work all the way down to 0. As a result, I can play my AC15 in the late evenings at "bedroom level" without bothering anyone, yet I could not do the same with, say, a Princeton Reverb (which was the big reason I sold my PR build and built a 5F1 Champ, but even this amp has the drop-off--it's quite strange to be able to play my AC15 at quieter volumes than my 5F1!).

    Why is this? Could someone explain the theory to me? Originally I assumed it had something to do with the passive tone controls requiring more gain to work, but the 5F1 doesn't have a tone control.

    Thanks in advance!
Working...
X