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Old 01-14-2009, 05:10 PM   #81 (permalink)
Mats A
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 24
Re: What The Hell Is Diode Clipping????

Quote:
Originally Posted by MKB View Post
The JCM800 model 2205 and 2210 both have diode clipping, as well as the 3203 Artist 30W. Also the model 2555 and 2550 heads (basically a Jubilee) have diode clipping. These are just heads, the corresponding combo amps have the diode clipping too.

For some reason Marshall went nuts with diode clipping as soon as they started embracing channel switching. Marshall seemed to have a desire to never put more than 3 tubes in a preamp for much of the eighties and nineties. They use the LED method in a few amps and pedals (Jubilee and Guv'nor respectively), but are also quite fond of using bridge rectifiers with the + and - pins connected with a diode. This basically gives you the effect of three rectifier diodes in series, for a 2.1V clipping level. The 2205 and 2210 heads use the bridge rectifier method.

Many of the recent Marshall tube amps do not have diode clipping however.
Actually the first version of the 2205/4210 Combo had 4 diodes in the end of the preamp and the master after the PI. The circuit was changed sometime in 1984 i believe.
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