Reaching out to Mark Cameron

[novosibir]

All what has been said before, parts tolerances, tube tolerances...
... but a still bigger influence most likely is coming from tolerances of the output transformer.
Especially when the OT's are made by companies w/o good reputation like i.e. chinese manufacturers, where the engineers sometimes only get a quick instruction.
Here not unlikely are tolerances of the primary inductances up to 40%, stray inductance tolerances up to 50% and prim/sec capacitance tolerances also up to 50% - and this can happen even within the same batch of transformers.

Another huge influence is coming from the more or less correct alignment of the lead dress, how the cables are running from the board(s) to the pots, tube sockets, aso.
Keep in mind, that a tube amp isn't as unsensitive as a semi conductor circuit, where it (almost) doesn't mind, how you route the cables and which one is running along the other one...
... tube amps are high-impedance circuits, where (nuff said) each cable is acting as a transmitter and as a receiver of electric fields, occuring around each cable, around each component, aso. - and these fields are influencing each other permanently.

So have one amp wired by one guy, the other amp wired by another guy with his own opinion concerning correct craftmanship...
... the result are two amps of the same model, sounding remarkable different.

Believe it or not, but sometimes it's only 1/8 inch what you'd have to move one wire more right or left, or more directed to the chassis (ground), to hear a difference in sound, overtones and/or thump

So now guess, how many wires are inside of a tube amp's chassis, where you can accomplish the routing optimal or suboptimal?

 

[Dino 939]

All what has been said before, parts tolerances, tube tolerances...
... but a still bigger influence most likely is coming from tolerances of the output transformer.
Especially when the OT's are made by companies w/o good reputation like i.e. chinese manufacturers, where the engineers sometimes only get a quick instruction.
Here not unlikely are tolerances of the primary inductances up to 40%, stray inductance tolerances up to 50% and prim/sec capacitance tolerances also up to 50% - and this can happen even within the same batch of transformers.

Another huge influence is coming from the more or less correct alignment of the lead dress, how the cables are running from the board(s) to the pots, tube sockets, aso.
Keep in mind, that a tube amp isn't as unsensitive as a semi conductor circuit, where it (almost) doesn't mind, how you route the cables and which one is running along the other one...
... tube amps are high-impedance circuits, where (nuff said) each cable is acting as a transmitter and as a receiver of electric fields, occuring around each cable, around each component, aso. - and these fields are influencing each other permanently.

So have one amp wired by one guy, the other amp wired by another guy with his own opinion concerning correct craftmanship...
... the result are two amps of the same model, sounding remarkable different.

Believe it or not, but sometimes it's only 1/8 inch what you'd have to move one wire more right or left, or more directed to the chassis (ground), to hear a difference in sound, overtones and/or thump

So now guess, how many wires are inside of a tube amp's chassis, where you can accomplish the routing optimal or suboptimal?

Does that include your granddaughter "wiring" all your amps due to your near blind eyesight?
Asking for a friend.

 

[novosibir]

Does that include your granddaughter "wiring" all your amps due to your near blind eyesight?
Asking for a friend.

Please wait a while for my reply, because first I must have my granddaughter to read your post for me.
But this could take still one decade or two, because only God knows, when my granddaughter will be born.
Chances are high, because my daughter just has married two months ago.

But... what's the intention behind your post?

 

[ElectricVoodoo]

Here's one
I sent Mark one of my Marshalls several years ago for his mods.
After a couple of years go by with minimal updates, I decided to get it back from him in person.
He was working at Bogner in Hollywood, so I drove down there & confronted him when he left the shop. He agreed to give it back, so we went to a storage unit that looked like he was living in it.
He had dozens of amps piled up in there, I found mine and just left before it ended badly.

That's how you deal with people like that, in person. Unfortunately, many people dont have this luxury and are far away. Shame.

 

[SBlue]

Does that include your granddaughter "wiring" all your amps due to your near blind eyesight?
Asking for a friend.

Are you saying an old guy, with near blind eyesight, still can make better amps, much more reliable, and that sound so much better than his Canadian Army wanna be, the American Cameron wanna be and the Stiff Upper Mids amp makers?
That the blind guy is still able to design his own models, and that his stand by switch works? That he gives credits to other amp makers that don't steal designs, intead of using them and saying they're his? That even with nearly blind eyesight, he still makes a 4 channels amp, 100% ptp hand wired, with a perfect layout, and ZERO cold solder joints?
That must be hard on those other amp makers.
So hard that someone had to create a Troll user id, using the old man's amp model, just to try and make him look bad, so he will look more like the other three amp makers.
Just asking for my neighbor's dog.

 

[Beyond Black]

I don’t know anything about the internal workings of an amp. I know what the transformers are, power amp, pre amp, tubes, etc, but that about it.

I have an SS100. My friend brought his over, and this was before I sent it to Dave for mods. Both amps had the same tubes and pre amp tubes. Mine sounded a bit better, everyone there agreed. If they both have the same exact components, and same everything, why does one sound better when every factor was exactly the same? Clearly, some aspect of the amp has something that creates tone that is slightly better than the same exact amp sitting next to it. Why? I have not a clue. And before you say it, it wasn’t in my head. Unless there was some sort of group hallucinations occurring?

One could have had stronger tubes, or been biased more in the sweet spot.

 

[SQUAREHEAD]

One could have had stronger tubes, or been biased more in the sweet spot.

Yep!
The JJ preamp tubes that come in most everything these days are so freaking low quality crap and they are far from being anywhere near consistent.
I’ve pulled LOTS of these from brand new amplifiers, tested them, and they never should’ve been installed in a brand new amplifier…
So many variances.
But yes, one amplifier can sound amazing and the other, not good at all…
The only true way to A/B test is to use the ‘exact same’ tubes and switch them from one amplifier to the next…
That’s the only accurate test.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Yep!
The JJ preamp tubes that come in most everything these days are so freaking low quality crap and they are far from being anywhere near consistent.
I’ve pulled LOTS of these from brand new amplifiers, tested them, and they never should’ve been installed in a brand new amplifier…
So many variances.
But yes, one amplifier can sound amazing and the other, not good at all…
The only true way to A/B test is to use the ‘exact same’ tubes and switch them from one amplifier to the next…
That’s the only accurate test.

JJs are trash. I enjoy smashing them with a hammer.

 

[panhead]

I very much like these kind of expert's statements and I'm consistently deeply thankful, to again and again being exceptionally gifted, to still may learn so much about tube amps, despite I'm in tube amps already almost 40 years

Presumably all & everything, what I've done, at least since the turn of the millennium must have been wrong

Once again, thank you so much for your eyes opening statement

Larry where ya been?

 

[headlessdeadguy]

So anybody seen Mark?

 

[SBlue]

Larry where ya been?

Larry was actually busy answering questions from a very well know RT member, who also mod amps.
Funny thing is that, this same guy asking Larry a shit lot of questions, brags in here quite often that he is "THE MAN" behind a soldering iron. But at the same time, he also doesn't save his words when it comes down to bad mouth Mark, Larry, and more recently Rick. A two faced being.
But the real funny part is, when you imagine that his modded amps are overshadowed, by the same amps that he talks smack about, that were modded or built by, in his own words, a drug addict or a blind man! Lol
The irony!!!!

 

[Juggernaut]

Bueller?

 

[Samhain]

So anybody seen Mark?

 

[mooncobra]

Larry was actually busy answering questions from a very well know RT member, who also mod amps.
Funny thing is that, this same guy asking Larry a shit lot of questions, brags in here quite often that he is "THE MAN" behind a soldering iron. But at the same time, he also doesn't save his words when it comes down to bad mouth Mark, Larry, and more recently Rick. A two faced being.
But the real funny part is, when you imagine that his modded amps are overshadowed, by the same amps that he talks smack about, that were modded or built by, in his own words, a drug addict or a blind man! Lol
The irony!!!!

Who? Inquiring minds like mine want to know! Is this one going over my head and in reality it’s an obvious answer?

 

[japetus]

JJs are trash. I enjoy smashing them with a hammer.

Next time you do that, can you send them to me if I pay shipping? I'm broke and can always use spare tubes.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Might start here...

 

[turtlefingers]

I got fucked by Mark Cameron, by a really famous Gunsmith and spent long time ordering a German Premium car and its price raised 30% in between.

Now I have always sent money with one hand and grabbed the product with the other.
Now I have been sleeping the sleep of the just.

I friend of mine lost his money when a very trusty gunsmith passed away.

What happens if Larry pass away?
He claims to be a very wealthy person, so does he has a book with all costumers who have sent him money and so his wife or relatives can send theirs money back if he dies?

I asked it in a good way.

 

[* velcro-fly *]

I can afford just about any car I'd want. Still drive a cheap honda. I cringe at paying a lot for a car, but think nothing about dropping $4k+ on an amp. go figure. lol

That's almost a badge of honor....showing up to rehearsals / gigs in a $3,000 car loaded with $20k of gear

 

[scottosan]

I got fucked by Mark Cameron, by a really famous Gunsmith and spent long time ordering a German Premium car and its price raised 30% in between.

Now I have always sent money with one hand and grabbed the product with the other.
Now I have been sleeping the sleep of the just.

I friend of mine lost his money when a very trusty gunsmith passed away.

What happens if Larry pass away?
He claims to be a very wealthy person, so does he has a book with all costumers who have sent him money and so his wife or relatives can send theirs money back if he dies?

I asked it in a good way.

Not everyone wants a McAmp. I have issue handing my money for an amp made using paint by number techniques performed by non-musicians and partially engineered by corporate accountants who’s primary focus is a corporate ledger.

That said, there are very few who can balance the trio of boutique product offerings, moderate product output, and customer service.

There simply isn’t enough options that check all of those boxes.

 

[Exo-metal]

Which dream?!