50Hz power VS 60Hz

Tones · Post by **Tones** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 5:36 pm

ok, call me crazy but does 50hz power sound different than 60hz power? has anyone heard it side by side?

I have a theory that British amps blow in North America but sound amazing over the pond. Every AC30 I have ever heard sounds like complete crap here in Canada (no it's not the temperature) I can convert 120V to 240... but will running amps on 240V 60Hz affect the tone V 240V @ 50Hz?

nclayton · Post by **nclayton** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 7:01 pm

Yes. In england the hum plays at a G, which is an amazing note. In north america the hum plays at an A sharp which is a note that totally blows.

GooberNumber9 · Post by **GooberNumber9** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 7:41 pm

I think it's more likely that you just don't like AC30s than they sound somehow worse in North America. I work with an AC15 almost every day and I teched for a band that used AC30s and I love them both - and I'm in the USA.

Tones · Post by **Tones** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 8:45 pm

GooberNumber9 wrote:I think it's more likely that you just don't like AC30s than they sound somehow worse in North America. I work with an AC15 almost every day and I teched for a band that used AC30s and I love them both - and I'm in the USA.

I dont like AC30's because they are built like shit. I love the beatles tones, and all 30 AC30's I've ever heard dont sound half as good.

I'm exploring the question.... why?

davepinkham · Post by **davepinkham** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 7:58 am

one of my band members plays an ac30 and it sounds amazing. granted, he replaced the stock speakers with weber alnicos, replaced the output transformer, replaced the reverb tank, and did a few other smaller mods. before it sound alright, but now fantastic.

Tones · Post by **Tones** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 9:58 am

thebells wrote:one of my band members plays an ac30 and it sounds amazing. granted, he replaced the stock speakers with weber alnicos, replaced the output transformer, replaced the reverb tank, and did a few other smaller mods. before it sound alright, but now fantastic.

ok, I know some sound amazing with mods... granted

I heard that when vox (like hoffner, richenbacker, ludwig) started pumping this crap out like it was made in japan post beatles that there were major issues with AC30's shipped to north america. Tubes blew, bad buzzes, always in the shop... this probably was dude to the crappy construction of the time, or was it a design flaw?

do you mean G's sound better? or just the hum does?

I was in Sydney last year this time and noticed the lights felt so much different going at 50hz... i could feel the power cycles in the light...

50hz is a G sharp 30 cents
60hz is a B - flat 49 cents

how does this affect everything harmonically?

suppositron · Post by **suppositron** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:44 pm

Are you taking into effect there may be different tubes in the british version? Probably better tubes? Also, I'm not sure about this one, but I think their 50Hz power is three phase and that is a lot easier to rectify and filter than single phase 60Hz. If that is the case the amps are getting better power over there.

Tones · Post by **Tones** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:48 pm

suppositron wrote:but I think their 50Hz power is three phase

I have 3 Phase 120/208 into my building.. means nothing

suppositron · Post by **suppositron** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 2:01 pm

You live in the states right? All 120 lines are single phase. 220 lines are usually two phase but is some special cases, like buisnesses they have 3 phase 220. You would have to have a special line from the transformer to you house to have three phase power.

Tones · Post by **Tones** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 2:24 pm

who said anything about a house? no home studio here

suppositron · Post by **suppositron** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:59 am

You didn't say anything about being in a studio, jerk.

nclayton · Post by **nclayton** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 7:21 am

Tones wrote:
do you mean G's sound better? or just the hum does?

I was in Sydney last year this time and noticed the lights felt so much different going at 50hz... i could feel the power cycles in the light...

50hz is a G sharp 30 cents
60hz is a B - flat 49 cents

how does this affect everything harmonically?

What I meant was that G's sound better, but I was only joking.

You could make some arguments for why an amp on 50 cycles and an amp on 60 cycles might sound different, like, say, the hum frequencies interacting with some notes differently, or the difference in cap charging time, but both of these things would be so minor that you'd be grasping at straws. Certainly it wouldn't be enough to be the difference between blowing and being amazing.

Chances are you're like me, and despite the hype of AC30's it just turns out you don't like the way they sound very much. I've never cared for them much either. If you've got a semi hollow guitar with lousy pickups you can do a Beatles sound, but that's the only really great thing you're going to get out of them (according to my obviously totally lame taste).

Ned

Tones · Post by **Tones** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:36 am

suppositron wrote:You didn't say anything about being in a studio, jerk.

jerk, that is by far the all time leased used cuss word from my past! Thanks for bringing it back!

yes a studio... full meal deal A827 and WBS Console with all the fixings

The plan that I'm hatching is:

should i get some transformers that convert 120-220V for all of the british amps we have... then it occured that the frequency doesnt change....so the CRAZY solution is a motor and a British generator and regulator... that is crazy... but if it's worth it its worth it

My name Isn't Tones because my name is Tony... it's my obsession with Tones

mixedupsteve · Post by **mixedupsteve** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:53 pm

Tones wrote:
suppositron wrote:but I think their 50Hz power is three phase
I have 3 Phase 120/208 into my building.. means nothing

The 120 branch of 208 3phase is still just one phase. If you want 220 or 240 split phase 50hz you would prob. need that genny.

It's all DC in the amp circuit anyway so it prob. wont matter.

JohnDavisNYC · Post by **JohnDavisNYC** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 7:48 pm

*yawn*

john

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