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Biasing my Naranja.

Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
edited October 2005 in Musicians and Gearheads
Problem. I don't know that the little bugger has a bias pot. I've been searching all the posts about it on the website. Aparently the builder has said it is fixed bias. This being said, I know harma valves do not work well with it. I still might purchase a Bias Rite adaptor just to check it out, I have an old analog meter, but I'm sure I can borrow my dads digital fluke meter no problem. Next time, I'll probably buy an amp with external bias points. Damn would I love to have a Matamp. I might actually go with some gold pin EI's to make sure they play nice with the amp as I'm unsure of the fluxuations on some nice vintage tubes.

https://weberspeakerscom.secure.powweb.com/biasrite/br_page.htm
My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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Comments

  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    bunny with a pancake on it's head.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    exhausted wrote:
    bunny with a pancake on it's head.


    I don't know where THAT came from,,,, but I wish I'd said that! :D


    I don't think I ever had an amp with a bias pot, except for my boogie DC-5. Most of my stuff is older,,, but I know that every time I had a tech bias my amps, I was happy. I've done some drastically good things to amps by myself, but on the whole, the majority of the time I mess'm up when I try to improve them.
    It's like having your car tuned up. I sure as hell don't know how to do it anymore, or want to, but when I drive it out of the shop after a tune up I realize how bad it was running before!
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    i just didn't understand some of the post. :(

    http://img83.exs.cx/img83/9995/3bunny_pancake.jpg
  • House53House53 Posts: 1,276
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    Problem. I don't know that the little bugger has a bias pot. I've been searching all the posts about it on the website. Aparently the builder has said it is fixed bias. This being said, I know harma valves do not work well with it. I still might purchase a Bias Rite adaptor just to check it out, I have an old analog meter, but I'm sure I can borrow my dads digital fluke meter no problem. Next time, I'll probably buy an amp with external bias points. Damn would I love to have a Matamp. I might actually go with some gold pin EI's to make sure they play nice with the amp as I'm unsure of the fluxuations on some nice vintage tubes.

    https://weberspeakerscom.secure.powweb.com/biasrite/br_page.htm

    I am pretty sure your amp doesn't require biasing... I think those designs are Cathode biased, ala Vox and other Class A style circuits. This means that the circuit adjusts its bias based on the tubes in the circuit.

    There are better explanations than this on the internet... but basically the amp adjusts its own bias. That's not to say that certain tubes won't sound better or different.
    There's No Code.
  • JofZJofZ Posts: 1,276
    House53 wrote:
    I am pretty sure your amp doesn't require biasing... I think those designs are Cathode biased, ala Vox and other Class A style circuits. This means that the circuit adjusts its bias based on the tubes in the circuit.

    There are better explanations than this on the internet... but basically the amp adjusts its own bias. That's not to say that certain tubes won't sound better or different.

    I think you are right.
    No bias pot anywhere? Did you read the manual pac? :)
    Best bet is buy some solid matched tubes from a solid store. Find out how they are "matching" the tubes and you should be just fine.
    WHAT IS THAT NOISE?
    Hanging at www.TheGuitarHub.com
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    Playing Les Pauls, Teles, Hubers, Gustavssons, Kolls through a Mad Professor amp with a Bob Burt Cab.
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  • House53House53 Posts: 1,276
    JofZ wrote:
    I think you are right.
    No bias pot anywhere? Did you read the manual pac? :)
    Best bet is buy some solid matched tubes from a solid store. Find out how they are "matching" the tubes and you should be just fine.

    I changed the tubes on my KR when it arrived... no biasing or mods required...
    There's No Code.
  • JofZJofZ Posts: 1,276
    House53 wrote:
    I changed the tubes on my KR when it arrived... no biasing or mods required...

    The tube amps I have owned all had bias pots :)
    There is a product made to solve this problem:
    http://www.alessandro-products.com/accessories.html

    It works very well!
    WHAT IS THAT NOISE?
    Hanging at www.TheGuitarHub.com
    The only Forum for players by players.......

    Playing Les Pauls, Teles, Hubers, Gustavssons, Kolls through a Mad Professor amp with a Bob Burt Cab.
    BJF powers my Pedal Board
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    JofZ wrote:
    The tube amps I have owned all had bias pots :)
    There is a product made to solve this problem:
    http://www.alessandro-products.com/accessories.html

    It works very well!



    the alessandro doesn't look like it works for 9 pins (6BQ5/EL84). My problem, I don't know what to do with the measurement once I get it, and since it is "fixed bias" to change the cathode bias it would need a different sized resistor, which I don't want to do, regardless there is a great amp tech around the corner, I'll probably take it in this first time, and just get the gold pin EI's then ask questions to make sure I'm doing it all properly. Once I know the measurements I can ask where the tubes run before I purchase, so I'll know I'm getting ones that work well and play nice with my OT.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    Power tubes in the AD5, AD15, and AD30 series of amplifiers do not need to be biased. Power tubes in all other Orange amplifiers should be biased by a qualified amp technician when they are replaced. Failure to bias power tubes can result in shortened tube life and damage to your amplifier. Improperly biased tubes can also effect your amplifiers tone.


    010101010101010
  • JofZJofZ Posts: 1,276
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    the alessandro doesn't look like it works for 9 pins (6BQ5/EL84). My problem, I don't know what to do with the measurement once I get it, and since it is "fixed bias" to change the cathode bias it would need a different sized resistor, which I don't want to do, regardless there is a great amp tech around the corner, I'll probably take it in this first time, and just get the gold pin EI's then ask questions to make sure I'm doing it all properly. Once I know the measurements I can ask where the tubes run before I purchase, so I'll know I'm getting ones that work well and play nice with my OT.
    Nope SOL on the EL84. Take it in to a tech and watch :)
    I don't think there is anything to do actually, just pull em and replace em, your amp does it for you I believe.
    WHAT IS THAT NOISE?
    Hanging at www.TheGuitarHub.com
    The only Forum for players by players.......

    Playing Les Pauls, Teles, Hubers, Gustavssons, Kolls through a Mad Professor amp with a Bob Burt Cab.
    BJF powers my Pedal Board
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    JofZ wrote:
    Nope SOL on the EL84. Take it in to a tech and watch :)
    I don't think there is anything to do actually, just pull em and replace em, your amp does it for you I believe.



    not exactly, they like to say that it does. Your buddy at KCANOSTubes has it right. Basically Fixed Bias means that they build it to accept tubes within a specific range so it just kind of dosen't give you a lot of crap if it is slightly off perfect, but it dosen't exactly sound as good as if it were dialed in either. Many valves work, but a few will sound absolutely horrid and if it's way off they won't last long. Maybe I should just order a set and replace them and then listen as instructed by most of the people on the Orange site, then if there are issues I'll take it to the tech. I may get a bias meter just to have one so I'll know what's it's running anyway
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • JofZJofZ Posts: 1,276
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    not exactly, they like to say that it does. Your buddy at KCANOSTubes has it right. Basically Fixed Bias means that they build it to accept tubes within a specific range so it just kind of dosen't give you a lot of crap if it is slightly off perfect, but it dosen't exactly sound as good as if it were dialed in either. Many valves work, but a few will sound absolutely horrid and if it's way off they won't last long. Maybe I should just order a set and replace them and then listen as instructed by most of the people on the Orange site, then if there are issues I'll take it to the tech. I may get a bias meter just to have one so I'll know what's it's running anyway

    I trust Mike!
    WHAT IS THAT NOISE?
    Hanging at www.TheGuitarHub.com
    The only Forum for players by players.......

    Playing Les Pauls, Teles, Hubers, Gustavssons, Kolls through a Mad Professor amp with a Bob Burt Cab.
    BJF powers my Pedal Board
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    I was always happy after I got an amp biased. I used to have it done every once in a while anyway, because a tech told me that as you crank them, the capacitors wear a bit and change their values, and as tubes wear, they change. Biasing gives you that little subtle fine tune that you never knew you needed.
    I never did know how to do it myself, and I trusted all that high voltage stuff to someone I knew wasn't trying to zap me!
    I'll fiddle with any guitar electronics, but once there're all those volts involved, I know my limitations!
    I just shut up and play my guitar! :D
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
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