AFD problem

[cacophony80]

Just got my amp and It doesn't sound how it should. I need help from guys who owns the thing. I do know how tube amps work and react. so no lesson for basics, please.

Sound is kind of muddy, Presence control do almost nothing before 8 1/5 to 10. If I try basic settings ,everything on half way or Slash (everything on 6) , sound is muddy and there is no punch.
However, Amp is still quiet and loud, but it ain't sounding big. I also noticed fuzz kind of character on sound. too much "Sag" i would say... same is happening on power control all the way up. no difference. Amp feels almost like gate is on. Sound is unarticulate and uninspiring to play. NOthing like the samples I heard. I tried with, of course, with different guitars and cables.

It is not completely useless, but because I know it can be better this is really frustrating. Amps are sold out, and I have no possibility to check other one personally or change it. ..just keep it or take money back.

My guess is the tubes. But before I start to do anything I like to ask if aomebody got similar problem?

Thank you.

[Mats A]

My AFD sounds nothing like that. It sounds great and fatter than in most samples i´ve heard. Think you should take it back to where you bought it so they can check the amp. Could be a bad valve somehwere.

[kissfanps]

Personally, I think Mats got a different model AFD than everyone else planet. I'm just playing around buddy.

How does it sound with presence on 8.5?

[Mats A]

Yeah i got a special extra. Just me and Slash got them :dance

Depends on how loud you turn the master. But generally i don´t like presence above 6 on most amps. You get more fizziness i think.

[agarwaengrc]

I have the EXACT same problem!!!Plus, you might not have noticed it yet, but if you turn gain all the way up and play something through "hot" pickups (JB, active, or perhaps through a pedal booster) you'll experience volume drops!

[kissfanps]

I have the EXACT same problem!!!Plus, you might not have noticed it yet, but if you turn gain all the way up and play something through "hot" pickups (JB, active, or perhaps through a pedal booster) you'll experience volume drops!

What?

[Mats A]

Can you explain a bit more what you mean with volume drops? I usually play with gain on 8 and i use PAF´s. Never noticed anything like that.

[cacophony80]

"I have the EXACT same problem!!!Plus, you might not have noticed it yet, but if you turn gain all the way up and play something through "hot" pickups (JB, active, or perhaps through a pedal booster) you'll experience volume drops!"

I have noticed those. I tried to say it differently. I am sure it should not do it. I sent amp back to store and try to get new one. I changed preamp tubes and biased it many times.. hot or cold. same thing. power control all the way up or minimun.. same problem. --->Sound without punch. not anything like 800 (modded or not) should feel.

[santiall]

I have answered you already in the Marshallforum but seems it went unnoticed:

that can happen with certain combination of preamp tubes and when the gain is quite high and/or the input signal is also too high. It is normal in the sense that there is nothing faulty, just the circuit has too much gain and the 2nd stage can cut off. What you are hearing is the recovery time after that cut off.

Just back the gain a little bit if that happens.

You can get it corrected... they will just lower the gain range a little bit... exactly the same as you would do backing the gain knob a notch.

[Mats A]

I have answered you already in the Marshallforum but seems it went unnoticed:

that can happen with certain combination of preamp tubes and when the gain is quite high and/or the input signal is also too high. It is normal in the sense that there is nothing faulty, just the circuit has too much gain and the 2nd stage can cut off. What you are hearing is the recovery time after that cut off.

Just back the gain a little bit if that happens.

You can get it corrected... they will just lower the gain range a little bit... exactly the same as you would do backing the gain knob a notch.

Is this normal on most Marshalls or is it something specific with the AFD circuit. I have never noticed anything like it on any Marshall i´ve had. Only when i had a 2204
50 W master volume and preamp volume on 10 and turned the master past 7 it started to sound like it was over compressed or something. Especially when playing on the low E and A strings. Same with the VM with detail on 10 and body past 8 mid boost off.

[santiall]

that belongs to the nature of tubes... if you over-overdrive them you may reach the point where the sound cuts off. It also depends on coupling caps and tube grid leakage currents.

[Mats A]

Is it unique for the AFD among Marshalls since i´ve never noticed it even on my AFD. Then i have PAF´s on my Les Paul wich aren´t specially hot.
Maybe it happen on all amps if you have pickups that are hot enough

[Herbvis]

Is this what people refer to as blocking distortion?

[santiall]

yes, that's it.

[Mats A]

Curious how much the AFD circuit differ from a normal 2203/1959 since the original AFD recording amp should have been a modded 1959 Tremolo head