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When i posted a while back about the DRRI, i got lots of responses saying that the amp didn't have much headroom....but after i got it and turned it up to 8, it doesn't even budge unless i dig in and dime my guitar volume.

Moral of the story, if you play a strat with surfers, you can get infinite headroom out of a small amp if you want. It was such a relief to hear that shimmering clean just warm up and stay composed at high volume settings, especially BALLSY with the Sovtek LPS i threw in there....im stoked!

I'd say your amp is the absolute exception to the rule (and every one of the ones I've ever played).

What exactly do you mean by infinite clean headroom? Hmm....

Was this amp used? You might need some new power tubes. Something definitely doesn't seem right. But, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

well, it was the floor model, but everything on it is fine, except that little buzz when you turn off the standby.

It easily keeps clean up until 7 where it's like a very light distortion that thickens up to 9. It stays surprisingly clean up until then.

I spoke to a few guys at the FDP, and one said that during his build of a JTM45 clone he was experiencing the same brief buzz. He took a peek into the chassis and found that the bias pot was not properly grounded. Could the bias not being properly grounded end up biasing my tubes too cold, thus explaining the excessive headroom?

At GC they offered for me to swap the amp for a new one for 50 bucks more (they sold it to me for 700 and subtracted the tax), but if i can get it fixed and up to spec under warranty I'd be happy.

well, ive never experienced a whole lot of headroom from those amps, whether it be reissue, silverface, or original blackface...... of course its not really gainy at all, but with any decent volume and a hard pick attack, ive found all of them to dirty up a little bit...... i guess you got a special one or something

yeah, but remember scott, didn't you say that yours started to breakup at around 4 with humbuckers? My pickups (ant II surfers, about 6.3k)have alot less output than SD humbuckers, and i tend to run the EQ low (treble 3, bass 1) and volume high.

That'd be pretty awesome if I could fix that buzz sound and put the amp up to spec and it'd still have that headroom. This would be exactly what i wanted-a light 1x12 amp that keeps its clean at high volume levels but it can breakup lightly once at 7-9 on the dial.

DRRIs are often biased cold from the factory to prolong tube life.

If I were to get a new one now, the first thing I'd probably do is get new tubes - at least JJ power tubes and a different pre in the first slot, then bias it a little on the warm side. Mine is biased around 27, which is somewhere around the middle of the range for JJs.

also, your EQ settings seem odd to me, but so be it - it seems like lots of folks run the tone controls somewhere around the mid point, and that's what I do too.

my experience is more like Scott's - a sweet break up that begins around 4 and starts getting mean around 7. At the high end, some people think they get a little buzzy in a club situation.

One reason the originals were so popular was the nice size, with just enough power to gig with, but they were never known as amps with quot;infinite headroomquot;.
On the other hand, they're one of the more versatile Fender amps, so it depends a lot on how they're set up.

since I think you were actually looking for headroom, that's great, however I think you should at least try opening up the tone controls a little and see how you like it.

enjoy

Tomorrow when everybody leaves the house im gonna give it another run, I'll keep in mind what you mentioned, Curly.

Maybe i should roll up my EQ, does this have something to do with the phase inverter? I heard that somewhere, that when you put the EQ up it affects the way the phase inverter tube reacts and it tightens up the sound or something?

I like the headroom, but i still wish that i can get that light breakup you all speak of. The stock rectifiers are junk, the tubes are Electro harmonix so they're ok for now. I really want to get rid of that buzz, maybe i'll pull the chassis and poke around with a chop stick and look for loose leads.