Pritchard amps are solid state; however, in deference to tubes, each stage uses the appropriate tube emulators. These emulators even simulate the plate resistance as well as non-linear gain. The Watts control, now patented, varies the effective size of the output stage while keeping the various interrelationships constant so that the tone is not seriously affected when changing power levels. In addition, Pritchard has a patent-pending attenuator that cuts the power further.
Pritchard Amps - excerpts:
combination of the new and the old, providing the best of both worlds - vintage influenced tones with modern reliability.originally designed to replicate the classics, continual exaggeration of classic and vintage characteristics has created unique tones.
The Black Claymore has the patented Watts control, which sizes the amplifier from its 130 clean watts down to a couple watts without significantly changing the tone. This is a great benefit to the weekend warrior. He can readily adapt to small rooms and practice sessions. available as a 2-12 or 4-10 combo or as a head and 4-12 cabinet.
The Sword and Dagger provide 60 clean watts, about 100 dirty watts, and nearly 180 watts in the dirty transients to assure cutting through and being heard without miking the cabinet in most venues. This power may be reduced by the patented Watts control to fit any room or practice session.
The Sword is a two channel in the style of Black Claymore and will be available as a 1-12, 1-15, 2-10, and 4-10.
The Dagger is available as a single Fatback 12 or 15 in the new configuration or as a single Fatback 12 in a closed back combo.
Pritchard Amps will be developing bass amplifiers following the initial prototype.
Pritchard began again with great dedication and called the research operation Deja Vu Audio. Under this banner, he invented circuitry for mimicking the characteristics of classic amplifiers. However, a deeply imbedded desire of going beyond these characteristics, led him to exaggerate the classic character.
...long series of patents, both U.S. and foreign, on artistic amplification circuits. This patent effort is at least the second most prolific in the industry and is greater than four of the top five guitar amplifier manufacturers in the world.
The Warwick bass amps use an EL84 strictly as a Tone generator, in the "preamp", then amplify that up (via solid-state power amp?) to stage level.
I like to see a company determined to innovate. How many more 50 and 100 watt guitar tube amps do we really need, while meanwhile, the home jammer is completely without a decent solution for quite genuine cranked-tube-amp tone? Most designers are completely out of touch with the real needs and high Tone standards of their main potential audience: home and apartment studios and jammers.
How I wish manufacturers would quit packaging low-watt tube amps together with under-featured preamps and under-sized guitar speakers and cabinets. All the Pritchard cabs are full-sized, for full Tone.
I love how they provide explicit wattage figures for "clean watts" vs. "dirty watts" vs. "dirty transient watts". 60 vs 180 - a threefold increase! *That* is why a 15 watt tube amp sounds so loud when played into a full-sized cabinet, far too loud to be any real solution for home studio use and home jamming. The patented Watts control, for "a couple watts", is in the ballpark or very close -- 50mW-1/2 watt is perfect for 3 A.M. in an apartment.
Here is a test for Pritchard to conduct. With no preamp distortion, generate full power-tube saturation, at 3 A.M. in a typical apartment, using the Watts control, directly driving a speaker openly in the room with no other attenuation, without bothering the neighbors. That's the need which my web site is determined to address and fulfill. Any designer who can provide authentic power-tube and speaker tone, affordably, for this vast home guitarist market, will have a hot product.
A Practice Jack feature is built into all Pritchard amps: http://21st.rcbi.org/mfg/pa/Default.htm From the 'black claymore' page: The Practice Jack is a tone compensating attenuator built into the amplifier. You simply plug out of the Gig Jack and plug into the Practice Jack that allows your guitar to scream while you can talk at conversational levels. It is good at music stores and at gigs. If you want to do something during break without blasting out the conversations - just plug into the Practice Jack.
[to do: harmony central]
DejaNews query: "eric pritchard" - 5 hits
DejaNews query: pritchard and claymore - no hits nov 98
DejaNews query: pritchard and sword
DejaNews query: pritchard and dagger
[verify queries]
Subject: Deja Vu Audio (Guitar Amplifiers)
JMEYER515
1997/05/09
alt.guitar.amps
>My partner in crime and I spent 7 years in our basements trying to emulate
the sound of the early 1970's generation Marshall amplifiers in solid
state. We had some success and I still use my TAV amplifier in preference
to any others that I can purchase. This is especially true now because
many of the currently available amplifiers have master controls and a
variety of electronic effects built in which defeat the amplification of
the original signal coming from the guitar. I am not a total purest, but
I do like the sweet, almost natural feedback that I was able to get from
Marshall Major amps back then. These "natural" effects seem to be
forgotten or put aside today.
>However, I do know someone who has managed to decipher the long sought after spectral characteristics of the Tube Amplifiers and has put them into a solid state amp which is what I intend to buy when they become available:
>Eric Pritchard of Deja Vu Audio [was 304-258-9113] can be contacted for information about his Tube Emulator Amplifiers which I have played through and listened to with awe. Eric has done what no one else has managed to do. He has bridged the gap between tube amplifiers and solid state amplifiers by researching the original pentode and triode models and determining their inaccuracies. Because the models were generalized, they were not a predictable source for predicting audio spectral response. Likewise, they were not accurate for predicting harmonic content and therefore solid state amplifiers that were designed based on them were not tube-like sounding.
>For anyone who can stand to chase the elusive tube sound again (in solid state), give him a ring. He has sincerely done it!
>Jeff Meyer
Subject: Re: Deja Vu Amp: Was S-STATE VS.TUBE Steve Schultz 1995/07/17 rec.music.makers.guitar
>If you can't find the Pearce amps in resale shops or whatever, you might look into the "tube-emulator" solid state amps being made by Eric Pritchard, Deja Vu Audio, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. I have not tried them, but have talked with Mr. Pritchard on three separate occasions over the past couple of years. Very nice gentleman - he designed the Paul Reed Smith amps that came and went, I believe.
>There have been some reviews of these in Vintage Guitar or some other magazine.
>Jeff Healy is using them now for part of a tour to see how they stand up to his sonic abuse (:-). There is a Deja Vu ad in the classifieds section of Guitar Player. Don't have it handy...anybody interested, I'll find it and re-post.
>-- Steve Schultz
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