More tremolux tremolo quandaries

[StrummersOfThunder]

So I thought I had this tremolo licked.
I've noticed that when the tremolo is engaged and especially as the intensity is dialled up I am loosing headroom/clarity and starting to get an unpleasant fizzy breakup. I didn't notice this when I was aukng gently testing it but with the amp set to gigging volume (still o my at 3-4 on volume with no boost ) it's quite noticable. I changed out the tremolo 12ax7 for a newbie but no change.
Any of the amp boffins got a suggestion on this one ?

[GrantB]

Using a foot pedal? Is the wire properly grounded? Are the few caps and resistors in that part of the circuit in spec?

An aside question, when you dial it clean, and it starts to compress and distort, is it juicy and saggy or wasplike raspy?

What type of milk have you been consuming recently? Have you washed your car in the last two weeks?

[StrummersOfThunder]

Using a foot pedal? Is the wire properly grounded? Are the few caps and resistors in that part of the circuit in spec?

An aside question, when you dial it clean, and it starts to compress and distort, is it juicy and saggy or wasplike raspy?

What type of milk have you been consuming recently? Have you washed your car in the last two weeks?

No foot pedal connected , tremolo functions with it 'on the whole time ' without a pedal connected.

Rachel raspy-pants

Fresh seal milk

You can wash a car?

[GrantB]

So without the trem, the clean sound still has an ugly saturation?

[NippleWrestler]

Have you tried it with a lower gain tube other than a 12ax7?

[StrummersOfThunder]

So without the trem, the clean sound still has an ugly saturation?

Nope clean is good.
Trem is good until you push it a bit the. It gets a hairy frothy breakup that is not there with the trem off or intensity dialed down.
I wonder if there is a bung component in the trem circuit signal chain.

[StrummersOfThunder]

Have you tried it with a lower gain tube other than a 12ax7?

I thought about that but I can't find an at7 in my stash.
If anyone coming to the gif on Sunday has one they want to bring and throw at us (instead of shoes, bottles and tomatoes ) I could throw money back at them?

[bender]

I’ll have a look- I think I have one

[tubeswell]

EC Tremoluxes are a bit fizzy when dimed anyway, but...

I had an EC tremolux on the bench a couple of months ago with 'over fuzzy' distortion and a bit of loss of 'oomph'. After going over it with a fine tooth comb for a couple of hours, I noticed there was a-few-too-many volts difference across each of the PI load resistors. This is a cathodyne PI, so the voltages across the plate resistor and the cathode resistor should be pretty even. So then I tested the coupling caps to the 6V6s (the 0.1uF yellow styrene caps) and found a teeny bit of DC leakage on one of them. I replaced both of the PI coupling caps with orange drop spragues and the over-fuzzy problem was fixed. Not saying this is your problem, but you should check voltages everywhere, and not just assume all the bits are working properly.

[StrummersOfThunder]

EC Tremoluxes are a bit fizzy when dimed anyway, but...

I had an EC tremolux on the bench a couple of months ago with 'over fuzzy' distortion and a bit of loss of 'oomph'. After going over it with a fine tooth comb for a couple of hours, I noticed there was a-few-too-many volts difference across each of the PI load resistors. This is a cathodyne PI, so the voltages across the plate resistor and the cathode resistor should be pretty even. So then I tested the coupling caps to the 6V6s (the 0.1uF yellow styrene caps) and found a teeny bit of DC leakage on one of them. I replaced both of the PI coupling caps with orange drop spragues and the over-fuzzy problem was fixed. Not saying this is your problem, but you should check voltages everywhere, and not just assume all the bits are working properly.

Hi Tubeswell

Would the same.apply to a 6g9 tremolux with 6l6 's?

I've been .meaning to go through it all carefully and check a few things.

Its actually 90% there but that's the only lingering thing , just slightly fizzy when pushed in deep trem.

Cheers

[Cdog]

Didnt you just mod this with a diode or something?

[MikeC]

EC Tremoluxes are a bit fizzy when dimed anyway, but...

I had an EC tremolux on the bench a couple of months ago with 'over fuzzy' distortion and a bit of loss of 'oomph'. After going over it with a fine tooth comb for a couple of hours, I noticed there was a-few-too-many volts difference across each of the PI load resistors. This is a cathodyne PI, so the voltages across the plate resistor and the cathode resistor should be pretty even. So then I tested the coupling caps to the 6V6s (the 0.1uF yellow styrene caps) and found a teeny bit of DC leakage on one of them. I replaced both of the PI coupling caps with orange drop spragues and the over-fuzzy problem was fixed. Not saying this is your problem, but you should check voltages everywhere, and not just assume all the bits are working properly.

This

[StrummersOfThunder]

Didnt you just mod this with a diode or something?

Yep. I removed and tried without and the problem is the same with or without the diode.

[MogwaiBoy]

I've always found tremolo's in Fender amps to be temperamental. Hum, buzz, ticking, bypass bleed, you name it.

Sorry I'm no help!

[RectifiedAmps]

This is a bias-wiggle tremolo right? To me it sounds like the bias is set too cold on the output tubes, so when a strong tremolo LFO hits them, they’re getting pushed down into even lower bias, causing crossover distortion. This type of trem works great on cold-biased amps, but the effect can be TOO strong, which might be what you’re experiencing. If you’re comfortable with it, try running the bias a bit hotter and see if the fizz disappears.