| K200A vs. K200B? [message #327] |
Mon, 05 February 2001 13:11  |
GaryH
Messages: 19
Registered: January 2001
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Junior Member |
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Hey, I've got some questions for you guys with the collections and a chance to compare; how do the K200A and K200B series stack up against each other?
How do you identify an A series energizer? Is it the one that has circuit breakers on the front panel around the power switch? Do they seem more or less reliable than the B series? Are there tonal differences?
I understand that in the A series you could use all the effects on one channel, and that it had vibrato as well as tremolo. This seems like a better setup to me, and makes me wonder why things were changed in the B series. Also, I've seen the vibrato described as sounding sort of "Univibe-like". Is this true?
Ok, enough questions for now…I'm shuttin' up. GH
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| Re: K200A vs. K200B? [message #328 is a reply to message #327] |
Mon, 05 February 2001 20:12  |
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Gary, the A series has a seperate regulator board and the B series has the regulator and power amp on one board. A easy way to spot them is the A series has, by ross, near the input jacks. On the back side, the A series was mounted to the box with a brass spacer between the bottom of the chassis and the bottom of the box. This was done as the power xters were not recessed into the bottom of the chassis in the A series. The front to back depth of the A series is almost a inch smaller than the B series, and the A series usually has a 1/4" plywood mounted under the power xters. So the bolt pattern from the A and the B series won't match front to back. The A series # 2,3,4 heads had all effects working on the left channel facing the amp, and the B series had reverb trem on the left channel, and the selective boost and harmonic clipper on the right channel. The A series also used a multi pin XLR style jack for the foot switch mounted in the rear, and the B series had stereo 1/4" jacks mounted on the front of the amp in the lower corners of each side. Some of the early A series did have the circuit breakers mounted on the front panel on each side of the power switch, and the newer A series the fuse was placed in the chassis. On the subject of which sounds better, I prefer the older wide panels for a creamy breakup, with the a series 2nd. and the B series last. I have some of each, the wide panels, the A series and the B series. Just my opinion, cause I love the K50's. Don
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| Re: K200A vs. K200B? [message #331 is a reply to message #328] |
Wed, 07 February 2001 00:02 |
BC
Messages: 583
Registered: March 2000
Location: Kentucky
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Senior Member |
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Pleat is the man GH! All he is saying is truth! We talked with Bud at the Nashville show and he said the "B" series was a more reliable design as he recalled problems with the white Mallory Caps in the "A" series. The "B's" also have a stonger built chassis with more reinforcement. Reliability and strength were important in those days. I have a few "A's" and mostly "B's" and I agree the tone is better in the earlier amps....but I can also say I have more problems in the older amps.....either by the additional age...or the design. The Frankenstein heads have yet another level of tone....especially for a guitar player....something warm and tubelike....but not like tubes either...you will have to hear for yourself. This would be a good time for JC or ET to tell about the "Franks" as they have a good representation of them! BC!
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| Re: K200A vs. K200B? [message #337 is a reply to message #331] |
Wed, 07 February 2001 15:07 |
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Ditto...and that's really the best thing I could say... Don covered the amps so completely I think we'll get him to write the new book...and BC is right about the reliability..and thy both are there on the tone...I currently do not have a working A model...but they do sound better...but as I mentioned.. I do not currently have a "working" A model.
the oldest wide panels...totally different amp...their tone for guitar is awesome...I own a nice MArshall hi gainer, and an old Fender Showman..and these are about the only tube amps that I still keep in play...I recently sold an old and very good sounding Fender super reverb...and yet I'm telling you as the sanctified owner of all these name brands...the best sounding amps I own are my old frankenstein head kustoms...not straight into them mind you.. I run fx, overdrive pedals etc...these amps are so hot! my one rig is an old hi freq cab holding a pair of CTS 10 recones...with the sealed enclosure I get a full bodied tone...plenty of low end...and yet a brite glassy mid and hi...very punchy.. I swear I expect those little 10s to come walking right out of the cab sometimes... I know I'm slamming them too hard with that 100watt head...but man! the other rig is the same type of head..but with the reverb..talking to a no port 2x15 cab..obvisouly not the upper definition...but if you have ever owned an old blackface twin reverb and throttled it up to around 6...still clean..but very bold...that's this amp...it instantly makes my wife hollar on the volume..course I've only got it set on 3!...the amp is way bold...again, CTS speakers for guitar on these rigs...I have Jensons specials in some of the other rigs...not near as nice as the CTS... now I prefer the cosmetics of the later kustoms...and that's the focus of my collection...and Don is right...a little K50 working harder than it should with a pedal board laying a hot signal path into it...that's a thing of beauty...but with 20 kustoms in the house....when I want to really smile... I plug into my old wide panels...
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