From dsalley@pacbell.net Sat Oct 20 20:01:32 2007
Subject:Re: Tube dampers?

With the Leslie 3300, yes. That's all I can give an unequivocal yes
answer for, because it's the only Leslie I have and the only other
tube instrument I have besides the XK-3. Damping the tubes in the XK-3
pre-amp gives the same effect only much more subtly. I use premium
tubes in it just like the Leslie 3300, but it generates understandably
less vibration caused microphonics than the Leslie. Still the effect
is there, however negligibly. When you use the tube pre-amp in the
XK-3, there is an area at the beginning of it's gain level that just
adds warmth to the tone. It improves that very noticeably when using
the stock Ham-Suz tubes because of their low quality. When you use
really good tonal range tubes in the XK-3 the effect of the dampers
seems less because they don't have as much work to do in comparison to
getting rid of the cheap Chinese tubes large amount of resident
microphonics.

About 4 months ago I stated here that I was going to get some "Groove
Tubes" and was warned against their cheap Chinese build and
overabundance of microphonics. I got some anyway and the warnings were
correct. As an experiment I installed a damper on each of the cheap
Sov-Tek tubes and they sounded pretty darn good afterwards. That
pretty much proved tube dampers worth to me right then and there.
They're not exactly in the category of being able to turn crap to
gold, but there sure is a distinct improvement.

I assume the effect of dampers is the same on all pre-amp tubes in
whatever application they are used in. I have no idea as to a damper's
worth for power tubes, because I don't have anything that uses power
tubes. Again, there are differing opinions. Those folks that actually
have and use them report very good results. The nay-sayers usually
don't have any dampers and won't even consider tying them. And so it
goes.....

They work for me. Simple and fundamental physics at work.

XKDave

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--- In CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com, "jblann1" wrote:
>
> Ok, I start to understand it... I think if the plate(s) is vibrating,
> the glass will do the same, and that vibration will return back to the
> plates and make them vibrate more. By dampening the glass, you would