The Ultimate Studio Guitar Amp!

The Gravitone Nucleus and the Electron Reactor

Today I put the finishing touches on the latest guitar amp for LBA Studios, the Gravitone Nucleus/Electron Reactor.  This amplifier is a 2 piece unit, consisting of the amplifier section (Gravitone Nucleus) and the power supply section (Electron Reactor).  The Gravitone Nucleus is an Ultra Linear Single Ended Amp, based on the Lightning Boy Audio Gravitone 30.  The power supply is its own separate unit to keep the noise floor as low as possible for the sake of better recordings.  The Amplifier section offers an exceptionally elaborate EQ to make it the most versatile amp possible.  Its literally capable of sounding like anything you can dream up and then some.  A very loud 30 watts when running through a 4x12 speaker cabinet.  Beautiful single-ended class A tone with the added beauty of Ultra-linear operation.  This amp is a major departure from standard vacuum tube guitar amps. 

Gravitone Nucleus  

• Voicing control - Guitar/Bass switch changes the voicing of the amp.  Guitar setting is tight with powerful mids.  Bass setting is deep and dark.    
• Gain - distortion.  Lower settings deliver sparkling clean tones, while cranked it roars like an rabid ape. 
• Treble Frequency Selector - 3 different treble frequency options via mini toggle
• Treble - cut/boost knob.  Center is zero, counter clockwise to reduce treble, clockwise to boost.
• Middle Frequency Selector - 4 different mid frequency options via rotary switch
• Middle - cut/boost knob.  Center is zero, counter clockwise to reduce mids, clockwise to boost.
  
• Bass Frequency Selector - 2 different bass frequency options via mini toggle
• Bass - cut/boost knob.  Center is zero, counter clockwise to reduce bass, clockwise to boost.
• Standby Switch
• Front panel, 1/4" instrument input
• Back panel, dual 1/4" speaker outputs.  Use 1 jack for mono 4 ohm cab or both jacks for two 8 ohm cabs.
• 12AX7 preamp tube, KT88 power tube
• Wired point to point with paper in oil capacitors and silver wire.

Electron Reactor

• Dual 5AR4 rectifier tubes, not wired in the traditional parallel manner, but rather wired in a push/pull configuration.  Delivers 365VDC B+ with loads of punch and massive headroom.  Very low power sag thanks to the low voltage loss of the dual 5AR4's.  Just a touch of sag because a little is sexy, but a lot is soggy.  
• Built in power conditioner with neon voltage regulator and non-wearing power line filter caps. 
• Separate power transformers for better noise isolation and power handling.  5v transformer for the heaters in the 5AR4 rectifier tubes and a high voltage transformer with a 6.3v tap for the amplifier tubes.  
• 1/8/2015 NEW FEATURES ADDED:

1. Soft-start and multi-mode standby.  Using a thermal relay tube, the amp will power up gradually over 1 minute to prevent sudden jolts of high voltage when switching on.  This prevents the loud pop sound when switching standby on/off and will extend the life of the vacuum tubes and the power filter caps.  The standby switch turns off the high voltage B+ power pre-rectifier tubes and simultaneously cuts the voltage for the vacuum tube heater filaments in half.  The half voltage to the heaters will extend the tubes filament lives by only running them at full temp when in use.  When at half voltage the heaters will keep the tubes warm so they don't need to heat up when standby is switched off.