David Torn 'Bright Swtich Mod'

Amps & Cabs
1

Hello,

Once upon a time I had a 50 ST (EL34 model) with what was described as the ‘David Torn Bright Switch mod’ by the seller. To the point, the bright switch was pleasant and I used it a lot.

Fast forward to today, I have a 50/12 combo converted to a head, EL84 model) and the bright switch is very very bright. I don’t use it as a result.

I’d love to either mod it to the Torn mod or have someone do it if it’s complex. Would Support be willing to share the spec?

Thanks

1 Like
2

Howdy—very interested in this information and just giving a little bump here. Ditto for the Torn “ripple” mod, about which more later…

3

The Torn mod reduces power supply filtering in order to introduce more ghost note activity. You may have assumed that this is why you liked the bright switch behavior on the EL34 fitted model.

It’s more likely that you are reacting to the difference in power tube behavior between the EL34 and EL84 models, in which case the EL84 version would be more present in the upper mids and highs. That would of course make the bright mode sound a little more aggressive.

If that’s the case, the Torn mod may not be the solution you’re looking for.

Dave

4

Hi Dave—please clarify us on whether these are two different mods for Mr. Torn? Is there a “bright switch mod” as described to the OP? And then a different mod to the power supply filtering? Or was there only ever one “Torn mod,” and that was the filtering in the power supply?

On The Malcontents - Episode #4 “The Torning of the Stew,” at about 1:58 David and Steve are talking about the ripple mod; Torn cites the album Prezens as an example of the amp (perhaps the track “Them Buried Standing” is a good example of the tone). If so…man, I like that a lot! It’s an incredibly textured clean tone, really harmonically alive. Could this mod be installed into an older Pittbull? (Classic combos.) And is it switchable, in some fashion? Was it activated by the bright switch, as the OP alludes to?

I wonder, could that mod be tied into the triode mode in the Pittbull, such that using the triode switch also activates the Torn power supply filtering.

Thanks much—J

5

Well, my 50 ST definitely did not have the Ripple Mod, as there was no switch for it, and it was a very clean amp in terms of filtering (ie. no ghost notes in full power mode).

The seller specifically called it the “Torn bright switch mod.” Whether it was modded or not I do not know, I just know the switch was a lot less strident than the switch is on my 50/12.

I shouldn’t have sold that amp. It was great.

6

" Hi Dave—please clarify us on whether these are two different mods for Mr. Torn? Is there a “bright switch mod” as described to the OP? And then a different mod to the power supply filtering? Or was there only ever one “Torn mod,” and that was the filtering in the power supply?"

There was only one Torn Mod which affects the power supply filtering.

Dave

7

“Well, my 50 ST definitely did not have the Ripple Mod.”

There was never a “Torn bright switch mod”.

Dave

8

Thanks for confirming Dave

9

Thank you, Dave P., that clarifies what mod we are talking about. One outstanding question: is the Torn ripple mod switchable? Could it be keyed to one of the several existing switches? Like any of (on a Pittbull Classic):
• power amp mute
• triode power amp (such that switching to triode mode also enacts the ripple mod)

Or to an entirely new switch? The overarching point is, does ripple mod have to be permanent, to the entire amp? Or switchable in/out.