"Q" for Top Hat owners--- (in general, albeit Vibra-Trem specific)

[urizen]

I posted this at another forum too, but figured that some of y'all might be helpful (since I've found that Top Hats are great Tele amps in general, I figured that some o' youse'd have some input on the input)...

I not infrequently surprise myself w/ my own ignorance, as has happened again just last night w/ one of my amps---I have a '99 VibraTrem 20 (since new, GZ34 and a 1x12 Greenback) that I THOUGHT I knew , until, for the FIRST time last night, I tried playing through input 2 instead of 1 (I just never played through the 2 before, since I "knew" it was "only" for playing at a slightly lower volume ). Short story long, playing a Lollar CC and Tele Special combo w/ 4-way switching, I was struck by what I perceive to be a definite tonal difference---"sweeter", for lack of a better word, through the #2, and the "extra mo' " p'up setting was more defined AND harmonically rich than I had thought previously through the # 1.

Is it just my 'magination/novelty affect, or is there actually some difference in voicing 'twixt the #1 and #2 inputs on that Top Hat model?

[rhinocaster]

I gigged with a Vibra-Trem for nearly 10 years. I ended up experimenting with it in any way you can think of. I almost always played the low gain input. I do think that it sounded sweeter and the higher gain input, and it also worked better with any overdrive that I used to augment my sound in clubs.