Guitologist biases amp incorrectly

[tubeToaster]

In this video Brad sets the bias on a cathode biased 6V6 amp at 50%. He measures the voltage plate to ground instead of plate to cathode. When someone posts a comment correcting his calculations Brad comments back that he usually sticks to the 70 rule even on cathode biased amps because it does not usually effect the tone at jamming volumes.
I always try to bias my cathode biased amps at 100% dissipation. Some of them are are as low as 85% though.
What do y’all think about what he says and what percent are you biasing your cathode biased amps.

 

[Alex_C]

I stopped watching his channel after he butchered a Vox 'NuTube' amp. I'm not defending the Vox amp, but I was not impressed with his abilities when it came to working with surface mount components.

 

[dogmeat]

another self proclaimed expert that is in reality an obvious doom ax. so to speak

 

[Danb541]

At least he is working on amps again instead of talking about politics and the unspeakable disease. I watched one video where he was berating a woman on the phone because he didn't want to wear a face covering to the voting booth. Asking her first and last name and stuff. Cover your face or don't, I don't care but this woman was just doing her job. I haven't watched him much after that.

 

[JuneauMike]

Here's his comment on that. Fair game to argue whether you agree or not with his reasoning. Looks like someone pointed out that he made a mistake with his math and he agrees with that (he also mentions in the opening that he's drinking bourbon with his bud, dumb move).

Interesting video. I know nothing about those Excelsior's. But they look like typical Fender kitch.

 

[corliss1]

Many reasons to not watch this guys' stuff...

 

[Peegoo]

When he first got the channel up and running and he stuck to guitars and amps it was entertaining. I liked his content.

But unfortunately he suffers from The Podium Syndrome. Have a mic in your hand too long and you start to forget why you grabbed it in the first place.

Not a fan anymore.

 

[lammie200]

Yeah, I can agree with people that have dropped him as a source of wisdom or entertainment. My favorite episode was when he wore a visit from the FBI as a badge of bad a**ery. I am speculating but that might have been the tipping point that lead to his wife kicking him out.

 

[bumnote]

Wow...missed all that drama....the FBI??
I stopped watching a long time ago, something about the Post Office & shipping tubes that was complete BS that I couldn't find ANYWHERE to verify..I had this funny feeling he was the type of ass he just proved himself to be when I just watched...parts...of the "OK, Y'all asked for it" vid"

Really had enough of self-proclaimed medical geniuses over the last year.

 

[JuneauMike]

I love his channel. SP Friday is fun and I like his sense of humor. He's frustrated about being shut in like everyone else is, he should talk about it. He was also right about Rick Beato too. Beato is great too, that just wasn't a shining moment for him.

 

[radiocaster]

To be fair though, not sure it's a good idea to bias at 100% for JJs, because it might run too hot if you try to put something else in there.

 

[bender66]

Yeah, he was entertaining until his personal life went bad. He's gone down that pathetic wormhole & I just couldnt stomach the nonsense spouting anymore.

I forgot what his beef was with Beato. He also called out his fellow arsehat regarding returning gear. They had a little hissyfit together.

Ahhhhh... I remember him telling Beato to grow a pair when he stood before some hearing or something. Jeeezuz, Brad just got disgustingly self righteous.

 

[Jowes_84]

His amp and guitar videos are both entertaining and educational. He‘s not the scientific or structured guy, which is why he makes lots of mistakes... and the all the blathering ... I ignore that.
One day I will stop watching YouTube for good. I haven’t watched prior to the pandemic, I had a life back then.

 

[Lynxtrap]

I've found that there are an endless amount of better ways to spend an hour than watching this guy.
Like aimlessly poking around in an amp chassis myself and actually learn something.

Some of his dumpster diving stuff was fun though.
The Beato thing was just click bait.
The final straw was when he started with the political rants.

 

[omahaaudio]

Guitologist? No such thing.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

Don't know anything about him.

However, what I have heard is that to keep up with visibility on a youtube channel via the algorithm you're best off uploading lots of content and on a daily basis.

So many channels that started informative get watered down the longer they go on.

 

[hepular]

I've found that there are an endless amount of better ways to spend an hour than watching this guy.
Like aimlessly poking around in an amp chassis myself and actually learn something.

Some of his dumpster diving stuff was fun though.
The Beato thing was just click bait.
The final straw was when he started with the political rants.

that was at least a year and a half ago.

but there's a whine-quotient to his voice (and Beato's too, ftm) that drives me away no matter what it's saying.

Beato veers, for me, between really interesting explanations of what's going on in music and yadda yadda get off my lawn sort of quasi-rants.

but since I'M ranting right now, Keith Williams has become the master of pimping several thousand $$ worth of gear under the tag-line of "the most music from the least gear" just . . . i mean, i get it: I'm inferior. For whatever reason, I clearly suck cuz I can't drop $5k every coupla months on gear, not to mention the stuff for behind the scenes.

it's almost enough to make me go back to bike racing.

 

[Lynxtrap]

At least, Beato's rants are fun! I was rolling on the floor while watching his Apple rant from a few years ago

But yes, it must be hard to produce new and interesting content all the time. Beato's "What makes this song great" is interesting because you get to hear individual takes from the multitracks.
But he often fails to answer the his own question, instead playing along with some riff or chord progression, and shouting "whoa, that's a fantastic drum fill", "man, listen to that bassline!".
But he's still in a different legue compared to Guitologist.

that was at least a year and a half ago.

He seems to have had a separate channel for political ranting, but around the election he started with that s--t on his regular channel too, plus his written brain dumps kept popping up on my YT since I was following him.

 

[BassKulcha]

I watched him literally butcher an amp conversion for a female friend in a post from a while back. Yikes!!! my 11 year-old daughter could've done a better job. I lost respect for him at that point regarding anything having to do with understanding and fixing amps, but then his angry conspiratorial ranting over the past months made me completely unsubscribe and basically block him from my YouTube stream. Who's got time for that BS? Not me, I'll take Uncle Doug, twoodfrd, Five Watt World, Ask Zac, TPS, and Beato for a more sane interaction with music and tech. (Yeah, some are probably paid to review gear—or at least get it free to review if they want—but I like 'em, and I value their perspective...)

I do feel for his daughter in all this, though—she was a sweetheart in the vids he posted that included her. I work in the mental health field, and I sincerely hope he gets the help he needs moving forward. (Like we all do! I know this pandemic's got me bouncing off the walls as well, FFS...)

 

[tubeToaster]

I watched him literally butcher an amp conversion for a female friend in a post from a while back. Yikes!!! my 11 year-old daughter could've done a better job. I lost respect for him at that point regarding anything having to do with understanding and fixing amps, but then his angry conspiratorial ranting over the past months made me completely unsubscribe and basically block him from my YouTube stream. Who's got time for that BS? Not me, I'll take Uncle Doug, twoodfrd, Five Watt World, Ask Zac, TPS, and Beato for a more sane interaction with music and tech. (Yeah, some are probably paid to review gear—or at least get it free to review if they want—but I like 'em, and I value their perspective...)

Keith Williams Five Watt World is great. Always well researched and interesting. I’ve learned a lot about gear I own from Keith’s videos.