Pultec Reissue

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CJ

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don't know if this has been talked about yet,

Sweetwater has the EQP-1A for sale>

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EQP1A?utm_source=MSN&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=none&utm_term=Bing_PLA_All_Products
 
I've seen inside those things. They were at aes with a side by side comparison between an original and a new one.  all the wires were in the same places on both units.  IIRC the units were identical except for the trafos.
 
pucho812 said:
IIRC the units were identical except for the trafos.
what do you mean?  From what I've read (gotta take it with a grain of salt I'm sure) they tried to recreate each and every pultec model.  Anyway, they look very similar physically and all,  we can only hope that at the price they're charging they actually went to the trouble of redoing everything properly. 
 
mitsos said:
pucho812 said:
IIRC the units were identical except for the trafos.
what do you mean?  From what I've read (gotta take it with a grain of salt I'm sure) they tried to recreate each and every pultec model.  Anyway, they look very similar physically and all,  we can only hope that at the price they're charging they actually went to the trouble of redoing everything properly.

Yes they have done quite the good job.  But the audio transformers, are close but not sonically exact.
 
pucho812 said:
Yes they have done quite the good job.  But the audio transformers, are close but not sonically exact.

of course.  To be fair, it's very hard to do that.  I'm sure Pulse came to a point where they either sat there and tweaked the windings and core material to get it sounding closer, or called it a day, because most people probably just look at the faceplate and are done.

I couldn't find any recent Pultecs sold on ebay, if these are 4K, how much are the old ones going for?
 
So this is like making new antiques for people who think older is better?

My several decades of breathing has informed me that older is usually just older and only the old memories are better.  8)

JR

PS Thinking older is automatically better is as flawed as thinking newer is automatically better, while technology advances favor newer over older.
 
JR  "My several decades of breathing has informed me that older is usually just older and only the old memories are better"

What a great line.  LOL!
 
mitsos said:
pucho812 said:
Yes they have done quite the good job.  But the audio transformers, are close but not sonically exact.

of course.  To be fair, it's very hard to do that.  I'm sure Pulse came to a point where they either sat there and tweaked the windings and core material to get it sounding closer, or called it a day, because most people probably just look at the faceplate and are done.

I couldn't find any recent Pultecs sold on ebay, if these are 4K, how much are the old ones going for?

We had a guy locally trying to sell a pair of vintage ones  for 10,000 USD.  Not sure if that is the going rate but it is something worth considering.
 
It reminds me of the guys who would say " they're waiting for a record deal " yeah right in this day & age,
but don't believe in themselves enough to fund their own cd/ recording if they don't think they can
make their money back [ promo ? calling card ? ]
Still a romantic image the tube transformer pultec mojo, and people will pretend if it's not the " real "
it's not right but the real ones cost too much, so they can dream and not spend money .
Curious what the percentage of people who say they're great but don't back it up by actually having some form of it .

I think my tube tech version is better than my gyraf version and my anaolgue allstars & Drawmer versions are different
but not quite as satisfying as the tube tech , I have never been in a room with a real Pultec
 
A real Pultec has a sound that is mostly the transformer set used, and if that does what you want most, then older is better.  This one has been taste tested to death, and is virtually in the category of 'no longer debatable'.  But of course 'what you like and need' is always debatable.  I haven't heard a clone from anyone that sounds like the Pultec's I've used, clones may be good, but it's fantasy to think you've successfully replaced the original in most cases.  Demand outstrips supply, thus the current reality.  There have been original pairs sell around $14K in recent years; that's well past the point I can afford to keep them or care about their cork-sniffery value.  If it's actually the curves you are after, that is easily recreated.  The sonics are another thing entirely. 
 
MountCyanide said:
BTW gents-- Last time I was at Cinemag, Dave was working on what he was saying is a faithful transformer set for the Pultec.

I'm guessing that's for the Warm Audio Pultec clone. Enough volume there to justify development cost. Interesting to see how close they get. Input seems pretty straight ahead, it's the inductor and
OT that are the buggers. I think the Vintage Windings inductor will be hard to beat.
 
If the Pultec has a desirable characteristic signature sound because of the specific transformer designs, and a clone accurately replicates that signature sound, making and selling a clone for less money has merit.

It would be useful to null a precise clone with an original unit to see how close the copy comes to the real deal.

JR
 
JohnRoberts said:
If the Pultec has a desirable characteristic signature sound because of the specific transformer designs, and a clone accurately replicates that signature sound, making and selling a clone for less money has merit.

It would be useful to null a precise clone with an original unit to see how close the copy comes to the real deal.

JR

What about if it's not your IP? There is a company that from all accounts owns the IP and the Trademark name. I am not even remotely sure how that plays out. On one hand the IP and Tech is well over 50 years old  but on the other hand it looks close right down to the color. Sure they added a couple of more eq points  but how much of an issue is it or is it one of those  the IP  has been in the market place so long that it wouldn't matter?


CJ said:
Pucho, you going to Namm?

Why yes I will be there. I am working the show. at I forget our booth number... Am I doing recon in my moments away?
 
pucho812 said:
JohnRoberts said:
If the Pultec has a desirable characteristic signature sound because of the specific transformer designs, and a clone accurately replicates that signature sound, making and selling a clone for less money has merit.

It would be useful to null a precise clone with an original unit to see how close the copy comes to the real deal.

JR

He's already has very good success doing that with his API/Melcor preamp and 1176 versions (won't go so far as to call them clones)

What about if it's not your IP? There is a company that from all accounts owns the IP and the Trademark name. I am not even remotely sure how that plays out. On one hand the IP and Tech is well over 50 years old  but on the other hand it looks close right down to the color. Sure they added a couple of more eq points  but how much of an issue is it or is it one of those  the IP  has been in the market place so long that it wouldn't matter?

IP on Pultec is public domain at this point, trademark is not.


CJ said:
Pucho, you going to Namm?

Why yes I will be there. I am working the show. at I forget our booth number... Am I doing recon in my moments away?
 
pucho812 said:
JohnRoberts said:
If the Pultec has a desirable characteristic signature sound because of the specific transformer designs, and a clone accurately replicates that signature sound, making and selling a clone for less money has merit.

It would be useful to null a precise clone with an original unit to see how close the copy comes to the real deal.

JR

What about if it's not your IP?
Which IP?  Patented circuity is only protected for around 20 years then is public domain and free to use. If it wasn't patented, then it is free to use from day one (while of questionable integrity).

If someone is trying to co-opt the brand image and pretending to be somebody or something they aren't. there is usually legal recourse to recapture damages by the rightful owner of that brand.

AFAIK there is no IP protection for old transformer designs and the new versions may not even be exactly the same since materials available have changed over the years. If transformer designs were protectable Deane Jensen should have done that since many of his popular ones were knocked off (more or less, I don't know if they copied his core metallurgy etc).

If there really is some valuable "there" there (a characteristic signature sound) that is solely a function of the transformers used., it seems a good business opportunity to replicate the good sound for less cost.
There is a company that from all accounts owns the IP and the Trademark name. I am not even remotely sure how that plays out. On one hand the IP and Tech is well over 50 years old  but on the other hand it looks close right down to the color. Sure they added a couple of more eq points  but how much of an issue is it or is it one of those  the IP  has been in the market place so long that it wouldn't matter?
Copying the trade dress of a popular product to fool customers into thinking you are somebody else is deceptive and wrong.  I am only addressing the suggestion that the legacy product has a unique "sound" that is worth replicating. I do not think that sound is protected proerty.

JR

PS: IMO clones are generally a waste of energy and natural resources, but some here have remarked that there is some value in these old designs.     
CJ said:
Pucho, you going to Namm?

Why yes I will be there. I am working the show. at I forget our booth number... Am I doing recon in my moments away?
 

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