Lots of gain staging goin on. Designer wanted to emphasize the sound of clipping the PI with the level controls on both sides of it without going KT88s open wide
Yep ! look 100% like a Jubilee clone, 2555 100W
with it's specific LED/diode clipper
I'm the happy owner of the 50w 2550 version since mid 90'
To me one of the best sounding Marshall ever produced.
I don't play that much guitar now, but when touring a little by that time I run it troughs a 2x12 cab fitted with old greenback, and a G&L ASAT with their big single coil (P90 like)
What-a-sound !!!
Dave Friedman apparently (now) likes a dual pot (wired as variable resistor) over (in parallel with) the original grid load/bias return Rs. (My novice understanding is that) there is enough drive from the PI so low end loss isn't a problem with the pot turned down (also less of a safety issue for the output tubes if something goes wrong with the pot). (That might be in the new Suhr mk.II versions of old Plexis also (I'm guessing).)
Post phase inverters are in fashion for a while now, the idea is that the p.i. can still distort before the level is being reduced on the way to the power tubes.
I wonder what's the idea behind that build? Is it supposed to be a Major? No ultralinear power amp? Looks like a mashup of several ideas.
The "Lar/Mar" PPIMV`* (basically the same as that replacing the 220k bias load/grid return Rs with a dual pot) has additional 2M2 from one end to the wiper (for safety and slight change to (taper?) and overall value.
*named after Mark Abrahamian (RIP) (ex. Starship) and Larry of Larry Amplification (Larry came up with the slight alteration)
Don't like any part of the BIAS Circuit - an Accident waiting to happen
A BIAS Pot should Always Short to GND and have a Resistor between it and the rest of the BIAS Circuit. That way you don't loose BIAS when the Pot is Bad (it almost always rises - lowering the Current).
I also don't like the Stereo Master Pot idea - I had too Many Pots fail with a short to the 'house' of the Pot (or the Axle of the Pot) .... Again a remedy for Disaster on a Tube Amp
I'm not trying to tell CJ anything he don't know (as I'm sure he do) - I'm more trying to warn others with less knowledge about Tube Amps ....