Has anyone tried this rectifier?

[Zippy]

http://www.webervst.com/ccap.html

For those of you still playing old school amps, has anyone tried one of these copper cap solid state rectifier tubes Ted Weber designed. I have several of his speakers and other components so I know he makes good stuff.

I've kept tube rectifiers in all my amps. I think mostly for sentimental reasons and I just plain think tubes are cool. Some people state the tube rectifier adds to the tone of vintage amps. I pretty much think that's bs.

Anyway, this rectifier seems to have all the advantages of the tube without dropping power or burning out.

Your 2 cents is welcomed and appreciated.

Larry

[NickHorne]

I like tube rectifiers. I'm sure that when an amp is working hard, a tube rectifier contributes to a good-feeling compression.
That said, I simply don't know whether those Weber designs replicate that (I seem to remember something like that about them, but might be wrong). It might not be too hard to do.
But a regular silicon rock-solid rectifier does change an amp for me, in a cold way.

[Zippy]

Nick, that's just my point. I didn't post the link correctly so you'll probably have to cut and paste, but check it out.

This rectifier gives warm up time and provides most of the benefits from a tube rectifier. As you know, besides burning out, tube rectifiers do strange things under certain power demands. I typically don't play loud enough for that to happen.

I love tubes of all kinds and have really not wanted to change my amps, but it seems a more balanced/even power is just better for everybody in the cabinet.


Larry

[NickHorne]

Oh! That's interesting. I am seriously considering trying this.
So, back to your first post - has anyone had any experience? If it behaves like a tube rectifier, to the rest of the amp and our ears, then it would seem to be a worthwhile improvement.
Would we expect the heater rails for all the other tubes to go up a bit, once relieved of the duty of heating the rectifier cathode? Presumably this would be by an insignificant amount, though I don't know.

[Zippy]

Nick, that's a good question. Go to the Ted Weber web site and read the information there. Then I would like to hear your opinion.

Larry

[GeorgeB]

These seem basically to be just normal silicon diodes with added series resistors to emulate a tube rectifier, the tricky part is the soft start feature to protect the downstream circuitry. They will save the power wasted in heaters. Rectifier tubes typically have their own totally independent heater supplies (as for that question). And they will last forever, but actually you can burn them out, too, if the power dissipation rating is exceeded by a large amount and for significant time.

I often mod series resistors in today's amps with silicon recifiers to get that soft sagging behaviour of tube rectifiers without their drawbacks.

[NickHorne]

Now that is the real knowledgeable answer we were hoping someone could bring.
Thank you, very much!

[Sean Clavin]

I've done several builds that I have used the Weber Copper Caps in. If you're playing at low volumes there is really no difference to my ears. When you crank the amp up and play at "real" stage volumes there is less "sag" that I've noticed. That being said the Copper Cap Recto's will put much less draw on you PT and help it to work less and last longer. The only draw back I've found with them is when you take them out and put them in a lot (not many people do that...I do it when I'm building and modding amps) that the out copper "tube comes loose and sometimes comes off.

[Zippy]

Thanks everybody. George is killing me with that knowledge. I wish I could do that type of work. If anyone wants to know how to shock the crap out of themselves, drop me a line and I'll give you details.

Sean, thanks brother.

All in all, I think the SS rectifier makes things work a bit easier.

Have some fun today