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Summary of Contents for Wattwerx Little Dragon
- Page 1 Little Dragon User/Maintenance Manual Hugh’s Wattwerx Use What Works!
- Page 2 From Hugh to You Thank you for trusting my amplifier to be a part of this most important part of your life: your MUSIC! I build amplifiers for my own use, and hence, put the best of myself into every unit. I part with them, reluctantly, in order to share with others the joy that their design, construction, and use have brought to my own life.
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
Little Dragon Table of Contents Section One: Operations Warnings and Precautions....................1 Warranty..........................2 Specifications........................3 Overview..........................4 Hints and Tips........................6 Quick Start Instructions.....................7 Front Panel Controls, Switches, and Jacks Input............................8 High Boost..........................8 Low Boost..........................9 Volume..........................10 Middle..........................11 Treble............................11 Bass............................12 Rear Panel Controls, Switches, and Jacks Master...........................13... - Page 4 Page 4...
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Page 5: Warnings And Precautions
Warnings and Precautions This device must be properly grounded! Amplifiers generate heat. Do not cover or in any way impede ventilation during operation or a fire and/or serious circuit damage may result. Never remove the amplifier chassis (upper or lower). There are no user-serviceable parts inside. -
Page 6: Warranty
Hugh’s Wattwerx for inspection shall be borne solely by the purchaser. In order to recover under this limited warranty, Purchaser must make claim to Hugh’s Wattwerx within 30 days of occurrence, and must present acceptable proof of original ownership (such as original receipt) for the product. -
Page 7: Specifications
Specifications Input impedance: 1 Megohm Output impedance: 16 Ohms Preamp tubes: One 12AX7, one EF86, one 12AT7 Power tubes: Two EL34 High voltage: 440 Volts Filament heaters: 6.3V A/C Output power: 40W RMS into 16 ohms Operation voltage 115V A/C 60Hz Internal speaker: NOS British made Celestion G8 Vintage 8 Internal speaker impedance: 16 Ohms Internal speaker power handling: 60W... -
Page 8: Overview
I care to contend is a control panel that resembles a jumbo jet console! Despite its diminutive size, Little Dragon packs a 40W punch, courtesy of a pair of EL34 output tubes, cathode biased, and equipped with a fine-tune balance control for achieving optimum bias even with unmatched tubes. - Page 9 The phase inverter is a well-established LTP (Long-Tail-Pair) configuration, and the power section includes a bypassable master volume control, for those who prefer to emphasize preamp distortion. By default, the master volume is completely removed from the circuit, since most connoisseurs of tube amp tone prefer that configuration.
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Page 10: Hints And Tips
3. When connecting an external speaker, be sure to use an unshielded speaker cable. 4. Little Dragon is high gain amplifier with very sensitive input circuitry. It is therefore very important to use a high-quality, well-shielded, low-capacitance cable between your instrument and the amplifier in order to prevent unwanted noise and ensure the highest quality tone. -
Page 11: Quick Start Instructions
Quick Start Instructions No time/patience to read this manual? At least read this page thoroughly before you begin! BEFORE connecting the power cord: Inspect the entire amp for signs of damage. If anything appears amiss, do not use the amp. Contact the manufacturer, seller, or shipping company immediately for further instructions. -
Page 12: Front Panel Controls, Switches, And Jacks
If your guitar has extremely hot pickups that produce distortion even on low control settings, simply roll back the volume control on your guitar. The Little Dragon input circuitry is specifically designed to react dynamically to signal strength variations resulting from guitar controls and picking dynamics. -
Page 13: Low Boost
Low Boost The low boost switch functions by attenuating the upper frequencies, thereby making the low frequencies more prominent. Engaging the Low Boost will actually reduce the overall loudness of the output—this is shown in the following graph. For a more bass-heavy tone, you would normally engage this switch and raise the volume (and/or Master) controls to compensate. -
Page 14: Volume
Volume (with boost switch) Although this control is labeled ‘Volume’ for clarity, its functionality is more complex than merely adjusting how loud the amp sounds. This control governs how hot a signal is sent to the second preamp stage (the EF86), and consequently, the texture of the resultant tone. In practice, it’s action is tightly coupled with that of the Master Volume control (when engaged). -
Page 15: Middle
Middle (Pull Bypass) The Little Dragon Middle Control is fully segregated from the Bass and Treble controls, and can be individually bypassed without affecting the other two tone controls. The midrange circuit produces a sharp bump at around 450Hz when maximized, and a deep notch (scoop) at a similar frequency when minimized. -
Page 16: Bass
tone stacks, and a nearly flat frequency response with Bass and Treble controls set at their middle (5) position. The Treble Control’s response is shown graphically in the following illustration: Bass (Pull Bypass) Like the Treble Control just described, the Bass control is implemented as a component of a classic Baxandall filter. -
Page 17: Rear Panel Controls, Switches, And Jacks
Most tone aficionados eschew Master Volumes in any form, and for that reason, the default condition of the Little Dragon’s Master Volume is bypassed. To engage this feature, simply pull the knob gently outward, and adjust to taste. When engaged, the Master Volume circuit is engineered so as to exert the least possible impact on tone when turned up to maximum volume. -
Page 18: Presence
Negative feedback loops (and hence, presence controls) are relatively rare in cathode-biased power amplifiers (such as that in the Little Dragon), for a number of reasons. For the most part, this is simply a result of ‘designers’ copying earlier designs, however, there are some functional reasons. -
Page 19: Bottom Chassis Components
Mains Input Little Dragon utilizes a standard detachable power cord that connects to the A/C (IEC) connector at the far right side of the bottom chassis. Although any cord will mechanically fit the receptacle, if replacement ever becomes necessary, it is critical that you select one of similar capacity as the original. -
Page 20: Standby Switch
Standby Switch To the left of the Mains fuse holder is the standby toggle switch. Like the power switch, the downward position puts the amp in the ‘standby’ state (heater filaments are active, but D/C power is not). When turning the amp on, it is advisable to begin with both switches in the downward position. Then, turn on the Mains Power switch, wait approximately sixty seconds, and then flip the standby switch upward, into the ‘operate’...
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