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Post subject: BIAS setting?
Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 11:23 am
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Could someone explain how adjusting this setting will affect (effect?) the sound of the amplifier?

I am having some trouble understanding what this features is actually doing to the sound.


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Post subject: Re: BIAS setting?
Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 1:01 pm
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Not only the sound , tube's life too.

Bias, see Google :lol:

Short answer;

Bias too cold ; sound is thin , lack of punch.

Bias too hot ,very good sound with some musical distortion , but short tube life. Right bias , same as before but good tube life.

Better to ask that in tube amp section.


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Post subject: Re: BIAS setting?
Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 3:00 pm
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Low Bias point you in the direction of a solid state amp, mid setting act like a fender/marshall amp, high setting act like some mesa... if you had a tube amp you would have need very good valves to archive bias high values without burn the valve in some day!

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Post subject: Re: BIAS setting?
Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 4:56 pm
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stratele52 wrote:
Bias too hot ,very good sound with some musical distortion , but short tube life. Right bias , same as before but good tube life.

Better to ask that in tube amp section.

Mustangs have bias and sag setting in Fuse. OP wants to know what they do, given it hasn't any tubes.


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Post subject: Re: BIAS setting?
Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 12:41 am
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The bias and sag settings on the Mustang are intended to emulate various effects that are possible with valve/tube amps.

I agree with the first reply; there are many good articles on the internet that explain what bias and sag are, on real valve/tube amps. It's probably best to read those first, to understand the underlying concepts. Then it will make more sense when dealing with the emulated settings on the Mustang. Here's my take on it:

Bias is the voltage applied to the grid of a valve/tube. It determines (simplistically) how easily the electrons can flow between the cathode and the plate/anode, and thus how well the amp amplifies sound. If the bias is too far one way, the electrons don't flow and the valve/tube doesn't work. If the bias is too far the other way, the electrons flow too readily and the amp is overdriven. There's a range in between that keeps the valve working sensibly, and manufacturers pick some particular voltage in this middle-ground range as a reasonable setting for their amps, to obtain good sound over the amp's intended operating range.

However, musicians discovered they could change the sound of their amps, and obtain sounds that worked better for them, by adjusting the bias voltage a little bit - still within a tolerable middle-ground, but varying from the manufacturers default. Note there isn't (usually) a knob on valve amps to do this, it involves messing around inside the amp. Adjusting the bias one way restricts the electron flow, and thus constrains the amp's ability to amplify, leading to the thinner sound some describe. Adjusting the other way leads to over-amplification and more distortion.

The bias control on the Mustangs is designed to emulate this tweaking of the bias voltage. The audible effect of different settings has been described by other posters, in this and other topics in this forum. I suspect that changes to bias will sound different to different ears, and also sound different for the different amp models.

My advice is just to try different bias settings, armed with the knowledge from this and other posts on what's going on when you do so, and just listen to the results until you find a setting that has the best sound for you.

My further advice is that (at least for me) changing the bias and sag has minimal effect on the sound compared to all the other (front-panel) amp settings, so if you can get the sound you want using just those, then leave the bias alone and don't worry about it.


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Post subject: Re: BIAS setting?
Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 6:29 am
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He probably meant the MUSTANG'S bias settings, in which case would be totally relevant for this section.

stratele52 wrote:
Not only the sound , tube's life too.

Bias, see Google :lol:

Short answer;

Bias too cold ; sound is thin , lack of punch.

Bias too hot ,very good sound with some musical distortion , but short tube life. Right bias , same as before but good tube life.

Better to ask that in tube amp section.

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Post subject: Re: BIAS setting?
Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 2:55 pm
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Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 6:51 pm
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Yes, I should have stated I am using a Mustang IV v1. I think I've got a good enough idea to start messing with the two parameters and know what to listen for.

I can see how tube guys would gasp at the idea of a digital amp having bias and sag parameters that can be changed. I'm glad to see fender has really tried to focus on the tube characteristics in their digital modeling.

In the past I've just used a compressor to warm and soften the solid state sound but I will admit for a distorted sound digital amp still have some areas of improvement.


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Post subject: Re: BIAS setting?
Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 10:35 am
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Hi Trey803,

We will be happy to assist. It seems that you have been given some great advise from other forum members, thanks guys:) And also thanks for you kind words, regarding this feature on our Fender® Mustang™ amplifiers. You seem to be armed with enough knowledge at this point to get a better understanding as to what the Bias feature is simulating. Go ahead and mess around with your amp and see if this feature can get you closer to that "magic" tone:) Please let us know if we can assist further.

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