Wattwerx Little Dragon Maintenance Manual - page 17
Page 13
Rear Panel Controls, Switches, and Jacks
S
PEAKER
16-O
HMS
Hugh’s Wattwerx
WWW
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ATTWERX
.C
OM
P
ENTODE
T
RIODE
M
ASTER
P
ULL
T
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E
NGAGE
P
RESENCE
P
ULL
B
YPASS
S/N: LD-0001
U
SE
W
HAT
W
ORKS
12AX7
EF86
12AT7
EL34
EL34
Master (Pull To Engage)
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. The difference between the bypassed state and
engaged but set to maximum volume is illustrated below:
Unlike the simple ‘Shunt-to-Ground’ style master volume, it clear from the above that even though a bit
of volume is lost when the MV is engaged, even when it is set to maximum volume, the tone spectrum is
virtually unchanged. Either way, the choice is yours.
When engaged, the master volume acts as a sort of governor, setting the maximum volume of the entire
amplifier. It can be thought of as a counterpart to the Volume control, to which it is conceptually coupled.
As discussed earlier, turning the Volume control up increases not only volume, but distortion (overdrive)
as well throughout the preamp section of the amplifier. When used in conjunction with the Master, it is
possible to introduce any desired degree of overdrive while maintaining a reduced volume level. In a
nutshell, turning the Master up (or bypassing it altogether) and the Volume down generates the cleanest
sound, whereas turning the Master down and the Volume up results in the most distortion.
Pentode/Triode Switch
Often referred to as a ‘half power switch’, this control, as the name implies, switches the power output
section of the circuit between two distinctly different topologies, with a corresponding difference in
operating mode. The ‘half-power’ label, however, while technically correct, is somewhat misleading. This is