understanding of sss circuits

[idnotbe]

recently i got sss #2 clone (Sebago TF 100w).
though i am not am amp diy person and don't know circuits, i'd like to understand my amp more.
so i am asking the questions here.

1. the attack from the amp is late / loose / sag, though it uses ss recti.
the attack is like Super Reverb (tube rectifier), not like Twin Reverb or Showman (ss recti).

what in the circuit makes this late attack or sag?

2. the amp is extremely dynamic and i heard it's due to post-PI DC coupled cathode follower.

btw, i also heard there are just post PI (not DC) cathode follower.
are there difference between just post PI cathode follower and DC coupled CF?

3. there is a 12AT7 tube which is "power amp driver".
what is it and is it related to the DC coupled cathode follower?

and can solid state be substituted for this tube to make the attack faster ?

4. i think the dynamics is very useful for high gain amps.
are there high gain amps which uses post PI DC coupled CF?

5. often, the tone of sss is decried as "violin line sustain".
where does sss's violin like sustain come from?
power section or pre-amp section?

[martin manning]

1. the attack from the amp is late / loose / sag, though it uses ss recti.
the attack is like Super Reverb (tube rectifier), not like Twin Reverb or Showman (ss recti).

what in the circuit makes this late attack or sag?

Could be due to the size of the reservoir capacitor after the rectifier. The schematic published here shows 75uF, where 110uF or even 165uF has been seen in ODS amps. I don't know what yours has.

2. the amp is extremely dynamic and i heard it's due to post-PI DC coupled cathode follower.

btw, i also heard there are just post PI (not DC) cathode follower.
are there difference between just post-PI cathode follower and DC coupled CF?

This is just people loosely throwing terms around. In the SSS schematics the post-PI cathode follower is AC coupled to the PI (at its input) and DC coupled to the power tubes (at its output).

3. there is a 12AT7 tube which is "power amp driver".
what is it and is it related to the DC coupled cathode follower?

and can solid state be substituted for this tube to make the attack faster ?

The post-PI cathode follower is the power stage driver. A pair of solid-state devices could do that job, but I don't think it would make much difference to the attack.

4. i think the dynamics is very useful for high gain amps.
are there high gain amps which uses post PI DC coupled CF?

I don't think its common. Most guitar amps omit the driver stage. They are more often seen in Hi-Fi and bass amps (SVT, e.g.).

5. often, the tone of sss is decried as "violin line sustain".
where does sss's violin like sustain come from?
power section or pre-amp section?

Sustain comes from compression, and possibly feedback, so I suppose it could be either or both.