REALLY clean/pedal platform tube amp

[waltdogg]

No, I mean a MIG-50. It's basically a high gain '59 Bassman/ JTM-45.

You do, they're not clean amps, none of them.

The Midget is a weaksauce version of the MIG100H.

[lordgalvar]

That was my thinking as well...but i've never seen a mig midget before though or a mig 60 (in person). I just always hear mig and think dirty...always (because of mine).

But who knows? There are variants and modded ones out there.

[waltdogg]

I've fucked around with a MIG-50H Midget, all three types of MIG 100 and the MIG-50. They were all pretty much the same in that they were inherently aggressive (gainy) and dark sounding amps, however the MIG-50 didn't clean up at all (all new tubes, all new caps and cans), the MIG-50H Midget stayed a little bit on the clean side but just sounded weak (might have needed some love), and the 100s all just had varying levels of gain but they do have a clean tone in the low gain input though it wasn't pretty.

[lordgalvar]

I can confirm that the Low input "clean" doesn't sound good haha. After I figured that out (it was my first "big" amp) I just learned to live with gain until I got the sorado...never really understood headroom until that haha (kidding a bit, but every amp I had played was very gainy up until then..exception being my first bass combo which was some 1990s Laney SS bass amp which was so sterile and bad at least I thought at the time).

[rfurtkamp]

I had the luxury of starting with good stuff and having a very sensible father+son shop near me that had 30 years of stuff sitting there.

First thing I learned was "Can't take away gain but you can sure add it" on the amp side if it won't stay clean. But I also had a delay pedal and a four track in my possession the first day i picked up a guitar, back when they were NOT cheap.

Been on the "clean is king" ever since.

[Iommic Pope]

I can confirm that the Low input "clean" doesn't sound good haha. After I figured that out (it was my first "big" amp) I just learned to live with gain until I got the sorado...never really understood headroom until that haha (kidding a bit, but every amp I had played was very gainy up until then..exception being my first bass combo which was some 1990s Laney SS bass amp which was so sterile and bad at least I thought at the time).

On the 50? I really like its cleans.
Maybe I did get an anomaly?
I know production was not consistent, might have a lot to do with that.

[crochambeau]

"Can't take away gain but you can sure add it"

You can shave a little gain if your preamp tube complement will allow a little rolling (since the almost universal preamp valve is the 12AX7, there's a quick nudge down with the lower gain variants). Granted, you are absolutely correct in that it's often a game of inches where sometimes feet are needed, but topical mods can swing both ways.

[waltdogg]

I've only heard of modded MIG-50s staying clean, but you never know when it comes to Sovtek.

Tube swapping to slightly change gain factors is out of the question for my friend. But when my Hellhawk was wired up as a '72 Super Lead I was doing that to lower the gain. Then I modded it to the '68 Super Bass spec and it was loads cleaner and clearer and I didn't have to change out my preamp tubes for lower gain tubes anymore. So I totally agree that a mod can make all the difference and it could be something really simple too. Like changing the transformer tap the NFB wire is connected to or changing the input caps. A big one too is the tone stack. The differences will be subtle but the amount of gain that the frequencies add will differ in more or less pleasing ways.

[Iommic Pope]

Yeah, 12at7s make a huge diffference in a lot of amps that have a decent clean channel.

Also just read this: https://wgs4.com/index.php?q=bogner-alc ... r+Amp%253F
Probably propaganda, but did pique my interest.

[lordgalvar]

No, I was talking about the 100. sorry about that.

But I have heard people liking their cleans on the 50...but that was 15 years ago and I don't know if they had modded or done something to them (it was all reading and by word of mouth). I do know that some people swear by the mig-50 as the best mig and their favorite amp, but just my experience with the ones I have played were all little dirty (but again, close to 12 years ago). And the cleans were better on the 50s I have heard than on the 100h I have (not saying much though haha). A little subjective too.

Yea, went down to lower gain preamp tubes in my mig 100 too...didn't really make a significant difference in the conditions I was playing under (I think winged c or JJ 12au7s or something don't remember it was like 8 years ago)

But I know every amp is variable. Hell, just pluggin my mig in at differnt venues was different each time (yea, variac, I know) and would change it's gain and get more boomy/muddy.

I've heard decent cleans out of a 5150 too (passable for pedals at least), but I wouldn't call it a clean amp. But maybe because that was the first loud amp I heard with a pedal running into it That was like almost 17 years ago or something.

The real problem with "cleans" is it means something a little different to everyone. I like a little breakup on everything...just barely there before I push it with pedals (and for my personal tastes, call that clean even though the sorado aint like that).

[Iommic Pope]

This is true.

And fuck Sovtek for calling every amp the saame fucking thing.

[waltdogg]

Oh and I think there's no "low" input on the MIG-50 but a '59 Bassman side and a JTM-45 side.

Yup I like a little bit of breakup on my clean too, my friend however wants pure clean through and through.

[Iommic Pope]

Yeah, input I is bassman, II is the plexi.
II sounds "hotter".
If you jump them it sounds like unholy sex walking pantsless down the street.
Not a "pretty" clean though. Pretty raunchy.
Great if you were doing Mark of Cain or Unsane kind of shit.

I'd say the twin wins this round.

[waltdogg]

Yeah it's an insanely saturated glorious natural fuzzlike tube overdrive.

Pretty much, we've been thinking twin. He's slightly opposed to the Bassman because it's a little too stripped down. This kid...

[Iommic Pope]

Maybe get him some time with one and a big cab, his favourite fuzz pedal and let him work it out?
Plus explain the benefits of a simple EQ with no options when playing live?
Plug in.
Dime everything.
Play.