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dubkitty wrote:I must say that i'm quite intrigued by the PicoValve, which looks like the poor boy's UniValve and is thus a Good Thing. i also really like the Hovercraft 20W head. it seems like i'm more into EL84s than 6L6s and other big octal tubes nowadays, though i've always wanted to try the 6550s or whatever it is they used in Ampeg SVTs.

Hovercraft amps really intrigues me.

TOO MANY GOOD AMPS.

Finally got mine, and am playing now. Thought I'd post some initial thoughts.

Ben Verellen is a nice guy.

Those of you who say this amp doesn't break up, bullshit. Maybe it's just my amp, but with everything cranked I get low gain garage rock territory which for someone like me seems like a lot of gain. But I don't mind. With gain at 4 and master all the way up, I got that awesome Johnny Marr-just a hint of distortion clean tone that sounds so fugggin good.

Low end is nothing too crazy. Then again, I'm just coming off of bass so I may be jaded. To me this amp is way more sparkly then it is dense/heavy/whatever.

Loudness: meh. I guess it's pretty loud with a 2x12. Once again, I was using a 400RB with a 4x10 for bass so....then again nothing is ever loud enough.

I dig it, though. Gonna play more. Also, I'm playing a tele.

IM SOOOO CLOSE TO HAVING MINE

Proof of awesomeness.

I wish I hadn't heard of Hovercraft Amps, too much GAS on one FB page.

That mini T, yowza!

Moustache_Bash wrote:Finally got mine, and am playing now. Thought I'd post some initial thoughts.

Ben Verellen is a nice guy.

Those of you who say this amp doesn't break up, bullshit. Maybe it's just my amp, but with everything cranked I get low gain garage rock territory which for someone like me seems like a lot of gain. But I don't mind. With gain at 4 and master all the way up, I got that awesome Johnny Marr-just a hint of distortion clean tone that sounds so fugggin good.

Low end is nothing too crazy. Then again, I'm just coming off of bass so I may be jaded. To me this amp is way more sparkly then it is dense/heavy/whatever.

Loudness: meh. I guess it's pretty loud with a 2x12. Once again, I was using a 400RB with a 4x10 for bass so....then again nothing is ever loud enough.

I dig it, though. Gonna play more. Also, I'm playing a tele.

Mine breaks up as well, it really depends on the output of your guitar though. With my bari Jag and HH jag I can get the gain up to about 6 (with the master dimed, NMV FTW!) before i get noticeable breakup, pushing past 7 gets you a lil tubescreamery / blues OD tone. When i had my flying V w/ gibson Iommi's it broke up around 3

As far as the low end being nothing too crazy I have to agree. That's the nature of EL84 amps, amazing mids and highs but the lows are totally lacking. Even dimed its not ballsy enough for me.

With a 4x12 I could keep up with a 7 person band during practice in a small room with the gain around 6 and a clean boost at the end of my chain, but in a larger room or concert hall it gets lost really quick if your not mic'd.



I'm gonna miss it, but its going to a good home. You better treat her well Skully, and I gotta have first dibs if you ever flip it.

Ancient Astronaught wrote:I'm gonna miss it, but its going to a good home. You better treat her well Skully, and I gotta have first dibs if you ever flip it.

Aw schucks

I'mma treat her well. She's gonna sit pretty on top of my Verellen cab, be babied in my apartment while I loop guitar tracks to put my fiance to sleep with, and to DESTROY THE EARS OF ALL THOSE IN SMALL CLUB SETTINGS. When I can actually get out of the house and play...

hahaha sounds good my friend!

Loud tiny amp stack band? We can get Holy Schnikes in on it too..

Fuckin' right! Small amps, huge sound, crowds' heads literally explode from pure awe mixed with max confusion.

Ancient Astronaught wrote:

Moustache_Bash wrote:Finally got mine, and am playing now. Thought I'd post some initial thoughts.

Ben Verellen is a nice guy.

Those of you who say this amp doesn't break up, bullshit. Maybe it's just my amp, but with everything cranked I get low gain garage rock territory which for someone like me seems like a lot of gain. But I don't mind. With gain at 4 and master all the way up, I got that awesome Johnny Marr-just a hint of distortion clean tone that sounds so fugggin good.

Low end is nothing too crazy. Then again, I'm just coming off of bass so I may be jaded. To me this amp is way more sparkly then it is dense/heavy/whatever.

Loudness: meh. I guess it's pretty loud with a 2x12. Once again, I was using a 400RB with a 4x10 for bass so....then again nothing is ever loud enough.

I dig it, though. Gonna play more. Also, I'm playing a tele.

Mine breaks up as well, it really depends on the output of your guitar though. With my bari Jag and HH jag I can get the gain up to about 6 (with the master dimed, NMV FTW!) before i get noticeable breakup, pushing past 7 gets you a lil tubescreamery / blues OD tone. When i had my flying V w/ gibson Iommi's it broke up around 3

As far as the low end being nothing too crazy I have to agree. That's the nature of EL84 amps, amazing mids and highs but the lows are totally lacking. Even dimed its not ballsy enough for me.

With a 4x12 I could keep up with a 7 person band during practice in a small room with the gain around 6 and a clean boost at the end of my chain, but in a larger room or concert hall it gets lost really quick if your not mic'd.



I'm gonna miss it, but its going to a good home. You better treat her well Skully, and I gotta have first dibs if you ever flip it.

Right on. Yeah, the breakup is pretty light but I was expecting some sterile ass clean-clean MusicMan HD stuff. And after playing more, I'm glad it isn't. I have to say, though, palm mutes are actually pretty heavy (IMO, of course I've never played through a 6x12, 3x15, and a 200-something-watt head ). And for 20 watts, it's pretty dang loud. It hurts my ears. But, in a larger area I could definitely see it not quite cutting it.

It's a bad ass amp for sure. I'd definitely recommend this one for dudes who like to jangle, country, or like pedlolz and don't need to make ears bleed. I'm also nailing Charlie Christian tones with the tone rolled back a lil' bit on the neck pup of my tele, digging in harder getting that sweet sweet ever so light disorting. Man, after playing SS amps for so long I completely forgot how tubes are just on a whole other level. So much more interactive.

Have fun with yours, Skully!

FUCKING HOVERCRAFT

Also Moustache_Bash needs to get in on this.

And I need to figure out if I can get ahold of a Hovercraft Dwarvenaut to do stereo tiny stacks.. (which I've determined is now the official term for 15-20 watt heads on cabs)

theavondon wrote:FUCKING HOVERCRAFT

WORD.

FUCKING LOTTA THINGS!

Holy Schnikes wrote:

theavondon wrote:FUCKING HOVERCRAFT

WORD.

FUCKING LOTTA THINGS!

I'm gonna see if they'll modify something for me...maybe the other channels on my PA-135...maybe my roommate's broken Univox...