ilovefuzz.com

So do people have this amp now? Thoughts?

I got mine on Tuesday, it's a nice amp for the price. I'll post a review after I've had some time with it.
If anyone has any specific questions, let me know.

There is some pretty good info here: http://billmaudio.com/wp/?page_id=1203

I was hoping to read a bit more from you... Volume, break up, bass response, pedals with it etc.

insubordination wrote:So do people have this amp now? Thoughts?

Some do, not me. I've seen the schematic here, tho: http://ampgarage.com/forum/files/pawnsh ... ic_149.pdf

It's mostly a mix of tweed Deluxe and tweed Vibrolux. Previous gutshots look like it should be easy to work on as PCB amps go. The tone switch is part of a circuit that already quite resembles the Vibrolux's one-knob tone control, so you can bet that's going to be a popular mod.

Vintage tone chasers will probably tweak the first gain stage values and the dropping string from the power supply so things look more like the old stuff. There are some silverface-ish snubber caps that maybe can, maybe cannot be removed without negative consequence -- I'd go with desoldering rather than snipping. The diodes on the output tube plates are for protection from voltage spikes, like a mod popularized by Ken Fischer of Trainwreck amps, and shouldn't effect the tone so they should be left in place.

I'm still staring at the trem circuit. The mosfet is wired as a source follower, like a cathode follower. It gives a stronger oscillator signal and shouldn't be significantly different from a triode tube stage doing the same job.

Btw, I learned elsewhere that the snubbers I mentioned aren't in the signal path. They are to avoid noise leakage from the shields on the inter chassis wire runs. Leave them be.

got mine yesterday. optics and build quality is superior. for that price absolutely amazing.
the trem sounds to my ears very nice. had a long nice jam this morning with it.
the amp may be voiced a bit to bright for my taste (on the dark setting!). but i think, when the speaker breaks in this may be ok. with my 52 RI tele it is at the neck really a bit too bright. with my Charlie Christain tele it is quite perfect.
so i will try to run it some hours with a looper to see how it sounds when the speaker is broken in.
and i till try it with a dark boost in front.
the breakup part is pretty nice, not so tubish clean, more in the fuzzy, dirty non-smooth direction. i like it! fully cranked it sounds pretty pretty cool - almost a bit like a fuzz face.
the volume may be ok with a drummer if your are comfortable to go into the breakup area - full clean is imho not possible with a (normal loud) drummer.
i only checked it with a fuzz face yet, but it took that pedal pretty good.
i think, it will stay here.
any questions? let me know it.

^Yeah, that's pretty much my opinion as well.
The Bright channel is unusable for me but the Dark channel is nice with Humbuckers or Singles.
The speaker break in may help as would some new tubes. If not, I'll probably replace the
speaker with a Weber Michigan or Eminence 1518. The Excelsior does take Fuzz pretty well but gets a little weak
if you slam it with volume. Again, new tubes will probably help. I really like the Tremolo and the aesthetics and
build quality are tops.

Two very small complaints that probably only matter to me:
1) The knobs don't have a visible indicator to show the settings.
2) The power switch is on the very bottom of the back of the amp which means
you have to lean way over to turn it on/off. Not a BIG deal but
kind of annoying especially when you have your guitar strapped on already.

If I pick one of these up and replace the speaker, I'd be looking at a 15 from Tungsten: http://www.tungstenamp.com/speakers.htm
Their T12Q is reportedly a very excellent repro of a vintage Jensen P12Q. Not too pricey for alnicos, either.

Ok, i was bit experimental:
- last saturday i ran the amp 10 hours with my RC-2 with bass (loops that i played in the morning) at the loudest clean volume. In the evening the amp had recognizable more bass and the treble was smoother. I decided to play bass to get more action on the speaker. So if anybody thinks that the amp has, while testing at a guitar shop, slightly less bass and is a bit too bright: that will get better. But no wonders are happening.
- today i did a bit of tube switching: power tubes were changed to NOS RCA CRC 6V6GT (not really any audible difference), V1 to a GE 5751 (a bit brighter and cleaner, more focused in the bass (but not what i expected)), V2 to a Siemens ECC83 (really not much happening - a tad more drive/volume than the stock tube), then i switched V1 and V2 (also no great difference). So i went back to the stock tubes and that sounds as good. So i would not recommend to switch NOS stuff into that amp. The effect is not really audible. (BTW, i hoped to get the amp darker sounding - probably i will do some switching again but for now it is fine like it is)

^I just got my tubes in the mail today.
I haven't put them in yet but this doesn't sound promising.

MEC wrote:^I just got my tubes in the mail today.
I haven't put them in yet but this doesn't sound promising.

Sorry, but i was also hoping, that it would be more effect to the overallsound. To me it is like this amp is designed around its tone and not around the tubes. In other amps the change of the power tubes is very audible.
Please let me know your findings.
I have the dark horse boost in front and i'm very happy with my JM with that sound.

I got the tubes in and had the same results as you did. The difference was hardly audible.
I've been running the SS/BS Mountain Range or the Mountainking P.O. Box in front and that
makes it sound pretty good. I still plan on swapping out the speaker though.

I might try and put in a tone knob using the "Dark" setting as the midway point.

ok, interesting that you hear the same / get the same results. What tubes did you change to what types/brands?

MEC wrote:I might try and put in a tone knob using the "Dark" setting as the midway point.

Yeah, that is the only downside of the amp: they should have put a tobe knob in.

Speaker normally changes things drastically. Any specific speaker you have already in mind? You guys have Weber over there so that may be ok - for me a bit hard to get them.

univalve wrote:ok, interesting that you hear the same / get the same results. What tubes did you change to what types/brands?

MEC wrote:I might try and put in a tone knob using the "Dark" setting as the midway point.

Yeah, that is the only downside of the amp: they should have put a tobe knob in.
Speaker normally changes things drastically. Any specific speaker you have already in mind? You guys have Weber over there so that may be ok - for me a bit hard to get them.

I used almost exactly what you used: RCA 6V6GT and GE 12AX7

As far as speakers go I have two 215 cabs, one loaded with Eminence Legend 1518s and the other with Weber Michigans.
I plan on testing those first once I have time.
The 1518s should be readily available throughout the world but if you need help getting something else let me know.

This guy http://billmaudio.com/wp/?page_id=1203 put in a tone knob and an Eminence 1518 and seems to like it.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOsQqk4BHx0[/youtube]

Is anyone using one of these with a Bass VI? Not looking to gig with it by any means but it could be a rad little practice/recording amp with some mods and I should be able to find one used at this point.