Amp talk

[rocket88]

heath, i got a bugera v22 too. i completely agree that it's actually a really good amp, epecially after a re-tubing. i put mesa power tubes and EHX 12-AX7's in as soon as i got it. she sounded like she has more headroom now, and much warmer. i recently changed the preamp tubes to tung sol 12-AX7's to see what the fuss was about, and changed the personality again, sound great. my only issue with it is just like fenders, i hate the dirt channel,  there's a huge volume drop, and it doesn't sound nice to my ears at all.

i'm contemplating opening her up and seeing if i can tweak the gain channel to make it where i want it.

[IvIark]

Heath wrote

So instead of looking for a higher end tube amp to replace the Bugera (which I am totally happy with right now), I started looking for something I can push to break up without being evicted from my apartment.

Check out the VHT Special 6 Ultra, I love it.  Cheap as chips, takes pedals well, 6 watt, high/low power switch AND a built in attenuator, tube buffered effects loop, lots of tone options with the depth, tone and texture controls and in Ultra mode can go surprisingly high gain.

http://www.vhtamp.com/products/the-special-series/special-6-ultra-combo

One other big advantage is that it's built on a large eyelet board so it is a God-send for modders

[Silver Blues]

Dude nice! Those VHT amps are so awesome.

[Ross]

It turns out that my GK rig is killer on guitar. It's obviously dead clean, but not sterile at all (somewhere between a JC120 and a Twin). To get gain out of it, I lower the input gain on the amp, and goose the front end with FET-based circuits voiced as amp gain stages (Marshall, cranked Twin, etc). The FET is providing the input gain, and I can shape the tone however I want with the onboard 4-band EQ. No shortage of volume.  

[alltrax74]

I got my P1800 kit from Barry at ampmaker today
18w PP
http://ampmaker.com/

Should be done this week-end

[negativefx]

Current guitar amps:
Orange TH30 + PPC412 cab <--- my gigging amp for guitar and Bass VI.  LOVE IT.

Fender SuperSonic Twin 100w combo <--- Fender buddy hooked this up brand new for an insane price.

Fender Evil Twin 100w combo <--- FOUND FOR $250 AT A PAWN SHOP.  Needed 2 new power tubes.

Orange Tiny Terror HW w/ Merc xformers + Peavey bandit cab (yeah yeah)  <--- Pedal Test Rig.  Sounds superb with the new xformers and 5751 pre tubes.

Mojotone Bedroom Amp 2w w/ custom cab & 8" mojo driver.  I think it's based on the Fender Champ.

(All of these amps have mojo nos pre tubes but the power tubes are almost all stock)

Fender PA100 fully retubed and recapped.  I run it into two passive PA speakers for acoustic git and bass.  Bought it for $50 on craigslist.

Guitar amps of yesteryear:
Bogner Alchemist w/ matching cab - unreliable... broke twice.  Great versatile tone though.

Line 6 Spider Valve - actually pretty decent tone after the strymon input mod and LOUD.  unreliable... 3rd times a sell.

Fender Frontman 212 or whatever.  Hated it.  Fender SS dirt is junk.

Current bass amps:
Fender Super Bassman 300w w/ DIY fearful 15/6 tube cabs <--- gigging.  Absolutely incredible bass amp for the price.

Verellen Meatsmoke 300w w/ custom choke and dual pre controls <--- i don't gig this because i love it too much to ruin it with beer stains and drunk roadies.  Looking to get a custom shock case for it.  I built my fearful cabs to match the blood red stain on the head.

Verellen Meatsmoke Pre - I bought this to 'test' the 300w head before dropping the cash on it.  I ended up using this as my main gig tone.  I run it through a weird channel selector switch (which you guys helped build and fix in an open chat thread...) and it allows me to use the SuperB power amp without the fender pre while still having pedals on both sides.  I have four channels now... SB Vint, SB Modern, Meatsmoke + boost.  I use the standard meatsmoke channel for 80% of my tones.  I use a MXR CAE booster (thanks for the layout!) as a 'master volume' at the end of the loop into the power hamp.

Fender BXR 100 combo <--- pedal test amp.  The first amp I bought and I'll be buried with it.  It's a SS and been through hell and back and still works like a champ.  I love the tone for slap and compressed reggae.

Old bass amps:
Orange AD200B w/ obc410 & obc115.  Was my old gigging amp but the Super Bassman destroys it in every way.

Orange Terror Bass 1000.  Before the AD.  Had a lot of gain stage clipping issues so I went tube bass and never looked back.

Line 6 LowDown 300.  This amp is the worst.  Just plain terrible.
Valco Airline w/ Tremolo.  Yeah it's a guitar amp.  My uncle gave it to me when I started learning bass.  I had it serviced and showed him the improved tone.  He took it back.  :)

[popov56]

Currently a Marshall 4001 Studio 15 that I bought from Chandler's in 1989, it has pretty much everything I want in an amp.

My first amp was a Fender Twin Reverb silverface that was FAR too loud for my skills and my bedroom. Next was a Vox AC4, then I added a Fender tweed Champ, one of the early ones with the red grill-cloth that I bought from a second hand shop in Hull for £65 .......... I got a Marshall 50 watt head from the same place a month later for £50, all it needed was a set of output valves. Then there was a Fender Princeton blackface that was ultra cheap as it had been recovered in sticky-backed plastic, that was an amp I should never have sold, along with the tweed Champ.

Along the route there was also a WEM Westminster ..........very noisy and not in a good way.

I wish I'd bought one of the Marshall 1 watters, but I seem to have missed the boat on those.

[Heath]

I have no experience with Blackstar amps, but in case anyone is interested:

 Blackstar HT-5R 5W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo with Reverb White  Today's Price  $299.99

[Wild Turkey]

I have a Bugera V22 for the last 2 years and agree with the others that its a great little amp , I only use the clean channel though & run pedals through it

I also have a Epiphone Valve Junior that i run in stereo with the V22 as they complement each other very well

Im hoping to get my mits on one of these shortly to mod the junior but not sure which one, Ive always wanted an 18 watter but feel it will be too loud cranked
but at a cost of about €80 finished can i go wrong ?

http://www.guitaramplifierpcbs.com/liteiib.html

http://www.guitaramplifierpcbs.com/PlexiSE.html

any input on these would be great !

[benjammin]

very jealous of all the amps here :] i'm apartment-stuck these days and mostly playing a fender champ head (needlessly built to the dumble specs) through a headphone out box (http://www.sophtamps.ca/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=54) as my main practice/bedroom solution. i have a vox ac15 clone gathering dust in the closet in case i ever need to get loud!  

[dbat69]

How is it going alltrax?

I'd love to build one of those but my wife will probably kill me
But I'm interested to know how it is to build

[rocket88]

Why would she kill you? It's only a tiny 18watt tube head. Hehe

[dbat69]

Hmmm ... no don't ...

With 5 amps and a 4x12 already ... I might just be pushing it a little

[alltrax74]

Well, I finished building it, but there seem to be a problem with one of the OT primary windings that seems to be dead (infinite DC resistance).
So it only works on 1 EL84, and it sounds great, really, but as it is now it's not loud enough for my use.
I'm still waiting for an answer from Barry

[dbat69]

That is a really nice build, great work

I hope you get the transformer fixed

[rocket88]

Looks great, can't wait to hear how it turns out when it's working. I'm sure it's going to be fantastic. Dbat, I hear you on that one. My gf basically said once I build that green amp no more, so unless I can sneak one into the house I think that I'll have to just say no. But, I still need a cab to go with it, and I want another can for my m6, so I may just have to be really sneaking and bring it into the house when she's not home. But I still have my eye on a mesa double or triplewreck.

[alltrax74]

Thanks !
I'm building the head cabinet which will look very similar to the Marshall 2061x

[dbat69]

Not only can you do very neat wiring and build, you can also do a mean woodworking job too.
Very impressive - its going to look really great
You'll have to get the logo to finish it off too

[alltrax74]

Ah Ah, thanks !
Talking about my woodworking, here is some more if you are interested
http://guitar-diy.jimdo.com/

[dbat69]

Wow, I am well impressed man - (bows and "we're not worthy" chanted)

That explorer is absolutely gorgeous, I'm lost for words.  Really fantastic work, a real beauty