Who here has a Egnater Tweaker 15?

[Ascension]

The amp I just got in a trade had a weird tube combo and I'm wonder how others have theirs set up. Have this one base lined now with a set of New Sensor Mullard 4004's in the pre and a set of new JJ 6V6's I had on hand and it has potential. What have you got in yours tube wise?

 

[Ewizard]

I've had mine since about 2012 or so. Tried several output tubes, but ultimately went back to the stock 6V6's. As for preamp tubes, it is not too responsive to them. One tube is for the actual preamp, one is for the FX loop, and the third is for the Phase inverter. So there just isn't much to get any major influence on how it breaks up and sounds. The amp has a solid-state input stage, sort of like a Dumble ODS FET stage. This makes the response of the guitar to the amp what it is.

I always found it to be too wooly and dark sounding, and this is coming from someone who HATES bright amps, so I went in and cut out all the snubbing caps ( I think there are three of them ) and that brightened it up enough. The amp is still a little too wooly for me in the " Hot " stage, so I always run it in clean mode. I push the front with a boost pedal to finish the job.

If you run the amp as a non-master volume style amp ( master volume all the way up ) it starts to break up in the output section extremely early. It is cool in that regard because they used a feedback loop that is pretty modest, so it gets that bright compressed sound going that is very 80's rock inspired.

When I was gigging with mine I would usually end up about halfway up on the gain knob, pushed with a boost pedal to get the desired level of gain with the master volume set to about halfway up as well. This gave an amp that went from the edge of breakup when rolled down on the guitar volume, to thick 80s rock level of distortion. To teh best of my circuit sleuthing ability, the A/C tone stack setting is it's " natural state " and the other two settings ( British and American ) are what add in different values to change the tone. I always left mine in the A/C setting. British was too mid-heavy and the American setting was too anemic.

All in all, it is not a horrid amp, but far from being a great amp. It does a thing which is what made me buy it over the JCA 20-H that was sitting next to it. I think it works best as a stand-alone amp with no pedals other than a boost to push the front end. It distorts too early to be a real, clean pedal platform amp, at least for live performance work. As a bedroom and recording amp, it is fun and lives up to its name.

 

[Ascension]

I've had mine since about 2012 or so. Tried several output tubes, but ultimately went back to the stock 6V6's. As for preamp tubes, it is not too responsive to them. One tube is for the actual preamp, one is for the FX loop, and the third is for the Phase inverter. So there just isn't much to get any major influence on how it breaks up and sounds. The amp has a solid-state input stage, sort of like a Dumble ODS FET stage. This makes the response of the guitar to the amp what it is.

I always found it to be too wooly and dark sounding, and this is coming from someone who HATES bright amps, so I went in and cut out all the snubbing caps ( I think there are three of them ) and that brightened it up enough. The amp is still a little too wooly for me in the " Hot " stage, so I always run it in clean mode. I push the front with a boost pedal to finish the job.

If you run the amp as a non-master volume style amp ( master volume all the way up ) it starts to break up in the output section extremely early. It is cool in that regard because they used a feedback loop that is pretty modest, so it gets that bright compressed sound going that is very 80's rock inspired.

When I was gigging with mine I would usually end up about halfway up on the gain knob, pushed with a boost pedal to get the desired level of gain with the master volume set to about halfway up as well. This gave an amp that went from the edge of breakup when rolled down on the guitar volume, to thick 80s rock level of distortion. To teh best of my circuit sleuthing ability, the A/C tone stack setting is it's " natural state " and the other two settings ( British and American ) are what add in different values to change the tone. I always left mine in the A/C setting. British was too mid-heavy and the American setting was too anemic.

All in all, it is not a horrid amp, but far from being a great amp. It does a thing which is what made me buy it over the JCA 20-H that was sitting next to it. I think it works best as a stand-alone amp with no pedals other than a boost to push the front end. It distorts too early to be a real, clean pedal platform amp, at least for live performance work. As a bedroom and recording amp, it is fun and lives up to its name.

Thanks for that. I'm doing mostly modern worship now and have had thoughts of setting it up as a small lightweight clean amp pedal platform with time based effects in the loop with a light drive ( Have several Wampler Tuminus and Belle modded Blues Driver, Outlaw Marshall law ect) and compressor on the front end. I have larger amps for clean headroom and am looking for something that can give me a good Fender like warm clean at moderate volume. I have high gain sounds and big power covered in spades. I traded a PRS MT 15 for the Tweaker ( The Tweaker had a pair of NOS RCA 7027 12AX7 Blackplates in it BTW ) and a super clean Jet City JCA 22H head. I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to keep the Tweaker. Do you have an actual tube function chart for the Tweaker so I know what's what? I am assuming the 12AX7 in the rear is the PI and the 12Ax7 closest to the input is V1 wondered if it had a SS or tube loop.
With the Marshall Law up front at low gain level and what I'm running in the loop can get really close to these tones with the Tweaker at moderate levels through my Boogie wide body 1/12. Running a pair of the New Sensor Mullard 4004's in what seems like V1 and 2 with a balanced LPS in the PI and a new set of JJ 6V6's I had on hand for now.. Pulled the RCA's as they were definitely overkill and wasted in that amp!
https://youtu.be/MKSjujtpQ2Y

 

[larryguitar]

I've had a combo for a decade or so, and use it strictly as a bedroom amp. It doesn't do what I'd call a great Fender clean, but a decent Marshall-y thing, especially with overdrives. I use mine mainly as a pedal platform these days, to be honest.

The good thing is the different 'tweaks' really DO change the sound considerably; the bad thing is you can get caught up in chasing those you don't actually play.

Larry

 

[jeremy]

ive never thought the tweakers had fender type cleans, not bad amps though.

 

[Mikelamury]

The tweaker 15 didn't have near as much gain as I needed and I don't use extreme levels of gain. I ended up sending it back because the gain on it wasn't anywhere close to the rebel 30 mkii that I also have. I don't know how much gain you guys are using but I had the gain cranked on hot mode and it wasn't enough for my punk rock. Maybe I got a bad one, how much gain would you guys rate the tweaker 15 at?

 

[Ascension]

The tweaker 15 didn't have near as much gain as I needed and I don't use extreme levels of gain. I ended up sending it back because the gain on it wasn't anywhere close to the rebel 30 mkii that I also have. I don't know how much gain you guys are using but I had the gain cranked on hot mode and it wasn't enough for my punk rock. Maybe I got a bad one, how much gain would you guys rate the tweaker 15 at?

Got the Tweaker in a trade but am trying to see if i can use it. Have no intent to run it at high gain as have several killer high gain amps. I'm looking for a big warm semi clean to use as a pedal platform. Looking for tones more like say a Vox AC 15 just at the edge or breakup. Looking at it as a potential small head to use with a 1/12 cab for the modern worship gigs I get calls to play. I would run my time based effects through the loop and then push the amp with a Compressor and drives of some type. Need to be able to pull tones in this vein at low stage then mic for small gigs.
https://youtu.be/kYWN3ywCfSs
https://youtu.be/K6N47jtMxQA

 

[Ewizard]

It has 80's levels of gain for sure. Not going to get Dual Rec. out of it, but you can get Marshall Superlead amounts of gain. My issue with the Hot Channel is that it is pretty wooly. They are trying to get a lot of gain out of a single tube. I can't pin down if the FX loop distorts or if it is the PI that distorts first, but the FX loop is a factor and is tube driven.

Fender sounds from it? No, it does not do convincing Fender sounds. Very much more in the Marshall-sounding vein. The A/C setting is not Vox at all. It is less like a vox than either of the three amps it purports to be like. It sounds good enough though, just not a great representation of either one, but is closest to the Marshall thing.

In a band setting, I don't think it has enough clean headroom to use as a pedal platform. Keep in mind my idea of clean, is CLEAN, not edge of breakup. If you don't mind a little grit, it can work for you. For a worship band, it may actually do what you need though. It is not a quiet amp by any means. When I was using it, I was in a moderately loud rock band and 50% of volume and master was enough for me. I used an always on boost pedal to though. This allowed edge of breakup cleans to 80's level of distortion. It does not sound like 80's hair metal though. It has a more ballsy, round, growly kind of distortion that is kind of wooly as I mentioned before. I will post a link to a video I made that shows it.

The amp of interest starts at 27:30 but there are 4 amps in the video.

 

[Ascension]

It has 80's levels of gain for sure. Not going to get Dual Rec. out of it, but you can get Marshall Superlead amounts of gain. My issue with the Hot Channel is that it is pretty wooly. They are trying to get a lot of gain out of a single tube. I can't pin down if the FX loop distorts or if it is the PI that distorts first, but the FX loop is a factor and is tube driven.

Fender sounds from it? No, it does not do convincing Fender sounds. Very much more in the Marshall-sounding vein. The A/C setting is not Vox at all. It is less like a vox than either of the three amps it purports to be like. It sounds good enough though, just not a great representation of either one, but is closest to the Marshall thing.

In a band setting, I don't think it has enough clean headroom to use as a pedal platform. Keep in mind my idea of clean, is CLEAN, not edge of breakup. If you don't mind a little grit, it can work for you. For a worship band, it may actually do what you need though. It is not a quiet amp by any means. When I was using it, I was in a moderately loud rock band and 50% of volume and master was enough for me. I used an always on boost pedal to though. This allowed edge of breakup cleans to 80's level of distortion. It does not sound like 80's hair metal though. It has a more ballsy, round, growly kind of distortion that is kind of wooly as I mentioned before. I will post a link to a video I made that shows it.

The amp of interest starts at 27:30 but there are 4 amps in the video.

Where I would use the Tweaker would be at fairly moderate volumes. I have my Carvin X amp or the PRS Archon for higher volume settings. The Carvin in particular has massive clean headroom. I also have a 20 watt Mesa Subway Rocket and a 25 watt Zinky Blue Velvet combo on hand as well as the little Jet City 22H head. Have been able to nail some of the modem worship tones I have had a hard time with with the little Tweaker at moderate levels with a couple pedals I have on hand.
I want a little hair in my cleans so the Tweaker is working for me here. I also do not need high gain as have a number of absolute fire breathing high gain amps. What I didn't really have is a big warm round small cleanish amp with a loop, this is the role I'm hoping the Tweaker can fill.