The Amp Review Thread

[UberMetalDood]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

Rivera Clubster Royale 1x12 Combo

I've had this amp for 3 days now and have figured a lot of things out already. Mine is a Clubster Royale 1x12. I've gotta say that it is a great amp. I really love how this 50w amp is so light and portable. The cab is just big enough and solid enough to produce a great 1x12 sound. It was definitely built with gigging in mind.

It has 3 channels: clean, dirty, and high gain; but since it has a high and low input, there's essentially 6 modes. low clean/high clean, low drive/high drive, etc... Mine came stock with a Celestion 70/80 but the apparently ship with V30's or Celestion Golds if you order them that way. It has real spring reverb and an FX loop with send/receive level controls. The clean and dirty channels have their own set of EQ controls.

When I first got this amp I had a little trouble getting good low volume sounds, and I didn't like the stock speaker. KJrocks suggested that I patch the FX loop and use the level controls as a master volume. I tried this and it worked perfectly. Now I can get some awesome sounds at bedroom levels. Thanks KJrocks!

I still don't like the Celestion 70/80 speaker and still think it lacks a little low end, is trebly, harsh and nasally, and lacks low mids... at least in this combo. To get close to the kind of sound I want, I run the EQ with Bass=12:00 mid=1:30 treble 11:00. I think a speaker like a V30 might give it the full midrange it needs and soften the upper frequencies that makes the 70/80 harsh.

This amp has real reverb, nothing digital here. The reverb is very subtle until it gets set around 12:00 then it starts getting noticeable but it quickly goes from that to kind of a washed out reverb. I haven't been able to get the perfect reverb sound I want except on the clean channel. The reverb on Mesa boogies and Fender is better. This one is ok, but I'm glad I have it and don't have to add from pedals.

The sound of this amplifier is closer to a Fender amp than I initially perceived. At first it sounded kind of like a cross between Fender and Vox, but when I hear it now, it sounds a lot more like Fender than any other amp.

The clean channel is dead on Fender cleans pretty much. It's among the best cleans I have ever heard on any amp I have ever played. I reminds me of a Vibrolux... a better Vibrolux than the original Supersonic has to offer. It's loose and responsive, sparkly, and comes alive when you play. I usually don't spend a whole lot of time playing clean but I find myself lingering on the clean channel a lot.

The gain channel has a pretty good amount of gain available. It sounds like a gainy Fender Twin I think, but I'm not a big Fender guy so I can't reference whatever Fender it was designed after. It's not the kind of distortion you would get on the Supersonic or the new Deluxe VM, it's more like a classic Fender overdrive. It's not buzzy like a Marshall or fuzzy like an Orange.

Something I noticed about the gain of this amp is that if you don't finger a note correctly the note will die out instantly almost as if there is a noise gate on. It does that because it is very responsive to how you play. It makes a great practice amp because it will not allow you to play sloppy. You can hear a lot of nuance.

On to the high gain channel... When I click over to high gain, the amp takes on kind of a different character. The upper mids come out a little bit more and it gets pretty heavily overdriven. Considering the classic look, it wouldn't seem like the kind of amp capable of heavy tone but it rocks hard. This channel is pretty saturated.

I like the way my OD820 adds a little fatness and gain and warmth to the dirty channel. I am more happy using it with pedals, but it doesn't need it. I think a speaker swap will be the best overall improvement.

It's a full sounding combo. I noticed that some combos lack bass or get mushy when they get loud but this one holds together really well.

I replaced the preamp and power tubes with all JJ's. It sounded even better. I swapped the power tubes and left the JJ preamp tubes in there. It's getting better and better. I can't wait until my new Eminence speaker arrives... it's a Redcoat. More on that later.

[UberMetalDood]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

Carvin Legacy II

Well I picked it up around lunch time. My first look inside it revealed ElectroHarmonix EL34's and preamp tubes and a Mercury Magnetics transformer. The front looks nicer up close than in the pictures. There's a wire mesh over a wood plank covered in green tolex.

The layout is pretty handy but I wish there were indicator lights under the channel switching toggles. Instead they have little LED lights next to the volume control of each channel and it's not always easy to look at the amp and tell which channel you're on.

The head itself is relatively lighter and smaller than most standard sized heads. It has a 25/50/100 watt selector switch on the back panel.

It has a master volume control that works great. You can crank the channel volume for a nice saturation and still keep the volume at reasonable levels.

The clean channel is supple and warm, and has a tremendous amount of headroom. It's almost too easy to play, as if it lacks a little stiffness, but it doesn't. It very nice.

Channel 2 sounds exactly the same as channel 1 except with a subtle amount of gain. I didn't crank it at 100w to see how much breakup I could get, but pretty loud at 25w it broke up kind of like a Mesa Boogie clean channel.

With my OD, channel 2 was pretty sweet but it didn't get real saturated. You would still have to have a pretty heavy OD or distortion box to get enough gain for liquid soloing.

I have a love/hate thing with channel 3 so far, but I just got the amp several hours ago. One one hand, the clean channel is entirely supple and uncompressed, on the other hand, the lead channel is kind of transparent and very compressed as if a sheet is covering the speakers. It's not bad but reminds me of one of those Dumble clones.

My other complaint about the lead channel is the noise. It can't go past 6 without creating a lot of hum. Scoop the mids to try and get a metal sound and then it starts sounding like a blanket is covering the speakers. It's almost too smooth to do metal but the presence control does enough to pull out the metal edge. I think with some experimenting I can find a decent metal tone.

The good news is the lead channel has an incredible attack and you can pinch off harmonics all day long at relatively low gain. I think this amp has some limitations for playing metal without distortion pedals but it can do everything else incredibly well.

Playing lead on the Legacy II is amazing. In a way it's forgiving because it's so responsive but at the same time every nuance of your technique, good or bad, comes through. It rolls off notes in arpeggios from low to high and high to low with grace. Picked notes flutter and legato is liquid smooth.

I think the noise, compression and tone can be greatly improved with a new set of tubes. The Legacy II I played before getting this one was stocked with Groove Tubes. I guess it would be safe to assume that one way Carvin keeps the prices down is by loading them with cheap tubes.

Besides the tubes, everything else about this amp is particularly well built. They don't seem to skimp on using good components, including the Mercury Magnetics transformers, so I think the Legacy II is very high quality.

Overall this is such an amazing amp. I will be upgrading the tubes immediately as I think that's the only thing holding this amp back.

By the way, the gear I used was a 2x12 cab with Vintage 30's, a Fender American strat, and a Musicman Axis Super Sport with a JB/Jazz set.

[UberMetalDood]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

Fender Super-Sonic 22 and Super-Sonic 60

Since I have them both, I figure it would be good to sit down and put a little review together. Of course I'm reviewing a 22w/6V6 combo to a 60w/6L6 head, but I ran them both through the same 2x12 V30 cab. The volume difference? It's substantial but the 22 holds its own. It is the loudest 22w amp I've ever heard, but I only got the volume up to 5 (less than 1/2). By then it's loud enough for most clubs.

Interestingly enough the 60 is able to get a wider variety of low volume sounds since it has a more gradual volume taper. The 22 gets loud very quick. Still, it's great for home practice and recording.

These two amps sound different. In fact, I would venture to say that the 22 is an overall better sounding amp. I like the cleans better and the burn channel is warm and natural. The 60 burn channel is very good but sounds a little more sterile than the 22. It gets better when the volume is high but by then it's going to piss off the drummer... and he's not even in your band!

I hate to say it this way but the 60 Burn channel sounds more sterile than the 22. Having said that, the 60 has more gain at lower volumes. The 22 gets saturated at band practice levels but the Bassman or "Fst" channel does not get much break up until it's ear piercingly loud like around 5.

The 22 has reverb but it sounds kind of washy. I ran my Line6 M9 through the FX loop and it sounded much better. The FX loop works fantastically on either one.

The 60 head has some white noise even when it's on the cleanest channel. The 22 is quieter. They both get fairly noisy when the gain is full on. That's one of my only complaints about this amp.

The only other complaint I can think of is there is not presence or depth controls to help fine tune the EQ; however, the EQ is really neat. You can turn any of them all the way down and achieve a variety of sounds.

The gain controls are interesting. Gain 1 is kind of like a tube screamer kind of gain. It cannot be turned completely off. Gain 2 is like a more modern gain and it can be turned to zero. On either amp I prefer a mix either more than the other. I don't really like how it sounds as much when the gain controls are equally blended.

This is an amp for improving your technique! It is very unforgiving to people with flaws in their technique. It took me a while to get used to it. At first it sounded muddy and sloppy, but then I realized I had to fret and pick more precisely. It goes from barely audible to loud just by hitting the strings harder. It's one of the most unforgiving amps I've ever played.

Overall I prefer the 22. I think it sounds a tiny bit better, but it does not have the same kind of puch as the 60. I think the 60 is more versatile.

If you compare the 60 to the old Super-Sonic, the main differences are:

1. More low end
2. Smoother, less tinny Burn channel
3. Improved volume taper

That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed the reviews.

[UberMetalDood]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

Orange TH30 and AD30

I got to play a few hours with a TH30 and AD30. Although that's not long enough to review how reliable they are or how they work with efffects, I can tell you a lot about how they sound. Here's a quick review of them for anyone who is interested.

TH30 (made in China)

Build: Looks as good quality as the made in UK stuff

Features: FX loop, low, high, shape, gain, master vol, 2 channels (clean/dirty)

Clean Channel: Nice clean channel. It's not "great," but very nice. It's kind of a dark clean, not like chimey Fenders. It's plyable in feel like a Fender, but it doesn't have the sparkle. It's a great clean sound however for any kind of blues, rock and metal. You can go from a clean sound to an AC/DC kind of grit. I think changing the stock tubes will give the clean channel a little more headroom. With high output humbuckers I was still able to get a fairly clean tone when cranking the amp loud.

Overdrive Channel: This is where the amp shines. It's honestly one of the nicest gain channels I've ever heard on an EL84 amp. The things that usually bother me about EL84 amps doesn't bother me about this one. It sounds incredible. The gain has a very wide range from bluesy breakup to a really thick, heavy distortion. It's more distortion than I've heard in any Orange. It's just dripping wet and ripe with all kinds of great lead and rhythm tone.

Pros/Cons: There are a couple of things about the TH30, but they may or may not be anything that important.

First of all, it doesn't have a mid control. The only feature is a "shape" control with seems to do a couple of things. To one side, it seems to scoop the mids, in the middle it seems to add mids, and to the far right it seems to entirely shift the EQ balance. It's a really cool control but I don't know how it would cut it in a mix, however, it does have an inherent midrange quality like any British amp so I think it would have no problem cutting through.

It has an effects loop but no level control. I guess it's not a major issue, but it would be nice to have one.

The other feature is that it has a 1/2 power and full power toggle so you can run at 15/30 watts.

Finally it has a manual channel switching toggle as well as a footswitch input. It bothers me that some of the most expensive, sought-after amps don't have a manual channel switch. This has both so that's cool.

I should also mention that it's made in China. Although it appears to be very well constructed inside and outside of the chassis, I have no idea if any corners were cut as far as part quality, etc... I would be surprised if it wasn't a reliable amp.


AD30 (made in UK)

Build: Top notch build quality. Nothing else to say without banging it around at gigs for a year.

Features: Master volume, gain, bass/middle/treble, 1/2 power toggle, 2 channels

Clean Channel: I plugged into the clean channel with the volume about 1/4 which is fairly loud for playing inside a small store. I started with all controls at 12:00. With the gain at 12:00, using Duncan Designed humbuckers, the clean channel had a fair amount of breakup. I turned the gain down and the volume up, and still a little breakup, then I turned the gain down to 9:00 and the volume up even more and it was pretty clean at a healthy volume.

My impression is that it has less headroom than the TH30, but I wouldn't know for sure because I didn't get either amp past 1/2 volume.

The so-called "clean" channel sounded awesome, perhaps a mild improvement over the TH30, but not the kind of clean channel I like which would go from pristine clean to a mild breakup.

Overdrive Channel: The overdrive is really cool, but probably about 1/2 the gain that the TH30 has. It reminds me a lot of a JCM800 and with a similar amount of gain. In fact, I would not be surprised in the least if Orange told me it was modeled after a JCM800.

I really like this overdrive even though it's not as juicy as the TH30. They both have a great overdrive sound. This one seems to showcase the nuances of your technique just a little bit more than the TH30, but that might be attributed to the fact that I was spoiled with the amount of gain on the TH30. It's a great overdrive sound no doubt.

Pros/Cons: I'm going to have to say there are some disappointments. There is no FX loop. That's definitely a big minus in my opinion. I don't know if the preamp design is one in which FX sound good at the input, but 3 multi-FX units I've tried in front of many amps (Nova System, M9, Boss GT10) sounded horrible. I don't expect anything better ouf of this amp. A couple of reviews seem to confirm that it doesn't handle effects well, but I wouldn't know for a fact since I didn't try any effects.

It's a very straight-forward amp, absolutely no frills. For a price tag of $1600, I would expect at least an FX loop. It's just TOO classic of a design for this day and age.

I wish I could say that the tone makes up for it, but not really. It's a great tone that I would love to have, but it doesn't have the versatility of a JCM800 reissue.

It would be nice to have more headroom, or at least low and high inputs. Unfortunately, their no-frills approach to designing it leaves none of those features.

[ericmeyer4]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

The following will be a comparison of 3 Fender Champ amplifiers. A 1967 Fender Blackface Vibrochamp, 1973 Fender Silverface Champ, and a 2006 Fender Champion 600.


1967 Fender BF VibroChamp

5 Watts
Volume
Treble
Bass
Input 1 and 2
Selectable Vibro Channel
Vibro Speed
Vibro Intensity
12AX7 preamp tube
6V6 power amp tube
5Y3 rectifier tube
Weber 8" 4 ohm replacement speaker

1973 Fender SF Champ

5 Watts
Volume
Treble
Bass
Inputs 1 and 2
12AX7 preamp tube
6V6 power amp tube
5Y3 rectifier tube
Original 8" 4 ohm Oxford 8ev ceramic speaker

2006 Fender Champion 600

5 watts
Volume
Inputs 1 and 2
External speaker output
12AX7 preamp tube
6V6 poweramp tube
Solid state diode rectifier
Fender 6" 4 ohm ceramic speaker

Price
Prices seem to be on the rise for both the blackface and silverface champ. My vibrochamp I purchased for ~$350 in 2005 and I've seen a few sell for ~$700 now. The silverface champs seem to be going for about $300 now, but some are selling for over $500. My suspicion is that both will continue to rise in price. The Champion 600 sell new for ~$170 which is not bad if looking for a bed room or small recording tube amp.

Upkeep

BF and SF Champs

Upon purchase of a Bf or Sf champ it would probably be a good idea to have it checked out by a tech if it has not been serviced in a few years. Parts where out especially on a 40 year old amp. Up keep really isn't that bad. The Sf champ I just purchased needed new caps and a few resistors to bring it back up to specs. Bill should be about $100 after parts and labor and I shouldn't have to worry about it for another 10-15 years.

I would also recommend changing out the original speaker for a new one, but keep the original one if you decide to sell it. It is not that the original speakers sound bad, but it reality it is 40 year old paper and glue. It seems most people get these to crank them and the problem with this is that if the speaker has dried out over the years you run the risk of damaging it and ending up with a speaker that rattles. Installing a new speaker is more about protecting your investment. Amps with the original speaker usually have more value that amps with non-original speakers. Plus in the mean time you have a speaker that sounds just as good or better and you minimized the risk of devaluing your amp. There are a handful of companies that are making speakers for these little amps. I know of Kendrick, Jensen, and Weber and the prices seem to range from about $40-$90 for replacement speakers.

Champion 600

If purchased new you shouldn't have to worry about any upkeep besides tubes for a few years. Not sure how they will stand the test of time though. If something does go wrong with them it probably would not be worth it to fix like with a bf or sf champ.

Clean

BF VibroChamp

Absolutely beautiful cleans. Everything you could want in a Fender for clean. I don't think having an 8" speaker here is a hinderance to the amp. It adds a little bit of something extra to the high end. Very musical and beautiful clean tone.

SF Champ

Have not had a chance to give it a good once over to give an accurate review. Currently at the techs.

Champ 600

Cleans on their own for this amp sounded decent, but compared to the BF or SF they were anemic. They just didn't quiet have the same magic as the other two. Great practice or recording amp in its own right, but it falls a little short when compared to the other two.

Amp breakup

BF VibroChamp

Great sounding breakup tones, but this amp puts out a lot of volume for it size so I did not play around with this too much. However, it did produce a great sounding vintage breakup tones. Heck this is the type of amp that helped produce those tones.

SF Champ

Have not had a chance to give it a good once over to give an accurate review. Currently at the techs.

Champ 600

This one had pretty good breakup tones, but again when compared to the other two it falls a little short. It will reach break up a little bit earlier than the others though. I believe that fender made input one a bit hotter to help push it into breakup sooner.

IMO all three of these amps would benefit from an attenuator if trying to get the breakup tones at bedroom or apartment levels. 5 watts is LOUD on these amps.

Ability to take pedals

BF VibroChamp

The Vibrochamp did pretty good with a Electro Harmonix NYC Big Muff. Full sounded low end and I could dial out the ice pick highs. Having the treble and bass controls on the amp helped immensely in being able to shape the overall tone and dial in great sounds. This amp did not do so well with an older Dunlop Fuzz Face (red case from about 2003) and I suspect that this was the pedal more than the amp as it was mud city.

The vibrochamp did respond well to overdrive pedals and could be pushed into a really nice sounding breakup.

SF Champ

Have not had a chance to give it a good once over to give an accurate review. Currently at the techs.

Champ 600

This amp was a little specific about which pedals it liked. When running a Electro-Harmonix NYC Big Muff through it did not give very good result. Rolling back on the Big Muff's tone knob to get a fuller sound and it got too muddy. Increasing the tone knob resulted in ice pick highs. This is an instance where some type of tone knob would have been beneficial for for this amp. A larger speaker could have helped too by giving the amp a little more bass so the pedal could have been turned up reducing the ice pick highs and allowing for a fuller sound.

Though it did not like the Big Muff it really loved a BYOC tri-boost. When set for a germanium mid boost this amp really started to shine. It helped push it into a nice vintage style overdrive. My suspicion is that most pedals that push the amp would match really well.

Summary
Overall I do not think the 8" speakers were a hindrance to the champ, but I think the Champ 600 would greatly be improved with an 8" over the 6" speaker. All had great cleans and breakup tone, but the Champ 600 fell short when compared to the others.

If I had a chance to buy all three again, I would. All three are good amps to play around the house or to record with. The only down side is that they can get really loud if trying for natural breakup. Here is where an attenuator or overdrive would come in handy.

Ranking
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MORE TO COME SHORTLY

[mwalluk]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

Randall MTS RM100



I love the concept. It allows you to have three different tones in one amp. You want a Fender Clean, a Marshall Crunch and a Recto for Brutal distortion; well essentially you can with this amp. No more lugging around two or three other amps to gigs or so they say.

The MTS series is NOT a modeling amp, nor is it a tube version of a modeler. There is no emulation here. The pre-amps are tube circuits and happen to be interchangeable. These swappable modules literally will take about five seconds to change.

The problem is that there was something off with these amps, almost like something is missing from them. I couldn’t gel with it. I got some awesome tones out of it, but it left me empty wanting more. Maybe I bought into the hype too much, I don’t know. All I can say is that it wasn’t right.

The modules all vary in tonal representation. Some modules are spot on, some are average. No modules sound bad per se. If you don't care about them perfectly replicating a particular amp’s tone, but rather just having the variety of good tones, they're great.

The Modules will all sound very similar. They're just preamps. The tone/feel that we love from certain “classic” amps comes from the power amps, output transformers, speakers and cabinet. Without those differences, the modules will have minor differences amongst them. Some may have more sag, brightness, upper mids, lower mids, gain, etc. All can be dialed in to achieve a similar sound.

modules all sound exactly a like with only minor differences. One may be slightly higher in the med frequencies while the other slightly more gain. All can be dialed in to sound the same.
Now granted, the modded modules are fantastic. These are excellent representations. The problem is they cost double the amount that a stock module costs.

This amp is built fairly well. Extremely heavy. It doesn’t have the natural characteristics that I prefer; organic, dynamic, complex, tight, clean/smooth, just enough sag, etc. The distortions are solid. The problem is that it loses feel and is almost sterile. It’s like the Nickelback of amps. It’s good for what it is and does a well job at doing it, but rehashes the same sound every chance it gets. That sound isn’t unique, but rather bland.

The head is extremely heavy. It is noisy due to the high gain factor and it comes stock with a built in fan (which is cool). I do like the ability to use El34s, 6l6s or a mix of the two. If a tube goes bad, a light comes on to show you exactly which tube died. No more guessing. Also if a tube dies during a show, it gets kicked out of the circuit and the amp allows you to continue playing. No more amp failures. Self bias ability is great too. Changing tubes is a breeze.
It's versatile enough to cover any style depending on modules that you choose. Now I haven’t tried any newer modules or units, so I can’t comment on whether or not they’ve upgraded them. I do know that the RM4 is recommended to be run with Randall’s power amp that uses both EL34s and 6L6s. It allows gives you the ability to fully assign which tube to which channel.

The problem with the Randall MTS stuff, is that it falls into the same price range as better amps. Couple that with the fact that without the differences in the power amp and the speakers, the modules can get pretty similar in sound.

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s a good amp. You’ll be able to nail some close representations of certain amps. The tone is good and will suit whatever style you play. It’s not an amp that will complete you or make you strive to be a better player. It’s almost complacent like. Given the price of a fully stock head, you will be in the same price point as Bogners, Diezels, Marshalls, Splawns, Soldanos, Mesas, Fryettes, etc. Now tell me this, given the choice between a fully stocked Randall MTS series or one of the aforementioned amp brands, which would you choice? That answer is exactly why the Randall MTS series will be nothing more than a conception.

[Red_Label]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

VHT Pittbull Ultra Lead


I think that I've spent enough time now (several days) with the VHT UL to at least give some impressions and opinions.

1) It's AWESOME. LOL... I really do think that I love this amp. I've had a LOT of versatile amps (XTC, Shiva, Triamp, YCS100H, Tweaker, etc). In fact, it's easier for me to name the amps that I've had that weren't all that versatile (Twin Reverb, Class 5, Bassman). But this beast is VERSATILE! Some of the versatile amps that I've had would do a decent job of doing modern metal, but the Pittbull does a much better job of that than any of them.

With the EQ available to assign to any one of the three channels, you can really tweak the tone to your taste -- whatever it is. I tend to use the EQ on the rhythm channel, so I can scoop it for modern rock/metal. You have to watch the highest two bands so things don't get fizzy.

2) The tone really is awesome! After yesterday I was starting to think that maybe this was a beast that was only really geared to modern hard rock and metal. But today I just turned that EQ off and tweaked the rhythm and lead channels using the shared tone controls for them. WOW! Before today I had mostly used my T75-loaded Marshall 1960A, because I preferred the way it sounded for scooped metal tones over my silver-label G12-30 loaded Bogner Ubercab. (Normally the Bogner cab would SPANK the Marshall for metal, but in stock form it comes with a pair of V30s and a pair of T75s.)

Anyways... skipping the EQ and just using the shared tone controls made the amp sound like -- dare I say... MY XTC CLASSIC! The hot-rodded Marshall tones were so organic, dynamic, and complex. The sound was SO "woody". Part of that HAS to be the very strong (and wonderful) character of the Ubercab. But I was REALLY surprized that the VHT was able to impress me with its character the way the XTC does.

I did directly A/B the two amps a few days ago, but it wasn't a fair comparison because they were going through two very different-sounding cabs. I wish that I had two exact matching cabs to really compare.

I did play around with the clean channel some more and it's definitely coming into its own the more I play with it. I still don't think that it's as full-bodied and sparkly as the XTCs clean channel. But it is a good tone nonetheless.

But based on my playing today, I would definitely say that the VHT can hang with the Bogner in terms of richness of tone in the OD department. This amp is loaded with KT-88s by the way. And as far as versatility goes... this may very well be the most versatile amp I've ever played. I WILL be buying it and it will likely end-up being the main amp that I use with my current band. I did spend some time yesterday with both amps in a stereo config and it was STUNNING. HUGE! But I didn't dare get too used to it because with my healing back, there's NO way I dare even think about hauling them both around to gigs. Sure would be awesome though!

So if you want an amp that'll do just about any type of music and sound awesome doing it, it would be hard to do better than the VHT. I have no plans to sell my XTC, but if I'm thinking that if I were to have stumbled on the Pittbull first, it would have been just as satisfied as I have been with my XTC. It really is a top tier channel switching amp. I don't know why more people don't list it in the "holy grail" list with the XTC, SLO, and CAA OD/PT100.

[richard parker]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

Cornford Roadhouse 30w Combo

Single channel amp with a footswitchable gain boost so your knob compliment is volume, gain, boost and 3 band eq. Multiple extension speaker options which I've never used. 3 tube pre-amp, 2 x EL34 power stage which is the same as the 50 but the 50 is fixed bias whereas the 30 is cathode biased. I got the 30w because that's as much power as I need and I like to be able to change the tubes without any faffing around. Single V30 speaker in a deep cab that really helps spread the sound. I've just had a power tube fail which is the only issue I've had in 3 years. I've put in Tung Sol 34Bs which are really good.

Sound - without the boost engaged it stays clean until about half way up on the gain when it morphs really nicely into overdrive giving you lots of different flavours. At full gain it's very similar to a 50w 70s Marshall combo I used to own but it can achieve the same effect with a lot less volume and the EQ is a whole lot more effective. Engaging the boost is like kicking in the best overdrive pedal you've ever heard. It doesn't change the basic tonality a lot but just gives you MORE.

The boost will give you more volume but it depends how the amp is set up. If you have the first gain very low and the boost set high the increase in volume will be way too much. If you have the gain set high then the boost mainly provides more saturation. When I was playing in a 2 guitar band I was using a graphic in the loop purely as a volume boost. Now I'm in a 1 guitar line up I don't bother.

I play mainly bluesy, 70s rocky type stuff so I have it set up for a crunch to lead sound and if I want clean I'll either hit the guitar more softly or turn it down.

Up until a few months ago I was mainly playing an old SG with a JB in the bridge but recently I took to playing my Firebird Studio with the standard 490/498 set. I got fed up with these pups and replaced them with Rebel Yells. The amp sounded great before but now it sounds ten times better. The difference is really astonishing. The Gibson pups and the SD would mush up after a certain amount of gain (and I'm not a gain freak) but with the RYs you can keep piling it on and they retain their clarity while aquiring monstrous amounts of BRAAANG and sustain.

I'm an old git of 53 and I've owned some nice amps over the years including various Marshalls, Laneys, Musicman etc. The Roadhouse is head and shoulders over anything I've owned before. I've played quite a few Boogies and they don't come close. I played my first gig with my Rebel Yells a couple of weeks ago and the sound was mind-numbingly good. Although the amp sounds great at low volumes if you get the chance to turn it up half way this is where some special magic starts to happen. This is why I went 30w instead of 50w because I'm mainly a pub player and there's not many places you can crank a 50 watter. Whenever I've played bigger places I've been miked up anyway.

Negatives ? I really can't think of any. This amp and BK pickups are the best things that have ever happened to my sound.

[Blackie13]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

BUGERA 6262

Yeap,it's "that" amp from "taht" company that copies stuff...
But for us,the guitarists what's the most important part of the amp?
the sound...To me if the amp sound good i don't mind the company or the country where it was built...

What does 6262 offer? 2 channels,3 modes+reverb...the clean channel shares the shame EQ with the crunch channel(changes with a switch,unfortunatly you cannot change it via footswitch).There is also a bright switch for the crunch-clean channel that enables another 12ax7 and adds a bit more hair to the sound...the lead channel is the well known "lead channel"...tons os gain and so on...the reverb can be footswitcable and it is different for each channel(the footswitch can keep the reverb on when switching channels).

The sound of 6262...I will be completely honest here...I don't like any boost pedals(hate them) so I wanted to get a sound straight from the amp.I play hard rock and classic heavy metal(no chugga chugga stuff).The amp needs TWEAKING...it takes a lot of time to find the ideal sound right from the amp...be patient and you will not be dissapointed...

Can you improve the base sound of the amp?The answer is a GREAT yes!!!
the preamp tubes are extemely cheap 3rd choise tubes that won't shine apart from the lead channel that has a grade A tube...What I dit...
Replaced the preamp tubes with a tung-sol reissue in V1,JJ ecc83 in V2-V3-V4-V5 slots and a sovtek 12ax7 LPS at the PI slot...
The result:A TOTAL transformation of the amp.Amazing clean tones,amazing crunch and amazing fat lead sound.I also biased the power tubes with a bias probe(you cannot bias it without one)

Does it worth it?I had numerous amps in the past.The best of them was an engl fireball which I sold for a short trip to the rack journey...
The amp with the tube changes can stand right next to fireball with ease...


PROS:
-affortable.
-versality.
-reverb.
-120W monster.
-very nice lead channel(out of the box).
-with a change of tubes you can have a fantastic amp.

CONS:
-noisy(you need a noise gate).
-the effects loop is the same loop that was used for the 5150 which doesn't take everything well.
-you need a tube change to take the amp to the next level.
-made in China(for some people,the country that the amp was made is relevant to its reliability,until now I don't have a single problem with the amp)

PS:For the people who claim that it's a copy of the 5150,6262 is made more like a XXX with the sound of a 5150 without a resonance knob and with more gain and bass.For me it's a keeper and a STEAL!!!!!

PS2:Sorry for my english,I dit my best

Cheers

[guitfiddle]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

Ampeg Jet J12-T Reissue

Single channel 1x12 amp from the 90s when Ampeg reissued the Diamond Blue series of amps, including the Super Jet 50 watt 1x12, and the Reverberocket 1x12 and 2x12 amps. 15 watts, class a operation, controls for volume, tone, speed and intensity for the tremolo, and reverb. 12" low watt, in-house Ampeg speaker.

The crunch on this amp comes on with HBs around 3, and nearer to 4 with SC guitars. For SC guitars, a 12AY7 in the V1 spot is just magical. Very EL84 style, so there's really not much comparison to the 60s Jets. This amp avoids the spongy bass of EL84s by not having much to start with. Very much a mid/high voiced amp.

Ampeg was always concerned with a very warm and round midrange sound, and mostly avoided the more shrill sounds you could get with a Fender. This amp takes the high end a bit higher than older Ampeg designs, and it's possible to get it way too bright, which makes it play best with HB guitars.

Touch response is really above and beyond, especially at around 7 on the volume. This amp works great for the clean-to-crunch with pick attack alone, and it takes most pedals well. The ones that are voiced bright are tricky with it, because of it's own high end content. The speaker cracks up a bit when the volume is up and adds to the overall crunchiness. Lead tones really sing with a round voice, even if the amp is set bright.

Volume-wise, it sounds best in a room that can hold less than a hundred. Mic'd up, the PA is the limit, but there's enough volume from the amp to stage monitor, it you're not into super clean Fender BF tones.

The reverb is great, but not as pronounced as many Fender players would want. No surf possible with this circuit, but the verb on hand is round, and warm with not even a hint of splattyness in it.

The tremolo is the real winning feature on this amp. Set both controls on 2 or 3, and you get a swirl that surrounds every note and makes the harmonics shift and keep your interest. From there, the effect gets faster and deeper until you reach a point when the sound turns on and off completely.

This is great for getting a note feeding back, and then upping the intensity control until it starts turning off and on, then adjusting the speed with the music. Killer stuff.

These go for around $450 new, and can be picked up for $300 or less used. Good tones for the money spent, if you're not into metal sounds from the amp.

[Mr 9finger]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier Solo

3 Channels, 7 modes, SS or Tube rectifier, Bold & Spongy switch, loaded w/ JJ 6L6’s and JJ 12AX7 preamp tubes. 150 watts of pure loudness!
For this review, I ran straight into the head with a Mogami cable and the head was ran straight into a stock Mesa Rectifier 4x12 cab loaded with Celestion Vingtage 30’s. The guitar I used was an Ibanez S470. Mahogany body, Maple neck, Rosewood board, loaded with Dimarzio Steve’s special in the bridge and Air Norton in the neck. Stock middle single. I’ll use this guitar for any of the other reviews I do because it’s in the middle of the road for all the guitars I have. Different tubes, cabs, guitars, pickups, etc… will vary from my review. Most everyone knows this, just throwing it out there.
For neutrality sake, I left the B/M/T at 12 o clock and only adjusted the MV/Pres/Gain. Master output was sat to 3 o clock and volume was adjusted through the individual channel’s master volume.

Set to tube rectifier and spongy

Channel 1 – Clean
Very clean, squeaky, articulate, and open. 150 watts offers a lot of headroom, so you can keep it that way for quite a bit of the volume. It’s got a kind of dark and smooth sound. Not much sparkle or chime. It’s a good open sound, not Fenderish, but not thin or weak. It’s your typical metal cleans is probably the best way to describe it.

Channel 1 – Pushed
This is where this channel shines. Flipping over to this setting, it adds in some more gain, giving it more depth and girth. It compresses slightly, thickening the overall tone up. The gain knob is usable all the way through on this setting. You can go from a nice smooth bluesy tone to a raunchy AC/DC style of tone.
Channel 2 – Raw

Channel 2 is probably my favorite channel on the whole amp. Out of the 3, it’s probably the most versatile. The raw setting can be set up for a really nice clean. Still not as good as a Vox or Fender, but for some reason it just sounds better than the actual clean channel. It has a little more dimension chime to it. Buckers, singles, P90’s, doesn’t matter, it all sounds pretty good through the clean. If you roll the gain and presence up, it sounds and responds very much like the pushed setting on channel 1 except for maybe a little more gain.

Channel 2 – Vintage
Raunchy! Gritty 70’s rock machine and the louder you get, the better it sounds. Turn the gain up and you’ve instantly hit 80’s territory. Again, this another setting that has a very usable gain structure all the way through taper of the gain knob. Past 3 o clock on the gain knob, it can get a little buzzy and fizzy, but it goes away as you turn the volume up.

Channel 2 – Modern
This is a very short description. 2 words…………Early Metallica. Everything about this setting just has that vibe to it. I often find myself jamming out some classic Met riffs when I land on this channel. It’s heavy, thick, and articulate. This setting on channel 2 really takes some work to dial in right though. At lower volumes, you really have to fiddle some knobs to get rid of the buzzy distortion. Then, again, these amps aren’t really intended for quiet practice, but it’s still manageable. A tubescreamer variant really helps with this at lower volumes. OK, not so short lol.

Channel 3
I’m going to wrap the Raw and Vintage setting into one here. To me, these 2 setting sound identical to the same settings on channel 2.

Channel 3 – Modern
This is the channel these amps are known for. Brootalz! Thick, chunky, percussive, take your head off high gain madness. I actually am not real fond of this setting. I’ll clarify, to get this setting to sound its best, you have to have the amp up really loud or it just kind of farts out and gets kind of mushy from the gain overload. If you like this setting, and you have neighbors, you will become well acquainted with the local police department. Trust me, I’ve already met them a couple times on this channel lol!

Switch over to the solid state rectifier and everything becomes edgier. IMO, this setting is mainly for hi gain metal usage. It’s also where I think a lot of the people that don’t like the Rectifier series get a bad rap. In this setting, all of the channels become almost sterile sounding. I’m not a tube snob by any means, but the solid state rectifier hardens the overall tone of the amp to the point that it kills all of the good things listed above. There is an exception to that, if you’re going to use a Dual or Triple Recto strictly for metal, then this setting gives up the goods. Riffing is tighter and it’s a lot more articulate under high gain. It’s not that the amp doesn’t track well or is flubby w/ tube rectification, because that’s not the case. It just has a looser feel to it, which I like. Some may not. Like I mentioned earlier, this is the key to the really aggressive metal sounds you can get from Mesa amps and it’s probably the main reason why the Single Rectifier only comes with a solid state rectifier.

OK, some are probably going to wonder, “what’s up with not turning any of the tone controls?” I did that for reason. Most amps have an inherent tonal nature to them. The Rectifier line is known for a lot of gain, a lot of bass and highs. Just like Fender is known for its cleans, and Marshall is known for their roar and midrange growl. The tone controls on this amp are really responsive. The volume taper is a little touchy at times, but it’s manageable. There’s such a wide difference in guitars, pickups, speakers, cabs, etc… that will move each individual person a different way. So to me, it’s better to leave all the tone controls at noon. What works for me and my setup, probably isn’t going to work for you. For the record, out of the 6 different guitars I currently have, I’m able to dial in exactly what I need or dial out what I don’t, and they’re all setup a lot differently from each other. I’m talking from a Schecter that’s tuned down a step and half down to a Gibson P90 LP

Conclusion:
The Triple Rectifier is a VERY loud amp. If you need more than what this head has to offer, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s also a very versatile amp. It doesn’t nail the Marshall tone, doesn’t really come close to a Fender clean, but they’re good enough . If you’re looking to nail those other tones, then you’d probably be better off buying a Marshall or Fender. They’re high gain monsters and that’s what their intended use is. On its own though, I would be able to get by with just this head and some pedals if I was only able to own 1 head. Fortunately, I’m not, so be expecting another review in a few days!

[Mr 9finger]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

Spot saved for Mesa Boogie Tremoverb!

[Ascension]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

Zinky 25 watt Blue Velvet combo.
I was nervous about this one when I snagged it on line as she only has a single volume, tone control and a mid boost cut one each channel + a gain control on the crunch side then the master volume and master verb. However my fears were unfounded as this thing is voiced so incredibly well by Bruce that it is simply a tone machine!!
The cleans are nice chimy and round with a lot of depth and overtones at lower settings which should be no surprise coming from the former head of amp design at Fenders Custom Shop. When you really crank the clean channel in typical Fender fashion it begins to break nicely into a nice bluesy fat overdrive that get's more aggressive and saturated the harder you push it. Dynamics are great and she it very touch sensitive. You will find some simply stellar vintage Fender style pure tube tones in this channel of these rigs!
The Crunch side is however is decidedly non Fender in the feel and where this little beastie really shines it's brightest.
The Velvet name is accurate as the over drive is smoooth fat ultra dynamic and oh so sweet. With the gain down it has a nice blusey edge but turn the gain up just a little and it becomes a raging high octane brutal beast. Incredibly dynamic super liquid solo tones are the norm and having enough gain is not a problem with likely more on tap than you can use! The Zinky Velvet is quite simply a true pro class road worthy rig and simply is the best and biggest sounding small amp on the planet bar none at any price!! What is astounding with this amp is how BIG and sweet it sounds at super low volumes. There is simply nothing on the planet that sounds better at super low volumes than a Velvet does. Saying that make no mistake this little beast has volume can get quite LOUD as well.
With a lifetime TRANSFERABLE warranty and rock solid build quality + Bruce's great support this is my holy grail/ desert Island amp. My only gripe is I wish I had more headroom and if I had it to do over again would have gotten the 50 watter instead of the 25.
If something happened to this amp I would be desperate to find another one and will never be with out a Zinky rig as long as I can play!
These are not cheap at around $1800 retail for the 25 watt combo. However for the touring pro to the studio session guy to the bar player don't be put off by the price these amps are the best I have ever played and are worth EVERY stinking penny you pay for them!!
Here is a youtube clip with my little Velvet and trusty 1990 Cavin X220C "Pinky". The only effects are a Boss DD-7 a George Dennis Wah and a Rocktron Deep Blue Chorus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6eUZmKKBEc&feature=related

Photos

[SamusChief]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

Peavey Vypyr Tube 60

That's right. A Modeler. My excuse is that it's cheap (450 USD) and it's got a tube in the preamp and an all tube power amp. It doesn't have channels, but it has amps. For this review, I will do two sections: pedals/FX and Amps.

The basic way this amp is all wired up on the inside is as follows:
Digital 32 bit SHARC processor for Pedals -> Analog amp simulator -> Digital SHARC processor for Rack FX sims -> 12AX7 buffer tube -> 60W 6L6 power amp (2 6L6 tubes)

I play this amp almost every single day, as it is my bedroom and band practice amp. As such, I have experience at both loud and low volumes.

PEDALS

There are pedals for lots of different effects. A full list can be found on the internet somewhere, but I'm reviewing the practical ones. Such as the Phaser, Flanger, and Chorus. Each of these does what they're supposed to do, and I can get tons of sounds from them. They are controlled by pushing the knob for the pedals like a button and then use what would be the Amp's EQ to control parameters 1 and 2. The rack effect editing follows the same process. Peavey put a lot of work into packing as many instructions onto the front panel, so its crowded but reading the front makes it pretty simple. The parameters are short and sweet: Speed and Depth for all of the modulation. There are a few boosts and overdrives that model the Zakk Wylde OD, the Tube Screamer, a Fuzz box, and a boost with mild overdrive. Each does their job, but I stick mainly to the tube screamer and boost. The others cause too much feedback when I'm trying to simulate the TS into a Marshall kind of sound. On the effects side, the only thing I really use over here is the chorus, to mix with the pedal side's flanger. The mixture sounds really good with the right settings, and with delay (which can be added via tap tempo and modifying of parameters in edit mode for the pedals or FX) actually sounds really nice. There is also a slap echo that works nicely. The rotary and tremelo do what they should, but my only complaint is that of all FX, tremelo should have a dedicated tap tempo button. ecause the amp has a digital interface, I can never get that exact tempo on the stutter. The sounds do what they should, and they work for me (mostly), the mostly bedroom musician, but they're better than my distortion pedal and my old digital FX board. I'd give a 7/10 overall on the pedals, because I know they aren't the best but they get the job done.

AMPS

The amp models on this sucker are pretty nice. I believe there are 12 or 13 models, each with a clean (green) or distorted/pushed (red) sound. The left side is reserved mostly for modern amps, like the 6505, the JSX, the XXX, the Mesa Rectifier, the Diezel and the Krankenstein. On the right we have cleaner/vintage amps, such as the Fender Twin and Deluxe, the AC30, The Marshall Plexi, an amp modeled after Brian May's modded ?Vox? and a Peavey Classic. Each of them have great cleans, minus the Plexi, which is dull and lacking in high end. The Vox works really well; I use it for all of my permanent cleans, from my jazzy settings to my metal settings. I can push it for a light grit, or tone it down but retain a sparkle. The cleans on the XXX, Twin, Deluxe, and Classic all sound very similar. The left side, with the high gain contenders, works just as it should. each of these amps has a slightly different voice to it. The Diezel has that lower mid thump, like the rectifier, but it somewhat muddier than the rectifier. I use the Diezel for my metal rhythm. I use the rectifier for my alt. rock distortion. The Krankenstein was, obviously, placed for the Dimebag fans. You scoop those mids and dime the trebe and you get that Walk sound very quickly. If I had an SH-13 I know I would sound almost exactly like him with this model. The Krankenstein has too much upper mid voicing and is largely unusable for anything besides Pantera. The 6505 is a generic, metalhead sound. It has its applications. The JSX and the XXX behave similarly, as they both are extremely sensitive to EQ changes. Boosting the mids in either acts as a boost function. I added delay and made the JSX my soloing tone for metal applications. 8/10 overall, due to versatility but many models sound too similar to differentiate.

OVERALL

For the price point, this amp does a lot of stuff, and if you throw in another hundred you can get the Sanpera 1 footswitch, enabling the looper, a fun function. However, the looped track plays back louder and the software occasionally mibehaves. The amp has frozen on me before, but I play it a lot and can count the number of one times on one hand, which that number is 4. This amp is used every day. Overall, for what it is, I gove an 8/10.

[wahwah]

Re: The Amp Review Thread

Fender Super Champ

The Super Champ was introduced in 1982, and was the last of Fender's true 'point to point' wired amps outside of the Custom Shop. It was designed by a team directed by Paul Rivera, headed by Mark Wentling, during Rivera's three year tenure designing a new range of amps for Fender. It was discontinued in 1986. It is an 18w, single 10" Class AB combo. The design philosophy was a return to the blackface era, and sonically, the Super Champ bears more resemblance to a blackface Deluxe Reverb than any sort of Champ. It has two channels, selected by a pull pot on the volume control. The second channel was one of Fender's highest gain to date, and has remarkable similarities to the earliest Mesa Boogies, with a smooth, saturated overdrive, achieved by some clever re-workings of the tube circuitry. The channels can also be selected by the rare and expensive optional footswitch.

Tubes

The Super Champ was originally designed around a 7025 preamp tube, essentially a low noise 12AX7 variant. It is followed by a 12AT7, used primarily as the reverb driver, half of which is used by the Lead channel as an extra gain stage when the Lead channel is engaged. Following that is an odd little tube called a 6C10, which has three triode stages, making it like one and a half 12AX7s. It performs three tasks, reverb return, a final preamp stage, and the phase inverter. This tube was used in some early Ampeg designs, and can be a problem for Super Champ users, because it hasn't been made anywhere on the planet since about 1985. Super Champ owners know that they have to locate a stock of these tubes to ensure that their amps will work in the future. Finally, the power is provided by a pair of 6V6GTA.

In both of my Super Champs, I have replaced all but the 6C10 with late 50's RCA blackplates, and the improvement to the dimension of the soundstage is quite extraordinary. The amp belies its tiny size, and seems to kick out much more than its 18w rating. This is partly due to the extra headroom provided by a solid state rectifier.

Controls

The front panel control layout includes Volume (with a pull pot for Lead Channel Volume), Treble (with a pull pot for midrange), Bass, Reverb, Lead Channel Master, and Master Volume.

Reverb

The Super Champ's reverb is provided by an Accutronics three spring reverb. Classic Fender reverb sound.

Speaker

The original speaker was a 10" Fender Special Design made by Eminence. The rare (500 worldwide) deluxe version of the amp had an EV Force. Most Super Champ owners eventually replace the original Eminence speaker, because it tended to be papery and thin, and not provide much in the way of bottom end. When I got my first Super Champ, the original speaker had already been swapped for a Celestion G10S-50, which works beautifully in this amp.

Tone

The Super Champ provides a remarkably balanced, classic Fender blackface clean tone. The combination of 6V6s and the 10" speaker somehow keeps the whole thing to scale, despite the diminutive size of the amp. This has made the Super Champ a much desired recording amp, because classic Fender tones can be had without the ear splitting volumes of amps like the Twin Reverb. The Lead channel provides something quite different for Fender, in that it closer resembles an early Boogie, with beautifully saturated and rich overdriven tones. The solid state rectifier gives the amp the advantage of headroom that is often lacking in small tube rectifier Fenders.

The amp takes pedals extremely well, and provides a great foundation when using just the clean channel. It sounds huge mic'd into a good PA system, and records very well. I've been using this little tone monster as my main live amp for over 10 years of constant touring.

Here are some clips showing both the clean and lead channels.

Fender Super Champ - Clean and Lead Channels

Fender Super Champ - Clean






Cheers.......................................... wahwah