bandwagon amp.

[JeffB]

View attachment 57566


Not so sure I like it yet. Even with my evheritage g12m which has plenty of presence, it's muddy. Cleans up poorly. Its also not nearly as loud as my TM18, which I figured it would be when all the reviews say how loud it is. The speaker is not being pushed hardly at all.

I am going to roll some tubes in it tomorrow. A NOS Jan 5751 may help. I can see the novelty, especially if you love lots of preamp gain, but the crunchy stuff is meh, at least stock.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: bandwagon amp.

I think the one you'd be happiest with is the OR15, although it's $700.

I still like my Tiny Terror a lot, but if I had the chance to trade it for the OR15, I would.

 

[JeffB]

Re: bandwagon amp.

Yeah. I have thought long and hard about the OR15. But I am really trying to stay away from El84s, Joe. Thats the only thing that has kept me from buying one. I picked up the Micro Terror so I can jam along to MP3s/CDs, and also to check out the hype, but...

If I am gonna blow $700, then I will blow $895, and pick up an Avatar 18W Marshall 1974/2061 hybrid with 6v6s, ya know?

 

[Demanic]

Re: bandwagon amp.

How does it sound with the gain turned down but with a dirt box in front?

 

[JeffB]

Re: bandwagon amp.

I did that too, with my Xotic EP boost. It was more buzzy when the power section started to clip. It doesn't really have the headroom for just using a distortion as the sole source of gain.

I am gonna mess with the tube today to see if I can't smooth it out and clear it up.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: bandwagon amp.

ECC832 in V1 ... Just sayin'.

 

[JeffB]

Re: bandwagon amp.

I did some tweaking this morning and it's growing on me. Gain half. Tone half. Volume 3/4 is a bit more gain than I normally use but it's a good tone.

On a somewhat related note. There is something about the TM18 in its circuitry that really makes it tight feeling. Its like some kind of exaggerated limiter and it feels stiff, and sustain is affected. Whenever I plug into any other amp, the MT, my Class5, etc. Its much more natural feel and get my sustain back. Any of my guitars. Its a very strange phenomena. I have backed to back the TM18 to the C5 and now the MT and it is not my imagination. The TM18 is stiff as hell.

 

[JeffB]

Re: bandwagon amp.

Well the 5751 was a little too sterile. Less harsh than the JJ83S it came with, but I never have liked that 83s.

On the other hand, the OS MULLARD 12ax7 sounds quite good (Thx again, Ben!). Big improvement. More sustain and complexity and fatter with less gain on the dial. Will probably stop futzing now and just play :bigthumb:

 

[JeffB]

Re: bandwagon amp.

What speakers are you guys running with this thing? IF it needs a 4x12 to sound decent then up on the chopping block. I have run new and old stock tubes in it and it's a buzzy mess cranked. Back the master off and up the gain and it's muddy as hell.

And it's not even as loud as my Class 5 through the same cab.

 

[JeffB]

Re: bandwagon amp.

And of course I realize it's a 150 bucks. I am not expecting much, but I am expecting it to sound as good as a 150 dollar modelling amp.