Dark Terror/TH30 preamp?

[Phantasmagoria]

I was thinking about it and I guess I do slightly lean towards "murkier" sounds. I like a bit of rawness (& by that I exclude toilet-recorded tinny black metal..that's not my idea of nice raw sounding stuff :laugh2 With Death Metal it would be Mental Funeral-era Autopsy, Covenant-era Morbid Angel, Entombed (actually love their sound on Wolverine Blues..though I prefer Left Hand Path & Clandestine as albums go)

With Doom I love Trouble's tones, Candlemass on the S/T from 2005 especially sounded raw & massive though I prefer Nightfall & Ancient Dreams as albums go, Some of the early Cathedral stuff.. early Paradise Lost, esp "Gothic'

Not really into Melodeath, But I do like early Arch Enemy (Johann Liiva & the first 2-3 with Angela Gossow). I especially like the Guitar tones on Burning Bridges.

Otherwise I like a lot of regular classic/heavy/80's/shred/speed/thrash metal/power metal/Grindcore & bit of prog//tech-metal kinda stuff....

.....so yeah not a massive preference for any particular type of sound :lmao:

 

[fretburner]

I actually modded mine for a bit less fizziness.

Can you tell us how you did this mod? Is it reversible?

I'm a huge fan of the dark terror. But it does get more fizzy than my tiny terror (which I sold) and my TH100. For most of my guitars and cabs, I rarely go past 9oclock on the dark terror's shape knob. I'd probably get more "range" with it if I can tame the fizziness a bit.

The dark terror, to me, is the best 15w lunch box amp.

edit: I replied too soon. You posted a youtube link a few posts after

 

[fretburner]

Just throwing in some JJ tubes (pre & power) instead of the Chinese ones it comes with tames that fizz & makes the amp a bit darker/middier overall..

I should try this. All my amps have JJs except my dark terror and TH100 as their stock tubes are still good.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Can you tell us how you did this mod? Is it reversible?

I'm a huge fan of the dark terror. But it does get more fizzy than my tiny terror (which I sold) and my TH100. For most of my guitars and cabs, I rarely go past 9oclock on the dark terror's shape knob. I'd probably get more "range" with it if I can tame the fizziness a bit.

The dark terror, to me, is the best 15w lunch box amp.

edit: I replied too soon. You posted a youtube link a few posts afte

9:00? Wow.

I ran mine at like 1:00-ish after the mod. Anything below 12:30, I found unusable (I know I said the Shape knob is well thought out, but I honestly don't think the usable range is all that broad either). But I do like scooped and grindy. Honestly, if you don't like scooped and grindy, then I don't think the DT might be the option that best suits your taste. I think that's the thing it does the best. The Tiny Terror does mid-forward tones without sounding like a blanket is over the speakers better, IMO.

But yeah, without the mod, it was just too much for me. I 100% agree.

I should try this. All my amps have JJs except my dark terror and TH100 as their stock tubes are still good.

They already come stock with JJ's. Even if you do change the tubes, it's not night and day different, IME. The mod changes the tone a lot more.

If you really do want to darken it up even more, Sovtek 12AX7WC's are even darker than JJ's. I'm huge into experimenting with tubes, but I also don't think the tube compliment makes or breaks an amp. I usually like to experiment tubes to fine-tune amps that I love. I know all the tube changes in the world won't make me like a JCM900, for example.

 

[fretburner]

9:00? Wow.

I ran mine at like 1:00-ish after the mod. Anything below 12:30, I found unusable (I know I said the Shape knob is well thought out, but I honestly don't think the usable range is all that broad either). But I do like scooped and grindy. Honestly, if you don't like scooped and grindy, then I don't think the DT might be the option that best suits your taste. I think that's the thing it does the best. The Tiny Terror does mid-forward tones without sounding like a blanket is over the speakers better, IMO.

But yeah, without the mod, it was just too much for me. I 100% agree.

I go past 9oclock if I use my Hiway1 Tele with Duncan Hot Rails set haha... That tele is dark!

Almost all of my guitars have bright, high output bridge pups -- mostly Duncans too (Custom, Custom/59, Distortion, Alt8, JB)

They already come stock with JJ's. Even if you do change the tubes, it's not night and day different, IME. The mod changes the tone a lot more.

If you really do want to darken it up even more, Sovtek 12AX7WC's are even darker than JJ's. I'm huge into experimenting with tubes, but I also don't think the tube compliment makes or breaks an amp. I usually like to experiment tubes to fine-tune amps that I love. I know all the tube changes in the world won't make me like a JCM900, for example.

The mod seems simple enough though... I'm thinking of just removing R56 instead of cutting one of the leads... Then remove C11 and just replace it with a wire. Easier to reverse that way.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I go past 9oclock if I use my Hiway1 Tele with Duncan Hot Rails set haha... That tele is dark!

Almost all of my guitars have bright, high output bridge pups -- mostly Duncans too (Custom, Custom/59, Distortion, Alt8, JB)



The mod seems simple enough though... I'm thinking of just removing R56 instead of cutting one of the leads... Then remove C11 and just replace it with a wire. Easier to reverse that way.

I've soldered inside amps in the past, and it's not hard, but there are risks involved, so if you're going to please proceed with caution. Discharge the caps and look up what else you have to do to be safe!

But yeah, the mod is simple enough. TBH, I didn't go through with ALL of it. I just did the first mod in the vid that just darkens the amp. I didn't think it needed more high-mids myself, so I left the second mod alone. I think my clip on the first post speaks for itself on how that ends up working out. I thought it was fine, personally.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Oh, and BTW, if you need any more info on the signal chain of the clip, it's an LTD EX-401 (Mahogany body, maple neck) with Fishman Fluence Classics in Voice 2 (JB-ish), into an MXR Wylde Overdrive (Boss SD-1 clone) into the Dark Terror with the mod. I don't remember the exact tube compliment I was running at the time, but knowing me, it was probablly Shughang pres all around with a Sovtek 12AX7LPS in the PI position with Russian 6P14P-EV's for the power. Cab was a Marshall 1960A with a Creamback H-75 that's mic'd with an SM57.

 

[fretburner]

I've soldered inside amps in the past, and it's not hard, but there are risks involved, so if you're going to please proceed with caution. Discharge the caps and look up what else you have to do to be safe!

I've replaced resistors and transistors in a Blackstar HT5 before... And replaced pots and jacks in Marshall JCMs.

But yeah, the mod is simple enough. TBH, I didn't go through with ALL of it. I just did the first mod in the vid that just darkens the amp. I didn't think it needed more high-mids myself, so I left the second mod alone. I think my clip on the first post speaks for itself on how that ends up working out. I thought it was fine, personally.

You didn't find it too dark with just the 1st mod?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I've replaced resistors and transistors in a Blackstar HT5 before... And replaced pots and jacks in Marshall JCMs.



You didn't find it too dark with just the 1st mod?

Not at all! But Creamback H75's are BRIGHT speakers, though. I still think it would balance out with V30's or Greenbacks or other usual suspects. You would just have to crank the Shape knob off a bit more.

 

[fretburner]

Not at all! But Creamback H75's are BRIGHT speakers, though. I still think it would balance out with V30's or Greenbacks or other usual suspects. You would just have to crank the Shape knob off a bit more.

I forgot to ask: how does the mod affect the low end of the amp?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I forgot to ask: how does the mod affect the low end of the amp?

Honestly, hard to tell since I didn't record a clip before the mod. I don't have the amp anymore, sadly.

I wouldn't think so, honestly. IME, I noticed that when sweeping through the Shape knob, I don't find the *amount* of low-end changes much. Just changes in quality (kinda sweeps it through the frequency range). I noticed below 12:00, it's a lot of stuffy/muddy low mids, and the more you raise the Shape knob, it becomes chunkier/tighter/cleraer actual low-end. Then again, I didn't sweep the Shape knob through a big range because, like I said, I didn't really like it cranked up too high or lowered down too low.

Then again, I almost always had the Dark Terror slightly cranked for recording (not maxed out, though), so that migh have compressed the low-end a little. And also, I didn't find the Dark Terror had much resonant sub-low (ala Rectifier or 5150) either.

 

[fretburner]

I guess I'll just have to do the mod, and then reverse it if I lose too much low end.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I guess I'll just have to do the mod, and then reverse it if I lose too much low end.

I don't think you will, but give it a try.