oilpit
New member
I don't know if you guys are familiar but there is a company called Monoprice that makes a tube amp that only costs a hundred bucks! I've been plugging into my PC modeling software for the last year and when I saw this thing I immediately bought it. Link below if you're interested.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=611705
I got it a few days ago and have been messing around with it since then. It is...not great; it's very bright and with the volume past 6 it sounds pushed, but not in the way you want an amp to. I figured I would get what I paid for, and despite all of it's flaws it's still an insane value, I seriously don't know how they can sell these things for the price that they do, despite the fact that it is admittedly, kind of crappy.
The clean tone isn't too bad, but even when I put an overdrive in front of it it just sounds like a can of bees (maybe it's the 8 inch speaker?). Anyway, as much as I would love to go out and buy a custom shop Boogie I'm going to try to make this thing sound good! It's got a lot of potential and if I ruin it it's no major loss.
The first steps I have already taken. I ordered a pair of Electro-Harmonix 6v6's, a Mullard 12ax7 and a JJ 12at7. I'm going to try the Mullard first to see if it warms up the distorted tone at all and if it doesn't I'm going for the lower gain tube and going to just try to make it something that will take pedals well. In addition to the tubes I ordered a replacement Jensen speaker.
https://www.jensentone.com/vintage-ceramic/c8r
So the most obvious mods are underway, hopefully the tubes and speaker improve things, but what I really want to do is actually modify the internals of the amp. I have done a ton of googling and while there are various threads about these amps online. The consensus seems to be that they are rebranded Laney Cub 8's, or at least the old ones were, at some point there was a redesign that changed the control panel from the top to the front face and replaced the high and low inputs with a button, whether or not the circuitry changed along with it I can't seem to figure out for sure.
https://www.amazon.com/Laney-Amps-CUB-5-Watt-Amplifier/dp/B002JDXAZS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
I have given a call to Mercury Magnetics to ask if they have any output transformers that would fit because I think that would be huge. I know there are tons of mod kits for Epi Valve Jr. and other low wattage tube amps but because of the obscurity of Monoprice I do not have such a luxury, and I have absolutely no idea where to begin with this kind of thing. I know removing the negative feedback loop is a common mod for tube amps but again, I don't have a schematic of the board and even if I did I am a total noob at this stuff.
Can anybody give me some insight on where I would get information on how to move forward with this?
Responses greatly appreciated!
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=611705
I got it a few days ago and have been messing around with it since then. It is...not great; it's very bright and with the volume past 6 it sounds pushed, but not in the way you want an amp to. I figured I would get what I paid for, and despite all of it's flaws it's still an insane value, I seriously don't know how they can sell these things for the price that they do, despite the fact that it is admittedly, kind of crappy.
The clean tone isn't too bad, but even when I put an overdrive in front of it it just sounds like a can of bees (maybe it's the 8 inch speaker?). Anyway, as much as I would love to go out and buy a custom shop Boogie I'm going to try to make this thing sound good! It's got a lot of potential and if I ruin it it's no major loss.
The first steps I have already taken. I ordered a pair of Electro-Harmonix 6v6's, a Mullard 12ax7 and a JJ 12at7. I'm going to try the Mullard first to see if it warms up the distorted tone at all and if it doesn't I'm going for the lower gain tube and going to just try to make it something that will take pedals well. In addition to the tubes I ordered a replacement Jensen speaker.
https://www.jensentone.com/vintage-ceramic/c8r
So the most obvious mods are underway, hopefully the tubes and speaker improve things, but what I really want to do is actually modify the internals of the amp. I have done a ton of googling and while there are various threads about these amps online. The consensus seems to be that they are rebranded Laney Cub 8's, or at least the old ones were, at some point there was a redesign that changed the control panel from the top to the front face and replaced the high and low inputs with a button, whether or not the circuitry changed along with it I can't seem to figure out for sure.
https://www.amazon.com/Laney-Amps-CUB-5-Watt-Amplifier/dp/B002JDXAZS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
I have given a call to Mercury Magnetics to ask if they have any output transformers that would fit because I think that would be huge. I know there are tons of mod kits for Epi Valve Jr. and other low wattage tube amps but because of the obscurity of Monoprice I do not have such a luxury, and I have absolutely no idea where to begin with this kind of thing. I know removing the negative feedback loop is a common mod for tube amps but again, I don't have a schematic of the board and even if I did I am a total noob at this stuff.
Can anybody give me some insight on where I would get information on how to move forward with this?
Responses greatly appreciated!
