Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

[AniML]

First of all I plug it in flip the switch - and -- nothing - or so it seems. I peek inside after some fiddling with the plug and see the tubes are glowing. So I realize the indicator light doesn't work

People have pointed out and criticized this amp for having no clean headroom - and it has NO clean headroom. It has no headroom period, no punch, no complexity and a very raspy sound.

My SCXD embarasses this amp in every way

Back it goes

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

ouch. sorry it didn't work out.

clean headroom is important, even in an amp with a buttload of gain...what with today's kids doing the soft LOUD soft LOUD thing to death.

I used to have a SCXD. how do you like yours? Mine just felt "compressed", and it just stays clean all the way to 9 on ch.1 and then sounds like crap at 10 if you whale on it. THATS clean headroom!

 

[AniML]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

I love the SCXD. I swapped out the 12AX7 for a JJ ECC83 and the speaker for a Weber Jensen clone. It kills - clean and filthy. KIds? I'm 46

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

LOL I'm 22.

I did have JJ power tubes in mine but it sounded the same no matter what 12ax7 I put in. I had the stock speaker. voices 1, 6, 7, 8, and 9 were my favs.

ch.1 with the spring-type reverb on like 2 or 3 is a sound i still miss. My night train's cleans are a good bit warmer once i get the volume up there, great for a lot of things but that bright crystaline fender clean is just TITS. Damn I want a deluxe reverb now.

Something about those Jet City amps threw up the whole "too good to be true" flag in my brain. Well, at least I know I have no interest in one now. I'm sure some dudes will love it.

 

[AniML]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

Interesting, the Night train was my other contender, but I did want to shell out for it (You DO get what you pay for) - and no reverb

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

I use a digitech rp80 as a half assed reverb pedal and for a clean tone it works well.

it shows you can get away with some real crap (the rp80 kinda blows!) if the rest of your gear is up to par, IMO.

I did have to switch the tubes out before becoming completely satisfied with the night train but it is great with everything from a warm british clean to fairly searing hard rock.

Sounds good at bedroom levels. Gotta love that.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

Interesting... I'm looking for video demo's on the Jet city 20W and this one guy (think his name is like, paul or something) is playing an LP thru it with the gain on like one or two and it still has too thick of a clean tone for me.

I could never buy an amp like that.

 

[AniML]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

I could have tried it with a boost pedal, but I couldn't get it back in the box fast enough. An amp with master volume + gain SHOULD NOT need a clean boost

Repacked? check.
All the candy in the box? check.
Got RMA# from vendor? check.
Packing tape?... packing tape?... Doh! Off to the drug store tomorrow on the way to UPS

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

Aren't these a budget line with Soldano's design? I can't believe it would sound like crap. That sucks, because any normal person would assume it'd sound perfectly good or great.

No matter what, just pass it along, and keep the excitement of finding a new amp.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

that's a shame.

it's been awhile since i felt like returning something.
Returned a highway 1 tele for my current amp.

it was a good guitar but the pickups were so lame (and the finish SO uninspiring) that i couldn't justify the money spent. Felt like butter to play... but in the end, man i'm glad i made the right choice.

If you can save up and afford to lay out for the night train with the cab, you might wanna go for it. I can't say it's perfect but I love it.

I was considering a night train, an HRDx, a Haze 40, a blues jr, and a deluxe reverb.

The haze was nice but too loud, same for the HRDx. I forgot about used DRRI's, and just figured they were out of reach financially, so i skipped it. I do want a DRRI sometime but it can't get as thick or heavy as the NT can.

 

[AniML]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

Aren't these a budget line with Soldano's design? I can't believe it would sound like crap. That sucks, because any normal person would assume it'd sound perfectly good or great.

No matter what, just pass it along, and keep the excitement of finding a new amp.

Yes, that's the one.

So are you saying I'm not normal?

It's going back just as soon as I get to UPS. Not sure whre to go from here. Maybe a Blues Jr or wait for the BlackStar 20watter

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

Maybe a Blues Jr or wait for the BlackStar 20watter

I played a NOS BJr while looking for 'my' amp. it was nice, but too warm in the midrange (with my LP) to be my only amp. Couldn't pull the trigger on it. If all I'd owned was a strat at the time, I might have done it, but i needed something that matched with my #1 guitar, so YMMV

 

[ErikH]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

This is disappointing to hear. I've yet to try one for myself and clips I've heard sounded good. I'm still going to try it out with my #1 guitar. The other option on my list of the Blackheart 15 watt head and I do like the features on the new Mesa Transatlantic.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

Maybe a Blues Jr or wait for the BlackStar 20watter

I'm still a little bit in love with my little 5-Watt Blackstar. It's not quite as dynamic as I'd like it to be with the volume below 10 o'clock, but it's real hard to beat for the price I paid, and it seems to take pedals very, very well. I think the new HT Venue series ought to be pretty decent.

I'll still go play that Jet City amp, though. Everything I've read about them is fantastic. Maybe you just got a bad egg. Could happen to anyone, I guess. And as far as clean headroom goes, I feel like I'm the odd man out in this thread. Maybe it'd be nice to have a little more than what I can get out of the 5-watter, but I just love power tube crunch. Back off on the picking a little bit to clean up, hit the strings hard to get some drive... There's nothing better than showing your amp who's boss.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

I'm still a little bit in love with my little 5-Watt Blackstar. It's not quite as dynamic as I'd like it to be with the volume below 10 o'clock, but it's real hard to beat for the price I paid, and it seems to take pedals very, very well. I think the new HT Venue series ought to be pretty decent.

I'll still go play that Jet City amp, though. Everything I've read about them is fantastic. Maybe you just got a bad egg. Could happen to anyone, I guess. And as far as clean headroom goes, I feel like I'm the odd man out in this thread. Maybe it'd be nice to have a little more than what I can get out of the 5-watter, but I just love power tube crunch. Back off on the picking a little bit to clean up, hit the strings hard to get some drive... There's nothing better than showing your amp who's boss.

yea it's nice to be able to enjoy full-on power tube saturation, but most guitarists can't get by on just that. Since no one amp does everything, most of us just need 2 amps at some point.

I miss my blackheart sometimes. Not a bad amp at all.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

Since no one amp does everything, most of us just need 2 amps at some point.

Sounds like you need to go play a Sig:X. It's definitely the most versatile amp I've ever played, and I can't think of a tone I wanted that I couldn't get out of it.

I miss my blackheart sometimes. Not a bad amp at all.

Just to clarify, you know I was talking about my BlackSTAR right?

 

[ErikH]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

Well, I have a Vox AD50 and can get prestine cleans from if it I want to but I don't. I'm old school. My cleans come one of two ways; either rolling the guitar volume back and picking lighter or engaging the Detox EQ on my pedalboard to choke back the signal and rolling back the guitar volume if I want to.

I'll play clean clean just messing around or whatever, but with the band and in a live situation, I like a little dirt in my cleans.

 

[AniML]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

Well, I have a Vox AD50 and can get prestine cleans from if it I want to but I don't. I'm old school. My cleans come one of two ways; either rolling the guitar volume back and picking lighter or engaging the Detox EQ on my pedalboard to choke back the signal and rolling back the guitar volume if I want to.

I'll play clean clean just messing around or whatever, but with the band and in a live situation, I like a little dirt in my cleans.

And you could do that with the Jet City, but with no punch or dynamics to your picking

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

I mean that it should have sounded good, but it clearly doesn't! Jeez!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgsEQHvESEk&NR=1

I want a small versatile combo, and may go for the Bogner Alchemist combo. The idea of built in digital effects doesn't turn me off either, since they're bypassable.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Got my new Jet City 20W Combo - and I am thoroughy disappointed

There are better demos out there of it, Joe. You just found a not very good one...lol.

My bandmate has a Blackheart 15 watt head that screams. He had it modded a little bit, a few components upgraded, fresh tubes. It sounds incredible. I might use it at the next gig.