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

[FuseG4]

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

By the time you get power amp distortion out of a 15 watt amp, you're as loud as a 30 watt amp, but with a bit more grind. The difference would be distortion by 4 on 15 watter vs 5 on a 30 watter. Both are loud by then.

well, I don't always need full-on power tube saturation all the time. With the gain low and the master even at maybe half, the power tubes are lending their magic to my clean sound and fattening everything up and just giving a really full and punchy clean. It's a different sound than with the amp on 2 or 3. It's seems quieter than getting some of the 40W's I;ve played to start warming things up that way. Just my imagination? Dunno maybe.

I guess when I say 30 or 40W is too loud, I'm probably mistakenly thinking of the Hot Rod Deluxe, y'know cuz on the clean channel it goes from bedroom to concert hall with only the first 1/4 of a turn of the knob. Love that amp but I feel like it'd be a pain to have to mod something right OOB.

that and the ac30 2x12, which... is a 2x12. those are kinda loud. Sexy amp tho.

 

[Kosh Naranek]

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

I ordered the Jet City 20W head last weekend. GC had the 20% off weekend special thing going.
I did get a chance to plug into the Jet City head and cab at the local GC a few weeks ago.
I agree, it didn't have a lot of clean headroom. It started to breakup with the gain knob at fairly low levels (I don't remember exactly where). But keep in mind, this is a single channel amp. If there were a lot of clean headroom, then with the gain maxed, people would complain there's not enough gain. Sure, the Fryette Sig:X supposedly goes from crystalline clean to massive gain on all three channels, but the Jet City is not a $2,000 tube head. For me, it does just what I need: gives me classic cranked overdrive sounds at levels that are more manageable than a 100 watt Marshall.

As for the quality of the overdrive, I didn't find it raspy when I tried one at GC. It did a very decent impersonation of classic AC/DC tones. With the treble and presence maxed, it might get a little annoying, I don't know. I did turn both up when listening to the amp at GC but they offered far more high end than what I would need in normal playing circumstances.

I did also notice that at lower gain levels, the clean tone wasn't a shimmery, sparkly clean but a thick warm tone. As I pointed out, it's a single channel amp. Turn down the gain on the overdrive channel of most amps and the tone is cleaner, but thicker and warmer, with more focus in the mids and less bottom and high end than the clean channel. When ordering mine, I kept in mind this is what I want - a thick, warm sounding amp I can either run a dirt pedal into, or run without the pedal and turn the gain up some more and crank out Joe Walsh and AC/DC riffs. Not Slayer, not Metallica. Not even Iron Maiden. This amp doesn't do modern, high gain, or even 80's metal tones. I checked by turning the gain up on the one I pluged into.

I'll know more when mine arrives. I didn't spend real long with the one I plugged in at GC, but thought it sounded pretty decent. It doesn't sound like a $2,000 head, and it may be a one trick pony, but it seemed to do the classic 70's rock overdrive pretty well, especially for its price.

I'm also thinking - these are built in CHina. It's quite possible that there's no consistency, and one may sound great while the next sounds like dog barf. I have only played through one.

The one I ordered is on backorder so I don't know when GC will get more in. I'll let you guys know what I think when I get to spend some time with it.

 

[guitfiddle]

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

well, I don't always need full-on power tube saturation all the time. With the gain low and the master even at maybe half, the power tubes are lending their magic to my clean sound and fattening everything up and just giving a really full and punchy clean. It's a different sound than with the amp on 2 or 3. It's seems quieter than getting some of the 40W's I;ve played to start warming things up that way. Just my imagination? Dunno maybe.

I guess when I say 30 or 40W is too loud, I'm probably mistakenly thinking of the Hot Rod Deluxe, y'know cuz on the clean channel it goes from bedroom to concert hall with only the first 1/4 of a turn of the knob. Love that amp but I feel like it'd be a pain to have to mod something right OOB.

that and the ac30 2x12, which... is a 2x12. those are kinda loud. Sexy amp tho.

l know what you mean about some Fender volume knobs...I had a Super 112 that would kill you going from 2 to 2 1/4 and then it was painful after that.

 

[FuseG4]

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

yeah i hear they do it to floor people while test-driving amps.

They think it keeps going after 4/12 but really it just levels off about there. 12 is a lil louder than 4 but a lot more overdriven.

anyways about the jet city, I'd really rather have a clean amp and a pedal or a clean and a dirty amp, than have a really dirty amp that can't clean up.

dunno why people think that good marshall-esque high gain is gonna be cheapley obtainable from 2 el84s. el84s can pull the low-to-medium gain marshall kinda stuff pretty well, but the only 2x el84 amp that really gets in that realm I hear is the Tiny Terror.

If it were me, I'd leave the bright, medium overdrive brit sound to el84s (vox!!) and everything else british to the kt66's and el34's.

 

[Scott_F]

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

I always wonder if Fender uses Linear taper pots in those Hot Rod amps. I agree, 0-100mph in .2 seconds.

 

[glassman]

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

I always wonder if Fender uses Linear taper pots in those Hot Rod amps. I agree, 0-100mph in .2 seconds.

The clean volume and gain controls are audio taper, the master volume is linear taper. Seems to be the wrong place to put a linear pot if there ever was one.

 

[richard parker]

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

That Fender thing is really annoying. Yes, it impresses the kids who think they're getting a super loud amp but it makes the amp almost unusable as a gigging tool.

 

[FuseG4]

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

I hear it's easy to replace the pot that's responsible. but, like I said, it's lame to have to mod an amp just so that you can use it.
They've been doing it for years and I don't think they're gonna stop.

I like how we all hijacked the thread and now it's about fender clean amps. No surprise, I think fender is the solution to a lot of people's amp quests if they like clean tones as all.

 

[AniML]

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

Glad the thread took on a life of its own. I returned the JC and I am happy I did. I am now eyeing an Orange TT or maybe a Blues Jr (but the TT really has my interest)

 

[ErikH]

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

The fix for the Fender volume issue is a volume box in the effects loop. Lets you get the master volume up past that touchy point and then choke it back to a comfortable level. I use one with my Marshall head and it does the job just fine.

AniML, check out the Dual Terror. Two channels, variable wattage selection. A pretty cool amp.

 

[FuseG4]

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

blues jr vs. TT.
2 very different amps. It's gonna come down to personal taste here. Brit or american flavored? reverb or no reverb? combo or head?

 

[AniML]

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

blues jr vs. TT.
2 very different amps. It's gonna come down to personal taste here. Brit or american flavored? reverb or no reverb? combo or head?

Yeah, well I went and played again today. The BJ is off the short list. But now the NT is on it. TT? NT? NT? TT?

The NT has got some killer mild dirt tones and some sweet Vox chime. But the higher gain on the Vox is a bit fizzy for my tastes.

I know the NT is more versatile than the TT, but what the TT does it does SO well.

Driving myself crazy

 

[BloodRose]

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

Just find a Zinky Blue Velvet and be done with it.
I traded for a little 25 watt combo and since I got it a few weeks ago I have hardly even fired my other rigs up. The chimey cleans and glorious crunch tones coming from this itty bitty 25 watt 1/12 combo are flat amazing !!

http://www.box.net/shared/zc3kipddj1
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=809752&songID=8637001
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=809752&songID=8629894

if I can get some $$ saved, Ill have to recruit you to find me one..

I had a Jet City and I liked it, except for no reverb.. I had a pretty decent clean. But with one channel, I didnt expect Fender squeaky clean..

I returned mine only cuz I needed the money for bills.

 

[FuseG4]

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

Yeah, well I went and played again today. The BJ is off the short list. But now the NT is on it. TT? NT? NT? TT?

The NT has got some killer mild dirt tones and some sweet Vox chime. But the higher gain on the Vox is a bit fizzy for my tastes.

I know the NT is more versatile than the TT, but what the TT does it does SO well.

Driving myself crazy

The fizzyness of the vox can be solved with decent tubes. Not even like telefunkins or whatever, just something built well.

I put in matsu$hita el84's and a matsush1ta 12ax7 in the first preamp slot and instantly there was just a bit more midrange over the whole scope and much less fizz. There is still some when you take it to the max on the thick mode but none at all in bright mode.

$60.00 in nos glass really solidified that amp for me.

Makes me wonder how the TT would be with good glass.

Anyways, so it's down to versatility. I went with versatility because i anticipated not getting a second amp for a while after I got something I could really dig.
If you got cash or will be anticipating some extra dough down the line, by all means get the TT you like now and snag a clean amp later.

As much as I love the NT, I still want other amps eventually. I at least want a nice 6l6 american voiced clean amp, just because fender does it's whole thing so well, just like vox does their thing really well.

 

[AniML]

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

The fizzyness of the vox can be solved with decent tubes. Not even like telefunkins or whatever, just something built well.

I put in matsu$hita el84's and a matsush1ta 12ax7 in the first preamp slot and instantly there was just a bit more midrange over the whole scope and much less fizz. There is still some when you take it to the max on the thick mode but none at all in bright mode.

$60.00 in nos glass really solidified that amp for me.

Makes me wonder how the TT would be with good glass.

Anyways, so it's down to versatility. I went with versatility because i anticipated not getting a second amp for a while after I got something I could really dig.
If you got cash or will be anticipating some extra dough down the line, by all means get the TT you like now and snag a clean amp later.

As much as I love the NT, I still want other amps eventually. I at least want a nice 6l6 american voiced clean amp, just because fender does it's whole thing so well, just like vox does their thing really well.

I've read through your whole recent thought process. I am in the same conundrum, but in reverse. I also have a SCXD, but no plans to part with it. It's cleans are just fine for me. The TT crunch -> mid / upper gain really grabs my attention more than anything.

Bottom line it IS the TT that I really want. I have no urgent GAS for Vox cleans per se, but it's the overall versatility of the NT that keeps me from comitting to the TT.

Your recommendation to go TT now and maybe the Vox some other time is the right thing to do - I know, but hey, this is GAS we are talking about

 

[FuseG4]

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

I forgot u still have the SCXD.
Now that's a decent clean amp.

The vox is more my thing just because my kinda tone is all about classic rock. I mean, les paul + vox? That kinda explains itself... who wouldn't want that.
Keith Richards... not a vox but still a medium dirt tone. He used some voxes on some early stuff, then ampeg, then fender. Marshalls at some points inbetween.
The pillows: fender mustang + orange rockverb 50. why does that translate to getting a night train? Thick mode + strat= good enough for me.

Anways, I don't need a ton of dirt. so my decision was more obvious.

 

[AniML]

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

Again, I think we're still in the same boat. My two favorite electrics are my LP and Tele (and I'm just starting a build of another Tele). After a long bout with GAS, I'm actually trying to unload everything else (except my SG, bacause my son would kill me)

Somehow I think I gave you the impression I am a metal head. Nope. The closest thing I would play to metal is old school Sabbath, Judas Priest, or VH (if I ever could play it)

I'm looking for a new box to nail pretty mainstream classic rock / blues rock tones: Led Zep, AC/DC, Crowes, Cream, and in general singing tones on my Les Paul - and I love getting filthy with the Tele.

 

[ErikH]

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

Orange Dual Terror. That's all I need to say.

 

[AniML]

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

Orange Dual Terror. That's all I need to say.

Too rich for my needs. $500 is pushing it already. Not that I can't afford it - I can't justify it

(same answer for the Zinky too)

 

[J Moose]

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

The NT has got some killer mild dirt tones and some sweet Vox chime. But the higher gain on the Vox is a bit fizzy for my tastes.

I know the NT is more versatile than the TT, but what the TT does it does SO well.

I love my Tiny Terror... after playing the Vox NT a handful of times, and loving my AC30 (uk built) a whole bunch, I still feel the Orange was and is the superior amp. Its not really a one-trick box... the "trick" is to start with the master up and turn the gain to taste.

Better tubes also help A LOT.

I found that it works pretty well with a wide variety of cabs where the Vox seemed to be pickier... the 3-band EQ on the Vox also didn't offer as much variation as I'd have hoped for.

There's a ton of sounds in the Orange if you dig into it... even more so if you've got a collection of pedals & guitars to mix it up.