Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

JumpMarine

JumpMarine

18 watts of Mayhemologist
I've been keeping this project to myself until I finished it successfully. Bought one of the last kits from Ironsounds a few weeks ago and finally put it together this last weekend.

Here's what came in my box:

Kit_FULL_small.jpg


Everything was very nicely packaged and seperated, though I had to check each resistor value with the MM before installing. That didn't take any time or real effort in the flow of the assembly. It took me about 5 or 6 hours to assemble the board, mount in the chassie and finish the ptp wiring. Very easy build and I've definately have the bug to build something more challenging. I'll post finished pics of the chassie as soon as I can find my digital camera.

Specs:
2 EL84/3 12AX7's
2 Channel: Chan 1-Vol/Tone Chan2 TMB, Vol, Vol(Neither is a MV)
2 Inputs
Negative Feedback Switch
Gain Boost on TMB channel only-Footswitchable
Line Out
Heyboer Transformer Set(Good Heavy Iron!)
Impedence switch: 4, 8, 16
Tube or SS Rectifier(Heybore PT has to use SS, sounds really good though)


 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

I went through the startup procedures and all voltages checked out fine. Put the tubes in and fired it up, dang fine sounding amp....for the first hour. The kit had a set of EI el84's and 1 Ruby, 2 EI 12ax7's. I suspected a noisy preamp tube and found one bad EI, wasn't supprised after all of the reading that I've done on them. Swapped it out for a known good JJ that I had around. Worked fine after that. At about the 1 hour mark as I was playing I noticed that one of the el84's flash, dim and then I lost all volume. Bad tube!!! Crap on a shingle. It was sounding so good up to that point. I shut down immediately and smelled for melted plastic smells, nothing. Pulled the tubes and checked all of the voltages again and everything still checked out so it's just a bad tube. Ironsounds is sending out new tubes and I also ordered up a set of TAD el84's and a Tung Sol 12ax7 to try out. I am still contemplating on the head cab, what do you guys think of this:

backfrontltd.gif

I can have the cab built and shipped to my door for $200......
 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

I am still contemplating on what speaker set up I'm going to use with this. I've got a V30/Texas Heat set up right now, but am thinking about a: V30/G12h30, G12M/G12M, G12M/G12h30, Red Fang/Red Fang, or Private Jack/Private Jack. So many choices!!!!!
 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

What really suck is that I'm still waiting for tubes, there isn't a single el 84 in town so I have to wait for my replacements and the ones I ordered from the Tube Store.
 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

congrats on the build

please let me know how ya like it
i am considering the same project

ps - what other amps, gear do you ahve to compare it to
and
how are the cleans on the normal channel and the crunch on the tmb channel
can you get nice crunch by turning the "preamp" volume up and leaving the "power amp" vol down
(that's kinda how JA explaind the setup to me)
 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

Replacement EI el84's came in today and sound great though now I have found that both EI 12ax7's and the Ruby are complete crap... noisy and microphobic. They all went in the trash! I've never had an amp that was so sensitive to changing preamp tubes. What I have left to pick from are:

12ax7's-JJ, EH and old grey plate Fender
12at7's-Telefunken, grey plate RCA, Sylvania, no name tube

I haven't tried all of the at7's buy I did try the Telefunken and it sounded pretty cool in V1, cut the volume down a bit and smoothed up the gain as well.

Of the 12ax7's, the EH was the quietist, while the JJ was the smoothest and the Fender was inbetween the two.

FYI, these were my results of swapping out the v1 position mostly.

What I've really found though is that my V30/Texas Heat kind of sounds harsh and I will be changing those out soon for something lower wattage and with more speaker breakup.

Blueline, the cleans on the normal channel are sweet with a little hair and distinct. That channel isn't as loud as the tmb but it does sound really good. I'm really just scratching the surface with this amp and I really can't answer your questions objectively yet, but give me a couple of weeks!

The crunch on the tmb channel is huge and very vintage plexi/jtm 45 like. No this is not as full sounding as a KT66 loaded JTM 45, but it's FAR from being thin sounding. The two volumes are very interactive/sensitive and I need to spend more time dialing in what I want. But that said, there are a lot of different tones locked up in this amp waiting to be let out.

On your potential plan on picking one of the kits up, sorry, but you're too late. Ironsounds sold off the last kits last week and only have 10 completed amps left and then they are closing shop. I'm lucky that I got mine when I did, I think that I ended up with #6 from the end.

As far as other amps to compare it with. Close by I've got access to a hotrodded '78 Super Reverb, Frenzel 5E3 Plus, JCM 2000, Prosonic, JCM 900. Now am I going to a/b the 18 watter against all of these, most likely not but I'll try to.
 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

Your link took a crap on me.
 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

The link won't work for me either. It sounds very satisfying to build an amp. Try to get that link up for us!
 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

sounds like you built one hell of an amp
put her through the paces and let us know what else is in there

congrats - it sounds great
 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

What else is in there....hmmm

Axiom Electrolitics, Mallory coupling caps, Alpha pots......

I may try Sozo's down the road for the heck of it. Everything had a good feel to it and the amp is VERY quiet at idle, even when dimed.
 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

One word for ya Jump

GREENBACK! :bigthumb:


Though an H30 should do really well too and tighten the amp up.

EDIT: OH... it's a head and a sep 2x12 cab?

1 GB25, one H30...easy peasy :bigthumb:
 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

Duh.....what was I thinking! I can hear everything from SRV's od tones to Betts' chimey cleans on Memory of Elizabeth Reed to The Rev on Just got Paid and EC on Stepping Out. The lester sounds so cool through this amp, woody and throaty. I plugged in my buddy's Schecter C1-EA semihollow with Phat Cats....whoa! Wicked sounding! I love those Phat Cats! I just wish Talent had come with the amp! I'll post something soon.
 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

JeffB said:
One word for ya Jump

GREENBACK! :bigthumb:


Though an H30 should do really well too and tighten the amp up.

EDIT: OH... it's a head and a sep 2x12 cab?

1 GB25, one H30...easy peasy :bigthumb:
Click to expand...

Dang fine idea......just ordered a GB and a Hellatone 30 from Dave! And I even ordered the custom head cab from JDesigns. As quick as Dave is I'll have those speakers on monday. Usually it only takes 2 days to get stuff from him but it's a weekend. Ironsounds is even sending me one of their emblems to make the head complete. Whoo hoo!
 
Re: Ironsounds JA-TMB 18 watt head

JumpMarine said:
Dang fine idea......just ordered a GB and a Hellatone 30 from Dave! And I even ordered the custom head cab from JDesigns. As quick as Dave is I'll have those speakers on monday. Usually it only takes 2 days to get stuff from him but it's a weekend. Ironsounds is even sending me one of their emblems to make the head complete. Whoo hoo!
Click to expand...

:bigthumb:

You'll get the low mids and sizzle of the GB and the 30 should fill out the rest and keep things pretty tight!
 
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