New Amp! Sweet Score!

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

Not a plexi man
This one is an Vox AC-15 with an AC-30 topboost preamp, the output tubes are EL-84's a smaller version of EL-34's.
Most old Plexi's have three preamptubes.

 

[fretburner]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

why so many preamp tubes on that thing?

 

[JeffB]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

Congrats Joe!

I am *not* a fan of EL84s or the "vox sound" in the general sense. At least when I play through them..they just don't excite me like they do many. I've played cheap to boutique and ...meh..just don't care for them for anything but a nice experment to fool with for a couple minutes.

I do like some of the 18W Marshall clones, but by far the Goldtone amps I've played were better "hard rock" amps, and would be the only El84 amps I'd spend my money on at this point in time.

Glad to hear I'm not the only who thinks they sound exceptional!

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

why so many preamp tubes on that thing?

Well the two first tubes are for the normal and topboost channels, the two next are for the tremolo/vibrato channel.
One is an phaseinverter, and one is a drivertube....hmm I am positive about the driver tube..hehe
Jeff my "Vox" does not sound very much like a Vox, the powersupply is from an old Dynacord amp that uses EL-34's
Sounds like this with a 4x12 cab and some dirt
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=415328&songID=4122977
Niels

 

[JeffB]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

Jeff my "Vox" does not sound very much like a Vox, the powersupply is from an old Dynacord amp that uses EL-34's
Sounds like this with a 4x12 cab and some dirt
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=415328&songID=4122977
Niels

Rid, you could make a piece of dog poop with fishing line strings played through a rockman sound like the second coming of Christ :bowdown: :chairfall

That is a great sound...very fusiony...almost Boogie MKI....for that kind of music I think EL84s excel..its got that sweet and buttery bottom and top end. I Like to hear that sound when someone else is using it...but it just doesn't suit my style or needs, ya know? Gots to have me some big bottle *CRUNCH*..whether it's a cranked Bassman, Plexi, Metalface, JMP, 800, or Hi-Watt :bigthumb:

about the only Vox tone that "does it" for me is the old Yardbirds beck w/ tele stuff

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

..but it just doesn't suit my style or needs, ya know? Gots to have me some big bottle *CRUNCH*..whether it's a cranked Bassman, Plexi, Metalface, JMP, 800, or Hi-Watt :bigthumb:

about the only Vox tone that "does it" for me is the old Yardbirds beck w/ tele stuff

That's why you don't buy a Vox.....buy a Goldtone! This thing resembles a small Marshall, moreso than a Vox, mostly due to the Celestion Vin 30's, and gainy circuit. Less glass, and more growl. It's amazing that Gibson would discontinue these amps, because they sound like they're designed to go with Gibson guitars. A Les Paul with Brobucker or Seths into the Goldtone is silly good.

 

[JeffB]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

That's why you don't buy a Vox.....buy a Goldtone! This thing resembles a small Marshall, moreso than a Vox, mostly due to the Celestion Vin 30's, and gainy circuit. Less glass, and more growl. It's amazing that Gibson would discontinue these amps, because they sound like they're designed to go with Gibson guitars. A Les Paul with Brobucker or Seths into the Goldtone is silly good.

Well I meant i just dont care for the Vox sound or the boutique movement based around the El84 "sound" in general (or the low end EL84 amps ala Fender/Peavey, etc), Joe.

It is said all the soundclips on the Gibson site were done with the Goldtones. Wouldn't surprise me...though at times the clips sound a little "POD-ish". But I was able to get very similar tones with the Goldtones I tried ( a 15W and IIRC a 40? watter).

check 'em out...

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

I'm surprised Gibson discontinued them. I see that Gibson has some new amps, but they may be priced a lot higher than the first Goldtones. I'm pretty picky about EL-84 amps, because many of them fart out on the lows and the high end can be harsh when you dig in. There's a few amps that don't do that like the better Dr. Z's, 65 Amps, and 18W Marshalls. The Goldtone is the same....it sounds like an EL-34 amp with the volume scaled down. I haven't seen the inside of it yet, but it appears to be a very simple circuit.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

Ah EL-84's can get to sound like their bigger brothers, Rasmus the guy who made the Crushzone also makes amps....he has an experimental 5 watts head called Der böse kleine kellerschwein....it is seriously dripping with that old mean Marshall sound, it sounds like friggin AC-DC or VH and others alike, just smaller.
And on a 4x12 cab...poof hehe I grinned so wide that my jaws almost popped
I have some other clip at work with a more open sound, less smooth and round, the clip was done that way because I had a few people telling me that the CZ was harsh and thin...guess the clip showed the opposite?
Speaking of Hiwatts.....DR201 with the same cab, not even loud.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=415328&songID=4127563

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

I'm surprised Gibson discontinued them. I see that Gibson has some new amps, but they may be priced a lot higher than the first Goldtones. I'm pretty picky about EL-84 amps, because many of them fart out on the lows and the high end can be harsh when you dig in. There's a few amps that don't do that like the better Dr. Z's, 65 Amps, and 18W Marshalls. The Goldtone is the same....it sounds like an EL-34 amp with the volume scaled down. I haven't seen the inside of it yet, but it appears to be a very simple circuit.

Got to agree 100%, my Ironsounds 18 watt hits that plexi tone VERY well. The clips from the website are right on the money for what the amp does with my set up. It's an amazing amp with a lot of mojo. It really suprised me that an EL-84 could get the tight lowend and smooth top end with those wicked Marshall mids.

 

[fretburner]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

Well the two first tubes are for the normal and topboost channels, the two next are for the tremolo/vibrato channel.
One is an phaseinverter, and one is a drivertube....hmm I am positive about the driver tube..hehe
Jeff my "Vox" does not sound very much like a Vox, the powersupply is from an old Dynacord amp that uses EL-34's
Sounds like this with a 4x12 cab and some dirt
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=415328&songID=4122977
Niels

pardon me for not using google, but... what does a phase inverter do?

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

I'm surprised Gibson discontinued them. I see that Gibson has some new amps, but they may be priced a lot higher than the first Goldtones.

That IS surprising....

There seems to be a pretty lively market for them used. Of course, new they seemed to be priced a little higher than their competittion. They sold pretty well, but not great I will admit.

 

[tone4days]

Re: New Amp! Sweet Score!

pardon me for not using google, but... what does a phase inverter do?

the phase inverter is used as the input stage for a push-pull (powe) amplifier ... supplies two equal voltages with a 180° phase difference between them