THD amps, your opinions?

[54stratlover]

I went to check out a few music stores yesterday, and tried out a few the THD amp line. the Uni-valve, Bi-valve, and the Flexi-50. Overall, I was very impressed with the amps. Tone and options were great. After looking into them on the website, I found that the tonal possibilities are huge. They seem easy to Bias. I like the flexi 50, but on the wesite, the univalve had some great soundclips. http://www.thdelectronics.com/ uni-valve soundclips http://www.thdelectronics.com/soundclips.htm

What are your thoughts? Does anyone own one of the models? Any favorite tube combos?

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

I really liked the Flexi when I used it with a Hot Plate at Guitar Hangar.

 

[chcjunior]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

I had the Bivalve for a spell. Definitely a great amp to play mad scientist with since tube replacement is as easy as plug and play. The reason I got rid of it was I needed an amp that could cover distortion as well as cleans....and I don't like my distortion from a pedal (I'm just funny that way).

The Univalve can be pushed into natural distortion much easier since it pushes only one power tube (and I believe 15 watts max depending upon that tube). But....the drawback is you can't get enough headroom to play clean with a band.

 

[FireBros.]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

But....the drawback is you can't get enough headroom to play clean with a band.

I had a univalve for a while and I had the same problem. Another thing is that the THD amps are voiced fairly bright (think marshall), and I had a hard time getting enough low end in anything short of a 4x12. You should check out univalve.net for more info, I think they have one of the best mfg's forums on the web.

I actually would like to buy another THD for my recording studio, but they just weren't the ticket for my live rig.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

i liked the flexi 50, never owned one, but played one quite a bit

if your setup is, well, either always clean, or always driven, they'd be great amps

but if you like to switch back & forth in the middle of a song, well, its worth rethinking

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

I met Andy Marshall at a local trade show. Great guy. We spent a lot of time giving the flexi a run out and discussing it's features, and I was very impressed. I've also tried the univalve, which is quite a different flavour but just as cool.

I've given some serious thought to getting the flexi.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

Hot Grits, I love your signature.......almost as much as that folded up burlap bag you're wearing. ha ha ha ha

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

I had a Uni for a while & would like another somewhere down the road.

The opportunity arose to trade it for a Hiwatt & after consulting with my crack dealers...er, ahhhh Forum Bros.....I made the trade.

It was the first tube amp I ever owned & taught me a lot about tubes....especially how expensive they can be when that becomes your next addiction. You will love playing mix & match with tubes.

I would recommend checking out their forum www.univalve.net join in, ask questions, make yourself known & eventually you'll find a good deal on an amp & tube stash that won't break the bank.

And if you buy a used one, you'll get your money back!

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

Hot Grits, I love your signature.......almost as much as that folded up burlap bag you're wearing. ha ha ha ha

I guess this is payback for that whole 'real man/tele' thing, huh?

 

[mrid]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

Great amps. Yes, they have the Marshall thing going on (I believe they're loosely based on the JCM 800?). I was so happy with the great power tube distortion I was getting with my Univalve that I didn't notice the lack of low end (then again, I don't like a ton of low end). They're built VERY well...Andy Marshall is the guy all the botique PCB amp makers point to whenever they are asked "Why aren't your amps PTP?"

 

[Mkf411]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

Keep in mind that the Univalve will not sound like the soundclips on the THD website. Those clips have reverb added in the mix. It says so on the site. I thought the Univalve could sound like that right out of the box. Not. You have to swap a boatload of tubes and get reverb somehow. The soundclips on their website are a little misleading on what the amp will sound like. On my Univalve, I can't get close to that sound live unless I run two amps. Which is a cool feature of the Unvalve, it allows you to use the line out to run a second amp. So you could run the univalve dry and a second amp wet (with effects or reverb). I've enjoyed doing this, but haven't really enjoyed the Univalve much on it's own.

I made the mistake of thinking that the built in attenuator on the Univalve would allow me to crank it at home (yes, I was that naive) but not so. This thing is a beast at 15 Class A watts and no master volume. Don't believe the line on their website about getting "power tube distortion at almost any volume." Anything much lower than 12 o'clock on the built in attenuator will sound like a bad transister radio if you're using the Rock channel. But the built in attenuator could be usefull at a gig volume.

Keep in mind that I haven't done a ton of tube swapping. That's becuase I don't want to spend a boatload of money on NOS tubes and then find out I still don't love this amp.

Overall my impression of THD's Univalve amp is that it's too bright and very unforgiving. Unforgiving isn't a terrible thing if you're trying to improve sloppy technique, but a bit sloppy playing has it place in my style. Also, it doesn't like my pedals, a Blues Driver and a Tubescreamer. I usually spend the first half hour trying to dial in a decent tone on the Univalve. It can be a frustrating amp. For now it doesn't get much play. But I'll hold onto it. It can get some sweet tones with some serious tweaking, I just don't think it's an out of the box sound great amp. It also looks a bit like a toaster with that metal cage. I wouldn't buy it again. There was alot of hype when they came out but now they're popping up used like roadkill on the side of the road. I'd be shocked if this thing was a future classic. If it is, I'll pull it out of the closet & sell it for highdollars.

 

[54stratlover]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

Hmmmm. interesting reviews. nder: I will investigate further.

 

[BigBazz]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

possibly the best studio amps available ever. thier awesome. though dont like the sound of the eruption demo on the site.

 

[RiffRaff]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

I had one of the first uni's when they came out - I loved it, I found the low end to be thick and the amp had a ton of sag - which accommodated my sloppy style pretty well - about 8 months later the output transformer blew - I packaged it up and sent it back under warranty. I talked to Ed at THD, great guy, I asked about upgrading to a Bivalve (to get a little more headroom) which they gave me a great deal on. I got the amp and never liked it, I tried so many different combinations of tubes and really just couldn't get the killer tone I got from the Univalve - I only kept the amp for a couple of months and sold it. I do plan on getting another Uni though, with one mullard EL34 and some Telefunken ECC83's that amp was so sweat sounding. Based on what the others have said these amps may very well have their own singular voicings so I would definetly try one out before buying, take some tubes with you as well to pop in and try.

 

[Mkf411]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

I haven't tried a mullard EL34 and some Telefunken ECC83's in my Univalve because they cost serious cash and I'm skeptical about investing more money in Tubes for the Univalve. But I'll keep my Univalve for the day I run across some cash I can spare for good tubes. Univavles are cool for people who like to tweak and hunt for tubes, but mine wasn't great out of the box. And the soundclips on the website are not how the amp sounds dry. I think any amp would sound better with NOS mullard EL34's and some NOS Telefunken ECC83's. Anybody have good results with new production tubes on a Univalve that don't cost an arm & a leg and you don't have to buy from some freak selling on ebay out his 4'x6' trailer in the middle of F'n nowhere? :smack: I'd never buy a Univalve again.

 

[mrid]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

Anybody have good results with new production tubes on a Univalve that don't cost an arm & a leg and you don't have to buy from some freak selling on ebay out his 4'x6' trailer in the middle of F'n nowhere?

I was getting really good results with JJ ECC83-S's and a JJ KT88. I wish I could have tried some 9th gen Chinese 12AX7's before I sold it.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

Here's a short video of the Flexi from NAMM...
player is Chris Poland.
http://eddegenaro.com/burners/CPthdflexi.mpg

 

[54stratlover]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

WOW, Chris, as always has some monster chops!!

 

[suislidE03]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

yea I saw that on the megadeth forum ed.. did you record that? If you did, I want to see more of chris lol!

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Re: THD amps, your opinions?

yea I saw that on the megadeth forum ed.. did you record that? If you did, I want to see more of chris lol!

Nope, I'm the guy tweeking the amp behind Chris. I think Chris' manager Steve taped it.
That said Chris played for like 40 minutes and there was so much jaw dropper stuff there it wasn't even funny.