amps

[Superlizard]

Crate amp FTW.

Oh yeah and this too:

It totally r0x0rs.

 

[AprioriMark]

'72 refurbed (by me) Fender Bassman 100 head

If you don't mind my asking, what did you do to it?  I am always blowing transformers because of heat.  I love how the thing sounds, and mine is ugly as sin, but I have never found anyone who could make this thing not EXPLODE from time to time.

-Mark

Randomly I saw it in a shop.  I wasn't looking to buy an amp, but had to 'have a go'.  The guy plugged it and switched it on, but one of the valves (sorry,,,,Tubes  :icon_tongue:  ) Didnt light up.  4x6L6s.  Didnt bother me as there's nothing terribly complicated inside these things, so I made the guy a stupid low offer since it was broken.  He accepted the offer, and I walked away with it.

Got it home, and replaced 1 large resistor which had cracked completely in half and the valve lit up and hey presto I got some audio.  So the amp was working.
BUT, I then got a whole new set of valves, pre and power. The amp was pretty noisy and crackly, so I cleaned up all the pots with some contact cleaner, replaced the big power supply caps which were looking a bit worse for wear.  I took out the strange bias balance circuit and replaced it with a regular variable bias circuit. Biased the new valves, plugged in, switched on and rocked out.

My Transformers are original but look to be in pretty good condition, so I dont really know how to help you there.  Are your tubes biased properly? They could be working too hard and pushing the tranny past its comfort zone??  I'd have thoughts it pretty unlikely as Fender used to go overkill on the transformers. Correct speaker impedance? Mine has a fixed 4ohm (non-switchable) output transformer, so I rewired my Orange 2x12 for 4ohms (2 x Celestion V30s 8ohms parallel).  If you've got a speaker impedance mis-match that would definitely blow your trans.

Mine sounds brilliant now. No noise (apart from a small hum when its cranked up really high - you get that from any valve amp regardless of how new or old it is). Really powerful, clean up until the about 6 on the master vol so you can really hear what the drive pedals are doing.  Its classic fender clean yet pushy (not drivey, but pushy, cant really find a better way to describe it), but it will break up nicely if you really crank it. Loud as hell through my Orange 2x12 though.

I'm sure that the tubes aren't biased properly at the moment, though they supposedly have been in the past.  I bought mine when I was 12 as my first "real" amp from a guy who needed 50 bucks for beer.  It's beat to crap (doesn't even have a faceplate, I had to use serial numbers back in the day before the internet to find out what sort of amp it was) and I've never really had an amp tech that seemed like they knew what they were doing.  I'm dying to take this to someone who loves these amps and will both get it up to snuff and explain it to me.

It's a great sounding amp.  I'll post pics tonight so you can see how ugly it is haha.

-Mark

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Crate amp FTW.

I bet all the "youngin's" have been wondering where they got the name "Crate" from.  :icon_jokercolor:

Well now you know.

I remember when those where new.

 

[big bob]

Torres Tiny Tone
Ceriatone 1987 'Plexi' 50
Cornford Hurricane
'72 refurbed (by me) Fender Bassman 100 head
Orange 2x12 Celestion V30's
Laney 1x12 with Celestion Greenback

did you build the tiny tone, any thoughts?, I'm itching to build something!

 

[big bob]

Crate amp FTW.

Oh yeah and this too:

It totally r0x0rs.

did you get that amp from Chrisguitar?

 

[Superlizard]

did you get that amp from Chrisguitar?

Nah, I was just makin' a funny... although at one time, a long time ago, I did own a Crate
and my buddy had a Heavy Metal pedal.  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[jimh]

Torres Tiny Tone
Ceriatone 1987 'Plexi' 50
Cornford Hurricane
'72 refurbed (by me) Fender Bassman 100 head
Orange 2x12 Celestion V30's
Laney 1x12 with Celestion Greenback

did you build the tiny tone, any thoughts?, I'm itching to build something!

Yep, I built it from a kit. It sounds great, buts pricey. I got it before I knew about the other kit makers. If I were you I'd look at the ceriatone stuff first.  Don't get me wrong, the torres is good but other makers are better. IMHO.

 

[jimh]

Sorry if that last post looked weird. I'm usin my iPhone on a train, and the web browser wouldn't let me see the reply box properly

 

[big bob]

Sorry if that last post looked weird. I'm usin my iPhone on a train, and the web browser wouldn't let me see the reply box properly

came through fine, thanks for the info!

 

[stubhead]

I have:
early 70's Marshall 50-watt no-master
Mesa Boogie Mark IIB

I use:
Peavey Classic 30 for little stuff and
SWR SM-500 + various speakers (Black Widows, Fender, Eminence) for big stuff
My "home rig" is a a Stewart PA100B with whatever modeler/preamp/gizmos are closest at the time...

I've owned a lot of Marshalls, and every one was different - even the ones that were the same! :toothy12:

 

[AprioriMark]

I've owned a lot of Marshalls, and every one was different - even the ones that were the same! :toothy12:

Ain't that the truth.  I love my JCM 800, but I've played some dogs too.

-Mark

 

[MUYFUE]

I use a Trace Elliot Bonneville head through either one or 2 Mesa cabs, one's the oversized Recto with V30s and the other is the regular sized with black shadows. Usually I just go straight in, or throw a Crybaby Classic in front. Sometimes I'll put in a trace 7 band eq in the loop.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=3938.0  :icon_thumright:

 

[TonyW]

70's 100w Bassman, just dont try and move this monster

6watt Roland Street Cube for small venues use it for vocals and guitar great little amp

1996 Anniversary US built 40w Fender HotRod Deluxe

and a Vox VT30 i use quite alot at home, probably my most versatile amp

And a few other floating around in all different states of repair

 

[muttznmongrelz]

I use a Trace Elliot Bonneville head through either one or 2 Mesa cabs, one's the oversized Recto with V30s and the other is the regular sized with black shadows. Usually I just go straight in, or throw a Crybaby Classic in front. Sometimes I'll put in a trace 7 band eq in the loop.

Very cool. I almost bought a Trace Elliot Tramp a few years back. Sweet little amp.

 

[big bob]

you guys have me gassing good!!

 

[jackthehack]

Currently...

Blackheart Little Giant and Handsome Devil heads with a couple mods and 2 Blackheart 1x12 cabs with Vintage 30 speakers

Modded Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue with Vintage 30 speaker upgrade

1980 Paul Rivera designed Fender 75 1x15 combo; recapped/retubed with speaker upgrade to Eminence Big Ben; lead channel is too loud for house in "crunch" mode, so primarily use clean channel as bass amp

 

[MUYFUE]

I almost bought a Trace Elliot Tramp a few years back. Sweet little amp.

I had the Tramp full stack...sounded great!
I wish I hadn't sold it...but I used the money to get my Mesa and BANG!

The Tramp 2X12 combo is Fab-U-Lush!


"Wahh Wah, Yoo guis err poshtink en de vronk plaice! Pleesch Posht een de rright thrreat!" :sad: :laughing7: :sad: :laughing7:

 

[muttznmongrelz]

I had the Tramp full stack...sounded great!
I wish I hadn't sold it...but I used the money to get my Mesa and BANG!
The Tramp 2X12 combo is Fab-U-Lush!

Hey...I'd be good w/a Mesa Lonestar or Heartbreaker. Passed on a "Prototype" Maverick a few years back for $450.00 and I still haven't recovered from that error!  :doh:

BTW...that a Pit in your Avatar?

 

[MUYFUE]

450 for a Maverick !!!!
Where's that time machine...it's around here somewhere... :tard:

My dog, Knuckles is mainly Ridgeback and Retriever, with a bit of Boxer and Etc.
He was a rescue from a VERY bad place...so who knows what all is really in there.
Great dog all 'round. he's going to be 4 in February, about 80 pounds. I take him on 2 mile repeats and he is un-stop-able!
Sometimes I wonder if he does have some Pit or Rott in there...only 'cause I gave him a cow bone instead of a rawhide and the puppy snapped it in half within the hour!