Budda update (and other reviews) *CAUTION - LONG POST*
Odin
afternoon. My impressions are pretty much the same as the last time I
played it - one of the best sounding amps I've ever played, bar none. I
won't repost all of my praise for the amp, but I suggest that anyone who
hasn't played one make it a point to check one out.
Next, I decided to audition every other amp in the room of similar size
and wattage just for a reference point. I used an American Strat with Texas
Specials for all tests. I had the choice of any high end guitar I wanted in
this room, but I wanted to try the amps with an "average" guitar rather than
one of the Suhr, Tom Anderson, Grosh, PRS, etc...hanging on the wall. All
of the following amps were played by myself and another guitarist that I
brought along as a second set of objective ears.
Dr. Z Route 66 head thru Dr. Z 1x12 sealed cab - this is an amazing
sounding amp, but definitely a "one trick pony". Great tone, loud for 32
watts, very dynamic. With only bass, treble, and volume controls this amp
was easy to set up, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much gain you can
dial in by maxing the tone controls. I would not be unhappy with this amp
in any way except for lack of versatility. If you like the one tonal style
that this amp offers, go for it. Not a bad sound in this amp. My
experience with this Route 66 makes me want to play every Dr. Z amp that I
come across, because I may own a Dr. Z someday. Five stars.
Top Hat Club Deluxe 2x12 combo, Ambassador 2x12 combo, Explexador 50
watt head & 1x12 sealed cab - I put all three of these in the same category
because I liked them all about the same - I didn't. The Club Deluxe (2
6V6's) had no headroom (or volume) at all, and the overdrive went from mild
to nasty. I couldn't coax a tone out of this amp that I liked. Next was
the Ambassador (4 EL84's). This amp sounded better (and a little louder)
than the Club Deluxe, but I still didn't like it. A little warmer sounding
than the Club Deluxe, still no headroom and relatively little volume on tap.
Finally, the Emplexador head & cab. I played a 100 watt Emplexador last
year when a guy wanted to trade me his Emplexador 100 watt head for my
Triple Rectifier head. I didn't do the trade, not because I loved the
Triple Recto but because I didn't like the Top Hat and Mesa Recto heads are
hot right now and easy to sell. I sold the Mesa. This Emplexador head was
just like I remembered - the "plexi" settings didn't sound like a plexi
Marshall, and the "modern" tones were nasty IMO. All of the Top Hat amps
had a tendency to sound brittle and harsh on the top end, and there was a
noticeable buzziness (ala Mesa) on the higher gain settings. I know that
some people swear by the Top hat amps, and they are built like a brick
shithouse, but I am definitely not a Top Hat player. YMMV.
Carr Slant 6V 1x12 combo and Carr Hammerhead 1x12 combo - this was my
first experience with a Carr amplifier, and there is definitely something
good going on with Carr amps. The Slant 6V (4 6V6's) is a 2 channel amp
with reverb. The first channel sounds nice as a clean to moderate overdrive
channel, and the 6V6 breakup is there, but it doesn't break up as early as a
tweed Deluxe or similar amp. The second channel was capable of higher gain
but still sounded good, never "buzzy". This amp had some great tones but
wasn't extremely versatile, as is the case with all "boutique" amps, which
isn't necessarily a bad thing. Reverb was good if you like that sort of
thing - personally, I don't care if I have reverb or not. I play in bars,
and the subtleties of amp reverb are all but lost in a 6-piece bar band.
And if I record I'll add the reverb where it belongs - post amplifier.
Anyway, the Carr amps are great sounding amps, not exactly what I am looking
for, but definitely no slouch. Check 'em out.
Fender VibroKing 3x10 combo and Dual Professional 2x12 combo -
VibroKing - I have played this amp many times before, so I wasn't surprised,
but it was sitting on the floor next to the other amps so I played it just
to hear it in context with the other amps. Great vibrato and reverb. I
love the tone of the VK, although it tends to be a bit bright for me. The
fatal flaw of the VibroKing IMO is that it breaks up way too early. This
amp would be ideal for a harp player, but for guitar it just doesn't have a
usable clean tone at stage volume. Play it - if it turns you on I say buy
it. I love my Tonemaster clean channel, and the drive channel is good (not
great), and I like the Dual Professional too. For me, the Dual Professional
is more usable in the volume area, but that bitch is heavy, which is partly
why I shy away from gigging my Tonemaster. I think Fender is on the right
track with these Custom Shop amps, but they need a few minor adjustments,
starting with the price.
Budda VerbMaster 18 watt 4x10 combo - no master volume, single channel,
reverb. Sounds great, similar to the Superdrive 30 but earlier breakup and
no high gain side. Loud for 18 watts, but breaks up too early for me.
Now back to the Budda Superdrive 30 - IMO this was the best sounding amp
in the room, rivaled only by the Dr. Z Route 66. Actually, the Route 66
might sound as good as the SD30, but the SD30 has *several* great tones and
the Route 66 has one great tone and you have to use the guitar volume pot to
vary the tone. The Budda is the king of versatility (2 channels, master
volume, effects loop, cabinet switching, etc.). Now for the disappointing
news - I won't be buying a Budda SD30. Not due to any tonal deficiency, but
the reality of the matter is that this amp is just not loud enough for me on
the clean channel. I can get the needed volume, or I can get the great
clean tone, but I can't get both at the same time. This time I took the
opportunity to crank the amp up and jam for a while, and I played at gig
volumes. The clean goes away at gig volumes. I am waiting for my dealer to
get in a Superdrive 80 watt model, which uses 6L6's. I don't know if the
6L6's can get *the tone* that the SD30's EL84's get, but I'm ready to find
out. Now many of you will be able to gig with the SD30, but I know the
reality of my band situation, and it ain't happening. One other option I
would like to try is the now-discontinued Budda Dual Stage 30. It's a 30
watter with 2 separate footswitchable power amp sections, clean with 2 6l6's
and drive with 4 EL84's. In theory, this sounds perfect, but I want to play
it before I buy it. In the end, I'm a little disappointed but damn glad
that I went back for the second time. I hope to hear from other Budda
owners, especially Dual Stage 30 and Superdrive 80 owners.
On a different note, I am ordering a quartet of THD Yellowjackets for my
Tonemaster - class A 30 watt Tonemaster coming up. Review to follow. And I
traded an amp for some cash and a Hamer USA Special with P90's - gonna check
out the Hamer at rehearsal tonight.
Barry E. King
EL84 side, but I am not sure how loud you need it.
What you could do is tell me where the volume knobs were set on the SD30 and
I could perhaps try some tests. The DS30 EL84 side is basically a
Stringmaster. The SD30 is more or less a MV Stringmaster (or so I have
heard) but with somewhat different voicing perhaps. The DS30 *should* be
about the same volume as the SD30 with the SD30 MV dimed, volume controlled
by pre-amp only.
Based on my experience with the DS30, the 6L6 side is style very much a
Budda, but the tone is different than the EL84 side although not that much
different IMO. At breakup the two sides do sound different as would be
expected.
You could also try and talk to Jeff at Budda if yo uhave not already done
so. He is extremely helpful and knowledgable.
Barry
Odin <od...@flash.net> wrote in message
news:wCZh6.6795$y03.4...@news.flash.net...
Zekmoe
Odin, one question(maybe 2). What size and type clubs are you playing where the
amp volume is not enough? I've just got back into playing out a little, and the
clubs that I've played in (original music rock clubs) are not really big enough
for any of my large amps. I bring my DC-30 and run it at 15 watts, and even
that I can't run full out. I would say we play places that stand about 50 to
100 people max. Smaller in size.
Reason I ask is that I have been looking for a small crankable amp, along the
lines of a Vox AC-15. And thought about one of those Top Had Club amps ot Dr Z
Maz 18Jr 2-10, but want to be able to crank it a little.. ( I have a Clark
Deluxe, but that has NO clean headroom to speak of. But that's the sound of
that amp)
Good Review by the way. Clear sonic descriptions. Where is this store that has
all those amps??? (High end amp store deprived here)
Bob Maggio
Not a downstroke, fistpicker.
www.curbdog.org
Greg
in there with a buddy of mine to buy a guitar for his bro in law in Korea,
and didn't have time to try the Buddas.
Greg
"Odin" <od...@flash.net> wrote in message
news:wCZh6.6795$y03.4...@news.flash.net...
Dire
Carr 6V they had. It was on the floor about an hour and I walked in and had
to try it. Didn't take long to dig out the wallet. I can't disagree more
on the versatility thing, though. 1 Full and 2 half-power settings(18, 22,
and 40 watts), cathode or fixed bias, 2 foot-switchable channels, clean
channel with reverb, lead channel with hi/low gain settings. This amp is
the tone-monster that a BFDR and Tweed Deluxe wish they were. I've owned 2
BFDR's and the Carr does everything they ever did plus much more. 6V6
crunch with Marshall-like bottom never sounded like this in a BFDR.
However, I'm not surprised it didn't overwhelm you if you like the SD30.
They're definitely two different ideas of what the ultimate amp is. I've
never been a big fan of EL-84 based amps, but I haven't played too many
either. Budda makes a nice product and I'm sure the SD-30 is great. I'd be
interested in getting together some folks around Dallas with different amps
and putting them through the paces, especially since I can't afford them all
myself. I've got the Carr and a Holland(in the shop at the moment).
Anybody else interested?
James
"Odin" <od...@flash.net> wrote in message
news:wCZh6.6795$y03.4...@news.flash.net...
Scott Colborn
Just got back from my rehearsal space - 5 hours of putting various
EL84's into the Yellow Jacket tube socket adapters in my `74 Marshall Super
Lead half stack (Raytheon, Sovtek, Tesla, Mullard and Telefunken). I have a
pair of the YJ's that I'm using in power tube sockets 1 & 4, and adjusting
the impedance selector to reflect using two power tubes instead of four. I
would love to get another pair of YJ's sometime and use four of them in the
Super Lead - I've posted previously that the sound is something like
"Marshall meets Vox." Thanks again to Harry Jacobson for turning me on to
the YJ's! I had a blast again tonight. Any Super Lead owners out there -
you really need to hear your Super Lead with the Yellow Jackets/EL84's - you
"may" start using that old Marshall that's been relegated to the corner
because it's "too ______ loud."
You're going to have some fun with the Yellow Jackets and the EL84 tube.
Chime, sweet overdrive - I didn't use my overdrive pedal once tonight. Ran
the Marshall with both channels jumpered at about "6" and used the guitar
volume.
Your amp EQ will be important - the EQ "feels" different with the Yellow
Jackets and EL84's, so just fiddle with your tone knobs until you find some
tone that you like - it won't be hard. I had the EQ for the Super Lead set
as follows: Presence - 5, bass - 3, mids - 10, treble - 5, and both
channels jumpered and about "6". Have some fun with the YJ's !
Do yourself a favor and order a set of Tesla EL84's from LV, Jim McShane
or Ned - if you find any leftover "tax return" money, go for some NOS EL84's
like Telefunken or Mullard, from a reputable dealer who tests the tubes. I
put the Telefunken EL84's in the YJ's tonight and had to force myself to
take them out and "save" them for a special occasion - hands down they just
kick butt - the difference between the Tele's and the rest of the EL84's is
almost startling. So grab some different brands of EL84's for your YJ's and
start experimenting and have fun. (If you just happen to find a stash of
Telefunken EL84's, don't forget your friend Scott - grin.)
Thanks for the amp review. Take care.
Walk in Beauty, Peace. Scott
steve
Do you know if the Yellow Jackets will work in a Marshall Studio 15? I want
to try these things but I want to ensure they will work with my amp.
STeve
"Scott Colborn" <kcol...@inetnebr.com> wrote in message
news:0V4i6.13$dK....@newsfeed.slurp.net...
Odin
"Dire" <di...@ticnet.com> wrote in message
> Sounds like you spent some time in Speir Music.
Yep. Actually, I spend too much time at Speir Music.
> I actually bought the first
> Carr 6V they had. It was on the floor about an hour and I walked in and
had
> to try it. Didn't take long to dig out the wallet. I can't disagree more
> on the versatility thing, though.
I guess I should have said that it's versatile at lower volumes, but a
medium to higher volumes it sounds like a 6V6 amp - distorted. I'm not a
big 6V6 fan because they tend to get really distorted at higher volumes and
they tend to lose definition when distorted. The Carr 6V is an awesome
soundign amp, though, and would be ideal for a quieter band or a person who
does a lot of recording.
> 1 Full and 2 half-power settings(18, 22,
> and 40 watts), cathode or fixed bias,
There was that unlabeled switch on the front panel (on the second channel
controls) that seemed to make the sound more or less overdriven - was that
the full/half power switch? Or the cathode/fixed bias switch?
> 2 foot-switchable channels, clean
> channel with reverb, lead channel with hi/low gain settings. This amp is
> the tone-monster that a BFDR and Tweed Deluxe wish they were.
Can't argue with that.
> I've owned 2
> BFDR's and the Carr does everything they ever did plus much more. 6V6
> crunch with Marshall-like bottom never sounded like this in a BFDR.
> However, I'm not surprised it didn't overwhelm you if you like the SD30.
> They're definitely two different ideas of what the ultimate amp is. I've
> never been a big fan of EL-84 based amps, but I haven't played too many
> either. Budda makes a nice product and I'm sure the SD-30 is great. I'd
be
> interested in getting together some folks around Dallas with different
amps
> and putting them through the paces, especially since I can't afford them
all
> myself. I've got the Carr and a Holland(in the shop at the moment).
> Anybody else interested?
All I bring to the table are a couple of Super Reverbs and Tonemasters.
Nothing "boutique" at the moment.
Odin
"Barry E. King" <bek...@hellinahandbasket.com> wrote in message
> I have a DS30. The 6L6 side is definitely cleaner at the same volume as
the
> EL84 side, but I am not sure how loud you need it.
I need the clean volume to be approximately like a Super Reverb on about 4
(biased slightly hot with 7581's and a 5AR4) with a Strat, and a little
louder wouldn't hurt.
> What you could do is tell me where the volume knobs were set on the SD30
and
> I could perhaps try some tests.
I set the master volume at about 2 o'clock and dialed the clean channel
volume in until it started to break up - I needed more volume. On the gain
channel I set the gain volume anywhere between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock.
> The DS30 EL84 side is basically a
> Stringmaster. The SD30 is more or less a MV Stringmaster (or so I have
> heard) but with somewhat different voicing perhaps. The DS30 *should* be
> about the same volume as the SD30 with the SD30 MV dimed, volume
controlled
> by pre-amp only.
Thta sounds good, but then the gain side isn't quite "gainy" enough, it
sounds like the clean side with the MV dimed.
> Based on my experience with the DS30, the 6L6 side is style very much a
> Budda, but the tone is different than the EL84 side although not that much
> different IMO. At breakup the two sides do sound different as would be
> expected.
And I like a 6L6 clean tone, so that's not a bad thing.
> You could also try and talk to Jeff at Budda if yo uhave not already done
> so. He is extremely helpful and knowledgable.
I might call him, but I didn't want to bother them until I was closer to
making the buy. I like to play the amps myself, and I think I answered my
questions about the SD30 pretty well. I'm still hoping to play a DS30
because the Budda amps turn up in a couple of local shops here regularly.
Odin
"Zekmoe" <zek...@aol.comNOSpam> wrote in message
> Odin, one question(maybe 2). What size and type clubs are you playing
where the
> amp volume is not enough?
Typical local bars hold maybe 50-200 people, maybe 1/2 dozen pool tables,
1/2 dozen dart boards, a couple of games, etc...the club size varies, and
we're really a little too loud on stage, but the volume isn't a problem in
front of the stage. If we backed the volume down a hair on stage we'd be
better off IMO, but tell that to 4 guys, each in control of their own volume
knob and a moderately loud drummer.
> I've just got back into playing out a little, and the
> clubs that I've played in (original music rock clubs) are not really big
enough
> for any of my large amps. I bring my DC-30 and run it at 15 watts, and
even
> that I can't run full out. I would say we play places that stand about 50
to
> 100 people max. Smaller in size.
I think that bands like ours (drums, bass, 2 guitars, and keys) tend to play
louder, whereas in a three piece (drums, bass, guitar) the guitarist can
play a little quieter and still cut through because of the space in the
music.
> Reason I ask is that I have been looking for a small crankable amp, along
the
> lines of a Vox AC-15. And thought about one of those Top Had Club amps ot
Dr Z
> Maz 18Jr 2-10, but want to be able to crank it a little.. ( I have a
Clark
> Deluxe, but that has NO clean headroom to speak of. But that's the sound
of
> that amp)
If you want a small, crankable amp cjheck out the Dr. Z Route 66. It
cleaned up nicely when I backed off the guitar volume, and it screamed when
cranked. A loud 32 watter, but not too loud (not loud enough for me).
Looked like it was way overbuilt too, which is always nice.
> Good Review by the way. Clear sonic descriptions. Where is this store that
has
> all those amps??? (High end amp store deprived here)
Speir Music in Garland, Texas. Formerly the Melody Shop. Formerly Arnold &
Morgan Music. On Garland Rd. just south of downtown. If you're ever in
Dallas go check it out - they sell Gibson, Fender (Master dealer), Marshall,
Hughes & Kettner, Rivera, Dr. Z, Victoria, THD, Kendrick, Top Hat, Carr,
Budda, SWR, Ampeg, PRS, Tom Anderson, Dan Grosh, Suhr, etc. plus many
"lesser" brands. Full store with keyboards, pro audio, guitar and bass,
drums, lots of acoustics, decent amount of used gear, etc. The building has
a lot of history, and it's not new and shiny, but they carry more high end
gear (and they let you play it, not hang it up high on the wall) than any
other local shop that I'm aware of. And they're pretty good guys to deal
with. My former salesman, Thomas Roberts, is no longer there, but my "new"
salesman is Dewaine Hereford, who has been there for years. (972-272-1700)
Odin
"Greg" <zzzg...@home.com> wrote in message
> Hey, was that at Speir Music, and were you playing a black strat? I
bounced
> in there with a buddy of mine to buy a guitar for his bro in law in Korea,
> and didn't have time to try the Buddas.
> Greg
That was me (and my brother). My younger brother was also playing - he has
the long hair, and I have much less hair.
Odin
"Scott Colborn" <kcol...@inetnebr.com> wrote in message
> Do yourself a favor and order a set of Tesla EL84's from LV, Jim
McShane
> or Ned - if you find any leftover "tax return" money, go for some NOS
EL84's
> like Telefunken or Mullard, from a reputable dealer who tests the tubes.
I think they come with Sovtek's, and I'll probably stick with them until I
decide if I like the Yellow Jackets. If I like them I'm sure I'll be
calling on Lord Valve again. I know nothing about the particulars of which
EL84's sound better than others (my tube "knowledge" is almost all about
6L6's) so any help with EL84's is much appreciated.
> I put the Telefunken EL84's in the YJ's tonight and had to force myself to
> take them out and "save" them for a special occasion - hands down they
just
> kick butt - the difference between the Tele's and the rest of the EL84's
is
> almost startling. So grab some different brands of EL84's for your YJ's
and
> start experimenting and have fun. (If you just happen to find a stash of
> Telefunken EL84's, don't forget your friend Scott - grin.)
How much for a set of Telefunkens? Is there a particular model of
Telefunken EL84 that is "preferred"? I've heard positive things about the
JJ/Tesla's also.
Tom
and 3?
Regards.
Steve Barnes
Dwain sold me my 79 Les Paul Deluxe I now have on layaway. When my
income tax comes in that
baby is mine.
Steve
Odin
"Tom" <tma...@erolsnospam.com> wrote in message
> I'm curious...why are you using sockets 1 and 4...sounds better than 2
> and 3?
Just a guess, but I always use 1 & 4 because it leaves the inner two sockets
open and allows the hot tubes a little more breathing room to cool since the
tubes aren't as close together.
PMG
used to play in a band with a guy who owned one, but I never owned one,
it's a real nice guitar, I wish my Std. was a Deluxe.
Pete
--
There's an exit? --Barney Gumble
Barry E. King
before even trying them. The Budda pushes the power section pretty hard and
the SV83s don't seem to hold up in this situation. My DS30 smoked these in
less than 15 minutes. They are supposed to be a very nice sounding tube
when used in a circuit designed for them though.
The Sovtek supposedly holds up very well in a hot power section, but I still
prefer the tone of the JJ/Tesla EL84s. I had a set of Westinghouse branded
tubes that sounded very good also, but I have been told these may have been
Sovteks. They sounded different than the Sovteks I took out of my old
Stringmaster, but maybe there is another explanation for the tone
difference, the obvious one being that the old tubes had seen better days.
I have new Sovteks in another amp (Velocette) and they sound very nice, but
a bit more trebly, shrill or harsh at break-up to my ears. Seems to me the
JJs have a creamier, smoother breakup. They worked very well in my (now
sold) Mesa Subway Rocket and dished out great power section distortion (Mesa
owners: turn down the pre-amp! Better tones are in there ;} )
I did a little testing last night and will do some more this weekend. I
don't think you'll get the type of clean from the EL84 section at the
volumes I think you probably want, but you might with the DS30 on the 6L6
side.
I have a Holland Gibb Droll 4-10 which is basically a hot-rodded 4 input 5E3
Bassman circuit. The amp is a "conservatively" rated 50W. I run anything
from 5881s, 6L6GCs through KT-66Cs in it. With 5881s I think it will
probably have the highest headroom -- someone please correct me if I am
wrong. This non-MV amp starts to break up and crunch by around 5 and pretty
much just compresses from there on up getting somewhat louder. I do not
know how this compares to a Super but based on a 4-10 Super I messed with
briefly in a shop a month or two back I think it should be close. I could
run the Budda against it and see where the volume is clean for clean. The
Holland is very loud at 3 and DAMN loud at 4.5 while still being more or
less clean (breaks up when you really dig in). This is assuming a dimed
guitar volume of course.
Barry
Odin <od...@flash.net> wrote in message
news:W4gi6.82$Sx5....@news.flash.net...
Barry E. King
was looking at building a Deluxe 5E3 and had the schem open in another
window. Guess the late 60s/70s have taken a toll after all.
My apologies for all the stress, real or imagined, this may have caused.
Barry
Barry E. King <bek...@hellinahandbasket.com> wrote in message
news:i2li6.20$wQ.3...@news1.rdc1.az.home.com...
SINASL1
year when a guy wanted to trade me his Emplexador 100 watt head for my
Triple Rectifier head. I didn't do the trade, not because I loved the
Triple Recto but because I didn't like the Top Hat and Mesa Recto heads are
hot right now and easy to sell. I sold the Mesa. This Emplexador head was
just like I remembered - the "plexi" settings didn't sound like a plexi
Marshall, and the "modern" tones were nasty IMO. All of the Top Hat amps
had a tendency to sound brittle and harsh on the top end, and there was a
noticeable buzziness (ala Mesa) on the higher gain settings. >>
I have an Emplexedor 50 watt head, and I really like it- I think it DOES sound
like a Plexi Marshall on the Vintage setting, and I don't find the tones in
hi-gain mode to be brittle at all.... hmmmm. What speaker was in the cab you
were using?
I also tend to run the treble on about 4 and the mids on about 5- any higher
and I would agree it gets a little bright for my tastes. I also have NOS
Mullard 12ax7's in mine- Brian sometimes ships the Emplexedor with a Sovtek
12ax7wxt+ in V1 and maybe this is the way you heard the amp. Also, it sounds
really good through G12H30's, or old greenbacks.... Vintage 30's sound good too
but they are more modern and a little more aggressive in the upper mids than
you might like.
oh, one other thing- if you turn the master vol. on 10 and then start opening
up the preamp until you get the desired volume/breakup (use a Hotplate cause
it's really loud) it sounds much more Plexi-ish than if you have the master
down low.
Anyways, my .02 cents
Pete Thorn
Scott Colborn
Cool Marshall, man! If you "ever" want to sell that, please drop me a
line - OK? Here's contact info for THD:
THD Electronics, Ltd.
4816 15th Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107-4717
Phone: 206.781.5500
Fax: 206.781.5508
in...@thdelectronics.com
Give Andy a call with your specific questions about the Studio 15. I went
to their web site and the Yellow Jackets will work for a 6V6 amp, but give
them a call with your questions. Also, as far as I'm concerned, if you can
grab a pair of French Visseaux 6V6's, grab `em and have the amp biased - the
best 6V6 in my opinion!
I don't work for THD nor do I have any financial interest in their
success. I "do" like the Yellow Jackets, and have tried them in my `74
Marshall Super Lead, `69 Park 75 and a Kendrick Black/Gold 35 combo. A
winner!
Enjoy your musical gifts.
Scott Colborn
The Tesla's are the best current production EL84, and as Barry pointed
out, have a creamier overdrive, while the Sovteks are harsher and tend
toward brittle when pushed.
The Telefunken EL84's are hard to find, and you will pay 4-5 times more
for a pair, but IMO the tone, note articulation, clarity, and the way they
grab the guitar note and sing make them worth it to me. Anyone - please
drop me an e-mail if/when you see any for sale that you don't buy for
yourself - thanks!
I played my pair of Mullard EL84's last night as well, and they are very
good. When I get some money ahead (heck, you ought to see my tube stash as
it is right now -grin) I'll pick up some of the NOS GE's and Sylvania's and
give them a try as well. I tend to like most anything that GE did, so I'm
hoping for a good NOS EL84 from them as well. Anyone have experience with
NOS GE's or Sylvania EL84's? Again, for the money, the Tesla's are pretty
fine.
Scott Colborn
Barry is right in that if you are after total clean and headroom, the
EL84's with the YJ's may not give that to you, but in your Tonemaster -
that's a 100 watt amp with 4 6L6's, correct - I think 4 YJ's with EL84's
would sound pretty damn good. According to the THD web site, you can also
keep your regular power tubes in sockets 2 and 3 and run a pair of the
YJ's/EL84's in sockets 1 and 4, or the other way around (YJ's in sockets 2
and 3, 6L6's in 1 and 4). This would give you a blend that may hold promise
as well.
Damn fun to crank my Marshall Super Lead with the YJ's/EL84's - I'm
going to get a second set so I can run 4 YJ's as well.
Take care and enjoy your music.
Scott Colborn
Yep, the reason is as Odin stated. Take care.
Barry E. King
you want at the volumes you describe. The Budda clean is a GREAT clean, but
at similar levels of clean on my Holland, the Holland is quite a bit louder.
At full volume though, where they are both breaking up, the Budda tone is
right there and very usable.
One difference I noticed between the two amps is that the Budda keeps
getting louder as the volume is turned up, while the Holland compresses
more. Both are very loud at this point but the volume difference is
neglible and the Budda seems to punch through more. Don't get me wrong, I
love the Gibb Droll tones too, it's just that the Budda remains articulate,
tight and complex at these volume/distortion levels. We probably all know
what a bassman/early Marshall does in that range. Not a bad thing, just
different.
I will do some more hopefully comprehensive and less subjective testing when
I can. Although I didn't buy the Budda for loud and clean, just loud =) I
am curious about this too. I can also throw another loud amp in the mix, my
Rivera Quiana (50W 2-12) which is what I currently use for "pristine" loud
clean. I will try and get ahold of a sound level meter and do it right. I
didn't put in earplugs. By the time I was done tonight I think I could have
stood in front of the stage beside Metallica's stacks (like I did at a
concert during their very first tour when they were still hungry) and
thought it was not very loud...
Barry
Jim & Jo
disapears quickly and the mush sets in,trying to balance the clean/dirt
via the shared controls was also a problem for me..I too would really
like to see a high powered version of this amp....anyone tried a MAZ 38
?
" All you need is love " ...... The Beatles Based on an original
concept by God
Barry E. King
were by far my favorites and seemd to have a later breakup. I cannot do a
direct comparison however since they sold with the amp, but I seem to recall
they stayed cleaner longer than the JJ and Sovteks I had also tried.
Anyone know what Westinghouse branded EL84s really are? They are now gone
too, so I cannot visually comapre them with anything I currently have.
Someone once told me they were Sovtek.
Barry
Scott Colborn <kcol...@inetnebr.com> wrote in message
news:kGni6.479$dK....@newsfeed.slurp.net...
Odin
Jim & Jo <jim...@webtv.net> wrote in message
> Odin is exactly right about this amp,low/med settings are fine but clean
> disapears quickly and the mush sets in,trying to balance the clean/dirt
> via the shared controls was also a problem for me..I too would really
> like to see a high powered version of this amp....anyone tried a MAZ 38
I haven't, but I certainly will if I get the chance, after playing that
Route 66. I don't know how much cleaner the 38 would be, because I believe
the Route 66 is 32 watts, and it uses KT66's.
Odin
Scott Colborn <kcol...@inetnebr.com> wrote in message
> Barry is right in that if you are after total clean and headroom, the
> EL84's with the YJ's may not give that to you, but in your Tonemaster -
> that's a 100 watt amp with 4 6L6's, correct - I think 4 YJ's with EL84's
> would sound pretty damn good.
That's my theory, too. I'm figuring that a 100 watt amp that's built for
high power should be a pretty clean sounding EL84 amp as compared to a
little 30 watter. I don't expect "Fender" tones, but maybe a tight sounding
EL84 amp.
> According to the THD web site, you can also
> keep your regular power tubes in sockets 2 and 3 and run a pair of the
> YJ's/EL84's in sockets 1 and 4, or the other way around (YJ's in sockets 2
> and 3, 6L6's in 1 and 4). This would give you a blend that may hold
promise
> as well.
That's why I went ahead and bought a quad of the YJ's. I figure that if it
isn't loud/clean enough with the EL84's I'll run the amp class A/AB with 2
and 2. I don't have any idea what it will sound like, but it's worth a try.
If I can spend $180 and get a whole new amp (or two) then it's definitely
worth it. And my brother also owns a Tonemaster, and he said that if I
don't like 2 (or all 4) of the YJ's that he would probably buy them from me,
so I'm pretty safe with the purchase.
I also plan on trying 2 of them in my Super Reverb - I know it won't be as
loud, but it should be interesting. 2 EL84's with a tube rectifier and 4
10" alnicos should give some awesome lead tones for recording.
Odin
Barry E. King <bek...@hellinahandbasket.com> wrote in message
> Well, Odin, I don't think the 30W Budda is going to give you the clean
tone
> you want at the volumes you describe. The Budda clean is a GREAT clean,
but
> at similar levels of clean on my Holland, the Holland is quite a bit
louder.
> At full volume though, where they are both breaking up, the Budda tone is
> right there and very usable.
If I could talk the whole band into playing just a notch quieter I would
have found the ultimate amp. But I'm realistic......
> One difference I noticed between the two amps is that the Budda keeps
> getting louder as the volume is turned up, while the Holland compresses
> more. Both are very loud at this point but the volume difference is
> neglible and the Budda seems to punch through more. Don't get me wrong, I
> love the Gibb Droll tones too, it's just that the Budda remains
articulate,
> tight and complex at these volume/distortion levels. We probably all know
> what a bassman/early Marshall does in that range. Not a bad thing, just
> different.
That is one of the things about the Budda that surprised me (in a good
way) - I've never heard a small EL84 amp, especially a master volume amp,
that could retain the note articulation at those volume/gain levels. The
guys at Budda did something right.
> I will do some more hopefully comprehensive and less subjective testing
when
> I can. Although I didn't buy the Budda for loud and clean, just loud =)
I
> am curious about this too. I can also throw another loud amp in the mix,
my
> Rivera Quiana (50W 2-12) which is what I currently use for "pristine" loud
> clean. I will try and get ahold of a sound level meter and do it right.
I
> didn't put in earplugs. By the time I was done tonight I think I could
have
> stood in front of the stage beside Metallica's stacks (like I did at a
> concert during their very first tour when they were still hungry) and
> thought it was not very loud...
I just traded off my Rivera M-60 1x12 combo. The clean tone was damn good,
nearly a Fender clean and nice and warm, but the lead tone was definitely
not for me. I haven't played anu of the newer, high-end Riveras (Jake,
Rake, Quiana, etc.)
Odin
SINASL1 <sin...@aol.com> wrote in message
> I have an Emplexedor 50 watt head, and I really like it- I think it DOES
sound
> like a Plexi Marshall on the Vintage setting, and I don't find the tones
in
> hi-gain mode to be brittle at all.... hmmmm. What speaker was in the cab
you
> were using?
It was sitting on a Top hat 2x12 sealed cab - I *think* it had Celestion
V30's in it, but I couldn't swear to it.
> I also tend to run the treble on about 4 and the mids on about 5- any
higher
> and I would agree it gets a little bright for my tastes.
I have to admit that I didn't spend a whole lot of time with the amp because
I didn't find any tones that I liked quickly. Any time I demo a new amp, I
turn off all effects (reverb, vibrato, etc.), put all tone controls straight
up an 12 o'clock, and turn both volumes all the way down. I started by
bringing the master volume up halfway and then bringing the gain volume up.
The Emplexador 50 sounded better than either of the combos I plyed IMO (Club
Deluxe and Ambassador), and a 100 watt may have sounded different, but I get
the feeling that the Top Hats just aren't my thing.
> I also have NOS
> Mullard 12ax7's in mine- Brian sometimes ships the Emplexedor with a
Sovtek
> 12ax7wxt+ in V1 and maybe this is the way you heard the amp. Also, it
sounds
> really good through G12H30's, or old greenbacks.... Vintage 30's sound
good too
> but they are more modern and a little more aggressive in the upper mids
than
> you might like.
I looked in the back of all of the amps to check if any of these "boutique"
amps were using NOS tubes (none were as far as I could tell) but the Top Hat
head is tough to see in the back clearly. I suspect that it was whatever
standard tube ships in the amp. Apparently the store is committed to Top
Hat, because they always have at least 5 or 6 Top Hats on the floor and seem
to sell through.
> oh, one other thing- if you turn the master vol. on 10 and then start
opening
> up the preamp until you get the desired volume/breakup (use a Hotplate
cause
> it's really loud) it sounds much more Plexi-ish than if you have the
master
> down low
It did get loud, no doubt about it. And the "vintage" setting sounded like
it had potential to my ears, but I really didn't like the "modern" setting.
I just thought that for that kind of case I could find something I liked
better for a "modern" gain tone, but it's nice to have the option on the
amp. This is the second time that I've checked out the Top hat and I'm
still not sold on the sound, but the construction (I've seen the inside of a
100 watt Emplexador head) is fairly impressive. Maybe I'll find one I like
someday.
Steve Barnes
Odin wrote:
>
> Barry E. King <bek...@hellinahandbasket.com> wrote in message
>
> > Well, Odin, I don't think the 30W Budda is going to give you the clean
> tone
> > you want at the volumes you describe. The Budda clean is a GREAT clean,
> but
> > at similar levels of clean on my Holland, the Holland is quite a bit
> louder.
> > At full volume though, where they are both breaking up, the Budda tone is
> > right there and very usable.
>
> If I could talk the whole band into playing just a notch quieter I would
> have found the ultimate amp. But I'm realistic......
>
> Odin
I'm surprised the club owners aren't bitchin' about your stage volume.
They do all the time when we
play.
Steve
Odin
Steve Barnes <s-ba...@raytheon.com> wrote in message
> I'm surprised the club owners aren't bitchin' about your stage volume.
> They do all the time when we play.
We're really not all that loud in the audience, and we keep the instruments
well balanced, but we could stand to turn down a notch.
Steve Barnes
Have you looked at these amps. This guy is here in Richardson. I'm
sure he will have some
at the show in March. They're based on the Tweed Pro circuit from the
50's.
http://www.sewellamps.com/00_Main.htm
Odin
Cookie's website, but I've never played/heard them.
Steve Barnes <s-ba...@raytheon.com> wrote in message
news:3A8B62FE...@raytheon.com...
Dr. Bob
Super seems to run about 25-30 watts clean, vs the full 40 with 6L6GCs.
Dr. Bob
with the 1/2 power mode that just uses the middle two tubes. Very cool,
sorta master volume Vox in 1/2 power mode and big Marshall tone with extra
chime and drive in full power mode. Just like a Simulclass Boogie but with
the preferrable (to me) Marshall tone. Bob
Ron Dodson
all the amps mentioned. I agree almost exactly
with the analysis. The Budda is creamy rich thick
overdrive. I think (I didn't have my '57 strat with
me) it will come pretty close to doing the Eric Johnson
thing, and it definately nails Fair Warning. It's not
as much a VH 1 sound, though.
The Top Hat stuff looks the coolest. I don't like the
way the Budda stuff looks, at all. I wanted to
like the Top Hat the best because the cosmetics are
genius. But it didn't have the lower fullness, and
the high midrange was nasally. It didn't sound bad,
just not that good after the Budda.
Now the Z Rout 66 was crazy. No frills AT ALL.
But the thing kicked! It was very ballsy, and had
all the frequencies covered in a very balanced way.
No preamp distortion at all, I mean at all, but it
sounded great--better than the Budda even for
pure tone. I would love to hear this amp with a
Budda Zenman pedal in front. Wow! Kinda goofy
cosmetics, better than Budda, not as cool as the
Top Hat.
I would like to hear the Top Hat with hand-selected
(impossible to find now) EI 12ax7's. Might smooth
it out a bit.
On another note (ha ha), the Victoria was really neat
for the almost clean thing. Very warm, and the best
laquered tweed finish I've ever seen.
Ron in Dallas
Odin
you once a customer at Earmark on Lover's Lane down in the Highland park
area? I used to work at that store in the early 90's. If this is the same
Ron Dodson, I remember you being a big EVH fan at the time.
"Ron Dodson" <ron...@flash.net> wrote in message
news:Hrcj6.3289$Sx5.2...@news.flash.net...
Ron Dodson
is my current fave (how's that for going out on a limb?). That
Budda will do the "Meanstreets" thing, won't it?
Gosh, the guitar sound on my CD was, well, not that great.
ADA MP-1 into some random SS power amp. How embarassing.
I think I cut some stuff with a JCM-800 50watt combo
with a Boss SD-1; that sounded pretty good.
Ron
"Odin" <REMOV...@flash.netREMOVE> wrote in message
news:gegj6.285$8w4.34...@newssvr16.news.prodigy.com...
Odin
"Ron Dodson" <ron...@flash.net> wrote in message
> Yeah, that's me--how funny. I still like Ed, but Eric Johnson
> is my current fave (how's that for going out on a limb?). That
> Budda will do the "Meanstreets" thing, won't it?
>
> Gosh, the guitar sound on my CD was, well, not that great.
> ADA MP-1 into some random SS power amp. How embarassing.
> I think I cut some stuff with a JCM-800 50watt combo
> with a Boss SD-1; that sounded pretty good.
I don't remember much about the tone, but I remember that the playing was
very "Van Halen-esque" and I remember the photo of the guitars with the
graphics, etc.
TruSoldier
and Budda Amps. I don't play a Budda (they don't offer anything that's
configured to my needs as of yet), but I've tried a couple of amps in their
current line-up and they straight kill! Jeff Bober (the man weilding the
soldering iron over at Budda) is the very best tube amp tech that I've ever
encountered in my life! The boy got mad skills, and Budda Amps is proof
positive of his skill! I almost hate telling people about Jeff, for fear of
him getting too busy to take care of my gear! ;-) Precision Audio Electronics
(Glen Burnie, MD) is where Jeff holds court. I got mad love for this cat!
@(--->>
Mike Jacobs
Assuming one wants Budda-region gain (I really don't like using pedals to
push a medium-low gain amp), what other options are out there for
tone-hounds?
I tried the Budda SD30 and really liked it, but need to go back and crank it
and see what happens. That being said, its the only high-quality amp I've
heard that does seems to do gain well, outside of the $6k Bruno Super 100
and a Dumble.
What other decent gain or master volume amps are out there in this quality
range?
I've having some difficulties narrowing stuff down. I'm looking for a very
high quality amp to make my regular gigging amp... likely a 1x12, and I'll
bring an extention cabinet sometimes. I don't really need that much by way
of features, although the 2-channel thing, or at least a boost, comes in
handy.
Agree with the comments below. Top Hats are good, but I think Dr. Zs are
better for the money. However, I can't go balls-out, and I really don't
like using pedals for gain. I thought the Brunos were tremendous - UG30 is,
IMHO, the best in its class - but anything with higher gain gets into the
$4-6k territory. I thought about it, but don't want to carry $7k to each
gig.
mj
"Ron Dodson" <ron...@flash.net> wrote in message
news:Hrcj6.3289$Sx5.2...@news.flash.net...
Mike Jacobs
But, before I make the plunge, any thoughts about amps to compare it to?
I'm thinking 20-40 watts, gain or master volume control (channel switch
would be nice, but not necessary). I'd like to be able to get some sustain
at medium volumes without a pedal.
So far, I've checked out
Bogner - OD not smooth enough for me)
Matchless - surprisingly, I also found their OD a little to harsh for me)
Bruno - only the expensive stuff does medium gain, although the Super100 was
the most amazing thing I ever heard.
Dr. Z - needs pedals and/or volume to get enough gain
Top Hat - have one, don't love it, and not enough gain without the crank
I heard good things about Carr, but don't know any NYC dealers.
mj
"TruSoldier" <truso...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010218110555...@ng-fy1.aol.com...
bl...@nospam.com
wrote:
>I heard good things about Carr, but don't know any NYC dealers.
Isn't Fuchs Audio in NYC? I've been seeing some good things about his
"dumble clones". Have you tried 'em out?
Dave Blevins
Cybernalt
Mike Jacobs
without cranking it, but the EL Moto might be cool. They certainly are
great-sounding amps.
I'd rather back off the volume to go clean then have to push it
"artificially" to get the gain.
mj
"Cybernalt" <cybe...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010220224338...@ng-bg1.aol.com...
Dire
do.
James
"Mike Jacobs" <mike...@SPAMNOT-excite.com> wrote in message
news:BmKk6.411$lj.1...@typhoon.nyc.rr.com...
Mike Jacobs
think thats the fault of the recording.
mj
"Dire" <di...@ticnet.com> wrote in message
news:06A14EFFE294AEBB.F55A3873...@lp.airnews.net...
Dire
lead channel has two gain settings, low and high. With the master cranked
and pre-amp volume at about 1-2 o'clock, it has a tremendous amount of gain.
I don't think it was the recording quality that is at fault, I just don't
think they opened the amp up for the sample session. I thought the exact
same thing as you when I heard them on the website and never really gave
them another thought. But when I was at Speir trying out a Victoria and a
couple of Tophats, I saw one and thought I might as well try it out while I
was there. I bought it on the spot.
James
"Mike Jacobs" <mike...@SPAMNOT-excite.com> wrote in message
news:61bl6.2924$uj.1...@typhoon.nyc.rr.com...
Mike Jacobs
The Budda definitely had that.
Obviously, it sounds better when you crank it, but I didn't want to be
forced to do that all the time. I, too, usually record at low volumes.
mj
"Dire" <di...@ticnet.com> wrote in message
news:1E80C810138E960B.CB2FDEE6...@lp.airnews.net...