Feel free to ask Myles

[rsf1977]

Originally posted by myles111:

I have been using Furman stuff for decades and never had one single issue or problem.

 

I use them with amps all the way up to a Rivera TBR-5.

awesome that's what i wanted t hear haha. By the way the KT66HPs with the matched phase inverter sound incredible! My amp has never sounded this tight, thanks for all the help once again!

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by rsf1977:

Originally posted by myles111:

I have been using Furman stuff for decades and never had one single issue or problem.

 

I use them with amps all the way up to a Rivera TBR-5.

awesome that's what i wanted t hear haha. By the way the KT66HPs with the matched phase inverter sound incredible! My amp has never sounded this tight, thanks for all the help once again!

You are more than welcome.

[FormerOceanwaySlave]

[bump]

[CNOTE]

Myles,

 

Can you offer any insight into the Dabeck 18 Watt amp and the Straub Cantu 18 Watt amp.

 

I appreciate your time and contribution to this forum.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by CNOTE:

Myles,

 

Can you offer any insight into the Dabeck 18 Watt amp and the Straub Cantu 18 Watt amp.

 

I appreciate your time and contribution to this forum.

I am sorry but I know nothing about either of these amps.

[Mudcat]

Hey Myles,

I know that some of the other Musicplayer forums are going to migrate to Harmony Central pretty soon. Is the guitar forum is staying put? That's my hope. I have visited the HC guitar forums and the atmosphere over there is quite a bit different than here (to say the least).

 

Mudcat

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by Mudcat:

Hey Myles,

I know that some of the other Musicplayer forums are going to migrate to Harmony Central pretty soon. Is the guitar forum is staying put? That's my hope. I have visited the HC guitar forums and the atmosphere over there is quite a bit different than here (to say the least).

 

Mudcat

Mudcat -

 

I do not know. It seems for now that just Craig's Sound Stage is moving away to HC.

[Mudcat]

Originally posted by myles111:

Originally posted by Mudcat:

Hey Myles,

I know that some of the other Musicplayer forums are going to migrate to Harmony Central pretty soon. Is the guitar forum is staying put? That's my hope. I have visited the HC guitar forums and the atmosphere over there is quite a bit different than here (to say the least).

 

Mudcat

Mudcat -

 

I do not know. It seems for now that just Craig's Sound Stage is moving away to HC.

Thanks for the update!

[Gifthorse]

Myles, thanks for advice you gave me regarding the tubes. I wrote you an email. Am I sending it to the wrong one? I played through the VOX CC yesterday and the band loved it. I had the amp on a speaker stand and I think that opened up the amp's sound in the room a little better than my 4/12. Any comments on that (speaker stands I mean)?

 

The Vox cuts through the mix great. I just got off the phone with my buddy from Line 6, he is a marshall nut. He claims that Peaveys transformers and power supplies are cheap and shitty. I dunno, I love my Peavey Classic. He also said that using an attenuater will shrink the tone considerably. He used to use one on his Plexi. Is this true?

 

SO many options make me nervous about choosing the wrong solution. If the Peavey has a crap power supply and transformer, can I upgrade it? Is it worth it?

 

Thanks

[bjorked]

Hello Myles,

 

I usually spend most of my time in Phil O'Keefe's forum but I have some amp questions I thought I'd ask you on here first before bothering my personal amp guru.

 

On to the question... My "main" amp is an old Mesa Mark IIB - currently I'm playing a benedetto chambered body guitar through this but recently I've noticed my tone seems to be a bit on the harsh side. I don't think that the amp's tone changed, just maybe my ears. After talking to people who have some moderate amp knowledge I'm wondering if the EV 300 watt 12" speaker is the problem... Since this speaker has so much headroom, I'm wondering if I'm interpreting this super clean sound as being harsh in contrast to maybe a celestion 90 watter that might break up a bit. I was also looking at tone tubby hemp speakers but... It seems like they don't make any that could handle that 100 watt amp.

 

I'd appreciate any suggestions or opinions you have on why my amp is sounding so harsh. Could it be the tubes? Any suggestions at all would be a great help.

 

Thanks,

Mike

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by flagshipmile:

Myles, thanks for advice you gave me regarding the tubes. I wrote you an email. Am I sending it to the wrong one? I played through the VOX CC yesterday and the band loved it. I had the amp on a speaker stand and I think that opened up the amp's sound in the room a little better than my 4/12. Any comments on that (speaker stands I mean)?

 

The Vox cuts through the mix great. I just got off the phone with my buddy from Line 6, he is a marshall nut. He claims that Peaveys transformers and power supplies are cheap and shitty. I dunno, I love my Peavey Classic. He also said that using an attenuater will shrink the tone considerably. He used to use one on his Plexi. Is this true?

 

SO many options make me nervous about choosing the wrong solution. If the Peavey has a crap power supply and transformer, can I upgrade it? Is it worth it?

 

Thanks

On transformers .... they are one of the most pricy parts in an amp and Peavey amps are a good value for the dollar but you are not going to find ultra high end transformers in their price range. The output transfomer is much more critical than the power transformer to my thinking anyway.

 

Leave the Peavey alone ... it is fine the way it is and does what it was intended to do.

 

Attenators do change things and the best one I have found that does this less than most others, and for a great price, is the Dr. Z Air Brake.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by bjorked:

Hello Myles,

 

I usually spend most of my time in Phil O'Keefe's forum but I have some amp questions I thought I'd ask you on here first before bothering my personal amp guru.

 

On to the question... My "main" amp is an old Mesa Mark IIB - currently I'm playing a benedetto chambered body guitar through this but recently I've noticed my tone seems to be a bit on the harsh side. I don't think that the amp's tone changed, just maybe my ears. After talking to people who have some moderate amp knowledge I'm wondering if the EV 300 watt 12" speaker is the problem... Since this speaker has so much headroom, I'm wondering if I'm interpreting this super clean sound as being harsh in contrast to maybe a celestion 90 watter that might break up a bit. I was also looking at tone tubby hemp speakers but... It seems like they don't make any that could handle that 100 watt amp.

 

I'd appreciate any suggestions or opinions you have on why my amp is sounding so harsh. Could it be the tubes? Any suggestions at all would be a great help.

 

Thanks,

Mike

Mike,

 

This can be a LOT of things. It may be better if you called me during the week at GT at 1-800-459-5687 and we can talk about this on the phone.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Say, Myles-

 

Ever hear of a very "vintage" (I mean good 'n' OLD) amp brand, called "The Radio Craftsmen"? (If I dig it out of wherever I've ferreted it away, I think there's more info on the badge, like "of Chicago", or something like that.)

 

I've got one around here somewhere, it's just a shoe-box sized, top-loaded chassis (no cabinet or speaker), both transformers and tubes are all on top, wiring and resistors 'n' such underneath. Looks like it was intended to sit atop a bench or otherwise exposed configuration, kinda like those old Macintosh amps, but more old-fashioned looking. Uses a pair of 6V6's for output, and a number of other tubes (including the rectifier), without looking at it I don't recall what all else was in it.

 

Years ago I actually found it, in new-looking condition, on a street curb in the city of Rochester, NY (US), when an old house aparently previously inhabited by an old-time radio and TV guy was being renovated. I also found a bunch of old Mullard and RCA tubes and the like. Been meaning to refurbish it sometime...

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by CaevanO'Shite:

Say, Myles-

 

Ever hear of a very "vintage" (I mean good 'n' OLD) amp brand, called "The Radio Craftsmen"? (If I dig it out of wherever I've ferreted it away, I think there's more info on the badge, like "of Chicago", or something like that.)

 

I've got one around here somewhere, it's just a shoe-box sized, top-loaded chassis (no cabinet or speaker), both transformers and tubes are all on top, wiring and resistors 'n' such underneath. Looks like it was intended to sit atop a bench or otherwise exposed configuration, kinda like those old Macintosh amps, but more old-fashioned looking. Uses a pair of 6V6's for output, and a number of other tubes (including the rectifier), without looking at it I don't recall what all else was in it.

 

Years ago I actually found it, in new-looking condition, on a street curb in the city of Rochester, NY (US), when an old house aparently previously inhabited by an old-time radio and TV guy was being renovated. I also found a bunch of old Mullard and RCA tubes and the like. Been meaning to refurbish it sometime...

I do not know this radio but if you call Mitch over at GT I bet he'd know all about it!

[Caevan O’Shite]

Just so you know, it's not a radio, just a sort of mono power-amp.

 

No controls of any kind. No speaker. No cabinet. Appears to need a preamp of some kind connected to it, via an RCA-style jack front 'n' center, sticking up there like a little trailer hitch...

 

Not a radio, just an amp.

 

The name on the badge just happens to be, "The Radio Craftsmen". I'll have to see if I can find it and send you a pic...

[myles_rose]

Yes, send a picture!

[Gifthorse]

Myles, I bought 8 GT #5's yesterday and 3 12ax7 preamp tubes. I read here and elswhere that the Peavey Classic has a fixed bias. Anyways, I installed them and they sound unbelievably better than my old tubes, which I might add looked practically burned. There is a static sound in the background and it hisses.. I heard his is a biasing issue. If it is a fixed bias amp, shouldn't it not have this problem? What can I do to fix it myself?

 

I wanted to add, I practiced with the band tonight and it totally cuts through the mix now. The low end is much crisper and dynamic. It is amazing to me how subtle it is, but how it is so up front sounding with the band now. Way bigger sounding. I swear it kinda sounds like old VH or something. Thanks for the advice.

[Gifthorse]

I am reading and is it because I didn't use the exact same tubes? If this is the case, please tell me I didn't just ruin my amp or something, or the tubes. It still sounded good, it was just buzzing more and it had that background static.

[Gifthorse]

I meant, does the fixed bias only come in to play if you use the same exact tubes as Peavey used?

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by flagshipmile:

Myles, I bought 8 GT #5's yesterday and 3 12ax7 preamp tubes. I read here and elswhere that the Peavey Classic has a fixed bias. Anyways, I installed them and they sound unbelievably better than my old tubes, which I might add looked practically burned. There is a static sound in the background and it hisses.. I heard his is a biasing issue. If it is a fixed bias amp, shouldn't it not have this problem? What can I do to fix it myself?

 

I wanted to add, I practiced with the band tonight and it totally cuts through the mix now. The low end is much crisper and dynamic. It is amazing to me how subtle it is, but how it is so up front sounding with the band now. Way bigger sounding. I swear it kinda sounds like old VH or something. Thanks for the advice.

Your static in the background has nothing to do with bias. The amp is self biasing and you are in the right range on your tubes.

 

It could be a preamp tube or a grounding issue.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by flagshipmile:

I meant, does the fixed bias only come in to play if you use the same exact tubes as Peavey used?

You may have gotten a bad tube, sometimes there is shipping damage, but this sound more like something else.

 

By the way, these amps run hot as class A amps do, so seeing the paint turn brown or black is pretty normal.

[Gifthorse]

How do I determine what tube is bad?

[Gifthorse]

If it is something else, what could it be? I mean in your experience, what could cause this problem.

 

I might add, I was unimpressed with the cheap plastic or whatever the tubes were attached to. It seemed flimsy.

 

I am sure this is why Peavey is cheaper. But it still sounds great. I wish they used some metal or a piece of wood to fix the tubes to.

 

The tone is amazing coming out of this thing. I hope I didn't screw it up or something.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Miles,

 

Any insight into Divided by 13 amplifiers?

 

Bill

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by flagshipmile:

How do I determine what tube is bad?

On preamp tubes you swaps them out with a good one, one at a time.

 

On output tubes you have to swap out the entire set and if that fixes the problem then you replace the matched output set. If they are new they should be covered under warranty.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by flagshipmile:

If it is something else, what could it be? I mean in your experience, what could cause this problem.

 

I might add, I was unimpressed with the cheap plastic or whatever the tubes were attached to. It seemed flimsy.

 

I am sure this is why Peavey is cheaper. But it still sounds great. I wish they used some metal or a piece of wood to fix the tubes to.

 

The tone is amazing coming out of this thing. I hope I didn't screw it up or something.

It could be many things and this would be guessing. The amp would have to be seen by a tech.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by bpark@prorec.com:

Miles,

 

Any insight into Divided by 13 amplifiers?

 

Bill

Bill -

 

There is not much I can say about these amps other than ..... Terrific.

 

Sound great, play great, built great, and subjectively .... I think they look great.

 

There is an amp of today that is going to be the "Matchless" of tomorrow ... sort of follow that same path (not sound the same); being a great design that is well built that will be an ongoing classic in that high end category.

 

You cannot go wrong if you can stand the possible wait for one of these.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Yeah, I was told that the amp runs around $5,000 and has an 8 month wait. Both sort of deal breakers.

 

Bill

[Caevan O’Shite]

Originally posted by bpark@prorec.com:

"Yeah, I was told that the amp runs around $5,000 and has an 8 month wait. Both sort of deal breakers."

 

Bill

$5,000.00??!!?! DAMN!!

 

Yeeeechk- yeah, that's a hefty price... which model was it?

 

I'm curious as Hell about his SJT 10/20 and JRT 9/15 amps; the descriptions are pretty damn cool.

 

But, with that price range, well, a Tone King Meteor II (my current pricey "wanna havvitt gimmee gimmee" amp) looks inexpensive by comparisson! So, I'll go on pining for one of them, and be more likely to get one...

 

Ever look into Tone King amps, Bill? The Comet, Meteor, and Meteor II models are killer! (And less than half the price of that Div x 13, with little or no wait.) The Comet 40 B that I tried once was hands-down the best "Fender" I've ever tried, vintage or boutique, bar none!

 

The only other amps that I've tried that are even in the same league would be a Matchless John Jorgenson sig-model (JJ/SC30?), an all-original vintage Vox AC50 with the 2x12 cab, a vintage "brownface" Fender Deluxe Amp (non-reverb), and a Fender Custom Shop Vibro King 3x10. I wouldn't trade a Tone King for any of those!

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Originally posted by CaevanO'Shite:

[QB]

... which model was it?

 

 

 

"... which model was it? "

 

I don't remember. It was a head.

 

"I'm curious as Hell about his SJT 10/20 and JRT 9/15 amps; the descriptions are pretty damn cool."

 

Yeah, that is where my thoughts were running, too.

 

"Ever look into Tone King amps, Bill? '

 

yeah, I've heard of them and seen them, but I never touched one.

 

"The Comet 40 B that I tried once was hands-down the best "Fender" I've ever tried, vintage or boutique,..."

 

Yeah, but I've got enough Fender sounds, with my vintage Fenders and some of the other small amps from the 40s and 50s that I have in the studio. And I'm not such a Fender sound fan.... not that I don't like it, as I do. But it is not what I play.

 

I'm still pretty happy with the UniValve, and it would be tough to jump up to the world of those pricier boutique amps, but I might squeeze out one more before I hang it up, so I'm keeping my eyes open.

 

Bill