Quote from: guitarmikey on October 07, 2013, 03:10:31 PM

Quote from: DIYmastermind on September 25, 2013, 09:36:32 PM
Hey all. i have a number of heads

sorry for the super long post and thanks all!

What about Ibanez. TSA5? You should deffinetely try one...
Fender cleans with TubeScreamer included and a Celestion 10... That's a real Deal...

I sure would if i didn't already have the Ibanez TSA15H

Quote from: J M Fahey on January 21, 2014, 09:58:15 PM
Well, You Tube demos are quite poor quality.
First for their lossy compression, optimized *only*  to save bandwidth, and then the usually poor quality of PC audio and speaker systems.
It's a reference, at best.

And sometimes, not even that.

Just look at this Corcel Amp demo:
http://youtu.be/t5PVuK3mCNQ

+10000 on the youtube comment.

Oh I'm aware. The only thing I ever use the TS9 for is boost.

Alright, thanks Fahey. My last concern would be, does the Jet City have enough gain for metal (I'm gonna throw the best tubes i can find for gain in there, so factor that in too)? Not like, sludge/doom metal, just harder then hard rock metal. I know of the tried and true method of throwing a TS9 in the loop for metal. And I have a TS9 if I need it, but i dislike using it. Even after the mods I've had done to it, my ears just prefer ALL of the thick juicy distortion coming out of my amp rather then my amp and a pedal.

Well i appreciate everyone's input but, I don't think i got my question across properly. I'm not looking to build anything yet, I've already got my hands full with other gear related projects. I already have my heart, and most importantly EARS (I've already played through both amps and love the tone on both) set on the two previously named amp heads. What i'm wondering is the reliability, or really just any first-hand experiences of someone who has owned either of the amps for a period of time. Those who have owned them through and past the honeymoon, and (one important thing i forgot to mention) how dramatically each amp responds to tube swaps (as i tube-roll frequently, just for different flavors of tone).

On a side-note, i heard on another forum that with the JCA50 if your gain is cranked on the drive channel, and you switch back to the clean channel, some gain will sorta.. bleed into the clean channel making it impossible to have the typical clean/gain setup of typical 2 channel amps. Anyone have any experience with this? Is it even true? If so, only a minor turn off for me, as I don't REQUIRE a completely chean channel.

It's safe to say that my tone quest is over, at least for the time being. My better half bought me a Blackstar HT-5RH for the holidays (which to my ears is the perfect amp for the tone i want and my needs) which made me fall in love all over again. Not only with my lovely lady, but it's safe to say Blackstar has won my heart on amps. I have quite a few great (IMO) amps as it stands. Orange micro terror, modded Kustom Defender 5H, Marshall MG15CDR practice combo (converted to an 8 ohm head), Squier Sidekick (now named Squier SP-10, also converted to an 8 ohm head), modded Roland micro cube, and a bada** little first act practice amp i have heavily modded (with zero out of pocket cost too!) and use when i travel. However, the GAS is unrelenting.

I don't have an amp that could perform medium to large gigs with (we're talking no mic'd cabs), and that's the next thing on my hit list. I figure if I'm gonna get a higher watt amp, I may as well go big. My requirements are as listed.

-50 watts, head only. I've got too many great cabs and a non-infinite amount of space to justify buying a combo.
-2 channels, preferably with an included footswitch
-gobs-o-gain, I highly dislike using pedals for my dirt sounds, and at least a decent clean.

I've narrowed it down to 2 personal favorites. The Blackstar HT Club 50 head, and the Jet City JCA50H Soldano head. The Blackstar packs 2 x EL34's and 2 x ECC83's, while the Jet City is loaded with 5 x 12AX7's and 2 x 6L6's. As mentioned earlier, Blackstar has my heart for amps. However I've always been partial to the sound of 6L6's over EL34's. Long story short, I've played both amps and they have what I want. What I'm wondering is if anyone else has had any experience with either of these amps? I'm leaning more towards the Jet City for the 6L6's, and simply because I have yet to own a JCA. Plus there's the small fact that it's 250 bills cheaper then the Blackstar. Anywho, any feedback on these amps would be appreciated. How reliable are they (i'm aware tube amps, rather, the tubes in them, are only reliable to an extent)? Any major QC issues with either company? Thanks guys!

Quote from: DrGonz78 on November 20, 2013, 05:54:25 AM
I am still wondering if the guy ever got his cover off?  :lmao:

Haha i'm pondering the same query too, gonz

So apparently there was a new amp maker at namm that took the best amp title. A solid state amp, with a heck of a price, that claimed to sound like a tube amp. Don't they all? Anywho, it has a plastic cab, which I've never even seen. They're rated 5 watts through a ten inch speaker, and weigh next to nothing. They come in three different finishes and each look menacingly like darth vaders guitar amp. Anyone have any experience with one? At that price, i don't think I'll be able to resist with the holidays coming up. reliability? sound? someone please give me the lowdown before i die of GAS!!!

I actually ordered a 2x12 cab almost a year ago now from a company called seismic audio. It was their "Luke 2x12C" it is unloaded (meaning you must purchase your own speakers separately). But essentially what it is, is a clone of an Orange 2x12 cab. I loaded mine up with WGS Vet 30 speakers and after a year of occasional gigging (about once or twice a month), it's still holding strong. It sounds amazing with anything from 8 string death metal to jazz, even slide guitar. I figured the name brand Orange costs around $8-900. I built this one myself, with nearly the same specs, for $370. That's $370, delivered to my door step. The one i got is closed back, but they come in many different colors and options. I went with black grill cloth instead of tan, just because i have a mad plan to buy another one but with black tolex and tan grill cloth, stack em up or better yet put one on either side of me and crank it when no one is home  . seriously though, for the price these things are tanks. they could be built better, but for the price i have no complaints. the baffle board is 3/4" birch ply. they don't specify on the website, but i believe the rest of the cab is made of mdf. All in all, i can safely say that seismic audio is the only company i'll be buying speaker cabs from, from now on. I should also mention that i am not affiliated with seismic audio in any way. I'm not trying to sell their products or anything but they really are that good. get to your local music store, try it out, you be the judge. Most locals (regardless of where you live) will have at least 1 luke speaker cab on sale used. They sound great, look great, aren't debilitating to my already bad back, and it wouldn't be the end of the world if one turned up missing at the show cause they're so cheap (price, not build quality).

Okay i think i may have a bit of input. i own a orange ppc108 cab, and have tried fooling around with speaker swaps, so i know how difficult they can be to get open. the tolex sticks to itself very well. so when you take the screws out and can't get the back panel out, most likely the tolex is sticking to itself making you think it's glued in place. when in reality, all you need is a putty knife and a bit of patience. simply pry it out, being careful not to tear or cut the tolex. regardless though, if a cab is hard to get apart that's quality craftsmanship. . . IMO.

Quote from: THChrist on February 12, 2008, 08:41:45 PM
ever tried one of the MG series? they r solid state (100%) but sounds so full of life you'll think you're playin' thru a valve-amp or hybrid. sounds good to me. try before you buy, but first, press the FDD switch.

I have a Marshall MG15CDR combo amp. Well, had. I converted it into an 8 ohm head. Even before i did the conversion, the amp had an irritating hum on the od channel, no matter what guitar was running through it. It still hums and i'm trying to sell it for parts bacause i was never really impressed with the tone. However when i run it through my WGS vet 30 loaded Luke 2x12C (Orange 2x12 closed back cab clone) the clean channel sounds full and focused. Then again, what wouldn't through that cab? Idk, maybe i got a dud? I did buy it used from a pawn shop. And for the first year i had it the od channel was fine. One day it just started humming badly. It didn't get dropped or anything. In fact, it sat on the floor in my room that whole year. 

Hey drgonz, I myself have looked into the valve jrs, champ 600's, and the gretch amps. The one that peaked my interest the most was the gretch (more so over the champion 600, simply because of cosmetics) but no stores in my area have the gretch, so I haven't had the chance to sit down with one (or the champion 600 either ). What's your experience with the gretch?

and thanks roly! That looks like it would be super cheap to throw together. But I were to build something, I'd be looking for a kit, simply because I haven't built an amp yet. Any ideas on a cheap tube or even hybrid kit?

Hey all. i have a number of heads (some tube, some ss, some hybrid) and cabs, which is great for experimenting with different speaker combinations and such, and looking sweet (as stacks do lol). but i've been looking into a small 5 watt combo amp, as nothing beats the convenience of just grabbing a combo to take out into the living room or on the front porch. i'm looking for a small 5 watter combo, preferably tube (but open to hybrid as well). i love one knob wonders, but really i'm open to anything (within the constraints of my budget, which is 3 hundy or lower). just to put it out there (so nobody suggests these amps) as far as tube amps go i already have an orange micro terror (yes ik, hybrid), a heavily modded (courtesy of gabe from gabespedals.com) kustom defender 5h, a blackstar ht-5rh (ik, also hybrid..ish), and a revenge lil rock 5 (based on fender Princeton 5f circuit). I'm looking for a sweet bluesy tube overdrive at lower volume levels, so a triode-pentode type switch would be a big plus. Obviously, the lower in price the better (I catch enough hell from the misses for my gear habit as is lol). Any suggestions would be welcome.

sorry for the super long post and thanks all!

That's IT man! Thanks so much! Absolutely perfect. I'm gonna go ahead and order it. Will post pics after I get it installed  :cheesy: thanks again drgonz!

Thanks for the advice drgonz. see, that would be a perfect (and easily removable) solution for me if only they made their light bars in smaller sizes  unless i'm mistaken the smallest (direct plug in, which is easy and basically fool proof!) bar they make is 17 inches, which is larger then the amp head. the amp measures about 12" wide (looking at it from the front), 7" long, and 4" tall. do you have any other ideas? i really love the simplicity of just mounting the bar and plugging it in, and if i could find that same option in a smaller size say, maybe 10", i'd be all over it. any ideas are welcome. i've heard of people just using batteries but i'd hate to have to worry about changing them all the time (hey, i might even use the amp as a night light when i'm done ), and getting the chassis even more cramped.