In praise of small Tube Amps!

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DeathJag
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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by DeathJag » Wed Apr 06, 2022 12:05 pm

Telliot wrote:
Wed Apr 06, 2022 11:05 am
Maggieo wrote:
Wed Apr 06, 2022 10:21 am
Remember, the volume knob on your guitar is your friends, especially with smaller amps.

Jim Campilongo sets his PR at "10" and uses the tone on volume controls on his Tele to do the rest.
I had a guitar teacher share that secret with me years and years ago, and I’m forever grateful. He would say, “Let those tubes do the cooking, you add the flavor.” :D

Great advice.
As I mentioned I have no experience with small amps, but wouldn’t that raise the noise floor like crazy? I realize once you were playing you wouldn’t really hear it, but in between notes and during decays, wouldn’t it be hum city?

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by Telliot » Wed Apr 06, 2022 12:51 pm

It depends on the setting, but you're correct in that it raises the noise floor. If I'm playing with other people it's a great way to get the sound I want and know I still have more volume on tap. If I'm recording, this isn't the way I'd normally do it unless I was planning to spend a lot of time cleaning the track up afterwards.
The cool thing about fretless is you can hit a note...and then renegotiate.

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by Veitchy » Thu Apr 07, 2022 12:42 am

tequila_in_teacups wrote:
Tue Apr 05, 2022 10:34 pm
Veitchy wrote:
Tue Apr 05, 2022 10:01 pm
Funnily enough my Jazzmaster was the saving grace in some ways for my Princeton (68 Custom). My Tele with Joe Bardens hit it a bit hard for round home, even on the low input. It certainly has dynamics, just not the sort I'm after at those volumes. My CV60 Jazzmaster has lower inductance pickups and it'll still drive the amp but you get a bit more out of the dial before you do. Between the amp, the effects on it, and the options I have on a JM I'm a happy camper, save for a boost or some echo now and then.
Yeah, I suspect I could get a sound I'm happy with out of it at low volumes. I pretty much only play clean anyway. My Princteon has a 12" speaker, which I've never been convinced is the right speaker for the amp. It's very bassy. Following through on my plan to fit a 10" would keep the volume a bit more acceptable.

Plus I think it'd sound rad in stereo with my JC-22. 8)
Yeah, I'd considered going a 12 in mine, but I played a FSR with a 12 and it was neither enough of a difference to bother experimenting, nor an out-and-out improvement in tone. For whatever reason, Princetons seem to love 10s of just about any variety. They can be bassy amps for sure (mine is) but I think the smaller cone may tighten that up somehow. Jim Campilongo comes up a bit and he uses higher efficiency celestions in some of his gigging amps, but to my knowledge I don't think he uses 12s in any of them.
Maggieo wrote:
Wed Apr 06, 2022 10:21 am
Remember, the volume knob on your guitar is your friends, especially with smaller amps.

Jim Campilongo sets his PR at "10" and uses the tone on volume controls on his Tele to do the rest.
How that man still remains as clean as he does (live) is something of a mystery to me. either he never has to roll his guitar up fully or perhaps his Tele has lower-than-typical output pickups.

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by Maggieo » Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:29 am

Veitchy wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 12:42 am
How that man still remains as clean as he does (live) is something of a mystery to me. either he never has to roll his guitar up fully or perhaps his Tele has lower-than-typical output pickups.
When I saw his trio, with Nels Cline joining in, both of them used Deluxe Reverbs. The thing with Jim is he's a master of his guitar's controls, and there's always a little bit of hair on sound. Oh, and he's also a master of touch on the fretboard. So is Nels, for that matter.

One of the greatest shows I've ever seen. And, I got to sit next to Jim's mom! She's really sweet, and you can tell where Jim got his warm personality.
“Now I am quietly waiting for/ the catastrophe of my personality/ to seem beautiful again.”- Frank O'Hara
I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by panoramic » Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:47 am

I'm on the hook to buy another univox u45 or a vox ac4 soon, I've been really into them forever. Then again anyone who has been posting here for the last 14 years knows that already.

looks like this one but a lot cleaner
Image
I used to be cool, now I just complain about prices.

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by Jazzmastervsjaguar » Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:05 am

The Univox U45b is one of the best hidden gem amps ever!

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by panoramic » Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:08 am

Jazzmastervsjaguar wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:05 am
The Univox U45b is one of the best hidden gem amps ever!
10000000% agreed, they rule
I used to be cool, now I just complain about prices.

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by JSett » Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:42 am

panoramic wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:47 am
I'm on the hook to buy another univox u45 or a vox ac4 soon, I've been really into them forever. Then again anyone who has been posting here for the last 14 years knows that already.
I have a saved search for one of these. The later front-control ones are way more common unfortunately
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by Surfysonic » Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:42 am

panoramic wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:47 am
I'm on the hook to buy another univox u45 or a vox ac4 soon, I've been really into them forever. Then again anyone who has been posting here for the last 14 years knows that already.

looks like this one but a lot cleaner
Image
Congrats! I wonder if that photo was taken at Atomic Music in Greenbelt? Looks like it! 8)
The doofus formerly known as Snorre...

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by panoramic » Thu Apr 07, 2022 11:05 am

Surfysonic wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:42 am
panoramic wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:47 am
I'm on the hook to buy another univox u45 or a vox ac4 soon, I've been really into them forever. Then again anyone who has been posting here for the last 14 years knows that already.

looks like this one but a lot cleaner
Image
Congrats! I wonder if that photo was taken at Atomic Music in Greenbelt? Looks like it! 8)
this is a pic I stole off of a place in Washington state, the one I am looking at is in upstate NY and was just recently serviced. looks and sounds VERY nice. I love the tremolo on these quite a bit and they get this really nice marshall-y breakup on their own when pushed. I've owned 5 of them but I can't seem to not keep GASsing for them.
I used to be cool, now I just complain about prices.

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by panoramic » Thu Apr 07, 2022 11:05 am

johnnysomersett wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:42 am
panoramic wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:47 am
I'm on the hook to buy another univox u45 or a vox ac4 soon, I've been really into them forever. Then again anyone who has been posting here for the last 14 years knows that already.
I have a saved search for one of these. The later front-control ones are way more common unfortunately
they sound the same but the top aesthetic is just way cooler to look at.
I used to be cool, now I just complain about prices.

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by Maggieo » Thu Apr 07, 2022 11:59 am

“Now I am quietly waiting for/ the catastrophe of my personality/ to seem beautiful again.”- Frank O'Hara
I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by JSett » Thu Apr 07, 2022 12:04 pm

panoramic wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 11:05 am
johnnysomersett wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:42 am
panoramic wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:47 am
I'm on the hook to buy another univox u45 or a vox ac4 soon, I've been really into them forever. Then again anyone who has been posting here for the last 14 years knows that already.
I have a saved search for one of these. The later front-control ones are way more common unfortunately
they sound the same but the top aesthetic is just way cooler to look at.
Really? I thought the U45 was single-ended class A and the U45B was push-pull AB. Different tubes too 🤔

Having never tried either, I'll take your word for it. One day I'll find one and get to hear in person
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by Veitchy » Thu Apr 07, 2022 3:49 pm

Maggieo wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:29 am
Veitchy wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 12:42 am
How that man still remains as clean as he does (live) is something of a mystery to me. either he never has to roll his guitar up fully or perhaps his Tele has lower-than-typical output pickups.
When I saw his trio, with Nels Cline joining in, both of them used Deluxe Reverbs. The thing with Jim is he's a master of his guitar's controls, and there's always a little bit of hair on sound. Oh, and he's also a master of touch on the fretboard. So is Nels, for that matter.

One of the greatest shows I've ever seen. And, I got to sit next to Jim's mom! She's really sweet, and you can tell where Jim got his warm personality.
Is that the gig they made the live record at? If so that's doubly rad!

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Re: In praise of small Tube Amps!

Post by panoramic » Thu Apr 07, 2022 5:57 pm

johnnysomersett wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 12:04 pm
panoramic wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 11:05 am
johnnysomersett wrote:
Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:42 am


I have a saved search for one of these. The later front-control ones are way more common unfortunately
they sound the same but the top aesthetic is just way cooler to look at.
Really? I thought the U45 was single-ended class A and the U45B was push-pull AB. Different tubes too 🤔

Having never tried either, I'll take your word for it. One day I'll find one and get to hear in person
the u45b doesn't have a push/pull thing I am aware of. I've had a few of those but prefer the OG u45 circuit which is slightly more simple.
I used to be cool, now I just complain about prices.

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