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new half stack day


bolero

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well I have always wanted a JTM45

 

So within 24 hours of each other, I found a JTM45 "bluesbreaker" by Ceriatone, as well as a nice Marshall 1960 TV 4x12 cab, loaded with UK G12M greenbacks @25w each

 

the TV cab is slightly taller than a standard 4x12, and it has the cool retro grill cloth and gold fronted logo...a perfect match

 

I gave it a run through today. sounds pretty damn fine!!

 

for now it's running JJ KT66 power tubes. it also has a SS plug in tube rectifier emulator ( Weber copper cap I think ) so I don't need to worry about failing rectumfrier's

 

here's a pic of the tryout:

 

jtm45.jpg

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Congrats! I hope you are half as happy as I am with mine. I got the JTM45 clone from 'duhvoodooman' here on the HOC and I found a nearly mint 1960AX for $750 (vs. $1,300 new) that has the 25 watt greenbacks also. Was considering a 1960TV as well but couldn't pass up the deal on the 1960AX.
You are probably aware of this already but if not, try 'jumpering' the 2 channels (see below). I didn't care for it but a lot of players like it.
Or if using only one channel at a time, try raising the volume on the channel that you are not plugged into. It acts similar to the Presence knob but slightly different. I prefer the 'Normal' channel, input #1 with the 'Bright' channel volume knob set at 1-2 but every rig/ear/preference is different.

"Q: Sometimes when I see guys using Marshall amplifiers, they have a short cord that is connecting the jacks on the front. What does this do?

 

A: Some Marshall amps, such as the JTM45, 1959HW, and 1987X are two-channel amps. However, these are not traditional channel-switching amps. Each channel has its own input jack(s), and to access that channel you need to plug into the appropriate jack.

 

On these Marshalls, though, the channels are also voiced quite differently. The “Normal” channel has a bassier, darker tone, while the High Treble channel has a much brighter tone.

Many players actually prefer hearing a mix or blend of these two channels, and use the volume controls to craft the tone they want to hear — turn up the Normal channel for more thump and bass, turn up the High Treble channel for more cutting, bright tones.

 

To access both channels simultaneously a short jumper cable is run between the two channel inputs. For example: plug your guitar into input I of the Normal channel. Then connect a jumper from input II of Normal channel into input I of the High Treble channel. The signal is now being sent to both channels simultaneously. Turn up the Normal and High Treble volume controls to achieve the tonal balance and gain level you want, then use the amp’s tone controls for final shaping of your sound."

 

'06 H150CM (P90) & '16 H150CM (Pearly Gates)

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mcgrath, I actually have the channels jumpered in that pic....hard to see though, dark.....thanks for the post though!

 

I saw duhvoodooman's JTM45 but with our crappy CDN dollar, shipping across border, etc. I decided to wait for something local

 

I was drooling over it though, I dug the purple tolex!! congrats

 

 

a cab tweak I did: those sleds in the top have annoyed me for years....none of my amp heads fit ( including my Marshalls ) and they always sit off kilter, or supported by only a small portion of the amp feet

 

 

JimW gave me some great textured/durable vinyl material, that's approx 1/8" thick and fits perfectly in those channels, when trimmed to 1.5" x 8.5"

 

So I glued it in....and SHAZAM....all my heads sit flat on top of the cab now:

 

 

 

fills.jpg

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Someone else got the recent purple tolex amp. I got mine back in Sept. 2015 and went with the traditional black Marshall look.

 

The amp only being supported by only a small portion of the amp feet irritates me too. The textured/durable vinyl material is a great idea! I'll have to look into that.

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That Ceriatone is better built than most Marshall amps. What a great platform! Rec tubes actually are pretty long lasting, FWIW. I have a JTM 45 Bluesbreaker by Chris Siegmund, called "Midnight Blues Breaker". While I was voicing it I tried a variety of rec tubes, settled on a 5r4. 5r4w types are not all that expensive on ebay, and they are very long lasting. The "W" in the tube type denotes military spec, more durable. That particular tube gave the amp a touch that I liked the best, plus it looks really cool next to the vintage British KT's I put in it. Instead of solid state rec or spendy vintage 5ar4, a vintage 5v4, the output is close, a tad less B+ and current capacity, still plenty for KT's for not a lot of $$. Swapping rec tubes does have an effect on tone as well as touch response, Siegmund recommends 5ar4 as most oomph, next 5r4, then 5u4. I stayed away from 5u4 because they draw 3 amps at the heaters, the other tubes mentioned here draw 2 amps. The model I have has a slightly smaller PT, and I wanted it to run cooler. The heater circuit is the hardest working section of a tube amp power transformer.

 

Keep your eyes open for some vintage Mullard preamp tubes, they will deliver gorgeous British tones. There will be a much fuller midrange and bottom end than modern stuff, and the distorted tones will be smoother as well. Old stock stuff is worth the effort to obtain tonewise...That amp should sing like a bird!

 

Great snatches!

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Nice! Didn't Willie Dixon use one of those?

 

LOL...!!!

 

That Ceriatone is better built than most Marshall amps. What a great platform! Rec tubes actually are pretty long lasting, FWIW. I have a JTM 45 Bluesbreaker by Chris Siegmund, called "Midnight Blues Breaker". While I was voicing it I tried a variety of rec tubes, settled on a 5r4. 5r4w types are not all that expensive on ebay, and they are very long lasting. The "W" in the tube type denotes military spec, more durable. That particular tube gave the amp a touch that I liked the best, plus it looks really cool next to the vintage British KT's I put in it. Instead of solid state rec or spendy vintage 5ar4, a vintage 5v4, the output is close, a tad less B+ and current capacity, still plenty for KT's for not a lot of $$. Swapping rec tubes does have an effect on tone as well as touch response, Siegmund recommends 5ar4 as most oomph, next 5r4, then 5u4. I stayed away from 5u4 because they draw 3 amps at the heaters, the other tubes mentioned here draw 2 amps. The model I have has a slightly smaller PT, and I wanted it to run cooler. The heater circuit is the hardest working section of a tube amp power transformer.

 

Keep your eyes open for some vintage Mullard preamp tubes, they will deliver gorgeous British tones. There will be a much fuller midrange and bottom end than modern stuff, and the distorted tones will be smoother as well. Old stock stuff is worth the effort to obtain tonewise...That amp should sing like a bird!

 

Great snatches!

 

yeah, thanks 212mav, that's a great tip on the rect!

 

I have some Mullard 12ax7's kicking around here, somewhere

 

Also ordered a Merren output transformer for it, will be interesting to compare before/after once it gets here. I got the 103 spec rather than the earlier Radiospares

 

thanks everyone!

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