El 34 testdrive

[fxdx99]

Nice report - just some normal bugs working thru with a new design/build, eh? Sounds like you're zeroing in on it w/the cab/speakers and tweaking of the circuit. Have fun tonight - looking forward to hearing it later this month!

[yoslate]

So I go over to George's and plug the Tele in. Clean, at low volume, lovely, but.... Tap the footswitch for the drive channel, hit the gain switch, yank up the master volume, and...whoa!!! Problem solved! But..., but.... Sounds different. George says he gave the drive channel a little more grit at lower volume. OK, got that. But something's.... So George, funny guy that he is, fesses up that he hasn't taken delivery on the new replacement EL-34's. So what'd he do? Plugged in 6L6's and rebiased. Sounds great, really great. It's as good, or better, than my fabulous Vibrolux! But! I want my EL-34's!!! When the tubes show up this week. We'll do a comprehensive A/B, 6L6's versus EL-34's. I'm way f***in' glad I'm not paying George by the hour! Engineers are nuts!

[brentrocks]

Rob you must have to pinch yourself to see if you're dreaming. How great to be able to sit down with a builder and dial in your tone. After you're both done I'm sure it'll be a real killer. Congrats!

 

 

no kidding!!!

 

i cant wait to hear it!!

[yoslate]

Final post on this one. We're finished! George took delivery on new EL-34's, put 'em in, and re-biased. Aahhhhhhhhh! That's it! The 6L6's were terrific, just not what I wanted it to sound like, especially because, in my Vibrolux, I have a terrific 6L6 amp. The EL-34's have, to me, a more balanced complexity, richer high-mids, and seem a little more focused. But that all gets into some subjective territory.

 

I went over yesterday and played a single coil (Nash '57 Strat) and a humbucker ('73 Paul with Seths), while George adjusted the sweep of the clean and drive channel volume controls, relative to the master volume, so that I get only what I want when and where I want it, without having to dime anything. For example, I want only so much breakup in the drive channel, and I can get that at low, medium, and higher volumes. The goal was to be able to set the amp up at a gig, then do nothing else beyond hit the footswitch for clean or drive, and roll the guitar's volume knobs up or down. Got it!

 

This has been a really good experience, primarily because George knows his stuff, is painfully meticulous, and was very adept at listening to my ramblings and interpreting them into technical terms and application. If you're ever going to do a custom build like this, I think the builder's ability to read and communicate clearly with the player is very, very important. I'm very much looking forward to my friends at PSPII having a spank on their favorite planks with this amp, and giving me their impressions.

[Steiner]

"He had white horses..."

 

I wish I could find that which you have! Smile for me; Big Smile!

[Kuz]

Final post on this one. We're finished! George took delivery on new EL-34's, put 'em in, and re-biased. Aahhhhhhhhh! That's it! The 6L6's were terrific, just not what I wanted it to sound like, especially because, in my Vibrolux, I have a terrific 6L6 amp. The EL-34's have, to me, a more balanced complexity, richer high-mids, and seem a little more focused. But that all gets into some subjective territory.

 

I went over yesterday and played a single coil (Nash '57 Strat) and a humbucker ('73 Paul with Seths), while George adjusted the sweep of the clean and drive channel volume controls, relative to the master volume, so that I get only what I want when and where I want it, without having to dime anything. For example, I want only so much breakup in the drive channel, and I can get that at low, medium, and higher volumes. The goal was to be able to set the amp up at a gig, then do nothing else beyond hit the footswitch for clean or drive, and roll the guitar's volume knobs up or down. Got it!

 

This has been a really good experience, primarily because George knows his stuff, is painfully meticulous, and was very adept at listening to my ramblings and interpreting them into technical terms and application. If you're ever going to do a custom build like this, I think the builder's ability to read and communicate clearly with the player is very, very important. I'm very much looking forward to my friends at PSPII having a spank on their favorite planks with this amp, and giving me their impressions.

 

Glad you got that puppy humming. Honestly Rob I am very interested in hearing YOU play this amp. Mainly because when I think of you, I think Larry Carlton (slight overdrive, very American sounding 6L6 or 6v6). I don't look at you and go WOW, Gary Moore or even Rev. Billy G.

 

Most people prefer the cleans on 6L6s or 6V6s (and I have to confess I haven't kept up with your tweaking posts on the amp), but how are the cleans?

 

Is this a revolution for you? Are you playing Porcupine Tree and Third Eye Blind covers???!!!

 

Look forward to seeing you in little over a week!

[yoslate]

Thanks, John. The clean channel is this amp's surprise, and its strong suit. We put the most attention into the drive channel. The clean channel just kind of happened...a happy accident. Everyone who's given the thing a serious listen has remarked about the character of the clean channel. Looking forward to coming up to your place on the way to Kalamazoo next week. I'll be in touch!