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Riffster

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I picked up this head locally for a mere $300 essentially brand new including footswitch.

 

The clean channel is really nice and the distortion channel is a scorcher but there are some easy mods that work great to tame the gain. I already swapped the tube on V1 for a Tung Sol.

 

It is nice to finally have a nice head for my 4x10 Marshall Cab.

 

First time trying Flickr, not sure if the pick will show.

 

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Thanks guys. I am really happy with the amp, i already ordered the two resistors I will be swapping.

 

Ditto what Brad said [thumbup]

 

Your LP has the best burst, I love looking at that

 

the guitar is aging nicely too.

 

 

Sweet! Hard to beat a Les Paul and a Marshall.

 

My JTM45 or my 18 watt head both fit perfectly on top of my 4-10, but a big box plexi or JCM will not.

 

Yea, these cabs look standard size until you put a full size head on top of them.

 

Don't forget the all important curly lead :D

 

You know it, got it on sale an it is really good quality, ideal for me since I play mostly in my dedicated guitar room.

 

ditto on what everyone has said. its very very sweet. i love lower wattage amps. you get to really push them

 

I can wait to krank it, surprisingly I am more curious about the clean channel since I already know what the distortion channel can do.

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This guy changed a resistor value, removed a couple of resistors and added one and got great results.

 

This is what I am going for.

 

(there is a version 3 mods but he reverted back to this version 2)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewx4U5Hiv5I

 

 

Sounded really good before he started cranking the preamp gain. Too fizzy for me at that point. I'd use the power tubes or pedals instead. The first tone in the demo was nice and Marshally. [thumbup] I just don't dig that buzzy preamp gain thing.

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Well, this is the tamed version, the stock amp is a fire breather on the red channel, the gain knob is too much past noon, some say 10 o'clock, the mods he did simply delayed the effect of the knob on the saturation.

 

I do want the high gain though because my Mesa covers everything else for me and well even this Marshall sounds great with pedals on the clean channel.

 

My amp is more quiet than the one on the video, when asked about the noise he actually said it was the pickups on the guitar. Also, as expected adding the Tung Sol on V1 reduced the noise even more.

 

At some point on the version 3 of the video mods he plays a riff from Metallica's Kill'em All and sounds great to me. That's the kind of gain I want on this thing once you dial the gain at 3:00o'clock.

 

Also, I will eventually add an effects loop.

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Congrats! Verrrrry nice setup. Now I want a 4x10 cab. Thanks a lot :o

 

If you can find one, they are pretty reasonable. Guess most people want the 4-12. I got mine at a guitar show for $300. It will just fit a small box head.

 

QDdddZ0l.jpg

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I think the box is plywood and the back panel is MDF

 

I paid $325 for mine a few years ago.

 

These are sought after here in Nashville, probably because they are light and put out plenty of sound, plus they look good unless you have a full size head it is hard to tell it isn't a 4x12. But i am theorizing.

 

The model is 1965a

 

Recently I saw a set (angled and straight) for sale for $700 locally.

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I think the box is plywood and the back panel is MDF

 

I paid $325 for mine a few years ago.

 

These are sought after here in Nashville, probably because they are light and put out plenty of sound, plus they look good unless you have a full size head it is hard to tell it isn't a 4x12. But i am theorizing.

 

The model is 1965a

 

Recently I saw a set (angled and straight) for sale for $700 locally.

 

The 4-10 cabs are surprisingly light compared to the 4-12. I used a 2-12 (model 1936)

of the same era for a decade in the 90s. They will actually fit a full size head and

half the weight of a 4-12 with a similar look.

 

YEiSRPnh.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, I was liking the clean channel on this amp a lot, works great with any of my 3 overdrive pedals or my fuzzes but the red channel was over the top even for metal so I did the modifications that are floating around on the net and what a difference, now the red channel is still a beast but the entire weep of the gain knob is usable. From mild crunch all the way to full distortion. This is what I wanted in a Marshall, it is not a JCM800 but this will do.

 

I added a resistor, changed the value of another, lifted two capacitors and then biased the amp which was easy because this amp has trim pots to do that. The bias was off, once side was at 22.5v and the other 20v, set them both to 18v but I thought the amp sounded a bit too tone down for what I wanted, probably a lot of people would like it like that. I ended up setting both tubes at exactly 20v and that's the ticket. The amp sounds great. A keeper for sure.

 

I can't believe I got this thing for $300.

 

I noticed how everything on the amp is setup for a digital reverb, which the combo does have. It is only missing the DSP module and the pot, the PCB and the spot for the pot is there.

 

Anyway I'm happy, down the road I will add an effects loop for sure.

 

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I didn't try other tube types, when I put the Tung sol I was heading in the right direction. The red channel on this amp is a scorcher and all it needs is to have controlled gain. In stock form the gain is too much part noon and at noon we are talking heavy metal already.

 

I did try a NOS Sylvania 12AX7 and the gain became quite unfocused.

 

Frankly, those guys trying different preamp tube types are going the wrong way about it, cooling off the bias will get you there for free.

 

I set the bias at 20v but I may try 19. So easy on this am it takes only a few minutes.

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I picked up this head locally for a mere $300 essentially brand new including footswitch.

 

The clean channel is really nice and the distortion channel is a scorcher but there are some easy mods that work great to tame the gain. I already swapped the tube on V1 for a Tung Sol.

 

It is nice to finally have a nice head for my 4x10 Marshall Cab.

 

First time trying Flickr, not sure if the pick will show.

 

35899410101_a34a46f26b_c.jpg

Dream setup, love the colour of that paul, that a standard or trad?

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Just the usual historic specs, I don't get much into the deep end.

 

The main thing about this guitar is the shaved neck ala Jimmy Page which I did not ask for, simply turned that way and it has classic 57's on it. Strap locks.

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Just the usual historic specs, I don't get much into the deep end.

 

The main thing about this guitar is the shaved neck ala Jimmy Page which I did not ask for, simply turned that way and it has classic 57's on it. Strap locks.

Oh, you're talking my language now! 57 classics are my favorite! Shaved? You mean like a slim 60s taper?

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