wiggy Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Been looking at the Blues Custom 30. Seems an incredible amount of amp for the money and looks like it's going to press all the right buttons. Has anyone here got one and if so what are the issues with it (if any) Cheers Ian BTW I'll be using it with an EPI Les Paul Std fitted with burstbucker pros, a 'bitza' strat copy fitted with a set of wilkinson s/coils, and hopefully soon either an EPI Dot or a Tele (haven't decided which yet) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmitchell Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Been looking at the Blues Custom 30. Seems an incredible amount of amp for the money and looks like it's going to press all the right buttons. Has anyone here got one and if so what are the issues with it (if any) Cheers Ian BTW I'll be using it with an EPI Les Paul Std fitted with burstbucker pros' date=' a 'bitza' strat copy fitted with a set of wilkinson s/coils, and hopefully soon either an EPI Dot or a Tele (haven't decided which yet)[/quote'] If you're going tele, go for the MIM ash one, it's a deal and a half, if dot, I saw one on ebay(might've ended today, though) for a red one with bigsby, 360 buy it now I think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRom Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I have one, use it a lot and I really dig it. Keeps sounding better and better and I'm only using it on the 15 watt setting (so far). Great sound and it takes pedals really well. For the money it's the best value around! 4 issues, it's really noisy which could probably be solved with a new set of tubes; the fan is kinda loud; no line in/out; it's heavy as as mother f..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebb Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I ordered one off thomann.de a few days ago. It wasn't in stock and gibson and epi are changing their european distribution so i was told i'd be lucky to see it this year. Still, is it really very ice pick-y? Any owners get around that problem? What tubes should I get? I play a DW Dot. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I don't own one but I have tried them several times...and yeah it's alot of amp for the$$. My only gripe is with the overdrive channel.....if I had one I would use the clean channel and a boost pedal and I'd be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 I ordered one off thomann.de a few days ago. It wasn't in stock and gibson and epi are changing their european distribution so i was told i'd be lucky to see it this year. Still' date=' is it really very ice pick-y? Any owners get around that problem? What tubes should I get? I play a DW Dot. thanks[/quote'] I've ordered mine through Andertons - delivery is 7-10 days at the moment (Don't know if they ship to Eire but might be worth a try) Decided that, for the money, I wasn't going to find anything that would come near. Plus they said that when it comes in I can try it out in the shop and if I don't like it I can get my deposit back and walk away so nothing to lose. Besides they'll sell it quick enough as they're selling faster than they can get them in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I was just at GC's memorial day nothing.. and I swear I saw a blues custom in there marked 899.00 and this was on a sale day. no other ticket on it. I was sure that must be wrong.. and I assume it was because they mislabelled it.. put up list price maybe. but man. that thing was huge bigger than a twin, it seemed to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRom Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I don't own one but I have tried them several times...and yeah it's alot of amp for the$$. My only gripe is with the overdrive channel.....if I had one I would use the clean channel and a boost pedal and I'd be happy. Now that I've been playing it regularly, it's really starting to break in nicely an I use the OD channel now almost exclusively. Problem with the clean channel is it only gets so loud and then that's it. When I go to change tubes they will be, oh I don't know, any high quality tube. Gotta be beter than the stock tubes whatever they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Now that I've been playing it regularly' date=' it's really starting to break in nicely an I use the OD channel now almost exclusively. Problem with the clean channel is it only gets so loud and then that's it. When I go to change tubes they will be, oh I don't know, any high quality tube. Gotta be beter than the stock tubes whatever they are. [/quote'] Do you play clean very often though? Just curious because my gripe was that there is such a difference from one channel to the other....so if you set it up for a killer overdrive tone the cleans are weak and visa versa. The other thing is the amp weighs a ton.....gotta be 70lbs anyway. I was thinking of replacing a peavey classic 50/410 with one....but in all honesty I like the peavey more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRom Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Not Really, just for a couple of songs. Haven't noticed the tone issue that you mentioned. It does weigh a ton and a half. Gonna be getting wheels and some handles here pretty soon - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebb Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I've ordered mine through Andertons - delivery is 7-10 days at the moment (Don't know if they ship to Eire but might be worth a try) Decided that' date=' for the money, I wasn't going to find anything that would come near. Plus they said that when it comes in I can try it out in the shop and if I don't like it I can get my deposit back and walk away so nothing to lose. Besides they'll sell it quick enough as they're selling faster than they can get them in.[/quote'] Damn, if i knew about that i would have got it there. Woulda saved a lot of money too. Cheers for the heads-up anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I have a PDF of the schematic if you guys are interested PM or email me for a copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cGil Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Thanks Layboomo, but there's no need to get yourself all tied up with uploading it to emails a dozen times. It's posted on PPwatt. I just made sure of it. ;) http://www.ppwatt.com/files/ppwatt/EPIPHONE_BLUES_CUSTOM_30_SCHEMATIC_VER01_DPPT_0.pdf Gil... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 Well finally arrived today. Picked it up at 18:00 and got it straight home and unpacked but was going out to dinner with the family tonight so didn't even get a chance to plug her in let alone play through her. God help the neighbours tomorrow!!! On a purely visual basis - my god she's a beautiful looking piece of kit - and yep she's heavy though not as bad as my guitar teachers 50w 2 x 12 Marshall combo which comes in at a good 20lb heavier. Frankly even if she sounded like s**t and had to be gutted and a complete new amp built inside she'd be almost worth the money for the cabinet alone. I've seen worse built unloaded 2 x 12 speaker cabs selling for more than this amp costs. Looking forward to getting the valves and speakers bedded in over the next few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fpalbrecht Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 I think you will enjoy your amp. I sure like mine. Spend some time reading and learning how the EQ system works. Replace the thin power cord with a 14 awg. Doesn't have to be fancy. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 Only had a brief chance to play the amp this afternoon, in class A mode - completely blown away. The clean channel is beautiful and the OD channel, whilst obviously needing some prolonged breaking in and settling down, really seems to deliver the goods with the burstbucker pros in the LP. Straight from the box it definitely sounds way better than my guitar teachers Marshall 50W valve combo. Personal taste I know but getting the sort of tones I can hear in my head seems to be much easier with the Epi than the Marshall. Looks like it could be the start of a beautiful affair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Svet Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I was just at GC's memorial day nothing.. and I swear I saw a blues custom in there marked 899.00and this was on a sale day. no other ticket on it. I was sure that must be wrong.. and I assume it was because they mislabelled it.. put up list price maybe. but man. that thing was huge bigger than a twin' date=' it seemed to me. [/quote'] Almost but not quite! :) BTW Wiggy, the BC30 is a fantastic amp and for the price it can't be beat. I think I paid 425 for mine brand new when they first came out and $25 for the pedal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebb Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Mine came and it is brilliant. My first tube amp and I think ill be addicted to them from now on. The clean channel cranked 'bout halfway on 15W mode is delicious, creamy and responsive to attack. The reverb is great too. I got a PROCO RatII with it and there is a very severe drop in bass "thump" when I'm using it. I play mostly rhythm guitar and the RatII may have to go. Reccommendations for a distortion pedal with more chunkiness, anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRom Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I recommend the distortion channel eq'ed to taste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefoxicy Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Thanks Layboomo' date=' but there's no need to get yourself all tied up with uploading it to emails a dozen times. It's posted on PPwatt. I just made sure of it. http://www.ppwatt.com/files/ppwatt/EPIPHONE_BLUES_CUSTOM_30_SCHEMATIC_VER01_DPPT_0.pdf Gil...[/quote'] The... dude. Push-pull, with 5AR4 recto tube? That's a nice amp! Interesting they chose 11.5V for the 12.6V filaments, instead of 6.3V into the center taps; using the higher voltage cuts the current draw down (less resistance with the two halves of a filament in parallel than in series, so more current flow at 6.3V), and running them underrated at 11.5V instead of 12.6V also pushes less current (dirty trick... just use a better transformer!). I see they also ran a fan for cooling, something I've been considering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 Finally had the chance to open the amp up on both modes - those are seriously loud watts. Not too sure about the o/d channel - only used it for a short while (particularly in A/B mode) using suggested settings as a basis - but seems to lack definition. Clean channel in both class A and A/B is amazing. Seems to be far more responsive and controllable than the Marshall. I use fairly heavy strings (11's for the top E thru to D and then a 44 and 56 for the A and bottom E) and on the Marshall I find that I have to dig in quite hard to get the tone I'm looking for whereas on the BC30 it's there all the way from light finger picks to really dug in bends. I think I'll let it settle in for a bit and then look at replacing the 5881 Sovteks with Winged C6L6 cryo's to see if that helps the O/D channel. Interestingly my guitar teacher who's a session player and a Marshall man through and through had a quick play through it to check it out for me and pronounced it as a pretty good amp AFTER HOGGING IT FOR TWENTY MINUTES before I could prise it out of his grasp!!! Mind you he's also a dedicated strat player and every lesson he snaffles my LP (to tune it for me whilst I sort my other stuff out - i.e close the case - despite me having a perfectly sound clip on tuner on hand) and that's it for the next 15 to 20 mins before I can get it back from him. I don't mind though - proves (like everyone else here) I was right to buy the epi :D/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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