23 posts
Check out this You Tube video of the Indy Guitarist mods to a Fender Blues Junior. Straight guitar into amp. I'm listening off cheap computer speakers, but this sounds pretty dang good! Really nice clean and the crunchy stuff at the end is with a Warehouse Guitar Speakers copy of a Greenback. It sounds really nice as well. Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp5g6pnj6YY
I don't know how you can tell if that sounds good or not considering it's recorded from the camcorder mic and with the camcorder autolevel bouncing about all over the place. It didn't sound any better or any worse than any of the other thousands of gear tests on youtube where they insist on recording using just the onboard camcorder mic....complete waste of time as a tone test.
Interesting. I thought that even with the camcorder recording and my little computer speakers for listening, that there was enough coming through to show that it really sounded nice. I hear so many crappy recordings on these things that I figure if it sounds good through this setup, it must sound way better if properly recorded and played back.
The biggest problem, and especially in this case, is when he demonstrated the clean sound with the natural compression of the amp, and then the camcorder autolevel started bouncing the level (compressing it) and so it was very difficult to hear the "natural compression". I really don't understand why people bother unless they are going to make a bit of extra effort and mic things up properly. It's easily done these days with an inexpensive mixer and just one mic.
Sounds like my HRD more or less. (less the lousy recording)
Liked a lot the first part with semi-clean or light overdriven sounds. Nice !
I have to agree a little bit there... this is the cheapest possible route to "posting a clip". A better way to do this would be to stick a mic on it, stick a mic on your voice, record the two, then mix it into a file later. Then, to make the video, you could just use still pictures... maybe pictures of the mods, URLs to get them, etc. Watching a "video" of the amp being played is a waste of time. Every time he picks, the camera compressor kicks in. And the bandwidth sounds pretty limited.
What I am learning from this, is to never do it--to always use the recording technology at hand instead...
of course I agree with all of that. Two mics are necessary. One for your "narration" one on the amp.
But, despite the limitations, I like what I heard. And, in the amp forums I'm in, they seem to love it for "plexi junior"mods, and have some great clips to show that type mod. Just saying it looks like a good, cheap platform to mod, and the mods can really make the amp sound great.
I liked the tone of the amp too the recording sucked but the tone cam through, after all I have the Blues Jr's big bro the Hot Rod Deluxe, and it is one great amp (after I put in the JJ's and biased it much hotter)
I did buy a Pro Junior the Blues Jr's little bro, same power amp, only one 12AX7 short in the preamp, but the the Pro Jr had this annoying buzz, and it only had a 10" speaker so I sent it back.
I was thinking on a Blues jr but I decided if I don't like the Bogner Alchemist, I may buy the Blackheart Handsome Devil which is a 15 watter in the same amp head size as the Valve Jr, or another HRD and have them both recapped and modded a little so I have a backup to my only main amp the HRD.
DBM,
Don't compare the Blackhearts to a Bogner Alchemist. The Blackhearts are cheap amps MADE FOR MODDERS! (ala the Valve Junior). It's not going to compare to the Fender you already have, while the Bogner COULD be better.
DreamTheaterRules — Aug 01, 2008DBM,
Don't compare the Blackhearts to a Bogner Alchemist. The Blackhearts are cheap amps MADE FOR MODDERS! (ala the Valve Junior). It's not going to compare to the Fender you already have, while the Bogner COULD be better.
Thanks I figured as much myself. I may or may not get another amp, I am at the point that I am in a lull interest wise musically, so I am dead in the water until the interest resurfaces. Last lull lasted the full decade of the 1990's.
...it still is a nice little amp to have. Modified or not.
DreamTheaterRules — Aug 01, 2008DBM, the Bogner COULD be better.
It sounds awesome from the clips but it has a harsh pick attack that I am not fond of.
The HRD does not have that harsh pick attack. That is why I am sticking with it for now. I love the tone of the HRD. One of the best I ever owned in all these years of playing. It is a personal taste thing but I like that smooth response I get from the hotted up BIASING and the JJ's. If I was playing out (doubtful that will ever happen in this lifetime) I would get a second back up of the HRD and have them both recapped and the R77 resistor swapped out for one that would allow an even hotter BIASING. So the Handsome Devil might be a nice amp for jamming/portability. Plus it is cheap.
dbm, what speaker do you have in your Hrd? Im trying to tighten mine up, not sure what speaker to get.
The — Aug 07, 2008dbm, what speaker do you have in your Hrd? Im trying to tighten mine up, not sure what speaker to get.
I use an EVM12L in a one twelve open back extension cabinet. I am not fond of the on board speaker, I tried the EVM12L in the HRD, but it rattled the tubes because of the extra bottom end and cone shape which was much nearer the tubes, so I began using an extension cab.
desertbluesman — Aug 08, 2008[quote author=The Assman link=1217342737/0#13 date=1218145705]dbm, what speaker do you have in your Hrd? Im trying to tighten mine up, not sure what speaker to get.
I use an EVM12L in a one twelve open back extension cabinet. I am not fond of the on board speaker, I tried the EVM12L in the HRD, but it rattled the tubes because of the extra bottom end and cone shape which was much nearer the tubes, so I began using an extension cab.
damn i never though of doing that. thats an excellent idea.
The — Aug 08, 2008damn i never though of doing that. thats an excellent idea.
Not only is it good for the tubes eliminating the vibrations that kill tubes before their time but it eliminates any tube rattle when you mike up the speaker for recording. I have two of the extension cabs I never tried plugging in both of them but I would if I ever play out.
http://www.zzounds.com/prodsearch?q=EVM12L&button=search%2Fheader&form=search
biasing is something I intend to bring up in the Inside the Gear forum now that I'm back from vacation. Read some interesting things lately and I'm sure Dar will have some thoughts on it as well.
DreamTheaterRules — Aug 11, 2008biasing is something I intend to bring up in the Inside the Gear forum now that I'm back from vacation. Read some interesting things lately and I'm sure Dar will have some thoughts on it as well.
I can't say enough good about the importance of tubes and BIASING the power tubes correctly. The Hot Rod Deluxe has BIAS test points and an adjustment pot, the Blues and Pro Jr do not.
Certainly a good enough recording to at least show that the amp sounds pretty good clean - but not the superboost or gain! My experience of these amps (& I tried one before buying the Laney VC30) is that the cleans are pretty decent, but that the gain channel lets it down & pretty much sucks when cranked (IMHO).
Rich ;)
agree with those comments on the stock amps. I have heard other clips of mods to the amp and they can make a BIG difference in the OD channel and even improve the clean channel.
The HRD was barely usable as it came from the factory unless you got it turned all the way up. Then it worked great. I did not really like it until I put in the JJ tubes, and learned to BIAS the amp. I have the Bias trim pot cranked all the way up as far as it will go to 79Ma, but I could change the R77 resistor and get it up to the 90Ma that Bobbo of Eurotubes recommends. But it rocks very well as is, so I am leaving it alone until something breaks then I will have that done and have it recapped as well.
I do not use the on board speaker, or the drive channels because I have great tube distortion stomps, but once I Biased it hotter the drive channel works great as well, at all volume levels.
voxman — Aug 11, 2008Certainly a good enough recording to at least show that the amp sounds pretty good clean
I am going to try recording the thing, I always record direct using the Tonelab as the Guitar Pre, but I am thinking I might try and mike up the HRD for my next recording.