New (very stupid) Amp Day

dazzajl

After spending an amazing day with some of the folks from this parish at the Bristol Jam, I took a drive up to Ross on Wye to look at an amp that had caught my eye. 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HtDwAzYmfdQ/UQlVETnyRkI/AAAAAAAAADw/mq-THGhrb7E/s1600/DSC01433_pm.jpg

Have always loved a good AC and the rawness of the EF86 channel through a pair of Blues was more than I could resist. Guess I need to find a loud band now. And possibly a stadium 

http://www.voxshowroom.com/uk/amp/ac30h2.html

robgilmo

That's well nice, HNAD!

ThePrettyDamned

Very cool. I have an ef86 ac15 that I love (it's not a real one, a converted shite vox 1x10 solid state amp by danamps I think...?). Would love to hear it through blues or a gold, but more likely I'll go the rock route and swap the vintage 10 for a 10" greenback...

Happy nad! 

dazzajl

Thank you folks

This was pretty much me coming downstairs early this morning, before the recollection of yesterday had hit 

https://lightart.photo/img/s/v-10/p3456762601-5.jpg

I've had a chance to let if off the leash a little bit this afternoon and I'm blown away by the sound it makes. I've played through some loud amps and some loud amps through 4x12s too but nothing comes close to this. I've had an AC15 2x12 as well but the combo of the little extra power and it going through a pair of Blues takes it to a different planet of noise all together.

The Top Boost channel is nice, does the Vox kinda thing well enough and is probably the sound that most people want from an AC. For me though, the EF86 channel is pure heaven. It starts to break up as soon as around three on the volume (which is just as well as I don't think my house would still be standing if I went much higher) and when it does it's like overdosing on thick, warm, filthy, rich tone. 

Still feels like an absolutely stupid thing to buy but I adore it. Guess my to do list now has finding a good attenuator and investigating how to turn it in to a head and cab, before it kills me 

fandango

Well done, dazza! A handwired Vox 30! Way to go!

JezWynd

Very nice. Pays to think with your heart (and ears) sometimes.

ThePrettyDamned

dazzajl said:

Thank you folks

This was pretty much me coming downstairs early this morning, before the recollection of yesterday had hit 

https://lightart.photo/img/s/v-10/p3456762601-5.jpg

I've had a chance to let if off the leash a little bit this afternoon and I'm blown away by the sound it makes. I've played through some loud amps and some loud amps through 4x12s too but nothing comes close to this. I've had an AC15 2x12 as well but the combo of the little extra power and it going through a pair of Blues takes it to a different planet of noise all together.

The Top Boost channel is nice, does the Vox kinda thing well enough and is probably the sound that most people want from an AC. For me though, the EF86 channel is pure heaven. It starts to break up as soon as around three on the volume (which is just as well as I don't think my house would still be standing if I went much higher) and when it does it's like overdosing on thick, warm, filthy, rich tone. 

Still feels like an absolutely stupid thing to buy but I adore it. Guess my to do list now has finding a good attenuator and investigating how to turn it in to a head and cab, before it kills me 

Some people don't like the ef86 sound because it's quite middy and a bit... Messy up top, but I love it - just enough chaos  

TheMarlin

Nice amp @dazzajl ;
looking forward to hearing it!

McToot

TheMarlin said:

Nice amp @dazzajl ;
looking forward to hearing it!

Mate - you're in Berkshire (ish) IIRC and @dazzajl ; is in Wiltshire. Ask him toi turn it up to 5: you'll hear it just fine...

  

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

Some people don't like the ef86 sound because it's quite middy and a bit... Messy up top, but I love it - just enough chaos  

I really don’t understand the love for the EF86 - I find it bland and characterless until you turn it up far enough, when suddenly it becomes clangy and grating.

I far prefer a cascaded 12AX7 - much more harmonically rich and complex, and overdrives far better. I’ve got an old amp with an EF86 preamp and I keep wondering if I can be bothered to rebuild it with a 12AX7... it really doesn’t sound great as it is, either clean or dirty. (Although it’s OK clean with a pedal in front.)

dazzajl

I’m not even sure it’ll need to be as high as 5 @McToot ;

Your feelings about the ef86 are about the only thing I’ve seen you write that I’ve disagreed with @ICBM ;
I guess one man’s bland and characterless is another’s transposed raw. The other channel is much richer and more complex but I love the way the ef86 never feels like it’s colouring the voice of the guitar

Modulus_Amps

dazzajl said:

 but I love the way the ef86 never feels like it’s colouring the voice of the guitar

But that is exactly what a guitar amp is meant to do, it just uses different colours.

Nice amp BTW, I fancy a vintage VOX too sometime... maybe when I start making real money again

dazzajl

Modulus_Amps said:

dazzajl said:

 but I love the way the ef86 never feels like it’s colouring the voice of the guitar

But that is exactly what a guitar amp is meant to do, it just uses different colours.

Nice amp BTW, I fancy a vintage VOX too sometime... maybe when I start making real money again

Surely there’s room for a little of everything. 

My very favourite amp is a staggeringly gnarly 5e3 that adds its own depth and overtones to any guitar you plug and makes them sound absolutely huge. Full of personality