Bluguitar AMP1 Hints & Tips

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  • I bought it pre-owned earlier this year. They checked the warranty by serial last time I contacted them. The boost knob actually works on full and below half-way. Odd. Contact cleaner?
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  • I bought it pre-owned earlier this year. They checked the warranty by serial last time I contacted them. The boost knob actually works on full and below half-way. Odd. Contact cleaner?
    Your guess is as good as mine. I'll take the cover off one day just to have a look inside. 

    FWIW, I also bought mine 2nd hand, but it was originally bought through a UK dealership, I had the original receipt and it was still in warranty. JHS were good enough to swap it out even though they knew I wasn't the original purchaser and didn't have to. 

    My usage is probably different to yours. I actually don't use the boost as a boost, but as a tonal difference. I like the extra 'shimmer' it gives you when it's turned on, but I try and keep it as close to unity gain as I can. I use a pedal for true volume  boost. One of the reasons for that is I use other amps as well as the Amp1, but only have one pedal board - so I need to make the board work with all my amps. 

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  • I bought it pre-owned earlier this year. They checked the warranty by serial last time I contacted them. The boost knob actually works on full and below half-way. Odd. Contact cleaner?
    My usage is probably different to yours. I actually don't use the boost as a boost, but as a tonal difference. I like the extra 'shimmer' it gives you when it's turned on, but I try and keep it as close to unity gain as I can. I use a pedal for true volume  boost. One of the reasons for that is I use other amps as well as the Amp1, but only have one pedal board - so I need to make the board work with all my amps. 

    I tend not to use the Boost, tbh, but I've yet to gig with it or have done maybe only one.  I'm still feeling it out - I'm just concerned by anything starting to flake out, i.e. that it could be the start of more problems.  Hopefully not.  Wish I'd contacted JHS :(
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    It's looking like my decision to immediately send mine back was a good one...
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  • TheBigDipperTheBigDipper Frets: 4722
    edited October 2016
    It's looking like my decision to immediately send mine back was a good one...
    Why wouldn't it be? You didn't like it, did you? Fair enough. 

    The risk with Amp1 for those of us outside Germany is that the technology used is different enough that the importers don't know how to repair them. Every problem is "return to manufacturer" just like a PC board. If you're out of warranty, then you're in trouble because it might get expensive. 

    However, for me, mine is currently reliable and works well. I bought a used FatCab off here recently and rather like that, too. It's a decent cabinet for other amps as well as the Amp1 (to my ears, but we're all different about tone, aren't we?). I wouldn't like it if a feature I cared about stopped working, though. 

    Not for nothing is there a phrase called "the bleeding edge"!   :-) 


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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    It's looking like my decision to immediately send mine back was a good one...
    Why wouldn't it be? You didn't like it, did you? Fair enough. 

    The risk with Amp1 for those of us outside Germany is that the technology used is different enough that the importers don't know how to repair them. Every problem is "return to manufacturer" just like a PC board. If you're out of warranty, then you're in trouble because it might get expensive. 

    However, for me, mine is currently reliable and works well. I bought a used FatCab off here recently and rather like that, too. It's a decent cabinet for other amps as well as the Amp1 (to my ears, but we're all different about tone, aren't we?). I wouldn't like it if a feature I cared about stopped working, though. 

    Not for nothing is there a phrase called "the bleeding edge"!   :-) 


    Partially I didn't like the sound, but also it seemed to have a lot of reliability problems which the experience of people in this thread seems to support.
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  • @TheBigDipper - did you ever try the NanoCab?  I have to say I think it's an excellent little cabinet.  I nearly bought the FatCab on here but couldn't quite justify it.

    I've emailed JHS.  Got to be worth a go.
    Trading feedback info here

    My band, Red For Dissent
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  • @TheBigDipper - did you ever try the NanoCab?  I have to say I think it's an excellent little cabinet.  I nearly bought the FatCab on here but couldn't quite justify it.

    I've emailed JHS.  Got to be worth a go.
    Good luck with JHS. Yes, I tried a NanoCab and liked it. The FatCab isn't ported like the NanoCab, and doesn't have the ability to open up the back, but sounds good to me. I would have been happy with either.
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  • @TheBigDipper - did you ever try the NanoCab?  I have to say I think it's an excellent little cabinet.  I nearly bought the FatCab on here but couldn't quite justify it.

    I've emailed JHS.  Got to be worth a go.
    Good luck with JHS. Yes, I tried a NanoCab and liked it. The FatCab isn't ported like the NanoCab, and doesn't have the ability to open up the back, but sounds good to me. I would have been happy with either.
    I'm yet to try it open-backed. I really should!
    Trading feedback info here

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  • @TheBigDipper Just spoke to Neil in servicing at JHS and he was very helpful.  I explained my gripe that the amp was bought in only March 2015 and to spend over £100 on a minor repair job feels unfair.  He understood and is going to talk to Thomas Blug and assures me he will sort it as quickly and cheaply as possible.  I think the boost issue is literally just a contact issue as, when I press the dial up, it 'reconnects'.  I don't think it will require much work and, so far, it has done a lot to restore my faith in the brand.

    A straight replacement would be good :)

    Trading feedback info here

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  • Great! Let us know what happens. 
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  • Great! Let us know what happens. 
    Will do!  Thus far very happy with JHS - and hope BluGuitar help out.  They get a two year warranty in Germany.
    Trading feedback info here

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  • Great! Let us know what happens. 
    Will do!  Thus far very happy with JHS - and hope BluGuitar help out.  They get a two year warranty in Germany.
    Two years. Really? Is that EU legal? Or is it something we opted out of? 
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  • Great! Let us know what happens. 
    Will do!  Thus far very happy with JHS - and hope BluGuitar help out.  They get a two year warranty in Germany.
    Two years. Really? Is that EU legal? Or is it something we opted out of? 
    I'm really not sure.  The JHS guy mentioned it.
    Trading feedback info here

    My band, Red For Dissent
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  • ekalksekalks Frets: 0
    Hello everyone. I just recently purchased a Bluguitar Amp1 and then a BOSS MS3 effects/channel switching unit. I am having a hard time programming the midi with regards to setting different gains, power soak etc. I put in the the correct PC and CC numbes but am not understanding what the issue is. I have reset the unit multiple times. I emailed Thomas 2 weeks ago and have not gotten a response. Anyone know the exact sequence of how to program it reliably? Thanks.
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    On the one I had the midi didn't work properly.

    It was one of the reasons I sent it back.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950
    I recently tried one of these.

    It was absolutely horrible. Nasty dynamics - stiff and unresponsive when playing gently, then sounding like it was brick-wall limited when playing hard; nasty tone - very nasal and clangy, which could not be dialed out completely even with extreme EQ settings; impossible to balance the channels completely even using the massively annoying fiddly little trimpots; and required a total change of settings for different guitars.

    I didn't even get round to using the FX loop or trying the MIDI… no point when it sounded that bad. Incredibly disappointing after it sounded pretty good in some demo clips.

    No idea about the reliability - it wasn't with me to be repaired, just checked over - but I've heard enough that it would put me off, given that it looks like it would be very difficult to repair other than by a factory board replacement.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • TheBigDipperTheBigDipper Frets: 4722
    @ekalks ;

    I'm a happy AMP1 user who had MIDI working well after a little bit of work. The problem was with me, not the unit. I was able to program the AMP1 to change channel/boost/reverb settings and change the Power Soak, 2nd Master Volume and Gain settings. The "toggle" functions listed in the manual (the reverb/boost/effects loop on/off commands) aren't available on "MIDI Learn" AMP1s, because you can't "learn" them.

    I  believe there are two issues to be aware of.

    1: Very early versions of AMP1 were sold with MIDI support "pre-programmed" and did not have the "MIDI Learn" capability. You need to know which version you own. 

    2: Many people (like me) didn't have much practical experience with MIDI before trying to control an AMP1. You might, you might not. They don't yet understand their MIDI controller that well. 

    How to check if your AMP1 is "MIDI Learn" capable... Connect the AMP1 to your controller using the MIDI1 cable. Press and hold the Boost switch. Does the Reverb switch flash on and off? Your AMP1 has "MIDI Learn". 

    MIDI Learn worked fine for me to set up the PC commands and the unit responded to my CC changes when I moved faders sending the CC values. My MIDI controller was an M-Audio Code49 keyboard, BTW. I was only testing functionality and don't actually use MIDI on my board. For the AMP1, I use the programmable switches on the unit, plus a 2-button foot-switch to change between clean and overdriven, plus toggle the boost on/off. 

    But I am interested in how you get on with MIDI on your MS3, because I'm starting to buy MIDI-controllable pedals. I'm currently struggling with the Boss documentation for MIDI support on the MS3 (but I don't own one) to see if that will work for me. 

    For me, MIDI Learn worked exactly as documented. Like this...

    1. Connect your MIDI controller and MIDI1 cable to the remote socket on AMP1 
    2: Select the combination of channel, boost and reverb setting you want to program
    3. Press + hold Boost switch on AMP1
        (Reverb switch should blink on and off)
        Release Boost switch - you now have approx 10 seconds to...
    4: Send the PC command from your MIDI controller that you want to use for this setting
        (The Reverb switch should stop blinking, which means it's programmed)

    Repeat steps 2-4. 

    For me, CC commands just worked. 

    Direct support from BluGuitar is patchy. I think they expect the importer to do first line support, but the UK importer doesn't have much knowledge (or didn't - I haven't needed to speak to them for a year, now). 

    Good luck! 




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  • TheBigDipperTheBigDipper Frets: 4722
    ICBM said:
    I recently tried one of these.

    It was absolutely horrible. Nasty dynamics - stiff and unresponsive when playing gently, then sounding like it was brick-wall limited when playing hard; nasty tone - very nasal and clangy, which could not be dialed out completely even with extreme EQ settings; impossible to balance the channels completely even using the massively annoying fiddly little trimpots; and required a total change of settings for different guitars.

    I didn't even get round to using the FX loop or trying the MIDI… no point when it sounded that bad. Incredibly disappointing after it sounded pretty good in some demo clips.

    No idea about the reliability - it wasn't with me to be repaired, just checked over - but I've heard enough that it would put me off, given that it looks like it would be very difficult to repair other than by a factory board replacement.
    We're all different, I guess. I bought mine after hearing Thomas play one at the Mansons Guitar show in Exeter about 18 months ago. He filled the room with the amp and a Nano cab. It sounded great to my ears. I'm getting nice sounds out of mine, too. I can also get some horrible sounds if I try, but I try and avoid those! I'm mainly enjoying the clean and vintage channels, using single coil pickup guitars. The classic channel isn't to my taste and the modern channel only gets used for a lead sound. 

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  • DLMDLM Frets: 2513
    Great! Let us know what happens. 
    Will do!  Thus far very happy with JHS - and hope BluGuitar help out.  They get a two year warranty in Germany.
    Two years. Really? Is that EU legal? Or is it something we opted out of? 
    I'm really not sure.  The JHS guy mentioned it.
    It's in the German Civil Code.
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