NAD (albeit last week) Bluguitar Amp1

thecolourbox

The amp arrived just before I was going on holiday for a week, so I did not get much chance to try it or to write anything on here about it. I accept the disciplinary action against me for delaying the NAD post, sorry guys.

It's a Bluguitar Amp1, a small amp head that seems to contain a miniature tube in the preamp and then a class D power amp. Has a few "channels" - clean, then three flavours of overdrive: vintage (early Marshall I guess), Classic (more like 70s Marshall) and modern. It's 100w, has three footswitches, about three boss pedals wide and say 1.5 boss pedals deep. Powered with a kettle lead which I like (no silly massive laptop style power supplies) and has loop, recording out, headphones etc. Here's an image next to a Boss pedal for reference

The switches can be set two ways - in one mode, the first switch toggles between clean and whichever overdrive channel you select, second switch is a boost and third switch toggles reverb. The other mode allows you set three preset sounds and switch between them.

I got it for an absolute steal price on Facebook as the tiny fiddly side knobs don't seem to work - they alter the tone and relative volume of the drive channels to make it easier to set them up to work together I think. They are silly little things and it's no wonder they have broke. I'll probably either set up the three preset sounds or just leave it in clean or vintage and add pedals. I'm yet to try it with my current pedals. The EQ on the front is shared between channels but that should be workable I reckon.

Here's the silly little knobs:


I've played it for about an hour so far, when I was supposed to be packing for holiday. It sounds alright at low volume, will do the trick for me through my Excelsior cabinet (1x15 speaker) though I'll have to be careful if I play it anywhere louder as the speaker is 50w rather than 100w. I preferred the boost on all the time but that might just be my quiet style of playing, and I've only tried it with my Lace Sensor equipped Mustang and not the Humbucker SG just yet, and I've not tried it with pedals so they may negate the need for the boost to always be on. Clean is nice enough though I suspect I'd get a nice clean on the vintage drive channel also. The classic drive is not really much use to me but the modern one was pretty cool and gave a sound similar to what I'd expect from a Big Muff, but with nicer definition of notes. 

There's a few more poor quality shots at the bottom of the post, as you'll see it is signed von Herrn Blug himself, as the previous owner bought it from a demo event hosted by Herr Blug.

Overall it seems a decent piece of kit that is probably more utilitarian than it is spectacular, but that suits me really I think - it's not a criticism. It will replace my EHX Magnum 44 pedal amp, and I'll use either this amp, my Digitech GSP1101 through monitors, or maybe even the Digitech into the Amp1 if I can be bothered to wire it up and adjust my patches.

TheBigDipper

Congrats on the AMP1. I've had one for about 5 years. It's a great amp for band practices and gigs. The Vintage channel is my favourite.

I use the Custom Controls (the silly little knobs) to just set and forget - to balance the different channels and set the basic tonality. The early batch of AMP1s (and yours looks like mine, what they now call the Silver Edition) are now known to have had a problem with the shaft that rotates the potentiometer inside. It sticks, then twists and breaks. Then the knob spins without actually doing anything. Once Bluguitar realised that, the spec was changed, and anyone who asked was sent a new set of knobs/shafts for free. I got in touch with JHS and a set arrived in the post even though I also bought my amp second hand. It's a 15 min job to swap them over without any special tools needed apart from a screwdriver to open the case.

The tone controls on the top work like a channel strip on a mixing desk, nothing at all like the interdependent controls on classic valve amps. I set them up for whatever room I'm in and just leave them for the night. Any alteration of EQ after that is done with my HX FX. I also use the HX FX as a MIDI controller for the amp. It's easier and more powerful than setting up the three footswitch buttons. There are also a lot of extra things you can do with the amp if you use MIDI to control it. 

However, if you just want to use the buttons on the amp, set up all three buttons as combinations of different overdrive channels/boost/reverb. You can also then add a two-button latching footswitch to toggle between Clean and whatever Overdrive channel you have selected, plus toggle the Boost. 

I also like the Boost on all the time, at unity gain, just because it does something to the tone that I like. Again, any real boosting I do is done with the HX FX.

The Rec Out sends an emulated speaker output at line level, so you can feed the PA rather than use a mic. It's not an IR but it's decent enough. If you need to be on a silent stage, just unplug the real speaker - the amp can run without a load. 

I hope you enjoy using yours as much as I do mine! 

thecolourbox

Thanks for the detail, I must admit i didn't know much about the amp as it's always been out of my league price wise, but the videos with Mr Blug I could find sounded quite good. I kind of think of it as a few decent basic generic sounds in a small box, rather than being exceptional at any of them but then having some drawbacks in form. 

I will look into that about the little knobs - is that JHS as in the distributor? I don't mind paying them a bit for replacements because I got this amp so cheaply (£100!) following a speculative "wtb" post on a Facebook group. 

Interesting re the top eq knobs, thanks. I'll only be using it at home for the time being but I'll bear that in mind when I get a chance to play in public. 

I'm thinking it will sit nicely on a pedalboard with my whammy, OC3, vibe and fuzz, then set up with the three presets, with one extension lead strip thing for the two or three supplies needed to power those. Then just crack on and keep practising not trying to chase specific amp tones!

mrkb

Tony Mackenzie has a video on YouTube that opens one up if you want to check out how the side pots work. Skip though his pretentious waffle though.

thats a great price for one!

TheBigDipper

thecolourbox said:

<snip>
I will look into that about the little knobs - is that JHS as in the distributor? I don't mind paying them a bit for replacements because I got this amp so cheaply (£100!) following a speculative "wtb" post on a Facebook group. 
<snip>

Yes. Them. 

portobear_65

Congratulations on your new amp particularly since you snagged an absolute bargain!

Check out Thomas Blug's Academy of Tone on YouTube for loads of tips on how to get the most out of the Amp 1.

I think it's an amazing bit of kit.

maltingsaudio

Welcome to the club , love mine and get the repair done as you will find there’s a lot of different voicings available on the channels via them but once you’ve found the ones you like set and forget. 

Well worthwhile joking the user group on fb for tips and advice.

it is also worth, if you come across one at the right price getting the remote one pedal board for it, so you can access all four channels plus switch the boost in on the fly. This can be done by midi from your GSP 1101, but the remote one is so much easier.
My set up here https://imgur.com/gallery/i9cjYVm

clarkefan

Just chiming in to agree with a lot of the above.  I've genuinely never been happier with an amp.  Mine is the second, Mercury, version.  I don't use the ton of switching options available, I spent a lot of time dialling it in to the sound I like and aside from minor tweaks I leave it there. 

I'd recommend experimenting with playing the volumes off against each other, the master on say 6 with the channel volume low is a different sound than the other way around.  The master volume does that valve amp thing of "going up a gear" around 5 - 6. 

Because I only play at home and my cab has G12M greenbacks I personally find the amp has too much bass/warmth/fatness for my tastes and I run the bass and middle controls at zero.  It's difficult to get the sound tight otherwise, for my tastes.  I add some of these back in when I occasionally play louder.

There is a shedload of adjustment available, the options are endless, having been down a lot of these I think you can get very close to most sounds but it's worth learning the thing.  Thomas' Academy of Tone vids are stuffed with suggestions.  His Thomann vid comparing the Amp1 to old Marshalls is what decided me.

thecolourbox

Thanks all for the comments and tips, I've requested to join the Facebook group and will have a watch of the YouTube videos.

I emailed JHS over the weekend asking to buy the replacement pots and they've emailed back today to say they'll just send me some which is great, hopefully I can follow the instructions to fit them from the video.

I do need to re-read the manual as well I think as there are details I don't quite remember, but as a cheap home amp it already sounds decent to be honest

mrkb

Jennifer Batten tours with one, so it’s very capable.

https://youtu.be/A_KT2giZjY8

EricTheWeary

It did occur to me that Jennifer Batten and Thomas Blug were the name players associated with the Amp1 but that might put the OP off if anything! But I guess the point being that they are useable in pro situations. Jennifer discusses hers in that video from about 11:30.  

thecolourbox

To be honest I have no idea what Jennifer Batten or Thomas Blug sound like, or even really know the names really to be honest! I only knew Blug's name from watching a couple of demos on YouTube and he was in one of them promoting his amp with the other German chap. I don't listen to a wide spectrum of guitarists to be honest...

I'll watch the video later and hopefully some of Blug's YouTube videos as the week goes on and my new knobs turn up for me to fiddle with