Early VHT and Ubershall era Bogner was some good kit too.
Not sure about them these days.
Bradshaw is working with Suhr, Custom Audio.
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All Tube Heads - which one?
- Thread starter tlrsn
- Start date
Not sure about them these days.
Bradshaw is working with Suhr, Custom Audio.
Many years back I worked for Perkin-Elmer as an electro-optical inspector/QA guy. I'm no EE, but I did inspect a good deal of mil-spec work, quite literally defense contract gizmos.... infra-red air to gound missile detection/guidance systems for helicopters and other stuff like that. Mil-spec is about a higher specificity regarding everything ... components, materials, quality of solder joints, and appropriate isolation and placement for heat dissipation. I don't know for sure, but I would be surprised if so claimed mil-spec amps are actually made to the standard, because that would be overkill with regard to some componentry. This ain't NASA, (actually, there is a NASA spec that exceeds Mil-spec), this's rock 'n roll. But there's no downside to a mil-spec quality solder joint.
Exactly. A LOT of supposed "Mil-Spec" (not all for sure) in amps refers to components used and not much more.
I am gong to contract someone to build me a surface mount PCB Hiwatt/Reeves clone.
If you found somebody with the equipment, skills, know-how, it might actually be an amazing result. Then again, it's much easier to put the resistors and caps in the same order as the original and just follow the wires and solder where it looks like you should be soldering. Then, you flip the switch and, deep down, are surprised that even it turns on.
Yeah, it's just the construction techniques or components involved that are associated with mil-spec. The turret board is mil-spec, corrosion and heat resistant in Science amps. But other than that all the parts are fairly standard high-grade components. Which at their price point compared to an Orange or Marshall is a no brainer.
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mil-spec has a very specific meaning actually, at least in the proper context.
Unless you are a certified mil-spec tech/wiring guy then your amp is not mil-spec even if every component is mil-spec inside of it.
I use plenty of mil-spec parts in my amps but never advertise them as being mil-spec but that is bvllpoopie. I am not certified as a mil-spec builder.
mil-spec in the boutique amp builder world is equivalent to "all natural" in the food world. Its fvcking meaningless.
Unless you are a certified mil-spec tech/wiring guy then your amp is not mil-spec even if every component is mil-spec inside of it.
I use plenty of mil-spec parts in my amps but never advertise them as being mil-spec but that is bvllpoopie. I am not certified as a mil-spec builder.
mil-spec in the boutique amp builder world is equivalent to "all natural" in the food world. Its fvcking meaningless.
There you have it. The only other amp builder I'd trust to clarify this info other than Alex of Science. I reviewed my e-mails with him. And the only thing mil-spec about Science Amps is the turret board material is used in mil-spec equipment. And that's it.
Look back to the original Marshall builds to help you understand what can happen to a small builder when demand outpaces their ability to keep up with quality control.
Once you start hiring help on a large scale, the consistency can fall apart.
That's why some original hand wired Marshalls were magical and others were complete dogs, but even the dogs could easily be modded or upgraded by any competent tech.
Marshall addressed the consistency issue with the JCM 800 series, going to PCB, but at least the overall quality was pretty sound.
Today, if I wanted a NEW or clean used Marshall build,
I'd go to Friedman, Suhr/ Custom Audio, Soldano, Fargen, Aiken, Reinhardt, Reeves, Germino, Ceriatone, anyone but Marshall
Once you start hiring help on a large scale, the consistency can fall apart.
That's why some original hand wired Marshalls were magical and others were complete dogs, but even the dogs could easily be modded or upgraded by any competent tech.
Marshall addressed the consistency issue with the JCM 800 series, going to PCB, but at least the overall quality was pretty sound.
Today, if I wanted a NEW or clean used Marshall build,
I'd go to Friedman, Suhr/ Custom Audio, Soldano, Fargen, Aiken, Reinhardt, Reeves, Germino, Ceriatone, anyone but Marshall
If that's the brand new Orange get it, if not do not buy it. What about the Laney Nexus Tube? It really is the best out of all of these! If I had to pick though I would go the the Mesa not the prodogy though the other one....Stoletto? PS I've played all of them except the last one...oh...and Ashdown sucks dick. Had 2 blow up on me! Granted that was in 2002 but....
The JCM800 is a horror story amp. People rip on the PCB ones, but they're by far more consistent than the hand-wired ones. And the originals vary in quality/consistency so much you could have a complete bum or absolutely amazing 2203. I almost bought an '81 2203 JMP that used to belong to Neil Gerardo but the guy was asking almost as much as a 100 watt Science Hellhawk for it. And it was gonna need some love. I'm going to Roberto-Venn next month in Phoenix to build a couple of Mojo Tone JTM-45s with my pop. That should be very insightful.
I would have to disagree with the "no preamp overdrive" part of this, but other than that, spot on.
The Preamp on the prodigy has a ton of OD in it. Just crank it up past about 2:30! Check out this video starting about 11:50. The master is at about 10:00 - all preamp drive.
It can have a modern tone for sure, but can do the sweet vintage thing too. Lots of sounds in that little amp.
I never really cared for the JCM800 series, but Marshall had grown too big for their own britches and had to do something.
They were cutting corners right and left too on the later hand wired builds where Hiwatt was all about quality hands down during the Hylight era.
This is why I like dealing with well established builders who still build them one at a time to order.
There's a personal attention to detail you just can't count on when you take on hired help on a large scale.
All that preamp gain doesn't do it for me. That's why I like the Science so much, its master volume is a PPIMV (post-phase inverter) and you get the power section crunch more associated with a Marshall. Seriously, Alex tailored my amp for me. I wanted it to be quick to breakup so we decided on the '71 SL's tone stack for extra edge, plus he put the '71 bright caps on my gain controls for more definition at low gain. And I like to just use a ton of volume as opposed to gain, for me it's all about chest thumping guitars and crunchy bass (the bass still needs to be giving the audience a heart attack though).
YUMMMYYYYYYYYYHair metal high gain was pretty much doomed once Nirvana & Pearl Jam came on the scene.
I personally love Malcolm Young's Marshall tones as the perfect amount of gain on a Marshall circuit.
Of course today you go from classic clean crunch to Ludicrous Gain and everything in between.
I don't disagree with you from the standpoint of quality of PCB design, and yes a good tech can repair a PCB board unless it is really fried (a Traynor YBA 200 that I was asked to repair came to mind-burnt pretty bad from a tube failure). The key for me is getting the amp back in operation, and turret board design is easier for me to repair when I am away from home. And often times I find that PCB designs also take shortcuts on quality parts on the boards, but not always. And others do dumb things like mount the control pots, input jacks and more to the PCB board which can make disassembly a pain. My Ampeg V4 is PCB and there are no issues with its sound or reliability, but it was built right. Again, I won't own an amp that has the tube sockets and all this other stuff on the PCB.
