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Jule Amps Monique part 4
- Thread starter Chef
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BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Thanks, Ken. I'm glad your initial experiences have been positive with the unit. It doesn't surprise me that the second volume control isn't an issue, because the preamp brings so much to the table already. To me it really is an 'idealized' modernized tube-amp-up-to-the-point-of-overdrive as seen through hi-fi eyes...in the tradition of the B15 or an SVT before it snarls. Its a binary to my Kern, which does the same thing but for a Fender type lineage...smooth and complex but not punchy or huge as the Monique.
The more I play, the more I find myself bringing the sensitivity down to about 10 o'clock and giving some 'room' in the tone. Of the recordings posted, I toggle back and forth between 10 and 2 on that control depending on the song.
If you want to tame the 'front end punch', the rectifier tube is the place to look...I substituted a vintage one at one point and found it to be much softer on the front side of the 'compression envelope'. I switched back because that's half of the fun of the unit.
Fired it up! Very, very nice! A couple very quick observations, and then back to playing it for a while:
1) Quiet, quiet, quiet. Top notch. Zero noise... (edit: Of course, if you put your ear to the tweeter, there is a small amount of hiss, but much less than most other amps... my Glock is very quiet also... and it does not increase significantly when cranking the master). So. I guess I should say, relatively zero noise relative to signal.
2) Power... my gosh. It feels every bit the 800 watts into my 4ohm cab (Berg CN212). Very even master volume (must be some sort of audiotaper pot)... just keeps getting louder to the point of I worry about the drivers. So, for those wondering about the output of the Minnie... whew... zero issue there!
3) Tone.... I am very happy that it seems to sit in the place I was hoping it would sit. I'm VERY happy with my two primary gigging heads at this point, and the DeMonique sounds nothing like either of them. Much cleaner and more open and mid-relaxed than my Aguilar TH500, and much warmer and relaxed up top than my Glockenklang Blue Soul. I am hearing my personal definition of 'clean, all tube tone' with this head so far... perfect!
4) General build quality and attention to detail.... as good as it gets.
5) Front end controls..... can't add much there to all the other great posts. As a quick summary... EQ is very subtle (even though the controls are +/- 20db according to the manual). They do a good job tweaking the inherent tone (subtle softening of the top end, relaxing of the mids or reduction in deep bass, or vice versa). I agree with others that this is 'EQ' in the classic sense of keeping the inherent tone of the unit relatively constant in different rooms, versus any sort of 'revoicing or effect-like impact'. The 'sensitivity control' is a unique design (again, as many have posted).... very little impact on volume once you get it to around 9 o'clock, and just a subtle warming of the tone as you turn it up.... more 'tubey tubey goody goody' as you crank it, without obvious 'overdrive'. Nice, nice, nicey nice nice!
GREAT match with the CN212... punchy, deep, warm, articulate, etc, etc., etc. P Bass heaven at this point.
Expectations fulfilled -- sweet & congratulations!
Do you plan on gigging this sometime soon?
That is the way I hear it also. Surely not that 'uber clean' Glock thing.... more as you describe... the sweet spot of an SVT/B15 type tone... warm, a bit aggressive, but no actual overdrive. I've already found the sensitivy around 1 o'clock as my 'early sweet spot' with my relatively hot output and bright Nordy pre, with just a smidge or treble rolled of to control the bite.
If I find it a bit too aggressive on the gig when I'm digging in, good to know that there is a tube swap that will tame that a bit. However, I like my grind with the P up top, so I'm feeling it should work nicely for me (I'm using nickel wounds with my Nordy P).
I typically dial my gigging way back in the Winter (kind of a luxury now as I've gotten older and my consulting business is still cruising along), since all my playing is on the road and I live up North. However, I will definitely get this on a gig sooner rather than later, at least a couple prior to the tundra being frozen
Heading for Mexico for 10 days or so with my wife in a few days through the Thanksgiving weekend. I will most likely take a couple of gigs in early December to 'ring it out' a bit!
You know, it is the exact depth of the AE210... 12". Looked bigger. Mea culpa... it fits fine. Feet have plenty of room for solid fit. Head is literally the same size as the AE210 dimensions. I'll post up a pick in a minute.
Funny, it just looked so much bigger. Actually looks GREAT on top of the AE210v!
Way, way more. I am a fan of the Streamliner, but this is quite different. Punchier, brighter, and actually more bass extension. Kind of like melding the TH500 with the Streamliner in a way, but better.
Per our discussions over the past few months, it would not surprise me if there wasn't some sort of 'voicing circuitry in the Minnie, since it is designed for bass backline, and not pure, wide open PA type applications. +1
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I've played a Streamliner a couple times, and it doesn't have the same front-end attack that the Monique has. I think the Genz does a good job of being pretty 'tubelike' but the Monique/SS Power is a whole different ballpark.
When I got mine I really wanted to play lots of 8th note and faster runs because it is just freaking fun on that kind of stuff. And yes, I think the lows run deeper than most other amps/preamps. I noticed more cone excursion, and that shelving is pretty wide. I should take some screen shots of the wave forms for what it does on the lows for bass.
When I got mine I really wanted to play lots of 8th note and faster runs because it is just freaking fun on that kind of stuff. And yes, I think the lows run deeper than most other amps/preamps. I noticed more cone excursion, and that shelving is pretty wide. I should take some screen shots of the wave forms for what it does on the lows for bass.
It is cool. Won't get quite as fat in the lower midrange as the TH500, and doesn't extend way up into that sweet upper treble range as the Streamliner. But it is punchier than the Streamliner, and cleaner/wider than the TH500... nice voicing decision/design for sure, especially for more vintage type instruments (but of course, not limited to that at all).
I like the TH500 SO much on gigs... that bit of chewy roughness in the mids just SLOTS that thing in a mix. I am looking forward to getting the DeMonique into the same rooms with the same bass and cab and see what it does!
Having owned all of these suspects, +1. And that is why I don't own the TH500 or Glock any more
For me Monique is the tone I hear in my head, no matter which bass I plug into it (which is much better than the voices I hear). And recording direct - fuggedaboudit. Bliss.
Having owned all of these suspects, +1. And that is why I don't own the TH500 or Glock any more
For me Monique is the tone I hear in my head, no matter which bass I plug into it (which is much better than the voices I hear). And recording direct - fuggedaboudit. Bliss.
Just spent about 15 minutes with the Roscoe. My goodness... clean, crisp, articulate, fat. Really, as you say, brings out the voice of the instrument. My P is growlier and gruntier (is that a word?!) than with my TH500, and my Roscoe is crisper and cleaner and deeper than with my TH500. Pretty darn impressive.
I was not surprised by the match with my P Bass. I am pleasantly surprised by the match with the uber modern, Bart soap stacked at the bridge, active Roscoe!
My Aguilar isn't going anywhere... super small, super light, powerful and fat. The Glock Blue Soul might be in a bit of trouble. We shall see! No other amp sounds like the Glock way up top, but I end up rolling that off pretty much anyway.
interesting...
I hear Minnie to be very balanced, even response. So far, I don't hear anything harsh, goosed, or boosted about the mids, basically flat-ish but without any harshness even when approaching huge earsplitting volume levels.
I have used the Minnie and Fishman Pro Platinum for a handful DB of gigs already and have tried electric bass directly into the Minnie with and without other preamps. I will be gigging double bass with the Fdeck HPF Pre (new to me) into the Minnie for a couple of jazz hits coming up.
I believe Mothra is using a wide open PA type power amp. My guess is, there is some hi passing going on in the Minnie (and maybe some other stuff... who knows) that makes it work very nicely as a bass backline power amp (which is what it is designed for as far as I know), and as a result, the mids are probably not as covered up by the deep bass as with a PA power amp running absolutely full range from 20 to 20K. Just guessing though. Sounds great to me!
Uh oh...Thanks, Ken. Looks great! Would love to get your thoughts on how it sounds when you get around to it.
Hey Ken!
Fun for us all to finally have you in the mix here... and look forward to on the gig performance posts. Great first impressions! And as you know, when expectations are high it can be difficult to deliver.
Fun for us all to finally have you in the mix here... and look forward to on the gig performance posts. Great first impressions! And as you know, when expectations are high it can be difficult to deliver.
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