gbfun
Wholenote
I eat cookies to provide you with the best possible experience.
Posts: 464
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Post by gbfun on Jan 9, 2022 7:28:49 GMT -5
Ah finally, the Bug amp pacifier was delivered, apparently by raindeer(it's Western Washington) in a mere 16 DAYS from Sweetwater. I was starting to wonder what country it was going to next ! Thanks to you guys it's sounding quite useful...and there's nothing better than discounted useful, right ? Hi there Zenland, nice to see you still kicking. I remember you from the old Vibro King thread and I still have mine. I can barely move it, but I still have it ! And yes, I hope to use the 4ohm section to see if I can't join Ricketi in finding a great tone "I didn't know existed" at a reasonable volume. That's probably worth $80 right there ! My poor Vibro...it's only got 20 hours or so on the original tubes and the speakers aren't even worn in. I mostly played quieter amps over the years and chased down rabbit holes so long I didn't have time for the VK. So, if something doesn't catch fire, what better time than during a world wide Pandemic, eh ? Sadly, I don't have a DRRI. I do have a PRRI though. That will also get explored with the Bug. I might have to order another Bug for a stereo set up too. Uh no. That wouldn't be stereo VKs. I don't play guitar in the Who... So Zenland, what's your number one amp now...and why ? Thanks !
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Jan 9, 2022 7:44:27 GMT -5
Great to hear your Bugera finally arrived! I was beginning to lose hope, I'm sure you were also.
Hope Zenland chimes in, I think I know the answer, but I'll keep it to myself for now.
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Post by Leftee on Jan 9, 2022 9:49:40 GMT -5
The main soak knob (big knob on the left) sounds like metal on metal when turning to attenuate up or down but it's nothing to fret over! It works and works very well! I have noticed that also. I'm really digging it though. I have my Drri set to 7 on volume and I get a great tone I didn't know existed, no pedals needed. A volume that is very doable in my small music room. I’m betting it’s a big ‘ol rheostat.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Jan 9, 2022 12:29:32 GMT -5
I’m betting it’s a big ‘ol rheostat. I agree. It feels something like this would probably feel.
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Post by zenland on Jan 9, 2022 12:35:05 GMT -5
So Zenland, what's your number one amp now...and why ? Thanks ! Hey gbfun-Glad you finally got your Bug! I saw some funky stuff on their tracking time line but mine was only a day late! The old VK club brings back some fun memories! Wild that you still have yours! I just encountered to many problems with mine and decided to move it on out. I have 8 amps now (plus an Ampeg bass amp) but my number one is my Marshall SV20C. Effects or no effects it sounds great! Love the big tones! walshb-Knows me well and has given me a ton of amp gas over the years! Thanks Bill! It reminds me of my 1987X Marshall a little and I was very foolish to have sold that amp. At some point I'll get another one but the scaled down SV20C works well and is a keeper! It's still loud and is the reason I bought the Tone King Ironman II attenuator. I'll have to try the PS-1 with the Marshall some day. lol
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Jan 9, 2022 15:08:05 GMT -5
So Zenland, what's your number one amp now...and why ? Thanks ! walshb-Knows me well and has given me a ton of amp gas over the years! Thanks Bill! It reminds me of my 1987X Marshall a little and I was very foolish to have sold that amp. You're welcome Ken. But you weren't foolish to see the 1987X, you told me you didn't have a choice at the time. I do hope you get another some day, especially now that you have a great way to play it at a lower volume! And I was right on guessing your current favorite amp!
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gbfun
Wholenote
I eat cookies to provide you with the best possible experience.
Posts: 464
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Post by gbfun on Jan 10, 2022 4:23:16 GMT -5
K...thanks Zen !
I have yet to break a tube amp...something I aspire to before I hit the dirt.
Maybe I can blow up a VK !
Gargoyle at the gates of Hell "So what brought you here ?"
"I blew up a VK"
Gargoyle "That will do it"
Gargoyle grabs a hot pitchfork and throws me into a pool of lava.
"hey, watch it !"
"Huh ? Oh hi zenland. Guess you didn't escape."
"nope"
"Oh well, this reminds me of Phoenix in the Summer."
"never been"
"Have now !"
"What are all those Les Paul's doing here ? There must be thousands !"
"yeah, lots of bad LPs. And none of them has any strings"
"Why is that ?"
"can't play them for eternity"
"Geez. Nothing ever changes for me, I never COULD play them for eternity ! And you know, after Phoenix in the Summer, this is a bit like a hot tub now"
"yeah. Be nice if we had some strings though."
"Yeah. Thousands of LPs with no strings. Dang. We ARE in hell"
"yeah. Dang VKs put us here."
"Yeah. Good while it lasted though"
"yeah"
"Yeah"
(repeat conversation for eternity)
Morale : be good to your tube Amps boys !
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Post by reverendrob on Jan 10, 2022 20:29:10 GMT -5
I blew up a BF Champ once, was using a pair for small venue gigs at ungodly volume with an efficient replacement speaker in each.
When it started to go, it had the best damn overdrive I've ever heard out of a Fender and you could smell death.
I kept playing, because, well, they were $100 then and i had more in the speaker than the amp!
It got through the gig but died on shutdown never to live again.
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gbfun
Wholenote
I eat cookies to provide you with the best possible experience.
Posts: 464
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Post by gbfun on Jan 11, 2022 5:58:24 GMT -5
Into the lava lake for you then !
You reminded me of a painful memory of olden days I'd rather not remember.
I just bought my first electric and went into a small music store that seemed to be filled with all these dirty, ratty looking amps that cost the then outrageous price of $300 or so....all 60s to 70s Fender tube amps of all sizes !
I, of course had no clue and went off to buy the latest shiny digital crap.
OUCH. I'll just dive into the lava lake myself...
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Post by Leftee on Jan 11, 2022 9:47:52 GMT -5
Welp... mine was delivered to the wrong front porch yesterday. Sweetwater is on the case.
That's pretty typical of FedEx out here. They continually struggle with our address.
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Post by reverendrob on Jan 11, 2022 12:42:35 GMT -5
Where I go lake of fire is given the choice between a single amp for my purposes - I'll take the boring, mundane Boss Katana over the tube monsters.
Light, can make it sound good easily, gets loud, no upkeep costs.
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Post by cedarchoper58 on Jan 12, 2022 13:00:40 GMT -5
If a cheap attenuator fails i can take out the transformer in your amp. i would be careful using it with any thing of value
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Post by Leftee on Jan 12, 2022 13:04:11 GMT -5
If a cheap attenuator fails i can take out the transformer in your amp. i would be careful using it with any thing of value I’ll add: it’s also important to keep good output tubes in the amp if you’re slamming it into an attenuator.
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Post by cedarchoper58 on Jan 12, 2022 17:59:51 GMT -5
If a cheap attenuator fails i can take out the transformer in your amp. i would be careful using it with any thing of value I’ll add: it’s also important to keep good output tubes in the amp if you’re slamming it into an attenuator. True i have been using the Ultimate Attenuator with my Black Face Pro Reverb cranked on 7 with a tube screamer pushing it harder for around 15 years. I rebias every few months and change tubes every 60 gigs to keep it from blowing up. It does nail SRV tone great
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Post by Leftee on Jan 12, 2022 18:09:47 GMT -5
My initial order was lost by FedEx ground so Sweetwater is shipping me another.
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Post by Ricketi on Jan 12, 2022 19:18:54 GMT -5
My initial order was lost by FedEx ground so Sweetwater is shipping me another. It's probably laying in a ditch somewhere with 399 other packages
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gbfun
Wholenote
I eat cookies to provide you with the best possible experience.
Posts: 464
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Post by gbfun on Jan 13, 2022 6:07:15 GMT -5
Who's running Fedex nowadays anyway ? Larry, Moe and Curly ? It took them 15 days to get a package to me from half the country away, and they very clearly informed me it had been sent to Texas and then to some other State, when in fact, it appears to have still been local. The reason I suspect this is because at that time, no trucks could get out via the Mountain passes or even South(snowstorm and flood). And it would have been stupid for them to even try it. Nevertheless, that's what they said they were doing ! And they Fibbed. I wonder who the boss is...Curly, Moe or Larry ?
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Post by Leftee on Jan 13, 2022 13:37:04 GMT -5
Yesterday Sweetwater determined that FedEx Ground had lost this, so they overnighted me another. Yay Sweetwater!
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Post by zenland on Jan 13, 2022 14:22:18 GMT -5
Leftee-Good for you and Sweetwater coming thru!
I'm not real fond of FedX! I have enough Ring vids of them tossing my packages. They didn't toss the last one as the wife greeted them at the front door, this time!
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Post by Leftee on Jan 13, 2022 14:29:41 GMT -5
My worst issues are with FedEx Ground.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Jan 13, 2022 18:49:39 GMT -5
I've been getting a lot of "service alerts" from Fedex lately. Usually blaming the weather, but I wonder if Omicron might be having an affect on them, also.
Good for Sweetwater!
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Post by Leftee on Jan 13, 2022 19:19:15 GMT -5
My initial order was lost by FedEx ground so Sweetwater is shipping me another. It's probably laying in a ditch somewhere with 399 other packages … laying QUIETLY in a ditch
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Post by Ricketi on Jan 13, 2022 23:14:29 GMT -5
It's probably laying in a ditch somewhere with 399 other packages … laying QUIETLY in a ditch and keeping the other 399 packages quiet
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Jan 15, 2022 18:04:23 GMT -5
The Bugera Attenuator is now $109 at Sweetwater. So, congrats to all of us who were able to get them on the cheap!
And thanks to rdr for starting this thread!!
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Post by zenland on Jan 15, 2022 20:27:11 GMT -5
I'm with walshb in Thanks to rdr for starting this thread! Bill came over today so we could listen to what he was getting out of his set up! It sounds absolutely Great! I was and always have been impressed with his tones! Today proved that again!
I also got a lesson in understanding my Helix with Snapshots and loading IR's and using them in Helix! Just could not have asked for a better day!!! Thanks Bill!
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Jan 16, 2022 7:10:38 GMT -5
It was fun and we both learned some things about the Helix. We should do it more often, maybe next time more playing and more experimenting with the Helix tones....? Have fun creating Snapshots Ken! They really are one of the most useful parts of the Helix IMO. So, my concerns about the Bugera not being loud enough in a band setting, are unfounded. In 20W mode, the Marshall was plenty loud if I just turned up the big knob on the Bugera.
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