Philip-- The Dr.Z amps could be considered boutique with one important exception: they're NOT outrageously expensive. That's not to say they're bargain basement cheap either. But this is one of those occasions where you actually get what you pay for, maybe even a little more. I am familiar with the Route 66 model you speak of. However, the 38 watt model I was referring to was the Maz Senior. I should've been more clear on that. Anyway, Dr.Z amps has an interesting and informative website, as does the music store in my homestate run by the amp guru I mentioned previously.
http://www.drzamps.com/
http://www.fatsoundguitars.com/
I hope this information is useful for those who are intrigued enough to follow through on it.
I need a new amp, reccomendations?
Moderator: jingle_jangle
Jeffrey, Dr. Z amps look really nice, and probably sound as nice. Never saw one in the flesh, but there were interesting design elements in them that caught my attention. Owners rated them very highly on Harmony Central. As long as you have a local amp guru that can keep you up and running, I say go for it!
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sir_andrew_of_left_coast
- Veteran RRF member
- Posts: 729
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2000 6:38 am
Here's another "Rickenbacker friendly" recommendation. Get a Traynor YCV40 and pull out the low-end Sovtek tubes that got stuffed into it. REALLY, any of you YCV40 owners out there, Yorkville Sound was just giving you a starter set of tubes. At least upgrade to Sovtek's best such as their Electro-Harmonix brand. You're supposed to pick the tubes that suit YOU, and Yorkville didn't charge you for an expensive set of tubes that's wrong for you, so you can AFFORD to experiment with all that $$$ they saved you up front. Get some tubes that are equal to this underappreciated (and inexpensive) Canadian gem.
I admit that I bought the Traynor to use up my existing NOS tubes I have acquired over the past several years. I wouldn't waste them on an inferior amp. The day after I got it, it was tube swapping time. Naturally, my NOS Tung Sol 5881 tubes got picked for output duty. They have bass, twang, and harmonics in spades. They also begin breaking up sooner than other 6L6 types, for a warm bluesy sound at levels that don't leave your ears ringing. And they were made to survive jet aircraft G-forces and vibration. They LAUGH at combo amp duty. I had three new Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 tubes that are highly rated for hard rock. Yep, those babies have the gonzo gain and a touch of aggression in their character. A little more tube hiss because of the gain, but they rock and have a reputation for ruggedness. Blues and country players could try the NOS GE 5751 or 6072A for smoother distortion and more clean headroom. I also have some NOS RCA 6L6GC tubes I will try when the Tung Sol and Philips 5881 tubes bite the dust, but I will probably be ready for a nursing home band by then. Those on a budget could try the Sovtek 5751 or JJ ECC83S with a Philips 6L6WGB or Svetlana 6L6GC. I have enough NOS GE, RCA, Amperex, Tung Sol, and Philips tubes to probably wear out the amp. Not to mention some of the best current production from EI, JJ, E-H, and Sovtek.
Gringo loco, I doan need no steenking boo teak geetahr amp! ;^)
And neither will you in most cases if you become a "Traynor Tweaker" like me.
But boutique amps are cool if you like 'em and can afford 'em. I need something cheap and tough that I can thrash without worrying about repair costs or frequent breakdowns.
I admit that I bought the Traynor to use up my existing NOS tubes I have acquired over the past several years. I wouldn't waste them on an inferior amp. The day after I got it, it was tube swapping time. Naturally, my NOS Tung Sol 5881 tubes got picked for output duty. They have bass, twang, and harmonics in spades. They also begin breaking up sooner than other 6L6 types, for a warm bluesy sound at levels that don't leave your ears ringing. And they were made to survive jet aircraft G-forces and vibration. They LAUGH at combo amp duty. I had three new Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 tubes that are highly rated for hard rock. Yep, those babies have the gonzo gain and a touch of aggression in their character. A little more tube hiss because of the gain, but they rock and have a reputation for ruggedness. Blues and country players could try the NOS GE 5751 or 6072A for smoother distortion and more clean headroom. I also have some NOS RCA 6L6GC tubes I will try when the Tung Sol and Philips 5881 tubes bite the dust, but I will probably be ready for a nursing home band by then. Those on a budget could try the Sovtek 5751 or JJ ECC83S with a Philips 6L6WGB or Svetlana 6L6GC. I have enough NOS GE, RCA, Amperex, Tung Sol, and Philips tubes to probably wear out the amp. Not to mention some of the best current production from EI, JJ, E-H, and Sovtek.
Gringo loco, I doan need no steenking boo teak geetahr amp! ;^)
And neither will you in most cases if you become a "Traynor Tweaker" like me.
But boutique amps are cool if you like 'em and can afford 'em. I need something cheap and tough that I can thrash without worrying about repair costs or frequent breakdowns.
Phil....you are correct about being in a nursing home before the Tung-Sol 5881's go flat. In 60' I bought a new Fender 3 x 10" Bandmaster and have been using it since and the thing still has all the original tubes and sounds just as good as it ever did.....actually a heckova lot better since I replaced all the paper caps with Sprague 715P Orange Drop caps. I have replaced the lytics 5 times since new but the tubes are still hanging in there. 6 x 7025 & 2 Tung-Sol 5881. Sounds sweet man.....especially with the 58' 360 and its original pups. Nothing but jangle or snarl, or sweet or....you get the pix...
Dave
Dave
I've had 4 wives but I still have my 60' 360!
Yeah, those electrolytics suck. And people say their amp sucks when I know they have never had a good tube in it. That's why I use Conrad-Johnson audiophile amps. They call electrolytics "evil" and have completely eliminated them in their signal paths and high voltage supplies. They claim electrolytics have 200 times more transient smearing distortion than their proprietary polystyrene caps. Their amp signal paths use pure polystyrene signal caps and the HV supplies use polypropylene bypassed by polystyrene. Also, they eliminated the transient-smearing negative feedback except for a small amount in their tubed power amps. They even bypass the cathode resistors in order to eliminate local feedback. Dozens of big expensive film caps all over their circuit boards. But man, what grain-free and non-fatigueing liquid texture the music has! I thought about taking a guitar amp and doing a similar mod to it, but guitar amps are not supposed to be totally accurate amplifiers like audiophile amps. Besides, I have to use cheap guitar amps in order to afford my stack of C-J audio amps (EV-1, PV-14L, MF-2250). The Sprague 715P Orange Drop is a really good film cap for guitar amps, and spending more for something exotic would have very little additional positive effect. In fact, I saw a few of them in my Traynor when I retubed.
Your Bandmaster proves a point: capacitors were a weaker link than tubes during the 50's and 60's, and probably deserve most of the blame for "tube" unreliability.
Your Bandmaster proves a point: capacitors were a weaker link than tubes during the 50's and 60's, and probably deserve most of the blame for "tube" unreliability.
Phil....actually, I disagree...partially...
You said..>>Your Bandmaster proves a point: capacitors were a weaker
link than tubes during the 50's and 60's, and probably
deserve most of the blame for "tube" unreliability.<<<
What most folks don't know is that the paper caps in any electronic gear (guitar amps in this case) were leaking (electrons, not fluid) when they were new...meaning that they should have been replaced in 1960 when I bought that amp. The problem in those days is that there was not anything better at a reasonable price that Fender could have used.
So, yes, capacitors were a weak link. Today, I don't believe paper caps such as the old ASTRON units that were so popular are still being manufactured.
The part I don't agree with is caps 'deserve most of the blame' etc. Those caps and tubes were in that amp for 42 years and they sounded just ok. Being an electronic type, I knew that those caps should have been changed the day I brought it home....but due to living my life etc...never got around to changing them until last summer. The chage in sound was not drastic....the 715P's didn't change the tone but they did make a cleaner sound. The amp will distort nicely at reasonable volumes and is very sensitive to string attack. The new signal caps did improve string attack considerably.
Tube reliability is more of a function of mfg technique and operating parameters, heat, vibration and physical abuse.
The last gig with this Bandmaster was in 62' so the tubes SHOULD have lasted a long time because they were not used much.
The reality is that tubes are a MUCH weaker link than caps...especially these days when tube mfg is almost a lost art.
Back in the 50's & 60's when I was more active, tubes would fail occasionally but the paper signal caps such as the ASTRON brand used in Fender and probably all other mfgrs amps never failed because they operate at mostly low to medium voltages. The caps that DID fail and still fail today are the electrolytic caps as used in the power supply and bias section. Lytic caps should be changed every 6 to 7 years, no longer than 10 years depending on usage. When I change those caps I mark the date of installation on them so I can see how long the interval has been.
So, in a nutshell, signal caps don't fail too often. Electrolytics DO fail often. Tubes fail most often of any componant in a hollow state guitar amp. Resistors almost never fail unless some other circuit componant fails first then takes out the resistor.
This is probably more that anyone cares about so you can wakeup now!!
(if you got this far)
ps...the tone cap(s) used in guitars can be just about anything. Why? Because there is virtually no voltage across the cap to make it leak. The tone cap in my 58' 360 is an old, knarly looking thing with a glob of dirty wax on one end. I replaced it with a 715P and then a ceramic disk like John Hall spoke of the other day. The new caps made absolutely no difference to the ear so I put back the old cap and it works fine.
The range of treble roll-off is so broad with any of the caps that there was no reason to put a $3.00 cap where a 5 cent cap would work.
That's why you will not see any really high quality caps inside your guitar...don't need em'.
Save your money and put the 715P's in your amp.
Dave
You said..>>Your Bandmaster proves a point: capacitors were a weaker
link than tubes during the 50's and 60's, and probably
deserve most of the blame for "tube" unreliability.<<<
What most folks don't know is that the paper caps in any electronic gear (guitar amps in this case) were leaking (electrons, not fluid) when they were new...meaning that they should have been replaced in 1960 when I bought that amp. The problem in those days is that there was not anything better at a reasonable price that Fender could have used.
So, yes, capacitors were a weak link. Today, I don't believe paper caps such as the old ASTRON units that were so popular are still being manufactured.
The part I don't agree with is caps 'deserve most of the blame' etc. Those caps and tubes were in that amp for 42 years and they sounded just ok. Being an electronic type, I knew that those caps should have been changed the day I brought it home....but due to living my life etc...never got around to changing them until last summer. The chage in sound was not drastic....the 715P's didn't change the tone but they did make a cleaner sound. The amp will distort nicely at reasonable volumes and is very sensitive to string attack. The new signal caps did improve string attack considerably.
Tube reliability is more of a function of mfg technique and operating parameters, heat, vibration and physical abuse.
The last gig with this Bandmaster was in 62' so the tubes SHOULD have lasted a long time because they were not used much.
The reality is that tubes are a MUCH weaker link than caps...especially these days when tube mfg is almost a lost art.
Back in the 50's & 60's when I was more active, tubes would fail occasionally but the paper signal caps such as the ASTRON brand used in Fender and probably all other mfgrs amps never failed because they operate at mostly low to medium voltages. The caps that DID fail and still fail today are the electrolytic caps as used in the power supply and bias section. Lytic caps should be changed every 6 to 7 years, no longer than 10 years depending on usage. When I change those caps I mark the date of installation on them so I can see how long the interval has been.
So, in a nutshell, signal caps don't fail too often. Electrolytics DO fail often. Tubes fail most often of any componant in a hollow state guitar amp. Resistors almost never fail unless some other circuit componant fails first then takes out the resistor.
This is probably more that anyone cares about so you can wakeup now!!
(if you got this far)
ps...the tone cap(s) used in guitars can be just about anything. Why? Because there is virtually no voltage across the cap to make it leak. The tone cap in my 58' 360 is an old, knarly looking thing with a glob of dirty wax on one end. I replaced it with a 715P and then a ceramic disk like John Hall spoke of the other day. The new caps made absolutely no difference to the ear so I put back the old cap and it works fine.
The range of treble roll-off is so broad with any of the caps that there was no reason to put a $3.00 cap where a 5 cent cap would work.
That's why you will not see any really high quality caps inside your guitar...don't need em'.
Save your money and put the 715P's in your amp.
Dave
I've had 4 wives but I still have my 60' 360!
I have a meter at work called a Sencore LC75. It was the first device that easily measured dielectric absorption in capacitors. Dielectric Absorption (DA) renders the capacitor partially unusable, as it cannot fully release its charge down to zero. I have some new electrolytics that measured about 30% DA (the gray Illinois Capacitor brand used in many new guitar amps). They would still work as filter caps in a power supply as long as an "overkill" amount of capacitance was there. Adding more capacitance in parallel would not help in a series signal application, as you could guess, as DA percentage would remain the same. Failure point is considered 15% DA. I test ALL electrolytics, even new ones, before they go into an amp project. Most hobbyists and repair techs just put in a new electrolytic without testing it, as a new LC75 cost over $1000 when new, and its replacement is even more expensive. DA has been a greater cause of rejection than leakage in the electrolytics I have tested. It is the major cause of transient smearing distortion in high fidelity applications, and unlike guitar amps, is really noticeable once you sit down and listen to "the good stuff" that has 200 times less of this distortion present. J. Gordon Holt mentioned how electrolytics were screwing up solid state audio in the 60's (just by listening), and Richard Marsh proved it in the 70's with plenty of scientific research. The famous Multi-Cap capacitor was the result of his research. Electrolytics were and STILL ARE used for signal applications in solid state amps that need high capacitance due to their lower impedance circuitry. They are a large part of the "transistor" sound that many audiophiles hate. If anybody cared to listen to a C-J solid state amp, they would hear that the "transistor" nasties were gone bacause the electrolytics are gone.
I have a late 70's Marantz tuner that finally went out due to hum from trashed out electrolytics. It lasted about 20 years, but it is solid state and runs MUCH cooler than a tubed guitar amp so electrolytic aging is slowed tremendously. 7 years IS a long time in a professional tubed amp used constantly for gigging. For the uninitiated in the ways of vintage amps, If your old amp hums when first turning on, then reduces as time goes on, it is the electrolytics PARTIALLY reforming and reducing the hum. You need a cap job ASAP.
Some audiophiles that use 300B directly heated triode tubes have gotten 25 years of regular use from their tubes. And its a good thing, as a new matched pair of Western Electric 300B tubes go for around $900 retail (and you guitar guys thought YOU had it rough on repair costs). Yes, cheap ****** tubes are like cheap ****** capacitors, and have also given tubes a bad name. Some audiophiles have gotten 50,000 hours out of old Telefunken preamp tubes. The Russian tubes are not there yet, but getting better all the time. My "high end" electronic audio components have been utterly reliable, no breakdowns in the past 10 years of constant use, and that is because of incredibly high quality parts used in their manufacture, which BTW, was in places like Virginia, California, New Jersey, and New York state, NOT Korea or China. But few people will pay $1500 just for a phono stage amplifier, which is the "baby" in the C-J line. Being the electronic type and knowing what good electronic parts cost, you may realize that I actually got a far greater percentage of my purchase dollar applied toward parts in C-J gear than the guy that buys a Chinese VCR off the shelf at Wal-Mart.
Traynor seems to have the same philosophy: put in better parts and get fewer units back for warranty repair. The dealer who sold me my Traynor is a top service center for Fender amps, and he said the reliability of the new Mexican Fender amps (Blues Jr., etc.)is atrocious (American Fender amps remain good). Things like cheap ribbon connectors are the culprits. And it will continue to give tube amps a bad name. Buy a used QUALITY amp if you cannot afford a new American Fender or such.
Well, Dave, we seem to have given these guys a few lessons in "Amplifiers 101". Wonder if anybody cares? If they did, we would see better amps being produced in higher quantities and at a lower cost as economy of scale comes into play for THE GOOD STUFF.
Here's to THE GOOD STUFF.
I have a late 70's Marantz tuner that finally went out due to hum from trashed out electrolytics. It lasted about 20 years, but it is solid state and runs MUCH cooler than a tubed guitar amp so electrolytic aging is slowed tremendously. 7 years IS a long time in a professional tubed amp used constantly for gigging. For the uninitiated in the ways of vintage amps, If your old amp hums when first turning on, then reduces as time goes on, it is the electrolytics PARTIALLY reforming and reducing the hum. You need a cap job ASAP.
Some audiophiles that use 300B directly heated triode tubes have gotten 25 years of regular use from their tubes. And its a good thing, as a new matched pair of Western Electric 300B tubes go for around $900 retail (and you guitar guys thought YOU had it rough on repair costs). Yes, cheap ****** tubes are like cheap ****** capacitors, and have also given tubes a bad name. Some audiophiles have gotten 50,000 hours out of old Telefunken preamp tubes. The Russian tubes are not there yet, but getting better all the time. My "high end" electronic audio components have been utterly reliable, no breakdowns in the past 10 years of constant use, and that is because of incredibly high quality parts used in their manufacture, which BTW, was in places like Virginia, California, New Jersey, and New York state, NOT Korea or China. But few people will pay $1500 just for a phono stage amplifier, which is the "baby" in the C-J line. Being the electronic type and knowing what good electronic parts cost, you may realize that I actually got a far greater percentage of my purchase dollar applied toward parts in C-J gear than the guy that buys a Chinese VCR off the shelf at Wal-Mart.
Traynor seems to have the same philosophy: put in better parts and get fewer units back for warranty repair. The dealer who sold me my Traynor is a top service center for Fender amps, and he said the reliability of the new Mexican Fender amps (Blues Jr., etc.)is atrocious (American Fender amps remain good). Things like cheap ribbon connectors are the culprits. And it will continue to give tube amps a bad name. Buy a used QUALITY amp if you cannot afford a new American Fender or such.
Well, Dave, we seem to have given these guys a few lessons in "Amplifiers 101". Wonder if anybody cares? If they did, we would see better amps being produced in higher quantities and at a lower cost as economy of scale comes into play for THE GOOD STUFF.
Here's to THE GOOD STUFF.
Here is another amplifier recommendation I have just discovered. I bought a slightly used Marshall AVT20 on eBay for $200. I was looking for a practice amp that could be used for bass guitar as well as lead guitar, and that meant a closed cabinet design. I had already determined that the Eminence Legend B102 10" bass guitar speaker was the best candidate for an all around performer. I installed a B102 into the AVT20 and am happy to report it's a very good marriage. It's plenty loud enough for home practice as the efficiency of the Legend B102 is about the same as the Celestion G10C-30. The 40 Hz to 9 kHz frequency response allows the amp to be used for keyboards and organ as well, plus the 200 watt rating means it will never be even remotely stressed. You can put this rig together yourself for around $300. Eminence Legend guitar speakers are available at steep discounts from Parts Express. If you need a small "do everything" 20 watt amp that is easily transportable, give this combination some thought. You will need four M5 0.8x40mm bolts and M5 wave lock washers to mount the Legend B102 speaker which has a much thicker frame since it is cast aluminum rather than cheap stamped steel like on Celestions.
I have no clue what you people are talking about. And to think about the amount of time I spent trying to figure out if I should replace the single tube in my Cambridge 15. Just when I think I'm beginning to understand the tube concept...
It just goes to show how complex getting the right sound can be and how important a properly functioning amplifier is to your tone.
It just goes to show how complex getting the right sound can be and how important a properly functioning amplifier is to your tone.
Well, Mr. Phelps, out of the last six guitar and bass amps that I have owned, some bought new and some bought used, I have had to do something to every one of them even if it was only to tighten the screws. From the first to the most recent:
1. Peavey 70's era bass amp. Rattling sound when playing certain notes: Power transformer was rivetted to the chassis, which eventually loosened. Drilled out rivets and installed machine bolts, lock washers, and nuts. Found cone edge surround corrugation starting to crack. Glued the cracked place back together. Tightened loose screws throughout the cabinet and amp head.
2. Kustom Tube 12 guitar amp. Rattling sound from speaker for a couple of minutes until amp warmed up: Replaced defective tube that was microphonic when cold. Buzzing sound when playing loud: Tigntened loose screws throughout the amp.
3. Kustom Tube 12 guitar amp. Decided to tighten all screws to stop buzzing sounds: Front baffle board mounting screws were strripped. Drilled completely through baffle board and installed thru-bolts and nuts. Also glued baffle board to cabinet before bolting it to the cabinet. Tightened loose screws throughout the amp.
4. Marshall AVT50. Found numerous loose screws during initial inspection: Tightened screws before using amp for the first time (by now I am learning to check things out first). No problems later on. Amp does make sound like revving motor for a minute after turning on, but other users note this on the AVT50 during startup, and I just think it means it's raring to go!
5. Marshall AVT20. Found numerous loose screws during initial inspection: Decided to inspect speaker mounting bolts, so removed back panel. Removed large hardened "glue dripping" from the back panel. Found speaker mounting bolts to be very loose, and tightened them. Straightened bent front panel overlay. Tightened nuts holding jacks and pots to the control panel.
6. Traynor YCV40. Amp worked perfectly for 1 hour and was shut down. Amp was silent when turned on later and attempted to use: Troubleshooting revealed no high voltage to my screen grids or preamp tube plates. Took amp apart and found two defective resistors. Screen grid needed 220 ohm resistor, but factory installed 10 ohm resistor which caused my $60 NOS Tung Sol 5881 to develop a dead short on the screen grid and ruin the 10 ohm resistor and a series dropping resistor in the power supply. Replaced all three components. Tightened MANY loose screws throughout the amp. Found another NOS 5881 tube on eBay for $28.85. The amp has worked normally since then. All of the cheap Russian tubes were upgraded to NOS American and JJ Tesla tubes soon after I bought it. The NOS Tung Sol 5881 tubes especially made a difference. This amp was purchased new from an authorized dealer, and had the worst problems, so it reinforces my preference for clean used gear.
So, as you can see, six out of six amps had problems ranging from very minor to totally disabling. Few of you out there could have fixed the Traynor yourself, but it was easier for me to fix than take it to a repair center.
http://www.svetlana.com/docs/techsupport.html will get you some good tube gear info. I especially recommend How a Tube Works and Tube Dictionary be bookmarked for future reference if you intend to do some tube rolling yourself. Then check out the tube data page at Triode Electronics, http://www.triodeel.com . It can link you to more tube data pages, and there are vintage amp schematics there as well. Parts Express is a good place for Celestion and Eminence guitar speakers. Angela Instruments is a good place for NOS tubes and Hammond transformers for that vintage amp you snagged at a yard sale or eBay.
Sometimes new tubes, caps, and speakers for an amp you own is better than getting another amp. It basically gives your amp a second life.
1. Peavey 70's era bass amp. Rattling sound when playing certain notes: Power transformer was rivetted to the chassis, which eventually loosened. Drilled out rivets and installed machine bolts, lock washers, and nuts. Found cone edge surround corrugation starting to crack. Glued the cracked place back together. Tightened loose screws throughout the cabinet and amp head.
2. Kustom Tube 12 guitar amp. Rattling sound from speaker for a couple of minutes until amp warmed up: Replaced defective tube that was microphonic when cold. Buzzing sound when playing loud: Tigntened loose screws throughout the amp.
3. Kustom Tube 12 guitar amp. Decided to tighten all screws to stop buzzing sounds: Front baffle board mounting screws were strripped. Drilled completely through baffle board and installed thru-bolts and nuts. Also glued baffle board to cabinet before bolting it to the cabinet. Tightened loose screws throughout the amp.
4. Marshall AVT50. Found numerous loose screws during initial inspection: Tightened screws before using amp for the first time (by now I am learning to check things out first). No problems later on. Amp does make sound like revving motor for a minute after turning on, but other users note this on the AVT50 during startup, and I just think it means it's raring to go!
5. Marshall AVT20. Found numerous loose screws during initial inspection: Decided to inspect speaker mounting bolts, so removed back panel. Removed large hardened "glue dripping" from the back panel. Found speaker mounting bolts to be very loose, and tightened them. Straightened bent front panel overlay. Tightened nuts holding jacks and pots to the control panel.
6. Traynor YCV40. Amp worked perfectly for 1 hour and was shut down. Amp was silent when turned on later and attempted to use: Troubleshooting revealed no high voltage to my screen grids or preamp tube plates. Took amp apart and found two defective resistors. Screen grid needed 220 ohm resistor, but factory installed 10 ohm resistor which caused my $60 NOS Tung Sol 5881 to develop a dead short on the screen grid and ruin the 10 ohm resistor and a series dropping resistor in the power supply. Replaced all three components. Tightened MANY loose screws throughout the amp. Found another NOS 5881 tube on eBay for $28.85. The amp has worked normally since then. All of the cheap Russian tubes were upgraded to NOS American and JJ Tesla tubes soon after I bought it. The NOS Tung Sol 5881 tubes especially made a difference. This amp was purchased new from an authorized dealer, and had the worst problems, so it reinforces my preference for clean used gear.
So, as you can see, six out of six amps had problems ranging from very minor to totally disabling. Few of you out there could have fixed the Traynor yourself, but it was easier for me to fix than take it to a repair center.
http://www.svetlana.com/docs/techsupport.html will get you some good tube gear info. I especially recommend How a Tube Works and Tube Dictionary be bookmarked for future reference if you intend to do some tube rolling yourself. Then check out the tube data page at Triode Electronics, http://www.triodeel.com . It can link you to more tube data pages, and there are vintage amp schematics there as well. Parts Express is a good place for Celestion and Eminence guitar speakers. Angela Instruments is a good place for NOS tubes and Hammond transformers for that vintage amp you snagged at a yard sale or eBay.
Sometimes new tubes, caps, and speakers for an amp you own is better than getting another amp. It basically gives your amp a second life.
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ricnvolved
Philip-- The considerable problems you had on purchasing a NEW Traynor YCV40 amp kinda throws cold water on your earlier endorsement, or so it would appear. Certainly I wouldn't argue that an occasional lemon can be cranked out by anyone, high end boutique on down. But no matter how good the tone coming out of the amp, it isn't a bargain if isn't well built. You have the skills that enabled you to troubleshoot & repair the problems without having to return it to the dealer. Many of us out here don't have your abilities, but even if I were in your position, I would be extremely unhappy having plunked down money for a brand new amp with those kinds of problems. I could never completely trust playing out with it and not have a back-up amp just in case.
I'm guessing you paid a fair price for the amp, and you state there have been no further problems. So if it stays that way, then you did alright in getting the Traynor. But buying a used amp that needs maintenance from normal wear & tear is one thing. Buying a brand new amp with serious problems from the very start............. that's not good. In this throwaway world we live in today, you're lucky when you get what you pay for. A lot of times you don't even get that. I'm willing to pay more upfront (within reason) to get an assurance of quality build & materials to avoid the type of problems you mention with the Traynor. Word of mouth is the most powerful form of endorsement or warning that it's possible to have.
I've mentioned in here before how important it is to research and investigate the history of any particular piece of gear before spending your money. While nothing is 100% certain, you can at least reduce the chances of getting stiffed before making the purchase.
I'm guessing you paid a fair price for the amp, and you state there have been no further problems. So if it stays that way, then you did alright in getting the Traynor. But buying a used amp that needs maintenance from normal wear & tear is one thing. Buying a brand new amp with serious problems from the very start............. that's not good. In this throwaway world we live in today, you're lucky when you get what you pay for. A lot of times you don't even get that. I'm willing to pay more upfront (within reason) to get an assurance of quality build & materials to avoid the type of problems you mention with the Traynor. Word of mouth is the most powerful form of endorsement or warning that it's possible to have.
I've mentioned in here before how important it is to research and investigate the history of any particular piece of gear before spending your money. While nothing is 100% certain, you can at least reduce the chances of getting stiffed before making the purchase.
The Marshall AVT50 and Traynor YCV40 both sell for about the same price. While I did not have any breakdowns with the Marshall (yet), it is definitely not as well made as the Traynor as far as parts quality is concerned. The Celestion speaker in the Traynor is a better model. Baltic birch plywood instead of particle board. Glass epoxy circuit boards instead of resin impregnated paper. All-tube gain circuitry instead of tube preamp only. And while the Marshall closely emulates the sound of an all-tube amp, the Traynor has a sound superior to any tube amp anywhere near it's price that I ever heard. And it's the mostly-solid-state Marshall that needs a cooling fan to stay reliable, not the mostly tubed Traynor.
I could have paid a local amp tech to fix the Traynor and still come out way ahead of any limited production boutique amp on price. I could have bought at least two Traynors for the price of one boutique amp and had a ready backup when trouble did occur. A good used DMM, an old B&K tube tester, and a soldering iron, all available for around $100 from eBay, were the only tools of any sophistication needed for fixing the Traynor. The more sophisticated solid-state circuity in Marshall ValveState or Vox Valvetronix amps might be harder to fix when trouble finally shows up.
I bought the Traynor as a slightly used demo unit, but with a full warranty in case something expensive like a power transformer went out. I made sure I was covered up front by a low price in case very much trouble showed up.
The cheap Russian Sovtek 6L6GB tube survived the 10 ohm screen grid resistor, while the highly regarded NOS Tung Sol 5881 that is supposedly "B-52 bomber tough" did not. Go figure.
The Traynor will probably be the last amp of all those listed to ever leave my possession, if ever.
I could have paid a local amp tech to fix the Traynor and still come out way ahead of any limited production boutique amp on price. I could have bought at least two Traynors for the price of one boutique amp and had a ready backup when trouble did occur. A good used DMM, an old B&K tube tester, and a soldering iron, all available for around $100 from eBay, were the only tools of any sophistication needed for fixing the Traynor. The more sophisticated solid-state circuity in Marshall ValveState or Vox Valvetronix amps might be harder to fix when trouble finally shows up.
I bought the Traynor as a slightly used demo unit, but with a full warranty in case something expensive like a power transformer went out. I made sure I was covered up front by a low price in case very much trouble showed up.
The cheap Russian Sovtek 6L6GB tube survived the 10 ohm screen grid resistor, while the highly regarded NOS Tung Sol 5881 that is supposedly "B-52 bomber tough" did not. Go figure.
The Traynor will probably be the last amp of all those listed to ever leave my possession, if ever.
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ricnvolved
Your description of the low quality materials used in the construction of the Marshall AVT50 is interesting, but hardly surprising. I stopped trusting the overall quality of Marshall gear quite some time ago. The same goes for Vox and Fender. This is strictly my own personal opinion, but there's a lot of sub-par gear being peddled out there. Contrary to what it may seem like from my earlier posts, I don't have a predilection for high end boutique stuff-- especially in regard to basses & guitars.
My buying philosophy is to first get a clear idea of just what it is I want. Then I do all the research I can possibly do. What it always comes down to is what is gonna get me the best value for the money. IN GENERAL, I accept that you'll have to spend extra to get gear that is high quality in all areas. But there's a limit to how much I'm willing to spend. And when it comes to amp gear, there can be difficulty in finding something that's actually worth the price paid. Again, this is my opinion, but a lot of the high end boutique guitar amps are way overpriced. If you buy one, can you claim later that you got good value for your money? Probably not. On the other side, one can go out and spend very little in comparison for a Marshall AVT50. But have you even gotten what you paid for? I would think not.
Admittedly it's tough finding out what works well and what doesn't. Finding a reasonable balance in the price-to-quality equation isn't easy. One other key is to avoid dumb impulse purchases. Doing so goes a long way towards preserving peace of mind, AND makes it less likely to deplete one's bank account.
My buying philosophy is to first get a clear idea of just what it is I want. Then I do all the research I can possibly do. What it always comes down to is what is gonna get me the best value for the money. IN GENERAL, I accept that you'll have to spend extra to get gear that is high quality in all areas. But there's a limit to how much I'm willing to spend. And when it comes to amp gear, there can be difficulty in finding something that's actually worth the price paid. Again, this is my opinion, but a lot of the high end boutique guitar amps are way overpriced. If you buy one, can you claim later that you got good value for your money? Probably not. On the other side, one can go out and spend very little in comparison for a Marshall AVT50. But have you even gotten what you paid for? I would think not.
Admittedly it's tough finding out what works well and what doesn't. Finding a reasonable balance in the price-to-quality equation isn't easy. One other key is to avoid dumb impulse purchases. Doing so goes a long way towards preserving peace of mind, AND makes it less likely to deplete one's bank account.