Shortscale amp

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:35 am

I got bored of my mid 70's Carlsbro. It's non master volume, and 100 watts, so I never got the chance to turn it up and get it sounding good, plus the clean sound was never that great. The cab was pretty fubar'd too, and was a cheapie anyway.

So...I worked out a trade with some friends at a local shop and got a 70's silverface Musicmaster Bass amp, completely OG, even down to the amp cover (soo cool). It has had a transformer added, but you have to do that to use them in the UK.

I have been keeping an eye on these, and it works out I paid around ?250, which is good for these, most I have seen at that price have been changed in some way, or look a little rough. It's basically a champ with a 12 inch speaker, crap for bass as there is no headroom, but great for guitar. It has a tone knob and a volume knob and thats it, and starts to break up around 5, before then it is a fairly loud fender clean sound, after then it has a lovely overdrive sound, never really distorted. It is amazingly responsive, more so than any other valve amp I have used.

To make yesterday even better, I got my twin back from being fixed. I really missed that clean sound, the Marshall just doesn't cut it clean (but very good dirty)

I'll try and post some pics later

Post by **Hurb** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:18 am

until i see pixs and hear samples iam not posting in this thread!

oops!

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:09 am

Pics I can do - samples I dunno how

Post by **Hurb** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:10 am

NickD wrote:Pics I can do - samples I dunno how

microphone ?

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:12 am

Hurb wrote:
NickD wrote:Pics I can do - samples I dunno how

microphone ?

Well yeah, I can get them on to the 4 track or 8 track, but onto this 'puter and into MPfree format is a little more challenging.

I suck at technology

Post by **Hurb** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:18 am

NickD wrote:
Hurb wrote:
NickD wrote:Pics I can do - samples I dunno how

microphone ?
Well yeah, I can get them on to the 4 track or 8 track, but onto this 'puter and into MPfree format is a little more challenging.

I suck at technology

line out of the 4 track. into microphone socket of puter. and record with windows free recorder. or download audacity for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeee off tinterwoob.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:50 am

Nice, need pics and samples though. How many watts is it?

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:21 pm

Mike wrote:Nice, need pics and samples though. How many watts is it?

12 - fucking loud for 12 watts though.

DaveB · Post by **DaveB** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:51 pm

Those are cool amps. If I run accross one cheap enough, I'll get it. Is yours 6AQ5's or 6V6's ? It is unlike any other Fender amp ever made. It uses an interstage transformer to split phase for the output tubes. It's actually more expensive to do this but was only found in their cheaper Mbass amp. GOOD SCORE!

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:15 pm

NickD wrote:
Mike wrote:Nice, need pics and samples though. How many watts is it?
12 - fucking loud for 12 watts though.

Tube watts are always loud. There's some chart around that shows that the dB difference between 100 and 50 W is just 3dB.

The only thing you get is clean headroom with a higher wattage.

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:12 pm

I did some samples, and some pics.

The samples are done through windows recorder, so there are 3, and they use the mic on my laptop so aren't great quality.

The first one is with an Epi Les Paul, the second with a Mustang, and the third with a set neck Tele with twin humbuckers. I recorded them pretty quick, so the playing is a little messy, and the guitars may not be 100% in tune, but you'll get the idea.

http://download.yousendit.com/6D42B10F4705A9C9

http://download.yousendit.com/C8CAE56D26F50589

http://download.yousendit.com/89C9D36A4DFC18E8

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:15 pm

That looks amazing.

The amp sounds really cool - a really throaty character to the overdrive.

Watch the digital clipping and stuffs...

All your guitars sound ace.

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:20 pm

Yeah, it is kind of extra lo fi recording!

I really like the cleanish but with extra colour kind of tone fron the mustang, I'll be using that quite a bit.

I've tried my MXR Dist + level up, dist down, driving the front end a little, and it drives single coils quite nicely without changing the sound too much. The humbuckers overdrive it plenty as is.

I'm mucho pleased with it.

Post by **Hurb** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:50 pm

i love it, i want one. theres one on ebay now. but iam moneyless as ever.

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:33 pm

DaveB wrote:Those are cool amps. If I run accross one cheap enough, I'll get it. Is yours 6AQ5's or 6V6's ? It is unlike any other Fender amp ever made. It uses an interstage transformer to split phase for the output tubes. It's actually more expensive to do this but was only found in their cheaper Mbass amp. GOOD SCORE!

6V6s

Hurb - that's not bad value, even at the BIN. Replacement speaker though - which I think may be a little overpowered for the amp, I think it's a Marshall standard speaker so Mike may know better.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:37 pm

You called?

Celestion G12T-75 is the Marshall standard speaker for the 1960 4x12" straight and angled cabinets, and the 1936 2x12" aswell. It's a good speaker - balanced and rocking - but like Nick says it's rated 75W. Personally though I don't really think that close matching speaker max ratings and amp power is that important.

Lots of people think otherwise though.

Cheaper marshall cabs and the combos use shit goldbacks and the Vintage cabs use Vintage30s. There's some G12H-30 thing in the Jimi Hendrix and Vintage Modern amp cabs.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:38 pm

btw...People diss the G12T-75 online because it's a "stock" speaker and they're idiots. I love the way they sound.

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:43 pm

Mike wrote: Personally though I don't really think that close matching speaker max ratings and amp power is that important.

The theory is that speaker distortion has a part to play in the way an amp sounds at full whack. I'm not sure personally, I might a/b the speaker in the Musicmaster with one of the speakers in my twin at some point.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:47 pm

Yeah I know that's what it's about, but it smells like FDP Mojo shit to me.

Personally I've never heard a speaker distort. I have a 100W Marshall tube head - y'ken? And I still think my overdriven guitar sounds the best thing ever. If it got better I'd mess my shorts.

Post by **Hurb** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:58 pm

NickD wrote: Hurb - that's not bad value, even at the BIN. Replacement speaker though - which I think may be a little overpowered for the amp, I think it's a Marshall standard speaker so Mike may know better.

wish i had some monies

anyone wanna buy a jazzmaster?