PSA: Little amp, big power, all-tube, stupid-low price...

[KevWind]

Well I played it for about 4 1/2 hours yesterdays just trying to hear all the different sounds from the amp and the guitar .

It sounds pretty good to me but of course have no personal hands (ears) on experience to draw from
One thing I noticed was when played with just the combo and the extension cab un plugged, it seems to be just as loud ( although right now it in the front room which a lot of glass and almost no furniture so its really live) So actually the volume knob is at 9:00 or below. Anyway the the biggest difference at this modest volume level is a slightly different tonality to the bass. Which in the combo alone is a bit punchier (or conversely not quite as smooth) and perhaps a tiny tiny bit less lowend freq. wize, reproduction then with the ext. cab plugged in.

I have to say the Combo is a heavy little unit for it's size, I guess between the oversize magnet and the fact that the amp section looks to be built like a tank, gives it it's 46 lb. weight spec.

With all this new learning curve and brain exercise, I also start some guitar lessons tomorrow (finally after 52 years of playing) to see if I can get a handle on the theory behind playing leads

Next pedals ??????????? Delay for sure, the verb and trem on the amp itself are pretty nice so I will just get the foot switch for those. I am not into really heavily distorted sounds but am open to suggestions for coloring FX .

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by KevWind

... It sounds pretty good to me but of course have no personal hands (ears) on experience to draw from. One thing I noticed was when played with just the combo and the extension cab unplugged, it seems to be just as loud (although right now it in the front room which a lot of glass and almost no furniture so its really live). So actually the volume knob is at 9:00 or below. Anyway, the the biggest difference at this modest volume level is a slightly different tonality to the bass, which in the combo alone is a bit punchier (or conversely not quite as smooth), and perhaps a tiny tiny bit less lowend freq. wise reproduction, than with the ext. cab plugged in...I am not into really heavily distorted sounds but am open to suggestions for coloring FX..

Everything is exactly as it should be, given both the newness and relatively low volume level of your rig; I'd suggest, to the extent that the weather, your hearing, and your better half permit, that you take it outside (TMK you're in a somewhat remote area) and really fire it up a few times; as the speaker cones break in, much like an acoustic guitar the tonality will become less "tight" and more extended at both ends of the frequency spectrum, as well as more touch-responsive. While you won't get the same response from a 10" that you would from a 12", neither will you from a 00 and a dread; there'll always be that immediacy and "punch" you describe from a smaller cone - great for cutting through a heavy mix BTW, and one of the reasons 4x10" cabs have become the standard setup for many bass players. That said, it'd be a good idea to break in the extension cab as well, not so much for added volume (and I'm sure there's plenty on tap) as for its tonal contribution when/if needed - I routinely practice with a 4x10" Super Reverb or 2x12" Frontman (think solid-state Twin) at modest volume for just that reason. Finally, I'd avoid the pedals for now - just get acquainted with that gorgeous all-tube tone and all of its possibilities, as well as the onboard trem/'verb...

[blue]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Well I played it for about 4 1/2 hours yesterdays just trying to hear all the different sounds from the amp and the guitar .

Part of the difference you are hearing is probably the difference between the open back combo, and the closed back cab. The cab will be, and these are just words that tend to be used, tighter, more articulate, quicker to respond. That's why metal guys love them. When you are palm muting a high speed rhythm on the low strings, a closed cab can keep up, without losing definition. A speed metal guy might describe the bass you are hearing out of your combo as "sloppy" And for their application, they wouldn't be wrong. For most of us, we would probably use terms like rich, full, and smooth. And we wouldn't be wrong either. Having both is of course the best of both worlds.

Weight is good with amps. Not just the speaker magnet, but the Transformer as well. Next time you're in a guitar center type place pick up a Mesa Boogie and similar sized competitor. In most cases the boogie will be noticeably heavier. They are known for overkill when it comes to selecting transformers.


So yeah, everything you are reporting is not only great news, but is exactly as it should be with a good setup. I would run them together as much as possible early on just to get them both broken in.

[KevWind]

Thanks for the replies guys
Yes I intend to play both units for a good breaking period .

And outside is great idea and I have about 1200 acres out the front door so is definitely doable, but will wait until the day time temps get a bit higher than the current 37 degrees

[Jerry D]

I can't speak to the sound of these amps, but I can tell you that they are the absolute UGLIEST amps I have ever seen. They look like a lady's sewing machine. I wouldn't be seen DEAD carrying one of these monstrosities into a gig, or anywhere else.

[maxtheaxe]

OK, review as promised... amp arrived yesterday, along with the cover I ordered. I didn't get the extension cab, already have the aforementioned Avatar 1x12 Vintage cab with a Celestion V30 in it.

The only guitar I've used with it so far is my approx. 2010 Fender American Deluxe strat which has N3 noiseless single coils. I have another USA strat with Texas Special pickups that sounds a bit more organic that I'd like to try for comparison, and then on to the rest of my quiver. I'll be at this for a while!

The sound was very crisp and 'stratty' although with a more pronounced midrange that will likely smooth out once the speaker breaks in, and a bit of a laid-back top end. This thing has a big bark, though! It also has a very chewy, tactile, class A feel all its own...something like a cross between a smaller Fender combo and a Vox AC 15/30 or Matchless DC30. The 6L6 tubes in this thing are something I've never seen...they are HUGE. Not like the slim bottles one is used to seeing in a typical Fender...more like the size of a KT66, but straight-sided. The output and power transformers are likewise gigantic, and the speaker magnet is oversize as well, much like the Eminence Hemp-Dog that I'm sure these were designed after. Little amp...great big guts!

A word on the the reverb, which is bar none the best on board reverb unit I've ever heard in an amp...very warm and smooth, and lacking in sproingy artifacts...still sounds decent when opened all the way. The only 'verbs I've heard better are very high-end Lexicon digital units...just gorgeous tone! The reverb installation is perhaps the longest pan unit I've ever seen. Also the tremolo is very smooth and musical and is achieved by modulating the power tubes, so the trem and verb blend very musically.

Where it really began to get interesting though is when I hooked up the Avatar cab...really opened up the tone of this little beast and provided the top end glassiness one expects to hear from a strat; the beamy highs of the V30 are the perfect counterweight to the barking mids of the 10" alone and the larger cab filled in the low end nicely. I still had to crank the amp completely to really get it to break up, and while that's a lot of fun, isn't something I can tolerate for long, so...

Out comes the brains of my various rigs, an old 1st gen Line 6 POD (with a Boss CS-3 compressor in front of it). One of the things mentioned in the literature about the Titan amp is that it is designed for very high headroom in order to make it the perfect platform for pedals, or in this case, a modeling preamp. I have to agree, because when I hit this with a succession of models, ranging from clean Class A/B Fenders to various class A models, going progressively grittier and more saturated, into Hiwatt and Marshall territory...man this thing just screams, and handles it all without becoming loose or squawky sounding...just solid, punchy tone. BTW, at lower volume, this has a very warm, tactile sound that would fit well in a jazz ensemble with a Super 400 or ES 295 plugged into it.

I might just have to use this at my gig on New Year's Eve, if my back feels up to it. This little amp, smaller than the Tubeworks TD-752 1x12 combos I usually use, weighs in at 49lbs, slightly more than both those amps put together. One other bone to pick with it...they got the control panel facing the back! If you're in front of it, trying to adjust controls, you're reading everything upside-down and turning the knobs backwards! Sheesh...engineers...

By the way...I *LOVE* the blue Rhino-hide covering...very high quality material and application, tough as heck and looks like a blue silk 1940s-50s sport coat. Class all the way.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Jerry D

I can't speak to the sound of these amps, but I can tell you that they are the absolute UGLIEST amps I have ever seen. They look like a lady's sewing machine. I wouldn't be seen DEAD carrying one of these monstrosities into a gig, or anywhere else.

Ha ain't it is funny how vastly different we all are.

Quote "Not to mention it's a real looker!"

Now feeling as you do and if the "looks" is such a high priority on your scale, I would suggest you probably not get one. ..... Gee that was easy

And fortunately your personal tastes and opinion of the looks, and your apparent "need" to come into this thread and bash the units looks, is likely to have no effect on those of us not burdened by such inclinations . YMMV

Personally I am neither particularly thrilled nor put off by the looks, as I tend to buy sound equipment for how it....... well you know, sounds

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by maxtheaxe

OK, review as promised... amp arrived yesterday, along with the cover I ordered. I didn't get the extension cab, already have the aforementioned Avatar 1x12 Vintage cab with a Celestion V30 in it.

The only guitar I've used with it so far is my approx. 2010 Fender American Deluxe strat which has N3 noiseless single coils. I have another USA strat with Texas Special pickups that sounds a bit more organic that I'd like to try for comparison, and then on to the rest of my quiver. I'll be at this for a while!

The sound was very crisp and 'stratty' although with a more pronounced midrange that will likely smooth out once the speaker breaks in, and a bit of a laid-back top end. This thing has a big bark, though! It also has a very chewy, tactile, class A feel all its own...something like a cross between a smaller Fender combo and a Vox AC 15/30 or Matchless DC30. The 6L6 tubes in this thing are something I've never seen...they are HUGE. Not like the slim bottles one is used to seeing in a typical Fender...more like the size of a KT66, but straight-sided. The output and power transformers are likewise gigantic, and the speaker magnet is oversize as well, much like the Eminence Hemp-Dog that I'm sure these were designed after. Little amp...great big guts!

A word on the the reverb, which is bar none the best on board reverb unit I've ever heard in an amp...very warm and smooth, and lacking in sproingy artifacts...still sounds decent when opened all the way. The only 'verbs I've heard better are very high-end Lexicon digital units...just gorgeous tone! The reverb installation is perhaps the longest pan unit I've ever seen. Also the tremolo is very smooth and musical and is achieved by modulating the power tubes, so the trem and verb blend very musically.

Where it really began to get interesting though is when I hooked up the Avatar cab...really opened up the tone of this little beast and provided the top end glassiness one expects to hear from a strat; the beamy highs of the V30 are the perfect counterweight to the barking mids of the 10" alone and the larger cab filled in the low end nicely. I still had to crank the amp completely to really get it to break up, and while that's a lot of fun, isn't something I can tolerate for long, so...

Out comes the brains of my various rigs, an old 1st gen Line 6 POD (with a Boss CS-3 compressor in front of it). One of the things mentioned in the literature about the Titan amp is that it is designed for very high headroom in order to make it the perfect platform for pedals, or in this case, a modeling preamp. I have to agree, because when I hit this with a succession of models, ranging from clean Class A/B Fenders to various class A models, going progressively grittier and more saturated, into Hiwatt and Marshall territory...man this thing just screams, and handles it all without becoming loose or squawky sounding...just solid, punchy tone. BTW, at lower volume, this has a very warm, tactile sound that would fit well in a jazz ensemble with a Super 400 or ES 295 plugged into it.

I might just have to use this at my gig on New Year's Eve, if my back feels up to it. This little amp, smaller than the Tubeworks TD-752 1x12 combos I usually use, weighs in at 49lbs, slightly more than both those amps put together. One other bone to pick with it...they got the control panel facing the back! If you're in front of it, trying to adjust controls, you're reading everything upside-down and turning the knobs backwards! Sheesh...engineers...

By the way...I *LOVE* the blue Rhino-hide covering...very high quality material and application, tough as heck and looks like a blue silk 1940s-50s sport coat. Class all the way.

Hey thanks for the review

[blue]

Originally Posted by Jerry D

I can't speak to the sound of these amps, but I can tell you that they are the absolute UGLIEST amps I have ever seen. They look like a lady's sewing machine. I wouldn't be seen DEAD carrying one of these monstrosities into a gig, or anywhere else.

Yeah... you said this about the vox ac4 "This "compact and fashionable package" looks like a lady's sewing machine. "

If someone posted a Marshall would you say it looks like a truck-bed tool-box?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by blue

...If someone posted a Marshall would you say it looks like a truck-bed tool-box?

The Mesa Rectifier line cornered that market years ago...

[blue]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

The Mesa Rectifier line cornered that market years ago...

Diamond plate or die!!!!

[KevWind]

Ok so I have been playing this pair for 3 days now and I have to say I continue to be more impressed and pleased. And while the combo unit by itself is certainly capable and I wouldn't hesitate to it for gigs . I have to say when used with the ext. cab it is an overall slightly smoother tone , particularly in the lows and I like it. Once again Steve you were right, and thanks again for the heads up OP.
Between this Supro pair and the new PRS 24 CE I am definitely in high cotton and happy as a hog in the feed shed

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by maxtheaxe

I might just have to use this at my gig on New Year's Eve, if my back feels up to it.

What I did when I still had my Mackie 450 PA speakers 53 lb ea. I was hauling to gigs , was get one of the lightweight telescoping travel roller dollies which was a real back saver and took up very little room in the car

[Jerry D]

Originally Posted by KevWind

And fortunately your personal tastes and opinion of the looks, and your apparent "need" to come into this thread and bash the units looks, is likely to have no effect on those of us not burdened by such inclinations . YMMV

I didn't have a ""need" to bash the units (sic) looks". It's just that what is ugly, is ugly.

And, you have no inclination to like things which are attractive as well as functional? Maybe a little bit too "PC"?

[Jerry D]

Originally Posted by blue

Yeah... you said this about the vox ac4 "This "compact and fashionable package" looks like a lady's sewing machine. "

If someone posted a Marshall would you say it looks like a truck-bed tool-box?

1. Yes, the Vox AC4 also looks like a lady's sewing machine.

2. If it looks like a truck-bed toolbox, yes, I would. But I don't think I've ever seen a Marshall that looks like one.