Your next amp

[Uncle E]

Do not know if this is any help Eric, But they are very friendly and would probably build it or at least put a kit together, The finished products are top draw FWIW: http://www.torresamps.com/torres_amp_designs.htm

A Torres shop stole a 1965 Bassman from me. When I called Mr. Torres about his own shop, he said "yup, they ripped me off, too." Needless to say, I haven't returned.

btw, the reason I took the amp to a Torres shop in the first place was because it had been Marshall-ized with a Torres kit before I got it. The kit was God-awful, worse than an Albion!

[Hink]

I'm not sure much can be gained the videos.

Maybe not from the first video but the second video is more accurate than most.

on the first one I hearing the 100 watt model not really all that cranked as far as I can tell

Confirmed, it's impossible to crank a 100 watter all the way up at a trade show.

but the second video is more about the sound of the amp and it's the 35 watt and I have a huge problem with the sound. However without being able to objectively describe what my issue with the sound is the best I can say is it's the color and texture. The old Tusc amps come to mind a little bit, but they were (imo) just really bad hybrids.

The digital reverb makes me think it's made in the same factory as the Bugera amps. Why this is relevant here is because the smaller Bugera amps (V5, V22, and V55) also sound like hybrids (the Bugera BC-30 is the only one I've tried that I liked).

To me that is a fair price and I'm not going to judge a piece of gear's value by what I perceive the cost to be to make it but rather the value it is to me as a piece of gear relatively speaking. That's in my range price wise, I'm not in the market at this time for any 50 or 100 watt amps or any kind of future return on my investment.

Dude, just get another Frenzel! That Mini Bassman looks sick!

http://www.frenzeltubeamps.com/page27.php

However, this new amp is not to be dismissed in my eyes and down the road given the chance I would like to spend some time with it.

You'll just have to accept that we're not all as open-minded as you.

in retrospect I dont think I'm more open minded than you, I think in some cases I am and in others I am way more closed minded (think gibson/big brand names)...I just think our motivations for that state of mind come from different perspectives, something that is beneficial for all of us

you're right about the mini bassman and fwiw over a year ago (before this thread) I asked about Bugera and tbh I had one in my cart at Amazon until I read your advice...I'm not sure if you remember that.

[Hink]

Do not know if this is any help Eric, But they are very friendly and would probably build it or at least put a kit together, The finished products are top draw FWIW: http://www.torresamps.com/torres_amp_designs.htm

A Torres shop stole a 1965 Bassman from me. When I called Mr. Torres about his own shop, he said "yup, they ripped me off, too." Needless to say, I haven't returned.

btw, the reason I took the amp to a Torres shop in the first place was because it had been Marshall-ized with a Torres kit before I got it. The kit was God-awful, worse than an Albion!

ted weber has alot of amp kits and a list of people who will build it for you, this is the quote I got from one for an 18 watt marshall and I requested a master volume

Hello John

I am pleased to quote a kit assembly price of $325 for the 6M36TMB Head, add $25 for installing a master volume control. Price does not include shipping, or cost of kit.

I am an employee of Weber, and I'm within driving distance from the Weber facility. You can purchase the kit from Weber, then with your permission I will pick up the kit, and after completion I will send you an e-mail allowing you to pay me through Pay Pal. After which I will return the assembled kit to Weber's for shipping.

When you order the kit from Weber they will provide you the shipping cost.

I am meticulous with my wiring and soldering. I will thoroughly measure this amplifier and insure it is performing to Weber expectation. You will be happy with my work, and with the appearance and function of your new amplifier.



6M18VIB

Their kits are very reasonable

[Dean Aka Nekro]

Do not know if this is any help Eric, But they are very friendly and would probably build it or at least put a kit together, The finished products are top draw FWIW: http://www.torresamps.com/torres_amp_designs.htm

A Torres shop stole a 1965 Bassman from me. When I called Mr. Torres about his own shop, he said "yup, they ripped me off, too." Needless to say, I haven't returned.

btw, the reason I took the amp to a Torres shop in the first place was because it had been Marshall-ized with a Torres kit before I got it. The kit was God-awful, worse than an Albion!

Ouch...How much would one of those fetch (seriously, Quite abit of money!) Marsh is the only other place that looks close to doing what you are after but none of the amps are brownface deluxe reverbs but it might be worth enquiring or Frentzel enquirey. Some one would build im sure.

Oh and anyone know how much and where the feck to get hold of any Sunn amps? Out of curiosity, Model T's were available here for a short while but then puft they all just vanished

Cheers

[Uncle E]

ted weber has alot of amp kits and a list of people who will build it for you, this is the quote I got from one for an 18 watt marshall and I requested a master volume

Nice! I actually have a Weber Double Deluxe kit that I never finished, maybe I'll just contact one of the builders and ask them to finish it for me with a '63 mod.

[susiwong]

You might also want to look into Jim Kelly amps, I once had the pleasure to play one for an hour, better (sweeter, smoother) than any Fender I heard yet, but obviously derived from a blackface Deluxe.
Exactly what you hear on Bonnie Raitt records.
Very hard to find one, but that Double Deluxe kit might be extremely close, so it could be an easy mod.
I might be wrong, but not about the tone !
Ymmv,
susiwong

[Uncle E]

That's cool. Those used to be super common when I was a teenager, I remember it sounding like a Mesa Boogie (or maybe I was just fooled by the basketweave grill ).

[hibidy]

Are we talking about the same Torres that used to be in the bay area (los gatos maybe?)

[susiwong]

Eric, you asked about that Deluxe Reverb.
It was actually a combination of many factors.
- it started out as a '78 SF, butchered and dirt cheap.
- had to replace the power tranny with a correct TAD replacement
- overdrive still was harsh and unpleasant as hell
- next was blackfacing the circuit, made it a bit sweeter, not too much
- tried an EV, 50% more clean headroom, overall nicer clean tone, but still OD was unpleasant so the original Fender went back in.
- some preamp tube replacements brought it a lot closer (am I the only one not digging those old red Fender 7025s ?)
- the biggest difference which finally saved the amp was a pair of (expensive) NOS 6V6s of unknown brand, bingo, now we're talking.
- unfortunately the Blue Angel insists on these 6V6s too , so I'll either try and have the Deluxe converted to 6L6 or trade it for a Vox, dunno yet.
Between the Angel and the Heartbreaker (in Tweed mode) I have all the Fender tones I'll ever need, except maybe for a VibroKing one day.
Ymmv,
susiwong

[Uncle E]

Are we talking about the same Torres that used to be in the bay area (los gatos maybe?)

Yup. His attitude was basically "don't cry to me, kid."

[susiwong]

That's cool. Those used to be super common when I was a teenager, I remember it sounding like a Mesa Boogie (or maybe I was just fooled by the basketweave grill ).

Maybe similar to a cleanish Mk I, certainly not Santana- or rectal tones !
Definitely low gain, the sweet crunch comes from the 6V6s.
Blue Angel territory ...
If you can find one by all means try it, they're spectacular.
Ymmv,
susiwong

[Uncle E]

- it started out as a '78 SF

That's along the lines of mine.

- had to replace the power tranny with a correct TAD replacement
- overdrive still was harsh and unpleasant as hell

OK, I'll leave that alone.

- next was blackfacing the circuit, made it a bit sweeter, not too much

OK, I'll leave that alone.

- tried an EV, 50% more clean headroom, overall nicer clean tone, but still OD was unpleasant so the original Fender went back in.

Mine has a Vintage 30 in it but I found a neat old Jensen to put in.

- some preamp tube replacements brought it a lot closer (am I the only one not digging those old red Fender 7025s ?)

Bummer, I cringe at searching for NOS tubes ever since I lost my connection to the cool NOS Mullard 12AT7's we used to sell.

- the biggest difference which finally saved the amp was a pair of (expensive) NOS 6V6s of unknown brand, bingo, now we're talking.

I'll try those VHT EL84 Adapters instead.

Between the Angel and the Heartbreaker (in Tweed mode) I have all the Fender tones I'll ever need, except maybe for a VibroKing one day.

The Vibro King kicks ass. If it weren't for the volume, I'd choose it over the Blue Angel.

[susiwong]

The Vibro King kicks ass. If it weren't for the volume, I'd choose it over the Blue Angel.

Amen, though I'd definitely keep the Angel.
Ymmv,
susiwong

[Uncle E]

As much as I really think the Blue Angel is one of the finest amps I've ever played, I'm afraid to play it too much these days because my tech told me that if something goes wrong, you have to replace the entire board. According to him, Boogie epoxied the boards. What are your thoughts on that?

Aside from that, I can't pull any Angus tones out of it in the condo I moved to.

p.s. Please ignore that last point, it's my problem for not simply fishing my attenuator out of storage.

[trimph1]

@Dean...Sunn Amps?

http://www.sunnamps.com/ I guess they are now owned by Fender ....

I guess, probs wrongly, that you should be able to find the dang things in some s/h stores...it even has a Facelessbook page!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sunn-Amps/22944154630