Yeah, the clean channel is spectacular. VERY easy to get that Carlton clean that's clean but at the same time is "not" clean. Very cool! I've played around with a few tubes as well. I changed V1 to a NOS smooth plate Telefunken and that really added something special to the cleans as well as taking away a bit of the "grittiness" in channel two. I changed V2 to a NOS Tesla (not JJ) E83CC and that helped smooth things out a bit in the OD channel as well. I also changed the power tubes to TAD 6L6GC's and they sound pretty good, but I'm just about to try the TAD 6L6WGC's and the short bottle JAN Phillips as well. To my ears, and as posted earlier, the internal trimmer is the key to getting the smooth RF tones. Too high and it takes into Marshall territory in a big hurry, and too low, (as mine was set from the factory to my ears anyway) it sounds a little thin and anemic. Not much wiggle room either, as the slightest move makes quite  big difference.

The experimentation continues

 

Hi everyone,

Just went to see Nik about half an hour ago. Tested a DC30 and also an Overtone. Both are tone monsters - but the Overtone is so so versatile. It can be real smooth and real nasty if you want it to. I was using it with a Strat. Can't imagine how good it'll sound with humbuckers!

You can do no wrong with this amp - too much tone inside it.

I'll post clips when I manage to get hold of it.

Anyhow short intro - I am also crosse79 in TGP and I live about 10 mins away from Nik's Workshop.

Regards,
Andrew

Hi Marin:

There are three internal trimmers inside the chassis. Two blue and one black with a whiter center. If you are looking into the chassis from the front of the amp, the BLUE trimmer on the far left (on a small board actually mounted on the left side of the chassis) is for the FET channel and Nik states that should be left "high" which is at least at 12:00 and that is how mine came set from the factory. (I haven't experimented with the FET input yet by the way) Moving to the right from the first BLUE trimmer, you'll discover another BLUE trimmer that is on the MAIN circuit board and is located just below and slightly to the left of the second pre amp tube socket (V2). This is the OD trimmer. It is very easy to adjust, (small slotted screwdriver will do) and mine came set (stock) from Nik at 9:00. (basically the slot was straight across) The OD trimmer has a HUGE impact on the tone, volume, and overall vibe of the OD channel. Set too low, (I found 9:00 o'clock too low for my ears/tastes) the OD channel sounds thin and anemic, (even with humbuckers), at volume levels that will get you invited back to many a gig, but the OD channel does seem to come to life a bit at that setting if in fact you do CRANK up the amp, but holy crap is it loud when you do that. Set too high, and the OD channel comes ROARING to life at pretty much any volume, but it VERY QUICKLY moves away from Dumblesque heaven and into Marshall mayhem in a big hurry. Don't get me wrong, the amp sounds great a pretty much any OD trimmer setting (VERY versatile) but it does take some time to dial in the OD channel using the OD trimmer, level, ratio, volume and master volume as well as tone contols set to taste obviously. To answer your question about does the amp have to be cranked or not. It does sound pretty spectacular at the higher volumes, and to my ears, it sounds MUCH closer to the RF stuff I'm used to playing with the OD trimmer set just below 10:00 o'clock and the amp "up" a bit, than it does at lower volumes with the OD trimmer set to say 11:00 o'clock or so. VERY fine line on the OD channel between slightly anemic, right on loud, proud, RF stuff with just the perfect amount of Dumble rumble, and over the top fizzy, buzzy Marshall stuff.
The last trimmer is the black one with the white center, and that sets the balance for the phase inverter, (V3) and it's located on the far right of the main board. Nik stated this should be adjusted when only using a scope and is best left at 12:00 so that both sides of the PI are balanced.
I tried the Lexicon PCM-70 VERY briefly in the loop, but I have it all set up for use with my Ulbrick Sound Stadium 80 Special head that has a world class tube buffered effects loop with send and return, so for obvious reasons, it didn't sound very good in the passive effects loop of the Overtone Special. I have a Rodenberg Flexloop 3D (basically a Dumbleator) on the way, and when that arrives I'll revisit the Lexicon. I'm actually quite surprised how good this amp sounds "dry", and that to me is the mark of a good/great sounding amp. It doesn't needs effects to sound good/great. More to come.

Chuck 
 

Great post!

Love the bit about your ocd, and moon phase, grav pull etc.
thats  right on the money! 

....when is MY amp going to arrive.....?


M.

don't ask me why, but these settings sounded spectacular yesterday with my band (number, not hour):

Volume: slightly under 4
Bright off, Deep on, Rock
Treble: slightly under 4
Middle: slightly under 6
Bass: between 5 and 6
OD Level: just in the middle of 3 and 4 (it's enough gain to have a mid crunch for "Remedy" by Black Crowes)
OD Ratio: slightly under 9
Presence: 4


 Master? It was slightly above....     1!!!!

Clean and OD were astonishing, I've never such a beautiful sound as yesterday.
Really, really great.

Marco.

Thanks Nik.

I was hoping to see mine before Xmas but no worry. I am sure it will be worth the wait.

Footswitches? That's great.

Maybe even some bufferred loops....("Ceriatators" aka "*umbleators").

now does this look good or what?




Marin