The more i listen to those clips the more i love that amp! I think the perfect setup for me would be an SSS with the Bluesmaster tonestack, switchable mega PAB like i have on my Bluesmaster and VVR on the power section so i can run 5881's/JAN 6L6WGB's without burning them up. If i could get that in a completed chassis and reverb pan, without a cab that would be perfection, as it will fit in the combo cab i have now

Gregg

With the HRM totally bypassed there is actually LESS drive on tap, but MORE gain. Basically, you have to turn the drive up higher to get the same amount of Overdrive as you would with the HRM engaged. The drive sound is less compressed and more Fender sounding, due to the fact the tonestack is before the OD and not after like a Fender, with the HRM, of course, ideally you would lift the pre OD tonestack (PAB) and utilize the post OD stack, like a Marshall. Remember that HAD called the HRM "Hot Rubber Monkey" but realllt, it was understood that it really stood for Hot Rodded Marshall, and was his way of having a clean Fender sound and an Overdriven Marshall sound in the same amp.

Totally Bypassed, the OD tone will be based completely off of your clean tonestack settings, so it will sound more like your clean sound, just driven. Of course, it is not quite the same since it is a cascading gain type sound, rather than an overdriven PI/Power section sound, and is threfore more compressed, but not as compressed as it is with the HRM engaged. Totally bypassed, it can get quite bassy and a bit harsh, if you have your treble and mids set too high, and is very unbalanced, and really, without a c-lator or attenuator is kinda useless if playing solo, or in a small space. There is that much of a jump. Remember that you are taking an entire tonestack out, just like if you lifted the main tonestack completely (Mega PAB as in the original Bluesmaster).


It is much better with a small resistor bypassing it. The stack is still defeated, but it is much more controlled, less harsh and more balanced and just overall more happy.

Will the BM OD sound like a standard OTS with the HRM bypassed either fully or resistor bypassed? No, not really. It's apples and oranges, really. The BM has a totally different clean tonestack and OD structure than all of the other OTS amps. It is more like a classic BF Fender with a bit of Tweed rolled in there. Its mid frequencies are much more scooped and the overall OD is less compressed and less middy as well. It CAN get those those standard OTS sounds, but with an OD pedal or a compressor in front of the amp, or with the OD trim turned way up to compress the sound, but then you need to run the bass very low and it loses it character IMO.

That being said, i got the Bluesmaster not for its OD, but for its clean tonestack. After talking with Nik and telling him that my fave amp that i no longer have was my old BF Princeton, which had a footswitchable cascading gain circuit, which was similar to HAD's design, but not quite as complex, and that i primarily just cranked the snot out of the amp and ran either a fuzz or distortion plus in front of the thing and rarely used the cascading gain, and that my second fave was my Sovtek Mig 50 that i cranked the snot out of and ran a fuzz in front of, he said that the BM was just what i was looking for. He told me that i may or may not like the OD, even with the HRM bypassed, but that i would love the clean cranked and boosted, and he was right. The OD is cool at times, but mainly i run the clean channel cranked and boosted. I'm starting to like the resistor bypassed HRM, though, and the HRM is even starting to grow on me a bit, but for the most part, for me, it cranked and boosted clean side with fuzz for over the top stuff for me!

Gregg

So i finally got around to taking Greg Clark's (boldaslove69) advice. I took things one step further, though and installed a 3 way on-off-on switch. Up is HRM Bypass with a 33k resistor, middle is HRM Bypass completely lifted from ground, and down is HRM Engaged. Adding the resistor helps with the volume jump, as promised, and also takes some of the harshness out of being fully bypassed, probably due to being able to turn the level up some an get off of the bright cap.

Since i have a much easier way of a/b'n between HRM and Bypass now, due to the lack of volume jump,  i decided to really sit down and tweak the HRM a bit with the Tung Sol 6L6's in. I installed a Telefunken in the PI spot and reset the voltage swing back to the stock 6 volt setting and got to tweaking. I gotta say, with the Tung Sols in the HRM sounds pretty darn good now. I really like having it on tap without having to reset the volume levels and everything and gives another option for drive on the BM. It's amazing what a simple tube swap and a well placed switch and resistor can do to change your point of view! I can only imagine that when the Weber Cali and Michigan get here it can only get better!

I would highly suggest this simple mod to anyone who has bypassed their HRM or has thought about it, especially on the BM, it may make you look at your amp in a whole new light!

Gregg

@ Chris, actually i've been using GT 12AX7-R's in the PI since i have a slew of em here, but i think i'm thinking of putting one of my telefunkens in th PI spot, since they are known for reliablity


@rvf263 i wouldn't go sticking tubes of unknown origin or shape in your amp, just to be on the safeside. I'd see how they work in the Bassman first

Gregg

Same here!

Gregg

Here ya go:

http://ceriatoneforum.com/index.php?topic=4037.0

I got em from mike at kcanostubes.com

Some techs say it is a good idea to change the PI when you change your output tubes, kinda like preventive maintienence. If the rest of your pre amp tubes still sound good, I'd leave em alone. Don't fix it if it ain't broke

Gregg

yeah, not too many owners of the MkII or the FM on the board that i know of. You may wanna either contact Nik directly, which would be your best bet, or check the Facebook Page or the Amp Garage. There seems to be quite a few owner on the Facebook page in particular that aren't on this forum.

The layouts of the 183 and the MK II are quite similar they both use EL34's have similar tone stacks, etc. The main difference being different values in the main filter caps, no FET on the HRM version, and of course the addition of the HRM stack to the MKII. If i had to a hazard a guess, and this is just a guess and a huge one at that, i'd say the MKII sounds similar to the 183, but with the additional tone shaping of the HRM on the OD side.

Again that is a huge guess, and Nik would be your best bet on getting the best info

Gregg

The Tung Sol tubes came in the other day, so i dropped em in and biased em at 39.0 ma, about 55%. I'm a lil tired as i write this, so i apologize if i ramble 

New Sensor/Reflektor did a nice job with these. They are not just a plain ol Sovtek put into a short bottle with a fancy logo forged into the top of the tube and Tung Sol screened on the base; they are a totally different build, and look nothing like any of the other tubes they produce, whether it be Sovtek, EH, Gold Lion, Svetlana, etc. The plates are very nicely welded, the spacers are nice and straight, and the plates have a nice black dusty look to em. Also, these tubes have very little blue glow to them, which means they were evacuated very well. One thing i've noticed about Russian tubes compared to Chinese ones, and even Czech ones is that the Russians seem to have a knack for getting their tubes evacuated nearly completely before they seal em up. Some people will say this doesn't matter much, some will say that it makes all the difference in the world. To me, it just shows an attention to detail and the willingness to go a lil further to make the tube as reliable as possible. One thing Sovteks were always known for was their reliability and toughness, if not their tone. Well, this time, it seems that Reflektor/New Sensor was listening to their customers, and delivered a product that was both reliable, and sounded sweet.

The first thing i noticed sonically is that there are alot more clear and well defined than the TADs, all through out the frequency range. The mids are very present but not overbearing or honky, the low end is nice and tight and crisp, not as mushy and flabby as the TADs. The highs are much more present than in the TADs, but not overbearing or ice picky, just was i was looking for to bring the BM to life. Overall they are punchy and lively, with a much better soundstage than the TADs. Boosted cleans are amazing on these tubes. They don't fold under the additional low end that comes from the Mega PAB and a clean boost and they handle the overdrive being produced by the boosted cleans amazingly well. The Drive channel also sounds 100% as well. The lows are nice and tight, and the mids and highs are present, but again not overbearing, which can be a problem when the HRM is bypassed on the BM. Overall, they are just more "alive" than the TADs and will faithfully reproduce what your amp is putting out and aren't loose in the low end like alot of 6L6's are. They are just nicely balanced.

These tubes are just what Reflektor adverstises: 5881 tone in a 30 watt over 400 v capable package; indeed they sound almost identical to my beloved Jan Phillips 6L6WGB's, but i don't have to worry about them red plating at full plate voltage or have a compromise in tone by lowering the HT voltage.

If you are in the market for a new set of tubes for your OTS, I suggest you give em a try, they may make you smile

Gregg

I have a feeling you are right

I forgot about that deal using the laser printer. I have thought about getting it and trying it out. Seems like it would work well

I agree with all those statements, As a BM owner i can say that the OD can be tough to dial in. I think i'm finally there, though. 

But for the creamy singing OD tones, i think that an OTS Standard or the HRM standard are the way to go.
Also, as Chris said the HRM is very, very versatile, since you can dial in your OD tone much more precisely and find your signature tone. The HRM on the BM is tricky to dial in, especially if you are using the stock 68k PAB resistor. Nik designed his with less volume jump in mind, so he used the 68k PAB resistor in place of the 22M resistor that was used in some of the original Bluesmaster designs. Mine is switchable between the two, and i have found that the 22M setting works much better, both with the HRM Bypassed and Engaged, and it works better for OD with boosted cleans, which how i usually run mine.

Gregg

The only thing i can think of as far using powder coating and lettering would be to mask off the areas that need lettering, with custom die cut decals,  like a reverse stencil, and then have the chassis powder coated, and the remove the decals. The hard part would be having the decals made and then removing them afterwards. You can also do the same thing with matte paint. I thought about making a faceplate out of copper and then acid etching the writing on it. Another option would be that if you have any friends that are graphic artists they could hand paint the writing on the chassis, which would make it unique. I'm not sure if paint sticks to power coat, though

Gregg

Thanks, Stephen! I do alot of finger picking too, and alot of thumbpick/steel finger pick playing like Freddy King. Glad to see there is someone else out there that does!

The Triboost has a 3 way toggle on it as wee for the germanium setting. I was originally looking at either the Java Boost or Analogman's version of the Beano Boost, but since the Tri boost has three different clean boosts in it, it wins! I'll have to look into that Teese Wah. Sounds like a winner!

Gregg

Yeah, it took a lil while for the fizziness to go away on mine, it will, have faith 

Not sure when my speakers are gonna get here. I called Weber yesterday hoping that they hadn't started building them yet, so i could ask their tech if maybe the Neo 12 might be a better choice. I left a message, but they never called back. I prolly shoulda emailed, em, i guess. I'm hopin they'll be here by next weekend, since i took vacation that weekend

Good to hear that the Les Paul sounds better and that the EV sounds as prescribed. Where do you have the OD trim set? I know when mine was newer, i had to keep th trim lower or it would be fizzy.

Gregg