I have found my modded 50w HRM Bluesmaster to be quite versatile. The clean channel has pretty spot on BF fender sounds and can be pushed into nice smooth overdrive or crunchy overdrive depending on your guitar setup. I also had Nik install a switch to the PAB circuit which allows me to switch between the stock 68k resistor and a 22M resistor. This allows the PAB to act as more of a true boost, really pushes the clean channel to smooth creamy overdrive and pushes the OD channel nicely and gives a beautiful singing sustain to the OD side. I also have the HRM tonestack switchable, which really adds to the versatility and gives more gain to the OD side. This amp takes fuzz pedals very well too, if that is your thing. As far as the bass issues some have mentioned with the BM, they will mellow out and can be easily controlled by simply adjuating your bass control as you normally would adjust your TMB controls for higher volume situations. The c-lator really really helps as well.

Hope this helps!!

Gregg

no effect on the sag, just protects in the event of a failure

I honestly think that the bulk of tech support requests comes from builders of the OTS series, and for good reason: it is a very complex build. I originally planned on buying the kit and building it myself, but after much hemming and hawing, and rethinking my soldering and wiring skills made me reconsider, and i bought the completed chassis, with some mods. As much as I hate to say it, it may be wise for Nik to discontinue the kit options for the OTS series, and keep the other kits available and continue his awesome tech support, or as he is planning on doing, discontinue all kits for now, until he catches up on some projects he has going. I am kinda sad about the kits being discontinued, because i was going to build the prinzetone as my first build.   

As far as the haters, they are just that, haters. I notice the same hating attitude against epiphone guitars, mim fender guitars and amps, made in korea PRS guitars, etc. It's all BS. I have had several high dollar and american made amps in my day, but none, except for vintage handwired amps have come close to being as well made as Nik's amps. Also, Nik made my amp the way I wanted it, which i love.

Ok enough ranting for now...

i actually don't use the OD channel with the jazz setting much. i just drive the clean channel hard and push it even harder with my modified PAB circuit or with my clean boost pedal.

yes, the webers i have are based on the g12-65. i have the alnico version that are artificially aged.

I agree. a good break in period is important on these amps, as i found out. I have "pre-rola" weber 1265 alnicos in my OTS BM and i find them to be just right for my setup and tastes. not too bright, not to dark, just right, especially after the broke in as well/

i've been diggin the jazz voicing on the clean side with a bit higher preamp and master volume, controlled by the c-lator as the globall master and using my mega pab mod through it. gives a nice different OD sound

i agree. sounds like something is amiss somewhere in the bias circuitry, or maybe in the power supply circuit somewhere. either way, there is way too much current goin through there. if you can, try posting some closeups of the wiring of your tube sockets, but sduck is prolly right, you may need to take it a tech

Anyone know if Nik's JCM 800 chassis will fit into a Bluesbreaker 2x12 combo cab?

@ babybear, it sounds like you are reading both tubes at once, or possibly reading ac current, which is possible if you are reading both tubes via the reds. you will want to insert a red probe in one red socket at a time, and the black probe in the center black socket. Also you will want to make sure that all front controls are set to zero and that you have a speaker or dummy load plugged in. You will want to set your multimeter to the mV or smallest scale on the DC side. You will want to adjust your current to somewhere between 35-40 mV as a starting point. You can adjust up or down to taste, with 47-48 mV (mA in reality) being the upper safe limit for most 6L6 tubes.

I have and old sovtek mig 50 that i have had since 1994 and the transformers have ALWAYS hummed. Must be a soviet/russian thing. I should clarify it's not a hum that is heard through the speaker on mine, but the sound of the transformers vibrating. Scary to the uninitiated, but "normal" for stock Sovteks

Nah, once they're gone, they're gone. For the amount of work it would take to theoretically recondition a tube, a manufacturer could easily build a new one. Here's some basic info for ya

http://www.vacuumtubes.net/How_Vacuum_Tubes_Work.htm

Why use search or google when we have a perfectly functional DISCUSSION FORUM right here. These forums SHOULD exist to help educate fellow owners and builders how to better understand the workings of their amps, not how to use the search function.

If you like 10 inch speakers and can get them in the proper rating, then go for it! I believe there are a couple of guys that use 4x10 cabs on the forum

I agree with Greg. When i was younger, i played a fender princeton and a sovtek mig 50 with a les paul almost exclusively. When i sold the paul, i picked up a dano dc59 and a strat and played thru an ampeg Jet and a fender blues jr, along with the sovtek. I have a BM and whereas the strat and the dano sound phenomenal on the clean side, i'm not as happy with the OD side with single coils. If i am usinv my single coil guitars with the BM and plan on having overdrive sounds i will usually throw my tube screamer or a fuzz face in front of the amp and use the clean channel or augment the OD channel with the pedals. My two humbucker guitars sound good through both the clean and OD channel. I have a switch on the HRM tonestack so i can either have the OD channel raw and have a little more gain with it switched out or switch it back in to tighten it up. That being said, as others have said, listen to some clips, talk to Nik and the guys on here, both of whom were/are a big help to me and go from there!

Hope this helps!
Gregg