Hey Chris,

The amps come from Nik stocked with JJs, so just an assumption on us.  These amps are great for changing out tubes, so experiment away.  Nik can give you an idea of what kinds of plate voltage the transformers can handle.

Hey Bold,

Actually got the Mullard from Mike at KCANOS Tubes, who runs a great company.  Think it was just a one-off thing.  Already ordered an ANOS RCA 12ax7 and the Sovtek LPS, so we'll see how that goes. 

Thanks for the help guys.


Stephen

Two things off the top of my head.

1.  Break-In time.  I'm sure you know this, but it's worth mentioning.

2.  Try the EVM-12L (of -12S, which I prefer).  I'm running one of each in a closed back cab and there is no boxiness about it.  

Keep us posted though.  Also, I find that the Tung-Sols 12ax7s and TAD 6L6-GCs are superior to the JJs.


Stephen

Update: It was the PI.  Was running a NOS Mullard 12at7, so interesting . . .  Oh well, sometimes you get a dud.  Now have the new stock Tung-Sol 12ax7 in there and it sounds great.   Sovtek 12ax7LPS on the way.

Had the amp since March of this year, so 9 months?

Hey Community!

So here is the thing.  Have had my Bluesmaster 100w since March, and I LOVE IT.  Then, the other day, I'm trying for some soundscape kinda thing, running the Octaver into the Fuzz on my Captain Coconut 2 with the Drive a bit high on the Octaver.  This went into the C-lator, then into a Hardwire Delay set on about 4 or 5 1/2 second repeats.  I was running this on the clean channel I think.  So I'm playing, and it sounds kinda cool, but I'm getting volume drops.  So I stop.   And now, the OD channel of the BM is sounding harsh when I use a stronger pick attack, and a bit fizzy.  It's not nearly as smooth as before.  I replaced the V1 and V2 tubes without a noticeable difference.  Power tubes look good.  I'm running a Les Paul through it, and it's always sounded very smooth.  Could I have damaged the Phase Inverter?   Or did I blow some wiring or (God forbid) a transformer?  One thing to note--I am now just running my guitar straight into the amp without a buffer unit, so it isn't a cable issue. 

Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks,


Stephen

Hey Guys,

Well, the first amp I bought from CT was a slightly used 36w EF86 head.  Love it, but then I got an OTS Bluesmaster, and that's now my go-to amp.  I'd love to trade this head straight up (or plus a little cash) for a CT TW clone (I'm most interested in the RockIt). 

I'll post pics later, but till then, this head features a custom mojotone cab (cream with bisque binding), Marshall faceplate, NOS Tungram 12ax7s, Dario Miniwatt EF 86, and Polam/Telam EL-86s. 

It features a 1/2 power switch and effects loop for each channel.  This amp didn't offer channel switching, but the guy who sold it to me got a custom Loop-Master AB box that allows you to switch between the two (it also has a tuner out).  I'll include the head w/ tubes, channel switcher, external battery box (for the switcher), and power cable.  I'd like to do a clean swap, no cash, if possible.  The 36w is more expensive than any of the TW clones, and mine does have the mods and NOS tubes in it.  She sounds exactly like what I'd expect from her.  Just want to try something different.

Pics to follow.


Stephen

Keeley Java Boost.  Nuf said.

Hey Nik,

I've heard similar things about the Tung-Sol 12ax7 preamps.  The reliability is a big issue with these tubes.  So, I've been getting my tubes from Mike at KCA NOS tubes.  He does a lot of testing and rejects a good amount of the Tung-Sols, but the ones he does sell seem to be pretty reliable. 

I guess the lesson is, then, for all of us wanting to put Tung-Sols in our amps, make sure you buy them from a reputable dealer who ensure testing.

[Oh and Nik, this is Stephen of the 100 email chain.  I went in and scraped the grounds on the C-lator, and it's perfect now.  Thanks for the help.  One thing, I accidentally broke off the on/off switch of the C-lator.  Would it make sense to use those sleeves that help protect the switches?]

Hey Emiel,

Definitely a must to burn in the amp before you start doing other things to it, but I'm sure you knew that already. 

I haven't had any mods done to the amp (other than asking Nik to put in a half-power switch), and I don't think you need to do any in order for it to work properly with the Dumbleator.  I didn't even have to switch around my tone stack settings.  However, I think that having the D-lator in the loop, even if you aren't using pedals, improves the sound of the amp.  And, you essentially get a pre-PI master volume with it.

Another thing, I haven't messed around with the HRM settings either, so that is stock.

Stephen

Hi All,

I think it's time I added something to the OTS community here.

I've had my 100w Bluesmaster for about 8 weeks now, and I love it.  Of course, we all feel the need to tune our amps to our own styles, so this led me to check out various preamp tubes.  I didn't find a thread on this topic that was dedicated to the Bluesmaster variant, so I started Below are my impressions of the 4 types I used.  Please feel free to add your own impressions, too.  I may try some NOS beauties at some point, so who knows?

Guitar: Les Paul Vintage Mahogany w/ Burstbucker Pros

Amp Settings:
Input: 5
Bright: On and Off (tried both)
Deep: Off
Midboost: On and Off
Jass/Rock: Rock
Treble: 6.6
Mid: 5.5
Bass: 4
OD Gain: 5 - 10 (Full Sweep Testing)
OD Level: 4.5
Master: 4.5 (unity w/ OD channel vol)
Presence: 6
OD Trim: 9-10 o'clock
C-lator Settings-
Drive: 1 o'clock
Bright 1: Off
In: Full CW
Out: Used as Master, so around 7 o'clock
Bright 2: Off
Pedals: Keeley Compressor, RMC-3, Captain Coconut 2, Keeley Java Boost, King of Tone v4.  [Pedals in Loop: Digitech Hardwire RV-5 and DL-8]
Speakers: 2x12 Avatar Closed Back w/ EVM-12L and EVM-12S wired at 16ohms in parallel.
Power Tubes: 4x TAD 6L6GC-STR (Tall Bottles)

Tubes Used:

NOS Mullard 12at7 (used only for PI on recommendation of Mike at KCA NOS tubes)
JJ ECC83
TAD 7025 S
Tung-Sol Reissue 12ax7

Impressions:

NOS Mullard 12at7 - This tube is supposedly one of the best for the PI position in Fender style amps.  Since the Bluesmaster has more of a Fendery sound, I thought it may be a good choice.  I was not disappointed.  I made sure to get a balanced tube, and as a result, I find that the tone is much smoother and, well, balanced, I suppose.  I had used a JJ ECC83 in here previously, and this was a huge improvement.  At only $30, I HIGHLY recommend one.

JJ ECC83 - The "stock" tubes.  But no means, though, are these guys stock like the crap found in modern production Fender/Marshalls.  I like the ruggedness of the tubes, and I am fond of them in the PI and V1 positions.  I don't really like them in the V2, as I think they make the OD too dark, and dark is definitely how many folk describe these tubes. 

TAD 7025 S:  I went with the "Mullard" version of the TADs, and I think they are a step up from the JJs.  They have an airy-er top end and are more open.  They seemed to have a flatter EQ to them as well, which is nice if you want the amp/guitar to shine.  Again, I thought these were better than the V1 and PI slots.  For me, the OD was a little flat. 

Tung-Sol RI 12ax7 - Ah, the TSs.  I had run these in some other amps before and remember being pleased with them.  I just got these on Wednesday, and was eager to check them out.  All I can say is, "What a difference!"  While I had liked the JJs and the TADs quite a lot, the Tung-Sols had a mojo to them that blew everything else out of the water.  In V1, they were rich in harmonic content, allowed the notes to bloom so well, and had a depth that the other tubes didn't.  In the ever-picky V2 slot, these things SHINED.  Rich distortion, while retaining smoothness and note definition.  Really responsive to dynamics, and the great thing about this tube that I didn't find with the others, was that it allowed me to use the full sweep of the OD Gain pot.  The others needed a sweet spot to sound great, the Tung-Sols sounded amazing from 3 to 10.  Can't say enough about these.  GET SOME at only $14/each, why not try them?

So, I'm settled on a matched pair of Tung-Sols in the V1 and V2 and a NOS Mullard 12at7 in the PI.  I really like the TAD power tubes, so I'll definitely stick with those.  In order of preference for the Preamps, I'd say

Tung-Sol
TAD
JJ

Thoughts?


Stephen

Hi Rich,

A lot of folk wrote burn-in off as snake oil and voodoo.  I'm not one of them.

From what I've heard, caps are the main component that burn-in.  I could be wrong, but that's my understanding.  What I do know, is that the amp definitely has a different feel after it's been on for upwards of 3 full days.  I'd say it's not as stiff and the bloom is more pronounced.  That said, it may be subjective.

Stephen

If it makes you feel any better, 8 weeks is EXACTLY how long it took to ship mine; Nik is on top of his production. 

Also, since there's a whole day time difference, you usually get the amp within 2 days of shipment.

I know this has been covered before in the forums, but it can't hurt to repost:

Controls (in the form of C-lator = Kleinulator):

Drive = Send
In = Return
Out = Recovery

Interesting, huh?  So yeah, the In should usually be set to max (according to Chris and Nik) and the Drive is set to the level where your effects don't distort.  I use the Out as a Pre-PIMV, like most and it sounds great!  It's really nice to be able to set the amp at 5 for Input/OD level/Master and use the Out knob for overall vol control.  Saturated!

Try doing a completed listings search.  Three sold recently.  Depending on components and mods, ~$1000 for chassis only up to ~$1300 for combo with speaker + Klein.  Generally, they sell for as much as you invested in them, since there's a wait list.