Hey Captain,

Just an FYI.
I just received my latest kits and the chassis are now powdercoated steel. Kind of light tan gloss finish. You might want to wait until you receive it to decide what you want to do.

I can give you some hints at making those face plates your own too. PM if you are interested.

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, at 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

I don't suppose you'd be able to compare the MKII cleans with those of a regular HRM?
Thanks for the good words Chris. Between having my schedule change at work and dealing with a home internet connection worse than dial up, I just haven't been able to find the time to get on here much.
As far as the MKII goes I find myself playing it much more than my FM lately. The cleans on the MKII are a little cleaner and less plinky than the FM and the OD is a little less gritty I guess you could say more dumbley. It may be the ME mod on my FM but after going from the MKII to the FM the FM sounds much darker almost muffled compared to the MK it takes a little while to get used to. Either way both are great amps! I'll try to check back in every now and then. Oh and sorry no clips.
Regards
Todd

Still after a head shell Adrian? I've still got my head shell that you were interested in a couple of years back.I seem to recall you weren't keen on the grille cloth In two minds about selling especially as Nik has restarted selling kits, I might have to get another one!!

I'm in the process of building some oversize 2x12 cabs like this one under the Z. Interested? I have an order for one, another tentative and I'm building 3 altogether. 18mm birch ply, dovetailed joints, 15mm birch baffle, oval rear port.

Just wanted to bump this topic. Any clips of the HRM MK2? This is the one amp that has kind of been elusive. Love to hear a few clips if anyone has them or has a chance to record some. Thanks.

I am pricing this at USD 1650 + shipment (lower than estimated) for the release (might go up, depends on costs, which are increasing).


I repeat: USD 1650 + shipment ( currently it'd be abt USD 1900-2000 shipped).  Sorry, usually what i quote as 500 shipped has a tendency to be USD 800 on the forums! But we all know why that is so, eh?

It is hard for me to judge, because my preferred sound is a singing clean strat in the neck position!! haha
It is also difficult because its hard to tell where the distortion from the camera ends and the amp starts!

However it definitely seems to get a singing overdrive! Even NM seemed highly impressed!

I have to admit, the entire time i was mentally willing him to pick up that gold strat though!!!!!

The cleans in video one defiantly chimed.
What speakers was it through?

Any chance of a video with the gold guitar?

MM.