Variable Amplified Thoughts

Check out the 1969 Marshall Super Tremolo that I rebuilt. The client asked me to build it to 1968 era SuperLead specs. It’s basically now very similar to Eddie Van Halen’s famous Marshall that was used on all the early VH records. It definitely sounds like it too. My client was over yesterday and ran it with an EchoPlex in front of it, and there was the VH1 sound. I would love to have the amp in my collection, it sounded that good. A big part of that was the original Dagnall transformers, and all vintage type components such as Phillips mustard caps, carbon comp resistors, and early SuperLead type filtering.

Check out the photos: These are on MySpace - PHOTO GALLERY. These are on my server - PHOTO GALLERY

I recorded some raw sound clips a few days ago. They are fairly bright, but I had everything maxed out (except the master volume, which was on about 6).
SOUND CLIPS

Man, I’m busy! But I like to be busy. Just busy enough where there’s always something to do, but never so busy that I can’t keep up with commitments. Fortunately, I’m cruising right along, and the only things getting neglected at the moment is the grass in the yard and catching up on DVR recordings of “The Dead Zone.”

Great news! First… I have been commissioned to build a custom 100 watt screamer for a new friend of mine, Robert Moore, aka Delicious. Robert is a very cool singer and guitarist fronting his own band (called “Delicious,” what else?) and I had the pleasure to fill in last week at their gig in Evansville IN. Robert, Billy, and Allen really liked my Granger H50 that I was playing, and Robert decided he wanted a Granger amp. After discussion, we’ve decided I’m going to build his very own custom signature amp (something I don’t even have yet, hmmmm), complete with his name on it (DELICIOUS CUSTOM 100), and some really cool features. It’s going to be a hyrid Mesa Boogie/Soldano footswitchable 2 channel amp (I’m breaking tradition, ha!), voiced to his preferences, and I promise… it WILL scream! Work starts as soon as the parts start arriving!

Next up: I have a JCM800 2204 build on the bench and it’s nearly done. While I have an original Marshall 100 watt 2210 made in 1987, I’ve always wanted a single channel 50 watt, so it’s nearly a reality. I’m going to house it in a custom, black & red, two-tone head cab as well. I’m expecting once people see and hear it I’ll start getting a few requests to build them.

Finally (for now) I’ve been commissioned to build a faithful replica of a 69 era SuperLead Plexi, and my client has already sourced all the parts, which will make my job much easier and I know he’ll get exactly what he wants. I should be starting on that next week. I’m very excited about it, and I’ll post photos/clips just ASAP.

Until my next posting, take care, have a great summer, and great tone to all.
Curt

From Rich:

This has been discussed multiple times in multiple forums. Usually, the discussion dies down quickly when someone with materials engineering experience provides some science. Bottom line is that cryogenic treatment will provide no benefit to the materials used in tubes (kinetics (changes) slow down exponentially as temperature decreases).

Cryogenic treatment makes sense for certain steels, when the desire is to induce more hardness (steels go through a martensitic transition at low temperatures).

Rich

(A materials engineer in a previous life, with a PhD in Nuclear materials from MIT)…

Then this: http://www.tubedepot.com/bsctfaq.html

Weigh each before deciding. I personally haven’t tried these treated tubes yet, so I won’t pass judgement.

Hey all. This is were I was supposed to include all the details and information about my latest build, the Granger H50. By now I’ve got 3 video clips up on YouTube, and a few photos in the gallery. Sorry for being a little late with it.

Anyway, I have a new channel on YouTube! I’ve posted the clips and a 4th is uploading. The issue is I need to find a converter to compress the video clips, since the output of my camera is avi, and the files end up very large - and even with a great DSL connection, take a long time to upload. So any help or ideas there are appreciated! I downloaded and installed Blaze Video, but it ended up wrecking playback of avi files, and I obviously don’t have time to sit all day and download different apps to try. As soon as that’s solved I hope to start posting a lot more clips, both demos of the amps, and maybe some of my observations about the actual building and testing phases.

All that being said, I am VERY VERY excited about this amp! I’m going to play it tonight at Citizen Jayne’s gig, and many more I hope.

The amp is based on the Hiwatt DR504 circuit. Most of the parts are from Weber. I’ve grown quite fond of them over the last couple of months. They have great customer service, always pack the shipments extremely well, and always try to accommodate my requests, such as custom faceplates. The best thing is, they have great prices, so it allows me to pass the savings onto my customers. I’m of the belief that a great sounding handwired tube amp shouldn’t cost $3 grand, which most guys (and gals) can’t afford or don’t want to pay. No offense to Hiwatt, Marshall, et al intended.

My thoughts on the amp - superb tone, extremely loud, very clear, bell-like at cleaner settings, very interactive controls. Really nice clean tone that is really responsive, great crunchy tone at higher settings w/ the master up and pre backed down. The bright channel is my favorite, but the normal channel does the best clean tone. Sound great with both a Tele and a Les Paul. With the pre control up and the master about half way the amp kills! Moderately high gain, plenty of sustain and feedback available.

So, check it out the clips on YouTube, and the photo gallery.

First off, I’d like to thank everyone who’s been supportive of Granger Amplification and is helping spread the word! Whether family, friends, or satisfied clients, you all are helping me grow this business and for that I am very thankful. I have really been blessed, and I hope to be building amps for a long time to come (as well as playing some golf every now and then).

First up - I recorded some more soundclips for the D18 DragonFly amp, this time using a Strat, and various levels of gain. I think I’m doing the amp justice in representing it’s sound. They are posted on the D18 product page. I also played it at two Citizen Jayne shows this past weekend, and it sounded great. That sucker is loud for an 18 watt amp too. I had to run my Weber Mass100 attenuator to keep the volume in check.

I did a photo shoot Sunday for some of my amps. I have a Nikon D80 camera, but have been using a low cost (but great little camera!) Canon, and wanted to get some better photos for the website. I had also planned on doing some photos for advertising that featured the “pretty woman standing next to amp” but my model “no showed” on me so I had to nix that idea. I did offer my 14-year old daughter Stacey the opportunity to model (albeit with a much different intended demographic), so she dressed up, fixed her hair, donned my Elvis sunglasses, and struck some of the coolest poses you’ve ever seen a 14-year-old-rock-star-or-model-in-the-making do. I haven’t had much time to edit them, but I did post a couple on MySpace. I also paid Stacey for her time, for which she was very grateful. Hey, if it worked for Dave Thomas and Wendy’s, why not try it?

I modded a Blackheart BH5H amp for a client and really liked the way it turned out. I replaced the output transformer (stock 5 watt) with a Hammond 125ESE (15 watt), the chinese 12AX7 with JJ 12AT7, the chinese EL84 with a JJ EL84, one resistor and a couple of capacitors. I recorded some clips. The blues track was fun - I just pretended I was Eric Clapton playing with John Mayall.

Clips:

(Full song)
F12 Blackheart Blues (Telecaster, bridge pickup, treble rolled off ala “Woman Tone”)

(Just guitar)
Stock Blackheart (before mod) w/ Telecaster

Modified Blackheart w/ Telecaster

Modified Blackheat w/ Telecaster (middle position, clean)

That’s about it for now. I have some other thoughts floating around, but I’ll save them for another day. Keep those emails coming, and add us as a friend on MySpace if you get the chance!