Small 5 Watt GAS (Swift Clip added!)

[Adam.M]

So definitely a good home amp then! or at least a pedal platform or whatever people call it...

Yes yes, clips!

[HTH AMPS]

Talking of small home amps, I got a Hughes & Ketner Cream Machine off ebay recently, just recieved it on Friday. 

It's a 1/2 rack preamp with a 1w valve output stage using a single ECC82 (12AU7).  The preamp consists of a dual opamp (5332) setup for a modest amount of gain that drives an ECC83 (12AX7) for the bulk of the OD. 

It's essentially got a really nice OD pedal built into the front end with a (modest) pre-set amount of gain.  The 'gain' pot controls the signal in the ECC83 valve stage if you look at the schematic, so you can control the valve compression/gain quite satisfactorily.

At full volume through a 4x12, it's not unbearably loud - maybe a wee bit too much for neighbours if it's mid-evening.  However, it still sounds really nice with the master a little lower and actually sounds 'best' with the master set to around 2/3'rd volume.

It has LOTS of gain, and to get more range out of it I've put an ECC81 (12AT7) in place of the ECC83 to reduce the total amount of gain available.  I now get plenty of gain at higher settings, but with the gain around 2-3 I can get some gorgeous clean tones with my Tele.  Wind up the gain to 5-7 and it just screams with a phat tone - I love this thing!!!

I'm gonna try building a repro with some extra options (expand the idea a little with more control over the tone) - I reckon loads of people would dig a 1w all valve practice amp that comes in a package this small (or would people prefer it in a standard head box?)

Anyway, sorry for the slight hijack  :lol:

[phlip]

So definitely a good home amp then! or at least a pedal platform or whatever people call it...

Yes yes, clips!

Definately a good home amp I would say (sorry slur been to pub!)
Clips as soon as I borrow a mike from work. They playing may be sheeite but it'll give you the gist of what the amp sounds like, I need to think of a way to get across how much you can pull the volume down from full tilt using the Power Scaling.

[Gizmo]

Theres so many new products in the latest Guitarist Magazine thats giving me so much gas.

If your interested in 5wat amps have a read of the new Blackstar HT-5. It is a 5 watt amp. It comes in a combo or a head. The head is £219. The head + 2 x 10 cabs is only £349. thats mental. a mini stack. the pre amp is basically the HT DUAL in the head + it has an effects loops!! looking forward the the reviews of that!

[gwEm]

Talking of small home amps, I got a Hughes & Ketner Cream Machine off ebay recently, just recieved it on Friday. 

It's a 1/2 rack preamp with a 1w valve output stage using a single ECC82 (12AU7).  The preamp consists of a dual opamp (5332) setup for a modest amount of gain that drives an ECC83 (12AX7) for the bulk of the OD. 

It's essentially got a really nice OD pedal built into the front end with a (modest) pre-set amount of gain.  The 'gain' pot controls the signal in the ECC83 valve stage if you look at the schematic, so you can control the valve compression/gain quite satisfactorily.

At full volume through a 4x12, it's not unbearably loud - maybe a wee bit too much for neighbours if it's mid-evening.  However, it still sounds really nice with the master a little lower and actually sounds 'best' with the master set to around 2/3'rd volume.

It has LOTS of gain, and to get more range out of it I've put an ECC81 (12AT7) in place of the ECC83 to reduce the total amount of gain available.  I now get plenty of gain at higher settings, but with the gain around 2-3 I can get some gorgeous clean tones with my Tele.  Wind up the gain to 5-7 and it just screams with a phat tone - I love this thing!!!

I'm gonna try building a repro with some extra options (expand the idea a little with more control over the tone) - I reckon loads of people would dig a 1w all valve practice amp that comes in a package this small (or would people prefer it in a standard head box?)

Anyway, sorry for the slight hijack  :lol:

ooo, i have one of those too.

i also use it with AT->AU (i agree AX is too much in the preamp)

really like the gain, but find the box a bit dark for my taste. should probably get round to selling it in fact.

[MrBump]

Can't find the HT5 anywhere... got a link?  Can't see it on the Blackstar site...

[Gizmo]

its mentioned on page 16 of this months Guitarist Mag with pics. It says it will be fully reviewed next issue. It refers to their website but its not on there atm from what i can see

[ailean]

Theres so many new products in the latest Guitarist Magazine thats giving me so much gas.

If your interested in 5wat amps have a read of the new Blackstar HT-5. It is a 5 watt amp. It comes in a combo or a head. The head is £219. The head + 2 x 10 cabs is only £349. thats mental. a mini stack. the pre amp is basically the HT DUAL in the head + it has an effects loops!! looking forward the the reviews of that!

Yeah I saw that too, could be very interesting... Not sure when it's due to ship though. I guess they'll try to get it out before Christmas.

[noodleplugerine]

Theres so many new products in the latest Guitarist Magazine thats giving me so much gas.

If your interested in 5wat amps have a read of the new Blackstar HT-5. It is a 5 watt amp. It comes in a combo or a head. The head is £219. The head + 2 x 10 cabs is only £349. thats mental. a mini stack. the pre amp is basically the HT DUAL in the head + it has an effects loops!! looking forward the the reviews of that!

Yeah I saw that too, could be very interesting... Not sure when it's due to ship though. I guess they'll try to get it out before Christmas.

I was about to mention it infact!

[Adam.M]

But will the blackstar have powerscaling! if not then it's still going to be rediculously loud.

[HTH AMPS]

Talking of small home amps, I got a Hughes & Ketner Cream Machine off ebay recently, just recieved it on Friday. 

It's a 1/2 rack preamp with a 1w valve output stage using a single ECC82 (12AU7).  The preamp consists of a dual opamp (5332) setup for a modest amount of gain that drives an ECC83 (12AX7) for the bulk of the OD. 

It's essentially got a really nice OD pedal built into the front end with a (modest) pre-set amount of gain.  The 'gain' pot controls the signal in the ECC83 valve stage if you look at the schematic, so you can control the valve compression/gain quite satisfactorily.

At full volume through a 4x12, it's not unbearably loud - maybe a wee bit too much for neighbours if it's mid-evening.  However, it still sounds really nice with the master a little lower and actually sounds 'best' with the master set to around 2/3'rd volume.

It has LOTS of gain, and to get more range out of it I've put an ECC81 (12AT7) in place of the ECC83 to reduce the total amount of gain available.  I now get plenty of gain at higher settings, but with the gain around 2-3 I can get some gorgeous clean tones with my Tele.  Wind up the gain to 5-7 and it just screams with a phat tone - I love this thing!!!

I'm gonna try building a repro with some extra options (expand the idea a little with more control over the tone) - I reckon loads of people would dig a 1w all valve practice amp that comes in a package this small (or would people prefer it in a standard head box?)

Anyway, sorry for the slight hijack  :lol:

ooo, i have one of those too.

i also use it with AT->AU (i agree AX is too much in the preamp)

really like the gain, but find the box a bit dark for my taste. should probably get round to selling it in fact.

I agree it's a bit dark, but decent NOS valves sort that out.  What ECC81 and ECC82s are you using? (current production stuff is still way too undefined and gainy).  If you haven't already, try some decent NOS valves - since they're ECC81s and ECC82s you won't pay anywhere near what NOS ECC83s go for.  I typically pay no more than a fiver for good NOS ECC81 and ECC82s on ebay.  Get them while the prices are still somewhere approaching sane.

My faves are Brimar because of the punchy, aggressive midrange they are characterised by.  Sylvania, GE, RCA, Mullard, Phillips, Mazda etc... are all good too although you'll still pay a little premium for anything with the Mullard name on regardless of what it is.  The other brands represent better value.

Also, US-made NOS valves tend to be brighter than their European-made counterparts, so this will help the darker tone of the Cream Machine.  Stick with it a little while, trust me.

[phlip]

But will the blackstar have powerscaling! if not then it's still going to be rediculously loud.

I think this will be the key to the sucess of this. I was stunned at how loud 5 watts of Valve sounded - it's been a while-, supposedly the Blackhearts are louder than the Epi/Harley bentons which are rated 5 watts peak while the Blackhearts are 5 Watt RMS. Whatever that means.

[MrBump]

ANYWAY!

How are we coming on with the Rat/Blackheart soundclips?

I only ask because I'm in the market for a 200 quid LOW watt valve amp...  Getting a decent sound out of my Orange is getting very tedious for my kids/wife//neighbours...  I know I could go the THD route... but to be honest the Orange is also a little unsophisticated - no master, just single volume.  I'd like something that does a bit more.

Hence my interest in the Blackheart.  Also the Blackheart Little Devil, the Blackstar HT-5... there seems to be some interesting stuff in the sub 15 watt market at the moment.

Mark.

[phlip]

Please excuse the playing I'm loaded with cold and bunged up to hell so I plugged in a played a riff once for each sound and that was it.
Anyway it's the amp you want to hear not my godawful playing so.
Les Paul with Rebel Yell>
RATBlackheart 5 Watt>
Stock epi 1x12 hardly played yet>
Audio Technica SM58 rip off>
POD x3 as mic pre only>
Maudio Delta Sound Card>
Cubase.

1st bit amp set clean ish
2nd Amp fully cranked Master and Pre, power scalling keeping the volume down to wouldn't wake the baby levels
3rd clean as 1 but with a HT-Dual Green Distortion in front
4th clean as 1 but with a HT-Dual Red Distorion in front.

I hope after you've finished lauging it'll give you and idea of the amp.
All recorded volume wise at levels that wouldn't have woken a baby 2 rooms away.

BTW it was very close miked and the hint of reverb is from the X3, the clipping in the clean is sound card.

[MrBump]

No laughing necessary - that's excellent.

No baby waking?  That's ace...  I think that you've just convinced me that this is the way forward, partic as I have a HT Dual, and it seems to take that pedal extremely well...

Well done that man.

Mark.