NAW (New amp week)

[MDV]

Its been a fun week at camp MDV

New amps

JVM410H (Thanks James (man on the edge))

Pitbull CL 100 EQ (thanks Lew)

I decided to aquire some amps to be able to provide a variety of tones on demand for recording people. A marshall type sound was a no-brainer, and I thought I'd take a chance on the VHT.

Both are great amps, the JVM lives up the hype as the best thing marshall have done in decades, but the VHT is something else. Awesome amp. Ultra-tight, very dry but unholy $%&#loads of gain on tap (that never fizzes out), it growls and snarls at you and stays relentlessly clear. I love the sound and how it feels to play it: what you do to the strings is what comes out of the speakers.

My mate is sitting here with me, having just driven down to make the exchange with Lew, utterly  bemused as to why he would sell it. I hammered out some generic metal on the Aurora (drop B) with it cranked up a bit (ok, quite a lot) and when I stopped the two of us fell about giggling like little girls at how utterly $%&#ing crushing and generally oustanding it sounded :lol: The only downsides I've found so far are the depth and presence are on the back (DOH!) and its made me wonder what a UL would be like....

Heres a family photo with my Legras and Jacksons (my main guitars)

[MDV]

My mate (Ross) says that the Pitbull is a lion in a box, and every time you play a note, it gets an electric shock to its balls, it roars, which is then sent to the cab :lol:

[Lew]

My mate (Ross) says that the Pitbull is a lion in a box, and every time you play a note, it gets an electric shock to its balls, it roars, which is then sent to the cab :lol:

:lol:

[Stevepage]

I deffinately agree with comments to the JVM. I love mine, wish I could find some money so I don't have to sell it.

[MrBump]

... did you ever post pics of that Legra, Mark?  I remember the build, but I don't remember ever seeing it.

Looks tasty.

[BigB]

My mate (Ross) says that the Pitbull is a lion in a box, and every time you play a note, it gets an electric shock to its balls, it roars, which is then sent to the cab :lol:

lol ! Now that really makes me want to try this amp !-)

[MDV]

... did you ever post pics of that Legra, Mark?  I remember the build, but I don't remember ever seeing it.

Looks tasty.

Thanks!

Here it is

[MDV]

I deffinately agree with comments to the JVM. I love mine, wish I could find some money so I don't have to sell it.

Seems to me that it actually does what they tried to do with the TSL: a marshall that can do old school marshall sounds and take it into hot rodded marshall or more 'modern' sounds as well. It does so very well (where the TSL failed dismally to do anything right at all). I wouldnt go for it as my own personal amp, but I know that those that like such sounds will lap it up, which is kind of the point. That said, I expect I'll play it for my own amusment regularly enough as well, but the pitbull is the star of the show for me now, followed by the powerball.

Theres an MJW Roadstar just barely in shot as well; got that a while ago, didnt really get on with it.

[JDC]

Clips or it didn't happen!!!

Mark are you still going to get that ENGL e570 preamp?

[MDV]

Photographic evidence isnt enough these days?

Probably not at this rate. The E570 would be a refinement of the powerballs sound, and I've become quite good at dialing in and recording that, so theres no pressing need for the smallish-ish improvement.

[Antag]

Wow, excellent - happy NAW.

& this is a great description of the VHT...

... but the VHT is something else. Awesome amp. Ultra-tight, very dry but unholy $%&#loads of gain on tap (that never fizzes out), it growls and snarls at you and stays relentlessly clear.
...how utterly $%&#ing crushing and generally oustanding it sounded :lol: The only downsides I've found so far are the depth and presence are on the back (DOH!) and its made me wonder what a UL would be like....

I've played one before & rate it as the best amp I ever tried.  If money was no object I'd buy an Ultralead in a heartbeat.

[MDV]

Thanks

I'm really curious about the UL now too. I suspect if the price was right I'd buy one instantly. I'd pay full new asking price as well, if I had the cash spare. But I'm loving the CL, so its not a pressing concern.

[Lew]

Bear in mind that neither the CLX or UL are 'better' amps. They just have a different preamp to the CL and one extra channel (a dedicated clean). The preamps in the CLX and UL are the same, too - the difference being KT88 in the UL and EL34 in the CLX. The CL is more 'forgiving' and 'saggy' than either the CLX or UL, though - but alot less so than the Deliverance.

[MDV]

I know its not 'better' but even tighter and less forgiving would be nice.

Not that I need it atm, I'm very happy with the amps I have. I'd like a 6550 power amp to play the pres of each through, but I'll cross that bridge if and when I come to it, I've got a large variety of awesome tones here. More than enough to be getting on with.

[Johnny Mac]

Looks like someones been having fun!  :D