Expert Tips: Biasing Marshall 1987X Tube Amp for Best Tone
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- čas přidán 10. 07. 2015
- Expert Tips: Biasing Marshall 1987X Tube Amp for Best Tones Sound. Matched tubes help! This 50 watt amp is shown how I bias tubes with the Bias Master too.
I recently bought a Marshall 1987X reissue 50w amp and decided to show how to bias the amps after a tube change. There's lots of useful information about tubes, matching etc. and shows how to do things the easy way. This video shows the TAD Bias Master in use too on a real amplifier and a few things about two new tubes that were mismatched and how to solve that.
Later Ill be making a video of how to convert this amp to master volume and some other nice tweaks and in this video I show why I chose this amp as the platform... and not an original 1987 50 watt amplifier.
If you like this video then visit www.tonymckenzie.com for other stuff like reviews and other music related things... or my CZcams channel at / tonymckenziecom (no dot!) where there are more than 300 videos.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RING THE BELL.
(c) A B Mckenzie 2015. All Rights Reserved
All Trade Marks Acknowledged. - Hudba
One thing you can do to add a bit of safety when biasing a tube amp is to use the plastic\ceramic tools which are intended for setting up ferrite core transformers in radios. You absolutely have to use them when working on a radio because a metal tool will change the inductance and throw everything out of whack, but with a valve amp you won't be worrying about shorting something out or electrocuting yourself.
On a related note I grew up in the 70's and was fascinated with valve stuff, people used to give it away because it was old fashioned - ( radios and stereos at least ) - I would scrounge it and ( sometimes ) get it working just for fun. How I never electrocuted myself is a complete mystery to me :-))) My guardian angel probably has PTSD :-)))
Cracking video as usual Tony, rock on :-)))
Anglo Spanish Racing Great points my friend and the more stuff we get on these videos like that the better overall they become. 'Valves' as they call them here were a complete mystery and I was starting on the electronics stuff from about 1979 but not valve stuff... more PC stuff (and before those) so tube amps are something I just love to see really. They are awesome things especially when you hear that tone. I can honestly say that when we plugged this amp in the other night you would not believe the difference between it and all the other amps I own - THAT Marshall tone was there big time. It takes me back to when these amps were king (and I guess to many guys they still are). It was loud! so hence the master volume mods etc. Ill likely do for this amp, but the tone... honestly at ANY price nothing sounds like one of these. Thanks for watching.
Anglo Spanish Racing Guardian Angel having PTSD is hilarious and very relatable! Between living through the 80's metal scene, racing anything that went fast and other questionable choices, I'm sure mine was not only constantly busy, but on the verge of breakdown as well lol. Good points about using tools made for working on electronics and what not too. Definitely don't want little Johnny ending up looking like a piece of burnt toast.
Well I've learned a fair bit today. Thanks for doing this Tony!
Dan Allnatt Thanks for watching...
Hi Tony This was a great informative video. I also purchased the biasmaster tester and i have a little experience with these amps.I feel better trying to bias it now. Thank you
+Peter T Great that this video helped at least a little. Thanks for watching.
Nice video as always. So looking forward to your thoughts and decisions regarding a master volume...
Martin Schrøder Yes I do have some bits to do that... of course I'll make a simple video. I'm just wondering where to put the pot because I want to do something very different... no doubt I'll come up with something the amp needs a master volume for sure.. but it does sound really nice too. Thanks for watching.
This is also great information for valve PA or even hi-fi amps as well. Over here, there's quite a few folks using McIntosh valve amps for PA's. Probably because of Woodstock that used them....lol. They weigh a ton, but no more or less reliable than solid state. They're actually more forgiving on accidental feed back and easier on the speakers. I'm surprised Marshall hasn't done much for valve PA's.
Rabi Ben Lavi Interesting stuff... I did not know that. Its amazing how a simple comment can tell you an awful lot more - like the Mcintosh stuff... Marshall seems to stick with what sells for them I think. I don't even think they make PA's now. On the Marshall stuff they are working on something that they say will 'revolutionise' the guitar world (not my words but theirs). Apparently back in January dealers were called to a meeting but at the last minute it was cancelled. Nothing since except last months guitarist magazine that hinted on something on the back cover.
Great Video Tony !! I learned a lot....
MrJp5150 Good to hear it... and thanks for watching...
Beautifully made video! By far the best I've seen. One thing, if you've invested in a fancy BiasMaster, you might want to think about getting a non-conductive "pot-tweaker" for adjusting VR1 and VR2. You made me nervous poking about near VR2 with a screwdriver since (as you say) VR2 adjusts the balance of the filament transformer output to minimize hum and is real close to the high voltage of the power transformer output (those diodes are the bridge for your high voltage DC).
:) Ha don't worry about it... I'm even still alive right now :) (or am I?) but remember this... 'if I don't see you no more in this world, I'll meet you in the next one and don't be late' ;-) In any case thanks for watching the video and its always appreciated.
*Great informative video Tony diy biasing is catching on.*
Glad you liked it. Its not really that hard for most guys just watch the volts :) Thanks for watching Mike.
Great stuff Tony!
Matt
Matt Gregory :)
Brilliant Tony. I used to bias my old JCM2000 using a multimeter probing the inside of the circuit board, Pretty dangerous and the reason for loss of hair. Wish I knew about the gizmo you have. Really looking forward to the next videos. Cheers, Spud
blackmore56 Thanks. Yes I've done all of that too. It gets really scary when you build an amp... I've made a couple and some of the actual voltages were huge. Same when I mod Mesa for 240 volts... the rectifier boards carry massive volts. Thanks for watching.
Hey Tony. Thanks for taking the time to answer. I'll be looking for the vid and thanks for answering my questions. I'm trying to learn the basics of circuit analysis and watch as much as I can, knowing this is no substitute for electrical theory. I have about a half dozen, mid 70's tube amps that all need attention and some updating, and since there are VERY few people within a few hundred miles of me that do this work, I am trying to get to a degree of ability to work on my amps myself, to a certain degree that is. The Marshall I have is not my first choice, but $2000 or more for a nice '70's Marshall is just out of the question right now, so I'm a bit pissed that this '86 is giving me some issues. Sounds great until I start to get to decent volume levels, then it starts sounding really crappy. With nothing plugged in, if I turn up the master to like 5, it has a TON of noise. So I have a filter cap kit to install, but havent yet and I'm not totally convinced thats the entire problem. Especially the crappy sound at higher volumes....And lets face it, a Marshall just doesnt hit that sweet spot until its pushing alot of power. Just like my Hiwatts, except a Hiwatt will stay pretty damn clean until beyond the point that your ears are bleeding...LOL I have several irons as well, ( 45W, 60W, 80W ) and a small soldering gun ( 1150W), I still have my Dads old analog meter, a really cheap digital, and just bought a slightly better full digital meter. ( hoping the new one will be able to do capacitance low enough for electrolytic's in these amps...not sure how low it will need to read ) Yeah, a guy here told me to just short the cap to the chassis, it'll be fine, others say to attach a 100ohm(?) resistor to stop the spark, but I like to ask EVERYONE how they do it. I figure, if they are alve to answer, they are doing it right...LOL And as for preamp tubes, so far, I've just stuck with Mullards, but always looking at whats found to be reliable and sound worthy as far as noisey-ness goes.
Thanks for the reply...keep it up!
Yes filter cap first!... well I assume you ensured the tubes are all OK... ensure those are good FIRST. On the grounding I was always led to believe that the chassis has to have a ground then short the cap to the chassis so it leaks away quickly. I'm not qualified... but I'm still here as you say:) Those irons will be fine. Mullards today are not really mullards... but if they truly are the original Mullards then they will be old. The new Mullards IMO might as well be any preamp tube (well almost) but the old ones are maybe prime suspect for hum... especially the early ones in the chain. Just swap out for known good ones and if it stays the same the tubes are good.
Ensure the grounding of the amp is not looped (but you did say with nothing plugged in so probably rules that out). I have had grounding loops especially on 'ring mains cabling' which is in my studio.
I like sparks :)
Thanks again for responding. Yeah, as for the Mullards, I know they are not the "old" Mullards. But I've had better luck with them, then some other brands. But always looking for whats better. NOS Mullards are hard to come by. I have a handful, mostly from the amps I have coming with original equipment over the years. I'm not up on ground loops, so I'll be researching that to see what I can find. Thanks again for the responses.. keep it up!
Very interesting Tony as usual my friend. I love the sounds of Valve amps, but I have to say I have a hybrid Marshall with a preamp tube and solid state power amp and it rocks. I love it. I also think the good solid state stuff is really good as it's so much easier to take care of for dummies like me. :-) I still think there's nothing like the sound of a good tube amp though. (Valve for my mates in the UK).. :-)
Tim Smallwood Yes there's loads of gear around that is light (and light on the wallet too). I had one of these amps some years ago and it sounded pretty good... but to be honest this one is a corker (if a bit loud) and although I have played through many amps (that list is nearly endless) this amp is really awesome. It has something that most amps simply don't have in the same way. I guess its that original 'plexi' tone coming through. This amp, I am told from the previous owner sat in a window in Denmark Street London for some time as a prop! What a weird story but I do believe that for sure. The amp is completely original which in reality was what I was looking for. If ever you get a chance to check one out (and can turn it up) then you should... thanks for watching Tim.
I have a recent 1987x and it convinced me that if I were confined to just one desert island amp, it would be a plexi. The effects loop is a strong selling point for me as well. I may not always use it, but it's nice to have. Also jumpering the input channels is where some magic resides IMO, and thanks for discussing the "hum pot."
+Steve Folkes I think you are right. The Plexi sort of sound is cool and the jumping of the channels adds bottom to what is already a searing top end. That's what I do too. I opted to buy this one for peanuts really compared to new (less than half price) and I considered a true 71 vintage 1987 but as you say no loop... and the added possibility re reliability so I bought this one. Its a great sounding amp. I just bought a Fender super-sonic 22 head and that's a cool head too... Fender tones but the second channel has some very useable lead tones check it out if you can you might like that one. It will be reviewed soon. Thanks for watching.
Ha! How funny! I bought my 1987x as a discounted return from a big online store. One of the channels did not work when I got it. I almost returned it but everything else worked fine. Couldn't be too much of a problem so I chanced opening it up. One wire was detached from the pre-amp tube. Soldered it back in place and all is well. That was two years ago. My latest acquisition? Another "return" - a Fender Supersonic 22. Incredible amp. The two-gains-plus-volume controls on the Burn channel remind me of the earliest Mesa Boogie. Set them just right and it's Santana time. Always enjoy your vids.
+Steve Folkes That is one amazing coincidence. The super-sonic 22 was 'cheap' (well cheap for what it is) and it changed my view of Fender amps. I have tried many and while there is nothing wrong in being stuck in 1963 it did not fit my style of playing and pedals colour the tones so much really. However with this 22 as you say, it seems to actually keep the 63 era tones and have channel two as an awesome lead tone for sure. I have already checked inside and the build on this is far superior to that of the Machette which was made in Mexico. The 22 is made in Corona it seems from the boards... and you can tell right off with one look at that board that it was not thrown together. I'll be reviewing it presently so you might find some info on that video that you might not have known and if I miss something tell me :) in any case I liked the 22 a lot andwhile some complain about noise??? (when cranked) I have no such problem.. they need to look at their tubes and tube pins for cleanliness as I have found that to be an issue historically. Any way great minds think alike :) and thanks for the info.
Indeed they do, and BTW my 22 doesn't hiss either. You are right about checking the amp basics. Players would be well served to make amp set up as big a priority as guitar set up. Tubes, bias, and speaker are critical. Also, the ability (patience?) to fiddle with the various controls of an amp can be a major factor in getting a good sound from even a mediocre product. Seems the mark of a really great amp, though, is that you don't have to fiddle and coax - it's just there. Looking forward to your review!
+Steve Folkes I have the super-sonic now (its cool) but am working on the LIne6 Helix first which is a difficult unit to get inside... so it will all be along in due course.
Fine collection of nic nacs in the background sir.
I blame the wife :) ... Thanks for watching.
Thanks a whole bunch!! I will get everything together, I will watch it a few more times and, take notes. I have not done the procedure before but, I know that I can do it and, I won't get shocked!! And no, I won't wreck it either...Thanks again, Tony!! Your video is a great help!!
Anytime...
great job as usual TONY always enjoy ting get some info on your posts ,you are very knowledgeable and great advise although i really enjoy my old early 50 watt marshalls i have a hand wired 100 watt and removed the bright cap and some minor alterations changed the mid tone pot linear to an audio one and some other minor changes to get nit closer to the original and it sounds great ,i do agree for the pocket book the new modern marshalls are a good buy , i am a big fan of the jcm 800 and they are still affordable reiable and tone machines with some slight mods , keep up the great work ROCK ON MY FRIEND
+Tony Del Yes I like most of the Marshall stuff to and this amp was one I just bought, so I thought I would video how I checked and set it up. I too am going to make a few changes to this amp maybe master volume (it is a maybe) but some of the caps can be changed out for sure. I did not know about the mid tone mod (which might apply to this amp too) so I'll be checking. They do sound good even driven with pedals etc so that sound can be got at lower volumes usually I think. Thanks for those kind words, I wish I knew more on this subject, but I can't know everything I guess LOL. THANKS FOR WATCHING.
thanks for the response TONY ,always enjoy your views and objectives on gear , these days so many choices , even though i am a huge vintage FENDER AND MARSHALL FAN I do like even amps like the vox vt series modeling amps , I personally gig with an amp you may be familiar with made by someone from your homeland ,now living here in Maple Ridge ,Canada and he is a world class guitar player and super nice guy KINGSLEY AMPS by SIMON JARRETT , i would love to see you demo one , i have 4 of them he re worked to el 34 's output , and he also is very busy with making tube pedals ,anyways check his site out , all the best TONY cheers MATE
Tony Del Thanks for the info, I don't know of him, but there is loads of stuff I don't know of. Ill have a dig. Thanks.
Haha, I love your humor. Your shirt is awesome, aren't you a bit young to be doing these vids? Hell no, and I look forward to checking out your other videos. I love details but I tend to get lost in rabbit holes, your explanations provide the details while quickly explaining the relevance of those details. Thank you again for this!
Ha indeed I am a little young... strangely I started these in 2009, but had a website since about 1998 where most stuff resided. I write on there not much these days but the stuff on there is all pretty cool. I like doing this stuff so I'll continue. In fact I'm about to extend the studio so the videos will be improved once that's complete... but planning etc. is a pain as is the builders that never turn up! Thanks for watching this and you should check my channel as there are over 300 videos on there... good, bad and ugly :). Stay safe.
Fun to watch, explanations were good. I appreciate it alot. I recently bought my first Marshall, an '86 JCM 800 2204, it has an issue, and it needs work. Although I have 6 vintage tube amps, all needing service of one kind or another, I am just now beginning to try to learn a few things. So all the info I can get is worth a great deal to me. Thanks and I'll be looking at your other vids as well.....But just in case I have you attention, any recommendations on a few things? Favorite soldering iron, ( I have three various irons ) favorite Multi meter? Favorite preamp tubes? ( I currently stock Mullards ) Favorite way to discharge caps....Thanks again, cheers from the US!
Ha sounds like you are me some years ago :) JCM800 is a cool amp for sure. I'm no amp wizard for sure, but I do get around them if a tad slowly at times. I'm about to show a TSL100 (JCM2000). Those amps had real problems with the main board in general. Marshall released issue 20 (believe it or not) and that fixes everything. The TSL is low cost and you can get the main board at 'reasonable' price. While that amp many say is 'awful' I disagree... Listen to this track 'Metropolis' on an album I completed some time ago as that was a 7VWH Jem and the TSL100 here: store.cdbaby.com/cd/tonymckenzie and that guitar was really some of the best tones I have got from any amp. Hence the reason I bought another, recovered it, and now fitted the board. It will be on my channel presently.
On equipment to use, that is another story, I use any old digital meter, I use a big fat soldering iron (instant heat thing) as well as a regular lower wattage one for the small stuff. The TAD Bias Master is good for biasing if you want an easy solution. On tubes I tend to buy TAD - they are probably Chinese, but they test and test etc. and I have never had a pre or main tube fail from them. On JJ I have had a failure so I steer clear. I often use a Mesa Boogie Cab Clone to apply a load on the tube amp while I do the testing etc... and just stick headphones in there so I can hear something.
Grounding... I use a screwdriver to ground. Hope it helps and thanks for watching. Check my website too!
The "balance circuit" simply balances the filamets (heater) of the tubes and by doing so it cancels out the hum. Back in the 60s most expensive gear had this kind of potentiometer.
However, a better solution (never implemented by Marshall, unfortunately) is to elevate the heaters to roughly +100 V DC instead of 0 V (ground). This solves both hum problems and the issue that the high voltage between cathode and heater sometimes kills the second preamp tube (crackling sound).
As far as valve/tube matching is concerned: Back in the 60s this was neither common nor necessary because manufacturers cared about their product and simply did not ship tubes with such high tolerances. And even if you get matched tubes today, this does not mean they degrade the same so they can be off by quite some current once they have been used for 100 hours or so. Back in the day they pre-aged the tubes in order to prevent this.
Some tubes manufactured today will even show thermal runaway when biased too hot, so please take care, watch the amp for some time after biasing it and re-check the bias from time to time.
BavarianMonkey Very good info its a really useful piece of information that you have contributed to this video. I simply picked up the hum reduction from one of the Marshall schematics (JTM45 reissue) and it did work well for me. Did I really know exactly what the circuit did? Hell no! I was never really involved with tube stuff. I know little about the circuit design of tube amps and certainly have much less knowledge that someone like yourself who clearly has a very good working knowledge of those design factors. Some of the tubes I have bought (with names like GT but others too) have been that bad that with a 'matched' pair I could not even get them to be near enough to be even worth leaving in the amp. You're probably very correct on the tube quality stuff too as I think I have said in this video about the JJ's at least... for me the 'best' tubes have been Tube Amp Doctor probably because they spend a long time getting them 'right' and the selection process they use really does work - and so do the tubes! Thanks again for the info and for watching.
thanks for explaining the second adjustment, always wondered what that was:)
Yes, no one ever talks about it - they either know or they don't... but ordinary guys like me and you they don't tell! Stay safe.
@@tonymckenziecom Since I wrote that comment, someone told me in the BB Marshall combo, the second adjustment pot is the sensativiy of the tremelo, is that true? Its the same circuit lable as your adjustment screw. Does the 1987 Have a Tremelo?
What do you mean 'BB Combo?' The adjuster I showed in this JMP 50 watt amp IS for reducing the hum - there is no 'tremolo' in this amp. I'm not too sure which amp you are referring to, so if you can state exactly which amp I can tell you whatever about that you might need... thanks... stay safe.
@@tonymckenziecom Its the Bluesbreaker combo Reissue which is a JTM 50(45) which has a tremelo, But when I adjust the second adjustment I dont notice any change with the Tremelo, so im assuming it must be for Hum cancelation.
Ah OK... then its likely thats it. If you look at the circuit it will look like the one I made here because I took it of a JTM45... I can check on the circuit but not while I'm stuck here at home :( Let me know and I can do that when we go back. Stay safe.
Thanks for this great and informative video Tony. I have the same amp and I know now how to bias it when changing the tubes. One question I have is, do you crank the amp volume while measuring the tube voltage or you just keep them in a reasonable level? Thanks in advance for your help!
Cranking an amp in my view is not the way to do it. I do not pass any signal through the amp, but just do what you saw in this video. I do have some volume but not much. I learned from watching the meter a long time ago if you play while taking the measurements that the bias changes rapidly while you play :) Good point and whether I'm 'right' compared to text books I can't really say, but it works for me :) Thanks for watching.
Thanks for this video! How do you use headphones to adjust the hum trim pot, you plug the headphones into speaker jack? Is it easy to adjust, just turn it till you hear least amount of hum? Thanks
NO dont do that.... you notice here: czcams.com/video/mzehOguTQMg/video.html in the background I have a Mesa Boogie unit that is an amp load box... I plug the amp in to that... and the headphones in to the headphone socket on the load box... then its safe to listen at headphone levels... I usually just open the headphones and leave them on the bench to make adjustments. NEVER plug in headphones to an amp speaker out then turn it on - ITS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER! Thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenziecom Yeah I didn't think so. Thanks
awesome!
Shadowsreach1 Thanks for watching.
I'd love to see some in-n-out vids of common affordable amps like the Fender Blues Jr. and such for we poor musicians out there. Cheers!
JH Scofield Its all down to what I buy or find that's priced right. I've recently been on older model Marshals (you will see them on the channel presently and they are affordable second user - a TSL100 cost me £250 ($400). But Ill bear it all in mind.
My Marshall 2203X 100 watt master volume also has a hum trim pot (VR2). If you haven't tried them yet I'd recommend JJ ECC83S or Sovtek 12AX7LPS preamp tubes.
+John Simms Interesting stuff and you could add one if your amp does not have one - I did on another amp. Thanks for the tube info not so sure on JJ had issues with quality but not with Sovtek so maybe Ill give them a go... thanks again.
I'd like you to show how to bias the JCM800 2203 reissue using the bias master. Mainly what to turn inside to adjust bias
Hi, I'm sorry I don't currently have a JCM800.... but I checked a website that shows exactly how to do it all here: tone-lizard.com/marshall-bias/ and I hope that helps a little. Thanks for watching.
I have a Marshall Plexi 1987X too..... I learned how to save a lot of money doing the bias myself ! Thank you !! Can you do a fuse and pre amp tubes tutorial for this Marshal 1987X Plexi ? Thank you again !!!
+ALAN PANNELLA Good amps. Not sure what you mean about 'fuse and preamp tubes'. The Preamp tubes you just change out... no bias on those and a fuse? well it works... or not! :) Always replace a fuse with exactly the same equivalent. Thanks for watching.
Hi Tony, great video as usual! I was wondering what the effect of using a variac has on the tube bias. Does it make the amp "hotter"? Are there any downsides to using a variac? Thanks.
Kirk Hiltz If you set the amp up and check the bias its reasonably stable (i.e. the meter reading).. however, plug in a guitar and play and its all over the place... this is normal they say. A variac must have some effect on the bias I'm sure. You are lowering the input voltage through the PT. If one voltage drops they all must that's the thing about transformers I reckon... Anyone who knows better? Please post for others to learn from... I'm not sure if it's 'hotter' as I don't use a variac and never have really although I have a good idea why you ask about the amp being 'hotter' in that way. Tks for watching.
Using a Variac is one of the best ways to fry your amplifier. The circuit, and especially the output and power transformers were not made to operate with varying levels of voltage. The only exception is if you live in a country where the wall voltage is 110-120volts... you can use a "step-up" transformer to run your Marshall on 220-240volts. A Marshall set to run on 220/240 volts has more kick, and faster transient response than a Marshall set to run on 110/120volts... because you are using the primary winding of the power transformer, not just a secondary winding.
Thanks fopr the info... very useful and stay safe.
Hi Tony , great video , I have a question for you if you have time.When you adjust the bias do you have to set the volume at a certain level ? .Im asking because I have a Marshall Vintage Modern which is like a JTM 45.It has a connector so you can measure voltage so you can set your bias.Its supposed to be about 48 mv , I set it to 48 mv and found the amp a bit hotter than before , I check it again and see that the voltage changes when you adjust the volume.It did hasve a blown resistor that connects to that pin to test and one of the tubes was very different than the other one.So I put in new tubes , now the bias works ok and the values are close.Thanks
Great question. I learned about tubes being used on an amp and checking the bias when playing :) it goes all over the place... so I always (right or wrong) have the knobs turned down. I have seen guys put them at 12:00 and that sort of stuff, but off standby and knobs turned down always seems to work for me and the bias is steady. I'm sure hundreds will tell me different :) but it works for me and never had any problems... hope it helps and thanks for watching.
Thanks for answering so quick, I checked it again and it seems not to change when I move the volume knob.
It will if you play a note :) and my way of thinking is that there must be noise going through the amp (if knobs at 12 o clock for example) and that might show up - who knows... On my JTM45 (18 watts out) I set the bias at reasonable levels with a Bias master from TAD as shown in the video.... Anyone else have any answer re pot positions for biasing?
I dont have much "amp gas", but this one is definitely on my list...
JgHaverty Its a cool amp and sounds like those you have heard 1000 times. Thanks for watching.
My amp tech took those square resistors that are on tube sockets off,I have your same amp,he said I didn't need them cause I'm running el34 tubes, anyway the amp sounds terrible now.Do you think he should of left those resistors alone.Thanks
I KNOW he should have left them on... as you see on this amp there they are - with EL34's fitted. Screen grid Resistors! Maybe he fitted different value ones? Hope it helps... stay safe.
Hi Tony.
Like your style. You're an acquired taste for sure, but you've grown on me, so to speak. Keep up the good work. What I'd really like to know if you are an eBay seller for you don't really need anymore, (or maybe haven't got room for new stuff you'd like?
Thanks
Jas
jasfiona I do sell the things I don't want after a review if I don't like it. But not really often. I have had gear on order for review for months. The Roland Tour head is an example as is the Line6 Helix. Its a pain. I also don't have all of my life to do this stuff, I'm currently rewriting my website because Google decided that because it is not 'phone friendly' that they will downgrade it. Whoopy for them... three months work for me. No one ever sees those hours but once the site appears (it looks great) then its all 'easy' right? :)
When I sell stuff it ALWAYS loses money even if its a week old.. and I guess that's the price I pay for writing reviews with no bias.
On the front of acquired taste :) I know what you mean... but my channel has had 17 million minutes of viewing to date so it might be that these videos touch the parts that Carling cannot reach :)
In any case thanks for watching and for those what are actually kind words.
Great reviews - I've watched quite a few of them! I haven't found any on Blackstar amps - will you ever be tempted to do one?
Dan
+aipsong I have been asked a few times about Black Star amps.. maybe... and thanks for watching.
You're back!!! - thanks for all your videos - have a pint on me!
+aipsong Almost.... I'm on vacation in the USA right now... |LOL
Have a good time! I'm from Michigan, but have been living inFrance for 37 years - and have gotten around quite a bit!
+aipsong Sure will... and I'll be looking and playing guitars :)
So, I'm wondering, is the only difference between the 1987 and the 1959 SL just the wattage or is there a circuit difference?
No the circuitry is different and the amps do not sound quite the same... Thanks.
@@tonymckenziecom I used to swear by 50 watters when it comes to Marshall because it's easier to get the power section working in a live setting. The more I'm hearing and learning about the 1959 Super Lead and JTM 100's and how special their sound is, I'm changing my stance on this.
I have owned a few 50w 1975 type amps and they are OK of course, but they don't have the same 'toppy' thing going on like the 1959HW or its originals IMO. Its very true that they are excruciatingly loud but with the right gear that can be tamed so its very workable. I never really found any of the sims stuff either that is really the same as the 1959 fire breathing monster :) its why I bought one (again). The amp in this video is the earlier one a JTM45 before the 50w and that again sounds different than the 50w of course... That one is 30w if I remember correctly and I can 'just' about listen to it flat out :) but not on the 50w or the 1959 100. In any case if you can get to check a 1959 out with that treble bought up a bit then its all there and a great sound it really is. Pretty timeless, but in a good way. Some might disagree ;-) I use a Roland/Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander... expensive but it even had reverb and delay in there :)
Nice
Thanks for watching.
Those Wing C's are the best of the best.
I like those too... but the prices are going up and up... Stay safe.
As a kid many years back, I rem being told to never touch a tube (Valve) with my finger or I might deposit oils on it & always use a tissue or something. Always thought it to be a myth. I do rem my older bro's bass amp having a bad tube that you could cook a steak on. After a while little black burnt spots showed up. On a couple you see clearly they were burned partial finger prints. But,, that was many years down the road when they needed to be replaced anyway.
greatvanzinni Yes I heard that too, but I was never convinced about that either. I can see Jimi Hendrix on stage with a dodgy tube, 'oh don't touch it... it might get contaminated' :)
I don't doubt that oils do get on there but those tubes get really hot when you're driving the amp hard that I would reckon they get burned on or just fade. Good point...
@@tonymckenziecom Somehow the sound advice that you should not handle a tungsten-halogen headlight bulb has migrated to tubes. It's good practice to handle tubes with a cloth or gloves, but it's not essential.
Yes it has all 'amplified' that one over the years... and the screams sometimes get louder as you touch the tubes :) - not from the tubes but from the viewers :) Stay safe.
yeah Tony, why did you choose the value 37 ?
+Sylvain Alain It's a 'safe' number. They say 42 max and low 30's so its sort of about 3/4 of max. And it sounded good without overdoing the stress on the tubes. Tanks for watching
Great video, sir! I love my Bias Master. Which of the three 12AX7's is the phase inverter tube?
Thanks for watching and the phase inverter is V3....
The Fred Dibnah of guitars!
Ha... that's a compliment I guess really. Thanks for visiting and watching this stuff.
Here's the deal with Svetlana and "Winged C". New Sensor (the company owned by Mike Matthews, of Electro-Harmonix fame, and who owns most of the old tube brands) somehow got hold of the Svetlana name. However, they did _not_ get the "winged C" logo or the old Svetlana factory: that factory is still making the "Winged C" tubes, minus the Svetlana name. In other words, if you want the real Svetlana tubes, buy the "Winged C", _not_ the ones labeled "Svetlana".
As far as New Sensor is concerned, they bought most of the old tube brand names (or trademarked them when the old trademarks expired), but they're _all_ manufactured in the same one or two factories in Russia now. For the most part, all of the new tubes with old tube brand names (Svetlana, Mullard, Tung-Sol, Sovtek, etc) are all the same thing with different logos printed on them (and wildly varying prices, just because they can.) As far as I know, the _only_ tube companies currently making tubes, and who _aren't_ owned by New Sensor, are JJ, Winged C and that Chinese manufacturer (Shuguang, although I probably butchered that spelling.) The third category are re-branders, such as Ruby, Groove Tubes, Mesa Boogie, TAD, etc. Nothing wrong with these, and often they're slightly better because that brand takes the testing/matching further than the factory did; they just don't physically _make_ the tubes themselves.
There are a couple of small tube manufacturers in the US hand-making tubes now, but those are geared primarily towards the hi-fi/audiophile crowd who are okay with plunking down $500 on a single tube. I wouldn't really consider these an option for guitarists, unless they have bottomless wallets or find some of those tubes at a ridiculous discount. Most of those companies make oddball/non-guitar-amp tubes anyway.
***** Great info Cat (I'll call you that :) I did hear something about a 'spat' between two companies pushing the same 'brand' likely the ones you mention... so the question is, which are the ones in this video 'Winged C' or the other one?
I honestly prefer TAD above most as you say, they really do check the tubes in great depth always worked fine for me, but these in the video I bought from a guy who had used them for literally an hour or so... so they were a reasonable deal. They certainly work OK. Let me know about which those are and thanks again for the info... oh and for watching.
*****
Cat is fine ;) .
If your tubes have the Winged C logo, they're the good ones (whether they say Svetlana or not.) If they have the logo _and_ say Svetlana, they're probably just older stock from before New Sensor's acquisition of the name (which was fairly recent._ Just remember that New Sensor does _not_ have rights to the "winged c" logo and cannot put it on their tubes, so when in doubt just look for the logo itself.
As far as I know, TAD mostly uses the Chinese tubes, at least their 12AX7's. But TAD takes it further by testing the tubes (and matching, if necessary), so you're far less likely to get a bad one that way. For what it's worth, a LOT of boutique amp builders love the Chinese preamp tubes, so it's definitely a case where China has gotten something _right_.
In my somewhat limited experience, I've almost consistently preferred the Chinese preamp tubes over anything New Sensor makes, and usually over JJ too. The thing is that, because China's technology was behind ours (at least up until relatively recently), they had their tube manufacturing infrastructure in place for a lot longer than we did. For people that like tube audio, that ended up being a good thing because they still have those factories (with decades of experience) up and running. Russia was _kind of_ the same way, but a lot of their production had all but ceased until Mike Matthews/New Sensor came around, threw a bunch of money at them, and got some factories back up.
***** Thanks Catdumpling (great name :) for that info... it will help many I'm sure. TBH I was never a fan of EH tubes... always seemed very cheap compared to anyone else - there had to be a reason so I just stayed away from them. The JJ's are now my least favourite and TAD my favourite because they never give me any issues at all. I'm never sure about unbranded so I steer away from those too... no real reason except that I feel 'safer' with a decent brand on the tube and 'matched' as best as can be achieved. Thanks again... I like those Svetlana winged C with the logos. Seems like they have become extremely hard to find now. Ill certainly remember the logo bit.
I think you did not correctly measure the new tubes. Why? Because you just inserted them into the tube sockets without changing the existing adjustment on the two bais potentiometers. Understand?
Firstly understand that I actually do some stuff off camera. BTW there is only ONE bias adjuster on this amp - the other relates to noise. But well spotted... however I did bias the amp correctly :). Stay safe.
What is the second trimpot for?
+Роман Горбань As you see one is for the 'bias' setting, and the other can 'tune out' hum from the amp circuitry. There will be some name for it, but basically with the amp sitting idle but turned up (so you can hear the background noise) adjust this slightly either way and you will find a point where the 'hum' is lowest. That's it. One of the most useful things in the amp and one which is NOT found on the originals which hum and fart all day... this solves that aspect of the older amps.
I also have a JTM45 which I built (you will see it sometimes in the videos in a cream finish) and as stock it was just like the other originals hum etc. so I made a board that integrates in to the circuit that solves the hum based on a similar design for original amps or for JTM45 or 50w or 100w heads. But I don't sell it. Just useful stuff. Thanks for watching and good question.
It's called a 'humdinger' pot.
Thanks for that info... I did not actually know its name :) Thanks for watching.
Hi
I have JMP-50 2204 amp with EL34’s!
Well.... it sounds horrible!
I have replaced everything I could think of and I could!
Tubes, filter caps, trim pot,bias caps, pots, jacks tube sockets, a lot of other caps!
.....still sound awful:-(
On low volumes it is not that bad, but the more I push it, the worse it sounds!
Well....with Marshall tube amps is supposed to be the other way around isn’t it :-)
I was checking the bias from time to time and the last time I did I left the probe and meter on V5 , and found something that definitely didn’t look right to me!?
Before that :My amp plate voltage is 400V!
Most JMP’s are on 600V, but few run at lower : at 400V!
My JMP is one of them!
So I have set it around 37mA idle!
There was around 0.4~0.5 difference between V4 and V5 at idle!
I have one of these socket probes that goes between tube and amp socket with probes to be plugged in meter! I am biasing the amp, on mV setting on the digital multimeter!
After about 15 min waiting for the bias settling in ,I left the probe and the meter on, and start playing!
The readings on the meter went up, which it should!
When I was swapping the probe back and forth between V4 and V5
, I found V5 was jumping a lot higher then V4!
And as I said above,the more I was pushing the amp, the bigger that difference became!
For example:
The highest readings on louder lower notes on V4 was reaching 45mV, while V5 was going way higher to 130mV!
If I stop playing, both will go back to 37.0 37.4!
The lauded the amp pushed, the bigger the reading differences between V4 and V5 !
If I swap the tubes, the higher readings are still on V5!
I have well matched pair of svetlanas, and I would guess, there is crossover distortion caused by the big difference in the current draw between V4 and V5!
What possibly can cause such a dissbalance Between the two tubes when amp is pushed!??
All transformers are room temperature!
No hum or any other signs of something being wrong?!
I have Marshall JMP, and now i’am recording with amp simulators .......yuck !
Please Help!
Any suggestions would be highly appreciated!
Thanks for Your Help, and Kind Regards!
Steve!
:-)
Sent from my iPhone
HI Steve, that sounds like you have been hell and back. Interesting re the V4 V5 dilemma. I am not techie enough to tell you the answer to that! 400v seems a low figure to me. When the amp is cold (not on too long) do you still see that V4 V5 as much? if not my guess is that something is thermal. I use a bias master as shown in this video but not always as any mismatch shows up horribly. I always found the Marshall stuff best at about 5 or 6 on the volume stakes to get a good sound. Exactly what brand of tubes are in there and exact model? There is a guy on here GC Kellock (I think he is) who is a wizard at tube stuff and he certainly has given me much to think about so see if you can find him on here as I'm sure with his incredible experience that he could offer far better pointers than I can. Thanks for the info and ANYONE out there any answers for Steve? Post them on here.
Thanks for watching Steve.
How do you set the eq?If have all the knobs set at noon which most people seems to do its going to sound like shit.Marshalls are very trebely amp so anything above 10 a clock its to much.
@@bobolsen8067 Well I have always left them somewhere in the middle to be honest - and even biased the amp without even setting the eq controls (i.e. they were where they were when I was playing) and don't really hear much difference? May be I'm wrong on the eq? but never really had any amp tone problems, Thanks for the info and I'll be sure to do a test on this exact thing when I complete my next video on the biasing of the 1959HW next week.
When biasing you always adjust off the plate voltage. (PIN 3 VDC). mA mean nothing without knowing plate voltage. At 38 mA you assumed your plate was roughly 430-440 plate voltage. Stand up transformers are a higher voltage than the UK lay down ones....As well you always adjust off the hottest tube. Set the hottest tube to 70% or where you want it and go from there. Don't set it off the coldest tube like you initially did. Nice video but plate voltage is IMPERATIVE to correct bias voltage.
You have some nice gear. Always remember to DRAIN FILTER CAPS BEFORE WORKING ON THEM
Hey Dr Dan... thanks for the info. Thanks for that info... it's all good stuff and clearly you know more about that than I do... I'm already up to speed on the filter caps :) or I would have faded years ago :) But great info from you because guys read these comments all the time. Thanks for watching too.
The preamp tubes have nothing to do with Marshall. They just look like classic Chinese tubes.
Pretty sure they were marked as Marshall tubes. Agreed nothing special but they had the brand on there.... Thanks for watching Paul.
"Reissues"... with printed circuit boards, and crappy transformers.
Hmmm. I have both types of amps. But to be honest, there are many amps these days with exactly PCB build including Suhr, Friedman, Diezel, Mesa Boogie and you will know many more. I doubt that they are all wrong. Personally I don't hear any difference between the 1959HW amp and the 1959SLP for example, a comment echoed from Phil Wells who works at Marshall for over 40 years. Non PCB are likely a little easier to repair. On the transformers, again I honestly don't hear any difference and I have never had a single transformer fail on any amp since 1971. But don't get me wrong, I know there are loads of guys that say non PCB and 'old construction' transformers are 'better' and I understand that, after all it's all a little subjective and what one guy likes the next might not. Thanks and stay safe.
@@tonymckenziecom The quality of the transformers is much more critical than PC vs. Hand Wired board anyway, Tony.
Regards 🎸
Hey Scott... I'm sure you are right about that. I noticed on the 1959HW that they spent many months recreating the 1998C OT to the exact specifications of the original (they said), but on the PT that ended up being 1/2 inch bigger all around because of the legislation - the PT as it was originally (67) would not pass the regulations they said. All interesting stuff for sure :) - now wash those hands :)
@@tonymckenziecom It's all about the quality of the core materials, and the wire used. Virtually all mass produced amplifiers use cheap industrial grade core and wire to make their transformers. That's why a lot of guys in-the-know replace at least the output transformer for a Classic Tone, Heyboer, etc. and maybe add a 10h choke, you'll notice a big improvement in tone, tighter bass, smoother highs, etc. over the stock junk transformers Marshalls are equipped with nowadays.
Greetings from Minnesota, USA!
Thanks for the info. I have had amps with Heyboer (Splawn Nitro) and that amp stands out as having incredible sounds and bottom end just as you say. I also did fit a 10h choke to a Marshall JVM410H that come with just a resistor trying to do the work that a real choke would do. That was a USA well known brand and worked well... although on the choke that was a very subtle change in sound. In any case all good info and thanks for that. Stay safe there...
You talk too much! Stick to the topic and show how to bias the amp.
Mr Smallwood. It's no use coming on here and you trying to tell me how to make videos. I have made over 260 now and have had over 39 million minutes of viewing by people that appreciate what I do. My advice? Either use the forward or back button, or simply don't come here. Thanks.
Too much banter. Too much waffle. Get on with it ! Tell us how to bias the damn thing !
If you could be bothered to watch the video.... clearly you did not. At least I tried huh.