Man that MT15 just &!$$#$ me off!! ..... (rant)

Honestly, even if the amp sounded perfect in a situation I’d never use it, making mods to have it work outside it’s design envelope seems like you’re trying too hard. If it’s not right, it’s not right. Makers like Fargen made entire product lines designed to do what cranked big amps do at bedroom whisper volume. I doubt that’s what Mark Tremonti was shooting for. Personally, I’d crank the beast up and the neighbors/wife/baby be damned! :D

If it were a quick fix slap in & go kinda thing it wouldn't be trying too hard but from the research I've got so far that most likely won't do the trick. It's looking like the often repeated mantra of "U gotta crank it dude!!" to get a tube *powered* amp to sound right might end up being the case. Still need to research with another contact about this but it's looking towards that way.

I also say that because I gigged for years with a tube preamp and solid state power amp and I was always able to get a decent low volume tone. It's just a more compressed, flat and less dynamic sound than an all tube powered amp.

Those boutique tube recording amps like Fargen are sweet, there a few makers out there, I just can't go there:oops: when it comes to amps. I don't mind spending over a couple grand for an HB, but even when I was gigging I invested in a Recto 50w instead of an SLO cause it was almost twice the price. .... and Soldano is my fav for that sound.

These days, I'm just not a retired dentist so I gotta watch my budget.:p
 
How about something from Hughes and Kettner?
18/5/1 watt
I had the original and then their Grandmeister 40. Volume control is good, but the gain gets rather fizzy. I used the PRS Stealth 2x12 cab with them at the time.

I’d love to try the Archon 25 or Bogner Atma to see how they do. Really miss my HXDA with the Fryette!
 
So, you could go the route Elvis suggested as simply as putting something like an MXR 10 band EQ in the loop, leaving everything flat, and dropping the output slider.

Archon 25 is a no brainer IF you want a combo. ATMA is really good too. But a little perspective... last night playing the ATMA through the Thiele EM/12 only. On 80s mode (which is not as loud as 70s mode) gain at 1:30, Volume at 9:00, consistently going over 100 dB and my phone was 3-4 feet from the speaker. That was in 18 watt mode. 5 Watt mode does sound and feel different, but still great, and is much easier to tame. But like Bodia said, they are bringing as much or more than a 50 watt Archon on the used market. I actually paid more for my ATMA than my Archon.
 
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Nope, no expensive heads, no heavy gear to lug, and no on combos (I intended to swap this with my SS jazz head on my trusty 2x12 closed back).

But then again, I know when I'm defeated. :oops:

Great tube powered tone is almost unobtainable at low volumes unless you have the $$$ for a custom boutique recording head made at 1W or even .5W, or you like the sound of those hybrid lunchboxes that have a 12ax7 and a SS power section like Orange or Joyo (which are pretty close to a Rat pedal to my ear:eek:).

The only other ways to low volume it are: SS, pedals, the M word, and the A word.

...and *NO*, a different ratio on the MV pot is not the answer. As it was explained to me by an amp repair pro, "Think of tube and SS power sections as gas or electric stove burners, gas is preferred by pro cooks, elec burners are set and go but don't do that good a job of it." (and this next one is key) "... as far as the MV pot, think of the lowest level of a gas stove burner, where it's hard to control a super low flame that goes out and you have to relight it a few times trying to get a really low simmer. When you turn it up and down the gas flame is fairly hard to control, that's similar to how power tubes work, it's all about the saturation of circuit going into them."

That said, I've given up my campaign and will just be looking at small lightweight heads with the least amount of knobs and buttons that simply sound good at low volume regardless of the guts.

.... although I still stand by my first statement, a 1 watt setting would be much better than half power.

................... and a better handle wouldn't hurt either.o_O I mean c'mon ...... its PRS we're talking here.
 
Over? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? NO! And it's not over now.

Before doing my research:

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After:

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.... I appreciate the pep talk tho.
 
While the MT15's clean channel volume taper is near perfect....
Are they different values?
Could the two be swapped?

I have a pretty steady hand and get by fine with the gain channel volume jump.
But I literally have to tap the top of the volume dial with my index finger to get bedroom/living room TV volumes. I turn it down to near silence, then tap, tap, tap...
No gripping and turning of the dial.
You're in for a loud and abrupt surprise if you do that. Lol!
 
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To some (me) it is a curious choice, but make no mistake, it’s a choice. I know people were lined up to buy them and most love them, but this is a legitimate issue that has one kept several of our forum brothers from buying one, so one has to wonder how many others there are. I know when tubes come “on the gas” and there’s a big jump, but it is possible with the right pot to make that smoother and easier to balance in the spot you want.

My Classic 30 was bad about this. Somewhere between 1 and 2 on the dial, a HAIR and it jumped way up in volume. Since I used pedals for gain, even setting it just below that was tricky because your pedal would kick it over that spot again. My “guess” is they wanted this to to punch big time and were willing to make this choice because it is so impressively powerful very low on the volume knob. It could also be that it’s NOT as simple as changing a pot because maybe they just couldn’t get the gain staging the way they wanted with a different pot value.

While I completely resist “passive volume pots” in a loop, an active device that can lower the output like a simple graphic EQ could be the ticket. It’s worth a try. I have to admit, the idea of maybe picking one of these up used in the $400s in a year or so is not unappealing at all.
 
........ I can't hear you, I've got the headphones full blast on my Pod 2.0 in the Brit Hi gain patch pretending I'm Billy Squier .


........ "Rock me tonight!!! "

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Still rockin’ the bean? I think it’s only been a couple years ago that I sold mine. I hung onto it thinking one of the guys at church could use it or something. I just sold me HD500 a few months ago to help fund the Atomic AA12.
 
in a loop, an active device that can lower the output like a simple graphic EQ could be the ticket..................... I have to admit, the idea of maybe picking one of these up used in the $400s in a year or so is not unappealing at all.

Well I've already explored that one and from what I've read & heard it's a hit or miss thing, the reality of it is you are just putting a volume front of the power stage and sadly that's counter intuitive if you're trying to push tubes. That one might be a wives tale.

... and yes used, at that price range, hard to resist, but ....

I have higher expectations, loftier goals ......

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... to be continued ...
 
Bluguitar Amp1 for the win! It looks like pedal, but it's really a 100 watt head. It can plug straight in to that 2x12 that you've got, unlike something like the the Atomic AA6 that will need a powered FRFR cab (incidentally, I'd rather recommend the Atomic Firebox if you don't want all of those 'modelling' options, just have dials to turn).
But here's the difference, the Amp1 has a micro-tube in the output stage to get the tube tone, then the heavy lifting is done by a class D discrete amplifier. So you can set the amount of power tube saturation you want, then the overall level of volume is controlled by the class D amp.
Also, one side of the tone stack on the modern channel is meant to be tuned towards an SLO flavor of gain.

When I'm not skint I wouldn't mind checking one out myself.
 
Nah, nope on the M-word, my jazz amp is EQ'd so it won't sound good together and I'll need power to push it, notachance.:p

I've got other secret plans ....


In the meantime, I'd just like to share with you the features that would go into the build of the.......(drumroll).....

Huggy Edition M *20*:

- 3-way power switch
(20w - Cause you'd just feel that much more confident to gig it)
(10w - If you're a retired dentist or architect with a huge spread and you don't GAF how much racket you make at home.)
(1w 1/2w - For recording tone 100 times better than anything else on the market.)

- Replace Presence with a noise gate, Presence is the most unnoticeable adjustment in an amp and I always hear a buncha sissies crying about hiss all the time:rolleyes:. Just shut them punks up.

- Add a digital reverb, that's right digital, you only use a little of it anyway.

- Lose some weight, I think the thing is twice as heavy as all the other lunchboxes.

- *BETTER HANDLE* , It's already heavy, now that bar is digging into my hand? Give me something more ergo, I've got arthritis dammit.

- If the noise gate and reverb take up too much space inside, get rid of the boost, I found the non boosted sound more full once turned up.

*COLORS* - C'mon it's just spray paint and this is PRS, the kings of color, I could see a half dozen good finish choices, ......... maybe even a PINK PS build for Sergio.


.......... I should run the amp design dept, Paul'd make a gazillion on this series.
 
Well I've already explored that one and from what I've read & heard it's a hit or miss thing, the reality of it is you are just putting a volume front of the power stage and sadly that's counter intuitive if you're trying to push tubes. That one might be a wives tale.

It is putting a volume control in front of the power stage, but in this amp design the preamp tubes are the ones that are really pushed so that's far less of an issue.
 
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