Members boleiro Posted July 8, 2012 Members Share Posted July 8, 2012 I am hoping to get some ideas from current 1960 owners on mods, maintenance tips, biasing, or anything really that would be a nice addition to this great sounding head. Okay, here is the disclaimer... I got the 1960 head for free, well maybe not free. But I acquired it along with some other stuff from someone that owed me money. But, I wrote off ever getting paid back years ago. So, this was like finding a 20 dollar bill in the pocket of jeans you haven't worn in a while. I'll consider it free. So, the fact that I even felt the need to write the explanation above is why I'm starting a thread on the Bugera 1960. After getting this head, I started poking around forums to get more info and see what I could do with it... I like to tinker with my amps, guitars and pedals. It's my thing. Well, it seems the very few decent threads on the 1960 were always hijacked by Marshall Die Hards and the conversation always went south. Really pissed me off, I am very sure the SLP Reissue is a better piece than the 1960 (i've played through one and loved it). But why slam people who are looking to talk about their 1960's? So please, if you are not a 1960 owner, please refrain from derailing any conversations within this thread. There are a million forums and threads dedicated to the love of Marshalls that could keep you busy for a couple of lifetimes. What I am currently interested in is a Master Volume Mod, Biasing info, and tubes. Oh and a good 212 cab. Obviously 100 watts is insane and I'd like to be able to control the volume better. Also, I'm a tinker remember, I'll be changing the tubes. I am trying to decide between EL34's and KT66's. I'll go JJ's from Eurotubes unless someone can give me some better options? And then, how was biasing? any secrets? Seems they made it real easy for you with the easy to get to bias pot. I do have a mulitmeter and bias probe. Then, I am very much going to need a speaker cabinet, just playing out of a combo cabinet right now. I'm going to go 212, have been looking at the Sourmash 212. Looks the deal and looks great. My last marshall, was a JCM900 head and matching cab, I hated it! sounded thinner than am radio. My local shoppe swapped a mesa recto cab for me and the huge improvement in tone was so huge instantaneously. So, I'm kind of off Marshall cabs. But, I do realize now that the speakers were probably {censored}e. So maybe a marshall cab with better speakers... what say you? Hopefully, I'll hear from some of you 1969 owners soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blckbldng Posted July 8, 2012 Members Share Posted July 8, 2012 paragraphs you know how they work good job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guidedbyechoes Posted July 8, 2012 Members Share Posted July 8, 2012 They get hate because the earlier bugera's had some serious build quality issues. My buddy has the 1960 and modded it to near bassman specs and put in 6l6s. But then he modded it back to stock when he wanted to go back to playing cranked dirty style. He didnt say he ran into any issues while modding it. Seems to be pretty straight forward and if you know what you are doing its really easy to work on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CaViTaTioN Posted July 8, 2012 Members Share Posted July 8, 2012 I have played through the 1960 and it is ungodly loud. Seems like it would be an easy platform to mod on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JR13 Posted July 8, 2012 Members Share Posted July 8, 2012 I have played through the 1960 and it is ungodly loud. Seems like it would be an easy platform to mod on. not owners. GTFO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boleiro Posted July 8, 2012 Author Members Share Posted July 8, 2012 I'll take positive/constructive experience from those that are not actual owners. It does seems a great platform for mods. It is, after all, a basic circuit modeled after the plexi which was based on the bassman. It sounds great as is, could be better. Thats why I'm looking at mods. For sure a Master Volume, 100 watts is crazy loud. Here is the video review I found after getting the head that made think about how this would be fun to mess with. I didn't know about the input jumper secret to blend the channels. But this got got tone out of this thing. sorry, couldn't embed the video... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guidedbyechoes Posted July 8, 2012 Members Share Posted July 8, 2012 I just wanted to correct you on one thing, it's actually 150 watts. Not sure but that might be important if you plan on changing tube types. And to embed you click the icon that looks like a film strip not the url one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boleiro Posted July 8, 2012 Author Members Share Posted July 8, 2012 guided by echoes (guided by voices?), thanks for the quick tutorial, I've never done that before. It's 150 PEAK watts, right? But that won't affect the the tube choices I have in mind... I'm leaning KT66 mainly since I've never had an amp with KT66's, but I do like the EL84's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guidedbyechoes Posted July 8, 2012 Members Share Posted July 8, 2012 guided by echoes (guided by voices?), thanks for the quick tutorial, I've never done that before.It's 150 PEAK watts, right? But that won't affect the the tube choices I have in mind... I'm leaning KT66 mainly since I've never had an amp with KT66's, but I do like the EL84's. Nothing to do with that band. It's part of my theory that memories are echoes of our existence, and like echoes only part of what we do in life is reflected back to us. And yes you are correct that's the peak wattage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sixtonoize Posted July 8, 2012 Members Share Posted July 8, 2012 And yes you are correct that's the peak wattage. Which is 105 watts RMS, which is the rating that every other amp in the world uses.So for all practical purposes, it's 100 watts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members butterguitar Posted July 8, 2012 Members Share Posted July 8, 2012 Bugera In all seriousness, those amps sound like a boss overdrive pedal with the tone knob turned to suck. If you like that tone I suggest to warm up the tone that you go with greenback or vintage 30 speakers. I've owned the 1990 and it gave me a shit load of problem. All Bugera amps ship with really shitty tubes, so I suggest you change them ASAP. Either sell the amp, or mod the hell out of it. That's what I would do. If you do mod it, I suggest FJA mods, I've heard glory stories about his jobs to Bugeras' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theAntihero Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 Ive got a 1960 so far what ive done with it is plug it into a 2x15 cab, turn it way the hell up and slam it with a Supercollider, doom tone galore. I like it because it sounds like a louder and much bassier plexi, not at all what Butterguitar described. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GREC Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 Did a bit of research on the 1960 when looking for a new amp. They seemed interesting because they are German designed but built like heavy duty Silvertones in China. Most Bugera problems were with the early model 333 & 1990's with cheap frying plastic connectors that would melt & arc. That's where the negative 'fire extinguisher' (and people leaving laughing icons) amp bully comments usually come from. Haven't read problems with the 1960.Definitely change all the tubes - I would use EL34 because that's what it was designed for like but that's just a suggestion. And supposedly the bias point only reads negative voltage so get a $25 bias probe socket thingy from Eurotubes to read it properly on your meter.Oh yeah, any head with over 100+watts sounds the best in a 4X12 or two... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RUExp? Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 You might want to get the new 1960 Infinium version because it has built in mods like the Randy Rhoads gain boost mod, a master volume and a system to maximize tube life and performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MadKeithV Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 Which is 105 watts RMS, which is the rating that every other amp in the world uses. Except the Marshall Vintage Modern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 100 watt Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 As much as I cut up about 'em, I'd give one a chance if it were cheap enough used. The mods people came up with for them made them sound interesting, from a tinkerer's POV. I'd like to see what I could do with one. I'll use almost anything if I can make it sound good. I'll be nice & refrain from the fire extinguisher jokes ha ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edge11 Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 The amp is begging for a ppimv and one wire mod. Didn't know that the new version had those built in, thats pretty neat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jhall Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 I've not had a SINGLE actual problem with ANY Bugera amp I've owned. AND I'm gassing heavy for a 1960 Infinium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 100 watt Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 Anyone have gut shots of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jds22 Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 The amp is begging for a ppimv and one wire mod. Didn't know that the new version had those built in, thats pretty neat. It looks like the new model has a ppimv. I'd really like to try one of these thru a 412 with greenbacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members benjamin801 Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 Anyone have gut shots of them? http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/millhasbrook/8033306d.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChuckNorris1982 Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 The 1960 does sound great. Our other guitarist bought one new, it broke within weeks so he sent it back for an exchange. The second one also broke within weeks. He somehow ended up getting a refund as well as a replacement, so now he has a third one which he didn't pay for, which has sat in an unopened box for months. It's there as a backup in case either of us need it, but we don't feel that we can trust it for full time use. Maybe he just got unlucky. Twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zozobra Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 I wouldn't plop KT66s in without checking out the screen voltage first as the max screen dissipation for KT66s is piss poor and they will melt very quickly. A great big screen resistor will help but the screen sag might make it sound a little odd. I'd guess they've used a marshally OT primary of something like 1700 ohms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boleiro Posted July 13, 2012 Author Members Share Posted July 13, 2012 yeah, I've now decided against KT66's and am in the middle of a full blown obsession on finding the right EL34. I am really wanting an true EL34 sound, no 6L6 influence wanted. I'm going back in forth between Svetlana EL34's, Mullard Reissue's and the Shuguang EL34B. But the more I read the less I'm sure about. Tube preference being so subjective, you can read such contrasting reviews on the tone of any tube. It's driving me insane. And I just started looking at preamp tubes... I'm prone to obsess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ron Burgandy Posted July 13, 2012 Members Share Posted July 13, 2012 yeah, I've now decided against KT66's and am in the middle of a full blown obsession on finding the right EL34. I am really wanting an true EL34 sound, no 6L6 influence wanted. I'm going back in forth between Svetlana EL34's, Mullard Reissue's and the Shuguang EL34B. But the more I read the less I'm sure about. Tube preference being so subjective, you can read such contrasting reviews on the tone of any tube. It's driving me insane. And I just started looking at preamp tubes... I'm prone to obsess. YOu should totally throw some NOS EL34's in there. It seems like a quality, well made amp that would only get better with primo tubes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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