Members guitarbilly74 Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 I would venture to say it's closer than 90%, I've spent quite a bit of time with a hot rod in the past and recently I was able to try the jet city and damn it sounds identical to me. I think the depth mod on the JCA will really show us how close they are since a lot of hot rods have the xl or depth mod. I hear a little less thump and bass than I used to get from my unmodded HR but I also remember dialing the HR down a bit. So yes, I can get 100% of the tone I used to get with the HR, but the HR had a bit more room to go if I wanted to (which I never really did). Once the band kicks in I have to look back to make sure I am not playing through my old HR, in a band mix it's dead-on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tubes In a Hat Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 I play with a drummer with a monster kit with a 28" bass drum. Trust me, if this amp did not sound GREAT at really high volumes I would not be using it. My band is really loud and the JCA100 just excels at those volumes. I am not sure about consistency, as I only tried one so far, I'm getting another one tomorrow so I will comment on that. Bu that alone should say something about the amp right there. . I look forward to your second assessment. I trust you, but I also trust FastRedPonyCar Be sure to make a thread or something if you find it's not as awesome the second time around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members co&cafan808 Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 I hear a little less thump and bass than I used to get from my unmodded HR but I also remember dialing the HR down a bit. So yes, I can get 100% of the tone I used to get with the HR, but the HR had a bit more room to go if I wanted to (which I never really did). Once the band kicks in I have to look back to make sure I am not playing through my old HR, in a band mix it's dead-on. Yea, I wonder if the depth mod might give the JCA that little bit of thump, I would love to see a head to head test of these. Either way it's hard to deny the Jet City sounds close enough and it's certainly cheaper the HR, no brainer for me really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tubes In a Hat Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 I've been GASing for one of these amps since they came out My main interest though is getting one on the cheap and then throwing hundreds of dollars at it to get it into REAL DEAL SLO territory... can it be done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Giga Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 I've been GASing for one of these amps since they came out My main interest though is getting one on the cheap and then throwing hundreds of dollars at it to get it into REAL DEAL SLO territory... can it be done? According to folks who know a hell of a lot more about amps than I do, no... The DeYoung transformers seem to have a deciding influence and they are not available if you don't have an SLO. Giga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarbilly74 Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 I look forward to your second assessment. I trust you, but I also trust FastRedPonyCar Be sure to make a thread or something if you find it's not as awesome the second time around. chances are we are both right and just have a different taste in tone. From what I heard from his demos, FRPC seems to go for a cleaner, more precise tone than I do, which is definitely SLO/Titan territory. I like a raw, somewhat abrasive tone that still has clarity and punch to it. My guess is that he would not be so happy with the HR series either, since those amps are like a cruder, more aggressive version of the SLO. The JCA really approaches THAT tone, not the SLO tone. My new amp should be here in a matter of hours and I will definitely post a thread about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr Roboto Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 I thought the SLO had Onetics trannies? No. They are from DeYoung. Many people use the Onetics transformers in SLO clones. Maybe that's what you're thinking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MatchFive Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 Whats the difference? Are they even meant to be slightly identical? Is it supposed to be kind of a cheaper model? I dont know much about Jet City other than the fact thet their by Soldano. It is closer to a Soldano Hotrod 100.. Here is a quote from Doug (a part owner of Jet City)... On the topic of involvement of the Soldano himself. There are 3 owners of the company. ME. Soldano. and we have a partner Dan who handles Sales and Logistics.Mike designed 20H, and 100H - 100%, top-to-bottom, inside and out. Chassis, PCB, layout, parts list, wiring diagram, schematic, Headshell, etc etc. Since we are talking about 100H, here are a few details: For a long time, Mike wanted to integrate the preamp and the power sections of the HotRod 100 into ONE pcb. So in the 100H, that's what he did. Also, the pots we use in China are the same functional spec as the Soldano-used pots, but the footprint on the pcb is different, so Mike had to change the layout to accommodate. Personally. So from a design stand point? It is in all other ways a HotRod 100. This means the difference is in the parts and labor. And as noted in this thread, the biggest difference is TRANSFORMERS. In the case of the 20H, Mike gave me the same spec he used for the Atomic 16 tranny, and I had it sourced in China. I went over there and measured and LISTENED and revised. And repeated. Probably 4 times. When I thought I nailed it, I brought it home to Mike, who gave it another rinse (personally) and directed changes which resulted in the final version. In 100H the process was faster for two reasons: 1, since we had been though it before, the iterations of the tranny were much faster. 2, Soldano went to China with me, and that trip was after 20H started production and while 100H was in proto, therefore HE was able to do the direct-with-supplier revisions until it was what he wanted. Of course there are more details, but I'm posting on HC, not documenting our process. Regarding the "other" parts, I have to say, what we are getting in China is not that much different than what Soldano uses in his stuff here. And while the prices are indeed better because the factory can buy in WAY bigger qty than we can, the other big cost difference is for sure the labor. For what it's worth, I was in the factory 6 times last year - every other month - while we were getting this going. And I am headed over there again Monday. Oh, sorry - to be honest, there are a few other design differences related to safety certifications we needed on the JCA stuff... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MatchFive Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 Interesting. I think I remember FastRedPonyCar saying the JCA100H totally lost it's coolness at stage volumes. I don't want to misrepresent his opinion or start a war or anything, but I'm interested in the conflicting views. Is it possible JC's consistency isn't totally dependable? I mean, I've heard from some that these amps are awesome enough to hang with the big dogs, and I've heard from others that you're only getting what you pay for with these... It only gets better the louder you turn it up.. I know because I have one, but it's more amp than I need.. That's why I am selling it in the spam thread.. Don't get me wrong, it sounds good at lower volumes, but really shines at high volume.. At least that's been my experience.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dave L Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 I hope FRPC will chime in himself, but the only thing I remember him saying about loud volumes (at least in those initial video threads) is that he slightly prefers his Titan at band volume... rather than the JCA100 losing its coolness completely, that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MatchFive Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 I hope FRPC will chime in himself, but the only thing I remember him saying about loud volumes (at least in those initial video threads) is that he slightly prefers his Titan at band volume... rather than the JCA100 losing its coolness completely, that is. Yeah, I watched all of those clips several times before I got my 100H, and I don't remember him saying anything about it being bad at stage volumes.. he actually had nothing but praise for it as I recall.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ryan Turner Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 It only gets better the louder you turn it up.. I know because I have one, but it's more amp than I need.. That's why I am selling it in the spam thread.. Don't get me wrong, it sounds good at lower volumes, but really shines at high volume.. At least that's been my experience.. This is what I have found with my JCA100H. At low volumes, like with most high wattage tube amps, the amp sounds pretty weak. Not bad, but just weak. This amp really shines in a band setting. I cut alot better with this amp than my JCM 800 and I don't have to have it as loud as the JCM 800 to do so (even though I still do:lol: ). The 100H has alot of punch and clarity while having a certain smoothness to it in the mid range. It reminds me why I liked my old Yamaha T-50 and Soldano Hot Rod 50+ so much. The aggressive, yet smooth, singing Soldano sound is incredible My observations of how the JCA100H compares to my old Soldano Hotrod 50+ are that the overdrive channels are dead ringers for each other and the normal channel on the JCA100H does better clean tones. Those are about the only differences I can find. The effects loops on both amps leave something to be desired when using pedals. Of course, Soldano designed effects loops are never too friendly with pedals, in my experience. They are more geared towards rack gear. I don't really use effects loops, so it's not really a problem for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bass_n_drums Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 the JCA100H are great amps. I may consider getting me another one down the road. But when I had mine I thought it sounded great...and even better after changing the tubes. MF, AMS and etc are having specials on them 619.00 shipped after rebate. Great deal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MatchFive Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 the JCA100H are great amps. I may consider getting me another one down the road. But when I had mine I thought it sounded great...and even better after changing the tubes.MF, AMS and etc are having specials on them 619.00 shipped after rebate. Great deal! I may get a Pico or a 20H later down the line because I really do like that raw tube tone.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bass_n_drums Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 I may get a Pico or a 20H later down the line because I really do like that raw tube tone.. They sound great when jammin around at home. If I lived in an apartment I would get one of those. With the amps I have now where I can turn up the volume so the low wattage amps aren't a big thing for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tubes In a Hat Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 I hope FRPC will chime in himself, but the only thing I remember him saying about loud volumes (at least in those initial video threads) is that he slightly prefers his Titan at band volume... rather than the JCA100 losing its coolness completely, that is. Like I said, I don't mean to misrepresent his opinion. I think I asked him personally in a private message on youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 No. They are from DeYoung. Many people use the Onetics transformers in SLO clones. Maybe that's what you're thinking about. Woosh! His joke went clean over your head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr Roboto Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 Woosh! His joke went clean over your head. Yeah, I guess so. Is that because it just wasn't funny? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edge11 Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 According to folks who know a hell of a lot more about amps than I do, no... The DeYoung transformers seem to have a deciding influence and they are not available if you don't have an SLO.Giga There are a lot of trannies (lol trannie) that have the same frequency response as a s.l.o tranny and same impedance that you can buy stock or custom order (usually for about 100-200$). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members co&cafan808 Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 Hasn't Mike used both deyoung and onetics tranformers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr Roboto Posted August 4, 2010 Members Share Posted August 4, 2010 Woosh! His joke went clean over your head. So yeah, um, what was the joke then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jet city amps Posted August 9, 2010 Members Share Posted August 9, 2010 I thought the SLO had Onetics trannies? in brief: SLO - DeYoung trans All other Soldano amps - O'netics. Used to use another trans in a few amps but now uses only O'netics. JCA100H = HR100+ in terms of circuits. HR100 has separate PCBs for preamp and power, JCA100H is integrated to a single PCB. This week we will put an O'netics OT in the JCA100H and I will post our "opinion" after listening tests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FastRedPonyCar Posted August 9, 2010 Members Share Posted August 9, 2010 Interesting. I think I remember FastRedPonyCar saying the JCA100H totally lost it's coolness at stage volumes. I don't want to misrepresent his opinion or start a war or anything, but I'm interested in the conflicting views. Is it possible JC's consistency isn't totally dependable? I mean, I've heard from some that these amps are awesome enough to hang with the big dogs, and I've heard from others that you're only getting what you pay for with these... Yeah I think that my observation of the amp at stage volumes should come with a caveat stating that it loses in terms of clarity and ability to cut in a full band mix **When compared to my Titan or Nitro** It should also be noted that "stage volume" for me is well beyond what most people actually run their amps at. Truth be told, the show that I came to that conclusion at was one of the rare venues that we play that the volume truly reaches those absurd decibel levels. most other places, it's not near as loud and thus wouldn't be much of an issue. Another part of it is what seems to be the voicing of the amp. It's a very thick and smooth voice. It makes recording an absolute joy and lead work effortless. It's a very different voicing than the Titan and nitro. both of them have a much more raw and cutting sound that can get over the top and out of control with the agression if not carefully kept in check. The JCA doesn't have that problem. It's well mannered and creamy all o'er but far from weak or lacking in punch or power. so it's sort of a double edged sword but also consider the price tag of the Titan and Nitro. They're both the very definition of stage dominating brutality and amps that cost twice as much as they do will easily get smoked so throwing the JCA at them and expecting it to cream them at ear damaging volume levels is a bit naive IMO. I'm chomping at the bit though to hear what Mike's Frankensteined JCA with the Onetic OT (and whatever other tweaks he may make) will sound like Especially compared to the new beast that showed up this weekend... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jaeger28 Posted August 9, 2010 Members Share Posted August 9, 2010 There seems to be a new version, with tube FX loop, opto-coupling switching, 5 instead of 4x12AX7 and 6L6 instead of 5881. Also seems to have a 100W/50W switch. Costs 100 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MattACaster Posted August 9, 2010 Members Share Posted August 9, 2010 There seems to be a new version, with tube FX loop, opto-coupling switching, 5 instead of 4x12AX7 and 6L6 instead of 5881. Also seems to have a 100W/50W switch. Costs 100 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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