Members HeartfeltDawn Posted July 10, 2008 Members Share Posted July 10, 2008 Since buying my JC-120, I've barely played my valve amp. I'm really enjoying playing with modulation and reverb effects on the JC. However, the curious gremlin in me has an idea. My amp has two Main In inputs which bypass the preamp and go straight to the two poweramps (one power amp for each speaker). Currently I'm running the guitar straight into pedals, taking a stereo out from an Arion chorus pedal into a Lexicon Reflex and then taking the two outputs from that and connecting to the JC. Without a preamp, it does sound a bit crap without any major EQ options about. So I got to thinking about other uses for the JC. I'm thinking of buying a Tonelab LE so I can take that and run it into the JC without using the JC preamp. That's one way forward. However, and this is where you guys come in, would it be feasible to use a valve preamp of some description, hook the guitar and pedals up to that, and then run the output from that chain into the JC, bypassing the JC preamp, and using the JC's onboard power amps? I don't know if it'd sound good or if it'd {censored} up the amp or what. I'm not looking for brootalz here, ideally I'd like a nice valve clean sound along the lines of a Fender or Vox-type sound. Any recommendations for a low-powered valve preamp? Pedal, rack, anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bhsbhswarp Posted July 10, 2008 Members Share Posted July 10, 2008 check out frenzel amps,they make a stand alone tube preamp that is switchable from fender vintage to marshall vintage somewere around $200 real good build qaulity and sound great for what you want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IvIark Posted July 10, 2008 Members Share Posted July 10, 2008 Why don't you go into your valve amp guitar input, come out of the effect send and into the power amp input of the JC120 just to see how it reacts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeartfeltDawn Posted July 10, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 10, 2008 Why don't you go into your valve amp guitar input, come out of the effect send and into the power amp input of the JC120 just to see how it reacts? Sometimes the simplest ideas are the ones you overlook first I will try that tomorrow morning. Really can't believe I haven't tried that already...definite moment! BHS, thanks for the Frenzel tip. I like the look of those preamps and I will investigate further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SylphCo. Posted July 10, 2008 Members Share Posted July 10, 2008 I used an EHX LPB2ube with a JC-120, and found it to be very useful for the variety of routing options it allows.Two separate preamps allows for stereo use (in effects loop if you wish to utilise the JC's EQ, etc) or for using each in different positions in the path, using one before pedals as a line driver, or simply bracketing the JC's preamp.I liked the JC sound, and getting a different sound out of it wasn't a concern for me, such a setup may be lacking for what you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IvIark Posted July 10, 2008 Members Share Posted July 10, 2008 Talking of JC's I was in a studio the other day and they had a JC90 that they used to sit on (really!) and not a lot else. Has anyone used this amp? Just wondering whether it's worth taking it off their hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeartfeltDawn Posted July 11, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 What sort of price do you think they'll want for it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IvIark Posted July 11, 2008 Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 I could probably get it for peanuts or nothing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeartfeltDawn Posted July 11, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 Hit it. You know it makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IvIark Posted July 11, 2008 Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 I'll give it a go and see what they say. If it's a nice amp then it's a no brainer I suppose but I've never heard the 90 before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeartfeltDawn Posted July 11, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 When I've used 10" speaker sin the past with valve amps, the speakers have never sounded as full to my ears as 12" speakers. I'm guessing that effect wouldn't be as pronounced with the stereo JC90. Any bass lost or treble lost with 10" speakers should be pretty simple to dial back in as I know my JC-120 is pretty damn bright. If you can get it cheap, it's a total winner. It's great listening to reverbs and modulation through something so clean. Buying that JC has even got me looking ta delay pedals again, something I said I wouldn't do I've just tried taking the effects send from the Laney Lionheart into the JC. it wasn't too loud as there are still people asleep in this house but initial impressions were good. Using the Laney's clean channel, it gave the JC a glassy Fender sound. I wasn't expecting a really gritty valve sound but what it produced sounded good to me. I'll have to give it a full run later and then sit down and figure out just how I'm going to go forward with all my gear. It's time for diagrams and morning OJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IvIark Posted July 11, 2008 Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 Excellent. Why don't you make a switcher with both preamps in a loop and the AB'd out to each power amp. Then you could mix and match preamp - poweramp combinations in anyway you want. 7 cables to the box would be a pain in the arse but it'd still be cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flanging_fred Posted July 11, 2008 Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 To the OP.Just to throw an idea at you, how about a second-hand Hughes and Kettner Crunchmaster/Bluesmaster? It's supposed to sound like a vox ac4 in a half rack unit. I believe it has 1 12ax7 preamp valve and 1 el84 power amp valve. I haven't tried one myself but I have the Cream Machine which is the marshally sounding one. These units are really versatile and can be used as a pre-amp, direct recording device or small amp head in itself (like the zvex nano really). Might be hard to find one but with the right valves/tubes can sound lovely. I also have no idea how it would react with a JC120, but it fits the "vox like valve preamp" requirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flanging_fred Posted July 11, 2008 Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 Wow, heartfeltdawn, I just read your spam page entry and found you're already looking for a crunchmaster. I guess I may have been on the right track after all. Good luck in finding one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeartfeltDawn Posted July 11, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 Good call, I've been looking for one of the Crunchmasters for the last week. It will be hard to find one but it does sound like the kind of thing I'm looking for. I chcked out the H&K Tubeman but it looks a little bit too much for my needs, something simpler like the Crunchmaster seems ideal. My choices have been narrowed down to the following: Vox Tonelab - not a true valve preamp but would give me the Vox sound. However, I am not inclined to buy Vox products now after suffering so much {censored} with their gear. EHX LPB 2UBE - pretty simple and there's one on Ebay right now. However it doesn't have an EQ section so would need some kind of EQ unit after it. H&K Crunchmaster - EQ unit, simple, lots of routing options but bloody hard to find! Frenzel preamp - lots of tonal options, EQ section, good build quality. Bloody expensive to ship from the US though and, when the taxes are thrown on top, it's just as cheap to buy one of the modded Epiphone valve range from Ebay UK. Something like a TL Audio valve preamp - decent EQ section but perhaps more designed for mic usage than dirty guitar usage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeartfeltDawn Posted July 11, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 Wow, heartfeltdawn, I just read your spam page entry and found you're already looking for a crunchmaster. I guess I may have been on the right track after all. Good luck in finding one. Oh yes It's good to hear someone saying good things about the other H&K unit though. Makes me think I'm on the right track! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flanging_fred Posted July 11, 2008 Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 Oh yes It's good to hear someone saying good things about the other H&K unit though. Makes me think I'm on the right track! Yep, the Cream machine sounds good but I was pretty disappointed with it to start with. There was so much gain and noise is was very limited and harsh. I swapped out the 12ax7 valves and put in some old Mullard 12au7's and it just came alive. Much lower gain but became really much more usable. Not much good to you though as it doesn't have any eq on it although pairing up with a fish 'n chips sorts that out. As said before it's more marshall than Vox as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Karma1 Posted July 11, 2008 Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 I've been using the Mesa Boogie V-Twin tube pre-amp and really like what it does for my clean sound as well as distortion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheGareth Posted July 11, 2008 Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 HeartfeltDawn - What do you use for distortion with the JC-120? What about something like one of those Damage Control pedals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeartfeltDawn Posted July 11, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 11, 2008 The best stuff with the JC-120 are cleaner pedals I've found. The Tim and the Aramat Green Machine go well with it. The Screwdriver's not as hot and neither is the Diamond Fireburst so the more 'fuzzy' distortion, for want of a better word, isn't the JC's forte. Fuzzy stuff running into a solidstate pre amp and power amp is never going to sound as nice as running into valve pres and power amps to me. The Damage Control Womanizer or the Liquid Blues would be cool pedals to try even if I think they look rather ugly! I'm really beginnign to look at that EHX 2ube now. Decisions, decisions.. I did actually start drawing out a signal path this afternoon. It looks complicated and messy and demands more cables Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldCrankyDouche Posted July 12, 2008 Members Share Posted July 12, 2008 I run a TS808 clone into my JC120. With a Boosta Grande before it to add a little beef. I love the sounds I get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thirsty one Posted August 6, 2008 Members Share Posted August 6, 2008 Steve Morse's clean tone used to be a JC120. It still may be as far as I know. He knows tone. Would a Koch Pedaltone be inexpensive in Europe as it is made in Germany? They are pretty expensive here in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.