Allen Sweet Spot

**bmw2002** · 02-09-2014, 02:56 PM

I had been looking for an amp with this feature set for a while and came across this one at a great price on the Soundpure site several weeks ago. It's a Princeton based platform with 18 watts with 6V6 tubes; 25 watts with 6L6 tubes (bias points are located on the back of the amp). The only thing I've changed on it is to swap in a Gold Lion 12ax7 tube in the v1 spot, which smooths out the sound a little bit (at least to my ears).

This one came with a Jensen Jet Blackbird twelve inch alnico speaker and was built by David Allen in 2013. The amp also features a mid-control, a bright switch and a 3 spring reverb tank. So far I'm really happy with the sound -- classic Fender; bigger sounding than my silverface Princeton but still usable for home practice. I think this is a great alternative for tube-amp oriented jazz guitarists. As an added bonus, this one looks like a 1962 brownface Princeton that (like an idiot), I sold long ago to fund some now forgotten piece of gear!

Allen Sweet Spot-l1000194-jpg

**Steve Z** · 02-09-2014, 03:24 PM

Nice

**Jazz_175** · 02-09-2014, 06:56 PM

Nice amp and guitar!

**marcwhy** · 02-09-2014, 08:07 PM

Cool -- congrats! What is the guitar?

**bmw2002** · 02-09-2014, 08:43 PM

Thanks for the compliments. Marc, that's my Schaefer 16, built by Austin luthier Ed Schaefer (although he now only makes archtops on special order.) Bought it last year from archtop.com. Sounds great through the Allen.

**monkmiles** · 02-09-2014, 09:09 PM

Congrats! I bet it sounds as awesome as it looks! Would love to play through one and really dig the brownface cosmetics too.

**mad dog** · 02-09-2014, 10:05 PM

Allen amps are the best. Good luck with that pretty sweet spot.
MD

**marcwhy** · 02-09-2014, 11:12 PM

Originally Posted by bmw2002

Thanks for the compliments. Marc, that's my Schaefer 16, built by Austin luthier Ed Schaefer (although he now only makes archtops on special order.) Bought it last year from archtop.com. Sounds great through the Allen.

OK, thanks -- I know (of) him. Very nice rig.

**spiral** · 02-10-2014, 07:12 PM

Nice. I'm also a Sweet Spot owner. I built one and sold my vintage Deluxe Reverb. I've had 0 interest in any other amp.

I'm curious how you like the Blackbird. Have you compared it to a ceramic? My DR had a Jensen Alnico and have wanted to try it but it's a pricey chance. Would love your thoughts.

**hans halmackenreuter** · 02-11-2014, 09:03 AM

congrats! looks great

**bmw2002** · 02-11-2014, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by spiral

I'm curious how you like the Blackbird. Have you compared it to a ceramic? My DR had a Jensen Alnico and have wanted to try it but it's a pricey chance. Would love your thoughts.

With the upfront caveat that I am not a speaker expert, I can relay that I have subbed in a few ceramic speakers to see whether I like them better in the Sweet Spot than the Blackbird. When I bought the amp a few weeks ago, Sound Pure offered to put back in the original Eminence Red, White and Blues or ship it with the Jensen Blackbird alnico. Having never tried an alnico speaker before, I decided to give it a shot (and candidly it seemed like a costly upgrade to turn down).

Since purchasing the amp, I've tried a Weber California, an EVM 12L (vintage) and an Eminence Beta speaker for comparison purposes -- each of which I've used/am using in different amps and gotten a great sound. After each switch, I've come back to the Blackbird. There just seems to be a warmth, articulateness (is that a word?) and definition to the sound that I wasn't able to achieve with the other speakers I tried. I understand completely that there are many ceramic speakers in the world, and maybe there's one -- or many -- that would easily top the Blackbird; but based on my limited experiment, I'm likely to keep the Blackbird in there for a long time. It's also a fairly light speaker (at least based on specs I've seen), which helps with what would otherwise be a modestly heavy (38 lbs.) Princeton type amp.

**spiral** · 02-12-2014, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by bmw2002

With the upfront caveat that I am not a speaker expert, I can relay that I have subbed in a few ceramic speakers to see whether I like them better in the Sweet Spot than the Blackbird. When I bought the amp a few weeks ago, Sound Pure offered to put back in the original Eminence Red, White and Blues or ship it with the Jensen Blackbird alnico. Having never tried an alnico speaker before, I decided to give it a shot (and candidly it seemed like a costly upgrade to turn down).

Since purchasing the amp, I've tried a Weber California, an EVM 12L (vintage) and an Eminence Beta speaker for comparison purposes -- each of which I've used/am using in different amps and gotten a great sound. After each switch, I've come back to the Blackbird. There just seems to be a warmth, articulateness (is that a word?) and definition to the sound that I wasn't able to achieve with the other speakers I tried. I understand completely that there are many ceramic speakers in the world, and maybe there's one -- or many -- that would easily top the Blackbird; but based on my limited experiment, I'm likely to keep the Blackbird in there for a long time. It's also a fairly light speaker (at least based on specs I've seen), which helps with what would otherwise be a modestly heavy (38 lbs.) Princeton type amp.

You couldn't have given me a more perfect answer. Thank you! Speakers are even more of a rabbit hole than guitars and pickups, so I was really looking for the broad strokes from a non-expert. David recommends the RW&B speakers but I've liked the Jensen alnico in the past. I found a used 12A150 which is Weber's version of the P12N and bought it thanks to your feedback. Enjoy your NAD.

**skiboyny** · 02-12-2014, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by spiral

You couldn't have given me a more perfect answer. Thank you! Speakers are even more of a rabbit hole than guitars and pickups, so I was really looking for the broad strokes from a non-expert. David recommends the RW&B speakers but I've liked the Jensen alnico in the past. I found a used 12A150 which is Weber's version of the P12N and bought it thanks to your feedback. Enjoy your NAD.

I have that in a Princeton clone (12a150) and like it alot. I think you'll be happy with it. Report back I'd be curious of your impressions...

**bmw2002** · 02-12-2014, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by skiboyny

I have that in a Princeton clone (12a150) and like it alot. I think you'll be happy with it. Report back I'd be curious of your impressions...

Skiboyny: which Princeton clone do you have? I considered a Headstrong, Gries, VSA and a Lil Dawg (although that was more of a Deluxe clone) before settling on the Allen S/S.

**skiboyny** · 02-12-2014, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by bmw2002

Skiboyny: which Princeton clone do you have? I considered a Headstrong, Gries, VSA and a Lil Dawg (although that was more of a Deluxe clone) before settling on the Allen S/S.

I have a Keedy Relativity Reverb. Pretty faithful reproduction hand wired with a 12" speaker. I considered all the same as you this one came up at a very affordable price point so I gave it a shot. I've been very satisfied.

**bmw2002** · 02-13-2014, 09:40 AM

That looks like a really nice amp; would definitely have been a contender had I known about it.

http://www.keedyamps.com/Amps.html#RR

**srs** · 02-21-2014, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by spiral

Nice. I'm also a Sweet Spot owner. I built one and sold my vintage Deluxe Reverb. I've had 0 interest in any other amp.

I'm curious how you like the Blackbird. Have you compared it to a ceramic? My DR had a Jensen Alnico and have wanted to try it but it's a pricey chance. Would love your thoughts.

spiral:
I am curious to know how hard it was to build? allen offers two forms of kits and the sweet spot is in the bare bones category. do you have prior experience, or was this enough instruction for a first timer? any reason you opted for the sweet spot over his one channel with a master volume take on the deluxe reverb. that kit is suggested for first time builders. thanks for your considered response.

**spiral** · 02-21-2014, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by skiboyny

I have that in a Princeton clone (12a150) and like it alot. I think you'll be happy with it. Report back I'd be curious of your impressions...

Jury is still out for me. Here is a comparison of the Weber 12A150 Eminence Red White & Blues, using the Sweet Spot mic and amp are in the same position using the same 2 guitar loops stored in a looper (sound is private, click link):

This test is a little bright, even for me, but it highlights the differences. The low end is tighter on the Weber, and the high-mids are more clear. The Eminence is a little hazy in the mids. It's much less difference than I expected though. I was trying to chase away muddiness in my guitar pickup but it may have been the speaker. Either one is competent.

Originally Posted by srs

spiral:
I am curious to know how hard it was to build? allen offers two forms of kits and the sweet spot is in the bare bones category. do you have prior experience, or was this enough instruction for a first timer? any reason you opted for the sweet spot over his one channel with a master volume take on the deluxe reverb. that kit is suggested for first time builders. thanks for your considered response.

Hard to say since I don't know your level of comfort with electronics. Are you proficient at soldering? You'll be doing lots of it. You should have a temperature controlled iron too like this Weller. A few simple skills you'll need but are easy to acquire: reading resistor codes (I use a web page or phone app), using a multimeter (to verify the resistors) and check continuity or shorts, reading capacitors, and general mechanical adeptness. If it's your first project ever and you've never looked at a layout diagram or know how to read electronics, or even know what a resistor is, you'll struggle, but it's doable. I have limited knowledge but have fixed minor electronics problems for years and found it time consuming but easy (built a Chihuahua kit too). You have to like doing it. If you can learn jazz you can build an amp.

As for why I chose the Sweet Spot: I can't remember. I think I thought it was the closest to the Deluxe Reverb I had but smaller, lower wattage, and without the dual channel. I wanted something with a 12" speaker, reverb, and sounded like a Fender.

Maybe the Accomplice might have been a better option for me but I like the lower wattage of the Sweet Spot.

**skiboyny** · 02-21-2014, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by spiral

Jury is still out for me. Here is a comparison of the Weber 12A150 Eminence Red White & Blues, using the Sweet Spot mic and amp are in the same position using the same 2 guitar loops stored in a looper (sound is private, click link):

This test is a little bright, even for me, but it highlights the differences. The low end is tighter on the Weber, and the high-mids are more clear. The Eminence is a little hazy in the mids. It's much less difference than I expected though. I was trying to chase away muddiness in my guitar pickup but it may have been the speaker. Either one is competent.

I must be dense but are both speakers included in this 21 second clip?

**spiral** · 02-21-2014, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by skiboyny

I must be dense but are both speakers included in this 21 second clip?

They are. I put a comment in to mark each speaker. The Weber leads off, and the Eminence comes in when the phrase starts again @ 10 seconds. You need headphones to discern a difference. Any subtlety is lost on computer speakers. I updated the link in the original post.

**yebdox** · 02-22-2014, 09:08 AM

I love my Allen Old Flame. David built it for me 10 years ago, I just had him go through it and replace some noisy resistors and tweak the tone stack.... Dead silent, beautiful. Sounds great with pedals or straight in.

I originally ordered it in a 2x10, never did like the earlier 10s and have played it with a single Celestion Lead 80 for several years, occasionally with another open back 1x12 with different higher powered speakers ( now an old ceramic SRO). Extremely versatile amp. Comes standard with bias adjusting points and fabulous service.

Can't go wrong with an Allen amp! (Or a Vintage Sound.... Brothers from different mothers

**skiboyny** · 02-22-2014, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by spiral

They are. I put a comment in to mark each speaker. The Weber leads off, and the Eminence comes in when the phrase starts again @ 10 seconds. You need headphones to discern a difference. Any subtlety is lost on computer speakers. I updated the link in the original post.

Wow even with good headphones the difference is very subtle. Your description is bang on. That's a bit disappointing for a speaker change I bet...