Mambo 8" wedge has arrived

[jonmambo]

thanks for the question, a good question;

At present we have no intention at all of having dealers in other localities, the numbers just don't add up for this type of product.

Freight costs, import duties etc. are still the same either way, but with the added costs of dealer markups and stock finance costs ( i.e. if we put one mambo amp in one shop in each US state that would be approx $ 50,000 of stock. )

The result would be a price increase to 150% or 200% of the present price, unless we moved to mass production in a low wage locality etc. which is not what we are about.

Of course I do appreciate the frustration of not being able to try an amp in a shop or dealership etc.

Maybe there are other ways round that ?

Anyway, we do offer a very flexible approach to returns and refunds which seems to work so far, so you get to try the amp at home on gigs etc. without any risk.

Regarding local engineering support (i.e. repairs), we may look into that in the future as our numbers grow, but we have so few problems at the moment it just isn't worth the investment as we can cover that from UK quickly and efficiently

open to suggestions of course (probably better via PM in order to keep this thread concise and on track )

[Dennis D]

Thanks Jon - very much appreciate the reply.

[helios]

Is there a pricing & shipping portion of the website I'm not seeing, or is it necessary to contact Jon via email/telephone for this info? The site seems a bit devoid of details.

Congratulations on your new amp BTW!

Mambo Amp

[Franz 1997]

Is there a pricing & shipping portion of the website I'm not seeing, or is it necessary to contact Jon via email/telephone for this info? The site seems a bit devoid of details.

Congratulations on your new amp BTW!

Mambo Amp

Try 'check pricing' on the front page, and 'more info' ( sidebar). Prices are in £ sterling ( or they were last time I looked..)

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Try 'check pricing' on the front page, and 'more info' ( sidebar). Prices are in £ sterling ( or they were last time I looked..)

Now is a good time for Americans to pull the trigger: British pound hits 31-year low against U.S. dollar

But with the wheels starting to turn on Brexit, one can only assume the pound will continue downward.

[Jim Soloway]

Now is a good time for Americans to pull the trigger: British pound hits 31-year low against U.S. dollar

But with the wheels starting to turn on Brexit, one can only assume the pound will continue downward.

That may or may not matter to you and me. The only way to predict the future of the Loonie is with a Ouija board.

[Franz 1997]

Now is a good time for Americans to pull the trigger: British pound hits 31-year low against U.S. dollar

But with the wheels starting to turn on Brexit, one can only assume the pound will continue downward.

Currently the analyst's consensus is that the £ will stand at $1.55 in 2020. That leaves you less than 4 years to take advantage of this current blip... we are 'fastest growing economy in the G7' apparently.

I'd go for it soon....besides, life is too short to worry about exchange rates.

[jonmambo]

exchange rates and Brexit... definately off-topic now... ( my last comment on this, moderator)

but; taking Mambo Amp as an example of a UK product.

our wood comes from northern Europe ( currency I use to buy it ; EUR )
most of the electronics ultimately originates in Asia Pacific region ( USD mostly)
loudspeaker imported from US ( USD)
etc.

all freight costs for goods transported to us from outside UK will increase in price (in our local currency; GBP)

all freight costs for our exports will increase in terms of GBP (as we have to pay the freight workers in their local currency of course)

so, all our input costs rise in terms of GBP due to the exchange rate change; i.e we need more GBP to produce the same product, import our supplies and export the finished product

but actually the realistic price is more or less the same, since most buyers in other localities have a better USD or EUR to GBP exchange rate... unless you live in the UK of course !

prices will level out in real terms; exchange rates are somewhat artificial and transient. maybe the final cost will appear greater in terms of GBP, but be similar in terms of USD / EUR

[Jim Soloway]

exchange rates and Brexit... definately off-topic now... ( my last comment on this, moderator)

but; taking Mambo Amp as an example of a UK product.

our wood comes from northern Europe ( currency I use to buy it ; EUR )
most of the electronics ultimately originates in Asia Pacific region ( USD mostly)
loudspeaker imported from US ( USD)
etc.

all freight costs for goods transported to us from outside UK will increase in price (in our local currency; GBP)

all freight costs for our exports will increase in terms of GBP (as we have to pay the freight workers in their local currency of course)

so, all our input costs rise in terms of GBP due to the exchange rate change; i.e we need more GBP to produce the same product, import our supplies and export the finished product

but actually the realistic price is more or less the same, since most buyers in other localities have a better USD or EUR to GBP exchange rate... unless you live in the UK of course !

prices will level out in real terms; exchange rates are somewhat artificial and transient. maybe the final cost will appear greater in terms of GBP, but be similar in terms of USD / EUR

Jon, getting back on topic ... can you take a minute to address what people are referring to as the Fender-Like voice? How Fender like is it? What was your tonal objective with this? etc. It's the feature that has moved your amps for me from the "Nice amp but not voiced for my needs" camp to the "this may really be a great amp for my sound". On the other hand, there are not a lot of owners here with the new alternate voicing, so some comments form you would probably be really helpful for a bunch of us.

[jonmambo]

The "Fender-like" setting has a tone shaping circuit, based on a preset Fender AB763 tonestack, inserted in the signal path. This gives the characteristic mid-cut which the Fender produces, it's a completely different sound than the flat response of the normal Mambo sound.

The objective is to give the amp more versatility. You can vary this tone using the Mambo's bax tone controls but it is a preset, comparable to a fender set to bass=5 mid=5 treble=7 or therabouts.

We will develop this idea and replace the preset with a complete Fender-like tonestack in the very near future, as this seems to be a valuable feature to a lot of people, me included.

[Franz 1997]

The "Fender-like" setting has a tone shaping circuit, based on a preset Fender AB763 tonestack, inserted in the signal path. This gives the characteristic mid-cut which the Fender produces, it's a completely different sound than the flat response of the normal Mambo sound.

The objective is to give the amp more versatility. You can vary this tone using the Mambo's bax tone controls but it is a preset, comparable to a fender set to bass=5 mid=5 treble=7 or therabouts.

We will develop this idea and replace the preset with a complete Fender-like tonestack in the very near future, as this seems to be a valuable feature to a lot of people, me included.

And me.....

I want to comment on the 'preset' aspect of the fender circuit that Jon talks about: even as a "pre-set', there is still a very wide range of eq available from the amp's T, M & B controls.

It's possible to go from a seriously mid-cut fender-y sound, similar to a SFPR at 7, 7, right round to a quite fat sound which I'd describe as a nearly flat response with a bit of edge, ( T=0, M=10, B=5) just by using the amp's existing controls.

I asked Jon to boost the midrange in my particular 'Fender' setting, and my guess is that Jon might be willing to do that for others too.

[Jim Soloway]

Thanks to you both, Jon and Chris. This is REALLY useful information.

[MaxTwang]

The "Fender-like" setting has a tone shaping circuit, based on a preset Fender AB763 tonestack, inserted in the signal path. This gives the characteristic mid-cut which the Fender produces, it's a completely different sound than the flat response of the normal Mambo sound.

The objective is to give the amp more versatility. You can vary this tone using the Mambo's bax tone controls but it is a preset, comparable to a fender set to bass=5 mid=5 treble=7 or therabouts.

We will develop this idea and replace the preset with a complete Fender-like tonestack in the very near future, as this seems to be a valuable feature to a lot of people, me included.

Will the tone stack be switchable between Bandaxall and Fender-ish? Or will the amp be available with either Bandaxall or Fender-ish?

[JazzNote]

Is there a pricing & shipping portion of the website I'm not seeing, or is it necessary to contact Jon via email/telephone for this info? The site seems a bit devoid of details.

Congratulations on your new amp BTW!

Mambo Amp

Thanks helios. I remember that i found some prices on the website, but once i had decided to order one it seemed most practical to just send an email to Jon.

[Franz 1997]

Will the tone stack be switchable between Bandaxall and Fender-ish? Or will the amp be available with either Bandaxall or Fender-ish?

Jon hasn't checked in, but bearing in mind the current amp already has 3 basic voices ( one of them straight bax, one is bax with slight treble cut, and one of them is the fender pre-set) I really can't see any new version going to just an either-or configuration.

Love the dog pic.

[JazzNote]

IMHO the Mambo 8" sounds best on clean and deep position. If one is after the sound as documented on the guitar recordings by Rudy V.G. in the sixties, this setting nails it completely. No need for anything else really. But that's just me - playing my L5CES and Gibson Johnny Smith over the Mambo.

[jonmambo]

the new version has the same three position voice switch, labelled ; deep, normal, bright

currently this is (as Franz pointed out above); one of them straight bax, one is bax with slight treble cut, and one of them is bax with added Fender-like pre-set

the new version replaces the "bax with Fender-like pre-set" with a Fender type tone stack exactly ( i.e. the bax circuitry is swapped for AB763 type circuitry when the voice switch is in the "bright" position)

note; AB763 type just means same as AB763, appropriately scaled and with a slight mod to the mid control for more mid sweep range

reason for all this is; I play fusion / blues type gigs sometimes, for which I use my trusty and very heavy Mesa Boogie MK111 ( which has pretty much the same basic tonal circuitry as a Fender AB763) and a 335 type guitar, this mod allows me to leave my Boogie (and my car) at home and take the train to the gig.

From the comments I've received over the last 12 months, the preset is very useful for some players, i.e. for some players the pre 1960s flat frequency response is not enough, (that includes me); they need the option of the post 1960s mid-scooped (Fender type) response as well.

but not everyone agrees how the preset should be set, not surprisingly. Hence the move to a full Fender type tone control option on the same amp.

[jorgemg1984]

Jon you're making me very curious, one of these days I order a new head!

[Dennis D]

Jon hasn't checked in, but bearing in mind the current amp already has 3 basic voices ( one of them straight bax, one is bax with slight treble cut, and one of them is the fender pre-set) I really can't see any new version going to just an either-or configuration.

Love the dog pic.

Just to clarify, pls:

1. " Straight Bax " - - meaning B-M-T independent of each other - or inter-related ?

2. " Straight Treble Cut "..... ? .. Fender bias ? ...only comes into play at break-up ( meaning high-volume ) ?

3. " Fender pre-set "..that one I get......


If I were looking for only low-volume, and only clean - no break-up, w/ a little reverb - I'm guessing this amps work for that - -so which setting ? Is that the ' Clean and Deep ' ??

Thanks

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

No one on the Tele forum (besides joint members here) seems to know about these amps. Here we truly are the ... <drum roll/> ...

[pingu]

That's a great design idea Jon ....
One amp to rule them all !

Did you find a good Neo speaker
for it yet ?

[MaxTwang]

the new version has the same three position voice switch, labelled ; deep, normal, bright

currently this is (as Franz pointed out above); one of them straight bax, one is bax with slight treble cut, and one of them is bax with added Fender-like pre-set

the new version replaces the "bax with Fender-like pre-set" with a Fender type tone stack exactly ( i.e. the bax circuitry is swapped for AB763 type circuitry when the voice switch is in the "bright" position)

note; AB763 type just means same as AB763, appropriately scaled and with a slight mod to the mid control for more mid sweep range

reason for all this is; I play fusion / blues type gigs sometimes, for which I use my trusty and very heavy Mesa Boogie MK111 ( which has pretty much the same basic tonal circuitry as a Fender AB763) and a 335 type guitar, this mod allows me to leave my Boogie (and my car) at home and take the train to the gig.

From the comments I've received over the last 12 months, the preset is very useful for some players, i.e. for some players the pre 1960s flat frequency response is not enough, (that includes me); they need the option of the post 1960s mid-scooped (Fender type) response as well.

but not everyone agrees how the preset should be set, not surprisingly. Hence the move to a full Fender type tone control option on the same amp.

Bax + bax deep + AB763 + satisfying to a Boogie lover = Sold!!!

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Two can play that game, Maxie!

[jonmambo]

just a note to clarify some jargon ;

bax; refers to a particular active tone control circuit, with more or less independant bass and treble controls, (sometimes a middle control too) this type of tone control used in many / most hif fi amplifiers, Polytone, Mambo

there's another similar sounding tone control circuit, but completely passive, often refered to as "passive Bax" or " James" , used in hifi, Ampeg, some more recent solid state amps and others

both "Bax" and "passive Bax" ( aka James) tone controls are a high/low shelf EQ. With the controls set central the frequency response is approx flat. A Bax-type tone control is capable of a mid-hump, which a Fender-type tone stack is unable to accomplish.

refs;
James, E. J. "Simple Tone Control Circuit: Bass and Treble, Cut and Lift," Wireless World, February 1948, p. 48-50
Baxandall, P. J. "Negative Feedback Tone Control," Wireless World, October 1952, pp. 402-405

(note neither Baxandall or James were the inventors exactly, but they were the first to get widely published)

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Thanks, and here I thought his name was James Baxandall!