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Nice. I've used a Sequel amp and love them. Michael is a solid dude and knows his stuff. He's a player too, and a good one at that. 7 String. I like it when the person that makes and sells the product actually uses it and knows what it's intended to do. Congratulations on the score. I'm guessing you're going to like it!
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11-22-2018 06:30 PM
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Okay, so it was the Fane 12 AXA Alninco that was in the Ravine I sampled. Man, I've never heard a better sound from a small amp. I should have bought it!
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I'm hoping that speaker's in mine, since Michael also said the same thing. I see some blue in the auction photo, and that Fane 12AXA is blue from the research I did. Hoping it's a Fane with a cover on it. We'll see tomorrow!
Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
Ps. You can probably find a Sequal used and buy it if you're diligent on Reverb. Just setup a daily search/feed.
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They don't come up often. I've seen 2 since passing on that Sequel 5 years ago. What speaker was in yours? Originally Posted by beeswax
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Well, some excellent news. The amp just arrived, and it came with the FANE 12" AXA, 8ohms.
It even has a date code on it of 16 03 15, which I am thinking is March of 2016 based on what Michael said about them switching from these speakers a bit over two years ago. The downside is this speaker looks like it will be very close to the tubes, but Micheal and someone in this thread both agreed this is the best speaker in this amp, so that was great to see. If there are issues I'll go to the lower profile one.
Time to plug it in and see how it sounds...and hope UPS didn't destroy it!
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yeah, looked pic over again, the speaker posts (red-green) showed it was a fane..but the remedy to make it fit the cab is not a good one...they removed the bell cover..which protects the sensitive alnico mag from heat, dust, hits etc...not a good idea to run alnicos sans the bell covers...i get why they did it..it wouldnt fit otherwise..but not optimum..especially as the power tubes are right up on it
great speaker tho...but precarious positioning
cheers
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Originally Posted by neatomic
Man, that sucks so bad. Is there anything I can do to minimize issues?
The amp sounds AMAZING. Only got to play it 5 minutes so far, but incredible. Possible the best I have ever heard. The only thing I don't like is the reverb. It sounds wonderful, but when turned up, it gets noisy. I'm not sure why that is happening.
I'm giving it a 9/10. The only knock being the design/speaker issue and the reverb seems a bit noisy.
The tone is insanely good. Better than the clips on their website.
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might need to change out the reverb driver tube...prob a 12ax7..confer with michael
the speaker..you can always get remagnetized down the line if need be...prob the real reason they moved to wgs ceramic speakers
just play it and enjoy
cheers
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Thanks. Yeah it looks like a 12ax7, and those so I'll swap one out, and see if the reverb gets quiet. Originally Posted by neatomic
My band gigs are sometimes 3hrs or so. Should I give the amp a rest at times to prevent the speaker from having issues? There is about a finger to a finger and a half of space between the tubes and the speaker. I just played for about 25 minutes...the power tubes were hot, and the speaker had zero heat to the touch, which was surprising given how close they are.
What I don't understand is why he didn't put the power tubes off to the right where there is much more space.
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hah depends what kinda guy you are..cautious or wing it!!...i'd let it ride..but keep an ear out for any weird changes in tone down the line...
but in meantime play the thing and enjoy...prob sounds great with jm and duncan antiquities!!
cheers
ps- these days everyones trying to make a smaller lighter more compact combo amp, but with all the punch and greatness of big amps...compromises are made..transformers, tubes, speakers...lots going on...real estate is prime in a small cab
fact that its got good sized open back ..has some breathing room..really helps
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Yeah the heat can go out the large open back, which is nice. Surprisingly there was no heat on the speaker. Maybe somehow this works. Time will tell. I have practice tomorrow so I'll work it more. Originally Posted by neatomic
I look in the cab and see so much space on the upper right. Just seems he should have put the power tubes there instead of right behind the speaker. There must be some reason for it, but it's beyond my pay grade.
Man, this amp sounds great!
Going to swap the reverb tube now and hopefully fix that issue. It is super noisy past 3.
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Unfortunately the reverb is super noisy even with a new tube.
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Tomorrow I am going to bring the amp to a tech to diagnose the reverb noise. CME said to do this, which was very cool.
My initial review of the amp: the bass notes are so tight with a warm roundness to them. I've never heard anything like it. The highs are crystalline. Almost too pure. There is no room for bad technique using this amp. Anything can and will be heard. In that regard, it will make you a better player. The clarity and definition in all registers is insane. Onboard reverb, while noisy past ~1.5 on the dial, sounds very good even at that low setting. I imagine it will sound excellent if/once fixed. If so, this thing is going to be a lifelong amp. I can't fully recommend it yet until I figure out how serious the noise problem is.
On the phone, the amp technician said sometimes noisy reverb is as simple as loose cables, and sometimes it's a bad circuit design. I really hope it's not the latter. Will report back tomorrow with his findings. Oh, and played another half hour tonight...no heat on the speaker. I'm not sure how, but it's room temperature to the touch. The heat must be dissipating through the open back. 3hr band practice will be the true test, though that might not be until next Saturday if the amp is in the shop tomorrow night.Last edited by beeswax; 11-23-2018 at 11:31 PM.
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I think Weber offers AlNiCo speakers with or without the bell covers. You might see what their site says about it. I think the main function of the cover is to prevent impact. AlNiCo magnets are brittle and can be demagnetized by impact. I think they can also be demagnetized by touching another strong magnet. I doubt a tube a few inches away in an open backed cab could raise the magnet temp enough to demagnetize it. Wikipedia says alnico magnets can typically operate up to 1000-deg F. Bottom line: With reasonable care I wouldn’t worry about the cover.
Last edited by KirkP; 11-24-2018 at 02:26 PM.
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That confirms what I found, Kurt. From Jensen:
"Alnico speakers are available with or without an end bell (purchased separately). The end bell is for aesthetics only and has no effect on the sound of the speaker"
From what I read it's common to have no cover. I guess the only debate would be if it's okay when that close to the tubes in a combo.
Also, this image shows even without a cover, they still have a back plate covering the magnet.
http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...sum/page03.jpg
I'm thinking it will be fine under normal use, but I will ask the amp technician today. Amp design is not my forte at all, so this is all new. I'm sharing it here in case someone else has the same questions about this amp in the future.
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Originally Posted by beeswax
well the plastic bell cover does not affect tone..this is true..but beyond aesthetics, it does protect...from dust (magnetic particles accumulating on mag), heat and takin hits...bell covers certainly always a good idea...especially in open back cab or combo...
sans cover in a closed back speaker cab, your chances are way better...hence the option
cheers
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So, bad news from the tech. He feels it's a design flaw where there are too many components jammed too close, causing the noise. Here's a video of the issue. It's on an iphone, and actually sounds noisier in-person (listen with headphones if you can). You can hear a low 60hz hum at the very beginning when the reverb isn't even on, and then you can hear the more obvious noise when I engage the reverb.
I also attached an image so you can see inside. The tech (he actually builds amps) said to him the noise is unacceptable levels, and the reason he feels it's that way is all the components jammed closely together inside such a small space. Though, he said to truly get to the root of the cause he'd need more time with it. Said it could be a bad component, but is more likely a design issue. So, to those who own or played Ravines, did they make noise like this?
This is a real bummer. CME doesn't want to invest in fixing it due to the uncertainty of the issue, so I am likely going to have to return it. We're still trying to brainstorm how to get it fixed. The tech is going to write Michael and ask some questions to see if helps identify the issue, but if not it's a return. Hugely depressed. What a great sound otherwise.
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That’s too bad. Is the noise the same with the reverb tank disconnected? Have you tried replacing the tube immediately after the reverb tank? Those are easy things that might give you clues.
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Would that be the first power amp tube? I only tried replacing the 12ax7, since I think the reverb runs on that tube, and it did nothing. I'm not sure if the tech tried switching out that power tube. My guess is he did, but I can't remember him speaking to it specifically. The tech said the noise was there with the reverb tank disconnected, and I think that lead him to conclude it was something with the design. He didn't say that is 100% certain, but said components were very close inside and there were no bad wire connections or other common reasons. He only did a cursory 30 minute look over for obvious problems, though, because we were trying to keep costs down. He said he can pinpoint the issue better, but that will take a few hours. I asked CME if they'd approve that, and they said the uncertainty of that makes them prefer a return. We're trying to figure it out. CME says they go over these before shipping out, and it should not/would not be sent out like that, so it's possible it was damaged in transit, too. I'm hoping for a good outcome somehow, but doesn't look promising... Originally Posted by KirkP
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The Ravine I demo'd was noiseless. The amp was projecting from a dead quiet deep black background, much like a quality audio amplifier. That's what drew me to the amp...that and its exquisite tone. I don't use reverb. I'd still consider buying that amp.
That sounds like ground loop transformer hum
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Thank you, what is the cause of that, and what is the fix for that? Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
Also, thanks for letting me know yours was noiseless.
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looks like you have 4 tubes there...the leftmost is the octal preamp tube..the 12ax7??? is prob reverb driver...and then the 2 6l6's r power tubes
since the worst hum is just when the reverb is turned on..you can discount the octal and the power tubes...are u sure the smaller 2nd tube is a 12ax7?? it cld be they used a 12at7..also that could be a problem with the reverb pan..they are attached by very thin wires on each end..sometimes they disconnect and cause that kind of hum
if the tube is the right one..12ax7..then try disconnecting reverb pan from circuit...if hum goes..you know its on the pan side...
that kind of tightly packed amp can always be tricky..but i doubt thats the source of that reverb hum like that..it would have never left the factory if that was happening
check this quick vid
luck
cheers
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Typical household circuit noise. Refridgerators are a common culprit. That's why audiophiles will generally have dedicated circuits from their audio room directly to a homes circuit box. I used to have transformer noise. No more. That hum sounds like a typical 60 Hz transformer hum. I'd try the amp using an AC cheater plug. If the noise disappears, you know what the issue is. Originally Posted by beeswax
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That far left tube is a 6SN7. Old school audiophile tube. I use them in my audio preamps. Great tubes! Originally Posted by neatomic
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I’m puzzled. Typically an all-tube amp would need at least two triodes for the preamp, one or two for the phase inverter, and two or three dedicated to reverb. I only count four triodes in the Sequel, plus the two power tubes. I wish I could see a schematic.
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Poking through old Gibson amp schematics, I see that a few had an interstage transformer between the preamp and power amp, eliminating the need for tubes in the phase inverter. That would free up the 12AX7 to be dedicated to reverb. Attached is a Gibson schematic with an interstage transformer (with some mods to eliminate the field coil speaker).
Add a 12AX7 for reverb and you might have something like your amp. It would be interesting to see a photo of the other side to count transformers.Last edited by KirkP; 11-25-2018 at 12:41 PM.
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