DV Mark Little Jazz

[Longways to Go]

I just received mine and here is a quick honest review. It does not sound "45 watts", it is almost as loud as a Lunchbox with MUCH better bass response. I could play virtually every gig that I play with this amp. The fan is annoying as hell, it will either have to be replaced or turned off. Those of you who think that all the snobby jazz guys are just too finicky about the fan, think again, the fan sucks big time, or blows, depending on your preferred phrasing. It sounds just like an electric space heater running in the middle of a room. However, the tone of the amp is excellent, so if I can do something about the sound of the fan, it will probably be a keeper. As someone pointed out, the finish isn't all that great, as the tolex job seems to be sub-par, but it does feel pretty durable. We'll see.

Strickland, your impressions are 100% right on with mine. I did the fan off switch last fall & I am 100% satisfied with that result. Easy enough to turn the fan on for louder gigs -- though I'm still not sure what it takes to build up heat on this little amp -- louder that I go I guess. I find the fan annoyance factor is mainly an issue with solo practice. I like this amp alot.

Little Jazz is a cool amp, cheap, but with some warts. So nobody is making the perfect very small cheapish jazz combo out there IMO. I wish they would, but in the meantime Little Jazz is 1/3 the price of the new Henriksen Little Bud . . . and Mambo isn't too easy to get in the US . . .

I want 120 watts, 8" speaker, 3 knobs + reverb, tilt back, jazz voiced, under $500. . . still dreamin'

[Strickland]

I have a gig this Thursday, I'll let you guys know how the Little Jazz survives. It's a museum gig with an acoustic grand piano, violin, upright bass, and acoustic drums. The violin and the bass will be plugged into small amps, and the drummer plays with brushes. However the rooms are very large and tend to echo. I bet it works just fine. I've already ordered a quieter fan, so I'll be voiding the warranty in short order.

[Strickland]

Gig played last night in a room about half the size of your average high school gymnasium. This was with myself and the Little Jazz, a grand piano, upright bass with an amp, violin with an amp, drums and a trumpet. The Little Jazz cut through just fine. We even had an old fellow tell us that we were too loud (you know how that is). The fan was not noticeable in the live setting. It's very annoying in the living room, but imperceptible on a gig. I managed to walk into and out of the engagement in one trip with an ipad under one arm, music stand and little jazz in one hand (cord and boost pedal in music stand bag), and guitar and guitar stand in the other hand. Just what I was looking for. The bass response was not weak at all, actually better than many full size amps that I've used including a Deluxe Reverb RI that I used for years.

[Strickland]

I replaced the noisy fan with an ultra quiet one (12db). Since it's a standard 40mm x 10mm fan (like used in computers) it's really easy to do (no soldering, just plug out / plug in new one. Since then, it's really quiet, so all is good, and, since you're not drilling or soldering, you won't void your warranty. Dirt cheap, as well. You can find some here: Ultra-Quiet 40mm Fans . Still as happy with the dvmark as on day one...

I bought a new ultra quiet 40mm fan, but the plug is different. Any advise beyond consulting an electrician?

[Brubra]

It's actually really easy to do. looking at the connector on the fan you got, you can see three (or two, depending on the model) slots. Inside these slots , you see the metal tubes which go over the pins on the board. Use a knife or very fine screwdriver to depress the little hook that keeps the tube in the plastic connector while gently pulling the wire. The little 'tube' comes out easily. Do the same with the fan you removed from the amp, and simply switch the plastic part of the connector. If it doesn't fit 100%, no worries: there is enough friction between the pins on the board and the ubes to keep it snugly in place. Took me all of five minutes including taking apart the amp. The change is spectacular; the amp goes a lot quieter.

Good luck!

[Strickland]

Ok, the connector looked to be slightly different sized. I'm a risk taker, I'll stick it on there and see what happens. Thanks.

[Brubra]

Very little risk involved; no worries, just go for it! Doing it this way, you can return the original fan should you have to return it; you won't lose your warranty.

keep us posted!

[Strickland]

Yeah, you have to remove the entire back and unplug the fan. Mine had all of the wires bundled very tightly with zip ties, those will need to be snipped as well. I'm going to give it a try though. Probably tonight. If you guys never hear from me again.....you know what happened. My wife will probably be selling guitars at a discount.

[Brubra]

Detailed instructions for fan removal: (in this order!)

- change your will. Leave all your guitars to me.
- do not unplug the amp from the wall socket.
- follow the fat wires coming from the wall, and firmly grap the exposed copper contacts. Hang on for five minutes (just to make sure).
- you fried - me happy and all is good with the world!

JUST KIDDING - definitely remove the mains cable before messing with the amp...

[Wes Fan]

Brubra, No problem at all. My problem was that I ordered the 3pin fan when I should have ordered the 2pin. I see what to do now. I ordered a 2 pin version today. Should be an easy fix. I just spent and extra 8 bucks, but I'll recover from the financial loss.

Could you post a link to the 2-pin fan you ordered? Thanks!

[Strickland]

Could you post a link to the 2-pin fan you ordered? Thanks!

Ebay. I ordered this one. I'm sure you can get a quicker one. My 3pin version was rated at 12db, and this one is 15db, but still substantially less than the one that the amp comes with.

PC Computer Case Cooling Fan Cooler 2pin Ultra Silent Low Noise 40mm 40x40x10mm | eBay

While I'm installing this one, I think I will go ahead and do the on/off switch as is looks pretty simple.

[bjazzy]

Hi All -- received my DV Mark Little Jazz a few days ago. Initial impressions are very favorable--this is a great little jazz amp!!! Plugged in my D'Angelico / Vestax New Yorker and it sounded absolutely wonderful right from the first note--nice fat and rounded tone, chords were crisp and jazzy sounding and there was not a hint of harshness on any note on any string. Everything seemed well-balanced with tone controls set on 12 .o'clock. The sample videos on youtube are a true representation of the sound. The fan was audible when the amp was at ear level but I but the amp on the floor and tilted it back about 45 degrees so it is not a big problem for me. Might eventually do the fan swap.
I'll try it out with bass and drums in the next week or so.
Bill

[Rob MacKillop]

I just got mine today, and tested it with my Gibson 355 reissue of their 1963 model. The guitar sounds good, but I don't like the fan at all. I have a quieter fan to try, and if that doesn't satisfy, back it goes. Crazy design fault.

[Zydeco-Bill]

The fan noise does not bother me a bit. Purchased a small low noise fan but did not fit it. Little more preoccupied with the tad excessive low end. Have added a tube preamp before the amp and getting a fabulous sound. The replacement fan will work fine. This is a high utility small amp for home and auditorium. The direct line to the house PA works great with good on stage sound on hand to provide monitor facility and listening.

[bjazzy]

Hi everybody: I used my DV Mark Little Jazz in a combo setting a few nights ago--there was a fairly aggressive drummer, acoustic bass, piano, flute and tenor sax. I was totally impressed with the beautiful warm and jazzy tone -- and volume and bass available--simply awesome! The amp was loud enough for solos and comping but I did have the volume all the way up and my guitar about 3/4 the way up so not sure how much more headroom there was left. Also I had the bass turned almost off which turns down the volume somewhat. Overall I loved the sound and I got some enthusiastic compliments on my sound.

Bottom line:--the DV Mark Little Jazz way exceeded my expectations in a group setting and it sounded just as good in a combo setting as it does in my rehearsal room (which sounds great).

BTW I play a Vestax / D'Andelico NY2 and also have a Polytone V (which I'll still use for larger venues).
Bill

[Rob MacKillop]

I'm attempting to install a quieter fan, but can't get the back off the amp. I've taken out all the screws, but that hex key one just keeps turning forever. Advice?

[Longways to Go]

did you get the two hex key screws that come up from the bottom where you need to remove those two access hole covers? They did take an awfully long time to unscrew as I recall.

[newsense]

If I recall there is also one you don't want to unscrew, which is the one that attaches the ring transformer to the back. That's possibly the one that just keeps spinning round.

Longways has it right - there are two rubber caps on the base which hide the vital screws. I would post a photo, but I sold my Little Jazz some time ago ! It was too dark and muddy to my ears.

[Rob MacKillop]

I see the caps you mean. But after playing it for a while, I'm also feeling it is muddy. Trying various settings. I have a new guitar arriving in a week or so, and will wait until I get that. It's the Eastman ar371, which can be a little bright, so I'm hoping the amp and the guitar balance each other. I'm finding the fan to be very annoying. Even my wife, who has learned to switch off when I'm practising said, "What's that noise?" and she wasn't referring to my playing!

[Rob MacKillop]

I hope I haven't completely screwed it up by turning that hex screw? Seems to still be working fine.

[newsense]

It's the Eastman ar371, which can be a little bright, so I'm hoping the amp and the guitar balance each other.

I found it unsatisfactory even with my Eastman AR403. Although I said earlier "muddy", I'm not sure that describes it properly, but I somehow I wasn't happy with the tone.

[Rob MacKillop]

Well, I've decided to return it to Thomann. I really can't live with any degree of noise other than the noise I make with the guitar. I also tried the headphones socket with good-quality headphones, and it's just as bad - lots of hiss, plus I could still hear the fan.

Other people love it. Maybe some fans are louder than others? And we shouldn't have to replace fans, install on-off switches, etc. No, it's just not for me.

[Longways to Go]

Too Bad. You are correct -- the fan is a ridiculous design flaw! What a crazy mess. All is good with my fan-kill switch so far. I love the sounds from my Little Jazz & play it most all of the time. Tone & EQ works great for me - keeps me from gassin' for a Henriksen Little Bud or Mambo or some other big $$ unit so far . . .

[eblydian]

Well, I've decided to return it to Thomann. I really can't live with any degree of noise other than the noise I make with the guitar. I also tried the headphones socket with good-quality headphones, and it's just as bad - lots of hiss, plus I could still hear the fan.

Other people love it. Maybe some fans are louder than others? And we shouldn't have to replace fans, install on-off switches, etc. No, it's just not for me.

I totally agree with you Rob. I have a DV Mark LJ too and it will be up for sale soon. I cannot recall playing any amp from low budget to high end having so many design flaws combined. I could live with the fan noise, but the headphone output hiss is atrocious. And I've never been happy with the sound either.

[Rob MacKillop]

Well, this amp seems to divide people.