The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #301

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell
    previously drug-ravaged
    I resemble that remark. Or at least after 29 years clean I guess I used to resemble that remark.

    As for Fender vs the world and tubes vs solid state ... I would remind everyone of two closely related sayings ... "different horses for different courses" and "different toys for different boys".

    I do like Fender and Fender type amps (or at least the black face and silver face versions) but they're mostly bigger and heavier than I'm prepared to deal with at my age and if their bigger than a Vibro Champ, they give their best efforts at volume levels for which I no longer have much use.

    Regarding tubes vs solid state, I thinks it's almost certainly true that tubes have a more dynamic response but I'm no longer convinced that greater dynamics in an amp are necessarily a good thing. I'd prefer to have the dynamics come from my playing than my gear. Just my personal taste as an active control freak.

    As for the DV Mark amps, the only one I've played so far is my Jazz Micro 50 head mostly powering my Buscarino Chameleon cab. I love this amp. The response is even, warm, thick and smooth. The preamp is beautifully voiced and incredibly easy to dial-in. Unlike some solid state jazz amps, it has a responsive feel and I feel both inspired and very much in control when I'm playing through it.

    I ordered the Little Jazz for a few of reasons. First, I'm living in a very big city now with a car and with no immediate plans of buying a car. The Little Jazz strikes me as a great solution to how to deal with that limitation. Coupled with my Soloette Songbird Jazz travel guitar, I'll be able to play a small gig with the least and most portable gear I will have ever had. Second, because of the line out and the single conventional speaker, I expect the Little Jazz to be a lot easier to record, both direct and with a mic than my head/cab rig. And third, unlike guitars (which I tend to play for months at a time), I like to switch between two amps fairly frequently but I like them to be close enough that the change is not a radical departure. If the Little Jazz come even close to the sound I'm getting now (which I suspect it will), then I'll probably be thrilled.
    Last edited by Jim Soloway; 09-30-2018 at 10:56 PM.

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  3. #302

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell
    I'm not sure why Fender amps became popular in jazz
    Could it be that they've delivered the kind of tone almost all Jazz players of the past and most of the present actually like?

    Just a thought...

  4. #303

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    Jim,

    Hi! It’s Tom Salvo. Here the Little Jazz is fairly accessible. I just picked one up on sale and have to say I like it a lot for what it is. Very small and light and a much bigger sound than one would expect.

    At first, with all the EQ set at neutral I was a little concerned it might be too dark, but that was with my ears tuned to blackface Fenders. Then I had a more objective listen, and started to play around with the three band, particularly the mids, and found it to be fairly versatile.

    I would say in very general terms that it’s in the Polytone camp - but not exactly, with its own thing going.

    Glad and your life is taking you in an exciting and positive direction! Although I do miss the temptation of new guitars on the Soloway website I think you’ll get a kick out if the amp!

  5. #304

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    Quote Originally Posted by Fusionshred
    Jim,

    Hi! It’s Tom Salvo. Here the Little Jazz is fairly accessible. I just picked one up on sale and have to say I like it a lot for what it is. Very small and light and a much bigger sound than one would expect.

    At first, with all the EQ set at neutral I was a little concerned it might be too dark, but that was with my ears tuned to blackface Fenders. Then I had a more objective listen, and started to play around with the three band, particularly the mids, and found it to be fairly versatile.

    I would say in very general terms that it’s in the Polytone camp - but not exactly, with its own thing going.

    Glad and your life is taking you in an exciting and positive direction! Although I do miss the temptation of new guitars on the Soloway website I think you’ll get a kick out if the amp!
    Hi Tom. Good to hear from you.

    That three band EQ is the same as my Jazz 50 head and it really sold me on these amps. It's just really voiced nicely.

  6. #305

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    Quote Originally Posted by LtKojak
    Could it be that they've delivered the kind of tone almost all Jazz players of the past and most of the present actually like?
    i can't imagine that has anything to do with it

    weird that the mark amps have been rejected in their native land. at least they found success elsewhere. forse questo apilificatore suona come la pasta?

  7. #306

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    Quote Originally Posted by feet
    weird that the mark amps have been rejected in their native land
    I've never said that, man. In Italy, the Mark brand is recognized as a "Bass" amp maker.

    Even with a very inventive team pushing technology with amp modeling among other things, the market of amps for guitar players remains dominated of the usual big brands. Fender for clean, Marshall for gain.

    For the record, in my neck of woods, almost all rehearsal spaces offer to their customers Mark amps for bass and Marshall amps for guitar. If you specifically ask for an alternative amp for guitar, a Fender Hot Rod is the one you'll most probably find yourself at your disposal. Commercial rehearsal spaces are slowly but surely renewing their Fender amps with Mustang IIs and GT100s. I've been told the main reason for the Mark and now the Mustangs is because of the lack of maintenance required.

    After over ten years of musicians growing accustomed to the tone palette they're offered to by them, most ended up buying the same amps for themselves.

    The Mark brand is thriving, with the biggest part of their income being export sales. No surprise there. Not even "boutique" amp makers like Brunetti and Barbarossa survive by local sales alone. All are exporting, mostly to Germany and the rest of the european anglo-saxon demographic and France.

    I know you Jazz guys are not much into amp and or synth modeling, but, fun fact... the biggest providers of guitar amp modeling for the world are both Italian: IK Multimedia and Overloud, with the latter providing their technology to several other brands, OEM-inbedded in their own products, like RCF and Toontrack, just to name two from the top of my head.

    Funny, over a third of the Italian revenue come from IP-based products, like Fashion, Pharma and other Design-oriented products and technology. Who do you think designed and provide the rotors of your Apache war helicopters?

  8. #307

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    It should probably be noted that relative to their competitors, DV Mark are also fairly new to the jazz guitar market. It's a market that changes slowly and DV Mark made a few design mistakes in their first generation amps that slowed down their acceptance. It seems to me that they have overcome the worst of those mistakes (the fan) and are now well under way. They seem to have made a real commitment to the jazz guitar market and I think they could ultimately have a huge amount of success in this market. Their amps are practical, easy to use and sound great. When I play through my Jazz 50 head I don't think of it as a good amp for the money. I just think of it as a great amp. When I decided I wanted and ultra-portable combo, I didn't order the Little Jazz because of the price (especially given the Mexican price). I ordered it because I've had such a great experience with the sounds I get from the head.

  9. #308

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
    DV Mark are also fairly new to the jazz guitar market. It's a market that changes slowly.They seem to have made a real commitment to the jazz guitar market and I think they could ultimately have a huge amount of success in this market. Their amps are practical, easy to use and sound great. I didn't order the Little Jazz because of the price but because I've had such a great experience with the sounds I get from the head.
    Jim, from what I've heard, Mark amps behave pretty well on the road as well.

    May you enjoy yours for many years to come in good health.

    Yours very truly,

  10. #309

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    Updating this aging thread...

    I am now finding that I prefer the amp on the floor but tilted with the front of the amp about 2-3 inches (~5 - 7.5 cm) off of the floor.

    I am not a skilled guitar player, however, I think I have developed a reasonable "ear" for tone.

    Cheers

    Dave

  11. #310

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    It's here, it's beautiful and it sounds great. Much more later but I am a very happy man.

    DV Mark Little Jazz-littlejazz-800-jpg

  12. #311

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    Awesome, I’ve been awaiting your feedback. Congrats and happy NAD! Think I’m going to pull the trigger on one myself.

    Anyone know where to get a black one in the US? I really prefer it to the white.
    Last edited by backdrifter; 10-09-2018 at 04:26 PM.

  13. #312

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    Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on tonal differences between this and the Bud (believe you owned one of those as well, right?). Due to the price difference and recent Bud price increase I’m strongly leaning towards the DV Mark.

  14. #313

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    Congrats!

    I´ve had my 12" dv mark jazz now for about 2 months and i´m still very very happy with it. I still haven´t bothered taking my tube amps out for a gig or rehearsals since i got it and now after getting used to an amp that is sooooooo light and sounds so good, i can´t see myself going back to lugging around a tube amp unless it it something really special that would call for that.

  15. #314

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    Wow, a black one. I have asked for that one at the German distributor not long ago - it's a limited edition, sold out, discontinued, no plans to reissue. Enjoy, it's a great little amp!

  16. #315

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    Well, I couldn't resist the temptation any more. I just ordered one from Guitar Center. They have a 15% coupon that brought the price down to $339 before tax with free shipping. The black color isn't available, but at the price I can live with white. It's backordered and expected to ship this coming Monday. With any luck, I'll have it in hand by mid next week.

  17. #316

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    Quote Originally Posted by boatheelmusic
    Jim, also interested in your comparison to the Bud...

    Thanks,
    This is actually for all of you who want a comparison with the Bud.

    I have to start this by saying that I have known Peter Henriksen (and his father Bud) since the company began. They are nice people who have always treated me very well and I believe in what they are doing as a company. Yes, I had problems with my Bud, but that's always a possibility with a piece of electronic gear. Their service is typically very good and the only thing that made it serious was that I was in Mexico when it happened.

    With that being said ...

    I also owned a Quilter Aviator 8 which should probably also be included in a comparison with the Bud and Little Jazz. These three amps are very different in every way other than being small and portable.

    All three have a very clear tonal direction and each have their fans and detractors as a result.

    The Bud is by nature a very dry sounding amp. It is quite well balanced and neutral verging on an almost PA-like sound. It's loud and sound disperses well because of the down pointed port. I found myself rolling off a lot of the high end to get a rounder, warmer sound. The effects loop is very effective and running a HOF-mini softened up the sound a lot. I was able to get a sound I liked out of all the guitar I tried it with but it took a bit of effort to warm it up and get it to sound a little more like a traditional guitar amp. Beyond the size, volume and sound dispersal, the greatest strength of the Bud is perhaps it's ability to be all things to all men but like many things designed for versatility, there was no single sound that made me feel like it was made for me. It's a great amp and probably every player on this forum would find it useful but unless you really like a dry, present sound, it may feel more like a useful tool than an extension of your guitar.

    The Quilter, like all Quilter's that I have tried had a very powerful mid-range presence that I have never been able bond with and never been able to completely get rid of in any of their amps. I know that I'm not the only one to have that issue but I also know that a lot of players love the Quilter line up at least in part because of that mid-range presence, so it should probably be considered depending on taste.

    On to DV Mark ... My first experience with their amps was the purchase of the Micro 50 Jazz head that I bought in the spring. I run that with an outstanding Buscarino passive Chameleon cabinet. It sounds great with that rig but I have also tried it with a very generic 1x8 cab that was built by a forum member and it sounded good with that as well. I bonded with the DV Mark head from the first time I plugged it in. It has a much more traditional guitar amp sound than the other two with a preamp that I found really easy to dial in right from the start. As I understand it, the Jazz 50 and the Little Jazz have the same amp and preamp and, if anything, the Little Jazz feels and sounds even more like a traditional guitar amp than my head/cab setup. Tonally, it is by far my favorite of these three amps. The sound is warmer than the Bud and easier to shape than the Quilter. There have been some negative comments here about the reverb on the DV MArk amps, but I like it on both the Jazz 50 and the Little Jazz. (You can judge for yourselves on the recording that I added to the OP).

    I bought the Little Jazz because my experience with the Bud in Mexico last winter convinced me that now that we're living here I should never have only one amp. We are also living with out a car now and if and when I ever get around to gigging here (which I do hope to do), the Little Jazz is much more portable than the head/cab setup.

    I may not be the perfect roll model for other players on this forum. I have spent most of my life playing non-archtops. My strings are light and I'm usually tuned down anywhere from one to four semi-tones (these days and in the recording I'm tuned down two semi-tones). I'm strictly finger picking. I play much further forward than most players and my touch is so light that I don't produce a lot of natural volume. That being said, I am what I am and for my personal taste the Little Jazz is probably my favorite of all of these amps with the Jazz 50/Buscarino rig coming a close second. These amps just work for me with very little effort. The basic sound fits my taste and the preamp is probably the easiest to dial in that I've ever used.

    One last comment ... I did not mention prices or values in these remarks and that was intentional. These are not comments on the perceived value but only on the usability of the gear. If all three amps were free and I had to choose, I'd still choose the Little Jazz.

  18. #317

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
    It should probably be noted that relative to their competitors, DV Mark are also fairly new to the jazz guitar market. It's a market that changes slowly and DV Mark made a few design mistakes in their first generation amps that slowed down their acceptance. It seems to me that they have overcome the worst of those mistakes (the fan) and are now well under way. They seem to have made a real commitment to the jazz guitar market and I think they could ultimately have a huge amount of success in this market. Their amps are practical, easy to use and sound great. When I play through my Jazz 50 head I don't think of it as a good amp for the money. I just think of it as a great amp. When I decided I wanted and ultra-portable combo, I didn't order the Little Jazz because of the price (especially given the Mexican price). I ordered it because I've had such a great experience with the sounds I get from the head.
    See what you mean about the poor Canadian pricing. MF sells them for $399 usd which is $533 cdn. The only place I found in Canada that sells them has them for $630. Almost a $100 premium. I can accept maybe a 10% increase due to the smaller size of our market. I guess I could ship it to my friend's US post office box and pay duty at the border.

  19. #318

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    Thanks for the review and comparison Soloway.

    When getting my 12" version of the amp I was choosing between Henriksen and the Dv mark. I was not thinking about the money, was willing to spend up to 2000$ on an amp at the time. But still ended up with the Dv mark.. just because i liked the sound and portability.

  20. #319

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    I don't think I'll add enough info to warrant a new thread, but I wanted to update this one. Thanks to the info and excitement here, I ordered my own Little Jazz. I initially ordered from Guitar Center with a 15% coupon, but it was back-ordered. I was waiting for it when I saw boatheelmusic's post above about a 20% coupon at Musician's Friend, but they had it back-ordered with a longer delivery estimate. Then my estimated ship date came and went, and I checked the Musician's Friend website again, and surprise, they had them in stock! So I canceled my order with GC and bought it from MF. Thanks for the heads-up, boatheelmusic!

    I have been looking for an amp that's easy to trasnport and is a good sonic match for a 1959 Epiphone Century that I inherited when my grandfather passed. I had recently played a Henriksen Bud and was really impressed. I really liked the size and shape and thought it sounded very good when I auditioned it with my Telecaster. I have other amps for other purposes, and I just couldn't justify the price point - especially after their recent price increase. After reading these threads, and waiting for Jim's feedback, I decided to take a chance on this little wonder, and I'm glad I did.

    I've played through it for a few hours now, and I'm really blown away. It sounds fantastic! It's a perfect match for the Epiphone, just as I had hoped it would be. My Epiphone has the "New York" single coil that has kind of a rustic, lo-fi charm to it (to my ears). The Little Jazz does a great job of emphasizing the clarity of the pickup while also capturing the thick warmth inherent to the guitar. It also sounds very, very good with my Telecaster, which is a nice bonus. It has a tremendous amount of low end which contributes to a very big and full sound. I think most people would be blown away if they heard this amp blindfolded and then saw where the sound was coming from. It's also quite a bit louder than I had anticipated. I had read concerns about volume limits, but it's more than loud enough for anything that I'll ever use it for, though granted I won't ever play with a drummer or more than two other players. One interesting point, which I read, is how much the mid knob affects the overall volume. It is drastic indeed. If you need a LOT of volume, it helps to turn the mids all the way up. I've seen this effect with other amps, but never to this level. Other than that, though, the EQ is very easy to dial in and I haven't really found a "bad" sound for my tastes yet. I've been happiest with the bass and treble just north of 12 o-clock and the mids exactly at 12 o-clock. The amp sounds great to my ears either way, but I prefer the sound a bit with the amp leaned back and pointing upwards a bit. Going back to The Bud, I won't pretend that I can provide a well-informed comparison since I tried them separately approximately a month apart, in different settings and with different guitars. Part of me remembers the Bud being more even and balanced, while the Little Jazz is more dynamic. I could just be stealing and paraphrasing Jim's comments and trying to turn them into my own thoughts, so take that with a grain of salt. But I will say this with confidence - the Little Jazz is NOT inferior in tone to the The Bud. Different, sure, but that comes down to personal taste. Considering the price difference, anyone interested in The Bud owes it to themselves to also check out the Little Jazz.

    I had also read both positive and negative reviews of the reverb, but like Jim, I think it sounds just fine. I wasn't too concerned with this, as I have a Strymon Flint that I planned to use if I didn't care for the reverb. However, the reverb sounds quite nice to me, and I wouldn't bother myself with bringing the pedal along to a jam or gig.

    I thought my brief review might provide another, and a different, data point. I read Jim's comments on his playing style, instrument, and strings of choice, and we're on opposite ends of the spectrum. I'm playing with a 50's Epiphone with Thomastik Infeld .012 flat wounds, a thick 3mm gypsy jazz style pick, and probably a heavier handed approach than I should have. My skill level also varies from Jim's, being quite a few levels beneath his lovely playing (which is why there will be no video)! None-the-less, the Little Jazz has me as pleased as he is, and I thought adding this info might convince others to give this great amp a chance. I certainly can't imagine many people being disappointed.

    I still greatly prefer the black model (which I couldn't find in the US), but the white looks pretty good in person. I think my biggest problem with it is that it's just too much white, and I'm not a fan of the white metal mesh over the speaker. I'm planning to remove the DV Mark logo and cover the metal grill with some standard amp grill cloth, perhaps in oxblood (like tweed amps) which will be easy and cheap, and I think will look much better to my eye.

    Thanks for reading my rambling thoughts, here are a few pictures for your trouble.



    Small, medium, large:

    Last edited by backdrifter; 10-19-2018 at 05:48 PM.

  21. #320

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    OK, at the risk of sounding fanatical now....

    I absolutely love this little amp! This morning, I plugged the amp into the 1x12 extension cabinet shown in the photos above. Two things immediately hit me: first, the overall potential of this dynamic little amp, and secondly, just how great the DV Mark team made this thing sound with an 8” speaker.

    The amp sounds big with the 8” speaker, but it sounds even bigger driving a large and powerful cabinet like this. It becomes even more full, deeper, and more authoritative. But, the bass didn’t increase as much as I expected. How they got so much bass out of such a small cabinet with an 8” speaking, I will never know, but it is truly amazing.

    The amp also has a very useful switch to turn the internal speaker on or off. I found that I enjoyed running both the onboard 8” speaker and the 12” cabinet together the most. The speakers really seem to compliment each other and it just fills the room like a much larger amp.

    I didn’t have any intentions to A/B this amp with my Two Rock since they’re two completely different amps with different purposes for me. But once the Little Jazz was stacked on top of the Two Rock, it was hard to resist the urge to compare them. Again, I was blown away. I regard my Two Rock as the best amp I’ve ever owned among dozens (it has kicked many other top shelf amps out of the house), and among the best that I’ve ever heard. It still retains that title, but it’s scary how close the DV Mark comes. If someone had told me that a 45W, 14 lb, solid state amp with an 8” speaker could sound nearly as good to me as the 50W tube driven Two Rock, I would’ve written them off as unbalanced. And yet, that’s how I feel. The Two Rock isn’t going anywhere, but I won’t feel like I’m missing out when I grab the Little Jazz and head out the door. Especially since it’s roughly 60 lb lighter than the head and cab set up!

    Again, at the risk of sounding fanatical, this is the best musical purchase I’ve made in quite a while!

    By the way, I did the comparison with the Two Rock with my Tele. The Two Rock is incredibly nuanced and brings out all of the subtleties of your playing. This is perfect with my Strat, but comes across a little too “hard” sounding with the hollow Epiphone. The Little Jazz is softer and rounder than the Two Rock, and perfect for the Epiphone. The Tele sits sonically in between the Epi and the Strat and fits both amps well. Interestingly, even the Strat sounds amazing through the Little Jazz though.
    Last edited by backdrifter; 10-20-2018 at 03:09 PM.

  22. #321

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    My report:

    With my ES175, the DV Mark micro 50 jazz head gets a fine "jazz tone" through my Fender George Benson Hot Rod Deluxe 12" extension cab (loaded with a Jensen C12K).

    This seems to be a much darker amp than my HRD (also with a C12K).

    For reference, ehe DV sounds best with tone controls straight up (bass rolled down a little and guitar controls rolled off just a bit).

    With the Fender HRD, bass and treble all the way down and mids about noon.

    I think the tone control circuitry in the DV is more like an Ampeg (Baxandall), but I like both amps and will keep both.

  23. #322

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    The amp finally arrived.

    I'd ordered from GC. $359. There was a delay of about a week from the promised ship date, but it arrived safe and sound in what looks like the manufacturer's packaging -- that is, brand new and factory sealed. I mention this because I saw a review by somebody who seems to have gotten a return or something.

    I recall reading something about fan noise, but I didn't hear a thing.

    My initial impression, playing alone in the practice room is that it is not a particularly loud amp, with a Roland 40x that I often use seeming significantly louder (that one has a bigger speaker, but probably similar wattage). When I cranked the Master to 3 o'clock, I didn't care for the sound on chords. It seemed distorted to me. But, when I cranked the output of my ME80 up to the max, the input stage of the Little Jazz didn't seem to mind and I got a louder, but still clean, sound. The amp bothered me less on lead lines, where I don't mind a little bit of distortion that much.

    I compared it to a vintage Ampeg Reverberocket, my favorite all time amp. Tubes, of course.

    This is an impossibly unfair comparison. The old Ampeg is fragile, weighs 2.5x as much, I'm accustomed to it, and it would easily cost 2 or 3 times as much, if you could find one.

    The Ampeg made things sound soft and creamy where the Little Jazz seemed glassy or icy, for want of a better descriptor. I wanted to soften the sound of the Little Jazz. I tried with EQ adjustments and different levels of reverb, to no avail. To my ear, it's a little stark or harsh, but that's a very subjective viewpoint and not necessarily something bad about the amp.

    I wasn't crazy about the reverb. I'm not worried about it, because I like the reverb in the Boss ME80 -- which I always use.

    So, so far, I love the size and weight (roughly a 10.5 inch cube and 15lbs) , but I'm not sure about the sound.

    I'll try in a rehearsal tomorrow and see how it does. I'm going to keep adding to this thread as I work through the evaluation.

    EDIT: The experiment described above was with the Little Jazz sitting on top of another amp. I didn't realize how much difference that could make, compared to flat on the floor.
    Last edited by rpjazzguitar; 12-20-2018 at 03:56 AM.

  24. #323

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    I find the 'mid' control has a profound effect on the overall volume of the amp- more so than on any other amp I've used.

    When I gig with mine the volume is somewhere between 5 and 7 on the dial with no audible distortion - mids are usually between 6 and 8 on the dial.
    I use a Nocturne JR Barnyard Preamp with mine to give it more of a tube amp feel.
    Last edited by entresz; 12-20-2018 at 01:41 AM.

  25. #324

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    The tone controls have a profound effect on both tone and, to a lesser extent, volume, especially the mid control. I tend to run my mid at ~1, highs maybe 11 or 12, and bass between 9 and 12 depending on the room and the guitar. But I generally start with everything at 12, or flat, and volume at ~10 or 11. I rarely crank the volume above 12, and don't often get there. It's just too loud for me at home, and even out unless it's a very loud situation. I try to avoid those. If you're looking for a Fender type sound, you won't get it from this amp. It's far closer to a Polytone sound.

  26. #325

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    One other point - it's rear ported, and position makes a big difference. It needs a foot or so from a wall, so the bass reflects off the wall. And flat on the floor, it's not a great sounding amp. It needs to be tilted or elevated. My preference is on the floor, tilted back. I just put something under the front edge to raise it 2 or 3 inches, and that makes a noticeable difference in the sound. Putting it on a chair or something to raise it up brightens it considerably, actually more than I like, but it's subjective. Anything is better than flat on the floor, though. And moving it just a few inches nearer or further away from something solid, like a wall or something else large and solid, can change the sound a lot. Experimentation will give you the best sound for your ears.