The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Little Jazz came apart again. Simple except for the speaker, which is glued to front baffle from outside with very strong clear translucent adhesive. Horribly sticky not so easy to take out without damaging vinyl tolex surrounding it. So be warned its easy to slip and tear/damage be warned if removing. This was the third time i had taken speaker out and it was still very well bonded. The speaker leads attached to the speaker basket are FIRMLY clamped/crimped. I did detach those wires, afraid of ripping the little cardboard type speaker terminal off. so just balanced on the top and tilted etc.


    Power Amp Chassis comes off easily. all neatly layed out etc, why they need a fan is beyond me. perhaps some one can make sense the number 160217 on the speaker cone


    ....a little bit of that generic white damping material inside, it is ported as seen from rear outside, the amp chassis is not in the same void/space as the speaker. the power amp chassis speaker lead goes through small hole, filled/blocked with some thick mastic/glue so is sort of airtight-ish.


    I was under the impression this amp would only probably have parts amounting to approx £55. i am guessing but know that power boards can and are bought pretty cheaply, speaker £20 ish. probably a cheap NEO made in China????? Small MDF cabinet, vinyl, handle. designed in Italy assembled in Indonesia as per rear label.

    In 2 parts next with speaker photos

    DV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-1-jpgDV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-2-jpgDV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-3-jpgDV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-4-jpgDV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-5-jpgDV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-6-jpgDV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-7-jpg

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Speaker photos, perhaps some one can make sense the number 160217 on the speaker cone

    DV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-11-jpgDV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-9-jpgDV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-10-jpgDV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-8-jpgDV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-12-jpgDV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-13-jpgDV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-14-jpg



  4. #3

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    Terrible, looks like a piece of junk. Here’s a good exemple how a cheap product can be so expensive.

    Too many people enjoy the sound but I never was persuaded by my friends who play with it.

  5. #4

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    The speaker looks nothing like Neo to me. It's labeled MarkBass, but they don't offer replacement speakers so no clue about the specs. With a 8" Neo, the weight should be 1-2 lbs less at least. Would the figures on the cone be a date mark, Feb 17, 2016? Matches with the smaller date sticker 2016 03 30 on the PCB.

    As for the component prices, there's quite a bit of copper in the ring transformer, and somebody/-thing has wound it. People are happy to pay serious money for magnetic pickups, whose material costs are quite modest except for AlNiCo magnets. I know nothing of electronics, but believe this transformer is part and parcel of the proprietary DV Mark amp design. Cheap Class D amps from China don't have anything like it despite similar power ratings.

    Early LJ's had the fan running all the time. It was a deal-breaker for many. Mine was like that. Later ones have a thermal switch. My Micro 50 needs the fan extremely rarely.

    I think this dissection is valuable info for anyone intent on a speaker swap for a LJ. A glued-in speaker is unusual and unduly complicates the swap.

    Pardon me, but what has forced you to disassemble your LJ (again)? Haven't visited your previous posts on the subject.
    Last edited by Gitterbug; 04-13-2020 at 04:36 PM.

  6. #5

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    Somewhere there should be a 6 digit speaker manufacture code with digits identifying the maker and others denoting the date of manufacture.

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by lawson-stone
    Somewhere there should be a 6 digit speaker manufacture code with digits identifying the maker and others denoting the date of manufacture.
    hi Lawson in my first post i wrote this** you must have missed .

    perhaps some one can make sense the number 160217 on the speaker cone

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gitterbug
    The speaker looks nothing like Neo to me. I.

    Pardon me, by what has forced you to disassemble your LJ (again)? Haven't visited your previous posts on the subject.

    Gitterbug

    .bored with virus lockdown, Took it apart because my very nature NEEDS to know whats in there. its not that difficult to disassemble but one needs to just be very careful, it is not complicated in the slightest , just strongly glue.in

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cordalis
    Terrible, looks like a piece of junk. Here’s a good exemple how a cheap product can be so expensive.
    Too many people enjoy the sound but I never was persuaded by my friends who play with it.

    You are right, it's a cheaply made piece of solid state electronics. That's is the point. It is supposed to be cheap and it is.
    We have the 1) company (DVMark) who designed it, 2) the real manufacturer (China I suppose?), and the 3) retailer all who need to get a profit, or this product doesn't exist! Ha!!

    I have one, the Jazz 12 for which I paid $379 (USD) with free shipping last month. I wouldn't have paid $499.
    It has a fairly nice warm sound and is very lightweight, so I purchased it for convenience. Nothing will make it sound like a good tube, which is no surprise, of course.
    I have considered sending it back several times. But, if I wanted a really good small amp, I would have to spend $1000-$1500 for something real.(point-to-point)

    Thanks for posting those photos! Interesting.
    PD

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Durban
    hi Lawson in my first post i wrote this** you must have missed .

    perhaps some one can make sense the number 160217 on the speaker cone
    I saw that, but the cone is not usually where the number is placed. It's usually stamped on the edge on the metal somewhere. There is no speaker manufacture with the 160 code that I know of.

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by PDeville
    You are right, it's a cheaply made piece of solid state electronics. That's is the point. It is supposed to be cheap and it is.
    We have the 1) company (DVMark) who designed it, 2) the real manufacturer (China I suppose?), and the 3) retailer all who need to get a profit, or this product doesn't exist! Ha!!

    I have one, the Jazz 12 for which I paid $379 (USD) with free shipping last month. I wouldn't have paid $499.
    It has a fairly nice warm sound and is very lightweight, so I purchased it for convenience. Nothing will make it sound like a good tube, which is no surprise, of course.
    I have considered sending it back several times. But, if I wanted a really good small amp, I would have to spend $1000-$1500 for something real.(point-to-point)

    Thanks for posting those photos! Interesting.
    PD
    its a pleasure sending i have the same opinion of all that have commented earlier here. (i was a player but ill health taken its toll) i have several Polytones and 1978 Roland Cube orange all far far far better than L jazz, to be fair LJ is not that expensive and it is portable light and looks cute a bit like a fiat 500 cute but shit.


    what you need to remember some hear cant hear that well, so LJazz is probably fine for their needs. or abilities i hope this is not offensive it is not intended to be.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Durban
    Gitterbug

    .bored with virus lockdown, Took it apart because my very nature NEEDS to know whats in there. its not that difficult to disassemble but one needs to just be very careful, it is not complicated in the slightest , just strongly glue.in
    You and I could definitely be friends.

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Durban
    its a pleasure sending i have the same opinion of all that have commented earlier here. (i was a player but ill health taken its toll) i have several Polytones and 1978 Roland Cube orange all far far far better than L jazz, to be fair LJ is not that expensive and it is portable light and looks cute a bit like a fiat 500 cute but shit.

    what you need to remember some hear cant hear that well, so LJazz is probably fine for their needs. or abilities i hope this is not offensive it is not intended to be.
    It's convenient and serves a specific purpose, so, it's alright. My zoomG5n through some old powered monitors sounds nicer. (of course it's modelling gear, maybe not a fair comparison.)

  14. #13

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    picture showing the fan as its not so easy to make out, even with the back off not much shows, but most know this, as back is easily removed.

    DV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-4a-jpg

  15. #14

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    check this unbelievable 35watts Tweed 10" speaker for £89.99, In the late 80's i played Pro with Peavey Classic 30 all American then great amp a bit heavier but i was healthier. i see they go for £580 now and then this i am certain wont be same quality but the price is what you pay new for just a new Peavey Blue Marvel type speaker here UK etc etc.

    So Little Jazz your components must $19.95 ha ha

    link i have NOTHING to do with anyone selling or making these amps.

    SubZero Tweed V35RG Guitar Amp at Gear4music

    DV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-preview-jpg
    DV Mark Little Jazz - Disassembly-preview-1-jpg

  16. #15

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    This begins to sound like bashing a Ford Pinto. The difference is, LJ is being used to satisfaction by serious musicians on serious occasions. What do you guys expect to see at this price point? Solid state, digital effects, printed circuit boards and max. automatization in a low-cost country make products like this possible. How good it is depends on the circuitry design and the quality (= reliability and consistency) of the components. The speaker can't be all bad either, if so many owners think it's ok.

    Dismantle any modern mass-produced amp and I bet you will see more of the same. None different from home electronics. When did you last buy a US or truly European-made TV set or phone? Even if it says made in EU, the components all come from Asia and spend a few minutes on a robotized conveyor belt somewhere in Eastern Europe.

    Still on the set of figures stamped on the cone: the most likely explanation is the date the cone was formed. It comes from one subcontractor, the magnet from another, the voice coil often from yet another, the basket from a sheetmetal stamper. The speaker factory shakes them all together; glues, magnetizes, tests, stamps, labels, puts in cartons, stores and ships. Hence, you may find more than one date code on the same speaker.

    Edit: The amp you point out is an incredible value, provided it sounds any good and holds together. It sure looks more expensive than the LJ, and a real spring reverb is a plus. But it's solid state and from a different planet than your ex-Peavey. BTW, had one of those, too, and it gave a loud bang whenever I turned it off. I have a Knoxville 12-string Tele from Gear4Music, also 99 GBP, all ash, individual saddle adjustment for each string, stable neck with low action. A luthier figured it had cost 3,000. Indeed, we are paying for the brand. That goes for the Fenderites and Gibsonites of this Forum, too.
    Last edited by Gitterbug; 04-13-2020 at 04:59 PM.

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by Durban
    its a pleasure sending i have the same opinion of all that have commented earlier here. (i was a player but ill health taken its toll) i have several Polytones and 1978 Roland Cube orange all far far far better than L jazz, to be fair LJ is not that expensive and it is portable light and looks cute a bit like a fiat 500 cute but shit.


    what you need to remember some hear cant hear that well, so LJazz is probably fine for their needs. or abilities i hope this is not offensive it is not intended to be.
    I have a 73 deluxe reverb, a babybrute and an LJ and love all 3 of them and they all have their purpose. Actually, most of the time i plug in the LJ. Guess i don't hear well...

  18. #17

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    Finally, definitive proof that the sub $400 Little Jazz is not an $1000 plus amp.

  19. #18

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    Does it really matter if it’s all on a PCB? I mean once it’s broken it’s junk and that’s a shame. But in terms of what the thing is designed to does it impair the function of the unit in some way?

    i think we should get into maintaining and keeping gear going rather than buying cheap disposable crap... but I’ve been there when I didn’t have other options. RIP ZT Lunchbox, a few hundred gigs before landfill...

    Point to point is like a maintenance thing primarily. Yer cork sniffers might claim there’s a difference, but the circuit works in the same way. Glued in speakers are a drag though.

    but I presume they are made at the same factory as the Mark Bass amps? And everyone uses those... bass players love that shit. Light, reliable, good sounding.

    the little jazz would have done for me at one point. (Although now I’m in the market for a good quality class D preamp.... the Seymour Duncan any good?)

  20. #19

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    I am really happy with mine. I have owned a number of really nice tube amps (Matchless, Fender, Gibson Trace Elliot, Marshall) that sounded amazing - and strained my back. The LJ sounds quite fine to my ears. And is more portable than any amp I’ve owned. I don’t expect point to point handwired boutique build quality at the price point of the LJ. I feel as though I got my money’s worth.

  21. #20

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    I have a good opinion about the sound of the amp, but not about the absolute sloppy construction and quality control (?). It’s below the reasonable.

  22. #21

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    Can someone explain the aspects of the construction that are inadequate?

    I don't have a trained eye for that sort of thing, except for noticing that the pots and maybe the jack are soldered into the board. I know, from repeated experience, that it's better to have them mounted to the chassis with short leads. Of course, that's a pretty common thing, even on some more expensive amps.

    What is likely to fall apart on this thing as a result of the construction problems?

    Would a Henrikson look much different? In what way?

    BTW, I have one and have been using it happily for almost everything I do. I can get my sound. It's louder than I'd have thought. Easy to transport. And, not expensive compared to the alternatives at that weight. So far, after about 15 months of regular use, not a problem. I even dropped it once.

  23. #22

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    I suppose the OP is eloquent enough. But once the box is closed the “problem” disappear. At the end, the most important is the music coming out of it.

  24. #23

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    From what I see, they use hot glue to stabilize most of the capacitors. It is extra work, maybe a good idea in that crammed amp? Cables seem rightly managed and secure. Could you elaborate a bit on what you consider to be bad construction?

  25. #24

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    For instance, and taking your words, it’s not natural to me to use hot glue to stabilize (from what?) welded small components on a PCB. And those boards are crammed, as you said, not exactly compacted. Why don’t they use that extra time you refer to improve the engineering design on the desk instead of the factory?

    Obviously, this is not a German or Danish concept amplifier, Everything suggests me an amateurish planning on such a well succeed product (maybe because of it) and I think it’s possible to do the same amp with better procedures while keeping the price. In fact, there’s some alternative products in the same range and some examples are shown, but allow me to present another one: Kestrel - '57 Princeton / Champ - 10 Inch | BirdSong

    See the price? Hand made in Europe, point to point, tubes... etc.

    I made my comments based on the OP, that gives some reason to other complaints about the consistency of the amp, and I’m not engaged on having reason on my comments, certainly I haven’t, but it’s not bad to be more demanding with the suppliers of our gear. If they improve their products everybody will win something. And chatting with you contributes to my lockdown.

  26. #25

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    In case LJ critics haven't noticed, there's a live thread on the amp, starting from 2013 and still going on, with 402 replies and 107,092 views. I have better things to do than read each and every post, but just skimming, most are very positive, especially after MK 2 eliminated the constantly running fan. That happened 4-5 years ago.