Announcement

**Wizard of Ozz** · 10-22-2003, 09:58 PM

Re: New amp suggestions

Originally posted by jackson16:
where could i pick one up new? who has the best prices?

Talk to Rob at Guitar Asylum www.guitarasylum.com
Great guy, great service. You could also try Eddie at www.indoorstorm.com they sometimes have them instock.

**Twisteramps** · 10-22-2003, 10:36 PM

Re: New amp suggestions

Originally posted by Wizard of Ozz:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Twisteramps:
FYI - the 50/CL has the same amount of gain as an ultralead. Stevie Fryette told me this. It's basically an UL with a different power section and no dedicated 'clean' channel.
Pete

Not true... maybe you misunderstood him because if you look at the preamp design of the 50CL there are 4 X 12AX7s (3 gain stages + boost)... the UL has 6 X 12AX7s (4 gain stages + boost)... so that's not true. BTW If you ever plpay both side by side, the UL will eat the CL for lunch gainwise. Thats why VHT came out with the CLX... which is the UL preamp + CL power amp with EL34s... maybe he was talking about a CLX. <hr /></blockquote>Here's proof you're wrong on the UL and CLX preamps being the same, taken from VHT's website - they just finished discussing the Ultra Lead:

For those who prefer more power amp distortion and less preamp gain, the Hundred/CLX is the ultimate EL34-based amplifier delivering in excess of 100 watts RMS of smooth, dynamic Class A/B power into 4, 8 or 16 ohms.

Unfortunately on the website they only claim the 50/CL has the two most popular preamp gain channels... but again, Fryette posted it was a UL. Maybe the two you heard back to back had different tubes, or one had a weaker V1 tube, or something...

Pete

**Venomboy** · 10-22-2003, 11:12 PM

Re: New amp suggestions

Here's some ballpark VHT pricing:

VHT Pittbull 50CL w/eq: around $1699 new
VHT Pittbull 100CL w/eq around $1799 new

On ebay I've been watching VHT's for a while.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ory=10171&rd=1

100CL w/o eq that didn't sell twice so far. I think the BIN is reasonable for $1300. I think a JCF member sold a similar one on ebay for right around that price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ory=10171&rd=1

This 100CLX just sold for $1349 BIN. I'm kickin myself for not getting it. It didn't have the eq, but you can always run a pedal eq thru the loop.

ULs have been going for abouit $1800-2000 used on ebay recently.

Search ebay for the 50ST w/eq. Reasonable price too. My combo is the same but doesn't have an eq, so I run an MXR 10 band thru the loop. Without it, it doesn't have a ton of gain, but the loop adds sizzle and thump and makes it truly monstrous. Steve Fryette told me the CL has 1 more gain stage than the ST. I paid $825 for my combo which was used but in dead mint condition. I saw the same amp on ebay recently but it was going for around $999 I think.

The ST and CL are 2 channel. The CLX and UL are 3 channel but share the same tone controls for the 2 dirty channels. I *think* every VHT has a boost switch on the clean channel to get a smidgen of crunch. Every dirty channel has a boost switch to get more gain.

Also check out Boston Guitar Works: www.bostonguitar.com

They have some 50CL and 100CLs in stock w/eq I believe and they also ship nationwide.

**Wizard of Ozz** · 10-22-2003, 11:29 PM

Re: New amp suggestions

Originally posted by Twisteramps:
Here's proof you're wrong on the UL and CLX preamps being the same, taken from VHT's website - they just finished discussing the Ultra Lead:

For those who prefer more power amp distortion and less preamp gain, the Hundred/CLX is the ultimate EL34-based amplifier delivering in excess of 100 watts RMS of smooth, dynamic Class A/B power into 4, 8 or 16 ohms.

Actually you just proved yourself wrong! (LOL!) You said the CL has the same amount of gain as the UL, and this quote even says it has less.

**Wizard of Ozz** · 10-22-2003, 11:52 PM

Re: New amp suggestions

I think you're also confusing the terms gain & distortion. They each refer to different things.

**Lesser Known God** · 10-23-2003, 12:17 AM

Re: New amp suggestions

Just so there's no misunderstanding, the Veta ][ RULES! And it has the same software as the HD147. I'm just a dummy and prefer the dumbed down "Tweak it like you would a regular amp" type setup.

**Twisteramps** · 10-23-2003, 12:43 AM

Re: New amp suggestions

Get a Vetta I head, and upgrade it. I found a *new* one a few months ago for $999. If you need the digital out, you can add the board for $149 I think. DON'T get the combo... it's half the wattage, and openback cabs SUCK for distorted/heavy tones.

Just my opinion...
Pete

Originally posted by jgcable:
It is a tough decision for me too but I am going to go with the Vetta II as soon as I sell all my rack tube stuff. The HD147 is awesome too. There really is no compromise between tube and modeling in regards to either of these two amps so I really can't see any reason to cook tubes and use outboard effects anymore. To be able to go into the studio with the EXACT sound I use live is just too cool. It is now just up to whether I want a Vetta head or the combo.

**Twisteramps** · 10-23-2003, 12:46 AM

Re: New amp suggestions

You're not a dummy - you're just LAZY! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I got to play with an HD147 at the local Guitar Center, and it was really cool. I can see how just being able to spin a few dials could work well for most folks. I just really enjoy being able to tweak and dig in there, especially being able to run two amps at once.

BTW, if any of you guys get a HD147 or Vetta, let me know - I can help ya use a Behringer FCB1010 with em. It's not that hard to set up, and it sure as hell beats having to buy the expensive line 6 floorboards!

Pete

Originally posted by Lesser Known God:
Just so there's no misunderstanding, the Veta ][ RULES! And it has the same software as the HD147. I'm just a dummy and prefer the dumbed down "Tweak it like you would a regular amp" type setup.

**Twisteramps** · 10-23-2003, 01:05 PM

Re: New amp suggestions

Originally posted by Wizard of Ozz:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Twisteramps:
Here's proof you're wrong on the UL and CLX preamps being the same, taken from VHT's website - they just finished discussing the Ultra Lead:

For those who prefer more power amp distortion and less preamp gain, the Hundred/CLX is the ultimate EL34-based amplifier delivering in excess of 100 watts RMS of smooth, dynamic Class A/B power into 4, 8 or 16 ohms.

Actually you just proved yourself wrong! (LOL!) You said the CL has the same amount of gain as the UL, and this quote even says it has less. <hr /></blockquote>*sigh* the CLX listing above was with the UL. The 50/CL is an entirely different amp. Don't take my word for it, go to vhtamp.com and look em both up.

Pete

**Twisteramps** · 10-23-2003, 01:06 PM

Re: New amp suggestions

Originally posted by Wizard of Ozz:
I think you're also confusing the terms gain & distortion. They each refer to different things.

No, I think I'm ok. BTW, how many tube amps have you built or modded?

Pete

**jackson16** · 10-23-2003, 01:44 PM

Re: New amp suggestions

my gosh yall geneousese. Does it really matter which one of you is right? this is just about other amps than a mesa boogie. Yall probably have forgotten more about guitars and amps then Ill ever know. The 50 CL sounds pretty much what Im looking for. Through all this talk about capacitors and gain stages I got lost, so does the VHT 50 CL have a clean channel? Ive got an old Boss eq pedal that needs to be fixed but would that be just as good as the built in one of VHT's? Ive got to wait to get my amp back and sell it before I can get serious about the VHT.

**Twisteramps** · 10-23-2003, 03:03 PM

Re: New amp suggestions

LIke I said, the 50/CL doesn't have a dedicated clean channel. You can dial in a passable clean, but it's nothing great. The egnater TOL 100 and budda superdrive heads I owned had much much better cleans. Really, the single rectifier head I had also had better cleans... the 50/CL just doesn't have that warm clean the recto has.

Pete

Originally posted by jackson16:
my gosh yall geneousese. Does it really matter which one of you is right? this is just about other amps than a mesa boogie. Yall probably have forgotten more about guitars and amps then Ill ever know. The 50 CL sounds pretty much what Im looking for. Through all this talk about capacitors and gain stages I got lost, so does the VHT 50 CL have a clean channel? Ive got an old Boss eq pedal that needs to be fixed but would that be just as good as the built in one of VHT's? Ive got to wait to get my amp back and sell it before I can get serious about the VHT.

**Wizard of Ozz** · 10-23-2003, 03:43 PM

Re: New amp suggestions

Originally posted by Twisteramps:
No, I think I'm ok. BTW, how many tube amps have you built or modded?

Pete

Quite a few actually in the last 23 years since I began playing guitar and working on tube amps. Ask anybody, the UL has more gain (more preamp gain stages) than the CL.

BTW I'm finished wasting my time with you.

**Venomboy** · 10-23-2003, 03:50 PM

Re: New amp suggestions

The VHT eq has the following bands:

100, 250, 630, 1.2k, 2.3k, 5k

If your pedal EQ has similar bands then I'd assume you could get close to the same type of boost and cut that the VHT's provides. I run my eq thru the loop and I get a little bit of noise but it's not an annoying hiss by any means. I don't know how noisy VHT's eq is or if it's noisy at all, or where it sits in the signal path.

But I will say this: I have a Mesa DC5 with built in 5 band eq that makes the amp sound great. When I use my pedal eq thru the Mesa's loop I prefer the voicing my pedal gives over Mesa's (mine is a 10 band).

**Twisteramps** · 10-23-2003, 04:49 PM

Re: New amp suggestions

Originally posted by Wizard of Ozz:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Twisteramps:
No, I think I'm ok. BTW, how many tube amps have you built or modded?

Pete

Quite a few actually in the last 23 years since I began playing guitar and working on tube amps. Ask anybody, the UL has more gain (more preamp gain stages) than the CL.

BTW I'm finished wasting my time with you. <hr /></blockquote>I didn't ask 'anybody' I asked the guy who friggin' built the damned things! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

And again, you were wrong about the CLX - but then again, that's just what VHT's website says.

You obviously know better. Thanks for sharing!

Pete

Announcement

New amp suggestions

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment