Redbear amps

[yabba]

Anyone here have any experience with these?

I have a Mk 120 headed my way, the guy I got it from made me some clips, so I have an idea of the sounds it'll do, just wondering if anyone here has ever used/heard one.

(it's a russian made jcm800 clone, supposedly similar but with a bit more gain, and a bit more bottom end. This particular amp (the guy had a batch of 3 he got from a former gibson employee) has handwound trannies and was supposedly used to compare the production amps when they came in from russia (this is back when gibson distrubuted redbear) We shall see! )

edit: here's a pic (ugly beast, eh?)

[nonamemx]

Not the ugliest I've seen. I think its pretty cool looking, actually, I love expanded steel grilles on amps/cabs where you can see the guts, and especially. . .the powertubes glowing

[yabba]

hehe, yeah I like seeing guts; I think I just have a grey-fuzz covering phobia (my first amp was a fender R.A.D. or J.A.M. or one of those, can't remember the exact model. it actually wasn't all that bad sounding for a pretty crappy SS combo)

nice big transformers though! I think this one is going to piss off the neighbors.


oh, and some more info: it's evidently an early one (the batch the seller had were all numbered, and had numbers < 40) and it's been converted to 12ax7s (stock ones use some kind of wacky hard-to-find tube)

[Firebird V]

I thought these were made by Sovtek.... Or maybe in the same factory as the MIG's were made in. Anyone??? The logo is missing.


Good luck with it!


Hey.. Found this on Fleabay

http://cgi.ebay.com/Red-Bear-Lead-Tube-MK-60-Marshall-Gibson-all-orig_W0QQitemZ180019452350QQihZ008QQcategoryZ10171QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[charvelguy]

I think they were Sovtek made unless I'm confusing it with MIG. These had different preamp tubes and were using something like 6 volt heaters if I recall.

[Firebird V]

Yeah, I think you are rignt.

[yabba]

should be here friday; I'll let youse guyse know how I like it!

I didn't know they were made by Sovtek, but I guess it woudn't surprise me

[yabba]

after a "this delay was caused by a late train", it made it here safe and sound today!

crappy cell phone pic:



I only had a chance to play through it for 5 minutes or so when I snuck home over lunch to scoop it off my front doorstep (UPS left it there), but holy crap this is a LOUD amp! I may have to do some experimenting with pulling tubes to try to tame it a bit.

I didn't really have enough time to put it through its paces, but I liked what I heard. not huge gobs of gain (definetely not a death metal amp, at least without a boost), but it seemed to have more than most stock jcm800s I've heard, and more low end as well.

I'll have to get some clips recorded one of these days!