B52 follow up. It's fixed.

[zeegler]

Some of you may know that I have been an advocate of the Crate Blue Voodoo for some time now. Some of you may also know that I am the adventurous type, and figured I would buy a B52 AT100, because A) they were super cheap, and B) because supposedly they sound very much like a Dual Rec. Well, when I got the amp, it sounded like a giant piece of shit. I tweaked it to hell and back, and simply could not get a good, useable tone out of it. Meanwhile KManick get's a 212 combo and raves about how great the thing sounds. Then to make matters worse, he posts sound clips, that really sound great. I bummed. I'm pissed. I wan't to throw the thing in a lake. Instead, I ignore it, leave it in a corner for a few months, and eventually decide to give it another try. Well, it turns out that the reverb doesn't work. I hadn't even bothered to try it before, because I was so bummed out. I email B52, and the president of B52 responds personally, telling me that there is a problem with the optocoupler circuit, and that he will send me a new optocoupler, and the instructions to repair it. Cool, so the stuff arrives, and I take the amp to Glen Morris (local amp guru) to fix. He called me a few weeks ago, and said it's ready to go, but I didn't bother to pick it up, because I figured the reverb now works, but assumed it still sounded like fried crap.

It didn't. In fact, it now sounds very good. Awesome in fact. Whatever was causing the reverb problem must have been messing with something else too. I now understand why they are compared to Dual Rectifiers.

So I guess I won't be selling it after all.

[toejam]

Great news! And I'm still digging my Crate BV60, too.

[soc_monki]

the b52s are pretty cool amps. my buddy has one and i want to try it through my 4x12...his 2x12 has V30s which i dont like, and i need to get a good feel of it with my cab since im used to it (G12m70's by the way...). they are cool amps though...and compared to the Triple Recto i played, sound much better IMO!

i dont have anything against Blue Voodoos either...even the older ones. i could always get a useable tone out of them and actually liked the way they sounded

[Goolash]

I've heard some bad stories about them messing up, mainly the reverb. Mine hasnt fucked up yet so I'm going to keep my fingers crossed.

[MortenP]

Some of you may know that I have been an advocate of the Crate Blue Voodoo for some time now. Some of you may also know that I am the adventurous type, and figured I would buy a B52 AT100, because A) they were super cheap, and B) because supposedly they sound very much like a Dual Rec. Well, when I got the amp, it sounded like a giant piece of shit. I tweaked it to hell and back, and simpley could not get a good, useable tone out of it. Meanwhile KManick get's a 212 combo and raves about how great the thing sounds. Then to make matters worse, he posts sound clips, that really sound great. I bummed. I'm pissed. I wan't to throw the thing in a lake. Instead, I ignore it, leave it in a corner for a few months, and eventually decide to give it another try. Well, it turns out that the reverb doesn't work. I hadn't even bothered to try it before, because I was so bummed out. I email B52, and the president of B52 responds personally, telling me that there is a problem with the optocoupler circuit, and that he will send me a new optocoupler, and the instructions to repair it. Cool, so the stuff arrives, and I take the amp to Glen Morris (local amp guru) to fix. He called me a few weeks ago, and said it's ready to go, but I didn't bother to pick it up, because I figured the reverb now works, but assumed it still sounded like fried crap.

It didn't. In fact, it now sounds very good. Awesome in fact. Whatever was causing the reverb problem must have been messing with something else too. I now understand why they are compared to Dual Rectifiers.

So I guess I won't be selling it after all.

Do you use the B52 with a B52 cab? What are the cabs like? Any good?
I've got an offer for a 4x12 B52 cab and I'm planning on using it with my Lanye GH100 L..

Thanks.!

[skorb]

I wonder how these do over the long haul?
that's my only worry with the low price, is durability and dependability.
I guess time will tell!

[buzzsaww]

About B52 cabs. I had one it seemed really well built. It's bottom rear ported, meaning not a full back more like a 95% back. With my Mk3 I found it would get woofy/farty really quickly. I sold it to a friend who used it with a BVH120. For him it would feedback the instant he would stop playing BUT it did sound really good. His BV cab would not feed back but didn't have quite as beefy a sound. It might have been a border line speaker in the cab? I'm not sure but that is my experience with B52 cabs. The B52 heads always sounded really good in GC through Recto cabs.

[chrisolson]

Do you use the B52 with a B52 cab? What are the cabs like? Any good?
I've got an offer for a 4x12 B52 cab and I'm planning on using it with my Lanye GH100 L..

Thanks.!

I have a B52 cab as well, but mine must be different than Buzzsaw's. I have an AT412B, which is nearly identical to a Marshall/Mesa bottom 4x12 cab. All black tolex, kinda smooth like Mesa, black grill with silver piping, and a small (about the size of a pop can top) silver B52 logo. It look very nice. No porting that I'm aware of, and it's pretty tight. I haven't gotten mine to woof, whump, or fart using a Line 6 HD, Crate 3500, or rack gear. It's well constructed (HEAVY AS HELL - glad I don't gig it...), and while I haven't pulled it apart to see what speakers it has, it works very well with the Line 6. Sounds GREAT. The handles are WAY better than Marshall as well. Operates in stereo or mono.

I got it for $250 near new at Music Go Round. You can't get a better deal at that price, and I think new discounted price is $400, which, considering the quality, is a great buy.

Here's the one I have (bottom cab though - see the pics they have on the website): http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...net?sku=602076

[zeegler]

Right now, all I have at home is a 212 loaded with Celestion V30s, so that's what I've been playing it through. My 412 cab is at my rehearsal space (drummer's house) and it's an old Peavey Butcher cab loaded with Celestion G12K85s. I haven't plugged it into that yet since it's been fixed, but I'm optimistic about it. I've never tried the B52 cabs, so I can't comment on them.

As far as reliability goes, the amp tech who fixed mine was actually extremely impressed with how this thing is constructed. He said that it's a very well thought out design. The only thing he mentioned as a potential problem, is the quality of components used is sort of an unknown, so I guess time will tell. The reverb issue is a well known one, and B52 will fix it for free if you ship the amp back, or, as I did (because I live in Canada), they shipped me the parts and instructions to complete the repair.

What I really like about the B52, is that it kinda picks up where my BV leaves off. I have to have my bass and mids on the BV cranked to get the exact tone I want, but with the B52, I can set all the EQ knobs at 12 oclock, and get the same (actually better) tone.

The tri-mode rectification is a great feature too. In class A, it sounds very spongy and loose. Class A/B is noticeably tighter sounding, very Mesa-like. Solid state tightens up even more, and is great for fast, precise riffing, definitely more modern sounding. I think I'll be using A/B mode more than anything.

It's also very cool having 3 channels. Instead of using an EQ pedal for a lead boost, I have a dedicated channel for it. Now I can ditch the pedal, and free up some space on my board.

Anyone considering a Peavey Valveking, or other lower priced amp, should definitely try one of these first. It sounds much too incredible than an amp this cheap should sound.

[kmanick]

I'm glad you finally got this thing back.
the early ones did have a lot of problems but it looks like they may have gotten their shit together. (GC is reporting a lot less returns on them and still strong sales numbers)
I've had the best sound results running it thru my Marshall cab with
greenbacks(4X12) I have an Avatar 2X12 closed back cab with hellatone
V30's in it but I like that better with my 5150. The Stock combo speakers
are 120 watt speakers (each) so you've got to crank the shit out of it to
drive them at all. at low volume they sound very sterile.
I just got some tung sol pre amp tubes too so I'm going to try popping those in was well (thanks for the heads up Bill ) I've got all JJ's in there now but I'm open to trying anything.
I posted some settings for you to f with over on the B-52 forum.
let me know what you think

[zeegler]

I took it to my drummer's place last night and we had an impromptu practice. It surpassed my expectations in every way. It is loud as hell, and actually sounds better the louder it gets. There seems to be a sweet spot with the master volume up a little over half way where the amp just really comes alive. The great thing is, it cuts through like no other amp I've ever played. I'm gonna get flak for this one, but it stomped all over my other guitar player's 5150. On top of that, it is an extremely quiet amp. I had no feedback problems at all during our 4 hour practice, and a couple of times, I actually forgot I had turned my noisegate off. I believe the Blue Voodoo will be relegated to home practice from here on. I'll be sure to check out your settings over on the B52 forum.

I'm also wondering about the new amp that's supposed to be coming out. Have you heard any progress on it yet?

[zeegler]

By the way, I was a little worried that it wouldn't sound as good through my Peavey Butcher cab, as it did through my 212, but it sounded maybe even better. The low end on these things is ludicrous to start with, and running through 4 G12K85s accentuates it even more. They are a somewhat bottom heavy speaker, and really suit the amp well.

[lerxstcat]

It's all a Commie plot! The Chinese will get us hooked on their cheap but good amplifiers, then comes the ultimatum! "Go Communist or no more amps for you!".

[soc_monki]

I took it to my drummer's place last night and we had an impromptu practice. It surpassed my expectations in every way. It is loud as hell, and actually sounds better the louder it gets. There seems to be a sweet spot with the master volume up a little over half way where the amp just really comes alive. The great thing is, it cuts through like no other amp I've ever played. I'm gonna get flak for this one, but it stomped all over my other guitar player's 5150. On top of that, it is an extremely quiet amp. I had no feedback problems at all during our 4 hour practice, and a couple of times, I actually forgot I had turned my noisegate off. I believe the Blue Voodoo will be relegated to home practice from here on. I'll be sure to check out your settings over on the B52 forum.

I'm also wondering about the new amp that's supposed to be coming out. Have you heard any progress on it yet?

hmmm im gonna have to jam with my buddy Goolash and see if his B52 will rape my 5150...im thinking your other guitar player didnt have his mids up enough LOL but im willing to go head to head with my buddy and his B52 to see what happens itll be a fun noise making session! LOL

glad youre liking that B52...it really is a cool amp, and very affordable!

[zeegler]

hmmm im gonna have to jam with my buddy Goolash and see if his B52 will rape my 5150...im thinking your other guitar player didnt have his mids up enough LOL but im willing to go head to head with my buddy and his B52 to see what happens itll be a fun noise making session! LOL

glad youre liking that B52...it really is a cool amp, and very affordable!

Yeah, to be honest, I've never really liked how he had his amp set up at all. One day I'm gonna mess with his it when he's not around, and see what I can get out of it. I'll bet I can make it sound 100 times better than it does now.