noisetrigger : http://www.eurotubes.com/euro-k.htm
*sorry, the cold bias applied only on 5150 HEAD, not combo*

Well... OBVIOUSLY my amp of choice would be the JCM800 (especially if it has the BLS seal of approval), but getting one in KL isn't as easy as it seams. The Mode4 is alreayd ready for sale at Bentley and is has roughly a similar sound to the JCM800.... and it isn't a pure solid state amp..... it uses a tube pre-amp as well.

No way mate, you know you want a JCM800, you wouldn't know how the Mode4 would react to your ZW-OD. How about getting it from Singapore?

elderly.com

they charge a flat rate shipping fee..
get it shipped over and have a valve tech to make the necessary ZW hi-gain mods

elderly.com doesn't have the JCM800

blacktrix... using preamp valves is not really useful. Don't get me wrong : it's useful if you're intending to sell this amp, cuz it's a great marketing point.
But sound-wise, I never tried any marshall hybrid amp that do sound warmer than any another SS amp. It doesn't mean it sounds bad ! Just that it won't sound better just because of this feature.

I hope you're living in a bunker.. 350W might make a blast big enough to destroy a small kampung yummy !!!

blacktrix> oh well... guess its SG i guess..lol

pix im sure your classic 50 can sound just as loud as the mode4... whenever i try the classic 30 in the store i can nv turn it up pass 3...lol

This would leave Blacktrix neighbours no choice but to buy him a Hotplate this christmas.

led zep > you're technically wrong about this... i'll let you find out why com'on, don't let btrix's neighbours buy a useless device !

evo.com > i dunno really know about this. from what I understood from amp technicians, 350W allows a SS amp to have a clean channel that keeps being clear and the disto channel that keeps being tight and sharp at loud levels. It seems that those 350W means that the "usable" watt range is big enough to have nice definition/clarity at loud levels. That "usable" range may not actually exceed 50W, or 100W (or whatever, i don't know the exact value). Yet the amp can go beyond, but the sound will degrade.

Whereas the wattage of a tube amp gives its actual usable range !

I may be wrong, cuz' it's just what I understood from my readings.

Well.... We'll see if I'm lucky enough to save up for a Mode4 or the JCM800.

I might settle for a Valvestate AVT50H if funds are REALLY low.... Now that I'm going Florida and thinking of bringing back the Epi ZW

The Mode 4 has an attenuator??? Or is it because it's a SS amp? Or is it because Blacktrix simply won't use it?

oh cmon.... its the amp that really matters

i dont think an attenuator would be useful for an SS amp.....simply because it doesnt work the same as tube amps... SS amps sound best at low/mid volumes whereas tube amps get their peak tone from pushing the tubes harder ie MAX VOLUMEEEEEE
so it would be very unwise to go max on a SS amp and then turn the volume down with the hotplate

pix> yea i guess so.... until they make better diodes/transistors, SS amps will always be remain as the inferior kind
btw... have you ever turned ure amp up max?
dont think you'll have any problems doing that in tahiti.... just stand 50feet away and you're all good

I did.... But instantly turned it down. I swear...... The cup near the table next to it was moving on it's own!!

I don't think it's possible for transistors to exactly emulate the harmonics and the natural breakup of valves. You can always get the sound, but not the feel.
Well he has to make sure that he's home alone first...
...with a mullet (A wig will do), topless, hairless chest & a superstrat slung low.

i never pushed it to the max... because i always play so close to my amp ! once, i did 50%, clean channels (max master and half volume). BLOODY. HELL. I never thought I could hear so well how bad I play What I like with the Classic series is that you can enjoy the "tube" experience even at low volume.

Can't imagine full blast in overdrive channel. Are the walls solid enough ?
I'll try it, playing in an adjacent room.. hehehe... mystical potato head groove...!

evo.com > damn, you helped leepy freeky ! yes, you don't need an attenuator on a SS amp, for the reason you invoked.
but i wouldn't be so radical with sS amp. Some are really good. And don't forget that all the Pod or valvetronix or alikes are doing a great job. Yet, it's all solidstate.

blacktrix > did the cup used to be full of x-tra strong beer before that ? did you absorb the whole content before seeing the cup move ? no wonder...

I drink beer by the bottle..... Less things to wash up later.

pix, read about eurotubes too. And ya, the popular opinion on the Peavey boards is that the combo is the better sounding one due to the correct bias.

blacktrix, read around here and yes you are da man on Gibson and Marshalls. I used to be a Gibson/Marshall kinda guy too(I love Slash) but limited funds forces me to look for alternative and that's how I realized there are lots of better options other than the classic Marshall/ Gibson pairing. Sure it is the tried and tested combination but it is also not the only pairing that will work.

But since you mentioned you will be in florida, take this chance to get the JCM800 there. It will be cheaper there than any other place in the world.

And don't settle for anything less like the AVT50H. They honestly suck. I play gigs where they provide this amp(common amp nowadays) and it is a surprisingly weak sounding amp (volume and omphh)for an SS 50 watt.

blacktrix

noisetrigger, any advice to cross m'sian borders without the Customs getting all weird about the JCM800 ? that's tricky...

I think if I where to do it, I might just send it back here to my own address as a gift. To my knowledge, if it is labelled as a gift, it will be free from tax.

are you sure of what you say ? that's ... weird.