Valvetech Rocks

[bruce919]

I know thay have been around the HFC for years now. With all the good press they were getting here I put one on my list of gear to get this past year. I scored on e-bay a few weeks back. I have had it for two weeks now. This amp is just about perfect. On Ch 2 I can get this nice clean/gritty tone that is very responcive to my picking pressure. I can switch on the boost & open up hells gates of Distortion to reach Mesa style Dual Rect. tones. & this is just one side of the amp. Ch. 1on to me is just like an 60's Fender Princeton. Super clean tones up to a gritty overdriven blackface.

I not made up my mind yet about the Webers in there. They seem to peter out when you get the distortion going full bore. I have another set of 10's I am going to swap out this weekend to see what is does.

I know many here have played through these amp & know what they can do. If you have not tried one out , do it if you get a chance.

[Guest teefus2]

i am expecting my custom hayseed 30 based head around the end of this month (fingers crossed). don't get me started.......

[MCChris]

The Hayseed was one of the amps that, unfortunately, didn't get played at MWJV, AFAIK. I'm not even sure it made it inside, assuming SirDan even brought it.

I had my original version cooking, though, and it was pumping out great tone as usual. NuclearWessel in particular commented between ZZ Top and James Gang workouts that he was lovin' the sound. Just a brilliant rock'n'roll amp.

[tralfax19645]

Hey Teefus,

It will be close, but since yours is a CUSTOM custom,it may take just a TAD longer.

What I am shooting for with yours is A cheifian preamp on CH2 with the OLD 59 VOX ef 86 preamp on CH1 1. On paper it looks like it will be very cool, but it will surly take a little tweaking to get it all just right.

Rob

[tomteriffic]

I see a Robtech in my future. The only question is, which one? Man, it's like being a mosquito in a nudist colony.

[serial]

I hear you. All reports make this sound like just the amp I've been looking for for years. I've almost reached out a few times for one several times in the past couple of years and something else always popped up. Maybe this year...

[Guest galejt]

I see a Robtech in my future. The only question is, which one? Man, it's like being a mosquito in a nudist colony.

How many different versions are there?

[DavidE]

I had one of the original versions (red tolex head with loop and reverb). It didn't work out for me, but I saw it sell on-line several times for more than I paid for it and sold it for. I'd love to hear a current version or a louder version.

[tomteriffic]

I see a Robtech in my future.  The only question is, which one?  Man, it's like being a mosquito in a nudist colony.

How many different versions are there?

Jim, there's the standard VTK 22 amp, the Hayseed 30 with (apparently) some variants, and Brewmaster has something called a 25/50 which, as I understand it, it a single channel plexi or JTM 45 kind of thing.

[tralfax19645]

OK,

Heres the deal. there is the VAC original in its present and final form(that took years to get just the right overall balance) Comes in a 2 6V6 amp, or 50 watt amp that will use 6L6s OR EL 34s,OR a 4 6V6 50 watt amp. Reverb,tremelo,pentode triode, cathode fixed bias are options.

Then theres the Hayseed 30, (PTP VOX clone) for about the same price as the new oriental VOX. Comes with bypassing master and 1/2 power switch.

Then theres the I will try about anything you want amps, it takes alot longer to get a custom custom.

All in the color and tolex you want, you can also get top loader controls.

there, end of commercial !!!!

Rob

[Guest teefus2]

no problem rob, i totally understand. btw, i saw a top loader photo on the gear page (iirc) the other day. very cool. let me know when you are getting close and need the rest of the $$$. thanks, craig

[Brewmaster]

I'm glad to see more people checking these amps out. The vast majority of people who get one really love theirs.

I have mine for close to a year now and I still have it. That alone should tell you something since I am notorious for turning around gear in hurry.

[belgian]

mine should be on the plane, right now

[Caddie]

+1 what Bruce919 said about Valvetech. Plain & Simple....I love this amp. Mine is the specimen that is pictured on the Valvetech homepage. It has the "final upgrade" as Rob stated in a post above. Its about the only amp I've been plugging into for the last few months.

The controls operate a wee bit different than your typical amp so you will need to put some time in tweeking it. But don't be put off by that, this thing is a tone monster in all modes. Its equally excellent with single coils or hb.

And the Tech Support Staff (aka Rob) seems to be fairly competent. ;-)

Get one. You will like it.

Noonan

[ceeb]

I'm still loving mine. Lately I find I'm using more and more gain. Getting some really rockin blues sounds going. Also wrote a Punk song, and a Metal prog. using channel 2 with the boost on.

Lot's of fun, and a great sounding amp.

[sirDaniel]

My home has never been without AT LEAST 1 VAC. At most 3 at once...

Rob has the ear for the real world.

Now, about MY "1959"Hayseed 15 twin. Sounds like I planted the seed w/ the EF86 talk.

[belgian]

You "b****rds, this is really the worst timing for a topic like this.

Mine is shipped yesterday and I have to wait between 5 -10 days untill I can test it.

It makes the waiting a lot harder.....

[Iced Dragon]

Is it shipped by boat or so?

[sirDaniel]

Rob: here's my schematic...

[seeker]

Rob,

What was the final upgrade? One of them is for the presence, but what is the other one (the one that requires more careful soldering)?

[bobbymack]

The controls operate a wee bit different than your typical amp so you will need to put some time in tweeking it.  But don't be put off by that, this thing is a tone monster in all modes.  Its equally excellent with single coils or hb.   

And the Tech Support Staff (aka Rob) seems to be fairly competent.  ;-)

Get one.  You will like it.

Noonan

+1 on getting used to the controls, but...

I have an early 2x10 with loop and reverb in green tolex with wheat cloth, looks and sounds killer! I've done all the mods ('cept I haven't swapped out the 47K for a 22K with a .0033 across behind the impedance selector yet...), and have a pair of Weber Blue Pups in there (lost the original Eminence).

The amp is SUPER flexible from great Fendery cleans to snotty, raunchy crunch, and LOUD. And the support is as good as there is out there imho...

Nice work Rob!

[tralfax19645]

Hi Dan,

Send me an E mail adout the Old AC 15 clone, have some Qs for you,

Seeker,The other part of the presence mod shaves a bit of the brighness off the overdrive sound. It is a balance and the 120pf seemed best overall to me. You can use different values, but get anything over 250 pf and the OD becomes lifeless. It is just a cork sniffy thing I thought you might want to try. It is better to solder it right to pin 7 to ground of the first preamp tube, then on the back of the relay board.

Rob