Fuchs Blackjack 21 MK1 Review

[bubs_42]

Well after falling in love with the MKII, I wanted to by the MK1. So instead of buying one I talked Hamerhead into buying it and he promptly ejected it from Cheese Country to my porch. I put it too the test and it was all over the place. Osilation, floor noise, weird appearing and disappearing hum. So off it went to the local tech to see if he could check it out for me. Well 5 months later I finally got it back, it took a lot of patience on my part and trust that he was going to figure it out. I played it a few times over the last couple of months and very little had changed, but it sounded better but not what I was looking for. He wasn't done and wanted more time, I didn't want to give him more time but he was insistent that he wanted to try a few more things. Back and fourth, back and fourth until finally I got the call and he just could't wait to let me hear it. I had to say it was heads and tails better than when I first dropped it off. I played it through a Marshall 4x12 and everything was done with just he volume knob, from screaming to harmonic crunchy chords at the twist of a knob. The real test was getting it home and putting it through the paces with my own cabs. 

I plugged it in, and for a while it sounded good, then as it warmed up I was getting flabby bottom end and mushy chords. You can't have mushy chords and poor string definition! So checked the bias and it was good, so I moved to the pre amp tubes. First took the V1 and swapped it out for a 12at7 Oldschool Pull, it sounded good but when I went to swap it back out one of the pins fell off the tube.  I didn't have much laying around so I pulled V1 and V2 from the Fuchs MK2 and put them in. Damn that did the trick, better chords and string definition, the amps sounds great, but its a gain little F'er. But it cleans up so freaking good at the twist of the guitars knob even better than the Bogner. One of those amps you can just set your volume anywhere and get a great tone. 

The tech said, the amp is built to always be running at the brink. I'm guessing just like a Trainwreck it was modeled after. Really having a hard time wrapping my head around it and not trying to make it something that its not. The MK1 and the MK2 are different beast, similar in tone but not in feel. I'm working on getting the correct tube set for my ears and will report back when I get the new tubes in, but I did buy a WGS Reaper HP and that made a big difference but the high end is a little more sizzle than I like, the speaker may need just a little break in time and the amp new tubes, but i'll stick with this combo until things settle in. Too much swapping is just that, you'll never find home bass. I did learn that no matter what guitar I put in front of it or what cab I put behind it, or what tube I put in it, it completely changes the character and dynamics. Your also not going to be able to hide shitty playing either and that could just do me and it in. LOL!

[RichF]

Absolutely loved the sound of the Blackjack that I owned.

Unfortunately the sound I loved came at a pretty high volume. I really need to check out the MK II with master volume.

[hamerhead]

12 hours ago, bubs_42 said:

Your also not going to be able to hide shitty playing

That's the main reason for the ejection.

I'd never tried a Fuchs of any kind before, and didn't know what to expect. I had no idea the time and effort Shawn would need to put into it to make it 'normal'. I just thought it was another non-Fender I didn't get along with (happens every time I try something else....).

Besides, it's his own damn fault for making me buy it in the first place.

[bubs_42]

I'm struggling right now with which speakers I like. To my ears, the ET75 is where it is at. The pair of Reapers in my 2x12 sound great too, but this Mini1x12 has me perplexed, It is so small yet so freaking focused and loud. Take an unforgiving amp and a focused cab and I suck worse than I though. Its been a tough week on the old self esteem. I put a Reaper HP in it, but now i'm thinking I should have just put a standard Reaper or a Greenback with this amp. 

I just put my order in for new tubes to give it a try. I found today that at 9 o'clock on the volume it sounds like the first channel on my MKII. Everything after that adds more grit, more hair, but no much compression. 

[bubs_42]

10 hours ago, RichF said:

Absolutely loved the sound of the Blackjack that I owned.

Unfortunately the sound I loved came at a pretty high volume. I really need to check out the MK II with master volume.

Channel one is non master, but channel two is. I run both of them around noon with the master full open.  They are definitely different beasts, I would recommend the MKII to anybody. The Reverb is wonderful and add a little echo and its a done deal. 

I'm tempted to give up the Mini and order a 1x12 combo cabinet and use it as an ext cab. 

[tmsfo]

I've got a bj21 in a closet after sending it back twice to fuchs for problems.  It finally started smoking so I unplugged it and left it there to rot.  Maybe it'll be vintage one day and I'll blow the dust off.

[bubs_42]

Or he can just send it to me and i'll take care of it!  

18 hours ago, tmsfo said:

I've got a bj21 in a closet after sending it back twice to fuchs for problems.  It finally started smoking so I unplugged it and left it there to rot.  Maybe it'll be vintage one day and I'll blow the dust off.

 

17 hours ago, gtrdaddy said:

Could be a power tube gone bad taking out a screen resistor or two. That will smoke, and a cheap fix: new tubes, a 20 cent resistor and biasing.

 

[bubs_42]

I've never had an amp that was so sensitive to Tubes. 

NOS 6v6 with Mesa 12ax7's: Very Dirty, Very Compressed, killer slide tone. Dead Quiet

NOS 6v6's with JJ ECC83S: Wonderful with the amp at like on 2, but as I drove it up the amp increased gain but also harshness. Low Floor Noise

NOS 6v6 with JJEC803S: IMHO Pure Magic so far the best combo. Almost made the guitar sound like its running 6l6's bigger, rounder, but still able to crunch it up like 6v6s just warm, lush and big at around 2. Classy Breakup to hard rock from 2 to 5. Respectable Volume Level, super sensitive to pick attack, very dynamic. 

I will try to swap the NOS's out for the 6V6S that I like to use, I would hate to pigeon hole myself into having to use NOS Tubes. 

 

[bubs_42]

So after playing it and playing it and playing it, I pulled it and put my Fuchs MKII back up and man are they completely different animals. The MKI does sound like a Trainwreck, but what does a Trainwreck sound like? Well they can go from gritty clean to pure mean with your guitars volume. I originally got the amp because I wanted the MKII's First Channel to run a pedal or two into and no matter how much I tried to make this amp sound like that first channel it is not going to happen. It is almost a hybrid of the two channels of the MKII  but with its own character. They live in there own camps for sure as far as the tone they produce the MKI is more vintage, loose and rowdy. The MKII is more refined, round and punchy.  

I did take the MK1 to Dragan's last weekend  and plugged it in to his 2061CX Cab with G12H30's and he was playing his MAZ18 Combo loaded with the same speaker. I was surprised on how similar they sounded with two completely different setups. All in all its a great amp but i'm so satisfied with my MKII only time will tell. I've been fighting the urge to buy a Tone King Falcon or a Dr.Z. 

 

 

[bubs_42]

Once again, since i'm never satisfied and I love to tinker. I ran into the local shop to get some parts for my tele and ran into a local tone guru and the amp talk. They asked how I was and whats up with that Fuchs. I said it sounds great with a tele but throw hum buckers in front of it and I get to much input to the front end and it gets harsh and i'm going to put a 12at7 in V1. I got a HUM and a pause, then they suggested a 12au7 so off I went to get home and do a little research. I bought a 12au7 off of Dougs Tubes and it came in yesterday. Damn did that do the trick, but not what I was exactly looking for but even better. The whole amp charter changed AGAIN this time even closer to Channel 1 of the FUCHS MK2. It takes pedals like a champ but gritty enough to stand on its own if needed.

I am running my Tele into my Way Huge Echo Puss into the Overrated Special into the Fuchs into my Large 1x12 with a WGS ET65 . Sounds great, but the only thing is that I had the High E slip on me and no matter how I wrapped it, I  could not get it to stay, so I changed from Nickel Slinky's to D'adarrio's and I don't like the results. Time to buy more strings. 

I would still like to get another, these are great little amps if you have the time to go through the and find what you like. I have had everything from Compressed Slide Tones to Bright Fendery Tones out of this amp just with changing preamp tubes. 

[bubs_42]

I've had so much fun playing this amp and now it works on 10 or 1, where ever I set the volume I get a good tone. Love it so much, I bought another... well a combo version of it which is what I wanted in the first place. Most sellers want 3 times what I paid for the head so I had to be patient. Can't keep them all so keep eye out.