New (to me) 12000 series. questions

[rock213]

Hey guys I recently purchased a 12000 series built by Metropolous amps. Just had a few questions that maybe you could answer
1. It has a master volume, does this effect the tone in any way,
- is it out of the circuit when it is completely turned up, I have an attenuator (fryette power station)
- is it easily able to be disconnected, I have no soldering experience btw...

2. Any recommendations for speakers and cabs, right now playing through a mesa cab with 2 chineese greenbacks, and 2 british v30's

3 I took some pics of the inside and was wondering if anybody could tell me if these are nos caps that were used to build the amp, and if they are does it make a difference in sound. My amp is #12089.

there is also an nos mullard in v1, but reissues in the rest including power tubes, is it worth changing them out, I know v1 is most important.

sorry for if these are stupid questions but just wondering, Amp sounds absolutely amazing btw

[img][[IMG]http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z44 ... G_0271.jpg[/img]img]

[revolver1]

Nice amp! As for the master volume I can't really answer that one for you as I don't have any experience of one, hopefully someone else can put you right. But one thing before you do any work on the amp make sure you drain the filter caps first. Don't go any where near those big black (filter capacitors) before its drained, they can store deadly voltages.

To drain it you'll need a lead with an alligator clip on either end, clip one end to the metal chassis and carefully clip the other end on pin 1 of V1 (the first preamp valve) making sure it doesn't short out by touching the chassis or pin 2. I'm not sure if you have to do this but I do; I plug the power lead in the wall but make sure the power is off at the wall. Let it drain for 5 mins or so then pull the plug out the wall when you want to start working on it. I usually check the filter capacitors aren't holding any voltage with a multi meter, you can leave the lead connected on V1 because some times the cans can charge them selves up a little.

As for speakers and cabs it's really a matter of personal preference and what sound your shooting for. There's nothing wrong with what you have I'm no expert but I think Boogie cabs are made from Baltic Birch. You'll find people either love or hate V30's personally I like them. I have two Marshall Cellestion V30's and 2 G12T75's wired in series parallel with 1.5mm2 wire in a Marshall 1960BX cab. I replaced the rear chip board panel with Baltic birch ply and installed a larger sound post with a couple of braces so its pretty much like a 68 era cab. I also sealed the joints with silicon to make it air tight and fitted metal handles also a screw through the back panel into the sound post.

I think most cabs sound great they just have different character to them depends what you like or want to hear. All Baltic birch = resonant kind of ambient. A chip board back kinda dampens it a little and that sounds cool in its own way. some cabs are made of MDF which isn't as hard wearing in terms of getting knocked about but it has a kind of neutral dampening effect and that can sound great too. I've had a couple of cabs made from chip board before and they sounded good as well.

Speakers again its what you like. I used to have two cabs with green backs in them kinda wish I'd never sold them but hey. At the time I preferred the V30's because they sounded warmer. I was being told that greenbacks were "the sound" but with hind sight for me the music I'm into it was the Heritage 30 that I should have gone for.
A couple of years back I started really noticing the mid spike of the V30's and it started to bug me so I mixed them with the mid scooped G12T75's which sort of evens it all out and I'm pretty happy with it for now.

Those mustard coloured capacitors on the turret board are NOS Mullard mustard capacitors. They are highly sought after and are definitely what you want in your amp.

Your right about the NOS valve in V1 it's the main driver that's the one that has the most effect on your sound so if you want to save a bit of cash leave it as is. That is what I did the first time I tried an NOS valve, It sounded so good that the next time I re valved I had to see what it would sound like with a full set of NOS pre amp valves.
Now I go with a full set of NOS in the pre amp and current production for the out put valves. I personally can't justify the cost of NOS out put valves.
With the valves again it's all a matter of personal taste you just need to try a few different types and see what you like. A lot of people don't have a lot of love for Groove tubes but for me back in the 90's the quality of production tubes was rubbish and Groove provided a good reliable source of valves so I don't have a problem with them. No worse than Coca Cola really...
I have been using the E34Ls for years and I love them, I just did a re valve and wanted to try something new so I went with the EL34M and they sound pretty damn good to me as well. The construction quality seems a bit rubbish (thin glass) but they sound great.
Again it's all subjective a lot of people really like the now old Svetlana winged C. I kinda find it a bit funny cos back in the 90's we used them all the time and I absolutely hated them.

I've never had a set of the reissue Mullards myself. I was tempted to try a set a few years back so I checked out a load of reviews on them and I was put off so never tried them. I've read that the EL34M are close to real Mullards but to be honest that claim has been made so many times before they probably don't even come close but they sound pretty good in their own way.

Anyway, hope that helps some.

[rock213]

Awesome thank you for the response!! Think i will def get 2 more greenbacks, or maybe a 2x12 with creambacks in it

[rock213]

what is it about the nos mustard caps that makes them so desirable?

[revolver1]

The sound of the old plexi is the sum of its parts. I don't know exactly why it is wether the quality of the parts was better or worse but in an audio application the old parts just sound better than modern equivelants.
Pretty much all the company's that made those original components don't exist any more so were only left with NOS.

If you took a modern amp and replaced all the caps with Mustards its one mod that would make a significant chainge to the tone. There are modern replica caps thease days that are very good and theres probably no differance in it although others would argue the point. But the fact is a Mullard Mustard capacitor is the real deal. Theres probably a bit of a psychology to it as well, the old parts are much nicer to look at....

[neikeel]

That PPIMV is also known as the Rich Mod. It works very well IMO. I used to use one on a metal panel 50w before I sold it. It is not the LarMar type and as such will always add a little distortion of its own even when fully cranked. I never had an issue with it.
With some attneuators they do not allow the amp to sound its best so sometimes a little PPIMV and a little attnuation is best. As you will know using all PPIMV down to bedroom levels does affect the presence circuit working properly (if you do always use low volumes you can modify the NFB/Presence circuit to a cut circuit which does work.
George's amps are a work of art and the clips I have heard they nail a 12 series perfectly

[rock213]

Is the rich mod in any way lesser than the lad/mar mv or is it just builder preference? I really want to have a mv that i can turn all the way up so it is completely out, or in that case have no mv at all lol.