Mid-Atlantic Ampfest Summary/Review

[HeeBGB]

Wow!!!....What a day!! I don't know where to begin!!
We had some KILLER amps show up. We had a 1973 Marshall 100 watt SL there. It was Obscenly LOUD and sounded unbelievably good. It sounded so good it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Brian H's 100 watt plexi clone also had that affect on me.

We also had a Dr. Z Route 66 which I liked and a Germino head with 6V6 power tubes that was really great sounding. We had a tweed twin and a tweed vibrolux clone. I really liked the vibrolux too...it had really good vibrato!!

Omar sent two of his heads....An Express clone and a blackface Bassman head which he modified into a Hi-Gain amp. Both were Really Great sounding. I'll be peeking inside both of them before I ship them back, If I ship them back. I like playing them too much

We had lots of 18's there. Mostly TMB's but I had my trem there.

Now for the BIG ONE.....JA was there with his TMB's.

I must admit that the PCB TMB sounded great and was VERY quiet but I think his TMB PTP head sounded better.

I think if I had to pick a favorite amp though it have to be Allynmey's TMB head into his G12-65 loaded 1960B 4x12 cab. JA's TMB head running a close second through the same cab. The 73 SL was great but just too loud to be my fave. Playing it through two 4x12 cab was an experience I will not soon forget. JA and another LPF member both had similar Jenkins sound shop 2x12 cabs. JA's was a closed back and the other was semi closed back. Both sounded excellent and I may be looking for one soon.


The Dr. Z through the Jenkins semi open back 2x12 was also very good.

I had a great time and want to do this again in the late fall or early winter.

In the meantime I think Allynmey wants to have one in the Boston area!

I'm in!!!

Greg

[Chris G]

Hi Greg,
I'm sorry I missed this I realy wanted to attend.It sounds like you had a good time with all those fine amps!!!! If you put one on again,I'll try to get there!!!!Did you get a chance to record any of this?.........pictures????
Thanks!
Chris

[HeeBGB]

Well we have some pics. I'll see about getting them posted. In the meantime some of them are showing up on the 18 watt forum. Clips will have to be put on the list for the the next one. Maybe around Halloween or early December. I've been thinking about how to better do something like this for next time. Don't get me wrong it was fun and I got a LOT out of it, BUT having all the amps in one relatively small room is limiting.

I will continue to think about this and plan for the next one.
Any ideas are welcome.

I'll let you guys know when the next one is. I hope it will be bigger and better next time.

BTW...there are a LOT of GREAT AMPS out there. Exellent players too.

Greg

[Omar]

Greg,
Thanks for the update on the ampfest.

There are pics and sound clips on the 18 Watt forum:

http://www.18watt.com/modules.php?name= ... pic&t=4944

As would expect the content is heavy on the 18 watt Marshall clips although there is a clip of my Trainwreck as well:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze2b2s5/OmarsTrainwreck.mp3

Omar

[HeeBGB]

Hey Omar,

after everyone left I plugged your Express clone back in and dimed it. which I hadn't done before. It really is a different beast when played this way. It was good before but when I dimed it I was even more impressed. That is definately a sweet spot. I am going to play it some more before I send it back. The cab is Stunning in person. The pics don't do it justice!

I had two small issues with it though...not related to sound quality.

1)the pilot light burned out within 2 minutes of my first power up with the
amp. I believe I have a replacement which I will install prior to crating it up to ship back to you.

2)The Modern/Brown toggle switch does not come through the chassis far enough to get the nut/dress ring on. It was disconnected when I took the amp out of the crate. I tried to put it back on but it is hanging by a hair. I haven't looked inside the amp...Is there a spacer nut on the inside? If so I will try to adjust it before sending it back.

Greg

[Omar]

Greg,
Yeah, the when the amp is open up it really does sound different. Just curious, where was the master for the sound clips?

From reading on the 18watt.com tread, it seems it was more of a 18 watt ampfest but I wasn't sure if it came across that way b/c of the nature of their forum, which would make sense.

As for the two issues - no biggie. I have a number of extra bulbs for the pilot light and the issue with the Modern/Brown switch there is a nut on the inside that needs to be adjusted to allow for the dress ring to secure on to.

Omar