Atomic Playboy
New member
Hello Dave Freidman, glad to see you have a forum here. I had been in touch with you sometime back in 06-07 and had hoped to meet you at the LA Amp show in '07, but I couldn't get you on the phone then for some reason. I live in Phoenix and hope to have you do some mods for me, once I get a flight case made and decide what I want to do with my Marshall.
I have a early 2006 production 1959HW, actually the complete stack. When I bought it from Guitar Center at that time, there weren't any examples out here to try first, so I had to dive in and special order this set up. I was hoping that it would re-create my older heads and cabs. I was somewhat disappointed upon receiving the amp and actually returned the first one and had them send me another one. The second amp I received, I again was somewhat unhappy with, but not for the same reasons as the first one. There were some actual electrical issues with the first one that I didn't like the sound of. The one I have now it was still missing what I remembered from my various plexi's in the past.
You may remember me, as I sent you loads of pictures of my old Marshalls, my collection that I had sold before moving out to Arizona.
Amps that I had were a 1967 JTM Black Flag Super Bass, with EL-34's and the dual rectifier set up and extremely high plate voltage. A 1966 JTM 45 also with EL 34's and a 1973 Super Lead, that I had some simple mods on like a rear mounted MV and a switch to stack the channels, this was done in the late eighties. I really didn't like the sound of the mods though.
I realize I am sounding like a potential pita customer, I am actually not like that at all.
Shortly after getting the HW, I had written to Joseph Gilmartin of Korg/Marshall and expressed my dissatisfaction, with the 'handbuilt' amplifier I had.
I then found out about Metropoulos Amplifiers in Michigan, and George there was very helpful. In fact he did me a big favor when I had my amp sent to him for some upgrades.
Prior to this he had a set of replacement components to make this HW more in tune with an older plexi.
Here is a list of the changes I had George do for me:
I decided to replace it with Metro's Dagnall clone C1998 "1 1/2 inch model.What a difference this makes!!
Also the offending bright cap on Channel 1 was removed,how mellow,yet throaty the channel sounds now.
This is a list of the mods I had done to the amp:
Replace output transformer,filter caps,signal caps,various resistors.
Installed Mullard reissue output tubes,a matched quad,Tung Sol reissue preamp tubes.Rewire and shorten poorly routed and soldered wires.
Bias,burn in and test.
Parts were:
Metro Amp Dagnall clone output transformer
(1) F&T 16 x 16uf can
(2) F&T 32 x 32uf cans
(2) Sozo Vintage .68uf
(2) Sozo Vintage .1uf
(7) Sozo Vintage .022uf
(7) Allen Bradley NOS 1/2 watt CC resistors
(3) Tung Sol Reissue 12AX7 preamp tubes
(4) Mullard Reissue EL34 Matched Quad output tubes
Unbelievably low labor charges,superior quality work,priceless!!!
I have been plagued with AC interference issues in my new build house here, grounds ok, certain areas of house tube amps pick up all sorts of noises, ect. I sent the amp back a second time to George as the first time, (in stock packaging) it had been dropped on the light end, with the heavy part coming down onto it, if you know what I mean. The second time back, George sent me a flight case to ship it in, he could find no issues with the amp.
Long story short, I know my Heritage 30 watt speakers can sound harsh and aren't fully broken in, but I still haven't found what I've been looking for, to coin a phrase.
What tones do I like? Gary Moore's 1972 Super Bass, essentially stock, with some minor component changes over the years, Steve Steven's tone on the Vince Neil band album "Exposed". I just recently learned from Steve, when he posted it on HRI forum that he used a stock '68 plexi on that album as his main head. I have followed Steve since 1984 and studied his equipment from that time onwards. His JTM 45/100 head with the EL-34's was great sounding. I understand that you worked on his '7 Super Lead from the Rebel Yell era, and that Steve had used it on the excellent Memory Crash though I don't want to run the head with a variac at lowered voltage. Then I heard your Brown Eye mods just recently, the clip with all three mods and I thought that the tone was outstanding. I think I am close with the way I have my HW configured. The only area I might want to play around with is on the valve side of things, though the curent set up came highly recommended.
Is there a way to configure the switches and controls, with the back panel off, on the top of the chassis, as not to drill the back panel. I realize this may be difficult and I'm hardly worried about the resale, I just like the amp to look stock if possible.
George's Dagnall clone OT definitely made a huge difference though. Anyway, great to have access to you through this forum, you do some great work.
Guitars I have are Les Pauls with EMG 81's (Heritage Gary Moore models), Hamer Chapparal, with OBL's s/s/hb, Washburn SS80, JB's, vintage Strat, '52/'56 Goldtop Les Paul, 2004 YJM Strat.
I have a Korg SDD-3300 Triple Digital Delay, an Analogman DD-6, Analogman/grey spec modded YJM308, Maxon ST-01 Super Tubescreamer that I just got from Japan which is awesome.
In summation, it is easier to know what I don't want, as opposed to what I do want, but I am figuring it out. Again thanks for your time.
Dave
I have a early 2006 production 1959HW, actually the complete stack. When I bought it from Guitar Center at that time, there weren't any examples out here to try first, so I had to dive in and special order this set up. I was hoping that it would re-create my older heads and cabs. I was somewhat disappointed upon receiving the amp and actually returned the first one and had them send me another one. The second amp I received, I again was somewhat unhappy with, but not for the same reasons as the first one. There were some actual electrical issues with the first one that I didn't like the sound of. The one I have now it was still missing what I remembered from my various plexi's in the past.
You may remember me, as I sent you loads of pictures of my old Marshalls, my collection that I had sold before moving out to Arizona.
Amps that I had were a 1967 JTM Black Flag Super Bass, with EL-34's and the dual rectifier set up and extremely high plate voltage. A 1966 JTM 45 also with EL 34's and a 1973 Super Lead, that I had some simple mods on like a rear mounted MV and a switch to stack the channels, this was done in the late eighties. I really didn't like the sound of the mods though.
I realize I am sounding like a potential pita customer, I am actually not like that at all.
Shortly after getting the HW, I had written to Joseph Gilmartin of Korg/Marshall and expressed my dissatisfaction, with the 'handbuilt' amplifier I had.
I then found out about Metropoulos Amplifiers in Michigan, and George there was very helpful. In fact he did me a big favor when I had my amp sent to him for some upgrades.
Prior to this he had a set of replacement components to make this HW more in tune with an older plexi.
Here is a list of the changes I had George do for me:
I decided to replace it with Metro's Dagnall clone C1998 "1 1/2 inch model.What a difference this makes!!
Also the offending bright cap on Channel 1 was removed,how mellow,yet throaty the channel sounds now.
This is a list of the mods I had done to the amp:
Replace output transformer,filter caps,signal caps,various resistors.
Installed Mullard reissue output tubes,a matched quad,Tung Sol reissue preamp tubes.Rewire and shorten poorly routed and soldered wires.
Bias,burn in and test.
Parts were:
Metro Amp Dagnall clone output transformer
(1) F&T 16 x 16uf can
(2) F&T 32 x 32uf cans
(2) Sozo Vintage .68uf
(2) Sozo Vintage .1uf
(7) Sozo Vintage .022uf
(7) Allen Bradley NOS 1/2 watt CC resistors
(3) Tung Sol Reissue 12AX7 preamp tubes
(4) Mullard Reissue EL34 Matched Quad output tubes
Unbelievably low labor charges,superior quality work,priceless!!!
I have been plagued with AC interference issues in my new build house here, grounds ok, certain areas of house tube amps pick up all sorts of noises, ect. I sent the amp back a second time to George as the first time, (in stock packaging) it had been dropped on the light end, with the heavy part coming down onto it, if you know what I mean. The second time back, George sent me a flight case to ship it in, he could find no issues with the amp.
Long story short, I know my Heritage 30 watt speakers can sound harsh and aren't fully broken in, but I still haven't found what I've been looking for, to coin a phrase.
What tones do I like? Gary Moore's 1972 Super Bass, essentially stock, with some minor component changes over the years, Steve Steven's tone on the Vince Neil band album "Exposed". I just recently learned from Steve, when he posted it on HRI forum that he used a stock '68 plexi on that album as his main head. I have followed Steve since 1984 and studied his equipment from that time onwards. His JTM 45/100 head with the EL-34's was great sounding. I understand that you worked on his '7 Super Lead from the Rebel Yell era, and that Steve had used it on the excellent Memory Crash though I don't want to run the head with a variac at lowered voltage. Then I heard your Brown Eye mods just recently, the clip with all three mods and I thought that the tone was outstanding. I think I am close with the way I have my HW configured. The only area I might want to play around with is on the valve side of things, though the curent set up came highly recommended.
Is there a way to configure the switches and controls, with the back panel off, on the top of the chassis, as not to drill the back panel. I realize this may be difficult and I'm hardly worried about the resale, I just like the amp to look stock if possible.
George's Dagnall clone OT definitely made a huge difference though. Anyway, great to have access to you through this forum, you do some great work.
Guitars I have are Les Pauls with EMG 81's (Heritage Gary Moore models), Hamer Chapparal, with OBL's s/s/hb, Washburn SS80, JB's, vintage Strat, '52/'56 Goldtop Les Paul, 2004 YJM Strat.
I have a Korg SDD-3300 Triple Digital Delay, an Analogman DD-6, Analogman/grey spec modded YJM308, Maxon ST-01 Super Tubescreamer that I just got from Japan which is awesome.
In summation, it is easier to know what I don't want, as opposed to what I do want, but I am figuring it out. Again thanks for your time.
Dave