Voodoo Hex Prototype... Is it authentic???

[danhops]

Trace did plenty of Hex and WitchDoctor amps in the old Bogen chasis among other things. That was my amp, and yes it is a Hex circuit. Sounded pretty good, but I had an earlier one that I thought sounded a little better. I still kick myself for letting that one go

 

[danhops]

Ok, cool. I wasn't trying to bust on anybody with this one... You know with the economy and all...

Thanks for clearing it up.

So what kind of sounds were you getting with this? What did you like/dislike???

I think it would be better to ask what kinds of tones you are looking for. I was getting some pretty cool hard rock tones with it, but not ultra gain. Its pretty darn thick, and different guitars and pickups really make a big difference here even with the gain maxed out. Very organic, and not overly compressed. It let me know when I was sucking wind which was pretty much every day. LOL

 

[TwEeK]

Trace did plenty of Hex and WitchDoctor amps in the old Bogen chasis among other things. That was my amp, and yes it is a Hex circuit. Sounded pretty good, but I had an earlier one that I thought sounded a little better. I still kick myself for letting that one go

I bet you ARE kicking yourself, that amp's sitting in my living room. It stopped working several years ago and is/was as far as I know one of the last voodoos left with the black epoxy. I finally got around to sending it to Trace to be fixed/de epoxied late last year and it turns out it was just a faulty power switch. Since its about 10 years old he also changed the caps and put a new set of tubes in. From what he said to me on the phone there is no other amp like this particular one on the planet so if I really wanted the epoxy off it would be rebuilt with the current circuit and not like this one. Needless to stay I stuck with it as is.

Put it this way, that amp and the tone I was able to create with it sent me to Europe for two months. I'm a guitar tech in the USA for a band from Europe and this past fall they were touring over here and I brought my unassuming little amp with me on the road simply because I knew the guitarist (who is a Marshall endorsee) would probably dig the tone. For soundcheck the first day of the tour i setup his usual rig (les pauls into 2 dsls into 4 4x12s) but put my voodoo behind the stacks in my guitar world. I ran the voodoo in place of one of the dsls and my guy was floored by the tone that he was able to achieve with the Hex and a DSL combined. Long story short, the band ended up flying me to Europe for 2 months for a tour over there in place of the German tech they used to use. The tone that comes out of that amp advanced my career with this band as far as I'm concerned.

Like dan said it's not the highest gain amp in the world but the low end is so freakin thick and full, it's unlike anything else I've ever played.

Thanks to Trace and everyone at Voodoo for making such an amazing amp.

 

[danhops]

Trace did plenty of Hex and WitchDoctor amps in the old Bogen chasis among other things. That was my amp, and yes it is a Hex circuit. Sounded pretty good, but I had an earlier one that I thought sounded a little better. I still kick myself for letting that one go

I bet you ARE kicking yourself, that amp's sitting in my living room. It stopped working several years ago and is/was as far as I know one of the last voodoos left with the black epoxy. I finally got around to sending it to Trace to be fixed/de epoxied late last year and it turns out it was just a faulty power switch. Since its about 10 years old he also changed the caps and put a new set of tubes in. From what he said to me on the phone there is no other amp like this particular one on the planet so if I really wanted the epoxy off it would be rebuilt with the current circuit and not like this one. Needless to stay I stuck with it as is.

Put it this way, that amp and the tone I was able to create with it sent me to Europe for two months. I'm a guitar tech in the USA for a band from Europe and this past fall they were touring over here and I brought my unassuming little amp with me on the road simply because I knew the guitarist (who is a Marshall endorsee) would probably dig the tone. For soundcheck the first day of the tour i setup his usual rig (les pauls into 2 dsls into 4 4x12s) but put my voodoo behind the stacks in my guitar world. I ran the voodoo in place of one of the dsls and my guy was floored by the tone that he was able to achieve with the Hex and a DSL combined. Long story short, the band ended up flying me to Europe for 2 months for a tour over there in place of the German tech they used to use. The tone that comes out of that amp advanced my career with this band as far as I'm concerned.

Like dan said it's not the highest gain amp in the world but the low end is so freakin thick and full, it's unlike anything else I've ever played.

Thanks to Trace and everyone at Voodoo for making such an amazing amp.

The mysterious little gray Hex that got away I loved that amp!!!! Glad to see you still have it.

 

[redrol]

I've got another hex, probably a later one with the black epoxy. It's built into a Marshall 2204 50w MKII JMP 1978.. The OT was replaced with an OEI and its got a complete cap job and basically uptodate. Got Global, Midboost, Feel, Bottom, and Savage/Brutal knobs in addition to the normal Marshall stuff. Needless to say, it rules. Turn it up and the mids on this amp are just beautiful. It totally blooms with volume as usual but the range of tones you can get with this thing are truely amazing. I have a hankering to add a loop and change to 6550 tubes at some point but who knows. Such a fun amp.

 

[gulliver]

Can someone educate me as to what the Hex mod is?

I recently bought a Voodoo modded JCM800 2204, but I'm not sure what the specific mod is. Next time I'm in Ithica I'll take it for documentation, but maybe someone here can shed some light. Everything I see on the internet points to the Hex mod. It has:

Savage / Brutal switch up front
Global / Cream / Bottom knobs at the rear
Extra preamp tube for extra gain stages
Looks like one of the transformer has been upgraded
Looks like Trace's signiture on the back and next to the added tube

Great tone, sounds a lot like my Voodoo Deluxe modded 2205, but can get into AC/DC type plexi tones with the master up and gain down (the 2205 cannot).

Thanks

 

[redrol]

Can someone educate me as to what the Hex mod is?

I recently bought a Voodoo modded JCM800 2204, but I'm not sure what the specific mod is. Next time I'm in Ithica I'll take it for documentation, but maybe someone here can shed some light. Everything I see on the internet points to the Hex mod. It has:

Savage / Brutal switch up front
Global / Cream / Bottom knobs at the rear
Extra preamp tube for extra gain stages
Looks like one of the transformer has been upgraded
Looks like Trace's signiture on the back and next to the added tube

Great tone, sounds a lot like my Voodoo Deluxe modded 2205, but can get into AC/DC type plexi tones with the master up and gain down (the 2205 cannot).

Thanks

Hex mod is basically pre-production Voodoo Hex amplifier. Savage/Brutal switch seems like it would mean a Hex mod but you should ask Trace for sure.

 

[voodooamps]

Trace did plenty of Hex and WitchDoctor amps in the old Bogen chasis among other things. That was my amp, and yes it is a Hex circuit. Sounded pretty good, but I had an earlier one that I thought sounded a little better. I still kick myself for letting that one go

I bet you ARE kicking yourself, that amp's sitting in my living room. It stopped working several years ago and is/was as far as I know one of the last voodoos left with the black epoxy. I finally got around to sending it to Trace to be fixed/de epoxied late last year and it turns out it was just a faulty power switch. Since its about 10 years old he also changed the caps and put a new set of tubes in. From what he said to me on the phone there is no other amp like this particular one on the planet so if I really wanted the epoxy off it would be rebuilt with the current circuit and not like this one. Needless to stay I stuck with it as is.

Put it this way, that amp and the tone I was able to create with it sent me to Europe for two months. I'm a guitar tech in the USA for a band from Europe and this past fall they were touring over here and I brought my unassuming little amp with me on the road simply because I knew the guitarist (who is a Marshall endorsee) would probably dig the tone. For soundcheck the first day of the tour i setup his usual rig (les pauls into 2 dsls into 4 4x12s) but put my voodoo behind the stacks in my guitar world. I ran the voodoo in place of one of the dsls and my guy was floored by the tone that he was able to achieve with the Hex and a DSL combined. Long story short, the band ended up flying me to Europe for 2 months for a tour over there in place of the German tech they used to use. The tone that comes out of that amp advanced my career with this band as far as I'm concerned.

Like dan said it's not the highest gain amp in the world but the low end is so freakin thick and full, it's unlike anything else I've ever played.

Thanks to Trace and everyone at Voodoo for making such an amazing amp.

I find it very difficult to form the words to reply to your post. To say the very least I am truly honored and extremely humbled by your words, more than I could ever possibly express. I am beyond elated that something we created was able to inspire you as well as others.

I do remember the amp you are talking about. Everything worked perfectly but the power switch had become faulty. That amp was very unique and had a great character to it. You and Dan are both correct in that the early Hex amps were very articulate and not the highest gain amps, at least not by today's standards. The new dual channel Hex amps do have more gain on tap as that is what the majority of players have asked for. I still have all the schematics and documentation for the various revisions so if someone would like one we can accommodate on a custom order basis.

Thank you so very much for the overly kind words my friend. As always if you need anything what so ever please do not hesitate to let me know. Don't be a stranger and please stay in touch!


Happy holidays to you and everyone here!!
Trace

 

[voodooamps]

I've got another hex, probably a later one with the black epoxy. It's built into a Marshall 2204 50w MKII JMP 1978.. The OT was replaced with an OEI and its got a complete cap job and basically uptodate. Got Global, Midboost, Feel, Bottom, and Savage/Brutal knobs in addition to the normal Marshall stuff. Needless to say, it rules. Turn it up and the mids on this amp are just beautiful. It totally blooms with volume as usual but the range of tones you can get with this thing are truely amazing. I have a hankering to add a loop and change to 6550 tubes at some point but who knows. Such a fun amp.

Glad you like the amp my friend! Is this the amp with the laydown power transformer? We did one older Marshall circa '78 that has a unique laydown power transformer that sounded out of those world.

6550's would sound great in your amp, especially the Winged-C 6550's. If you like we can install a tube buffered fx-loop. It's extremely transparent and sounds great with pedals as well as with all rack mounted units.


Have yourself a fantastic week and have a great Christmas!!
Trace

 

[redrol]

I've got another hex, probably a later one with the black epoxy. It's built into a Marshall 2204 50w MKII JMP 1978.. The OT was replaced with an OEI and its got a complete cap job and basically uptodate. Got Global, Midboost, Feel, Bottom, and Savage/Brutal knobs in addition to the normal Marshall stuff. Needless to say, it rules. Turn it up and the mids on this amp are just beautiful. It totally blooms with volume as usual but the range of tones you can get with this thing are truely amazing. I have a hankering to add a loop and change to 6550 tubes at some point but who knows. Such a fun amp.

Glad you like the amp my friend! Is this the amp with the laydown power transformer? We did one older Marshall circa '78 that has a unique laydown power transformer that sounded out of those world.

6550's would sound great in your amp, especially the Winged-C 6550's. If you like we can install a tube buffered fx-loop. It's extremely transparent and sounds great with pedals as well as with all rack mounted units.


Have yourself a fantastic week and have a great Christmas!!
Trace

I wish I could answer that correctly Trace! I think it does not have a lay-down transformer. Both transformers look like they are upright. It is/was a Marshall JMP 2204 50w.

I am going to get the amp modded with those 6550s and a loop at some point but I am saving to get married at the moment, so it would be later next year. In any case I always appreciate your input. For reference I play mostly thrash, with a fair dose of hardcore and even some clean tones (lol). I honestly was wanting to put a BBE 462 in the loop to give the amp that low end thud that is so nice for thrash and heavy metal. I do use a TC electronic Booster/Line driver, and it gets me about 90% of the way to the tone I like.

Here is a pic of the back of the amp, hard to see I know.

 

[ykfdf]

it would be better to ask what kinds of tones you are looking for.

 

[voodooamps]

I wish I could answer that correctly Trace! I think it does not have a lay-down transformer. Both transformers look like they are upright. It is/was a Marshall JMP 2204 50w.

You Power Transformer (PT) is not a lay down but rather a horizontal mount PT. I asked as I remember a very odd JCM800 that actually had a lay down PT, like some of the older 60's plexis. At the time it was done for the guitarist in Bryan Adams and was a left over PT that Marshall found and installed into customized chassie. Over the years it is the only one like it I have ever seen. It sounded amazing and I remember we installed the Hex Mod/circuit into the amp. It was an amazing sounding amp! Not so much that it was a lay down PT but mostly because the PT sounded so good (IE: you can add another endbell and then the PT easily becomes a horizontal mount PT)

I am going to get the amp modded with those 6550s and a loop at some point but I am saving to get married at the moment, so it would be later next year.

Congratulations on getting Married!! I am happy to perform the work when ever you are ready my friend.

In any case I always appreciate your input. For reference I play mostly thrash, with a fair dose of hardcore and even some clean tones (lol).

A lot of the older 80's Thrash was either EL34's or the GE6550's. The tones were not as distorted as some perceive them to be. IE: when you record 4 tracks of rhythm guitar the tone sound bigger giving the illusion that there is more gain. When playing live a lot of the bands tended to use more gain.

I honestly was wanting to put a BBE 462 in the loop to give the amp that low end thud that is so nice for thrash and heavy metal. I do use a TC electronic Booster/Line driver, and it gets me about 90% of the way to the tone I like.

The TC Booster/Line Driver was a favorite trick of producer Alex Perialas. He produced/engineered and/or mixed such Thrash bands as;

Anthrax
Testament
Metallica
Flotsam & Jetsam (Jason Newstead's band)
S.O.D.
M.O.D.
Overkill
Wrathchild America
Nuclear Assault
TT Quick

He also recorded other acts that were not Thrash such as;

Joe Bonamassa
Bad Religion
Savoy Brown, etc


Thanks so much for posting!
Trace