Archon 50 MKII showed up - A few observations and upgrades warranted!

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napalmdeath

napalmdeath

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First off, it's solidly built. Nice and clean, knobs nice and smooth. Kudos.

Next, it sounds great. Very "round" and fat, but not in a loose or muddy way. I'm not a fan of 6CA7's, personally.. I find them big and warm, yes, but kinda blah.. I did check the bias - 24mA! That's nuts! I will check the plate voltage after this job interview, and probably bias up some JJ KT77's. I'll do some more experiments with preamp tube's as well. 25mA is crazy cold. I'm guessing I'll get 440-460 PV. We'll see.

One more HUGE kudos - The Master volume on it is FANTASTIC. Sounds great at lower volume, and doesn't really take off until about 9 'o clock. Superb. 10-11 o'clock, it's rippin'!

FX loop is quiet. The amp itself in my environment and signal chain has zero hums, buzz, hiss, etc. Of course I boosted it briefly with an MXR Custom Badass OD (M-77), white noise to be expected, but my gate killed it.

I'll report back later this evening. So far, pleased. I'll see how i can improve it, and how reliable it'll be!
 
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So, I rolled some tubes.. I put a Tungsol in V1, a Sovtek LPS in the PI slot, and a Chinese Ruby in the FX loop. I was nearly spot-on with the PV, it was 440. I put JJ KT77's in it, and ramped it up to about 34mA. 24mA was beyond cold.

I tried a few boosts, and it really LOVES the Zakk Wylde OD. It's plenty aggressive and the tube changes made it tighter and punchier. It's a solid amp for the price - sounds great! Doesn't sound cheap one bit. It'll hang with much more expensive amps. It kinda has the Bogner low mids, yet can still cut like a 5150. Great clarity.

I'd say anybody buying one or has one, check the bias! Warming it up really made a difference! I may try some Tungsol EL34B's.. Those are becoming my favorite EL34!
 
Thanks for this feedback. I am tracking an American Made Archon 50 Head locally as well at a good price. It's interesting that you mention Bogner low mids and the 5150. I have spoken to a few player that have had experience and they all mentioned a similar thing: "Reco-like lows with 5150 bite" or "Bogner thickness in the low-mids with a 5150 attack" and "a smother, tighter recto with 5150 presence in the high-top".

Would you describe the amp as "dark" generally speaking?
 
angelspade said:
Thanks for this feedback. I am tracking an American Made Archon 50 Head locally as well at a good price. It's interesting that you mention Bogner low mids and the 5150. I have spoken to a few player that have had experience and they all mentioned a similar thing: "Reco-like lows with 5150 bite" or "Bogner thickness in the low-mids with a 5150 attack" and "a smother, tighter recto with 5150 presence in the high-top".

Would you describe the amp as "dark" generally speaking?
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It's dark, for sure. But, the bright switch fixes that. Still dark, but it slices better with the switch engaged. With the bright switch off, it's like a blanket over the speakers. You could dial it out, but it has a different feel I don't like. The bright switch is a must, for me anyway.

I suppose it has a little Recto, loaded with EL34's, mind you, a little 5150, and a little Bogner. It's a unique amp. It's on every modeler out there, so it definitely has a niche.
 
I think the 100w version is even darker sounding. I've noticed this same phenomenon with some other amps, like the Driftwood Purple Nightmare, where the Mini Nightmare is brighter sounding than the Purple Nightmare. The same is true for the EVH Stealth amps. The 50w Stealth one is brighter sounding.

It's a good amp with the right settings, for sure. If I could change anything, I'd make it a little less honky in the mids and a little brighter sounding (more usable range with treble/presence).
 
avastcosmicarena said:
I think the 100w version is even darker sounding. I've noticed this same phenomenon with some other amps, like the Driftwood Purple Nightmare, where the Mini Nightmare is brighter sounding than the Purple Nightmare. The same is true for the EVH Stealth amps. The 50w Stealth one is brighter sounding.

It's a good amp with the right settings, for sure. If I could change anything, I'd make it a little less honky in the mids and a little brighter sounding (more usable range with treble/presence).
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I find the EQ very responsive, and the bright switch makes it waaaay less dark. At least on this MKII. The mids can be dialed to taste - I don't find them honky, just fat. I'm going to hit it with an SD-1 today. Last night, I found that it actually preferred the Custom Badass Modified OD over the Wylde.

Also, I highly recommend a Tungsol in V1. It seems most of the Archons, US and import, are loaded with JJ's. I would say that they contribute to the amp being dark, more than the amp itself. Even just in V1. I hate JJ's in V1, they're too dark, and too dull for a V1 tube. I do like the ECC803S though, but still prefer the Tungsol - They'll liven it up and add sizzle.
 
I really want to se a schematic of the archons. I traced out my mt15 and did some mods. I want to know how close they are.
 
JSutter said:
I really want to se a schematic of the archons. I traced out my mt15 and did some mods. I want to know how close they are.
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I don't know if any schematics are out there, but I will say it's very clean and tidy inside. Certainly not a rat's nest.
 
PRS has only shared tiny bits. There is at least one hand drawn mt15 out there. It's only the lead channel and not 100% correct. I've seen insides of most the archons and the mt100. The USA built amps with turret style boards could be traced easily. I wish there were more schematics out there, I mean from all brands or modders. So many amps are based on the same designs and get repackage over and over. Same with pedals.
 
JSutter said:
Prs has only shared tiny bits. There is at least one hand drawn mt15 out there. It's only the lead channel and not 100% correct. I've seen insides of most the archons and the mt100. The USA built amps with turret style boards could be traced easily. I wish there were more schematics out there, I mean from all brands or modders. So many amps are based on the same designs and get repackage over and over. Same with pedals.
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PRS is tight lipped on their amps. I guess they don't want Ceriatone making an "Archein Chief Magistrate 50".
 
napalmdeath said:
I'm using M65 Creambacks in my (2) Friedman Vintage 1x12's..
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Congrats! I keep telling people that it's a great amp, especially for the $. It's really, really good.

It can be dark, definitely shines with brighter speakers. M65 CBs are not what I'd choose for the Archon, being kind of dark themselves.
I'm running mine with a G12h30/V-type mix. It likes GBs and V30s too.
The G12h30 makes it so I don't have to run the depth and presence as high. An eq or BBE Sonic Stomp in the effects loop helps, too.

Check that the screws are tight on the wire connector next time you're in the chassis. I think they're from the power tranny. One of mine was loose, and the amp would randomly cut off.

Haven't checked the bias or rolled tubes in mine. It sounds great as is, wonder if it can be even better now.

I love using pedals on the clean channel, preamp around 2 o'clock, bright switch off. It eats em up. I usually set the dirt channel preamp gain anywhere from 9-12 o'clock, usually 11ish. Plenty of gain, and like you mentioned, takes boosts great. Especially like the klone with it. Gain at 2 o'clock gets into modern metal territory, grunts and sings with that thick, saturated tone.

Love it, and hope you enjoy yours as much as I've enjoyed mine. Maybe it'll stick around a while? ;)
 
JSutter said:
I really want to se a schematic of the archons. I traced out my mt15 and did some mods. I want to know how close they are.
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I think they share lots in common.
The mv is better, gain tones richer and overall the Archon seems easier to work with, more versatile, higher quality tone. IMO.

The tone is unique. Haven't played anything that sounds exactly like it. PRS hit a great spot with tightness, saturation, thicker low mids that still cut thru a mix in a band with another guitarist.

Dangit, now I wanna roll tubes and check the bias. Hate JJ 12ax7s, too. Have Tung Sol, and square getter Chinese 12ax7s (and some more expensive old greats that probably won't make it into this amp).
 
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