TheGrooveking
New member
Well boys and girls I must report that the seminar went very well. First off Bruce Egnater and his wife Terri are super nice people and great hosts. Bruce designs and builds the amps, along with Terri who does the soldering and assembly. The seminar is set up for six people, each person has their own workstation including Weller soldering station and all the tools necessary. The 1st day started at 8:30a.m.
The amp itself is a Mojotone JMP45 Marshall kit that Bruce has modified. He changes out many components in the tone stack and adds a tube buffered effects loop and a density control. The amp is modified to include a master volume like a JCM800.
The amp looks as if it has four inputs like an original JMP45, but there are three inputs, clean, low sensitivity and high sensitivity. The fourth jack is for the footswitch. You can use any standard single footswitch (non-momentary). The footswitch actually is used to switch input sensitivity, therefore amp gain.
When you arrive you go through a brief orientation as to how the two days are going to go and then get more specifics as to the amp. This is the first seminar that included the tube buffered loop and the density control.
There are a few things that are preassembled by Terri to assist in saving time, for instance, the potentiometers across the front of the amp have the grounding rod soldered to the back of all the pots. The input jacks are soldered, including the resistors. Same as the speaker outputs. The turret board has the components soldered in place with the wire leads attached.
You are given color layout drawings showing where everything goes and what length wires. All of the wire are Teflon coated and are precut and tinned. You start out with mechanical assembly, installing the transformers, choke, potentiometers and jacks, switches and capacitor mounting rings.
About an hour and half after start I was soldering. I had the amp completely assembled minus the cabinet by 4:00p.m. The whole time you are working Bruce is walking around the group, stopping to answer questions and to inspect your progress.
As typical for me, I got ahead of myself more than once and had to take something’s apart/unsolder and reinstall. I charged ahead and Bruce advised that certain things are not to be installed until other components are installed to provide clearance/access. You know the usual male characteristic, do it and then read/listen to the instructions.
One thing, every time someone got up to use the restroom, gets a drink or something Bruce sit's in his chair and starts inspecting. It's obvious that Bruce lives amp design and building. Once you are done assembling you take the amp to Bruce's bench and he inspects it and then connects a variarc to the power cord connector.
He then turns the voltage up slightly and checks a few points for voltage with a meter. Once that checks out, he installs tubes and connects the amp to a bank of load resistors. He connects a frequency generator to the input. He then turns up the voltage and then he checks things with the meter and a scope.
While he is checking things he explains to you what he is checking and shows you how to bias the amp. Once bias is set, he then takes it into the sound proofed room, where I may add is some killer gear, Egnater gear, Custom Audio Electronics, VHT and some other high-end stuff. He has a Suhr and PRS guitars in there.
He connected the amp into a Egnater 412 loaded with Celestion Lead 80's and then he starts turning the amp up and plays a little bit and then turns it over to you. I sat there and noodled around for about 20 minutes while turning all of the knobs and playing with the density control.
What is a density control you ask, well simply put, it is the opposite of a presence control. It adjusts the low-end balls to the amp, and with this amp running into a killer take no prisoner 412, your balls will be swinging to your guitar playing. No kidding, this thing has plenty of low end available.
I have to report that this amp is a killer unit, Bruce has tweaked the tone stack on this amp to meet his stringent high standards. Once you play through this amp, you are fully confirmed as to why Bruce is so highly regarded. Even though one of the biggest things about the Amp Seminar is learning how to tweak your amp to change how it sounds/responds. But to be honest with you, this amp sounds so good, I don't think many will want to mess with the tone this amp has.
I'll post pictures of the amp and give some more info. The second day is basically as you would call classroom/lab. Bruce goes through the design of the amp, circuit by circuit, explaining the components impact on tone. He then went through the different methods of biasing the tubes, hence the different class of operation, class A, class AB and class B.
You are given a folder with all of the drawings, schematics, pictures and a manual from Bruce explaining the amp and it’s design in detail. We reviewed different amps and their signature sonic characteristics and which components/values produce which sounds. The class teaches you how to tweak.
Bruce then changed out some capacitors and we listened while Darren played through the amp. Listening to some of these other guitarist/seminar attendees playing, I must say Darren and Sam (two of the six guys) sounded great and play very well. I didn't get to hear all of the guys, so I can't comment on their playing.
The old saying that the difference between a person who thinks he is smart and one that is smart, is the one who thinks he is smart can talk about something, where as the real smart person can take something technical and break it down into small easy to understand segments that anyone can understand. That statement pretty well sums up Bruce, he takes what is complicated and taught us in a very straight forward easy to understand format.
You guys must attend one of these seminars, besides building a killer sounding amp, you get and education that makes tweaking your own amps and better understanding that is invaluable.
What's super cool is they hold these on the weekends, so people can do it without having to burn vacation days. Which Bruce and his family lose their weekends, but Bruce as I said lives for this stuff, he really enjoys educating others. He debunks a bunch of stuff in regards to tubes/transformers/and some tricks of the trade of amp repair techs.
Definitely this amp is worth more than the price of the sminar, first off you walk out with a point to point amp, hand wired with killer tone, that you would spend at least over $2K for if you bought it some other company.
I had been thinking about buying a Champ kit and start working on it, but this amp is about 5 times the amp that is in terms of being complicated, but with Bruce's guidance it's easy. Also once you are a member of the Egnater family, you can call or email him and get answers to your questions.
One of the things he did that was cool, as we were getting ready to pack up he gave us each a Egnater logo to put on our amps! He then gave us a piece of paper with the hole location to use as a template for drilling the holes in the front panel for mounting the logo. So you end up with a Egnater amp!!!
I highly recommend this seminar to any of your gear heads/tone monsters who want to one, end up with a killer amp and two, want to learn how to modify your amp(s) to change it's tone.
Give Bruce a call or email him, you will dig it a lot!!!
TheGrooveking
The amp itself is a Mojotone JMP45 Marshall kit that Bruce has modified. He changes out many components in the tone stack and adds a tube buffered effects loop and a density control. The amp is modified to include a master volume like a JCM800.
The amp looks as if it has four inputs like an original JMP45, but there are three inputs, clean, low sensitivity and high sensitivity. The fourth jack is for the footswitch. You can use any standard single footswitch (non-momentary). The footswitch actually is used to switch input sensitivity, therefore amp gain.
When you arrive you go through a brief orientation as to how the two days are going to go and then get more specifics as to the amp. This is the first seminar that included the tube buffered loop and the density control.
There are a few things that are preassembled by Terri to assist in saving time, for instance, the potentiometers across the front of the amp have the grounding rod soldered to the back of all the pots. The input jacks are soldered, including the resistors. Same as the speaker outputs. The turret board has the components soldered in place with the wire leads attached.
You are given color layout drawings showing where everything goes and what length wires. All of the wire are Teflon coated and are precut and tinned. You start out with mechanical assembly, installing the transformers, choke, potentiometers and jacks, switches and capacitor mounting rings.
About an hour and half after start I was soldering. I had the amp completely assembled minus the cabinet by 4:00p.m. The whole time you are working Bruce is walking around the group, stopping to answer questions and to inspect your progress.
As typical for me, I got ahead of myself more than once and had to take something’s apart/unsolder and reinstall. I charged ahead and Bruce advised that certain things are not to be installed until other components are installed to provide clearance/access. You know the usual male characteristic, do it and then read/listen to the instructions.
One thing, every time someone got up to use the restroom, gets a drink or something Bruce sit's in his chair and starts inspecting. It's obvious that Bruce lives amp design and building. Once you are done assembling you take the amp to Bruce's bench and he inspects it and then connects a variarc to the power cord connector.
He then turns the voltage up slightly and checks a few points for voltage with a meter. Once that checks out, he installs tubes and connects the amp to a bank of load resistors. He connects a frequency generator to the input. He then turns up the voltage and then he checks things with the meter and a scope.
While he is checking things he explains to you what he is checking and shows you how to bias the amp. Once bias is set, he then takes it into the sound proofed room, where I may add is some killer gear, Egnater gear, Custom Audio Electronics, VHT and some other high-end stuff. He has a Suhr and PRS guitars in there.
He connected the amp into a Egnater 412 loaded with Celestion Lead 80's and then he starts turning the amp up and plays a little bit and then turns it over to you. I sat there and noodled around for about 20 minutes while turning all of the knobs and playing with the density control.
What is a density control you ask, well simply put, it is the opposite of a presence control. It adjusts the low-end balls to the amp, and with this amp running into a killer take no prisoner 412, your balls will be swinging to your guitar playing. No kidding, this thing has plenty of low end available.
I have to report that this amp is a killer unit, Bruce has tweaked the tone stack on this amp to meet his stringent high standards. Once you play through this amp, you are fully confirmed as to why Bruce is so highly regarded. Even though one of the biggest things about the Amp Seminar is learning how to tweak your amp to change how it sounds/responds. But to be honest with you, this amp sounds so good, I don't think many will want to mess with the tone this amp has.
I'll post pictures of the amp and give some more info. The second day is basically as you would call classroom/lab. Bruce goes through the design of the amp, circuit by circuit, explaining the components impact on tone. He then went through the different methods of biasing the tubes, hence the different class of operation, class A, class AB and class B.
You are given a folder with all of the drawings, schematics, pictures and a manual from Bruce explaining the amp and it’s design in detail. We reviewed different amps and their signature sonic characteristics and which components/values produce which sounds. The class teaches you how to tweak.
Bruce then changed out some capacitors and we listened while Darren played through the amp. Listening to some of these other guitarist/seminar attendees playing, I must say Darren and Sam (two of the six guys) sounded great and play very well. I didn't get to hear all of the guys, so I can't comment on their playing.
The old saying that the difference between a person who thinks he is smart and one that is smart, is the one who thinks he is smart can talk about something, where as the real smart person can take something technical and break it down into small easy to understand segments that anyone can understand. That statement pretty well sums up Bruce, he takes what is complicated and taught us in a very straight forward easy to understand format.
You guys must attend one of these seminars, besides building a killer sounding amp, you get and education that makes tweaking your own amps and better understanding that is invaluable.
What's super cool is they hold these on the weekends, so people can do it without having to burn vacation days. Which Bruce and his family lose their weekends, but Bruce as I said lives for this stuff, he really enjoys educating others. He debunks a bunch of stuff in regards to tubes/transformers/and some tricks of the trade of amp repair techs.
Definitely this amp is worth more than the price of the sminar, first off you walk out with a point to point amp, hand wired with killer tone, that you would spend at least over $2K for if you bought it some other company.
I had been thinking about buying a Champ kit and start working on it, but this amp is about 5 times the amp that is in terms of being complicated, but with Bruce's guidance it's easy. Also once you are a member of the Egnater family, you can call or email him and get answers to your questions.
One of the things he did that was cool, as we were getting ready to pack up he gave us each a Egnater logo to put on our amps! He then gave us a piece of paper with the hole location to use as a template for drilling the holes in the front panel for mounting the logo. So you end up with a Egnater amp!!!
I highly recommend this seminar to any of your gear heads/tone monsters who want to one, end up with a killer amp and two, want to learn how to modify your amp(s) to change it's tone.
Give Bruce a call or email him, you will dig it a lot!!!
TheGrooveking
