The first amp is The Voice of Music Phonograph amplifier Model 8810, I have a few in my shop. Let me know if you need a schematic. This amp is a good candidate to make a Randy Bachman Herzog overdrive unit by Garnet Amps.
Shhh! Yes, VOM phonographs and reel to reel decks are an excellent platform for parts-pulling and repurposing into guitar-amp builds ---- but I am always a little reluctant to tell everyone!
Caution: When hitting an amp with a boost pedal, you must either throw the pedal at the amp, or swing the pedal by a guitar cable. If you hit the amp with the pedal, while still holding the pedal, you are likely to sprain your wrist.
That Sovtek sounds so good. Head and shoulders above the rest. The clean tone was stunning, big fat and sparkly, and then the drive tightens the whole thing up so it doesn't go flabby like a Fender. I am blown away.
I love my Mig 100. I had one when I was a kid that I got for $200. Sold it to buy a Marshall cab you could get anywhere. Took me 15 years to find another one and I’m never letting it go!
I have 3 Quilters. 1 Micro Block 45 for practicing and two 101 Mini Heads pushing a Hendrix re-issue and an Alnico Gold. One is set up more like a blackface Fender, the other like a Marshall. The sound is big even at low volumes.
Oddly enough, I thought the little Japanese Crown amp sounded the best out of all of them. Super rich and natural overdrive out of that one with lots of rich harmonics. When it comes to electronics....the Japanese know what they're doing.
I own a 1965 Sunn tube amp head, pre-model numbers. It was hand made in Conrad Sundholms garage. No one knows what it is worth but it sounds and records amazing...
NashBeach , I've heard that Leslie West used a Sunn PA head to record "Mississippi Queen" . Have you tried that riff ? Could it have been a amp like yours ?
You can always change resistor/capacitor values in the preamp/tone stack to get more breakup and more tone. If that doesnt get you there add another gain stage. Sunn amps converted to guitar are one of the best guitar tones of the 70's.
I had an amp that my dad brought home from a tour in Japan that had "Tremolo" spelled "Tremoro". Was in the mid-sixties, but I don't recall the brand name.
Andy 'Doog' Phipps No doubt! He makes and sells pedals, but hardly ever even mentions his own stuff. He praises other makers’ stuff. Humility like that is hard to find.
@@totallyfrozen The dude just loves the stuff genuinely. Also, I think the guitar world is already sold on his stuff for the most part because of his rep with his business and circuit building philosophy and Customer service strength.
I'm buying that little pedal. In other news, I got a $10 thrift store find that does NOT exist anywhere on the internet: A 1975, red tolex wrapped, hand soldered Japanese Pignose clone. Brand. New. Condition. Replaced dead speaker with an Eminence 6.5". My GOD it is amazing and LOUD.
I did sound really quite good didn't it. I had an old Courier bass amp many many many years ago when i first started playing bass and it sounded amazing through a single un branded 1x15 reflex cabinet.
The tone reminds me of a cheap Japanese 60s valve amp for a record players called "Star". My old hippie mate dug it out his garage, I plugged my guitar in and it was classic clean tone, I recorded a few songs thru it and then it blew up, kind of sounded like a really clean 50s sparkly fender amp with just a tiny hint of grit
Hey! That first amp! I own one. It is a Voice of Music 8810. They came out of a speaker box which was often connected to a tape machine (reel to reel I believe). Essentially, a PA amp. I have schematics, and I basically redesigned mine entirely, as it ran on the edge and had some burnt up parts inside. The output transformer is actually directly below the power transformer, but on the inside of the very cramped chassis. Some have small output transformers (I think the later cream colored ones like in the video do), but my 1959 grey one has a pretty large one that fills at least 1/3 of the chassis interior. My main amp, an ~18 watt Stromberg Calson, was also originally a PA amp, but I did a conversion, and it really turned out to be something special.
@@stanzaman2790 Anyhow, here is the Voice Of Music shown in the JHS video, in stock form. elektrotanya.com/PREVIEWS/63463243/23432455/egyeb/voice_of_music_8810_sch.pdf_1.png Neat circuit, but I decided to rebuild mine (different chassis too - original was too tight and very noisy) closer to a Fender champ which has higher gain. The VOM's tone circuit uses a decent amount of negative feedback, sent back to the first gain stage which really limits preamp distortion. The stock tone circuit also isn't voiced for guitar, so it doesn't change the sound all that much, although it is interesting. The stock stromberg circuit can also be found online - it is the Signet 22 aka the SAU-22. I own 2 now and redesigned the circuits entirely. Instead of having two 12ax7 inputs for multiple mics, I wired them cascade. One is kinda a voxy/marshally circuit with a TMB tone stack while the other amp has a preamp similar to a Brown 6g3 deluxe, but with a framus mid knob.
@@giannipalmisano8071 similar to the last comments I posted, I don't know of you're asking for the original amplifiers schematic or a schematic of what I did to the amp. Click the link in my last comment for the VOM 8810 original schematic. After I modified it, I basically removed the negative feedback winding on the output transformer, converted the input 12AX7 stage to a more traditional cathode bias style (like a fender amp), and tweaked some resistor values to drop the B+ and run the tube at a safe level. I think I used two 750ohm resistors off of the power transformer before the rectifier. It originally used two 300ohms, but those aren't in that version of the schematic. As of now, the amplifier was completely rebuilt into a different chassis and the schematic is similar to the Fender 5f2A tweed Princeton.
I have a homemade amp, basically a copy of the Trainwreck Express, that I built in an old solid state chassis. I took the emblem off an old furnace and put it on the front. It's my Meuller Climatrol amp.
I made an Electrolux. (Actually an old Gates amp with the VU meter) I also turned the Electrolux logo sideways so it looks like a a thong bikini thru a spyglass. I used the knobs from an old electric stove. (simmer 2 3 4 hi) and jeweled power lights. Very steampunk looking!
My first amp was a weird old Yamaha combo amp that had a "blend" control for gain. Sounded great and i wish I still had it! I took an emblem off my first car when I sold it and the amp became the Skylark. I also made a guitar strap out of one the seatbelts- this was about ten years before Van Halen did it.
I have an old 50's chrome toaster and a series filament amp that I to integrate together, I want the tube glow to shine out of the toast slots, The gain control will be the "toast" darkness, light to toasty! lol. I know I'm weird, lol.
My favorite amp here was probably the Pathfinder, followed closely by the Mig-80. In terms of favorite "weird" albums, for me it's probably Bad Religion's second album, 1983's Into the Unknown. They basically bailed from their punk beginnings and made a prog rock album that NO ONE liked at the time. It's since become a bit of a classic amongst BR nerds, and they even repressed it on vinyl for a box set collection of their early albums about 8-9 years ago. "Chasing the Wild Goose" is probably my favorite track on that album.
A bit late here, but my favorite “odd” record might be Warning by Green Day. While Minority was a hit that endures into their sets today, the rest of the material seems largely abandoned. It was by far their least successful record from 94-09, but it showed their range as songwriters. They achieve some really sweet guitar tones not unlike the beginning of the Satellite amp demo, and Misery is an outright folk tale with inspiration taken from Italian folk music, mariachi and surf rock. Worth a listen for sure!
I can't even begin to tell you how much I love My Life in a Bush of Ghosts. I've always owned that record in one format or another, and it is always in heavy rotation. Thanks for throwing out those music recs...really appreciate them, even if I already know them.
That pathfinder sounds glorious! nice warm and beefy overdrive yet very articulate. It sounds like it would be great for playing Neil Young type stuff. A lot of those vintage PA to amp conversions seem to sound great!
Newcombe Pathfinder was by far my favourite, sounded really sweet. Someone should copy that circuit and release it. I'd use it dime'd and roll in the guitars volume for clean/dirty tones :-)
Well, if you like the converted PA amps, most of them that are converted for guitar use sound pretty similar. I mean the circuits are all pretty much the same and so it's pretty much just picking the input impedance and biasing that sounds good to you. Get rid of the negative feedback loop and (if it has it) the ultra-linear transformer and you are good to go!
The first little amp with all of that fuzz was truly amazing. Oddly amazing would include anything that Van Dyke Parks has a hand in, Captain Beefheart records, Pavement’s Wowee Zowee, and Animal Collective’s Feels, especially “Bees.”
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is a historical moment. Ahead of its time for sampling. They did it the hard way (because that’s all you could in 81) David’s book How Music Works talks about it
It's a late 50's/early 60s Voice of Music 8810 amp. Mine lives inside a VOM 168 Stereo Twin amp that was designed to be a portable amp or PA to use with VOM's phonograph, turntable, or by plugging a microphone right into it. Mine is a 1961.
Great episode as always! Just wanted to say I received my first JHS product yesterday! I bought a Little Black Amp Box from Anderton’s in the UK. I’ve been a big fan of both your channels for a while but have very limited funds for my guitar gear. I needed a way to keep my home amp volume down and realised I could support two of my favourite TH-cam channels with one purchase! I have to say it was a joy to open something that had so much care and thought put into the experience of receiving a new piece of gear. Thank you to you Josh and your amazing team and keep up the good work! When I am financially able I will be sure to buy more of your products!!
Dude that MIG is a beast. I love how it has such a versitile tone, but keeps the breakup together if you know what I mean. You should definitely do a collaboration with an amp builder and do a MIG-80 inspired amp, or at the very least PLEASE put together a schematic of that thing so I can build one for myself.
If it is anything like a MIG-50, which I suspect it is (especially with the mod to 6L6's, the 80 likely referred to using some Russian version of a 6550), then it is in the same family as a JTM-45 or Bassman. Sounds a lot like a modded SF Bassman to me, with a master volume and perhaps an additional post-CF gain stage... In other words, a "MIG-80 inspired amp" would likely end up just as another basic Marshall clone. Which is fine, but does the world REALLY need more of those?
I've had some odd ones over the years ... especially early on. These included: - A Gibson with the knobs on top and 4 10" speakers. I remember the smoke pouring out of the back of that amp. LOL. - A Haynes combo with 2 12" speakers. I think it was solid state? Nice clean to it. - A West Fillmore head with matching 4 12 cabinet cause Mark Farner had one! That thing weighed A TON! I don't recall the sound being particularly good ... but it sure looked cool. Memories ...
can you do a "cheap" practice amp episode? Crate, Line 6, some of the bundle pack amps "peavey or fender". Or maybe some super awesome ones like the old Gorilla!! Anything can sound decent in the right application and its not the brand name but how you shred it! Rock n Roll
@@jonhenderson8837 ha the infamous Gorilla amps the Line6 Spiders of the 80's had a couple, (of both Gorillas and Line6Spiders)could never say I fell in love with them BUT I did have a cheap arse 5w Crate combo for about 5 years before going back to bass - tiny speaker was complete crap but if you jacked it in to a good cab (I mostly used a closed back Laney 2x10 Jensons and a open back greenback Vox cab) it sounded great, which is the opposite of my usual experience with crate valve amps
Amp= That Pathfinder is awesome. The Quilter is also incredible Favorite "odd" record is Rush - Caress of Steel...it isn't truly odd but many consider it to be odd.
Any album that has a song called "I Think I'm Going Bald" gets a +5 on the weird rating. It is the perfect transition album from their heavily Cream influenced first albums and the space prog of 2112 that followed. This was a good choice for this question. Bravo.
Agreed. They talk about this record as a troubled time and not being happy with it. It however propelled them to become what they became. Love this record myself. The Necromancer......wierd....but rocks like nobody's business.
Great video, as ever! In Spain we have our little old amp manufacturer "Sinmarc"! They started doing JCM800 clones and branded them as "sin marca" that literally translates to "no brand". Then they started doing their own stuff but kept the name, with a little abreviation that makes it sound cooler! Look it up!
OUT JEZABELL!!! My Life In The Bush of Ghosts is one of those incredible records that I still need to listen to ~40+ years after I first heard it. Eno’s collaborations with Fripp are epic as well ... The oddest, most bizarrely weird amp I’ve ever used would be a 9W polydermal amphibious dorsal crest tube insert device designed for the half-man/half giant fresh water crab people of central Washington State that live along the Columbia river and play guitar in tubings (tubings? - no, tunings) that are also very odd - so odd, in fact, that they are inaudible.
I bought "My Life In the Bush Of Ghosts" the year it was released. Amazing. It pre-dates digital sampling by a few years. Very funky, weird and dark record. Also, Brian Eno was in Roxy Music. He did a few records with David Bowie, Cluster, Robert Fripp and started a short lived band called 801. He is also credited with inventing "ambient" music. He is much much much more than just a "famous producer"
Check out Eno's pre-ambient solo albums (HERE COME THE WARM JETS, TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN, and especially BEFORE AND AFTER SCIENCE). Those are anything but bland.
@@Bencarelle Uh, no. Eno created ambient to be "music as furniture" and was never intended to be something seriously listened too. It is for background only. His four legendary "rock" albums and the one live album he did with the band 801 is where you go to discover Brian Eno. No bland moments there. To truly appreciate his genius I recommend reading the wiki article on the recording of the "Here Come The Warm Jets" album. Especially the Production part where it explains his utterly unique approach to making that record. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_Come_the_Warm_Jets
@@craigdamage In the liner notes for "Music for Airports", Eno writes that ambient music "must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention"; it must be "as ignorable as it is interesting", so being seriously listened to is definitely one of the purposes of this music.
"Plum" by Wand is definitely on my list of records, where bands reimagined themselves and did it great too. Definitely a hidden gem for those who can appreciate very lovingly and carefully crafted, almost surgically precise face melting guitar tones. And not only guitar!
Thanks for highlighting "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" by David Byrne and Brian Eno. It is one of my favorite albums and has been since 1983, when my older brother came home from college for the holidays with a copy of it. I had never heard anything like it. I thought it was great and still do. It is on my permanent playlist for long drives.
That quilter is really neat... if you like that super small form factor, you should try out the DSM Simplifier! I have the bass variant and I am heart eye emoji over it
"Fish out of Water" by Chris Squire (bass player from Yes) is definitely my favorite "weird" album. Nothing in the time signature of 4/4 and a LOT of Rickenbacker through a cranked SVT. Even some London Symphony on the album. My favorite odd amp isn't that odd but not that common and certainly unique. It's a Rivera TBR-1SL. I refer to it as my Swiss Army amp because it covers so much sonic territory. It has 26 knobs, a metric crap-ton of switches and some unique voicings between the completely discrete clean and lead channels that feed into two 60W power amps that make for true stereo effects if you so desire.
Yamaha made a unique amp made of a pre amp head and powered bottom's that would drive it's own horn cab. and up to 4 cabs could be driven by the head. 100 watts per powered bottom and horn was rated to 75 watts . 2 12's per cab and 5 driver horn and lens. Early 70's WoW!
Josh man...I have the say, the first riff you played on the Voice of Music Phonograph amp was incredible. Your playing reminded me of being a kid in the early 1990’s and hearing a grunge or hard rock riff that just inspired me and made me feel something. That feeling made me become a guitar player and pursue an education in music. I just wanted to say this because I know as players that’s one of the ultimate goals. To create that inspirational feeling that we once had when our love for music and guitar first developed. That riff and the tone and even the notes brought me right back and I thank you for that one because it doesn’t happen that often anymore.
I actually think its super cool that you have those amps that were just random amps for other things converted to be guitar amps. love odd projects like that
I'm really interested in mini tube heads and I would love to see a video [in the same style ] of you trying diffent heads that you'd actually play a show with
Loved the Gammatron. Disclaimer...I'm a Satellite guy and a friend of Adam's. Still, I think the amp sounds great and you can use it at home or in a small club (which is mostly what I play when I play out). My favorite weird amp line is Albert Johnson amps (from Manitoba Canada) 1950'w and 60's. The one I own now has an 8" Celestion and is "Champ=esque" one knob. Over sized solid wood cab Sounds in credible. I once owned a "monarch" head that had the biggest transformers and crazy tubes (you can find it on the internet...I think I sold it on the Steel Guitar Forum). Great episode...glad I found it.
That first amp with its rickety frame was my favorite, just thick & growly but with definition. The Sovtek was 2nd fav, but probably be the one I’d go to for stage as it’s the most useful & well built and balanced tone. The old PA was cool too, and the quilter impressive for what it was 🤘🏼
My pick for odd album is the 1971 album Budgie by Budgie. This band does not get nearly enough credit for their influence on early heavy metal. Best track: "Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman".
My fave is the Quilter by far. A brilliant piece of engineering in a box the size of a pedal. Whereas the first amp sounds more like a farting mosquito in a cigar box to me. The Crown also sounded not bad to me. The MIG's tone is unique...this whole amp IS unique! And amazing how low-noise these Lollar Staple P90s are! My odd Record of the Day is the 1973 PFM (Premiata Fornieri Marconi) album "Photos Of Ghosts". PFM was (and still is) an Italian Prog Rock Group, in the same vein as ELP, Rick Wakeman, Gentle Giant etc. Great video as always Josh! MORE PLEASE!
Literally exactly what I was thinking throughout this too, shame about the lack of a Tube Works head in here, or another JHS vid, but they’re undoubtedly very niche, even in comparison with the stuff featured here
My favourite weird amp is a Made in Japan combo amp made by a company called "CORON" that cribs pretty heavily from Marshall stuff, down to the gold knobs. I've found extremely little data on these things other than the online listings that I purchased mine from, so if there are other Coron users out there maybe reply to this comment! I've had three iterations of it - a 10W, my first amp ever, which I (foolishly but thoughtfully) donated to a local youth centre with a music program, a 15W, and a 30W that has an onboard reverb. My favourite is the 15W as it has the gnarliest crunch and the most volume, but they're all fun to play, and are one of those magical cheap amps that pairs well with cheap guitars to give you a ferocious sound that's like a chainsaw bouncing around inside a fire engine full of a pack of wolves when everything's cranked to eleven. I'm not sure if Coron ever made a head at all, or anything with more wattage, but I'd love to know about it!
I love all things Electro-Harmonix/Sovtek so that was definitely my favorite. Plus it broke up really nice! I have a not so common amp (not too weird) that I love to play. A 1970 Fender Bantam Bass with original working Yamaha trapezoid speaker
Aaron Tackett I have the Bantam too! It sounds like what I wish a Super Reverb sounds like and you can jump the channels because they’re in phase. I use it with a reissue Fender reverb unit and it’s unbeatable. I love the speaker too.
I keep it pretty low most of the time but I love using it more than any pedal. It really gives me a feeling of goodness. I also have a Fender Musicmaster Bass amp that used to belong to Mary Kaye, as well as a Vibro Champ so depending on the room or my mood I can use the reverb tank with any of those. I’ve got other stuff but those are my favorites. I actually want another reverb unit to switch between lol
My favorite you played in this video was the Mig80, and I'd totally use it for playing Dokken riffs. My favorite weird amp I own is a marshall 1974x clone I built that I've been slowly modding over the years. Cascaded channels, tremolo replaced with TMB controls, master volume, added a choke, all mercury iron, a grainger fx loop circuit, and a few resistor value changes so far.
Your couple videos using the micro amp, and the amount people I love using it on their own board just determined my next pedal purchase. I just started messing with boost because your video on them. That mig 80 looks interesting, and that album is something I HAVE to hear. My favorite weird album is by a band called melt banana. It's a Japanese noise band, and I can't remember the name of the album at the top of my head but it has a song i believe is called "Ray gun" I wanna say it came out in 2013. I wish I could remember the name of the album. Edit: albums called fetch, and the songs called candy gun
Wow, listening to the 10" and 12" speakers is really instructive! My favourite amp was the Quilter. It sounds awesome and it fits in your hand; enough said. "Kid A" by Radiohead? It's epic, but when it came out some of my friends (and many other people) stopped liking Radiohead because they thought they were too weird. I know they're idiots, but it might count. In any case, if you haven't listened to Kid A for a while, you can do yourself a favour and remind yourself how good it is. And, yay! "The Sovtek Episode" :-))))
I liked all the amps, except the first one. In fact, I had the feeling they were arranged more or less in the order of increasing quality. My "lovable oddball" prize would go to the Newcomb PathFinder.
The Pathfinder was my favorite, the sound speaks for itself! As for odd album(s), anything by the Pixies, they can not be easily classified, no band or album like 'em!
You could use a Mike Matthews Dirt Road Special in this lineup. Solid state and sounds amazing. It has a built-in phaser and is a vintage gem. I love mine.
That Pathfinder is awesome and sounds warm and definitely Voxy! And that mini Quilter is LOUD! Don't under estimate small adorable little stomp boxes 😁
I an across a weird amp recently. A friend of mine gave me a box of electronic stuff he had laying around for years. He didn't know what was in it, and said he was just gonna throw it out or take it to Goodwill if I didn't want it. In this box was an old Radio Shack MPA 45 PA amp. 35 watts. The switch was taken apart, and someone had put a bunch of wire in there, trying to make it work. I replaced the switch and it works fine. There are two 1/4 inch inputs labeled Mic, a phono input and an aux. input, both for rca plugs. I plugged a guitar into the mic inputs and was surprised that it sounded pretty good. I'm really a tube amp guy, so I was REALLY surprised. Also in the box was a overdrive pedal that said Timmy on it, which I have since discovered is a very highly regarded pedal. The Timmy into this amp sounds amazing, and at really low volume so if you just want something to play at night and not wake up the neighbors, or for recording, it works really well. I wish I had this when I was learning to play. I played along with records to learn, and with this amp you can plug your record player in to it and play along through the same speaker.
Weird albums: Operation Mindcrime by Queensryche. It's a true rock opera that tells a direct story. There is no need to read a pamphlet or outside source to get what the story is about. The Divine Comedy by Milla Jovovich (yes, the actress and super model). This was made in the early 1990s and it uses non western sounding instruments to create some electronic folk rock. Lorde and Billie Elish modernized that sound. Many albums by Beth Hart. Her genre choices are like a box of chocolate as Forrest Gump would have said. Some critics say an artist should stick to a lane yet her albums are like a multi lane freeway. Lemonade by Beyonce is the closest thing somebody has come to making a Beth Hart style album.
10:08, i use this bad boy for a lot of different stuff. Silent practice with my pedals, as a back up and or as a DI in my home studio or DI right into the mixer live for stereo stuff and i love it. You can’t beat this bad boy for travel purposes. Drives speakers fine, sounds fine di through pa and takes pedals just fine. Every player should have one of these.
This is the third JHS video i've watched today. You've picked up a new subscriber Josh you are so relaxed with your presentation, I'll also have to take a closer look at the JHS range of pedals when i'm next in the market for something noisey.
The japanic one was my favourite. Crown? Hell yeah! And the modded Sovtek prototype. The weirdest amp I own is an fbt device which probably was a PA or Karaoke machine in the 60s or 70s. 4 mic channels and a phono input and a tape delay. The previous owner had modified it so that the first mic channel pushes the second and now you get from clean to almost (but not yet) breaking up tones. Creamy, silky, audible bliss. Takes pedals exceptionally well, needless to say. Weirdest album.... I'll throw in Spooky Tooth and Pierre Henry's Ceremony. Put the record on, turn out the lights and make sure you are not alone. What a ride. Forget every horror movie you ever saw. Word has it that Spooky Tooth recorded their part first and when Pierre Henry was done with his magic, they distanced themselves from the album O_o
The first amp is The Voice of Music Phonograph amplifier Model 8810, I have a few in my shop. Let me know if you need a schematic. This amp is a good candidate to make a Randy Bachman Herzog overdrive unit by Garnet Amps.
You sir. Went well beyond super nerdy.
Shhh! Yes, VOM phonographs and reel to reel decks are an excellent platform for parts-pulling and repurposing into guitar-amp builds ---- but I am always a little reluctant to tell everyone!
Ha ha. Nerrrrrrd
I know what you mean, they were my little secret back in the 90's VOM and Sony RtoR decks
Yes!! VoM!!
turn that first amp into a pedal! I’d 100% buy that! Great fuzz sounds.
If you can find an old Systech Overdrive, that pretty much sounds like the first amp.
Immense sound. Needs to be a pedal!
Doesn't sound like fuzz, sounds like something electronically imploding. But great!
Great fuzz? Are you kiddin' me? That thing sounds like an angle grinder on a rusty gate! To me at least. But to each his own....
Challenge accept
Caution: When hitting an amp with a boost pedal, you must either throw the pedal at the amp, or swing the pedal by a guitar cable. If you hit the amp with the pedal, while still holding the pedal, you are likely to sprain your wrist.
Instructions not clear, tried hitting my pedal with an amp, forgot had my foot over it.
“...Until the Sovtek episode...”
shaffera17 please yes
Still waiting.... !!! Maybe it’s on route to post for Christmas 🎄. It would be a Christmas MiG 50 Miracle!
I was going to make that comment....
@@jordandangelo180 now 2020 Christmas is over..
It's literally 2021.
The Pathfinder is my favourite, the overdrive is lovely.
And the used market just exploded...
Matched the boost pedal nicely too! :-p
mine too, nice warm tone...
Totally agree.
Great Amp!!!!!!!!!!!
That Sovtek sounds so good. Head and shoulders above the rest.
The clean tone was stunning, big fat and sparkly, and then the drive tightens the whole thing up so it doesn't go flabby like a Fender. I am blown away.
I love my Mig 100. I had one when I was a kid that I got for $200. Sold it to buy a Marshall cab you could get anywhere. Took me 15 years to find another one and I’m never letting it go!
I did not expect the tiny Quilter to sound so good. Especially after the boost was turned on.
Jared Meit right? Really considering getting one
Damn. I already had another window opened and was looking at Quilter Interblock on Reverb before he finished the demo.
My Quilter Interblock 45 showed up today. What a coincidence! Yes, it's really good and versatile.
I have 3 Quilters. 1 Micro Block 45 for practicing and two 101 Mini Heads pushing a Hendrix re-issue and an Alnico Gold. One is set up more like a blackface Fender, the other like a Marshall. The sound is big even at low volumes.
That quilter making me rethink my whole rig
No wonder the MIG-80 weighs so much: "lead tube amplifier." Since when do we make them out of lead??
In Soviet Russia, all heavy metal music was played on lead amplifiers.
In Russia, amp plays you!
They had to do it after Chernobyl
That tiny pedal like amp was a pleasant surprise.
Oddly enough, I thought the little Japanese Crown amp sounded the best out of all of them. Super rich and natural overdrive out of that one with lots of rich harmonics. When it comes to electronics....the Japanese know what they're doing.
I would pay so much money for the first amp as a fuzz box...
Yo man there's a rebuilt one on eBay for $450 Voice of music 8810
@@davidjairala69 I got drunk and ordered it.... here's hoping for the best hangover of my life haha
@@thestammer4586 was it a quality hangover
@@davidjameschamberlain But not a cheap one...
The Stammer how did it go? Does it sound as gnarly as the video?
I own a 1965 Sunn tube amp head, pre-model numbers. It was hand made in Conrad Sundholms garage. No one knows what it is worth but it sounds and records amazing...
NashBeach , I've heard that Leslie West used a Sunn PA head to record "Mississippi Queen" . Have you tried that riff ? Could it have been a amp like yours ?
You can always change resistor/capacitor values in the preamp/tone stack to get more breakup and more tone. If that doesnt get you there add another gain stage. Sunn amps converted to guitar are one of the best guitar tones of the 70's.
@@sheolboy it's probably a Marshall clone like the Model T, if so.
That first amp sounds like it's being punched in the gut every time you dig in hard.
lol
I think my favorite odd album is "Mr. Bungle - California"
I love that little Quilter amp too. So convenient. Sounds great.
They were all really good-sounding, but I must admit I was expecting amps with built-in envelope filters or something like that, LOL.
I had an amp that my dad brought home from a tour in Japan that had "Tremolo" spelled "Tremoro". Was in the mid-sixties, but I don't recall the brand name.
You rying, Joe...
I know all about virtuosos... and trembalos... and arpeggios...
Japanese people pronounce the letter L as R.
@@florakovacs7043 - Thank you. Be well.
@@florakovacs7043 really, how fascinating.
'We're not gonna _use_ the cab, as frankly it sounds like ｈｏｔ ｔｒａｓｈ" 😆
Andy 'Doog' Phipps
I like that he keeps the channel family-friendly
totallyfrozen he’s a class act
Andy 'Doog' Phipps
No doubt! He makes and sells pedals, but hardly ever even mentions his own stuff. He praises other makers’ stuff. Humility like that is hard to find.
@@totallyfrozen The dude just loves the stuff genuinely. Also, I think the guitar world is already sold on his stuff for the most part because of his rep with his business and circuit building philosophy and Customer service strength.
I'm buying that little pedal.
In other news, I got a $10 thrift store find that does NOT exist anywhere on the internet: A 1975, red tolex wrapped, hand soldered Japanese Pignose clone. Brand. New. Condition. Replaced dead speaker with an Eminence 6.5".
My GOD it is amazing and LOUD.
Want to see this
That Japanese Crown tube head is money!
J Rodriguez, yep, easily my fav of the bunch.
I like it quite a bit
LOVED the crown. Couldn't find squat on ebay. It'd be nice to add to the collection.
I did sound really quite good didn't it. I had an old Courier bass amp many many many years ago when i first started playing bass and it sounded amazing through a single un branded 1x15 reflex cabinet.
The tone reminds me of a cheap Japanese 60s valve amp for a record players called "Star". My old hippie mate dug it out his garage, I plugged my guitar in and it was classic clean tone, I recorded a few songs thru it and then it blew up, kind of sounded like a really clean 50s sparkly fender amp with just a tiny hint of grit
Hey! That first amp! I own one. It is a Voice of Music 8810. They came out of a speaker box which was often connected to a tape machine (reel to reel I believe). Essentially, a PA amp. I have schematics, and I basically redesigned mine entirely, as it ran on the edge and had some burnt up parts inside. The output transformer is actually directly below the power transformer, but on the inside of the very cramped chassis. Some have small output transformers (I think the later cream colored ones like in the video do), but my 1959 grey one has a pretty large one that fills at least 1/3 of the chassis interior.
My main amp, an ~18 watt Stromberg Calson, was also originally a PA amp, but I did a conversion, and it really turned out to be something special.
WOAH! Could you send a link to the schematic?? It sounds sick
@@stanzaman2790 Which amp? The little voice of music?
@@stanzaman2790 Anyhow, here is the Voice Of Music shown in the JHS video, in stock form. elektrotanya.com/PREVIEWS/63463243/23432455/egyeb/voice_of_music_8810_sch.pdf_1.png
Neat circuit, but I decided to rebuild mine (different chassis too - original was too tight and very noisy) closer to a Fender champ which has higher gain. The VOM's tone circuit uses a decent amount of negative feedback, sent back to the first gain stage which really limits preamp distortion. The stock tone circuit also isn't voiced for guitar, so it doesn't change the sound all that much, although it is interesting.
The stock stromberg circuit can also be found online - it is the Signet 22 aka the SAU-22. I own 2 now and redesigned the circuits entirely. Instead of having two 12ax7 inputs for multiple mics, I wired them cascade. One is kinda a voxy/marshally circuit with a TMB tone stack while the other amp has a preamp similar to a Brown 6g3 deluxe, but with a framus mid knob.
Hi could you please send the schematics?
@@giannipalmisano8071 similar to the last comments I posted, I don't know of you're asking for the original amplifiers schematic or a schematic of what I did to the amp. Click the link in my last comment for the VOM 8810 original schematic.
After I modified it, I basically removed the negative feedback winding on the output transformer, converted the input 12AX7 stage to a more traditional cathode bias style (like a fender amp), and tweaked some resistor values to drop the B+ and run the tube at a safe level. I think I used two 750ohm resistors off of the power transformer before the rectifier. It originally used two 300ohms, but those aren't in that version of the schematic.
As of now, the amplifier was completely rebuilt into a different chassis and the schematic is similar to the Fender 5f2A tweed Princeton.
I have a homemade amp, basically a copy of the Trainwreck Express, that I built in an old solid state chassis. I took the emblem off an old furnace and put it on the front. It's my Meuller Climatrol amp.
I made a HotPoint.
I made an Electrolux. (Actually an old Gates amp with the VU meter) I also turned the Electrolux logo sideways so it looks like a a thong bikini thru a spyglass. I used the knobs from an old electric stove. (simmer 2 3 4 hi) and jeweled power lights. Very steampunk looking!
My first amp was a weird old Yamaha combo amp that had a "blend" control for gain. Sounded great and i wish I still had it! I took an emblem off my first car when I sold it and the amp became the Skylark. I also made a guitar strap out of one the seatbelts- this was about ten years before Van Halen did it.
I have an old 50's chrome toaster and a series filament amp that I to integrate together, I want the tube glow to shine out of the toast slots, The gain control will be the "toast" darkness, light to toasty! lol. I know I'm weird, lol.
I had a V amp, I guess it was sprayed with liquid concrete, had a spring reverb and a metal grill over the speaker so you could kick it.
My favorite amp here was probably the Pathfinder, followed closely by the Mig-80. In terms of favorite "weird" albums, for me it's probably Bad Religion's second album, 1983's Into the Unknown. They basically bailed from their punk beginnings and made a prog rock album that NO ONE liked at the time. It's since become a bit of a classic amongst BR nerds, and they even repressed it on vinyl for a box set collection of their early albums about 8-9 years ago. "Chasing the Wild Goose" is probably my favorite track on that album.
A bit late here, but my favorite “odd” record might be Warning by Green Day. While Minority was a hit that endures into their sets today, the rest of the material seems largely abandoned. It was by far their least successful record from 94-09, but it showed their range as songwriters. They achieve some really sweet guitar tones not unlike the beginning of the Satellite amp demo, and Misery is an outright folk tale with inspiration taken from Italian folk music, mariachi and surf rock. Worth a listen for sure!
I paused the video to order that Quilter
I'm honestly impressed by the tone out of the Quilter.
That Quilter is a killer sound, especially with the boost. Number 1 for me.
I can't even begin to tell you how much I love My Life in a Bush of Ghosts. I've always owned that record in one format or another, and it is always in heavy rotation. Thanks for throwing out those music recs...really appreciate them, even if I already know them.
That pathfinder sounds glorious! nice warm and beefy overdrive yet very articulate. It sounds like it would be great for playing Neil Young type stuff. A lot of those vintage PA to amp conversions seem to sound great!
Newcombe Pathfinder was by far my favourite, sounded really sweet. Someone should copy that circuit and release it. I'd use it dime'd and roll in the guitars volume for clean/dirty tones :-)
I would LOVE to have a clone of that amp!
Same here. My fav. And would love a clone!
Well, if you like the converted PA amps, most of them that are converted for guitar use sound pretty similar. I mean the circuits are all pretty much the same and so it's pretty much just picking the input impedance and biasing that sounds good to you. Get rid of the negative feedback loop and (if it has it) the ultra-linear transformer and you are good to go!
Yes, it's the thick & beefy one of the bunch.
mootbooxle I watch your videos and seem to find you in the comments wherever I go. I believe you’re a wizard.
The first little amp with all of that fuzz was truly amazing. Oddly amazing would include anything that Van Dyke Parks has a hand in, Captain Beefheart records, Pavement’s Wowee Zowee, and Animal Collective’s Feels, especially “Bees.”
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is a historical moment. Ahead of its time for sampling. They did it the hard way (because that’s all you could in 81) David’s book How Music Works talks about it
That first amp is amazing; that cranked fuzzy sound is one of the best sounds I've ever heard. Holy shit, I need to find one.
Are you serious
Just buy any ultracheap fuzz pedal, you'll get the exact same noise.
It's a late 50's/early 60s Voice of Music 8810 amp. Mine lives inside a VOM 168 Stereo Twin amp that was designed to be a portable amp or PA to use with VOM's phonograph, turntable, or by plugging a microphone right into it. Mine is a 1961.
these videos are one of the highlights of my week. :D
I agree! I'm watching the entire vlog like it's a Netflix series 😂🤘
Same
I am absolutely in love with the Weird Amp. That first 4.5 watt scrap heap amp was one of the most unique sounding amps I've ever heard.
That first amp sounded pretty awesome! Would use that as a fuzz tone any day!
He should just keep it on his board!
The Quilter sounds surprisingly good! Best fly rig amp?
That first amp was amazing.
It would be so sick if he made a pedal to replicate that fuzz tone. That’s far fetched, but I would buy that so fast.
Same!
Mort Garson "Plantasia." Can't seem to find it in any format other than vinyl.
The quilter was great, especially with loads of gain. Very aggressive. That would definitely not get lost in the mix.
Great episode as always!
Just wanted to say I received my first JHS product yesterday! I bought a Little Black Amp Box from Anderton’s in the UK. I’ve been a big fan of both your channels for a while but have very limited funds for my guitar gear. I needed a way to keep my home amp volume down and realised I could support two of my favourite TH-cam channels with one purchase!
I have to say it was a joy to open something that had so much care and thought put into the experience of receiving a new piece of gear. Thank you to you Josh and your amazing team and keep up the good work! When I am financially able I will be sure to buy more of your products!!
Dude that MIG is a beast. I love how it has such a versitile tone, but keeps the breakup together if you know what I mean. You should definitely do a collaboration with an amp builder and do a MIG-80 inspired amp, or at the very least PLEASE put together a schematic of that thing so I can build one for myself.
Yeah, that was definitely my favorite. It sounds like it would cut through in a mix, too.
agreed. schematic would be sweet.
If it is anything like a MIG-50, which I suspect it is (especially with the mod to 6L6's, the 80 likely referred to using some Russian version of a 6550), then it is in the same family as a JTM-45 or Bassman. Sounds a lot like a modded SF Bassman to me, with a master volume and perhaps an additional post-CF gain stage...
In other words, a "MIG-80 inspired amp" would likely end up just as another basic Marshall clone. Which is fine, but does the world REALLY need more of those?
electro harmonix actually may have done something like this relatively recently I think. Check it out!
I agree. That Sovtek MiG80 was pretty sick!
I've had some odd ones over the years ... especially early on. These included:
- A Gibson with the knobs on top and 4 10" speakers. I remember the smoke pouring out of the back of that amp. LOL.
- A Haynes combo with 2 12" speakers. I think it was solid state? Nice clean to it.
- A West Fillmore head with matching 4 12 cabinet cause Mark Farner had one! That thing weighed A TON! I don't recall the sound being particularly good ... but it sure looked cool.
Memories ...
You were not lying about the Pathfinder. Sounds like a really nice Vox.
The Quilter being driven by the Micro Amp Sounds AMAZING!!!
Super nerdy, you guessed right! How'd you know? I love these videos! Thank you!
can you do a "cheap" practice amp episode? Crate, Line 6, some of the bundle pack amps "peavey or fender". Or maybe some super awesome ones like the old Gorilla!! Anything can sound decent in the right application and its not the brand name but how you shred it! Rock n Roll
Build a fender champ clone with an extra gain stage (12AT7) but with an adjustable feedback loop. D-Lab has the mods schematic.
Hah! I had a gorilla! Cheap, played the hell out of it for 20 years. I think that works out to $5.00 a year! Money well spent!
@@jonhenderson8837 ha the infamous Gorilla amps the Line6 Spiders of the 80's had a couple, (of both Gorillas and Line6Spiders)could never say I fell in love with them BUT I did have a cheap arse 5w Crate combo for about 5 years before going back to bass - tiny speaker was complete crap but if you jacked it in to a good cab (I mostly used a closed back Laney 2x10 Jensons and a open back greenback Vox cab) it sounded great, which is the opposite of my usual experience with crate valve amps
Amp= That Pathfinder is awesome. The Quilter is also incredible
Favorite "odd" record is Rush - Caress of Steel...it isn't truly odd but many consider it to be odd.
Its one of my fave Rush albums as well
Any album that has a song called "I Think I'm Going Bald" gets a +5 on the weird rating. It is the perfect transition album from their heavily Cream influenced first albums and the space prog of 2112 that followed. This was a good choice for this question. Bravo.
Agreed. They talk about this record as a troubled time and not being happy with it. It however propelled them to become what they became. Love this record myself. The Necromancer......wierd....but rocks like nobody's business.
@@turkeeg7644 the Necromancer is awesome
Great video, as ever! In Spain we have our little old amp manufacturer "Sinmarc"! They started doing JCM800 clones and branded them as "sin marca" that literally translates to "no brand". Then they started doing their own stuff but kept the name, with a little abreviation that makes it sound cooler! Look it up!
They also made mixing desks and some rather sophisticated acoustic amps which even had built-in EQs.
mig 80?! whaaaa? niceeee! also, quilters are great, love em! and that vox-y sounding one was great, too!
OUT JEZABELL!!!
My Life In The Bush of Ghosts is one of those incredible records that I still need to listen to ~40+ years after I first heard it. Eno’s collaborations with Fripp are epic as well ...
The oddest, most bizarrely weird amp I’ve ever used would be a 9W polydermal amphibious dorsal crest tube insert device designed for the half-man/half giant fresh water crab people of central Washington State that live along the Columbia river and play guitar in tubings (tubings? - no, tunings) that are also very odd - so odd, in fact, that they are inaudible.
I bought "My Life In the Bush Of Ghosts" the year it was released. Amazing. It pre-dates digital sampling by a few years. Very funky, weird and dark record. Also, Brian Eno was in Roxy Music. He did a few records with David Bowie, Cluster, Robert Fripp and started a short lived band called 801. He is also credited with inventing "ambient" music. He is much much much more than just a "famous producer"
I concur
Yeah, but his ambient is a bit bland and comes across as obvious nowadays, so his work as a producer is what is important.
Check out Eno's pre-ambient solo albums (HERE COME THE WARM JETS, TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN, and especially BEFORE AND AFTER SCIENCE). Those are anything but bland.
@@Bencarelle Uh, no. Eno created ambient to be "music as furniture" and was never intended to be something seriously listened too. It is for background only. His four legendary "rock" albums and the one live album he did with the band 801 is where you go to discover Brian Eno. No bland moments there. To truly appreciate his genius I recommend reading the wiki article on the recording of the "Here Come The Warm Jets" album. Especially the Production part where it explains his utterly unique approach to making that record. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_Come_the_Warm_Jets
@@craigdamage In the liner notes for "Music for Airports", Eno writes that ambient music "must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention"; it must be "as ignorable as it is interesting", so being seriously listened to is definitely one of the purposes of this music.
"Plum" by Wand is definitely on my list of records, where bands reimagined themselves and did it great too. Definitely a hidden gem for those who can appreciate very lovingly and carefully crafted, almost surgically precise face melting guitar tones. And not only guitar!
The Pathfinder did it for me but the Russian one at the end was a very close second.
Thanks for highlighting "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" by David Byrne and Brian Eno. It is one of my favorite albums and has been since 1983, when my older brother came home from college for the holidays with a copy of it. I had never heard anything like it. I thought it was great and still do. It is on my permanent playlist for long drives.
That quilter is really neat... if you like that super small form factor, you should try out the DSM Simplifier! I have the bass variant and I am heart eye emoji over it
the way the quilter broke up when you goosed the gain, the feedback was so tubey, so cool.
The Quilter is flipping awesome especially when he hit the gain,...ooh boy! That was tasty.
"Fish out of Water" by Chris Squire (bass player from Yes) is definitely my favorite "weird" album. Nothing in the time signature of 4/4 and a LOT of Rickenbacker through a cranked SVT. Even some London Symphony on the album. My favorite odd amp isn't that odd but not that common and certainly unique. It's a Rivera TBR-1SL. I refer to it as my Swiss Army amp because it covers so much sonic territory. It has 26 knobs, a metric crap-ton of switches and some unique voicings between the completely discrete clean and lead channels that feed into two 60W power amps that make for true stereo effects if you so desire.
In the same vein, "Everything that happens will happen today" by David Byrne and Brian Eno is one of my favorite albums of all time.
Yamaha made a unique amp made of a pre amp head and powered bottom's that would drive it's own horn cab. and up to 4 cabs could be driven by the head. 100 watts per powered bottom and horn was rated to 75 watts . 2 12's per cab and 5 driver horn and lens. Early 70's WoW!
Odd & weird: Voivod, Nothing Face. This album doesn't fit with the rest of the bands sound but it is a stand out album front to back.
I'd swear he used a Digital Turbo Distortion on that. Weird but cool tonality.
That alblum is amazing
@@kampfkustomer2343 Piggy built his own pedals in Boss housings.
Josh man...I have the say, the first riff you played on the Voice of Music Phonograph amp was incredible. Your playing reminded me of being a kid in the early 1990’s and hearing a grunge or hard rock riff that just inspired me and made me feel something. That feeling made me become a guitar player and pursue an education in music. I just wanted to say this because I know as players that’s one of the ultimate goals. To create that inspirational feeling that we once had when our love for music and guitar first developed. That riff and the tone and even the notes brought me right back and I thank you for that one because it doesn’t happen that often anymore.
This man has outstanding presentation, makes me want to buy pedals
I actually think its super cool that you have those amps that were just random amps for other things converted to be guitar amps. love odd projects like that
I'm really interested in mini tube heads and I would love to see a video [in the same style ] of you trying diffent heads that you'd actually play a show with
Loved the Gammatron. Disclaimer...I'm a Satellite guy and a friend of Adam's. Still, I think the amp sounds great and you can use it at home or in a small club (which is mostly what I play when I play out). My favorite weird amp line is Albert Johnson amps (from Manitoba Canada) 1950'w and 60's. The one I own now has an 8" Celestion and is "Champ=esque" one knob. Over sized solid wood cab Sounds in credible. I once owned a "monarch" head that had the biggest transformers and crazy tubes (you can find it on the internet...I think I sold it on the Steel Guitar Forum). Great episode...glad I found it.
Favorite Amp: Quilter for sure
Odd album: Daughters - You won’t get what you want. Truly a masterpiece!
That first amp with its rickety frame was my favorite, just thick & growly but with definition. The Sovtek was 2nd fav, but probably be the one I’d go to for stage as it’s the most useful & well built and balanced tone. The old PA was cool too, and the quilter impressive for what it was 🤘🏼
My pick for odd album is the 1971 album Budgie by Budgie. This band does not get nearly enough credit for their influence on early heavy metal. Best track: "Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman".
Yeah man- Budgie was fantastic!
Awesome...i just recommended the same thing in the video I watched before this one.
You made me play Budgie ... it might be on all day now. Thanks !
My fave is the Quilter by far. A brilliant piece of engineering in a box the size of a pedal. Whereas the first amp sounds more like a farting mosquito in a cigar box to me. The Crown also sounded not bad to me. The MIG's tone is unique...this whole amp IS unique! And amazing how low-noise these Lollar Staple P90s are! My odd Record of the Day is the 1973 PFM (Premiata Fornieri Marconi) album "Photos Of Ghosts". PFM was (and still is) an Italian Prog Rock Group, in the same vein as ELP, Rick Wakeman, Gentle Giant etc. Great video as always Josh! MORE PLEASE!
I can see Josh Homme using all of these amps.
Era Vulgaris era QOTSA would have had a field day with that first amp.
All of them. At once.
Literally exactly what I was thinking throughout this too, shame about the lack of a Tube Works head in here, or another JHS vid, but they’re undoubtedly very niche, even in comparison with the stuff featured here
My favourite weird amp is a Made in Japan combo amp made by a company called "CORON" that cribs pretty heavily from Marshall stuff, down to the gold knobs. I've found extremely little data on these things other than the online listings that I purchased mine from, so if there are other Coron users out there maybe reply to this comment! I've had three iterations of it - a 10W, my first amp ever, which I (foolishly but thoughtfully) donated to a local youth centre with a music program, a 15W, and a 30W that has an onboard reverb. My favourite is the 15W as it has the gnarliest crunch and the most volume, but they're all fun to play, and are one of those magical cheap amps that pairs well with cheap guitars to give you a ferocious sound that's like a chainsaw bouncing around inside a fire engine full of a pack of wolves when everything's cranked to eleven. I'm not sure if Coron ever made a head at all, or anything with more wattage, but I'd love to know about it!
I love all things Electro-Harmonix/Sovtek so that was definitely my favorite. Plus it broke up really nice! I have a not so common amp (not too weird) that I love to play. A 1970 Fender Bantam Bass with original working Yamaha trapezoid speaker
Aaron Tackett I have the Bantam too! It sounds like what I wish a Super Reverb sounds like and you can jump the channels because they’re in phase. I use it with a reissue Fender reverb unit and it’s unbeatable. I love the speaker too.
William Nelson I need to get a reverb unit! I’m going to Carter Vintage tomorrow actually, maybe I’ll look for one.
I keep it pretty low most of the time but I love using it more than any pedal. It really gives me a feeling of goodness. I also have a Fender Musicmaster Bass amp that used to belong to Mary Kaye, as well as a Vibro Champ so depending on the room or my mood I can use the reverb tank with any of those. I’ve got other stuff but those are my favorites. I actually want another reverb unit to switch between lol
So let me ask you. Does this Mig 80 sound different from other Sovteks because holy crap i am in love with that Mig80.
My favorite you played in this video was the Mig80, and I'd totally use it for playing Dokken riffs. My favorite weird amp I own is a marshall 1974x clone I built that I've been slowly modding over the years. Cascaded channels, tremolo replaced with TMB controls, master volume, added a choke, all mercury iron, a grainger fx loop circuit, and a few resistor value changes so far.
Your couple videos using the micro amp, and the amount people I love using it on their own board just determined my next pedal purchase. I just started messing with boost because your video on them. That mig 80 looks interesting, and that album is something I HAVE to hear. My favorite weird album is by a band called melt banana. It's a Japanese noise band, and I can't remember the name of the album at the top of my head but it has a song i believe is called "Ray gun" I wanna say it came out in 2013. I wish I could remember the name of the album.
Edit: albums called fetch, and the songs called candy gun
+1 for Melt Banana 👍
+1 more for Melt Banana.
Was it Melt Banana that does a live show with giant cardboard monsters duking it out behind the band?
The Pathfinder and the Mig 80 were my favorite! Made the day.
Wow, listening to the 10" and 12" speakers is really instructive! My favourite amp was the Quilter. It sounds awesome and it fits in your hand; enough said. "Kid A" by Radiohead? It's epic, but when it came out some of my friends (and many other people) stopped liking Radiohead because they thought they were too weird. I know they're idiots, but it might count. In any case, if you haven't listened to Kid A for a while, you can do yourself a favour and remind yourself how good it is.
And, yay! "The Sovtek Episode" :-))))
I revisit this episode all the time and every time I fall for the japanese amp. I’d seriously give a kidney for it, that is an incredible sound
I would love to see an episode on recording electric guitar (microphone placement, gain staging, etc).
0:58 "...but, if you're super nerdy like I think you are..." Its so nice to be understood for a change. XD
I love that shirt, btw!
Yes, we are super nerdy... win for this video.
I liked all the amps, except the first one. In fact, I had the feeling they were arranged more or less in the order of increasing quality. My "lovable oddball" prize would go to the Newcomb PathFinder.
That Pathfinder is amazing!
Sn: Can't wait until the Sovtek episode, lol
These episodes are worth every second. No wasted time. No SELF absorbed persona. Just cool gear talk. With great Demos.
The Pathfinder is magic! A lot of Mojo! My favourite
that first one sounds great but the really cool thing is how quiet it is despite the sputteryness
The first amp is out of a Voice of Music console from the 50s
The Pathfinder was my favorite, the sound speaks for itself! As for odd album(s), anything by the Pixies, they can not be easily classified, no band or album like 'em!
Hey Josh, have you ever made an amp?
Oh, man. That Pathfinder sounds unbelievable!
You could use a Mike Matthews Dirt Road Special in this lineup. Solid state and sounds amazing. It has a built-in phaser and is a vintage gem. I love mine.
that's not one of those battery powered amps from back when is it?
I concur. I wish I had kept mine...sounded fantastic with an original TS808
@@billsmith8822 Not really! The Mike Matthews Freedom amp was battery powered whereas the Dirt Road Special wasn't.
ohhhh ok. guess i got some learnin to do!
@@billsmith8822 De nada! Glad I could help.
That Pathfinder is awesome and sounds warm and definitely Voxy!
And that mini Quilter is LOUD! Don't under estimate small adorable little stomp boxes 😁
Mr Bungle - Disco Volante is pretty weird and magical (skip the first song).
Jasmin Bellavance all their albums were weird and magical, never skip any of their songs!!
I an across a weird amp recently. A friend of mine gave me a box of electronic stuff he had laying around for years. He didn't know what was in it, and said he was just gonna throw it out or take it to Goodwill if I didn't want it. In this box was an old Radio Shack MPA 45 PA amp. 35 watts. The switch was taken apart, and someone had put a bunch of wire in there, trying to make it work. I replaced the switch and it works fine. There are two 1/4 inch inputs labeled Mic, a phono input and an aux. input, both for rca plugs. I plugged a guitar into the mic inputs and was surprised that it sounded pretty good. I'm really a tube amp guy, so I was REALLY surprised. Also in the box was a overdrive pedal that said Timmy on it, which I have since discovered is a very highly regarded pedal. The Timmy into this amp sounds amazing, and at really low volume so if you just want something to play at night and not wake up the neighbors, or for recording, it works really well. I wish I had this when I was learning to play. I played along with records to learn, and with this amp you can plug your record player in to it and play along through the same speaker.
Weird albums:
Operation Mindcrime by Queensryche. It's a true rock opera that tells a direct story. There is no need to read a pamphlet or outside source to get what the story is about.
The Divine Comedy by Milla Jovovich (yes, the actress and super model). This was made in the early 1990s and it uses non western sounding instruments to create some electronic folk rock. Lorde and Billie Elish modernized that sound.
Many albums by Beth Hart. Her genre choices are like a box of chocolate as Forrest Gump would have said. Some critics say an artist should stick to a lane yet her albums are like a multi lane freeway. Lemonade by Beyonce is the closest thing somebody has come to making a Beth Hart style album.
The Pathfinder chassis color matches the MXR Micro Amp almost exactly. There must be some deeper meaning to this...
Michael Cluff 👍
10:08, i use this bad boy for a lot of different stuff. Silent practice with my pedals, as a back up and or as a DI in my home studio or DI right into the mixer live for stereo stuff and i love it. You can’t beat this bad boy for travel purposes. Drives speakers fine, sounds fine di through pa and takes pedals just fine. Every player should have one of these.
The first amp sounded like a digitized bowel movement.
It certainly isn't made for musical instruments.
It was an analog bowel movement, thank you very much.
Yeah, but mine was all analog transistors.
Which is awesome of course
Not what players usually mean by "the brown sound"
This is the third JHS video i've watched today. You've picked up a new subscriber Josh you are so relaxed with your presentation, I'll also have to take a closer look at the JHS range of pedals when i'm next in the market for something noisey.
That quiltter is the most amazing thing ive seen, kinda like a sans amp i suppose, pretty amazing sound i might get one
The japanic one was my favourite. Crown? Hell yeah! And the modded Sovtek prototype.
The weirdest amp I own is an fbt device which probably was a PA or Karaoke machine in the 60s or 70s. 4 mic channels and a phono input and a tape delay. The previous owner had modified it so that the first mic channel pushes the second and now you get from clean to almost (but not yet) breaking up tones. Creamy, silky, audible bliss. Takes pedals exceptionally well, needless to say.
Weirdest album.... I'll throw in Spooky Tooth and Pierre Henry's Ceremony. Put the record on, turn out the lights and make sure you are not alone. What a ride. Forget every horror movie you ever saw. Word has it that Spooky Tooth recorded their part first and when Pierre Henry was done with his magic, they distanced themselves from the album O_o
Pavement's Terror Twilight, and Loveless by My Bloody Valentine