sceptre reviews? and concert bass question

[death_tone]

considering buying a sceptre, looks to be in great condition, but needs a new transformer, which tech is shopping for, so i havent heard it yet.  owner says the cab has 4 EV 12"s.  any comments?  how does this amp sound?  volume?  i have an ampeg vt-22 with 2 ev 12's that is fucking killer and loud as hell.  

also, looking at a concert bass.  seems rather quiet even at full volume, and almost no tone control, when playing a bass through it.  is this normal?  with an oscillator running through a big muff, it was much louder.

also how does the distortion sound?  no footswitch available.


thanks

[shewbot]

You can tell your tech transformers are available through Triode electronics. The old Sunn amps were based on Dynaco stereo circuits and on the early amps the transformers were actually made by Dynaco.

As for Sceptres, they sound great if you're looking for loud and clean.  They're a very warm tough amp with a lot of head room. They're not quite as loud as the VT-22 or a V-4, but they're close. The primary difference between the two amps is going to be eq. The countour control on the Sunns is very usefull and allows for a lot of range. If you're looking for distortion though, this might not be your best bet. These early Sunns have only one preamp tube and only one channel.

If you're getting a good price on the Sceptre though, you might want to consider it and just get your distorion from a good tube-powered pedal like the Electro-Harmonix English Muff'n or the Radial Tonebone.

[Isaac]

There are other options for distortion.

A master volume can be installed.

An attenuating device, such as the Scholtz Research Power Soak, can be used between the amp and speaker. I've done this with great success.

A preamp can be used between the guitar and the amp, to overload the input stage.

Or, as shewbot points out, any number of distortion devices, tube and otherwise, can be used.

[shewbot]

I would suggest that you not install a maaster volume. Apart from the fact that it will lower the resale value of the amp, it will also be hard on the one preamp tube. If there was a larger gain stage you might get away with it, but on the early Sunns you're likely to burn out 12ax7s at an alarming rate.

Attenuators, are good. I've been having good luck with a THD Hotplate on my Sentura I. The trouble is you can't bypass it to get a clean tone because the attenuator comes after the amp. In my case I'm running a pair of amps, so it works well. If you're only going to be running one amp you'll want to get the distorion from a preamp or something similar.

[EdBass]

This may be the answer for breaking up a Sunn;
http://londonpower.com/kits/psbox.htm
I haven't tried it on any of my Sunn's yet, but it's amazing on the new Reeves stuff.
http://www.reevesamps.com/
It actually scales the amp down, allowing you to overdrive the pre-amp and power tubes, and actually extends tube life. On the Reeves amps, there is not even a standby switch, you just roll the Power Scale knob to 0. Also, and most importantly with this new kit, it can be removed to take the amp back to stock. No holes, clean as a whistle. I first heard this device at the '05 Michigan Tonefest. This power scale can takes a 100 watt amp as low as 1/2 watt, at full tilt crank. A screaming, chimey half stack at speaking volume. Master volumes can't give you that power tube wail, and eat pre-amp tubes, Attenuators color the sound, even the best of them, and they certainly don't due your power tubes any favors either.
I'll re-post if I get around to installing one of these on my Sceptre or 100S, might be the hot mod for these old "Hi-Fi" Sunns

[Isaac]

Sounds interesting, but I dislike anything that doesn't tell me what it does, or how it does it. Given what it does say, I'm not sure it's much different from a Variac.

[EdBass]

Well, I think the only way to actually figure it out is to buy one and tear it up. The guys at London Power are not giving up the scoop, and the Reeves people are bound by a licensing agreement not to. I think it's great that they don't tell - not a lot of "black magic" left in tube amps anymore. I'm also a huge fan of money, and respect their right to to invent and market a product for financial gain. I hope a ton of players buy their little black box before some schmuck posts their schematic on the web.

Anyway... I think you're right Isaac, sort of Variac-like, but infinitely more user friendly and versatile. I used a Variac on a Marshall Major that I played through a couple of Goodman 15's (so I could get that raunchy, yet way cool John Wetton sound without drowning out the guitarists) and it was cool, but much more cumbersome than just a knob on my amp head. I've used the Reeves product frequently, and the versatility is astounding. They are a little pricey, but a good value for the quality and workmanship. I would pony up and buy one if I played more guitar. Using the gain and power scale knobs you can go from squeeky clean to screaming tube breakup and every level in between. At ANY volume! And not just 12AX7 master volume breakup, or colorized attenuator sound, but pure power tube wail. I plan to get one of the kits for my Sceptre in hope of making a vintage Sunn "Super Amp" without killing its investment value by chopping it up. I'll post the results when I finally get around to actually doing it.

[Isaac]

I look forward to it.

I have no objection to someone making a good produict and selling it for a profit, either. What I object to is the large and apparently increasing number of con artists out there. One characteristic of the con men is that they never say exactly how their products do what they say they do, so when someone doesn't offer that information, I see a red flag. Not all who limit information are dishonest, of course, but most of those who are dishonest limit information. Besides, what if I bought one, and needed to get it fixed?

[EdBass]

I have to agree with all your points, there are certainly no shortage of audio gurus out in cyberspace who will offer to sell you the holy grail.

Hear the Old Guys kids, CAVEAT EMPTOR!

I would trust the Power Scale (London Power) with my money mainly because they have an ongoing relationship with Reeves, and Reeves has been around for years. Also, they use the Power Scale circuit in their products and warranty them for 5 years. This is a link from the Reeves website to London Power that goes into a little more depth about the circuit.
http://www.londonpower.com/pscalingn.htm
It would  kinda support the Variac-esque quality of Power Scaling, but stops short of being a DIY guide.

[Isaac]

Interesting. Thanks. This gives me a few ideas to play with, myself.

[AdmiralB]

For transformers, go to Triode (www.triodeelectronics.com).  They have exact replicas of the Dynaco iron used in the ST70s and MkIIIs, which are what Sunn used in the 40W and 60W amps, respectively.  They're quite reasonable, too.