indigo
107 posts
May 13, 2015
5:49 AM
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They seem to have sold a lot of them so you could assume that a few MBH members have bought one?
No reviews or comments yet..?
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Popculture Chameleon
66 posts
May 13, 2015
6:54 AM
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there are a good number of videos on Youtube out there now on the HarpTrain 10 amp I definetly plan to get one once I get the money for it.
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Adam Pritchard
67 posts
May 13, 2015
3:17 PM
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I bought one the other week. I've only tried it out at one band rehearsal so I probably need to test it out a while longer to give a proper review, however here's my first impressions:
Whilst I was impressed with the tone of the amp, (when you dial it in it can sound great), I was a little disappointed at how prone to feedback it was. Perhaps I'd set my expectations too high as it's designed as a harp amp and therefore I thought it might perform better than the average guitar amp in the feedback stakes. However with the volume between 3 & 4 and the 'Balls' knob at around 3 I was walking the fine line of feedback and wasn't always loud enough to cut through our band(and we don't play all that loud).
For comparison I have a 5 watt Harley Benton (re-badged Epiphone Valve Jnr.) which has had the Fender Champ alnico-magnet mod installed and I've got to say the Harley Benton performs better on the feedback stakes and runs the Harp Train close on tone.
So it's a bit early to be able to give a proper judgement but first impressions are it sounds great but doesn't have the kind of feedback resistance I might expect from an amp designed for harp. Clearly a lot can depend on other factors like the mic, the room etc so more testing needed.
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SuperBee
2600 posts
May 14, 2015
1:40 AM
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i'm interested to see your comments about the Harley-Benton, Adam. I have the same amp, same mod...
oh actually maybe not the same mod. mine has the alnico magnet "blues harp" mod
Last Edited by SuperBee on May 14, 2015 1:41 AM
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FMWoodeye
839 posts
May 14, 2015
7:27 AM
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I set mine up right next to my Bassman in our rehearsal hall (drummer's basement)so I can quickly plug into either. I have an LW Harp Shield in my pedal chain, so feedback is not a factor. I have it miced to the PA. Bandmates like the sound, but they like the Bassman, too. It's certainly easier to carry than the Bassman, which is a big factor for me as I am unable to get the Bassman up a flight of stairs without considerable difficulty. It is certainly a great bang for the buck. The last time I went the "bang-for-the-buck" route was when I bought a newly-released Excelsior, which has sat mostly unused in my basement.
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Adam Pritchard
72 posts
May 14, 2015
11:45 AM
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@SuperBee, how do you find the Harley-Benton? I bought mine second hand for £90 and find it a really nice little amp. Great break up, tone etc and reasonably harp friendly.
@FMWoodeye, I owned a LW Harp Shield for a time but it just cuts the signal when not playing. The problem I have is feedback when I'm playing. I think it's time to save for a Squeal Killer or Kinder pedal.
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SuperBee
2601 posts
May 14, 2015
3:17 PM
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Hi Adam.
My Harley-Benton is the head version, sold here as 'Legacy Valve Head'. Cost me $150 AUD, 2nd hand, plus whatever Nigel charges for his mod kit. Very good instruction with that kit btw. Some kits are just follow the numbers, but he has turned it into an electronics lesson, while still making it very easy to follow. The amp had a very inefficient tone pot which sucked a lot of signal. The Alnico magnet mod replaced that with a fender Princeton-style treble cut which made the amp much livelier, and much easier to control for a good sound. When I took the amp apart to modify, it was clear the EL84 had been running very hot. A weakness in the amp imho is the tube sockets mounted directly to the pcb, and this one had clear scorch marks radiating from the El84 socket. The mod kit addresses the issue of the tube running over spec. Now I think it is a great little amp, with line out, standby, treble cut, choice of 3 output impedances, and sounds "great" through my twin 8" weber cab or 12" rola-plessey, or pretty much any cab I plug it into. One of the great things about this small head is the choice of 4, 8, or 16 ohm output, allowing you to try lots of different cabs.
The only negative is that it is still a small amp and its application is limited by its capacity to be loud enough to be heard. I made the same observation as you regarding the Harp Shield but really I believe this all points to using an amp too small for the situation. I'm not sure about the (unfortunately named imho) 'balls' setting on the LW HT, but I expect it may be worth experimenting with turning that right back and seeing if you can get the amp turned up louder that way. The HT should really project better than the 8" in the H-B; the amp should be perceptibly louder.
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JTThirty
278 posts
May 18, 2015
3:49 PM
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Yeah, I'm surprised that more people haven't chimed in about the HT10, especially since they sold out on their first run. I love the tone of this amp. I think that Adam has a point. I've been able to ease the volume up to 5 with the Balls knob on 3 before feedback. It is substantially loud at that setting. Playing around with the two knobs prove that it is not a one trick pony as far as tone goes.I have a more extensive review on my blog listed down below in my signature.
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Ricky B
http://www.bushdogblues.blogspot.com
RIVER BOTTOM BLUES--crime novel for blues fans available at Amazon/B&N, iTunes, iBook
THE DEVIL'S BLUES--ditto
HOWLING MOUNTAIN BLUES--Ditto too, now available
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Adam Pritchard
74 posts
May 19, 2015
10:52 PM
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Just a quick update on the HT10. I ran side by side tests between the HT10 and my Harley Benton last night at my band rehearsal. I ran both amps through a Lehle Little Dual A/B Pedal (a quality bit of German engineering). They both sounded great individually. The HT10 sounded marginally the better of the two to my ear although it was slightly more prone to squeeling.
Anyway,individually they were great but together they were amazing! I think I may have found my harp tone nirvana. Two small amps is definitely better than one as you benefit from the different tonal qualities of each. And boy can they get loud! After last night I'm seriously thinking of retiring my Bassman and gigging with the two small amps
Last Edited by Adam Pritchard on May 19, 2015 10:53 PM
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Mensh
18 posts
May 20, 2015
3:37 AM
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Adam -
I do the 2 amp dance with a VHT Special 6 and a Kalamazoo Model II, in stereo with a Radial ABY switch.
If you can get over the hassle of carting them around, it's a great tonal pallette!
(for larger venues - like I'm doing this weekend - I will line out from the 'zoo (mod) to the PA and use the VHT for an onstage monitor, as I cannot abide any harp in the main monitors.
Heath
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www.thebluesprofessors.com
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eharp
2276 posts
May 20, 2015
4:46 AM
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I am totally confused now.
The HT has feedback problems?
What about the Memphis Minnie?
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MichaelMc
24 posts
May 20, 2015
7:21 AM
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I have a HarpTrain 10 and don't notice any feedback. I've turned the volume and "balls" knob all the way up and it doesn't feedback at all. I've walked around the amp while playing, but have always stayed at least 10 feet away. I have a Harp Shield, but haven't needed to plug it in so far.
To my ears, the amp sounds great and has a good natural distortion.
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SuperBee
2612 posts
May 20, 2015
2:52 PM
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What sort of mic are you using MichaelMc? You shouldn't be able to do that...
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JTThirty
279 posts
May 20, 2015
3:39 PM
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Hey, Adam. I haven't done it out live, but I have chained the HT10 and my Kalamazoo I together using Lone Wolf's Terminator pedal and they do rock!. Playing around with the two knobs, if I keep the Balls knob around 1, I can crank the Loudness knob up to 7 or 8. Just need to play around with what I like the most.
By the way, the website states that the tubes are Sovtek. Mine aren't. The power tube is a Ruby 6L6GC MSTR and the preamp tube is a Ruby 12ax7ac5 HG. They are Chinese Shuguang tubes, which are high quality. The HG stands for high grade.
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Ricky B
http://www.bushdogblues.blogspot.com
RIVER BOTTOM BLUES--crime novel for blues fans available at Amazon/B&N, iTunes, iBook
THE DEVIL'S BLUES--ditto
HOWLING MOUNTAIN BLUES--Ditto too, now available
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NathanLWBC
50 posts
May 21, 2015
6:23 AM
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Sorry, we forgot to update the site with tube change. We originally had Sovtek in all of the prototypes, but switched to Ruby for the production model. I'll make sure we change that.
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--Nathan Heck
Lead Technician, Lone Wolf Blues Co.
customerservice@lonewolfblues.com
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MichaelMc
25 posts
May 21, 2015
9:18 AM
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@SuperBee - I use a production 520DX Green Bullet. I'm not smart enough to know for sure, but I have the amp on the carpeted floor to the side of my couch, so maybe the couch shields the feedback.
I turned it all the way up (just to test it out, I don't normally turn it above 40% on either the volume or "balls") I've played like that a few times for about an hour each time. The only feedback I got was from my wife and kids asking me to turn it down. :)
Edit - I just looked it up and the 520DX has a 20 ft. cable. There was a bit of slack in the cable when I turned it up all the way, so I was probably more like 15 ft. away, rather than 10 ft.
Last Edited by MichaelMc on May 21, 2015 9:21 AM
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Simon_Deeming
1 post
May 23, 2015
1:26 PM
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The 520DX is fairly feedback resistant I've found - possibly because it's relatively low output compared to vintage bullets. I was playing at a gig with this and the Alnico modded VST S6. I tried switching to my Shure PE53 stick and I got horrendous squeals immediately.
I'd be really interested to try a HT, but can't be sure it'd outperform the VST S6 and I can't justify having 2 amps! We need more demo videos on it . . . Especially pitting it against the Memphis Mini.
Last Edited by Simon_Deeming on May 23, 2015 1:26 PM
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SuperBee
2616 posts
May 23, 2015
5:09 PM
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At some point after accumulating amps, you either need to start shedding them or resign yourself to being a 'collector', which is in my view a condition best treated by selling things.
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SuperBee
2617 posts
May 23, 2015
5:31 PM
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I've never really used a DX, except in a shop which is hardly real-world. Are they even HiZ? I guess they are. Blokes I know in Aus seem to love the LW HT, there's a couple or 3 out here. The 10" speaker I think is a good move which probably puts it over most of the champs and valve jr types. I am trying to decide which of my amps to part with, rather which to keep. I think my 5F1 into a 10" cab seems likely as a keeper.
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Greg Heumann
3003 posts
May 25, 2015
9:38 AM
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@MichaelMC - are you sure your 520DX isn't wired for low impedance? I have a HarpTrain here on loan from Randy and there's no way I wouldn't get feedback with a 520DX turned up all the way.
I'm working with Randy on some tuning that will help with the feedback issue. I didn't have a 12AY7 handy to test but believe it will be a big help. I DID test with a 12AT7 and a 5751 (roughly equivalent in gain) and they already made a noticeable and useful difference.
Swapping a tube is the cheapest after-market solution.
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
Bluestate on iTunes
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Coyote
1 post
May 25, 2015
11:37 AM
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The Ruby tubes that come out of China are re-labeled Shuguang Chinese tubes. I've tried them. They are inexpensive and pretty crappy.
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Popculture Chameleon
69 posts
May 25, 2015
3:54 PM
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Greg- I just bought my 545 bullitized mic (absolutely love it!) and I am now saving up for a HT 10. will there be any feedback problems with the kind of mic I now have. Should I get a Harp Shield just in case?
Last Edited by Popculture Chameleon on May 25, 2015 3:54 PM
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Greg Heumann
3004 posts
May 25, 2015
5:52 PM
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@Pop
ANY mic will feed back. The Ultimate 545 is not particularly feedbacky. You shouldn't need a Harp Shield.
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
Bluestate on iTunes
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Adam Pritchard
75 posts
May 26, 2015
12:51 PM
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@Greg Neumann
Thanks Greg. I understood that a tube swap won't necessarily give you more volume before feedback just more variable range up to the point of feedback? Is that correct?
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JTThirty
282 posts
May 26, 2015
3:41 PM
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I wouldn't classify the Shuguang tubes as crappy, especially those which have passed through Ruby's hands. They don't stamp those that don't pass their specs. Lots of OEM amps come stock with them. They stack up fairly well with the current manufactured tubes. As Greg said, one of the cheapest after market mods is tube replacement. I've got some tubes, that at some point, I'll certainly plug into the HT10 just for grins and see what tonal changes take place.
I've got some 12ay7s around that will probably be my first experiment. I'm sure that plenty of harp players here have done rounds of tube swaps. I won't answer Adam's question for Greg, but I've used a 12ay7 a lot to smooth out gain in more than a few amps. The HT10 was apparently built with the the 12ax7 in mind, or they wouldn't have shipped with them. Some people love the "in your face" aggressive tone of the 12ax7, while others may prefer a slightly mellower drive from the 12ay7 before feedback range, which may be reached a bit higher on the volume knob. AND, the volume just may be about the same at 6 with the swap vs 4. Don't know. Might just make the amp less touchy. Might gut the sound (doubt it). If and when I swap in a 12ay7, I'll post my impressions.
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Ricky B
http://www.bushdogblues.blogspot.com
RIVER BOTTOM BLUES--crime novel for blues fans available at Amazon/B&N, iTunes, iBook
THE DEVIL'S BLUES--ditto
HOWLING MOUNTAIN BLUES--Ditto too, now available
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indigo
117 posts
May 26, 2015
5:26 PM
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how do you change the tubes in the harp train?
As in dismantle it?
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JTThirty
284 posts
May 26, 2015
5:39 PM
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Indigo-Lay the amp face down on a towel and unplug both the power cord and the speaker cord from the amp, then remove the four screws from the outer edges of the top back panel and pull the chassis out. The power tube has a clamp that you need to squeeze down and then gently pull the tube out. The pre-amp tube has a metal cover that you push down and turn, then gently pull the tube out. Gently helps to avoid bending the pins. Gently is the optimal word when tightening the screws on re-assembly.
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Ricky B
http://www.bushdogblues.blogspot.com
RIVER BOTTOM BLUES--crime novel for blues fans available at Amazon/B&N, iTunes, iBook
THE DEVIL'S BLUES--ditto
HOWLING MOUNTAIN BLUES--Ditto too, now available
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Coyote
2 posts
May 28, 2015
8:15 PM
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No, the Ruby tubes I tried were pretty crappy. Thin tone and they failed not once but twice. I went back to Russian tubes, EH, Tung Sol, etc. Chinese tubes have a well known reputation for crappy tone. They deserve it. Try a A-B test against other tubes. The only reason to use Ruby tubes is to reduce costs on an OEM amp.
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