silpakorn
67 posts
Jun 08, 2011
7:11 AM
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I'm not sure this might be a silly question but I know nothing about electronics so gotta ask for some help; few months ago I got a valve jr that was heavily modded for guitar, anyway, it sounded fine for harp, I changed the tubes and it got better and I can turn the volume up to 10-11 before feedback. Actually, that should be just fine apart from the fact that it has too many knobs and selectors which really annoys me because I'll never use them ! It works ( sound good ) with only one setting. I've also just found that there are a lot of harp mod kits for valve jr out there and they are not too expensive at all make me wanna order and try some. So is it possible for me ( my electrician friend ) to re modify this one to something more simple for harp ? Any advice would be appreciated.
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5F6H
712 posts
Jun 08, 2011
7:57 AM
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Regarding mods, what is "possible" is pretty well limitless....however what is practical, well that's another story.
1) You say "It works ( sound good ) with only one setting." Great, why worry about the other settings? Just because an amp may have certain switches or controls, doesn't mean that you are obliged to use them.
2) I don't think that there are "a lot" of harp mod kits out there...Alnicomagnet, Lone Wolf...? V Jrs are very cheap, if you wanted to compare a couple of mod suggestions/kits, I'd build up another amp, compare it to yours, then sell off the one you don't want (or make them both the same). The point being that you like your amp now - if you mod it, then it may sound better...it may not, you won't know for sure unless you put them side by side.
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silpakorn
68 posts
Jun 08, 2011
8:30 AM
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Actaully, I'm basically just curious if it can sound even better if I mod it specificly for harp and I also want it more simple because I think it just a small amp and I don't wanna mess with knobs and selectors - right now it has tone, gain and volume and a selector for 2.5 or 5 watts and another 3 ways selector that I don't really know what is it for ! But thanks anyway, for your comment maybe I'll just keep playing this one while saving up money for something better..
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5F6H
713 posts
Jun 08, 2011
8:48 AM
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Tone pot is a good thing to have.
Gain pot - there is no one universal way of achieving this, I'd give it the benefit of the doubt for now, keep this lowish, & aim to get the volume pot high.
There are 2 or 3 common ways of achieving the half power capability...perhaps if you post some pics there is a chance somebody might recognise how these have been executed.
It's quite likely that some of the harp mods advertised elsewhere may be feasible in conjunction with what you already have.
The amp is probably just as simple as it always was (unless extra tubes have been added etc), just a few fixed values have been made "turn up/downable", or switchable?
Last Edited by on Jun 08, 2011 8:48 AM
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silpakorn
69 posts
Jun 08, 2011
8:43 PM
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Thanks a lot for your advice. I'll try set it up the way that you suggest. Anyway, here's the pictures of the amp..
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silpakorn
70 posts
Jun 08, 2011
8:44 PM
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close up..
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5F6H
715 posts
Jun 09, 2011
1:32 AM
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"NFB" switch could be useful, one way will be smoother sounding with a little less gain, the other way will be tighter, bitier. V Jr does not have NFB (negative feedback) as stock, but many other amps, like Champs do.
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htownfess
263 posts
Jun 09, 2011
2:19 PM
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At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, in a situation like that, I take a fine point Sharpie marker and put dots where the knobs/switches are pointing to for the settings that I like. Then it's easy to find those settings again. If you develop another useful group of settings for a different sound, use a different color marker for those dots. Black, blue and red work pretty well. Rubbing alcohol will clean Sharpie ink right off if you need to remove the dots.
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silpakorn
71 posts
Jun 09, 2011
7:35 PM
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A very good tip htownfess ! now I'm sure it was a silly question : ) just because I don't know enough about amps and what those knobs do. But I'm glad I asked, it just made me realized that it's actually because I originally wanted my small amp to be a one trick pony that sounds good for harp so since I got this one the idea of re-modding it specificly for harp is kinda stuck in the back of my head. I'm just thinking maybe with the effort to try to do something with this one I might as well start another project like learn to build a new one or something.
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