Deep Purple! Kiss! Skynyrd! Right f-in on! Do you know what transformers are used in this build? I built an 18 Watt kit from Triode Electronics that I like quite a bit, but I had to replace the output transformer with a higher rated Weber because the stock Magnetic Components OT was too fizzy when driven hard with high gain. I think it didn't have enough headroom. Now it sounds really good. Your amp sounds great, too. I'm thinking about adding that cathode bypass mod. Nice!
TONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the tone I've been searching for!!!! But then I saw the price and my heart ripped in half. $2000 is about $1200 out of my league
You can build a 1x12" combo of this amp from a kit for about $1200 total. Pretty good deal if you consider that route! I successfully did so and had never built ANYTHING electronic before.
Now that's an absolutely killer sounding amp! I sold an 18w Soultone w/ 2x12" Celestion G12H Anniversary a couple years ago and really miss it. I do, however, like a bit more beef of an EL34 rig. Nevertheless, 18 watters are great sounding amps. Of all the tubes I demo'd, I liked vintage Amperex EL84 and Mullard 12ax7's best, with EL84 Mullards a close second to the Amperex.
I don't think the TMB channel is more crunchy than the V/T channel, it's just more flexible. I guess when you dial up more mids, it can be more crunchy than the other channel, but not substantially. I like to use an A/B footswitch and use the V/T channel for leads.
@spentonmediocrity Usually the non-TMB channel on these has a little more gain because it's not going through the more extensive tone stack. One mod is to have a switch that takes the tone stack out of the circuit totally. You usually have to adjust the components to get a tone you're happy with without the tone circuit, but it'll have a lot more gain at that point. Personally I'd rather just kick in a Tube Screamer if I need a little boost.
Great demo...great licks! Can you tell me where or how you learned such tastely riffs? You play some things I'd like to add to my playing. I sure appreciate it in advance.
Thanks man. Everything (kit, cab, speakers) was about $1200 or so. It came from GDS with new JJ tubes, but now I run all vintage tubes from the 50's & 60's.
The two best pickups I've ever owned are my Duncan Antiquity humbuckers in my Les Paul, and second are my 57/08's in my McCarty Smokeburst. I like the Antiquities a bit more. Smoother and more "vintage" tone. The 57/08's have more bite.
It's a cathode bypass. It puts a capacitor in the signal, that's all. Not really a boost that raises any signal levels, but rather changes the value of the treble frequencies.
did you have to drill an extra hole in the chassis or the vari watt? thats an interesting mod.
very cool amp. i'm thinking of building an 18 watter and am just currently waffeling between 1x12 and a 2x12.
You went with the GDS kit eh? any reason over the Ceriatone? or the Trinitiy? Sorry for all the questions; I'm just really geeking about building an amp at the moment.
Great tone bro. the white tolex is also tres cool.
No extra hole drilled for the vari-watt. Just removed the on/off toggle and replaced that with the vari-watt knob. GDS offered the amp building seminar, so I went with them. Top notch product all the way.
Wow, sweet amp. I'm in the market right now to buy a 1974x and I like this modded version better than the Marshall reissue. This one seems to fit my style more. I have been thinking about buying a kit and building one myself. Where are these available at?
GDS amps are so versatile. I built a 1974 trem last year and it's wonderful. I'm sure Graydon will be pleased with your demo. Great job on the cabinet too. Did you do that yourself? Cheers!
Thanks! The cab was built for me by Anthony at Reason Amps/Stagecraft Gear. He's built me a couple of cabs and his work is among the best I've ever seen. Flawless tolex & piping work.
wow Im really loving the sound of the 18 watt clones lately. I play a lonestar myself and have no money left over to buy a 1974x or the scales to build a clone, but you an awesome job dude! you must be pretty crafty haha
Seriously amazing tone...I'd pay you to build one of these!
70guppy 1 week ago
Cheese & rice dude talk much!
supafly1954 3 weeks ago
Where do I even begin to make something like this? I don't know anything about electronics or soldering but I really want to make my own amp.
Unreal75 2 months ago
the acdc in the background kinda sucks for getting your message across clearly!!!
silkenjay 6 months ago
Deep Purple! Kiss! Skynyrd! Right f-in on! Do you know what transformers are used in this build? I built an 18 Watt kit from Triode Electronics that I like quite a bit, but I had to replace the output transformer with a higher rated Weber because the stock Magnetic Components OT was too fizzy when driven hard with high gain. I think it didn't have enough headroom. Now it sounds really good. Your amp sounds great, too. I'm thinking about adding that cathode bypass mod. Nice!
imagimotion 7 months ago
That's the tone in my head!
alexbriss 8 months ago
Awesome Ace licks man! Great tone too.
CharlesMcWin 9 months ago
Which speaker are you using?
LukaGibsonLesPaul 1 year ago
Who made you the logo plate? :)
Kitarist88 1 year ago
Great sound !!!
thesilverfox 1 year ago
Beautiful amp , and the tone is incredible! Great playing too!
jammers5 1 year ago
awesome tone man
slash1128 1 year ago
i dig it i wonder if two run in stereo might get over an angry drummer
lordxerak 1 year ago
i dig it i wonder two run in stereo might get over an angry drummer
lordxerak 1 year ago
This is probably the best tone of any 18 Watt clone I've heard on YouTube. Nice.
charles1967 1 year ago
MEET US IN THE LADIES ROOM!!
kaiba34 1 year ago
Great amp. What do you think about the single channel kit?
1960sBluesFan 1 year ago
awesome sounding amp! Nice playing too!
gruveb 1 year ago
how much for this amp ???
fretboarder 1 year ago
TONE.
PURE TONE.
HFC36 2 years ago
lazy!! Nice.
ecnobody 2 years ago
How tricky was the build? I am getting tired of guitar builds and feel like venturing into the amp realm.
SingleCoilVoodoo 2 years ago
meet me in the ladies room!
flangerdeluxe 2 years ago
TONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the tone I've been searching for!!!! But then I saw the price and my heart ripped in half. $2000 is about $1200 out of my league
rockfreak611 2 years ago
You can build a 1x12" combo of this amp from a kit for about $1200 total. Pretty good deal if you consider that route! I successfully did so and had never built ANYTHING electronic before.
pgong 2 years ago
thanks. maybe there's hope after all!
rockfreak611 2 years ago
Now that's an absolutely killer sounding amp! I sold an 18w Soultone w/ 2x12" Celestion G12H Anniversary a couple years ago and really miss it. I do, however, like a bit more beef of an EL34 rig. Nevertheless, 18 watters are great sounding amps. Of all the tubes I demo'd, I liked vintage Amperex EL84 and Mullard 12ax7's best, with EL84 Mullards a close second to the Amperex.
Great chops too buddy! :)
Flametopology 2 years ago
Excellent vid and tone. Makes me want a Les Paul! : )
StratMN 2 years ago
Is the TMB less crunchy than the non TMB channel?
I would have thought the TMB(with a tone stack I assume)would be crunchier than the normal volume/tone channel.
Such is the case with a Vox AC30cc,not here though I gather.
spentonmediocrity 2 years ago
I don't think the TMB channel is more crunchy than the V/T channel, it's just more flexible. I guess when you dial up more mids, it can be more crunchy than the other channel, but not substantially. I like to use an A/B footswitch and use the V/T channel for leads.
MagnumOpus007 2 years ago
@spentonmediocrity Usually the non-TMB channel on these has a little more gain because it's not going through the more extensive tone stack. One mod is to have a switch that takes the tone stack out of the circuit totally. You usually have to adjust the components to get a tone you're happy with without the tone circuit, but it'll have a lot more gain at that point. Personally I'd rather just kick in a Tube Screamer if I need a little boost.
charles1967 1 year ago
I am considering building a GDS 18w. Where did you get the mod instructions for the you performed (or had performed) on the amp? Thanks...
BluesRocker52 2 years ago
Hey. You can join the 18 watt forum and get all kinds of great mods/schematics from those cats. There's tons of great info there.
MagnumOpus007 2 years ago
Great demo...great licks! Can you tell me where or how you learned such tastely riffs? You play some things I'd like to add to my playing. I sure appreciate it in advance.
BluesRocker52 2 years ago
I grew up listening to a lot of Ace Frehley and Angus Young. That's about it. Go get a copy of Kiss Alive! and If You Want Blood, You Got It.
MagnumOpus007 2 years ago
@MagnumOpus007 2 iconic albums!
flangerdeluxe 1 year ago
@MagnumOpus007 Its nice to see someone do a demo who knows what the hell they're talking about/playing.
timripple 4 months ago
amazing playing, great sound!! how much did all this cost
akenny01 2 years ago
Thanks man. Everything (kit, cab, speakers) was about $1200 or so. It came from GDS with new JJ tubes, but now I run all vintage tubes from the 50's & 60's.
MagnumOpus007 2 years ago
dude. you just blew my mind with your playing. so inspirational! would yo ucompre these pickups to that of the mccarty with the 57/08 pups?
tankbrute6 2 years ago
The two best pickups I've ever owned are my Duncan Antiquity humbuckers in my Les Paul, and second are my 57/08's in my McCarty Smokeburst. I like the Antiquities a bit more. Smoother and more "vintage" tone. The 57/08's have more bite.
MagnumOpus007 2 years ago
Sweet! Can you explain the boost a bit more (I too have built a GDS 18 watt)?
norbulator 2 years ago
It's a cathode bypass. It puts a capacitor in the signal, that's all. Not really a boost that raises any signal levels, but rather changes the value of the treble frequencies.
MagnumOpus007 2 years ago
Cool, I may have to try that!
norbulator 2 years ago
Hi,
Does this amp suit well with delay and chorus pedal when you use it satured?
VelhosNovos 2 years ago
I don't own a chorus or delay pedal, but with my reverb pedal, it does quite well.
MagnumOpus007 2 years ago
What kind of boost is that?
Nice :D :D
Kitarist88 2 years ago
ＧＲＥＡＴ ＳＯＵＮＤ！！！！！！
pocklebery 2 years ago
WOW You are a cool guy.
Vivaldi1Machiavelli 2 years ago
that amp just looks sexy.
meshuggah6pantera 2 years ago
Nice playing!
18W amps rule!!!
zaphodphil 2 years ago
awsomeness......=O
blink8times 2 years ago
This is what I want my amp to sound like!!
Awesome vid dude.
kayomichael 2 years ago
did you have to drill an extra hole in the chassis or the vari watt? thats an interesting mod.
very cool amp. i'm thinking of building an 18 watter and am just currently waffeling between 1x12 and a 2x12.
You went with the GDS kit eh? any reason over the Ceriatone? or the Trinitiy? Sorry for all the questions; I'm just really geeking about building an amp at the moment.
Great tone bro. the white tolex is also tres cool.
pomod 2 years ago 2
No extra hole drilled for the vari-watt. Just removed the on/off toggle and replaced that with the vari-watt knob. GDS offered the amp building seminar, so I went with them. Top notch product all the way.
MagnumOpus007 2 years ago
Awesome amp, sweet demo !
Gotta get me one of those badboyz : )
Brodudely 3 years ago
What was that first song you were playing?
GrizAdams111 3 years ago
"Lazy"--Deep Purple
MagnumOpus007 3 years ago
Wow, sweet amp. I'm in the market right now to buy a 1974x and I like this modded version better than the Marshall reissue. This one seems to fit my style more. I have been thinking about buying a kit and building one myself. Where are these available at?
mikey73174 3 years ago
SK, Thanks for posting such a great sounding clip! This is really great! Makes me feel like a proud papa. -GDS
GDSRacing 3 years ago
GDS amps are so versatile. I built a 1974 trem last year and it's wonderful. I'm sure Graydon will be pleased with your demo. Great job on the cabinet too. Did you do that yourself? Cheers!
1974clone 3 years ago
Thanks! The cab was built for me by Anthony at Reason Amps/Stagecraft Gear. He's built me a couple of cabs and his work is among the best I've ever seen. Flawless tolex & piping work.
MagnumOpus007 3 years ago
Great sound & playing-cool. Cheers
leftystrat62 3 years ago
wow Im really loving the sound of the 18 watt clones lately. I play a lonestar myself and have no money left over to buy a 1974x or the scales to build a clone, but you an awesome job dude! you must be pretty crafty haha
AlexanderBlueAvenue 3 years ago
Woah, beautiful tone dude! Nice playing, too. I'm gonna build one of these...
Rikharthu 3 years ago
Excellent! Nice playing and killer tone!
Noitpure 3 years ago