kleemas, I just wanted to add that I did a living room jam last night with a guy playing acoustic through a 30 watt and a bass player playing through a small 25 watt bass amp. The killer ant held up well and was just a blast to use. At times it sounded like a cranked fender blackface without the ears ringing.
Thank you for all of your help. I was thinking about how you were saying the 12ay7 and 12au7 were a little "cold" or "sterile" sounding and the amp was losing it's good tone. I bet when you put them in the amp that they were biased too cold. You could probably take a 1k or 2k 2watt potentiometer and replace the power tube cathode resistor for an adjustable bias to use those higher wattage tubes... if you need to. Just put the potentiometer at it's full reading to start with and adjust down.
Almost no difference in overall volume maybe even a little less hard to tell. But it does tame the overdrive so you get more headroom so it stays cleaner at high volume.
In that case, do you think a 12au7 or ecc99 (jj Tesla) which have a much higher plate dissipation would increase the volume? Exactly how loud is this thing stock? I tried to calculate the SPL of it at .1 and .25 watts, but I'm quite skeptical of the dbs that I got.
I tried a 12au7 NOS RCA tube the volume was a little louder but it was losing it's sweet tone. The amp is good for two things, getting a sweet tube tone without upsetting the neighbors and recording. With the bitmo kit you can use it as a preamp or plug it into a PA. But it'll never be a monster.
The boost does add some edge but with the added tone control you can warm it up some. I also had a 12AY7 power tube, the stock AX7 sounds smoother but overdrive earlier. I did go back to the 12AX7.
I once played through a 4x12 cab with G12H's in it, it was outstanding. I think I'll try a 12AU7 tube thats hanging around and maybe open the back of the cabinet.
I thought the Killer Ant had only one knob?
EuropeFactor 2 years ago
It does...did, I installed the bitmo kit that added a tone knob with a push/pull overdrive and a line out.
el34superlead 2 years ago
Hi there, and thanks for the vid.
What mod have you done that adds the second chicken head control? Tone?
Is there a place with info on modding the Killer Ant?
Many thanks.
mothercruncher 2 years ago
The knob is a push pull for a gain boost and a tone.
el34superlead 2 years ago
Coool! You allso have a Zoom H2. Check my vids!
ingej32 3 years ago
kleemas, I just wanted to add that I did a living room jam last night with a guy playing acoustic through a 30 watt and a bass player playing through a small 25 watt bass amp. The killer ant held up well and was just a blast to use. At times it sounded like a cranked fender blackface without the ears ringing.
el34superlead 3 years ago
Thank you for all of your help. I was thinking about how you were saying the 12ay7 and 12au7 were a little "cold" or "sterile" sounding and the amp was losing it's good tone. I bet when you put them in the amp that they were biased too cold. You could probably take a 1k or 2k 2watt potentiometer and replace the power tube cathode resistor for an adjustable bias to use those higher wattage tubes... if you need to. Just put the potentiometer at it's full reading to start with and adjust down.
kleemas 3 years ago
I actually like the ay7 but I may try your suggestion.
el34superlead 3 years ago
Hey, I just ordered the killer ant and was wondering if the 12ay7 in the power amp made the amp perceivably louder?
kleemas 3 years ago
Almost no difference in overall volume maybe even a little less hard to tell. But it does tame the overdrive so you get more headroom so it stays cleaner at high volume.
el34superlead 3 years ago
In that case, do you think a 12au7 or ecc99 (jj Tesla) which have a much higher plate dissipation would increase the volume? Exactly how loud is this thing stock? I tried to calculate the SPL of it at .1 and .25 watts, but I'm quite skeptical of the dbs that I got.
kleemas 3 years ago
I tried a 12au7 NOS RCA tube the volume was a little louder but it was losing it's sweet tone. The amp is good for two things, getting a sweet tube tone without upsetting the neighbors and recording. With the bitmo kit you can use it as a preamp or plug it into a PA. But it'll never be a monster.
el34superlead 3 years ago
cool, I was really just hoping for some clean headroom.
kleemas 3 years ago
Sounds a little harsh.
FreeTalkLive 3 years ago
The boost does add some edge but with the added tone control you can warm it up some. I also had a 12AY7 power tube, the stock AX7 sounds smoother but overdrive earlier. I did go back to the 12AX7.
el34superlead 3 years ago
It reminds me of the mods I did to my valve jr. It took forever to get the harshness tamed.
A celestion G12H helped more than anything.
FreeTalkLive 3 years ago
I once played through a 4x12 cab with G12H's in it, it was outstanding. I think I'll try a 12AU7 tube thats hanging around and maybe open the back of the cabinet.
el34superlead 3 years ago