Epiphone Valve Junior Modifications

[Adrian30]

What an mazing difference!

 

[Tone2TheBone]

I agree. The amp sounds much better with the mods and the ext. speaker. Way better than stock. Good job Voo.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Nice demos! I guess I really am a strat guy. I loved that sound. Boy, you sure can't tell who your biggest influence as a player is! ;-) Bonamassa with a distinct SRV flavor I say. Nice!

I did not mind the cab with the strat sample as much, though the cab did sound better. The LP sample definitely called out for the cab. Interesting, I misread your post before listening, and thought the second run through was going to be the cab. I was thinking to myself, "Why do I like the first run through better?" Duh!

 

[Guitar Gal]

Thanks for psoting the sound demos DVM :rockon: Can definitely hear the difference between the stock speaker and the cabinet.

GG

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Huge diff Vood!

I agree with Sun, love that strat playing.

 

[M29]

Some nice playing there duhvoodooman:AOK: They are pretty restricted with the smaller speaker. I have run mine through 2/12's I can't imagine how nice it would sound with a 4x12 Marshall cab. I love my VJ, I have finally stopped moddin and buttoned it up so I can play it for a while:rockon:

M29

 

[LagrangeCalvert]

I have a 4x8 closed back cab that is loaded with celestion super 8's and that thing screams....sounds really good IMHO. The speakers were bought for 15 dollars for all four of them cause the guy wanted them gone from his store... their 45 dollars retail. That with some birch to line the cheap OSB cab and other tidbits to make it solid (this was made by guitar research and I have had it for a year now) I have it wired up to run as two 2x8's OR a 4x12. So I can use it as a 60 watt cab or two 30 watt cabs. I have it setup to run both my Valve Jr's....one has been modded to be a rhythm head....the other is a "lead" head with a tweed style tone knob (the knob is also a gain push/pull switch) and this setup is more than loud enough. ALSO I use an A/B/Y switch that has two inputs as well - since I use two guitars - so I don't have to unplug from the switch. With both amps kicked in you can get some serious sound AND a very complex tone that is very rich in harmonics and its in icepick at all. FWIW you can get some serious kick out of those 8 inch speakers via that closed back design!


I think the VJ and the other 5+/- watt tube economy amps are a steal. I giged with this rig a ton and took it to open jams...it was a head turner AND a great conversation starter.


To all the other VJ modders....we should start a fretnet VJ modders club.

You have to have pics to prove it and we can have meetings and all that jazz......


or we can just say "YAY" for VJ's and get over it

Josh

 

[oldguy]

To all the other VJ modders....we should start a fretnet VJ modders club.

You have to have pics to prove it and we can have meetings and all that jazz......


or we can just say "YAY" for VJ's and get over it

Josh

We kinda/sorta have one, Josh, it's just so disorganized under mods you gotta hunt each thread. Voodoo did the first, I think. I did some tube swapping, then the Hammond OT, then a little more, then a lot more.
I run mine through a 2x12 Avatar cab w/ Celestions. There are some pics, links, etc. in this old thread. Near the end are some sounds of the ValveJr. after I modded it, clean and cranked, and OD added w/ Vood's ZYS.:AOK: :rockon:


http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=4711

And some pics, w/ my notes, fwiw...ancake
The pics were mods I was doing at the time, the notes were to help other people, if they chose to mod their VJ head.


http://www.box.net/files#2:f:0:1:f_62191474
http://www.box.net/files#2:f:0:1:f_63056692
http://www.box.net/files#2:f:0:1:f_63057048

 

[tunghaichuan]

I have a 4x8 closed back cab that is loaded with celestion super 8's and that thing screams....sounds really good IMHO.... FWIW you can get some serious kick out of those 8 inch speakers via that closed back design!

Since you mentioned this, it occured to me that I could make a detuned 2x8" cabinet. Basically it is a cabinet that has holes for 4x8" speakers, but only two are filled. The other two holes act as ports. The cabinet has to be closed back of course.

I have Kevin O'Connor's book on the subject.

I think the VJ and the other 5+/- watt tube economy amps are a steal. I giged with this rig a ton and took it to open jams...it was a head turner AND a great conversation starter.

There really isn't much to them, electronically speaking. The hardest part for me was getting a decent looking cabinet and chassis. The VJ solved that for a lot of people. I'm also looking to get a Blackheart head after the first of the year. With the TMB EQ, it will be more flexible for modding.

To all the other VJ modders....we should start a fretnet VJ modders club.

You have to have pics to prove it and we can have meetings and all that jazz......

Most of you have probably seen this before, but here are my contribution. I haven't put up pics of my stock modded head though:

http://www.diycustomamps.com/valvejunior.htm

The Voodoo Baby VJ is probably one of the best sounding VJs on the planet, even if I do say so myself

I bet I have less than $50 into the scratch-built VJ circuit I did.

tung

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Vood,

Were those clips done at equivalent decibels? I haven't considered running my Fender Champion 600 though a cab because I was concerned that it would be too loud.

But if it would open up the tone at a decent volume, then .... :whatever: .

I might like to change the transformer on the 600, but I know nothing about them other than Mercury has an expensive kit for the 600. Is there a Hammond I could use?

 

[duhvoodooman]

Vood,

Were those clips done at equivalent decibels? I haven't considered running my Fender Champion 600 though a cab because I was concerned that it would be too loud.

Very close to the same volume settings for each pair. I was controlling final volume with the Strat's vol knob, and I had to back off less than one click with the cab to keep the volume essentially equal to the stock speaker. For the LP clip, I didn't touch the volume between the two rifs, but keep in mind that the signal was going through a distortion pedal, and the clipping stage tends to equalize the output volume pretty effectively.

Bottom line, the 1x12 cab is a bit louder than the stock speaker, and a 2x12 cab is louder yet. But the difference is in reasonable increments, not big, nasty quantum jumps.

P.S. I've never used or even heard the impact of one, but those pricey Mercury kits look like a big ol' ripoff to me....

 

[tunghaichuan]

P.S. I've never used or even heard the impact of one, but those pricey Mercury kits look like a big ol' ripoff to me....

There was a thread about this on the SEwatt.com forum. The consensus was that the only worthwhile part of the MM kit was the OT. The stock PT in the VJ is more than adequate. And the VJ doesn't really need a choke. Chokes help reduce power supply ripple, but the same effect can be had by replacing the first cap in the power supply with a 100uF/400v electrolytic. I replaced the first two caps in mine with 130uF/400v caps, but then again I like overkill

So really, the people buying the MM kit are paying about $250 too much when all they really need is a $40-$50 Hammond OT.

tung

 

[tunghaichuan]

Vood,
I might like to change the transformer on the 600, but I know nothing about them other than Mercury has an expensive kit for the 600. Is there a Hammond I could use?

Since the Champion 600 is tweaked version of the 5F1 Champ, you could use Hammond's 125CSE, 125DSE, or 125ESE. Any of those would work, but you'd get the best bass response with the 125ESE.

I've used the 125ESE in about 5 or so Tweed Champ/Princeton circuits and it works well. Vintage Champs/Princetons had an OT with about 7.6k for the primary. I'm not sure what the primary is on the Champion 600 though. When using the Hammonds, the closest you can get is 5K, but in my experience it sounds great. The 125ESE is huge though, it might be hard to shoehorn into the chassis.

Edit: the best place to buy Hammond iron right now is www.radiodaze.com

Heck, by all acounts the Champion 600 OT sounds pretty good, you may not even need to change it.

tung

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Since the Champion 600 is tweaked version of the 5F1 Champ, you could use Hammond's 125CSE, 125DSE, or 125ESE. Any of those would work, but you'd get the best bass response with the 125ESE.

I've used the 125ESE in about 5 or so Tweed Champ/Princeton circuits and it works well. Vintage Champs/Princetons had an OT with about 7.6k for the primary. I'm not sure what the primary is on the Champion 600 though. When using the Hammonds, the closest you can get is 5K, but in my experience it sounds great. The 125ESE is huge though, it might be hard to shoehorn into the chassis.

Edit: the best place to buy Hammond iron right now is www.radiodaze.com

Heck, by all acounts the Champion 600 OT sounds pretty good, you may not even need to change it.

tung

Wow! Thanks Tung!

I love my 600, I only thought that if it could sound *even better* for not much outlay .

Thanks for the cab info Vood!

 

[duhvoodooman]

Back to the 8" speaker discussion....

There's some great amp speaker info available at the South Valley Vintage Amps website, with some specific recommendations on 8" speakers. I'm seriously looking at that Jensen ceramic C8R model for upgrading my Valve Jr. Available for under $30. I just can't justify dropping a $65 alnico P8R into that cheap little amp.

Check out the rest of that page--there's a wealth of information about amp speakers there! A great resource....

 

[Guitar Gal]

DVM...

Thanks for the link to that website and those speakers. ude:

That 8" Jensen ceramic is even cheaper.......err.......more economically priced than the 8" Weber. Like you, I don't want to spend a lot of $$ on my VJ, but this speaker may be a possibility.

GG

 

[duhvoodooman]

That 8" Jensen ceramic is even cheaper.......err.......more economically priced than the 8" Weber. Like you, I don't want to spend a lot of $$ on my VJ, but this speaker may be a possibility.

Well, I'll let you know how it sounds, 'cuz I ordered a C8R this afternoon, along with a Jensen C12N, which is the upgraded speaker that comes in the special lacquered tweed NOS version of the Blues Junior. Everything I read says it really improves the Blues Junior's tone.

I ended up getting both from the Tube Depot, because (1) the prices were a bit better, (2) shipping from Memphis TN was faster & substantially cheaper, and (3) they take PayPal, which I prefer over using a credit card. But if I was closer to the West Coast, I'd use SV Vintage Amps, for sure.

 

[mrmudcat]

Great stuff as always voodoo.Im really digging and enjoying reading your posts and threads!!!oke: Ive been a lil quiet just observing watching and learning:master:

 

[Kazz]

Love your modding page Voodoo.....clips are very nice and appreciated that you used the same riff in all recordings so you get a discernable difference. That being said...I love the tone in both recordings...and I prefer the sound of the first section of both recordings....more bell like I guess is how I describe what I hear.

 

[duhvoodooman]

OK, here are those same two sound clips I linked before, only now they've got a sample with my brand new Jensen C8R speaker mounted in the Valve Jr. combo tacked on to the end. So now, each clip has the same riff 3 times--first through my 1x12 cab, then the stock Valve Jr. speaker, and lastly through the Jensen C8R. I tried to set up the C8R amp & recording conditions to be as close to the original recording as possible.

Keep in mind that the Jensen speaker quite literally had 2 or 3 minutes of playing through it when I did this, so it is still very tight. But you can immediately hear that it has a more open sound, with a much livelier top end and better clarity all around. Though it's hard to tell with these particular riffs, the bottom is noticeably more taut and articulate, too. Overall, I'd say I still like the tone of the 1x12 cab the best (no surprise, really), but the Jensen is a significant upgrade over the stock speaker, and I expect it will get nothing but better as it breaks in. Quite a nice upgrade for a mere $28 + shipping....

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Bob I agree that I also like the first take on the 1x12. I like the tone balance there. What was the Jensen running through? To me the Jensen has a upper mid shift which is still an interesting tone.

 

[Guitar Gal]

Thanks for the sound clip comparisons DVM :AOK:

Although I have to agree with others that the 1X12 cab sounds the best, that Jensen 8" seems to be a nice upgrade for the VJ combo. Think I'll have to add that to my upgrade list along with a new OT :R

GG

 

[duhvoodooman]

Although I have to agree with others that the 1X12 cab sounds the best, that Jensen 8" seems to be a nice upgrade for the VJ combo. Think I'll have to add that to my upgrade list along with a new OT

Yeah, I would definitely agree that, if you have a good cab already or if you can afford the added expense of getting one, your best choice is the Valve Jr. head. But if you already have a VJr combo and want to use it as one (i.e. with the integrated speaker), then this Jensen speaker offers a nice tonal benefit over the stock speaker for not-a-lot of cash. It gives the VJr kind of a sparkly Fender-ish top-end. For anyone interested in buying a C8R or just checking it out, HERE is the link to where I got mine.

 

[tunghaichuan]

Found this site today:

http://gearscore.com/b/boxx/knowledgebase.asp?iid=131&cat=15

Lots of good information there. Although, personally, I feel the BitMo mods and the Mercury Magnetics kit are a waste of money.

tung

 

[F_BSurfer]

Well started some mods on my VJR version1 yesterday just some simple stuff first replaced volume pot,input jack, added a 100 uf filter cap added jumper on pcb to shore up grounding.
Fired it up and just when I thought I knew a little bit about tube amps this gave me a wake up!!! Hum is so loud it will run you out of the room, thats with the pot down. Doubled and tripled check all I did that is fine as far solder joints , do think it is a grounding issue can hold onto chassis and stops?

 

[tunghaichuan]

I believe the hum problem is caused by a poorly laid out PCB. The heater traces are too close to some of the traces carrying the signal. Check out Duhvoodooman's mod D:

http://duhvoodooman.com/VJr/VJr_mods.htm

Except that I would use a 10,000uF/25v cap. I like to use Nichicon caps, they seem to be smaller when compared to the same value/rating of caps from other manufacturers.

tung

Well started some mods on my VJR version1 yesterday just some simple stuff first replaced volume pot,input jack, added a 100 uf filter cap added jumper on pcb to shore up grounding.
Fired it up and just when I thought I knew a little bit about tube amps this gave me a wake up!!! Hum is so loud it will run you out of the room, thats with the pot down. Doubled and tripled check all I did that is fine as far solder joints , do think it is a grounding issue can hold onto chassis and stops?

 

[Duff]

VJ cabinet

I am debating building a solid pine, stained or oiled, expanded metal grill covered with cloth from walmart, trimed in front with small strips of pine screwed on holding the cloth in place. Big, closed back, lots of room for resonation, no port. Could put in a port or design to remove a 4 inch board from the back for open back sound.

Might sound good. Only can estimate the sound and am not a sound engineer.

Also, the cost of a nice speaker, 12 inch, and materials might be as much or close to a new vj 12 inch cabinet, 16 ohms.

If I made one it would be an 8 ohm so I could use it with my HRD.

Any ideas? Would the solid wood cabinet sound better than the epi 16 ohm one?

Thanks in advance,

Duffy

 

[oldguy]

I am debating building a solid pine, stained or oiled, expanded metal grill covered with cloth from walmart, trimed in front with small strips of pine screwed on holding the cloth in place. Big, closed back, lots of room for resonation, no port. Could put in a port or design to remove a 4 inch board from the back for open back sound.

Might sound good. Only can estimate the sound and am not a sound engineer.

Also, the cost of a nice speaker, 12 inch, and materials might be as much or close to a new vj 12 inch cabinet, 16 ohms.

If I made one it would be an 8 ohm so I could use it with my HRD.

Any ideas? Would the solid wood cabinet sound better than the epi 16 ohm one?

Thanks in advance,

Duffy

Duffy,
Lopoline is having a sale.....

http://www.lopoline.com/home.html

 

[F_BSurfer]

Yes I check out DVM's page pile of good info in one place

I haven't made it as far as the bridge rectifier yet
I did something to create what i have going on now just wish I would have done one mod at time and test live and learn!!!!

 

[tunghaichuan]

Yes I check out DVM's page pile of good info in one place

I haven't made it as far as the bridge rectifier yet
I did something to create what i have going on now just wish I would have done one mod at time and test live and learn!!!!

When you get ready to do the unregulated DC heater mod, PM me and I'll dig out the Mouser part numbers. When I did the Voodoo Baby VJ rebuild, I used an eyelet board from turretboards.com and had problems with heater hum. I ended up building a small board to house the DC rectifier components.

tung