School me on the Bray 4550

Scumback Speakers said:
Ok, a short recap. Had my 1st heart attach in 2014, it was big, got diagnosed with congestive heart failure. What they didn't tell me is I had a five year shelf life from then. 2nd heart attach in 2018, caught it early, back to the gym as before, yada yada. I'd been going downhill from 2019 forward, slowly, but surely. You don't beat CHF without a transplant, by the way. It's only a matter of time. I made it 8 years, well past the original 5 year life expectancy. In Nov 2021 I got some kind of mystery virus, they couldn't figure it out. My heart got hit hard by it, and my ejection fraction rate (EFR) was down to less than 10%, so I wasn't pumping much blood to my body. 55-65% is normal, by the way. Finally got so week on 3/1/22 my wife drove me to Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. They rant tests, told me I was Stage 3. So I said "WTF does Stage 3 mean?" The doctor turned to me and said "You have days to weeks to live. You're here for duration." So either I got a heart or I was checking out. We made all the arrangements. On the 27th of March they put me in an induced coma, intubated, machines and tubes all routed in and outside of me.

They found a heart on the 28th, it was implanted on the 29th. Then I was still in a coma through April 8th, so 11-12 days under. The new heart is great, but I lost 80 lbs. Went from 216 to 139 at 6ft 2in. I know what a concentration camp survivor looks like first hand. I've put 50 lbs back on, finally, but it took a whole year.

But all my 1 year tests came back great, Mayo is super happy with me, calling me their "miracle patient". No one gets a heart in 36 hours, NO ONE. But I did. You don't have to believe in God, but I sure do.

Anyway, I quit playing guitar in Oct 2021 due to being weak. The meds I've been on for 12 months FINALLY got leveled out and my hands quit shaking 3 weeks ago. Before that I couldn't play a C chord at the nut, it was that bad.

I've been back playing for the last two weeks, I have callouses on my left hand fingers again. Been averaging 4-6 hours playing per week, around the business, which has been pretty strong lately.

So yeah, heart transplants are hell, but I'm good now. So I'll be pissing people, players, friends and family off for another 15-20 years...unless my bad gene pool comes back and blocks all my arteries again. I do have enough scar tissue on me for 10 men, though. Still pretty scary to look at when I get out of the shower.

Thankfully my wife, Shelly, was a huge trooper throughout it all. And having the best insurance was the other big factor, but since she's a VP at an insurance brokerage in LA, they have access to the best plans...and boy, did I need it. The billed summary (before discounts) has hit 2 million.

So, with that, I've got 22 speakers to pack, gotta go! Thanks for all the kind words!

Jim
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You are tough sum’bitch to come back in one
piece from that surgery.
For humans, thst’s about as hardcore surgery
as it gets.
You’re a Super Trooper.
Take’her easy!

Question,

With this transplanted heart that’s been installed,
-Do you feel emotions that are unlike the emotions you had with the v1 heart?

Man, Wagner needs to create a wind for you,
Re-release the Ironman with your choice
of degassed magnet.
The REAL Ironman.
I bet you can help a lot of individuals with
your experience.
Much love man!!
 
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Dino 939 said:
You are tough sum’bitch to come back in one
piece from that surgery.
For humans, thst’s about as hardcore surgery
as it gets.
You’re a Super Trooper.
Take’her easy!

Question,

With this transplanted heart that’s been installed,
-Do you feel emotions that are unlike the emotions you had with the v1 heart?
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If this was 1991 I would say it was risky the heart belonged to a serial killer who was a satanist. (Yes, cheesy movie reference).
 
RE: the transplant. No I don't have any more unusual emotions than before, I can't feel a difference, I'm still my same old butthole self, alright? LOL

Ok, thanks for all the kind words, but this is a 4550 thread, right? I called David just now. The 4550 is a base platform Marshall with many variations based on client's wants, needs and desires. That means it's got lots of options, and usually someone who has one makes choices that fit what they want. That basically means it's not a one killer tone amp, you can modify it if you talk to Dave, but when the buyer makes the choices of what he wants, then it's something different based on their options they choose. So I can see how one 4550 would sound one way and another sounds like something else.

Me, I'm just getting a Coco with a couple of different boost levels I can set with the foot switch and the Gangsta mod. I'll stuff it with NOS glass, of course, which I'm sure will enhance just like it did the RedPlate Magica I have.

Jim Wagner already makes most of the pickups I use, save a few real PAF's from the 50/60's I have, SD for some others, Wade made me a set of the Black Belt #2's that are in a Les Paul here as well. I don't qualify, IMO, for a Scumback Pickup set, but thanks for the laugh!

I'm learning Lay It Down, because at 64 years (turning 65 in 8 weeks) I need some new challenges now that I've gotten past the transplant crap. I don't have another Mayo appt till June 26, 2023. So I guess all those tests for two days last week turned out well enough where I'm not driving 216 miles round trip 3 times a week for awhile. Thank God for that!

Ok, back to trying to be Warren De Martini, and another cocktail!

Jim
 
MistaGuitah said:
I had a virtually brand new 4550 for about a week because an acquaintance really wanted to sell it and offered a free trial. I wasn't that interested at the time because I thought it was just another modded Marshall - which it is. However, I started to realize the guy was doing a stupid thing by selling it.

The thing is, the Bray 4550 is like his standard amp if I'm not mistaken. I know he's made other models but to be honest, I was so satisfied with the 4550 that I didn't think anything else could really top it except for just costing more.

Having said that, Bray amps aren't going to blow you away with some new, holy grail tone. In my experience, he just makes a really solid modded Marshall that will not disappoint anyone wanting that kind of tone. I wouldn't say it's like a Friedman BE100, for example, in the sense that there's a degree of uniqueness in Friedman amps. I don't think it's necessarily distinguishable from other modded Marshalls, but it's really well done.

Having said that. By the end of that week, I picked up on a couple of subtle things. Like I said, though not necessarily a unique, identifiable tone, there are a few subtle things that make the amp so nice. I can't really articulate or pinpoint what it is exactly but it's just how it all comes together in a way that's very satisfying.

No matter how distorted, loud, or how much you clean it up, it's all good, usable tone. It's bright but not shrill or metallic, but even the inherent brightness can be dialed back nicely. There's something he puts that's called the "wife circuit" or something, can't remember exactly what it's called, nor do I remember how it works exactly but it's like some kind of modified master volume that let's you get a great bedroom sound. Well, it's been several years so I can't really detail it but I found it to be very useful.

For whatever reason, most of the videos, audio demos center on the proverbial EVH/brown sound sort of thing. However, I think that sells the amp a little short because it's definitely suited for that but I see it as a sort of better-than-Marshall Marshall. Aside from EVH stuff and classic rock, there are a lot of great sounds you can get. I used to have a nice variety of pedals. You can get anything you want out of it with pedals. If you want a wooly tone, an EJ tone, woman tone, metal tone, etc., it's all easily had.

I ended up doing my best to convince him to keep it because it's stupid to sell it. I really regret not buying it but it didn't feel right because he just wasn't getting the picture. He told me about some things other people had said and some other amps they recommended so I could see he was hung up on that stupidity. I was like, "Dude, you're just not going to find a better modded Marshall no matter how much you spend." In the end, he sold it to buy some absurdly expensive boutique brand I hadn't heard of, and that - PREDICTABLY - didn't work out. You can lead a horse to water... as they say.

Anyway, it's just really solid and has some features more replica style amps don't offer. It's just a solid modded plexi. Back then, I think they were around $2200 new but now I think they're like around $3000.

The thing is, I don't want to wait 3 or 6 months for one, certainly not at that price, because I personally don't think it's particularly unique and because I prefer channel-switching amps with a good clean channel. However, if I was into the modded Marshall thing and had the money to spend, it would be a hard decision between a 4450, Metro-Plex, and Splawn Competition. All superior Marshall's in my opinion.
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Dude, thank you. Awesome post. Your conclusions were pretty much the same as what I’ve gathered about this amp. I have one incoming—should be here soon—and I’m really stoked, of course.

I have a BE100, Smallbox and an SL68—among others. All splendid amps. I’m really looking forward to another take on the plexi circuit. David has been a real pleasure to work with; great guy, knows his shit—big time.

I have two 412s. A Bogner with Scumback M75s and J75s. And a Stagecraft with GBs and V30s. Can’t wait to wring out the 4550 with them both!!!

@Scumback Speakers; if I wanted to load Scumbacks into my Stagecraft, and I was looking for more punch and bight, what would you suggest? Maybe M75 Blackbacks on top and Hs or Js on bottom?
 
heavision said:
Dude, thank you. Awesome post. Your conclusions were pretty much the same as what I’ve gathered about this amp. I have one incoming—should be here soon—and I’m really stoked, of course.

I have a BE100, Smallbox and an SL68—among others. All splendid amps. I’m really looking forward to another take on the plexi circuit. David has been a real pleasure to work with; great guy, knows his shit—big time.

I have two 412s. A Bogner with Scumback M75s and J75s. And a Stagecraft with GBs and V30s. Can’t wait to wring out the 4550 with them both!!!

@Scumback Speakers; if I wanted to load Scumbacks into my Stagecraft, and I was looking for more punch and bight, what would you suggest? Maybe M75 Blackbacks on top and Hs or Js on bottom?
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You'd go with the BM75/BH75 for more punch. I think your M75/J75 cab is worth trying out with it first, though. No need buying different speakers until you try out what you already have.
 
Scumback Speakers said:
You'd go with the BM75/BH75 for more punch. I think your M75/J75 cab is worth trying out with it first, though. No need buying different speakers until you try out what you already have.
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Oh I will definitely rock that cab—both cabs. I’m just wondering if my 412 with Celestions would be better with your Blackback mix. 🤟
 
Bray 4550 arrived.

Initial impressions: she is fucking bad-ass.


Touch sensitivity is excellent, very controllable dynamics with your hands. Cleans up with guitar volume knob to great great cleanish tones, even when using a lot of gain.

Options are excellent—and quite simple and usable. I’m not a big bells and whistles guy, and this amp does have a few—some voicing switches, gangster mode etc—but they are not at all frivolous like some amps. The included foot switch that allows you to go in and out of gangster mode is particularly awesome as it kinda makes it a two channel amp—or at least a one channel amp with a killer boost built in.

The overall voicing/gain structure is very brown sound-esque.

And while it can sound and feel like a straight-up plexi, it definitely has more going on under the hood. Plenty of gain at your disposal—good, usable gain.

It sounds and feels very aggressive; in that awesome plexi way—not in a sterile, modern way. As in there’s tons of gain if you want it, but it still retains a killer, vintage tone and feel.

I haven’t gigged her yet but at band practice she cuts/sits beautifully. How an amp cuts and sits in the mix is vital to me. 4550 delivers in spades. I own several other amps (BE100, SL68 etc) and our drummer said he digs the 4550 the most—and he’s got my 412 aimed at him. However the 4550 is also the latest edition so the novelty factor could be a thing. (I’m just saying that my BE100 and SL68 are fucking dynamite amps. 100%)

I’ve been playing the 4550 through my PS100, mostly for the fx loop, and maybe a smidgen of attenuation. Usually a 412 with Scumback M75s and J75s. I’ve also used a 412 with GBs and V30s. Both sound killer.

I’m still wringing her out so I’ll post more in the coming weeks.

But yeah so far an absolutely top-notch, 1st class hot-rodded plexi tone machine.
 
Great thread and Jim I am so glad you are still with us. My wife used to be on the transplant team at her hospital before she retired from medical work. I know some of the journey you have been on from seeing it first hand. I don’t mean to offend anyone here with religion but know that I will pray for you.
 
Rdodson said:
Great thread and Jim I am so glad you are still with us. My wife used to be on the transplant team at her hospital before she retired from medical work. I know some of the journey you have been on from seeing it first hand. I don’t mean to offend anyone here with religion but know that I will pray for you.
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I believe in God, just more so now than before the transplant. I just hate organized religion (fx of being raised Catholic) part of it. It's still a journey, though. They changed my meds two weeks back and now I have muscle and joint stiffness sporadically. They say it will level out in 2-3 more weeks. I hope they're right, I want to learn the Lay It Down solo now that I've gotten the chord changes down! LOL
 
Scumback Speakers said:
I believe in God, just more so now than before the transplant. I just hate organized religion (fx of being raised Catholic) part of it. It's still a journey, though. They changed my meds two weeks back and now I have muscle and joint stiffness sporadically. They say it will level out in 2-3 more weeks. I hope they're right, I want to learn the Lay It Down solo now that I've gotten the chord changes down! LOL
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my surgeries are nothing compared to what you went through bro...but I pull my shirt up and it looks like I was hit with a shotgun and stabbed multiple times. 14 weeks with a j-tube and not being able to eat or drink sucked. Glad your doin good brother.
 
Scumback Speakers said:
My Coco 50 is on the bench this weekend. This amp floored me 4 years ago...much in the same way the RedPlate Magica 50w did in 2017. I got the Magica last year, the Coco is up next. I'm sure it will be a stellar amp.
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You went with the Coco 50? Nice! What made you choose it over the 4550?
 
JackBootedThug said:
my surgeries are nothing compared to what you went through bro...but I pull my shirt up and it looks like I was hit with a shotgun and stabbed multiple times. 14 weeks with a j-tube and not being able to eat or drink sucked. Glad your doin good brother.
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That was me. 88 days in Mayo Clinic from 3/1 through May 20th, 2022. Bring up The Machinist with Christian Bale...I looked just like that at 139 lbs, but with a bunch of extra scars. Feeding tube...shit...I know all about that. Ice chips for weeks, until I could demonstrate I could swallow with out choking. You never forget the humility of not being able eat, drink or take yourself to the bathroom...
 
heavision said:
You went with the Coco 50? Nice! What made you choose it over the 4550?
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I have, as many know, a plethora of Marshall heads/clones/tones yada yada. I got my Peavy Wolfgang dialed in for VH tones last year with the help of Steve Stevens, with some of the usual Scumback enhancements (2 vol, 1 tone setup). It's now a usable VH machine...I heard the Coco 50 years ago at David's place. He's got M75, M75-PVC and BM75 4x12 cabs there to dial in the tone. I played his Strat thru the Coco 50, hit the Gangsta button, and I was EVH instantly.

I didn't need to think beyond that. When you hear it, you know...and if you're smart, you don't overthink it and f**k it up! LOL
 
skoora said:
Just so you know, compulsively learning Lay it Down puts you on the spectrum..
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I'm not sure what that spectrum is, but I'll be happy replicate Warren's playing on a moment's notice. I steal everyone's licks, I know it, I don't care! It's a killer tune!
 
Lay It Down was the absolute "test riff" of HCAF and even though I had never really heard the song, I learned it. Don't disrespect "Lay It Down", it has stood the test of time for shredders and 80's rythym gods alike as the Gold Standard of dialing in an EQ on a new amp.
 
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