Bright sounding BE100

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vai81

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Hi Folks,

Looking for some advice from fellow BE100 owners.

I've recently acquired an older version BE100 with simple clean, foot switchable clean/BE/HBE (also have the switch on the front panel), single input with SAT/C45/FAT and half power switch with matching Friedman 4x12 loaded with Greenbacks and V30s. The previous owner loaded the amp with Mesa tubes in the pre and power section.

I noticed I need to EQ the amp at pretty extreme settings to get it to sound a little darker without the tone being very very bright.

Presence: 10 o'clock
Bass : 3 o'clock
Mids: 12 o' clock
Treble: 8 to 10 o'clock
Gain: varies between 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock
Loop engaged and master on front set at 12 o'clock at Dave's recommendation.
FX in loop are; Strymon Mobius, Strymon El Cap and Neunaber WET. From memory, they are all are buffered bypass.
Occasionally, I use the C45 switch which sounds like it gives a little more low end.

Looking at pictures of other BE100 settings online, most owners appear to have the presence, mids and treble dialled up to about 1 o'clock. The moment I push the treble to about 11 o'clock, the amp becomes very very bright. Is this expected behavior or do I need to check something out? I've also tried Phil X settings in the BE100 youtube clip and to me my amp sounds much brighter/thinner.

Immediate thoughts are to check the bias range on the power tubes and possible change out V1 and V2 preamps. I also might try disengaging the loop to see if the FX units are causing an issue too this evening. I'm using a low wind PAF in a Gibson R9 . Perhaps I need a hotter pickup?

Any thoughts from fellow BE100 owners or advice? Maybe this is show the amp is voiced?
 
I think you are definitely on the right track in terms of checking the bias. You may want to also consider replacing the tubes.
 
vai81":zolklfft said:
Hi Folks,

Looking for some advice from fellow BE100 owners.

I've recently acquired an older version BE100 with simple clean, foot switchable clean/BE/HBE (also have the switch on the front panel), single input with SAT/C45/FAT and half power switch with matching Friedman 4x12 loaded with Greenbacks and V30s. The previous owner loaded the amp with Mesa tubes in the pre and power section.

I noticed I need to EQ the amp at pretty extreme settings to get it to sound a little darker without the tone being very very bright.

Presence: 10 o'clock
Bass : 3 o'clock
Mids: 12 o' clock
Treble: 8 to 10 o'clock
Gain: varies between 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock
Loop engaged and master on front set at 12 o'clock at Dave's recommendation.
FX in loop are; Strymon Mobius, Strymon El Cap and Neunaber WET. From memory, they are all are buffered bypass.
Occasionally, I use the C45 switch which sounds like it gives a little more low end.

Looking at pictures of other BE100 settings online, most owners appear to have the presence, mids and treble dialled up to about 1 o'clock. The moment I push the treble to about 11 o'clock, the amp becomes very very bright. Is this expected behavior or do I need to check something out? I've also tried Phil X settings in the BE100 youtube clip and to me my amp sounds much brighter/thinner.

Immediate thoughts are to check the bias range on the power tubes and possible change out V1 and V2 preamps. I also might try disengaging the loop to see if the FX units are causing an issue too this evening. I'm using a low wind PAF in a Gibson R9 . Perhaps I need a hotter pickup?

Any thoughts from fellow BE100 owners or advice? Maybe this is show the amp is voiced?
Click to expand...

I have an even older version w 2 inputs on the front and it is by no means a super bright amp unless you push the treble and presence higher but not as bright as a similar marshall, what amps are you coming from? It's a marshall style amp...marshalls are bright amps. Maybe if you are used to playing a bogner (such as an xtc) or a lot of Mesa's, carol ann's etc, etc... amps that are much darker sounding relative to marshall...then yes you are probably going to find it bright so your ears may need some time to adjust or it just may not be the amp for you? Could be something wrong I suppose but I don't think powertubes or even preamp tubes are going to make it as bright as you describe with those kind of very conservative low presence and treble settings.
 
Check the tubes and bias. Those settings are WAY out of wack and the differences between BE amps are subtle, not worlds apart.
 
Thank you guys.

Funny you mention, my previous amp was a Bogner XTC 101B. May be indeed my ears needing time to adjust. That said, I played a SS100 and that was damn near perfect through a Bogner 4x12 loaded with V30s. I had the mids pushed pretty high and it sounded phenomial. Was close to buying the SS100 but saw a killer deal with the BE100 with matching 4x12 for the same price. Didn't think the voicing would be that different though?
 
THe ss-100 has a audio taper treble pot. So BE-100 treble a noon equals SS at 3 oclock. What guitar do you use?
 
RACKSYSTEMS":1x2qay7j said:
THe ss-100 has a audio taper treble pot. So BE-100 treble a noon equals SS at 3 oclock. What guitar do you use?
Click to expand...

He said low wind PAF's in a Gibson R9. I like em but unpotted low wound PAF's can be pretty bright depending on the maker and guitar. It probably brightened up you previous XTC (relatively dark amp)
 
Whoops guess I need to read things better. But yes low wind can be bright. If you dont like it I can make the amp darker for you.
 
Thanks Dave for chiming in, esp since you've been busy with NAMM. Much appreciated.

I haven't had a chance to check the bias but I have swapped out V1 and V2 mesa 12ax7s for some chinese tubes and it has made quite a difference. I can comfortably get the treble up a little further now, however there is still some 'brightness' i need to dial out without loosing definition. I suspect part of the cause is also the low wind PAFs. This particular R9 is bright. Unfortunately I sacrificed and sold a Suhr Govan to make way for the BE100 but I am on the lookout for another Suhr. Hope this does the trick
 
ok, just picked up a Tom Anderson drop top and it sounds great.

The LP the culprit. Currently looking at a change of PUPs with an increased output to fatten things up.

Thanks all
 
My small box is bright sounding on the be ch and i don't like the treble and presence over noon. Im using suhr ssh + pickup in the bridge. The amp sounds maybe a little more even sounding when the presence and treble are around 4 out of 10 but i don't feel like i'm catching an edge when im playing. I think it has allot to do with the pickups,
 
mniel8195":2c05wskj said:
My small box is bright sounding on the be ch and i don't like the treble and presence over noon. Im using suhr ssh + pickup in the bridge. The amp sounds maybe a little more even sounding when the presence and treble are around 4 out of 10 but i don't feel like i'm catching an edge when im playing. I think it has allot to do with the pickups,
Click to expand...
The SSH+ is kinda bright. Exactly why I swapped it for an Aldrich and problem solved.
 
LP Freak":1lpcvkyf said:
mniel8195":1lpcvkyf said:
My small box is bright sounding on the be ch and i don't like the treble and presence over noon. Im using suhr ssh + pickup in the bridge. The amp sounds maybe a little more even sounding when the presence and treble are around 4 out of 10 but i don't feel like i'm catching an edge when im playing. I think it has allot to do with the pickups,
Click to expand...
The SSH+ is kinda bright. Exactly why I swapped it for an Aldrich and problem solved.
Click to expand...

Are you running a matching neck pickup?
 
mniel8195":jvxloghb said:
LP Freak":jvxloghb said:
mniel8195":jvxloghb said:
My small box is bright sounding on the be ch and i don't like the treble and presence over noon. Im using suhr ssh + pickup in the bridge. The amp sounds maybe a little more even sounding when the presence and treble are around 4 out of 10 but i don't feel like i'm catching an edge when im playing. I think it has allot to do with the pickups,
Click to expand...
The SSH+ is kinda bright. Exactly why I swapped it for an Aldrich and problem solved.
Click to expand...

Are you running a matching neck pickup?
Click to expand...
I run a pair of Aldrich in some guitars, others I use an SSV in the neck with the Aldrich in the Bridge.
 
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