NAD x2 - Handwired Goodness!

Al Chapo

Al Chapo

Well-known member
I started the year telling myself I'm mostly set except for a cab w/ blackbacks for my '80 2203. You know how it goes, 20+ purchases, sales and trades later.... Anyway, my taste in guitars has pretty much settled on just Gretsch and Teles, with a (un?)healthy appreciation for Gibson. So I'm naturally acquiring way too many amps and pedals to compensate.

I've been holding out for a JTM or Dirty Shirley for a bit, then looking for a 2466 or an EF86 Vox to no avail. I got back into some Dr Z stuff after a few years away from it and this Route 66 popped up locally with KT66 and an EF86 so I jumped on it. Man, this thing is simple and vicious boosted. My only gripe is there's no reverb or fx loop so I'm half assing the psychobilly stuff, or it would be an all around weapon. ... I guess I need to re-acquire a Fryette PS! Anyway, it scratches all kinds of itches. I don't get much time to play out loud lately between work and the family being around, but I got to blast it for a solid hour today, and it's definitely coming to the next rehearsal.

And speaking of not being able to play out loud much, I landed a Vox AC4HW so I have something half manageable to play without headphones. I'm pretty damn impressed with it. It won't replace my AC30 any time soon, but it definitely gets me in the ballpark.

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And speaking of not being able to play out loud much, I landed a Vox AC4HW so I have something half manageable to play without headphones. I'm pretty damn impressed with it. It won't replace my AC30 any time soon, but it definitely gets me in the ballpark.
I borrowed an AC4 (not the HW) for a radio show last year instead of being forced to play acoustic. I didn't find the the half and quarter power (IIRC) settings very good at all. The full power setting was much better even keeping it dialed down vs trying to cut power. The tone that way was good, though the low end was a bit flubby the further you got into the volume. Not sure if your version has those cut power settings or not. I didn't know they were doing a HW version of that. Makes for a pretty nice low volume home practice amp! Congrats on your scores Al.
 
Seeing that Route 66 makes me want to grab a P90 Gibson, plug in and crank it up. Looks like a stripped down rock and roll machine.

Yep my thoughts exactly

I seriously need like a jr or special, and that thing cranked up, then bang out some power chords
 
I started the year telling myself I'm mostly set except for a cab w/ blackbacks for my '80 2203. You know how it goes, 20+ purchases, sales and trades later....


HAHA. yup, i know how it goes! nice scores
 
I started the year telling myself I'm mostly set except for a cab w/ blackbacks for my '80 2203. You know how it goes, 20+ purchases, sales and trades later.... Anyway, my taste in guitars has pretty much settled on just Gretsch and Teles, with a (un?)healthy appreciation for Gibson. So I'm naturally acquiring way too many amps and pedals to compensate.

I've been holding out for a JTM or Dirty Shirley for a bit, then looking for a 2466 or an EF86 Vox to no avail. I got back into some Dr Z stuff after a few years away from it and this Route 66 popped up locally with KT66 and an EF86 so I jumped on it. Man, this thing is simple and vicious boosted. My only gripe is there's no reverb or fx loop so I'm half assing the psychobilly stuff, or it would be an all around weapon. ... I guess I need to re-acquire a Fryette PS! Anyway, it scratches all kinds of itches. I don't get much time to play out loud lately between work and the family being around, but I got to blast it for a solid hour today, and it's definitely coming to the next rehearsal.

And speaking of not being able to play out loud much, I landed a Vox AC4HW so I have something half manageable to play without headphones. I'm pretty damn impressed with it. It won't replace my AC30 any time soon, but it definitely gets me in the ballpark.

View attachment 457862View attachment 457863View attachment 457864View attachment 457865
Please put some NOS tubes in that little Vox so it can really sing.

Sounds funny but if you run a Mullard up front with Sylvania in the output- everything you play sounds like it has a speech bubble around it like in a comic book. Very funny description but if you play it, you will know exactly what I mean. I went with Mullard up front and RCA in the back for my little 4w Vox, slightly different model
 
Please put some NOS tubes in that little Vox so it can really sing.

Sounds funny but if you run a Mullard up front with Sylvania in the output- everything you play sounds like it has a speech bubble around it like in a comic book. Very funny description but if you play it, you will know exactly what I mean. I went with Mullard up front and RCA in the back for my little 4w Vox, slightly different model

All vintage circuits are much, much more sensitive to tube type and quality than modern amps

And since it's a 4W and hes ostensibly going to be cranking it for some power breakup, it makes that much more of a difference beyond the normal
 
All vintage circuits are much, much more sensitive to tube type and quality than modern amps

And since it's a 4W and hes ostensibly going to be cranking it for some power breakup, it makes that much more of a difference beyond the normal
Totally agree!
 
I started the year telling myself I'm mostly set except for a cab w/ blackbacks for my '80 2203. You know how it goes, 20+ purchases, sales and trades later.... Anyway, my taste in guitars has pretty much settled on just Gretsch and Teles, with a (un?)healthy appreciation for Gibson. So I'm naturally acquiring way too many amps and pedals to compensate.

I've been holding out for a JTM or Dirty Shirley for a bit, then looking for a 2466 or an EF86 Vox to no avail. I got back into some Dr Z stuff after a few years away from it and this Route 66 popped up locally with KT66 and an EF86 so I jumped on it. Man, this thing is simple and vicious boosted. My only gripe is there's no reverb or fx loop so I'm half assing the psychobilly stuff, or it would be an all around weapon. ... I guess I need to re-acquire a Fryette PS! Anyway, it scratches all kinds of itches. I don't get much time to play out loud lately between work and the family being around, but I got to blast it for a solid hour today, and it's definitely coming to the next rehearsal.

And speaking of not being able to play out loud much, I landed a Vox AC4HW so I have something half manageable to play without headphones. I'm pretty damn impressed with it. It won't replace my AC30 any time soon, but it definitely gets me in the ballpark.

View attachment 457862View attachment 457863View attachment 457864View attachment 457865
I had a Rt 66 for a hot minute. Even with a tube reverb unit in front of it it wouldn't necessarily be my first choice for pyschobilly, but for jazz to bluesy rock n roll it was amazing. It's just got too much delicious milkshake thick midrange for that sound. It's a really fat sounding amp, there's no scooping out those mids. And yeah I had a Z-Verb unit going into it. Sounded freaking amazing with my P90 and Dynasonic loaded hollow-bodies.
 

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