This fuggers 20 yrs old send him to the Gulf

[VonBonfire]

Even with the nice glass, I still play my Kemper 99% of the time...

Color me surprised.

 

[Floyd Eye]

I used to be. Mullard or Gold Lion KT 66s are just too dear for us guys who don't record hit albums. The RI will have to do for me.

(I'm not saying I ever did or ever was good enough, I'm just pointing out how far away from that level I am at, and ever was, and that those guys are really the only ones who can justify having that kind of glass)

If I had modern tube amps I probably wouldn't worry too much about it. It's my understanding those amps are designed around modern tubes. In fact I upgraded the tubes in my little Chinese Vox with JJ 12AX7s and Reflektor EL84s, but my old amps have old tubes. SVTs get Winged Cs and the old Fender has Blackplates and Amperex Bugle Boys in it currently.

 

[Robostyle]

Most of my amps are late 50s and use octal tubes.
Sylvania, RCA, GE, etc.

 

[espquade]

I think he's going prematurely bald and already has hair plugs. Something's off about that boy.

Are you referring to the fact he's the spawn of Satan...

 

[Robostyle]

Are you referring to the fact he's the spawn of Satan...

 

[CDawg]

In most cases I'd take NOS but I know enough people who all say the same thing. KR sounds just as good or better than the best of NOS. A little lacking in lifespan compared to NOS. That's the one exception everyone admits to. Problem is the cost. I've never heard or seen a single person in my life put a KR tube into a guitar amplifier and they've made a few like KT88, 5U4G, etc. KR has been around just as long as JJ and practically down the street.

When Czechoslovakia broke up all the state owned Tesla gear was sold privately. JJ (Jan Jurco sp?) bought lots of the equipment from Tesla Roznov 32. That's why a JJ ECC83/E83CC looks like a Tesla E83CC which looks like a Telefunken ECC803 who they bought the equipment from. You look at most JJ tubes and it's done on the same equipment from Tesla Roznov 32.

Jozephina of European Audio Team ended up with another Tesla factory making tubes. KR bought all the best tube making equipment Tesla had.

Came back to edit because I forgot about Emission Labs. That's four companies making tubes currently just off old Tesla equipment.

Use the best tube you can at V1 input. Doesn't matter what amp it is. Cheap out down the line on drivers, later gain stages or power tubes.

 

[JamesTiberiusKirk]

Even with the nice glass, I still play my Kemper 99% of the time...

I had a Kemper. I REALLY tried to love it. Honest. I tweaked and downloaded profiles, and tweaked, and downloaded more profiles.

Then I sold it. Luckily I bought mine used so I didn't take too big a bath.

I *get* that they're great tools and work for seemingly everyone but me. *Shrug*. Bad juju.

 

[Monkey Man]

I had a Kemper. I REALLY tried to love it. Honest. I tweaked and downloaded profiles, and tweaked, and downloaded more profiles.

Then I sold it. Luckily I bought mine used so I didn't take too big a bath.

I *get* that they're great tools and work for seemingly everyone but me. *Shrug*. Bad juju.

Bro did you use the Definition parameter much?

It's my #1 recommendation and to tweak it before even looking at the EQ stack.

 

[JamesTiberiusKirk]

Bro did you use the Definition parameter much?

It's my #1 recommendation and to tweak it before even looking at the EQ stack.

Yes I did. I talked to a number of Kemper owners and got all kinds of tips which I tried out. I don't remember that parameter specifically but if it was in the amp, I worked with it at one time or another.

I'll admit the failure was mine, not the Kemper's. I just heard 'something' that didn't sit with me. I've described it in many ways, probably the easiest to understand is that the overdrive seemed to sit on top of the note, not inside it...ya that's really vague, I know it is , but that's what it sounded like to me. In one word 'artificial'. Shrug.

It's moot now anyway. It's gone. Someone else is making some great music with it. Hey, you can't have it all.

 

[Monkey Man]

Totally understand bro'.

The Definition parameter takes you from "loose"-and-grainy vintage tube at one extreme all the way through to "tight" / modern at the other.