OT: Workhorse Amplifiers at summer NAMM

[Melanhead]

Congrats! ... Hope I get to check one of these out.

I'd love to hear it!

[Ben N]

No Icelandic virgins?  Sheesh, man, you only get one chance to get it right, y'know!

In my book, simple is good; I like amps with a knob for volume and a second one for tone (OK, treble & bass is ok, too).  Added "flexibility"=compromise, and exotic components=potential for failure.  So your approach is A-OK by me, and I love the genuine innovations, the built-in treble disperser and 9VDC supply, that actually represent a meaningful useability improvement for a gigging player.

Congrats & best of luck, and if I ever do look for a new (i.e. less than 30 years old) amp to buy, you will be my first stop.

Ben

[bwanasonic]

Very cool RG! Would it be viable to produce a 2X12 *hubcap* speaker cab? (Maybe one with those spinners on it for a leslie effect :wink: ). The treble dispersal properties sound very useful, and the hubcaps look a lot nicer than the 12" cardboard disc I sometimes place between the speakers with a *beam-y* 2X12.

Good Luck!

Kerry M

[The Tone God]

Congrats R.G.! It is nice to see some real features being added to amplifiers instead of just hype.

Andrew

[waldo041]

There were a couple of things that seemed to really grab people. The biggest was the 9Vdc output from the amp so you could run a pedalboard with no wall wart at all. I'm guessing that you're going to see 9Vdc out of guitar amps become a standard given the comments.

Congrats R.G.!!!!
i have a buddy who had a custom amp made with a 12v car cigarette lighter built in and it had me thinking along the lines of what you have already done. good luck and hope to play one someday.

peace,
waldo

[R.G.]

Thanks again guys!

Would it be viable to produce a 2X12 *hubcap* speaker cab?

Extension speakers are in the works if we sell enough speakers. It's certainly technically viable. The external speaker jack includes a switch to switch taps on the OT from 8 (or 4 in the case of the 2x12) to 4 ohms (or 2 ohms, same case) when you plug in an external.

Do you have plans to export one or two to Argentina someday?

We plan to ship them almost anywhere a dealer will buy them. We had a number of European dealers interested at NAMM, but I don't recall anyone from Argentina, although the summer NAMM is a decidedly smaller show than the January one. Same comments as below - if you can get your local dealer interested, have them call.

1. Website for further info ?
2. Pricing ?
3. UK/European Distributor ?

The info is at //www.visualsound.net. List price on a Pony is US$775, but as we all know, street price is always less than that. We're selling them direct to dealers instead of running a distributor/dealer. It keeps the markups down. If you want them to come to your local dealer, have the dealer contact the Visual Sound office for the business arrangements. Have him ask for Steve Mikesell.

The sound clips are in the works.

[aron]

Good Luck R.G.!

[jimbob]

I really like the idea of this amp. I really like my amp but it just doesnt go well with a lot of effects. Its more of a metal amp. And thats why I like it but i need something else for all the zillion effects I build.

[barret77]

nice! just to add my wishes of success on your great amp - you deserve it!

[gez]

Looks much better than the image you posted a while ago.  Very nice!

[Bill Bergman]

Really nice R.G. !!!

[nelson]

Congrats man, cant wait to try one out.


Functional and "bling" to boot.


Any chance of a bass amp in the works?

Would love to see what features you could dream up.

[Steve C]

Nice looking amp!  

Do they have an Effects Loop? Do they sell them direct?

[R.G.]

Nice looking amp!

Thank you!

Do they have an Effects Loop?

No, there's no effects loop. We thought about that, and decided against it. Effects loops have a few built-in problems. They're at the wrong voltage level for effects, so you have to pad them down to not overload the effects, then amplify them back up for the right level at the power amp. We were trying to make an amp that's effects-friendly right out at the input - so no effects loop.

Do they sell them direct?

No, but almost any dealer that wants to can get them. The minimum buy is not too rough on dealers, unlike some bigger outfits.

[joegagan]

This is really really cool RG
I really like the hubcap scenario, exactly what's needed to stand out in a crowded market + I have enjoyed the sound of my speakers with cardboard beamblockers taped to the grille cloth , works great.

The overall concept is excellent, and you spent the resources on the right stuff, going for ease of service and durability.

[Eric H]

Good luck!

-Eric

[12afael]

thermistors. great idea. that´s the schematic I want to see!!!
do you put the termistor near the tubes? and use a relay for turn on the b+ supply? any tips on thermistor caracteristic?

the hub is a great idea . is frustrating eq and then put the mic and get a different sound. I have a pair of too directional speakers.

do you make some test recording the amp with the hub?

congratulations

12afael

[squidsquad]

So glad someone *gets it*.    K.I.S.S.   And hopefully ears will mature...and hear beyond digital models...discerne what is really important (tone, easy tube bias, accessability)...and come to you....as they should!  I'm dyin to hear one in person.  Thanks for a wise & thoughtful design!

[Regan]

Awesome, RG!
I think the "real" amp looks much better to me than the concept picture you showed us earlier- very cool!
Regan

[CS Jones]

Any good news for Christmas?