Dr Tony Balls wrote: Wed Aug 02, 2023 8:17 am

benadrian wrote: Tue Aug 01, 2023 6:47 pm I was really hoping it was devoid of Fender influence, but no go. There is a bigwig at Fender now who used to me a medium-wig at my day job, and he was not very pleasant. While this person in not in the bios, the rest of them read a bit gross.

My day job does do some work with Mission Engineering and everything I've heard about them has been pretty great.

Frankly, though, I don't know how they can win here. If they make them like they used to, they will be out of reach for almost everybody. If they modernize the designs and construction to save cost, they will lose authenticity and still cost close to used old gear. If they come out with new designs, they will be blasted for ignoring the classics. They're playing a dangerous game.

There's probably a fine line that fits into modern production but still quality. All of the old tube Sunn stuff was point to point and no one needs to manufacturing amps like that any more. There's just no point to it. On the flip side going to a full modern and cheap build means something like Fender's Hot Rod series means board-mounted everything and ribbon cables and shit that's just 1) not gonna last as long as a quality tube amp should, and 2) not gonna be as repairable when it does break. I think the sweet spot is something like late 70's/early 80's Marshalls. About every component on a single PCB but wires to pots, jacks, and sockets. Make em right and show off some guts to let everyone know you;re making em right and that'll go a long way in terms if selling reliability.

I was in Boutique Amps Distribution a couple weeks ago and that's about what they do - for some products to keep costs down they buy in fully populated boards, others are wired like 70s/80s Marshalls, and I think it was just SLO100s that were completely wired with turret boards.

They're PCB with through hole components, but at least a board-mounted phase inverter socket. Its not the best, but hopefully its just the small glass mounted to the board. The pots look to be wired too, which is good.

Dr Tony Balls wrote: They're PCB with through hole components, but at least a board-mounted phase inverter socket. Its not the best, but hopefully its just the small glass mounted to the board. The pots look to be wired too, which is good.

As long as it is road durable and serviceable, like you describe elsewhere, they might carve out a market. Based on tech videos and comments by you over the years it seems like a lot of new fenders etc. cut corners that might be fine for a while under light use weekend dad rock duty but would probably not hold up to rugged use. It would be nice if the new Sunn could hit that medium level of production where they’d make an attractive alternative to tough but price climbing vintage gear.

If they could get in on some really well designed, rugged solid state amps and utility gear, that could also be viable and in keeping with the company heritage.

ChudFusk wrote: Tue Aug 01, 2023 5:46 pm Just what exactly is revolutionary about CMOS technology?

This apparently, “ Solid state amplifiers are smaller, lighter, lower cost and much more powerful than their tube predecessors. CMOS technology since it dissipates less power, was an attractive option for high powered audio amplifiers. A buzz word for the times, the CMOS Technology labelled Sunn Beta series became Sunn’s main guitar amp line. ”

It uses a hex inverter chip for its overdrive. One or two of these ICs must have been shit tons cheaper than preamp tubes. So revolutionary in that it’s a decent sounding solid state amp of the time and used a different method than the transistors or opamps most contemporary ss amps of the time. And they sound pretty good. The EH Hot Tubes and Way Huge Red Llama also use a hex inverter chip, but a different one.

Also revolutionary was the cool font they used for the cmos line of text.

WeStartToDrift wrote: Thu Aug 03, 2023 7:56 am

VaticanShotglass wrote: Wed Aug 02, 2023 9:10 pm So this is the boutique option for Beta amps right now.
https://www.hilbishdesign.com/shop/beta-amplifier-200w

It is $1500 for the 200 watt amp. Class D power section. The production model will need to be attractively less expensive or more mojo or some shit.

The originals are pushing close to 1k these days? I don’t know. Hard to tell with all the Doom Lawyers trying pushing prices.

I was interested in buying the one I used to play sometimes in college around ten years ago but my friend had returned it to her dad. He wanted 600 for it back then. I thought that was nuts, but whatever. Still think it’s nuts how much these are. I have the parts to build the preamp if I ever have a good work bench again.

I’d rather have a bassman anyway.

I had the Sol Invictus pedal and it sounded pretty spot-on to my Beta Lead. Hilbish makes good stuff and the build quality is really top notch.

Yeah that thing looks well made and more accessible in price.

If you're DIY-ish, Aion has a beta lead/bass preamp PCB:
https://aionfx.com/project/beta-preamp/

$50 + whatever class-d power amp you want and bob is yr mom's bro

I post this not so much because I have any interest in this reverb but because it is a good example of how sophisticated switching is becoming more common in production line effects. EQD retooled their line up for relay switching a while ago but continue to have some neat stuff going on. Even the latest Life Pedal has some interesting switching going on.

I’d like to convert to relay switching for projects but I haven’t done the homework to find a version tiny and modular enough to to get me excited. And I don’t have the time to cook something up myself.

mdc wrote: Thu Aug 03, 2023 3:27 pm If you're DIY-ish, Aion has a beta lead/bass preamp PCB:
https://aionfx.com/project/beta-preamp/

I have one of those (or similar in) waiting in my project box.

I know how much everyone here loves JHS so want to make sure you all see that he's helped relaunch Ross pedals:

https://www.rosselectronics.com/

tallchris wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2023 5:13 pm I know how much everyone here loves JHS so want to make sure you all see that he's helped relaunch Ross pedals:

https://www.rosselectronics.com/

I've always had a soft spot for the old Ross pedals. I'm almost positive that Russel used a Ross Distortion in Pound WI, so when I found one I just bought it. That led me to making the KWB as the superset of what I liked about the MXR, DOD250, and Ross.

I didn't have a great feeling about the Ross Audibles and now I'm super skeptical about what's going on. I still have a soft spot for the old ones.

benadrian wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2023 5:45 pm

tallchris wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2023 5:13 pm I know how much everyone here loves JHS so want to make sure you all see that he's helped relaunch Ross pedals:

https://www.rosselectronics.com/

I've always had a soft spot for the old Ross pedals. I'm almost positive that Russel used a Ross Distortion in Pound WI, so when I found one I just bought it. That led me to making the KWB as the superset of what I liked about the MXR, DOD250, and Ross.

I didn't have a great feeling about the Ross Audibles and now I'm super skeptical about what's going on. I still have a soft spot for the old ones.

Those old enclosures sure were cool.

Eastwood Guitars: let's paint the neck silver to make it look real!