geddeeee

JJ Gold 12AX7 are great for the preamp section. I would use the Svetlana 6550. These are what Marshall supply from the factory in the VBA 400. The 2001 was the forerunner of the VBA, so I would go with them. I wouldn't bother with any of the 'cryo' valves either. Absolute rubbish!!! As for Watford Valves.... Our guitarist purchased a set from them for his Marshall head. The power valves were faulty and the amp nearly caught fire at a gig. He paid out nearly £300 trying to get the valves, and then get them biased. In the end he took it directly to Marshall. They fixed it, biased it etc. It sounds like it just left the factory. Only cost £170 including parts. Bargain!!! My advice would be to send it directly to Marshall for a full service. They know what they're doing....

There is a guy in Holbury called Tony Rockett who should be able to sort that out for you. He is a luthier and has made a few custom guitars. He seems to know what he is doing. The guitarist in my band used Fret Music in Shirley. Paid £50 for a set up, and the intonation was still WAY out. Shocking service!!!! I've since taught him how to set up his guitar and intonate it. He'll save himself cash in the long run. Here's Tony's website: www.tonyrockettguitars.co.uk/

I'm using a 550 Touring combo, which is basically the Spyder head and 15 inch cab. Very nice amp!!!!

[quote name='TankJon' timestamp='1273185146' post='830193'] Nothing wrong with Bugera amps. They are well built, look good and have a decent range of sounds and for not a lot of money. Too many people jump on the Behringer bashing bandwagon without ever having used any of the gear. [/quote] Totally agree!!! Behringer/Bugera make good stuff. All the sh*tty stuff breaks down i.e: Those low end stomp pedals and the like. If you spend a little extra, you get good quality equipment. Any of the rack mounted stuff is superb. I have EQ, compressor etc. They have been working fine for the last 8 years, and I'm sure will continue to work. All this 'whining' about Behringer 'copying' stuff. So what!!!! Every guitar manufacturer and amp maker has been doing this since the 1950s. It's nothing new..... To the 'gear snobs'... Go spend thousands on a 'name' brand if you want. If you haven't tried the equipment, you have no knowledge to comment with. I have had Ampeg SVT, Marshall VBA400 fail because they are cheaply made. When they are working, the tone is incredible. But as is the nature of valve stuff, they are fragile. If you gig more than twice a week, you would need an amp tech just to make sure the equipment will continue to function. I would love to hear how this new amp sounds. It can't be any worse than most 'top end' valve amps I've had: continually breaking down..........

[quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1341271027' post='1716342'] Will the Linseed oil be worthy of unfinished maple necks? [/quote] I would use linseed oil on ANY fretboard. Basically it gets into the wood grain retaining natural moisture, and also it provides a barrier against all the bad stuff. If you value your neck, stay well clear of lemon oil/orange oil. As I said it is for furniture. A lot of people will disagree with me, but I think they're wrong. I've seen the damage the lemon based stuff can do.... Save it for your coffee table!!!!

A big no-no for lemon oil. It's for furniture!!! It opens up the pores of the wood. Not good at all!!! Use naptha (lighter fluid) to clean all the crap off. Then use linseed oil to 'nourish' the fretboard. Use about 6 drops along the fretboard. Wipe it off immediately....

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1340746515' post='1709179'] He did build a little amp in to an old hifi speaker that Brian May used for the very distinctive 'nasal' solo sound on early albums. A one off. However about....ummm .. ten years ago? Vox recreated the amp as the 'Vox Deacy' amp. I have also seen that a company on the internet were as best as possible trying to recreate the actual hifi speaker cabinet and electronics as faithfully as possible. Never seen one 'in the wild' though! [/quote] My brother builds Brian May 'copies' and has been testing the Deacy Hi-Fi amp for the company who is reproducing them. Really sweet tone. Nasal, as you said. Said company are trying to put all this into a stomp box. There are a few different versions of it. It is just a hi-fi speaker with a bit of electronics. Roughly 3 watts, I think. All powered from a big 12 volt battery, the ones with the 2 springs on top..... As John Deacon had a degree in Electronics, he was well qualified in that sort of stuff. Not a bad bass player too....