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ffv

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Everything posted by ffv

  1. Sorry for resurrecting this thread, but... I hear you, three! I've been through Hellborg 4 power amps, all three types, and yes, they do distort. But it's not your common distortion (signal clipping, tube amp "harmonic enrichment" etc.): it's intermodulation distortion. I sent in my original mono500 three times, under warranty, fortunately. Warwick Germany looked "into it", couldn't find distortion and returned my amp without replacing one thing. The third time around Warwick sent me a different amp in exchange - which distorted the same way. Yes. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to communicate that the problem was IMD. Then again the technician who worked for Warwick (certainly not *at* Warwick) did not speak German at all, only broken English. So some Warwick help desk employee "translated" my notes/E-mails into "English" for the technician... (They were so proud of this process, they even sent me a video of it.) I may have to mention that: I do not (/cannot afford to) play Alembics, Foderas etc. And yet, I regularly got IMD out of all three types of Hellborg power amps with every single bass I picked up. Passive, active, flat eq-ed preamp, different preamps, extreme eq settings, different strings, eq by onboard preamps only (active basses directly into the Hellborg power amps), different loudspeakers, different rooms. I was able to record it off of a loudspeaker with my iPhone7, too! Then I recorded the same "sonically critical" riff from my TC looper through another power amp as well. A/B-ing the two recordings showed the differences almost as clearly as the difference between night and day. Store staff could hear it through gear at their store and we could discern the two recordings on my iPhone7 (back then...) through their boom box behind the counter. So, it's not our ears. It's about the technicians who don't look with their scopes and what-not for the correct *type* of distortion. I plan on contacting the company in Germany which designed and built(!) all of the Hellborg amps for Warwick, and ask them about possible modifications that may, hopefully, eliminate the problem. I reckon it may soon become somewhat awkward, as I will be coming in as an end user hitting up those seasoned engineers about some of their "old mistakes". Why do this? Because I totally dig the sound signature of the power amps - minus that freaking IMD, of course.
  2. Get that 503, ziggydolphinboy! – And film yourself playing it for a bit. *Then* connect the fx send & return in the back with a good patch cable and film yourself again playing it... Once you completely recovered, show both videos to your people and try convincing them no drugs were involved in the shooting of the second video. (Good luck!)
  3. These are the new models with round "sound holes". Decidedly more – good! – bass than the Mk1, zero "breathing" and less (low)mid-scoop. G.R.E.A.T. loudspeakers at a ridiculously low price. (The price new is ridiculous, too!) - And, yes, I got a pair of those, therefore...
  4. The best "Motown head", Markbass ever made? - The all-tube Classic300. Near-impossible to find – and lug around –, very expensive by now. The best "Rock Head and more", Markbass ever made? – The R500. Hard to find. Always at 400 or higher. The best "very-tubey-but-also-controlled-in-a-very-musical-way" head, Markbass ever made? The ht503. – Virtually unobtainable... And no, you will have to pry *my* ht503 from my cold, dead fingers. (You're welcome, Leon C 2!)
  5. (@4&% String in particular) Is there a difference in sound between the two heads?
  6. Could you please add you own pictures of the actual amp - from all sides? Thanks!
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