Yellow Jacket

[Ti-Ron]

Ok, I found that on the THD web site and I'm not really sure how it's works. I plan to get a new amp to suit my heavy music needs really soon but every good deal I found are for too big amps! I can't use them so there's no point to buy it! I heard a lot about the Hot Plate so maybe it's an alternative! Is the yellow jacket is like a smaller hot plate or nothing to see with? I read that I can put El84 in a 6V6 socket, so that mean I can change the sound of an amp with it? Please be gentle in the explanations, I'm really not an amp tech! ;)

Thanks

[iaresee]

YellowJackets let you fit EL-84s into tube sockets where you'd normally put 6L6, 6V6 or EL-34s. EL-84s will give you lower output power, but it's not the same thing as a HotPlate attenuator. YellowJackets provide some amount of fixed reduction in output power, not variable.

Changing the power amp tubes from 6V6 to EL-84 has some effect on the sound of the amp, but in my experience it's not huge. I've run YellowJackets in my Koch and my Rect-O-Verb and they were both still very much a Koch and a Mesa rectifier despite having EL-84s in their power amp section. It's not going to make your Fender a Vox.

Personally I'd try a HotPlate first.

[JHarasym]

I've tried both Yellowjackets and the Hot Plate, and don't really like either solution very much. I just didn't like the sound of the Yellowjackets (in a Fender Twin) - it's a very subjective thing fer sure. The Hot Plate is a little more useable for practises (with my Fender Vibrolux Reverb), but I always seem to be adjusting it (switching the dampening effect, which is in rather large increments, and then the amp volume). I suggest you them a listen before committing if you have the opportunity. I'm now trying lower powered amps to see if I can get a sound I prefer.

[Budda]

you want something small for heavy sounds?

mesa Thiele cab, boss or Line 6 multi, power amp.

[Ti-Ron]

you want something small for heavy sounds?

Yeah I'm a huge Sepultura/Soulfly fan but I live in a block with too much neibourghs so I can't go as high as I want to, so I need to limit my output! I'm looking for alternative, Maybe a Tiny Terror or a BlackHeart. Personnaly I prefer the Tinny Terror and I really love the Orange's sound! I also have a deal on a Classic 30 head, but it too loud..so I'm still looking! Maybe I will find a gem somewhere!

[Budda]

any tube amp will probably get too loud then..

hence my multi/poweramp suggestion. POD X3/XT-live, boss GT-10/GT-8, and a crate powerblock and a 112. fun for daaaaaays

[Diablo]

any tube amp will probably get too loud then..

hence my multi/poweramp suggestion. POD X3/XT-live, boss GT-10/GT-8, and a crate powerblock and a 112. fun for daaaaaays

I think you're probably right about that...I'm trying to attenuate my Peavey 6505+ amp (in another thread) to get a practice volume sound as good as I get on the cheap Line 6 Spider III 15 watt amp I goof around on at the cottage without any effects !
Maybe thats the key...1 amp for gigging, another for practicing at home.:food-smiley-004:

[nitehawk55]

Stay away from those yellow jackets....trouble waiting to happen .

[dr_iggi]

Maybe thats the key...1 amp for gigging, another for practicing at home.:food-smiley-004:

I guess it depends on the gig :-) But seriously, if you want a tube amp for bedroom levels the only solution is less than 3-watts plus effects to get your metal sound... or a solid state amp with modeling capabilities.

[Ti-Ron]

Yeah, I'm looking for something in the Orange sounds or maybe Vox. The Tiny Terros sounds really great and with the 7 watts feature it's really interessing! I found a guy who build some hand wired Tiny Terror Clone for 400 bucks, maybe it's could be a good deal!

[sysexguy]

James Peters used to make 10 watt heads that have great metal tones. I think there's one floating on Gearpage. If not you should contact him as he possibly keeps tabs on who's got what for sale.

Andy

[4x12]

I kinda like the Hotplate. I used on my 5150 I (loaded with JJ's) and I liked the outcome of the tone. Tweaked it a little on the eq side and bam! I honestly think the THD would be a good investment and IF you should happen not to like it you can always sell it off at a decent price. The one I used was puchased for $200 and was mint.

[JamesPeters]

James Peters used to make 10 watt heads that have great metal tones. I think there's one floating on Gearpage. If not you should contact him as he possibly keeps tabs on who's got what for sale.

Andy

I stopped making 10W amps since it seemed most people don't really understand what a lower powered amp will sound like. Especially when it comes to modern high gain or clean sounds, a lower powered amp is going to be a bit of a niche thing and less what most people prefer compared to an amp with more headroom. I'm still proud of my 10W amps, but most people didn't really understand what they were in for when they got them (despite my making them with lots of power and bandwidth for the format).

Since my 50W amps sound excellent at low volumes (and that's not an exaggeration) as well as higher volumes, I decided to discontinue the 10W amps and focus on amps everyone could appreciate. This way I don't get a bad first impression when someone buys an amp, if they expected a 10W amp to have the same "guts" or whatnot of a higher powered amp.

As for keeping tabs of what's for sale, that only happens if I notice it on the forums. I'm usually a couple steps behind even in that regard, since I'm not on the forums as much as I used to be.

[µ¿ z3®ø™]

Personnaly I prefer the Tinny Terror and I really love the Orange's sound!

'tinny terror'!!!
that made me laugh.
seriously tho', even at it's 7 watt setting and cranked out, it's still very loud. sure, U can turn the master down and crank the gain, but that just sounds real buzzy to my ears.

the yellow jackets work really well, but typically only knock off a few dB over stock valves. want bedroom volumes? as long as U have a decent master volume amp, combine it w/ a hotplate and that should work. a moderate amount of attenuation from the hotplate and pulling back the master volume a bit should get U there.