New Amp Day

[miroslav]

Last year a scored a Carol-Ann OD2r amp...which I posted about back on HR at the time.
It's the "recording" version of the OD2 (there are also OD3 models) which are two channel amps that have been described by many as Marshall meets Dumble...
...and they had a baby with it's own personality...which is the OD amp line.

The OD2r is a 30W cathode biased 6L6 amp....with the OD2/OD3 models being fixed bias.
I fell in love with that amp, and have been playing it exclusively the last several months with my other amps kinda sitting there all jealous.
Super flexibility of tones, and you would be hard pressed to dial in a bad one.

That said...I happened to hear/see some stuff about a special limited edition amp that was made in conjunction with, and by request from, the owner of Austin Guitar House, Oz Hofstatter (Austin Guitar House is probably the biggest Carol-Ann dealer). He wanted a smaller wattage version of the JB 100 Red that was built for Joe Bonamassa...so the Texas 50 amp was born. A 50W, EL34 fixed bias amp.

http://www.carolannamps.com/tx-50.html

So I had heard some clips and I became very interested in this amp...then I found out only 20 were made, and that was it...though I think they were also planning a Texas 25W version, of only 10 amps.
When I realized it was going to be difficult to find a Texas 50...I even spoke with Carol-Ann designer/builder Alan Philips last December about building me one that had those similar quality, and I wouldn't care if it was called something else...and he said it was doable. Of course, it being the holidays, I was already spread thin money-wise, so I kinda let it sit.

I've seen a couple of used Texas 50 amps come up..but not much cheaper than what a new build would end up costing me.
Then a couple of weeks ago I saw one come up for sale, and at a lower price than the previous ones, and then the guy even dropped it another couple of hundred two days later...and was taking offers too.
So I tossed out an offer at him...not a real low-ball, but about $800 less than what I saw the previous Texas 50 amps sell for....and he countered with just $100 more than my offer...and that was that. Done deal, and yesterday the amp arrived.
Mine is #007... ...out of 20. Like a Borg collective...7-of-20.

I only had a chance to try it out for an hour last night...just to give it a once over and make sure everything was working as it should...but this clip on YouTube was made by the original owner. This is the same amp that I now have.

[BBvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-ueC1TzwtQ[/BBvideo]


Here's another clip of another Texas 50 with some guy was demoing it at the Austin Guitar House.

[BBvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9ysJt8j1uk[/BBvideo]

[WhiskeyJack]

Very Cool Miro. I've never even heard of this make. Thats what i like about this community. Learning about new shit. It's also pretty rad that it is sort of a limited thing. I like that sort of shit. If it can be a quality peiece of kit and also be a bit of a limited exclusive thing i think it is always a good purchase.

Cool youtubes.

When are we going to hear what you can do with it?

[Minerman]

Congrats dude, to me an EL34 based amp is the holy grail...

I'm frustrated & pissed off that I can't use my amp here how I wanna, so I'm gonna have to hold off on anything like that until I find another place to live...I was hoping it'd happen this summer, but doesn't look like it's gonna happen...Might build another ISO cab, but might just suck it up & use ampsims until I can move, to me, neither is what I truly want, just compromises, but that's ok too...

Congrats dude, post up some clips if you get around to it...

[miroslav]

I need a week or two to first get familiar with it...it's noticably different from the Carol-Ann OD2r that I already had...but then, I kinda expected that, and wanted another flavor along with the a bit more power...as I'm planning to make the TX-50 a live/gig use amp. I am looking to return to the live/band scene this coming year as there will be some changes in my personal/work world that will allow that (more to follow soon).
I may just do clips of both of my Carol-Ann amps when I get to it.

Carol-Ann is not a very common "Guitar Center" kind of brand...but (and I don't say this just 'cuz I own 'em) they are known well enough in the boutique amp market.
I've been aware of them for several years...but they were always just outside what I was comfortable spending on an amp. They sell in the $3k range, +/- a few hundred, depending on the model. Certainly not crazy expensive as there are many $4k-$5k+ boutique amp models out there...but TBH, with these Carol-Ann amps, when you see on inside and out, when you just pick the fuckers up...never mind when you play them...you know where the money went.
Everything is overbuilt and with high quality components where it counts.

Check out the Carol-Ann website...you can read through some of the model descriptions and get a sense of what kind of work Alan Philips does.
He is a one-man operation...and every amp he builds gets at least a couple of days of actual play time by him to make sure it's all up to snuff.
Plus, he's not just a good amp builder...there's a lot of those out there...this guys has some serious engineering degrees, so his designs and approach to building is pretty top-shelf.
I think right now he has the only auto-biasing fixed bias amps on the market. These are additional circuits that allow you to bias your power tubes by simply pressing a button. The circuit makes all the voltage adjustments and sets the bias. So you can in like 2 minutes re-bias when you put in new tubes, or if you go to a new venue where maybe the power is not the same as the previous place...and just press the button and watch the LEDs go through their cycle...and that it.

The Texas 50 was introduced before he started including the Auto Bias circuits...but it was at that time that he was using an earlier versions called the Bias Monitor circuit...and for some reason, this Texas 50 has it. I think it must have been a special request by the original owner...I've not seen it on any other Texas 50 amps. Basically...there is an external pot that you manually adjust the bias...but the Bias Monitor circuit always reads the bias and you have 3 LEDs....Red, Green, Red intalled vertically next to the bias pot on the back of the amp. Top red LED means it's too high, bottom means it;s too low...and green means you're right on. So while there is no button you just press like with the Auto-Bias circuit...you still get an indicator of where the bias is, and and easy way to set it manually with a small screwdriver.

[miroslav]

Congrats dude, to me an EL34 based amp is the holy grail...

Yeah...I always felt that way too.
I have to say though...a bunch of the Carol-Ann amp models are 6L6, and like my OD2r, sound really good. I mean, I never expected I would fall in love this much with a 6L6 amp, and I've had a couple in the past. I dunno, they just seemed to be missing something that I always found with EL34 based amps...but Carol-Ann designs are not your typical "clones"...he's a real tone hound, and a player...so he dials the 6L6 amps really well.
That said...even he admits that his soft spot is for EL34 amps, since that's where got his originally inspirations from.

[Greg_L]

I've seen a lots of Carol Anns, maybe it's a Texas-blues thing? And they are pretty cool. Not my style, but I think they're quite nice. I like that overdrive sound on that one in the second clip. EL34s baby. Congrats!

[JD01]

Well done, mate. Looks/sounds great.

[Minerman]

I was planning on buying a Ceriatone 2202, which is a 20w JCM800 clone, but it uses 6V6's (I think, either 6V6 or 6L6, can't remember)...I'm not sure those power tubes will bring the JCM800 tone like EL34's...I've read good things about the amp, but I have no idea if it delivers the goods or not...As much as I dislike the Marshall mini-Jubilee because of it's price, they did get the power section right using EL34's, but at $1300 a pop, I don't think I'll ever own one...

But there is hope for me, Ceriatone is already making a mini-Jubilee clone, he posted pics asking people's preferences on which knobs they liked best a few days ago...

Both EL34 based amps I had were great, especially the Chupacabra...So if I ever get outta here, & I'm able to use amps like they're meant to be used, there is gonna be at least one EL34 based amp in my music room...When that will be I have no idea...lol...

Congrats again dude, those clips sound pretty good, so I'd say the amp smokes in person...

[Greg_L]

I was planning on buying a Ceriatone 2202, which is a 20w JCM800 clone, but it uses 6V6's (I think, either 6V6 or 6L6, can't remember)...I'm not sure those power tubes will bring the JCM800 tone like EL34's...I've read good things about the amp, but I have no idea if it delivers the goods or not...As much as I dislike the Marshall mini-Jubilee because of it's price, they did get the power section right using EL34's, but at $1300 a pop, I don't think I'll ever own one...

I'm a little suspicious of the Ceriatone 2202 because an 800 turned down is nothing to get excited about. The 800s glory comes from it's huge volume. Giant transformers, high voltages, and four EL34s or 6550s. That's what made those amps. You can copy the preamp of an 800, but that's only like half the battle. My 800 is my favorite amp, but it sits off most of the time because it's not any good for just low-volume dinking around for fun. I don't know if a 6V6 micro version can get that same ungodly roar.

[Minerman]

I'm a little suspicious of the Ceriatone 2202 because an 800 turned down is nothing to get excited about. The 800s glory comes from it's huge volume. Giant transformers, high voltages, and four EL34s or 6550s. That's what made those amps. You can copy the preamp of an 800, but that's only like half the battle. My 800 is my favorite amp, but it sits off most of the time because it's not any good for just low-volume dinking around for fun. I don't know if a 6V6 micro version can get that same ungodly roar.

Right dude, that's a big reason I'm skeptical too...I'm just not sure it'll deliver what it's supposed to or not...

[Greg_L]

Right dude, that's a big reason I'm skeptical too...I'm just not sure it'll deliver what it's supposed to or not...

I don't know, but on the flip side I've heard some of those JCM-1s, and they sounded pretty good for what they are. They had some of the grind that a real 2203 has. The voicing was there on the 1 watt, so maybe the Ceriatone can pull it off reasonably well.

[Minerman]

I don't know, but on the flip side I've heard some of those JCM-1s, and they sounded pretty good for what they are. They had some of the grind that a real 2203 has. The voicing was there on the 1 watt, so maybe the Ceriatone can pull it off reasonably well.

I've never played through a JCM-1, but I do know the DSL-1H I had sounded a lot like the 100w version I had...Man I hated to sell that little amp, & it seems they're going up in value too...

Maybe one of these days I'll just plunk down the $$$ for a 2202, but until then I'll just have to wonder...

[miroslav]

I've seen a lots of Carol Anns, maybe it's a Texas-blues thing? And they are pretty cool. Not my style, but I think they're quite nice. I like that overdrive sound on that one in the second clip. EL34s baby. Congrats!

The Austin Guitar House seems to push a lot of them out the door...so maybe that's why you've seen so many in that area.
I wouldn't say that they're really that "Texas-blues" thing if you mean the whole SRV sound.
Even the Texas 50 isn't really trying to do that...I think the name only came about because of Oz and the Austin Guitar House being in Texas.

That said...they do appeal to a lot of blues players...but if you check out some of their other models, there are some more modern, gainy tones there too.

Like the Marshalls, this Texas 50 needs to be cranked to get that sound. That second clip, he's got it up there pretty good....you can tell when he goes to speak. The designer, Alan Philips, will be the first to tell you that. The JB 100 that he made for Joe Bonamassa was design to sound good at the live stage levels that Joe uses with the 100W amp. If you turn it down and try to play it at bedroom levels...it sounds like ass.
He said the TX-50 follows that design concept, though maybe a pinch tamer, so you can still get something good at a lower level...but I could see right off that it's going to shine only when cranked...which is why I thought it would make a good live amp.

Now my OD2r...being only 30W and cathode biased and meant for studio use...that thing sounds great at both low and high levels...but it's a different tone from the TX-50.

[Greg_L]

That said...they do appeal to a lot of blues players...

That's what I was getting at. Lots of older rich blues guys around here favor those amps and types of amps. Kind of like Matchless, Swart, /13, Three Monkeys, etc. Mid-watt combos - bluesy tone.

[Armistice]

Nice score Miro - but I have to say, of all the amp brand names, that's about the worst. That or Dumble (dore)...

Hope you enjoy it. How many amps have you got now, BTW?

[miroslav]

Lots of older rich blues guys around here favor those amps and types of amps. Kind of like Matchless, Swart, /13, Three Monkeys, etc. Mid-watt combos - bluesy tone.

Yeah...the CA amps are in that general camp.
Not that I'm a rich guy...but certainly getting older... ...and as much as still like the crunchy Rock tones, I do have a deep fondness for the Blues thing....I mean, that's where things started for me.
That said...I'm not all that into the typical 12-bar blues stuff...over and over and over. That can get tedious pretty quick.
I like Blues that have a little more room to maneuver in....Blues with stronger Rock influences...but I can also get into Blues that are a bit on the Jazz side. Not that I'm into Jazz...I just like riffing a Jazz style on top of a Rock/Blues foundation.

Nice score Miro - but I have to say, of all the amp brand names, that's about the worst. That or Dumble (dore)...

Hope you enjoy it. How many amps have you got now, BTW?

Yeah..."Carol-Ann" isn't what I would consider a great Rock/Blues amp name.
He's told the story....it was his ex's name, and when they split amicably, he kept the name since he already had an established biz with it.
I guess his current significant other isn't bothered by it...and we won't see a new line with her name.

I don't really mind it at all...it actually makes it stand out...and once you play them, the name becomes transparent to the tones.

[rammer24]

Cool amps. But, like Armistice says, who comes up with these names?

[Greg_L]

Cool amps. But, like Armistice says, who comes up with these names?

Friedman has the best names.

Pink Taco
Dirty Shirley
Brown Eye
Runt
Buxom Betty

[miroslav]

I find the Divided by 13 model names kinda dull...actually, there are no names, just numbers...like Mercedes car models.

Carol-Ann amps used to have this real small name tag...like about the size of your typical flash drive stick.
My OD2r came with that...but when I wanted to add a cab, he no longer had those small tags...so it was the bigger "Carol-Ann" plate, and I just got another one for the head too.

I think if he had made these new plates 25% smaller...it would have been better. Still clearly visible/legible even from a distance, but not so "in your face".

[Greg_L]

I like the Carol Ann name. It's unique, funny, and not some small-dicked cheese metal name like Thunderfist XXX or something stupid like that.