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In this Discussion
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NAD - yes, another J20
Apologies for a gushing thread but feel the need to share..
I'd tried really hard to buy a J40 but the stars did not align and that deal is on hold. Very fortunate for a kind soul to agree to part with his j20, and what everyone said all along about this being a loud, dynamic, wonderful amp appears to be correct - the 40 must be damn loud...
I remember the wall of tweed at Chandlers and had always been a little initimidated by the 'boutique' label - and price tag. Now a few years later, I'm very fortunate to be in the position to make a luxury purchase. More practically I've also been looking for a not-too-heavy grab and go packge with a nice spring reverb, that has some character, and will also interact with pedals well. My old Marshall DSL 201 was nice but reverb was very subtle and the drive channel didn't float my boat. Tried the V40 and a 1x12 zilla cab. Very portable and flexible but just found it bland.
Clearly still in the honeymoon/wedding night phase, but the J20 is flipping brilliant. There seems to be a significant range of different cleans-to-heavy crunch you can get with the 4 different inputs, balancing the VAC with the volume, the gain changing effects of the tone, and the actually useful bass cut switch. My bog standard 2007 american series tele sounds massive with it. With the Les Paul, using the bass cut, dialling up the tone, and having the VAC as open as the siutation allows, I can get some lovely chewy thick cleans, and then a wonderful throaty growl. Incredibly responsive to how heavy you play, and I think I now understand what people mean by notes 'blooming'. Can't really articulate it but the notes just sound more complex and characterful than with my previous amps.
The thing is light as a feather- and looks nice, which the wife is happy about. For the reverb - would be nice to have a dwell and a level, like Mr Rift - but that's not a biggy.
Struggle with justifying the cost of these things - and that's clearly a divisive issue. But I would say that it is built like a tank, and the ability to pick up the phone and speak to the actual builder at the drop of a hat, and when he responds to emails so quickly, makes the outlay feel less silly. He was very helpful in chatting through the J40, and seems genuinely happy to offer customer support to people who have bought used.
Overall feeling like a very lucky and happy bunny..
I'd tried really hard to buy a J40 but the stars did not align and that deal is on hold. Very fortunate for a kind soul to agree to part with his j20, and what everyone said all along about this being a loud, dynamic, wonderful amp appears to be correct - the 40 must be damn loud...
I remember the wall of tweed at Chandlers and had always been a little initimidated by the 'boutique' label - and price tag. Now a few years later, I'm very fortunate to be in the position to make a luxury purchase. More practically I've also been looking for a not-too-heavy grab and go packge with a nice spring reverb, that has some character, and will also interact with pedals well. My old Marshall DSL 201 was nice but reverb was very subtle and the drive channel didn't float my boat. Tried the V40 and a 1x12 zilla cab. Very portable and flexible but just found it bland.
Clearly still in the honeymoon/wedding night phase, but the J20 is flipping brilliant. There seems to be a significant range of different cleans-to-heavy crunch you can get with the 4 different inputs, balancing the VAC with the volume, the gain changing effects of the tone, and the actually useful bass cut switch. My bog standard 2007 american series tele sounds massive with it. With the Les Paul, using the bass cut, dialling up the tone, and having the VAC as open as the siutation allows, I can get some lovely chewy thick cleans, and then a wonderful throaty growl. Incredibly responsive to how heavy you play, and I think I now understand what people mean by notes 'blooming'. Can't really articulate it but the notes just sound more complex and characterful than with my previous amps.
Seems to like my fairly simple pedalboard (trusty OD3 with a a RYRA for boost) so hopefully will be flexible for the rock covers band I'm in. Yet to crank it, so yet to deal with headroom issues in rehearsal where we are un-mic'd, but my concept of clean is the compressed sizzly type, not the twangy type, so hopefully not too much of a big deal.
The thing is light as a feather- and looks nice, which the wife is happy about. For the reverb - would be nice to have a dwell and a level, like Mr Rift - but that's not a biggy.
Struggle with justifying the cost of these things - and that's clearly a divisive issue. But I would say that it is built like a tank, and the ability to pick up the phone and speak to the actual builder at the drop of a hat, and when he responds to emails so quickly, makes the outlay feel less silly. He was very helpful in chatting through the J40, and seems genuinely happy to offer customer support to people who have bought used.
Overall feeling like a very lucky and happy bunny..
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Comments
3 x J20's
1 x J20H
2 x J40's
I've got them all stacked up in a pyramid arrangement in the living room, the wife is thrilled....
(formerly miserneil)
did you get the tremolo too and what speaker?
(formerly miserneil)
Amazing how this amp with so few controls can be made to work with different set ups.
Fun!
#toldyouso
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
#smugcleverarsesbuttheywereallindeedcorrect
Edit - also the other thing people have been right about is that, dialled in correctly, the j20 seems to really like the KoT. Have reacquired my old one and they seem to be a great pairing.