Fake LazyJ J 20?

idiotwindow

Doesn't seem to be much love for the J 20 in this Youtube video. Given the praise the amps normally receive, especially for build quality, I'm surprised by some of things in this video – valve touching the speaker and other shonkiness. Is it likely that the amp in this video is actually a fake?

lustycourtier

Ive not watched the video, but Theres been fakes about for years. 

Alex2678

Some of the criticism seems to be with the concepts rather than just how the individual amp is put together 

Moe_Zambeek

I watched it and wondered how much was stock and how much was previous-owner bodgery. You just never know the history. I was surprised by the fan - is that a standard thing?

Honestly if it’s fake it’s really well done, the modules look exactly like the real deal.

It’ll be interesting to see his take on some of the other comments I’ve heard about J20s around powering the modules and the like.

Alex2678

Moe_Zambeek said:

I watched it and wondered how much was stock and how much was previous-owner bodgery. You just never know the history. I was surprised by the fan - is that a standard thing?

Someone in the comments says they had one and it had a fan

Modulus_Amps

Looks real.

Winny_Pooh

Critique seems valid so far. Not unreasonable to expect a custom chassis for that price and have built in modules. 

Lebarque

Reminds me of this guy who had a pop a few years ago:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=205241537350174

I love my Lazy J - the sound and feel is the best I've had. Jesse's client list speaks for itself too.

That being said, I often wonder whether I could just put a Celestion Blue in any 5E3 to get the same, but much cheaper, result. ??? I use mine clean with pedals for the big, rich, bouncy, 3D clean sound.

I've always been intrigued by respected UK amp builders being quite guarded about commenting on Lazy J. I'd love to know what they really think.  

allen

Both of these videos seem to be done by amp techs who have had an amp sent to them BECAUSE there is something wrong with it. So it's no surprise that they find things wrong with them.

For example, the fb video shows a bad hum. My Lazy J is totally silent even on max volume. The youtube video had a tube that was touching the speaker - clearly due to a bent bit of the chassis presumably down to some mishandling.

Alex2678

The consensus does seem to be that they sound great but at the price they go for I would expect the design to be flawlessly thought out, some builders manage it for less, the vibe on both the videos here is that they’re a bit lashed together. The master volume in a hole marked ‘ground’ in an off the shelf chassis does seem *ahem* lazy for the price point

Just my feeling based on these videos, I’ve not played one so can’t have a proper opinion really, and given the opportunity I’m sure I’d have one. Just that some of the points made do seem to be valid - they’re over £3k

Winny_Pooh

^^^ to be fair, they are a bit lashed together.

Adding modules to a design by popping boxes outside of a fixed stock chassis is a garage build custom mindset, fairly British really

The bar is set high at that price range in amp world. Look at Carr or a Matchless DC30. Custom from the ground up, cabs, chassis, transformers, doped speakers. The idea of building a Lazy J style amp would be inconceivable to that mindset. 

"Worth it"? That's far more subjective.

Alex2678

Yeah thank you that is what I was trying to get at but I didn’t know how without sounding like I was having a dig. I do like stuff that’s lashed together in that garage build style, but it people want to point out that for similar money you could get a more neat, ‘from the ground up’ build then it’s hard to argue. 

Whether that’s what people want is up to them, if people that love their lazy j amps love that aspect as well, then absolutely fair play. 

Modulus_Amps

If you have one and you love it then just enjoy it.

Comment from the video that made me smile was "like that from the factory" There is no factory!
Just a few good men working hard, it is about as boutique as you get.

I have seen far worse from other boutique builders, many from the US. 

Lebarque

The ideal is obviously to have a bullet-proof amp with ultra-neat wiring and design etc., which also has that magic tone and feel.

Is it being suggested that Lazy J lacks a bit of the former, but has the latter in spades?

Or will any 5E3 with a Celestion Blue have that magic too? @chrisv swears by his J10 and he's played a few amps.

I think most of us regular punters judge by tone and feel, as long as the amp is reliable of course. I can, of course, understand amp builders looking at build quality.

Sassafras

Nice chazzis.

randella

The last few months I've been relearning and topping up my electronics knowledge. If any of the tutors from my audio engineering degree in the 90's found me reading a textbook for pleasure (Melvin Blencoe!) instead of sitting in the pub, I suspect they'd have wet themselves with glee.

As a consequence I tend to watch a few of these amp tech channels. Uncle Doug, Psionic, D-Lab, Guitologist. Brad's Guitar Garage tends to be about the most... dunno. Outspoken. He can be typically Australian and pithy about most amps (loose jack nuts on a Marshall - "Don't they have fuckin Weetabix in the UK?") but if you want to really see him let rip, check out any of his videos with 'Mesa' in the title.

I did see the Lazy J vid, the grief he gave it is maybe to be taken with a little pinch of salt.

Wazmeister

Plug one in and play - then you'll know.

hotpickups

Maybe I’m getting old but I’ve really let go of all the marketing bullshit that we get in this industry. I’ve had some of the best amps that has  included the lazy J20. Out of them all it was that amp that I connected with the most for whatever reasons etc. 

However, I have since found another amp that will be a keeper. At my age how long that will be who knows lol. I go for the sound and the sound only nowadays. If I like it I keep it but never do I follow the said bullshit nowadays. Lazy J20 never felt like bullshit. I just grew out of it  

I think my one had a fan in it 

mo6020

Mines got a fan in it, and it’s also the best amp I’ve played by a fair amount, and I’ve played some good ones. 

thermionic

Leo Fender got it right first time, when he put a computer fan in the Deluxe in 1955.

chris78

Most of these types of videos are pure click bait.