Has the Bluguitar Amp 1 died before it got going? Nah!

monquixote

Don't know the answer to the first question, but it can be used unloaded.

firepaulmusic

The ressessed FX loop pad push switch is one you'll need a small screwdriver (other long thin implements are available) to access. I'm using a DD3 and Roland volume pedal in the factory set mode and both work fine.

To also confirm it can be used unloaded. It can also be used with a speaker and the speaker sim output at the same time. It can also be used as a posh stomp box into the front of an amp by outputting from the FX send only.

 

Cabicular

Thanks

strtdv

If they've designed the circuit cleverly, they could drive the mini-valve in the power amp section independently of the power/volume of the class D power amp, which would mean that you could determine how "pushed" the amp sounds independently of volume.

I have to say, this is looking tempting, particularly if used ones started turning up under the £350 mark

It also takes a 100-240 volts AC so conceivably you could pair this up with something like a Nova system and have an incredibly compact rig you can play anywhere in the world and on the used market might come in under £500!

ThePrettyDamned

I really want to try one, this looks like a wonderful home amp too. How does it fare at low volume guys?

Also, does it do metal? Like... Alter bridge through to 6505 style gain tones? It sounds quite loose and smooth in demos but that's blug playing...

firepaulmusic

The Modern channel does Metal if you scoop the mids etc and use the hard noise gate setting. Obviously that's all you can do as the eq affects (effects, I never know which???) all the other channels.

strtdv

ThePrettyDamned said:

I really want to try one, this looks like a wonderful home amp too. How does it fare at low volume guys?

Also, does it do metal? Like... Alter bridge through to 6505 style gain tones? It sounds quite loose and smooth in demos but that's blug playing...

I'd be surprised if it did really high gain stuff well.

The lack of presence and resonance controls means straight away it's going to struggle to get 6505 and recto style tones, and frankly, when the other 3 channels are clean, vintage and classic, it doesn't look like it's aimed at metal players either. Most people who like the clean, vintage and classic sounds wouldn't know a good high gain sound if it walked up and punched them in the face.

rpr

There's another review/video of it here- http://www.iguitarmag.com/magazine-editions/guitar-interactive-issue-31/reviews/thomas-blug-bluguitar-amp1/    

monquixote

That's another super positive review.

I think one of these + a MIDI adapter and a Boss GT-100 would be an amazing rig.

firepaulmusic

I'm away on a training course next week so taking this, my travel electric + headphones in my hand luggage...

Blueingreen

Anyone else find the final sentence of Tom Quayle's review a bit of an anticlimax?  He gave it such a glowing recommendation that his final comment that he was "extremely tempted" jarred with me a bit. I know reviewers can hardly be expected to fork out for every bit of kit they like, but "it's fantastic, it's unique but I'm not totally sure I want one myself" made me suspect that behind the obligatory reviewer's hype he might be damning it with faint praise. 

Rocker

For that kind of money, I would try it out before buying it. And I would probably ask an expert like @ICBM or others here on the build quality. What a reviewer thinks of it is of no concern and would have no influence on my buying decisions.

Blueingreen

Quayle is a superb player and obviously knows his stuff in terms of amps. If I knew him personally and he told me off the record the amp was a superb piece of kit I might be tempted to buy it.  If he says the same thing in a public review where I suspect there may be commercial interests at play I'm going to be a lot more sceptical.  I'm looking to read between the lines at what he "really" thinks and am liable to amplify anything that smacks of negativity.

monquixote

The final paragraph of Tom's review says:

"All in all the AMP1 is a bit of a revelation and the closest anyone has come to producing a super portable, floor based device that could actually replace your amp head for both gigging and studio work. It actually WILL fit in your gig bag and is built well enough to last on the road, and when combined with the REMOTE 1 offers an incredible level of versatility and flexibility. On its own though it offers an amazing tonal package that will be very hard to resist for any guitar player who values good tone and is limited for space. For the travelling musician it is a must have and something this reviewer is extremely tempted by!"

I think that's about as positive a review as you are likely to see. I don't detect any faint praise there.

Drew_TNBD

Does this have any relation to this:

http://news.sciencemag.org/physics/2012/05/return-vacuum-tube

Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

ThePrettyDamned

firepaulmusic said:

Out on Saturday night with my band Daytona. First gig with the BluGuitar Amp1. I loved the feel and tone of the amp, it worked well with my fx in the loop and my BB Preamp pedal was excellent as an extra boost.

Wow.  Great crunch sound there man! Very nice, doesn't sound like anything less than a great amp. 

steamabacus

monquixote said:

The final paragraph of Tom's review says:

"All in all the AMP1 is a bit of a revelation and the closest anyone has come to producing a super portable, floor based device that could actually replace your amp head for both gigging and studio work. It actually WILL fit in your gig bag and is built well enough to last on the road, and when combined with the REMOTE 1 offers an incredible level of versatility and flexibility. On its own though it offers an amazing tonal package that will be very hard to resist for any guitar player who values good tone and is limited for space. For the travelling musician it is a must have and something this reviewer is extremely tempted by!"

I think that's about as positive a review as you are likely to see. I don't detect any faint praise there.

I was struggling to notice any 'faint' praise, too.

monquixote

Drew_fx said:

Does this have any relation to this:

http://news.sciencemag.org/physics/2012/05/return-vacuum-tube

Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

I don't think so. 

Does look cool though.

exocet

jpfamps said:

steamabacus said:

monquixote said:

I'm pretty sure the power section is Class D.

When I spoke to Thomas Blug about it he said the valve was definitely part of the power amp - the grunt comes from a class D section but the valve is involved in a way that hasn't been done before. To me, it sounds reminiscent of how the Vox Valvetronix technology was described (and those early blue grille Valvetronix amps do sound good) but I know @ICBM has said a lot of Vox's description is a little disingenuous. Maybe one of our techie types will get to see a schematic at some point and shed some light.

I still can't really believe that the Amp 1 is as loud as an old 100W Marshall though - but who actually needs that these days, anyway? If it can match a 30W valve amp, that should be enough for most.

I would be interested to see how the power amp works. I can't immediately see how a valve can be incorporated into a class D power amp.

There are some power amp topologies I've seen where a power valve's current delivery capacity is enhanced by SS circuitry, but it's not obvious to me how this could be done with a class D power amp.

Using an out-of-production valve in the circuit is probably not ideal, although it's quite possible that if you've chosen a valve with no other current application there is effectively an inexhaustible supply of them. Regardless, it's very unlikely that they are RoHS compliant.

Nevertheless, this looks an innovative product, and if it does well I anticipate Behringer will soon have copy of it!

Isn't it just a  "Micro valve" in the signal chain driving into a Class D power amp?

I really wish I hadn't started reading this thread 'cause it looks like I'm going to have to buy one now...

exocet

Too late...credit card bent.

Lets see what happens.

For the record, I generally play through Valve gear (have 4 different amps - Vintage Marshall JTM50, Matamp1224, Ceriatone OTS and Holland 'Lil Jim.

Nowadays I play mainly clean to low gain - using the Holland which is a very nice 50 watt Combo with single 12" as a Pedal Platform. I occasionally play live - small venues I stick with the single 12", larger venues I hook up a 4 x 10.

I like to be able to call up a decent drive tone "on demand" via pedals, but I don't use High Gain at all. 

If this works, I'll definitely look to the additional foot switcher because my current band project needs some pedal switching combinations and I'm not an accomplished tap dancer. I've got a Mobius as well that I'd like to MIDI switch.