NAD - handwired AC15 with a difference. Now with some sounds.

ThePrettyDamned

@4114Effects, for reasons beyond me, wanted to sell this beasty. 

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/45608/nad-ac15-style-conversion-solid-state-meh-to-valvey-goodness

Yeah... It's pretty great. @4114Effects is a great chap - the amp arrived with a damaged transformer so he fitted a new dagnall one from a Marshall. 

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8778/27859421473_7f49b4af22_b.jpg

This thing sounds great. I think I'll replace the speaker with a slightly less efficient 10" greenback, but it actually sounds amazing as it is - warm and clear, with that incredibly detailed high end that Vox circuits have. 

It has a boost (which I don't use in the house but up loud will ALWAYS be engaged as it eliminates the need for my overdrive pedals!), 3 way bright switch (sounds amazing when at it's brightest but doesn't like drive pedals much so warm for bedroom, bright for out and about), cut (quite subtle at low volume, more obvious when up loud) and a pull-for-master, push for full on knob.  Tone is a 6 way selector - they all sound amazing.  I chose the fattest, warmest one but all have amazing clarity in the top end.

It really is a great amp - the master volume works well with the volume control to get a wonderful, controlled clean tone for home playing. Live, I'll probably push it in to bypass it, pull the volume to get it boosted and wind it up - it doesn't need drive pedals and cleans up very nicely from picking dynamics. 

Phwoar. Check out the thread from Dan for more details.  It's amazing - very good at loud-bedroom volume all the way up to loud-gig volume - it just needs a tweak of the controls and a flick of the bright switch and the only pedals I need are my volume, mods and delay.

Ace. 

4114Effects

Thanks for the kind words! I actually just came on to message you and ask if it was all up and running again. So glad you're enjoying it!

ThePrettyDamned

4114Effects said:

Thanks for the kind words! I actually just came on to message you and ask if it was all up and running again. So glad you're enjoying it!

Absolutely loving this thing. It's *such* a great sound, and it loves my pedals. Even with the bright switch in the middle (which seems to be "off") it's got so much clarity up the top. 

It's got a lovely compression, too, even when very clean (preamp volume about half way up with low output strat pickups). Everything the solid state bandit said was bad about my playing is magically better now!

ThePrettyDamned

Just chucked a Superlux PRA 628 mk ii on it, plugged int and did a few quick sounds that I am quite enjoying.  The first one is the amp with volume pedal maxed for a bit of drive, the second is the same but volume pedal rocked right back for a super clean sound.  Then it's a DF-2 for rhythm chords with volume pedal rocked back, then Blue Monster OD and volume pedal forward for the melody line. 

Lastly, just some weirdness from the Juansolo delay I've got. Love the weirdness. 

There is noise - there is a fan on right next to it(!) and my guitar picked up a lot of interference from the computer - you can hear when I turn to face the laptop very clearly. 

Still, records far easier than the peavey bandit does. Which is nice. 

Had to be careful with picking - it was fairly loud, definitely above usual home volume, so I had to try to pick more gentle than my usual very-heavy hand. Still, it sounds pretty good considering I know nothing about recording. 

Or playing. 

ThePrettyDamned

Weird, link disappeared. Put it back, now.