MAGMA BASS AMPLIFIER

The Magma bass is a guitar and bass amplifier featuring a Custom Baxandall EQ and Defeatable Master Volume allowing low volume, musical overdrive, taking inspiration from the big iron amps from the late 60’s and into the 70’s.

This amp is not a clone. This was developed over 3-4 years of prototyping; taking certain aspects from vintage amps I have worked on over the years and built on them to provide extended frequency response. High head room and a smooth, vintage overdrive that works through both bass and guitar speakers. It can produce everything big sub bass tones to crisp guitar overdrive.

DEFEATABLE MASTER VOLUME

One of the main issues addressed in this amp was that most of my favourite vintage amps needed to be cranked to get to away for the brittle, hissing distortion that occurred at low volume. Don’t get me wrong, I still wanted a loud amp with lots of headroom, but I wanted it to be capable of bedroom/low recording level volume without sacrificing musicality.

The Master Volume Control works in reverse to traditional operation. The more clockwise it is turned the more over driven the amp will become in combination with the Gain control. When turned counter clockwise the amp will get louder and cleaner until you switch off the Master Volume. With an audible ‘click’ the the Master Volume is removed from the circuit, resulting in the Gain control functioning as the main volume. In this setting the amp can be taken up clean until it reaches clipping at 80w or 120w depending on output option.

CUSTOM BAXANDALL EQ

The passive Baxandall EQ consists of Bass, Contour and Treble controls. Each control works independently from itself, allowing you to add more bass or treble without having to readjust the other. The Contour controls the mid frequencies which is especially handy when shaping the overdrive allowing you to scoop or push the mids.

VERSITILITY

The circuit has been designed so that great tones can be achieved from both Bass and Guitar without any bottom end blow out. Simply plug in a Bass or Guitar cabinet, adjust the settings to suit the cabinet and a way you go. The Magma Bass is very reactive to speaker types and cabinets. For example, a Bass Setting of 3 on a matching 1 x 15 bass cab is very prominent. Where as to achieve a prominent bass frequency on a matching 2 x 12 guitar cab the Bass Setting would be around 7.

SPECS

Preamp: 3 x Ecc83s

Output Options:

80w CLEAN - 120w PEAK with 2 x KT88

120w CLEAN - 200w PEAK with 4 x EL34 or 4 x KT88

Controls: Gain, Bass, Contour, Treble, Master.

Transformers; Custom Wound In CANADA

Instrument Inputs: Hi Gain - Low Gain

Speaker outputs: 4Ω - 8Ω - 16Ω

Other:

Metal Flake Face Plate

Point to Point Handwired In House

Dovetailed Cabinets

Optional Effects loop