Thanks to the singer in our band - I've been lucky enough to play an old ES-335 through the VM lately. We're a blues band so it works really well in that context. It's fat and warm but has bite when you dig in a bit harder - just love it. Thought I'd share the pics :)

That is one cool picture, I bet that old Gibson really sings but I am wondering what pickups those are. Looks like the guitar has some serious time on it. Love your Metro setup with the VM, now you just need get rid of that 900 and get a new JMD and you will be covered for everything.

That thing is beat to hell! I LOVE it! Bet it sounds amazing.

Thanks Surf... the guitar has pick-ups from 72' i think... Gibson released pick-ups bearing their name embossed on the covers that year only I'm told - the neck isn't the original either. The serial number on the back of the headstock suggest it's a 66'. The singer in our band said the guitar was a real mongrel - neck, body and pick-ups are all from different years! It's strung with 12s at the moment and sounds fantastic. My hands are still getting used to the fence wire gauge of string but other than that it's a really nice guitar to play. Incredibly responsive, organic and warm tones.

Haha 900 in name only... the insides are a plexi. My brother didn't think much of the 900 either... so he built a plexi and used the 900 shell. Note 4 inputs at right... an interesting feature - as this amp was built to test ideas - one of the front pots is a bias control. The other smaller amp with an MDF shell is an 18 watt Marshall power section (EL84) with a VM pre-amp section - sounds great too!

An ES-335 is at the top of my wish list. I'm dying to hear what one sounds like through my VM. Cheers!

Make sure you try a good vintage or reissue 335 with vintage type covered humbuckers, preferably not potted, with your VM.  Now THAT's a treat!!  

Good advice. The guitar I really have my heart set on is a ES-355 with a Bigsby, but would "settle" for a ES-335. It's totally out of my price range right now, but hope to make it happen some day.

  

Sweet!! dude ya gotta post gut shots of the 18watt VM! i remember you mentioned that idea back when you were buildin the metro! I'd love to see gut shots!

ha i was actually gonna ask what it was too till i read that post!

No problem Dean... pics attached :)
It's a nice sounding amp... it's got a chime that you would expect from an EL84 based amp.

StephenRutledge, cool cheers for postin those man! love gut shots! :)

So its got the 18watt power section chimey tone to it yeah? does that come thru more in, wait i was gonna say low range! ha!

I see two preamp tubes as opposed to 4. so is this a low range VM preamp? actually i can visually trace it. its low range V1 input section then that goes to the body and detail controls. you have the 470K with the cap from the detail knob and since theres no midboost, another 470K rather than two 220K. they go to the  the PI and it gets kinda hard to trace from there cos i cant see wires. the PI is from the 18watt power section cos it has the 470K resistors on the PI as opposed to the VM's 1Ms. So from PI onwards is 18watt power section with the ez81 rectifier.

That sound right? have i got anything wrong in that "analysis"? I'm guessin controls are Detail, body, MV and presense controls? Using an 18watt OT and PT yeah?

Cool thanks for postin man was fun to look thru it! nice build!

-- Thu Aug 12, 2010 10:35 pm --

What i was initially gonna say was which tones come thru more? 18wattiness or VMness? since its only the VM V1 input i'm guessin its more 18wattish but with a sort of different flavour from the preamp?

Both I think... touch sensitiveness of the VM with the character of EL84 power tubes. This amp is not professing to be anything other than an experiment based in part  on a really cool design by Steve Dawson. The part of Steve's design we really liked was the tone shaping controls of 'Detail' and 'Body'. My brother wanted to see how that idea would work in a lower watt power section. I enjoy playing this amp through my quad box. It's a lot of fun. It sounds nothing like the Studio 22 Mesa Boogie I had back in late 80's (EL84 based power section) and I presume it must sound very much like a regular 18 watter. I'm not sure.
It has a really nice touch sensitive feel, like the VM and the chimey sound of an EL84 based amp... not sure what a regular 18 watter sounds like so I can't comment on the difference.

I'll open up and give gut shots of the the '900 to plexi' soon. Nothing inventive with that design - it's basically a 50 watt plexi.

Cool! thanks man! I'd say that 18watter does dound pretty nice alright!

Yeah id love to see the "Plexi 900" guts too!

Cool thread man! thanks for postin!