Rick Davis
110 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:08 PM
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I've been practicing with my Masco ME-18 for a couple of hours and my house is filled with that aroma of vintage amp. Old tube amps get HOT when you work them hard and they put out a very distinctive smell.
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-Rick Davis
Blues Harp Amps Blog
Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
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congaron
481 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:11 PM
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I want that speaker for my evj head.
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toddlgreene
668 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:12 PM
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Yeah, what is that? Is it burning dust?
Congaron, that is a sweet cabinet.
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Todd L. Greene, V.P.
Last Edited by on Jan 29, 2010 2:12 PM
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htownfess
12 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:23 PM
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Well, in those you're always cooking household dust, which of course has a large component of human skin flakes. Is everybody disgusted now? Plus aromatics from glues/fabrics/paint on the transformers, chassis paint, maybe soldering flux too.
I'm afraid the dust may be the big difference from new amps. Even with new tubes in, there's dust in the amp. The one exception I've run into was a 1950 amp in the original box off a distributor's shelf. Tolex/vinyl was the main smell there.
Sometimes the romance of things is better left unexamined--
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congaron
482 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:24 PM
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I went to musician's friend just now to drool over it..the wife caught me..she seems open to the idea! Maybe I can put the 12 inch jensen in the mik crate back into my twin 12 100 watt amp....lol. We'll see.
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toddlgreene
669 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:27 PM
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That cab plays nice, conga. Lots of bottom end and punchy tone. Just ordered my Epi V jr. combo last night-that cab is next. Gonna see if it's possible to mod it to drive the combo's speaker and a cabinet somehow.
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Todd L. Greene, V.P.
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Rick Davis
111 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:28 PM
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Bruce Collins of Mission Amps says the smell is "mouse turds and bees wax."
It's the old paper-wound transformers sweating.
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-Rick Davis
Blues Harp Amps Blog
Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
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toddlgreene
670 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:28 PM
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"mouse turds and bees wax."
Now you're making me hungry!
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Todd L. Greene, V.P.
Last Edited by on Jan 29, 2010 2:29 PM
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Rick Davis
112 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:33 PM
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Congaron, I picked up the used Epi cab at Guitar Center for $90. It sounds very good for harp, as Toddle says. Besides, I like the way it matches the Masco.
The cab is 16 ohms, so ya gotta be careful about the amp that drives it. Not many new amps have a 16-ohm speaker tap. Luckily, the Masco does.
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-Rick Davis
Blues Harp Amps Blog
Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
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GEEZER1
27 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:34 PM
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Its the smell of the Shellac on the windings in the power transformer, they baked those old transformers in ovens with shellac on them to hold the windings tight, when the current goes through them if they are not held tight they move, the shellac is to keep them from wandering and shorting out on another winding. thats one smell another one is the dust on the output and driver tubes , plus the old rectifier tube. those things put out heat.
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Rick Davis
113 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:35 PM
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Trivia Question: What does MASCO stand for?
Answer: Mark A. Smith Company. Long Island City, NY.
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-Rick Davis
Blues Harp Amps Blog
Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
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nacoran
924 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:37 PM
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I smell burning dust every fall when the electric heat comes on. It makes me melancholy because I know that summer is over.
It also makes me dizzy. I think the mold in the baseboard is hallucinogenic, which bothers me because the pixies always use my toothpaste when I'm not looking.
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toddlgreene
671 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:37 PM
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Wow, Rick-that's a steal!
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Todd L. Greene, V.P.
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eharp
469 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:40 PM
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More Amp Smells Co.
;-)
maybe you can bottle that stuff up, rick, and sell it to those of us with new amps.
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toddlgreene
672 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:42 PM
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Good idea. If 'new car smell' is a hit, imagine 'old amp smell'. Sign me up for the first bottle and I'll soak my new epi in it!
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Todd L. Greene, V.P.
Last Edited by on Jan 29, 2010 2:44 PM
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Rick Davis
114 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:44 PM
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I don't know, Todd. The cab sells new for only $129. It had a small rip in the vinyl that I tacked down with Elmer's Glue. I thought it was a reasonable price, but I might have been able to bargain them down a bit.
I'm trying hard to resist the urge to start trying different speakers in the cab. "Geez, Rick! Relax! It sounds good the way it is!"
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-Rick Davis
Blues Harp Amps Blog
Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
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GEEZER1
28 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:45 PM
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I used to date "Old Amp Smell" had to put her down, now I got the blues
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toddlgreene
674 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:46 PM
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Oh, my mistake, thought it cost more. Still...90 bucks for a well-made cab ain't too shabby. The only thing that might deter me is the same curiousity you have-I wanna play thru multiple 8's, like on a HarpKing!
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Todd L. Greene, V.P.
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congaron
484 posts
Jan 29, 2010
4:15 PM
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even at 130 it's a good deal, if I go get it instead of order it. I'm in Missouri, so i have to pay sales tax. It doesn't ship free either.
Who knows, I could stumble onto a scratch-n-dent too. I got two brand new PA speakers once at the s&d price because they couldn't find the used ones in the warehouse "conveyor stock," whatever that is. It almost always pays extra to take the trip to musician's friend. My son got a John Lennon Epiphone acoustic for a steal one time...$250 I think he paid. He also got a marshall 80 watt amp for $188 many years ago. One of my acoustic electric guitars was part of a package s&d deal with another matching guitar and a Martin hardcase for $200 total (the guitars are NOT Martins, btw) I'm getting the urge for a road trip!
Last Edited by on Jan 29, 2010 4:18 PM
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JimInMO
35 posts
Jan 29, 2010
5:28 PM
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Hey Congaron, I heard MF was closing the storefront operation where they sold the S&D stuff. Know anything about that? I know they are moving a bunch of it on their website now.
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Ray
110 posts
Jan 29, 2010
5:35 PM
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Rick, I thought it stood for Mark A. Simpson Co.?
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Rick Davis
115 posts
Jan 29, 2010
6:18 PM
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Ray, you are right! I stand corrected. Thanks.
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-Rick Davis
Blues Harp Amps Blog
Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
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slowblowfuse
8 posts
Jan 30, 2010
5:37 AM
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Smell? I've got an amp with a laquered tweed 'skin'. When it heats up, you get that really fantastic, sweet, raisiny smell. I love it!!
Bye,
Ruurd
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Gwythion
72 posts
Jan 30, 2010
5:57 AM
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I love the smell of old amps, too.
Very nostalgic... record players with crackly jazz 78's... Butlin's holiday camp... B&W TV... Rock bands...
I think the smell is a mix of the ones suggested here, hot plywood, transformers, dust and varnish.
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rbeetsme
169 posts
Jan 30, 2010
6:23 AM
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Rick, my Masco has that smell too. Terrific tone too. Mostly original, Skip had a go with this one, and I replaced the speaker with a period Jensen P12Q.
Last Edited by on Jan 30, 2010 6:29 AM
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congaron
485 posts
Jan 30, 2010
6:46 AM
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"Hey Congaron, I heard MF was closing the storefront operation where they sold the S&D stuff."
You know, that rings a bell. Thanks for reminding me. it costs me more to drive there than the 9.99 shipping fee. If I drive, I may also find myself with "unexpected" purchases that get me in trouble with the wife.
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Rick Davis
124 posts
Jan 30, 2010
7:38 AM
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rbeetsme, what a great old amp! Skip Simmons is a wizard with old Mascos. He builds Rick Estrin's amps.
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-Rick Davis
Blues Harp Amps Blog
Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
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congaron
490 posts
Jan 30, 2010
7:52 AM
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My valve junior smells, BTW....Good stuff.
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rbeetsme
170 posts
Jan 30, 2010
8:14 AM
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It sounds terrific, a keeper.
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