Panama Loco "X"

RVA

RVA

Ambassador
First impressions:

I never had an amp like this before, a head instead of combo an without a million options. I like its simplicity. It does have 2 "voicings", which is really 2 gain structures, not 2 channels.

The "X" is the high gain version of the Loco. As you might expect, the gain on the high gain voicing is WAY over the top . It gets a nice break-up on the lower gain channel if the gain is kept at 1pm or lower. That said, I have so many good pedals, I never think about using an amp's on-board gain, or even natural break-up, except for the JVM which has 3 ODs which are very pleasing to me.

It is nice and quiet with a good clean tone.

It messes with my OCD that the sound is so dependent on the cab and that the cab can be changed so easily. I am a bit afraid for myself. I am afraid I will have a 7 amp switcher with a 10 cab switcher by next week!

Sound clips to follow soon. I am burned out from re-wiring the amp switcher and adding the new power source (T-Rex Chameleon).
 
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Congrats on the new amp and you need a big speaker enclosure like i scored at the garage sale.Even small amps sound huge.Need that nice amp head sittin atop something besides that little ol thing :)
 
It "takes pedals well", which I think means that pedals that sound good on other amps do not sound like crap with this amp. Quite to the contrary, they sound very nice.

The amp is very responsive to volume changes. It does not have a lot of headroom in 7W mode (I haven't messed with the 15W yet), but certainly enough for my basement.
 
JohnnyGoo said:
Congrats on the new amp and you need a big speaker enclosure like i scored at the garage sale.Even small amps sound huge.Need that nice amp head sittin atop something besides that little ol thing :)
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Really? That is a 12"/8 ohm speaker. No good? I never had a head/cab before, so please educate me.
 
I think he means more air is pushed by multiple drivers/speakers. I do the same with all my small amps...right down to my little Greta. I try them out through multiple cabs...from 1x12 to a pair of 4x12s if possible.
My 18watt sounds particularly spectacular through a Mesa 4x12 Recto cab, and my WGS Reaper loaded 2x12. I'd play any medium/loud venue with my little 18watter, and those cabs. It easily keeps up with 50watters with those cabs. It sounds massive. That said, I'm happy with an oversized 1x12 loaded with a WGS Green Beret. I kinda wish I had a couple more of those speakers in a 2x12...or maybe a 4x12. More air moving = more of a punch in the chest...with the right speakers.
My Tiny Terror, on the other hand, doesn't like the Mesa cab at all, but kicks some ass when run through my Marshall 1960b with stock Celestians.
 
Thatbastarddon said:
I think he means more air is pushed by multiple drivers/speakers. I do the same with all my small amps...right down to my little Greta. I try them out through multiple cabs...from 1x12 to a pair of 4x12s if possible.
My 18watt sounds particularly spectacular through a Mesa 4x12 Recto cab, and my WGS Reaper loaded 2x12. I'd play any medium/loud venue with my little 18watter, and those cabs. It easily keeps up with 50watters with those cabs. It sounds massive. That said, I'm happy with an oversized 1x12 loaded with a WGS Green Beret. I kinda wish I had a couple more of those speakers in a 2x12...or maybe a 4x12. More air moving = more of a punch in the chest...with the right speakers.
My Tiny Terror doesn't like the Mesa cab at all, but kicks some ass when run through my Marshall 1960b with stock Celestians.
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Can I plug it into the 8 ohm input of the Classic 50 next to it while the Classic 50 is off? If I can, do I need to unplug the 16ohm input from the Classic 50 even if it is off??
 
RVA said:
Can I plug it into the 8 ohm input of the Classic 50 next to it while the Classic 50 is off? If I can, do I need to unplug the 16ohm input from the Classic 50 even if it is off??
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Googling a Peavey manual now...
It looks like the speakers should be wired for a 16ohm load(is that what the onboard speakers 1/4inch jack is plugged in to?). If so, you could pull the jack out of the Peavey, and plug it in to the 8ohm out on the Panama, and have a safe mismatch. Not my favorite thing, but 16ohm speaker load for an 8ohm amp output is usually considered "safe".
 
Thatbastarddon said:
Googling a Peavey manual now...
It looks like the speakers should be wired for a 16ohm load(is that what the onboard speakers 1/4inch jack is plugged in to?). If so, you could pull the jack out of the Peavey, and plug it in to the 8ohm out on the Panama, and have a safe mismatch. Not my favorite thing, but 16ohm speaker load for an 8ohm amp output is usually considered "safe".
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I think my brain was clogged. I went from the 8ohm out of the Panama to the 8 ohm jack of the peavey - but that doesn't go to the speakers now, does it! I think this may be the equivelant of running the amp with no load, but I only did it for a few moments and everything is fine wit both amps now.
 
RVA said:
I think my brain was clogged. I went from the 8ohm out of the Panama to the 8 ohm jack of the peavey - but that doesn't go to the speakers now, does it! I think this may be the equivelant of running the amp with no load, but I only did it for a few moments and everything is fine wit both amps now.
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I was hoping you would not do that.
Yeah, you really shouldn't do that.

Now the 1/4inch male connector that plugs in to the Peavey, from the speakers in the Peavey...that 1/4inch male connector in to the Panama's 8ohm speaker output jack MIGHT just be "magical":cheers:
 
Thatbastarddon said:
I was hoping you would not do that.
Yeah, you really shouldn't do that.

Now the 1/4inch male connector that plugs in to the Peavey, from the speakers in the Peavey...that 1/4inch male connector in to the Panama's 8ohm speaker output jack MIGHT just be "magical":cheers:
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Am I OK if the Panama is playing OK? I am kicking myself, but it was not for long and everything seems fine.
 
Check out this great explanation:

Turning on amp without Speaker cable attached
-----------
If the amp was built with a switching jack where it's contacts are closed and grounded when there is no plug inserted, then there is usually no problem even if you bang a handfull of power cords trying to find out what is wrong.
In that scenario, the output transformer will "sense" the speaker load to be what ever the actual DC resistance of the OT secondary is... VERY low but still some kind of load.
The problem with unloaded OTs is when there is no load, like an open connection.
Then the OT senses the load to be very very high impedance... like infinity.

Remember that the OT "reflects" the speaker load impedance to the power tubes and multiplies that impedance to match what the power tubes need to operate correctly.
If a pair of tubes need 4000 ohms and the speaker is 8 ohms then the ratio of secondary to primary is 500:1.
If there was a speaker load of 16 ohms connected to the 8 ohm tap then it would be, 500 x 16 = 8000 ohms.
A miswired cabinet at 32 ohms would reflect back to the power tubes at 16,000 ohms! etc.
An open circuit, as with no speaker load, would be so high that the power tubes would see an infinite high reflected load or something stupidly high in the many many tens of thousands of ohms impedance.
The power tubes will try to put current and high AC (audio) voltage into that outrageously high impedance load.
When that happens, AC voltage in the OT will rise to a very high level.
The abnormally high AC voltage in the OT could jump across the very windings of the OT primary and blow up the OT or, jump across the tube socket lugs trying to find a path to ground. This draws mongo current form the power supply and will probably blow the fuse but wrecks the tube socket and sometimes the tube too.
Here's were a very well made OT can save you for a little while and a cheap one blows up.

Here's an old trick....
connect a 5watt 270 to 470 ohm resistor to ground across the highest secondary tap of the OT.
Use a 270 ohm for (4 to 8 ohms speakers) and 470 ohms for (8 to 32 ohm speakers).
Now no matter what happens, there is always some kind of "load" on the OT secondary that will help protect it from destruction if the cable comes unplugged, the jack fails or the speaker blows open.
The resistor is so high in DC resistance that most of the audio still goes into the speakers so it is invisible.
Hope you found that useful.....


 
The Panama should be ok...the Peavey, however just had power fed in to it from where it usually puts out power...sooo...I'm curious about any possible damage done there...if any at all.
 
Thatbastarddon said:
The Panama should be ok...the Peavey, however just had power fed in to it from where it usually puts out power...sooo...I'm curious about any possible damage done there...if any at all.
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It was off, but I fired it up and it is OK. They both sound fine, but OCD keeps me on the topic!! I have no amp skills!!
 
But, tonight, you sir...have learned something!
I've verified that my Tiny Terror head can be plugged in to my other guitar player's Classic 50's 2x12 speakers. It sounds fine. It also works with the speaker in my Silkyn...so, we tote the Tiny Terror along to gigs as a shared "back up" head.
 
Thatbastarddon said:
But, tonight, you sir...have learned something!
I've verified that my Tiny Terror head can be plugged in to my other guitar player's Classic 50's 2x12 speakers. It sounds fine. It also works with the speaker in my Silkyn...so, we tote the Tiny Terror along to gigs as a shared "back up" head.
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Thanks. Yes, I must spend more time planning and less time experimenting when it comes to amps. Unlike guitars, they are NOT passive.
 
WOW you dodged a bullet there man.

Seems like a great amp. I love the build quality of mine and my Panama Was my first "head" only amp. I have since had several, Tiny Terror, Kustom Defender, --- I always had combos before......but.......I was converted lol
I now have 3 heads -----1 cabinet.....its a Panama Covertable cabinet....that can work with 4-8 or 16ohm and it has an easily removable back so it can be open or closed--allowing for MULTIPLE voicing.
Now you need a cabinet -----fit for a king---

PURPLE FEVER 35% off at check out ;)

PURPLE FEVER

2x12 Cabinet...........195.00!!!

Panama Guitars Boca Series 2x12 Speaker Cabinet (Purpleheart- Amethyst) w/ Aged V30 Driver| 130W

tpjmh17cz0xwqg351tdz.jpg
 
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