Extra! Extra! Read All About It! @DonO Reviews Origin 50H /Ivanberg Headfirst/Jose Mod!

RobV said:
Man that sounds good!
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@RobV

Well, @syscokid and @ivan H worked out a 'modified scheme' to the Headfirst Mod, which corrected a known high voltage condition (above 12AX7 capacity) in the Headfirst Mod.

The voicing of the amp was also altered somewhat.

If you are not familiar with the Headfirst Mod, it repurposes one of the three 12AX7's (originally a buffer for the tube driven FX loop) similar to a Tim Caswell #39 Mod, giving an insane amount of gain.

@syscokid also changed the EL34's to big-bottle 6CA7's and we used Genelex B759 Gold Lion preamp tubes.

A Metro style FX loop was then added to replace the original tube buffered FX loop.

Dial position for dial position, this amp is louder that Rat Nest Studio's Mike Morin Modded JCM800 2204.

I'm also running a pair of Celestion Copperback Neodymium 250watt Speakers in my custom 2x12 cabinet as every other speaker I've tried has blown up.

This is a great amp...
 
One studio that I work for has been borrowing my Ivanberg Modded Origin 50 Head off and on for the past month.

This busy, privately-owned studio has quite a collection of odd guitars, to include a Carvin DoubleNeck, DMZ Kramer Aluminum Neck, Geddy Lee USA Fender Bass (actually hand signed by Lee) and a 1981 Westone Thunderer II-A.

This is the studio that has the Mike Morin Modded JCM800 2204. They are incredibly impressed with the work of "Ivanberg Amp Laboratories," as I reference the work of @syscokid.

They told me (the two owners) last night that they are selling the JCM800 2204, along with a 9200 Marshall Monobloc, and they have asked me if @syscokid would build them a custom 50 watt amp for the studio.

Here's what owner Jeff told me last night.

"Dude, this Ivanberg...it's better than any amp we've ever had, including the poop we spent small fotunes to get our hands on, like overdrive specials and what not. We are gonna unload the 2204 and the 9200, for space considerations and because after using the Ivanberg, we'll, nothing else even comes close to it. Do you think you could get Ivanberg to build us a custom 50 watt from the ground up???"

How's that for a compliment???

I did not commit @syscokid to anything, but I did tell them that this kind of craftsmanship isn't cheap...
 
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Robert Herndon said:
They told me (the two owners) last night that they are selling the JCM800 2204, along with a 9200 Marshall Monobloc, and they have asked me if @syscokid would build them a custom 50 watt amp for the studio.
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Helluva compliment, but I don't understand why this studio doesn't look to more local, and established amp builders like Friedman, Fryette, Suhr, Mesa, and Kruse. All are experts with high gain amps, and all are in southern Crazyfornia.

Kruse Amps also does heavy-duty modifications and restorative work too. Jens Kruse can probably take that Morrin modded 2204 and de-Morrinize it, and rebuild it to Kruse standards.
 
syscokid said:
Helluva compliment, but I don't understand why this studio doesn't look to more local, and established amp builders like Friedman, Fryette, Suhr, Mesa, and Kruse. All are experts with high gain amps, and all are in southern Crazyfornia.

Kruse Amps also does heavy-duty modifications and restorative work too. Jens Kruse can probably take that Morrin modded 2204 and de-Morrinize it, and rebuild it to Kruse standards.
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They've had amps by some of these builders and were not impressed.

It's like this....

Joe B or Marty Friedman or ______ would get a level of quality that your 'average joe' would never receive from a builder....and I've seen it over and over again.

I got a Strat setup by Dwight Yoakham's personal tech. It cost $200.00 to put on a bone nut and a set of strings.

The 1st fret height is all over the place, some strings were as low as .015" and others as high as .030" respectively. The nut slot is .125" (standard Stratocaster spec) and the nut is .115" wide and filled-in with CA glue.

Was the tech incapable??? Nope, he just didn't give a poop because quality is based on the client's status.

F**k these c**ksuckers.

Just because a "boutique builder" is capable of doing phenomenal work, that is no guarantee
That "the little guy" is going to receive it.

I've seen this time and again here in SoCal....trust me.
 
Robert Herndon said:
They've had amps by some of these builders and were not impressed.

It's like this....

Joe B or Marty Friedman or ______ would get a level of quality that your 'average joe' would never receive from a builder....and I've seen it over and over again.

I got a Strat setup by Dwight Yoakham's personal tech. It cost $200.00 to put on a bone nut and a set of strings.

The 1st fret height is all over the place, some strings were as low as .015" and others as high as .030" respectively. The nut slot is .125" (standard Stratocaster spec) and the nut is .115" wide and filled-in with CA glue.

Was the tech incapable??? Nope, he just didn't give a :poo: because quality is based on the client's status.

F**k these c**ksuckers.

Just because a "boutique builder" is capable of doing phenomenal work, that is no guarantee
That "the little guy" is going to receive it.

I've seen this time and again here in SoCal....trust me.
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That’s because your Origin got worked over with the highest of standards, from a great friend, and his accomplices..

My two cents
Mitch
 
Robert Herndon said:
One studio that I work for has been borrowing my Ivanberg Modded Origin 50 Head off and on for the past month.

They are incredibly impressed with the work of "Ivanberg Amp Laboratories," as I reference the work of @syscokid.

They told me (the two owners) last night that they are selling the JCM800 2204, along with a 9200 Marshall Monobloc, and they have asked me if @syscokid would build them a custom 50 watt amp for the studio.

Here's what owner Jeff told me last night.

"Dude, this Ivanberg...it's better than any amp we've ever had, including the poop we spent small fotunes to get our hands on, like overdrive specials and what not. We are gonna unload the 2204 and the 9200, for space considerations and because after using the Ivanberg, we'll, nothing else even comes close to it. Do you think you could get Ivanberg to build us a custom 50 watt from the ground up???"

How's that for a compliment???

I did not commit @syscokid to anything, but I did tell them that this kind of craftsmanship isn't cheap...
Click to expand...
I'd take them up on that offer @syscokid, sign & date the inside of the chassis & slap on a rear faceplate with "Hand Crafted by ..." printed on it (Mojotone do custom, reverse engraved plexi faceplates, or Modulus in the UK do thicker, even better quality ones). The opportunity to have one of your builds placed in a studio is definitely a break in the traffic, take it my man, take it. Never know where it could lead. In your position I'd be all over it, but then, I already have everything on hand to complete such a build (including NOS electronic components). Just my opinion of course. Cheers
 
ivan H said:
I'd take them up on that offer @syscokid, sign & date the inside of the chassis & slap on a rear faceplate with "Hand Crafted by ..." printed on it (Mojotone do custom, reverse engraved plexi faceplates, or Modulus in the UK do thicker, even better quality ones). The opportunity to have one of your builds placed in a studio is definitely a break in the traffic, take it my man, take it. Never know where it could lead. In your position I'd be all over it, but then, I already have everything on hand to complete such a build (including NOS electronic components). Just my opinion of course. Cheers
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I was thinking the same thing. Also came up with a name for the amp line:

Groovy B

:dood:
 
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