Santana's view on his Bludotone

alvarezh · Post by **alvarezh** » Thu May 03, 2012 4:00 am

Here is what he said in regards to his amps on very recent interview on Premier Guitar:

"After immortalizing the Mesa/Boogie Mark I throughout your career, you added a Dumble, and most recently, a Bludotone to your arsenal. What do they offer that the Boogie doesn’t?
Bludotone did something that is really incredible that, with all due respect to Boogie and Dumble, they have yet to do. With Boogies and Dumbles, you have to turn them up loud to get real fullness. The Bludotone you can play full like, excuse the expression, a full erection, but at a different volume without sounding shrill or weird. Bludotone found something that makes the amplifier very robust and warm without having to crank it up past 7."

Here is the rest:

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/I ... spx?Page=2

Enjoy.

qtone · Post by **qtone** » Thu May 03, 2012 9:16 am

Hmm efx loop or built in d lator ?

This is the exact reason for such a device to be able to tame the output
while getting the tone at lower volumes...

Some say they are not needed with these style circuits but unless they are built in or external, regardless its needed to tame the amp..

Boldasloves amp sounds amazing at bedroom volumes.

Think landau bark but not anywhere near disturbingly loud.
a baby could be sleeping honestly and not bothered.

Now roll that up and it will rock winterland as they say...

Im quite pleased with mine and its built in as well
no need for the special cables either due to that feature...
Sister amp to Boldasloves... I think one serial # off.

Did I mention how much NOS glass helped to bring the gain out in these amps . ?

Gregs comment earlier was who ever said you cant rock with a Dumble style circuit... ?

He was getting plenty of bark at speakable volumes.
straight in no pedals...

I said dont care what you gotta do make mine do that and he did.

Nos glass and adjustment of PI and whammo same wonderful bark
at low volumes...

To further prove that theory he just loaded NOS parts in a build he is doing for me as well nos glass......

We are going to try newer glass with nos parts....
to see if the parts make new glass sound better...

My money is it does. Which is good news because NOS tubes are expensive.
The problem of course is locating the nos parts to begin with.

But to begin with nos glass and nos parts just to know and hear how its supposed to really sound.

New tubes are anemic in my opinion or should I say some are...

Gotta keep searching to find the best new style tubes that make those amps
give it up ...

Thats the idea with the experiment here.

brentm · Post by **brentm** » Thu May 03, 2012 1:01 pm

Did you get your tube tester yet???

As for NOS tubes. I think there is a lot to be said about that. The only real new tubes I can put in any of my amps are the Ei tubes. I've touted them on here before and I'll do it again. tubes and more are selling 80s Ei tubes at $20 a pop and they sound great! I guess they're NOS now, as they're approaching 30 years in age....

Having said that, they still don't sound as great as my Amperex Holland tubes in these style amps. Some like mullards or telefunkens. But I think there is a common thread between all these tubes of that era... and that they are GREAT sounding tubes when you find the right ones.

I simply have not found tubes that can beat what I hear in my Amperex Holland tubes. The only ones that come close are the copies made in India....

I know you mentioned you like the Telefunkens... it would be interesting to hear your take on the Ei tubes as many compare them to Teles.

tubedogsmith · Post by **tubedogsmith** » Thu May 03, 2012 1:15 pm

Major props to Brandon!! Santana is a guy that knows what he likes!!

alvarezh · Post by **alvarezh** » Thu May 03, 2012 5:10 pm

Qtone, good point on the loop, could be the trick on the good tone at low volume, maybe Brandon can show up and confirm this!

100% with you guys on the tubes, they do make a difference, they are definitely a must for good tone. I am running mine with EIs but only because I live outside the US, if I pay $65.00 or $100.00 for a good NOS and it doesn't work, it cost me an arm an a leg to send it back, in other words, what I really need is a reliable source of NOS tubes in order for me to shell out the money.

I think we have a need for a honest, trustful and reliable forum member to sell us good and properly tested NOS tubes, -even if expensive-. Anyone?

Cheers!

butwhatif · Post by **butwhatif** » Thu May 03, 2012 5:49 pm

I never knew Carlos to play on anything less than 9

boldaslove6789 · Post by **boldaslove6789** » Thu May 03, 2012 7:09 pm

I believe Santana's Bludo Universal tone has a built in D-lator.. I think he's using a WET Reverb in the loop on it.

I think there's a built in 9v supply to pwr the WET too.

David Root · Post by **David Root** » Thu May 03, 2012 7:43 pm

Alvarezh, I have had good service from Gregg Levy at www.hitestguitars.com . Real NOS in original box, not cheap but not the most expensive. Not a forum member but has amazing stocks of most US tubes, and some euro tubes. Has forgotten more about NOS tubes than I know.

He will match power tubes at the plate voltage and current draw you will use them at, extra cost to do this, but worth it with a quad if you only have one adjustment pot.

boldaslove6789 · Post by **boldaslove6789** » Thu May 03, 2012 7:48 pm

PM me if you're looking for nice tested NOS tubes also....

BobW · Post by **BobW** » Thu May 03, 2012 8:29 pm

Brandon deserves a big round of applause for Santana's comments. Great job Brandon!

alvarezh · Post by **alvarezh** » Thu May 03, 2012 9:29 pm

To David and Greg:

Thank you kindly to both, I am full of joy, you can't even begin to imagine what your valuable information means to me!

Brandon!

, but now that he is famous, he leaves us!

All the best guys!

super100 · Post by **super100** » Fri May 04, 2012 10:33 am

Bludotone Universal Tone Demo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su_2xnXGWoY

Bludotone Universal tone AACGC 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EEamiTW ... ure=relmfu

Sounds good.

AtomCap · Post by **AtomCap** » Sat May 05, 2012 5:29 am

[img

996]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6L8-koF7cdI/T ... G_3702.JPG[/img]

alvarezh · Post by **alvarezh** » Sat May 05, 2012 6:20 am

Can anyone familiar with Bandon's work explain the "trigger" control, the "high" and "low" switch beside it, the drive control and lastly the "cut" control?

Someone mentioned it had a Hermida reverb inside? The digital one is the only one he has, albeit in a smaller size now, is that it?

Thanks in advance and have a good weekend.

martin manning · Post by **martin manning** » Sat May 05, 2012 10:45 am

"Trigger" is the name for the adjustable voltage divider at the input to the third gain stage (first overdrive stage). That is implemented as an internal trimmer pot by Dumble, but occasionally brought out to the panel by clone builders (I don't believe HAD ever did that; anybody know?). I don't know what the high/low switch is, but perhaps it selects two different total resistances or resistance ranges for that control.

The Amp Garage

Santana's view on his Bludotone

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