trinityamps.com

Hello everyone..looking for some advice as I explore the 18 watt world.

Is the second channel-(vol-tone only channel), of the MV model, anywhere near similar in sound to the regular channel of the standard 18 watt?

Is there more gain/meat on the standard 18, and maybe the voltone channel is really a "filler" channel on the master volume, or am I getting the best of both?

Is the Trem a must have, or something most 18 watters can do without?

Thanks/Regards,

JM

I have not played the trem version but the Normal channel of the Trinity 18 TMB is fantastic. Volume and Tone...What more do you need.

As for tone and response, the normal channel has a very vintage Marshall crunch for chording. There is a kind of compression happing I think cuz when you go from chording to single note lines you get very little volume difference. It's great.

I almost like it better than the TMB channel because of its clarity and articulate response.

The general consensus on the normal channel is that its range goes from muffled to not muffled. I replace it in the amps I build with a derivative of the tweed Princeton, which is not so far removed from the tone control of the trem channel. It is just a little more interactive.

If you do the tweed mod, it actually has more gain than the trem channel.

The trem channel is up to you. I find myself playing it more than the other--especially before I modded the normal channel. The trem effect on the 18 is better than any I have heard (and I own a 1966 Deluxe Reverb). If you like trem, it is a must have. If you don't, you can opt for a lite version. Or check out the Blues Jr. conversion I just finished over at 18Watt.com. It has a stock 18 channel based on the trem channel (Lite IIb) and a tweed channel merged into one amp. It sounds GREAT!

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--s2
www.s2amps.com
www.category5amps.com

Tube bias trem is very musical.

That's some good ideas, thanks.

I found a few bites of the trem on the 18watt page...the trem is a nice addition...but Lawrence's bites with the MV version really open the amp up to some other sounds more so than the standard 18 pushed blues thing...so I may just have to flip a coin on which version.

LIfe is good when the worst problem is making a choice like that!

OK..on with the week.

Johnny

Actually, you could hook up the normal channel with two triodes in series and keep the trem channel as is and get a lot of the character of the TMB, but with one tone control.

I'm about to build a stock 18 (so far my builds have used my own customized preamp designs), but I've been toying with doing this if I don't like the normal channel. I'm building a stock 18 just for fun after being impressed with one of Marshall's HW RI 18s.

Has anyone done this with their Normal channel?

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Richard Johnson
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Playing an insturment doesn't make you a musician, listening does

Just another thought. I think a few people have used one of the normal channel's input jacks for a volume control and then put a Fender style TB tone stack between the triodes for a more voxy/fender vibe. You could also put the triodes in series and follow it with a TB tone stack and volume for a more Marshally vibe. This would leave the trem channel stock, but make the amp be a little more versatile.

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Richard Johnson
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Playing an insturment doesn't make you a musician, listening does