middy
New Member
Posts: 13
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Post by middy on Dec 4, 2019 6:42:43 GMT -7
Managed to snag a demo unit from Sweetwater. Should have it by the end of the week.
Nobody’s talking about the Jetta anymore? I guess y’all are too busy playing.
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Post by JebusCrebus on Dec 4, 2019 8:20:53 GMT -7
Just waiting on mine to arrive too!
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mazman
Full Member
www.crossroadsband.info
Posts: 176
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Post by mazman on Dec 4, 2019 8:50:04 GMT -7
Yep. We’re busy playing. This thing is fantastic!
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Post by aaronblues on Dec 4, 2019 11:10:47 GMT -7
I spent three days trying to convince myself to buy a Jetta through Sweetwater, But ultimately passed. Can't really afford it. Just knew that 0% for 3 years was too good a deal to pass on.
There are so many Z's I love, and would have hated to buy blind and not liked it
Hope you guys enjoy yours!
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Post by digs57 on Dec 4, 2019 13:28:48 GMT -7
Intro prices are such a slammin deal on a handwired Z...
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Post by markT on Dec 6, 2019 5:23:46 GMT -7
Managed to snag a demo unit from Sweetwater. Should have it by the end of the week. Nobody’s talking about the Jetta anymore? I guess y’all are too busy playing. Looking forward to hear YOU talk about it.  Totally dig mine. The introductory price PLUS Thanksgiving discounts make this amp an ridiculous bargain. |
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middy
New Member
Posts: 13
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Post by middy on Dec 7, 2019 21:13:33 GMT -7
Well, I’m not sure the Jetta is for me. It’s pretty dark compared to the Fender and Vox sounds I like. I guess I should have known, but I figured I could dial it in.
The midrange is there in spades, and the low end is nice until about noon on the volume, then starts to mush a bit. The tone control needs to roll off some low end as you turn it up, IMO. A Tube screamer tightens that right up and the thing sounds great cranked with a tube screamer, but that’s not the sound I’m looking for.
It sounds better loud, of course, but at the edge of breakup and the small club volume I’m looking for, the high E string gets buried under the midrange, and rolling back the guitar volume for cleans gets too dark too quickly, even with the guitar tone all the way up.
It would probably work great for guys who want to use dirt pedals, because it gets that nice throaty and thick tube overdrive that complements the typical overdrive pedal’s sound.
It needs a bright switch to work for me, I think. The tone knob doesn’t quite hit the frequencies I’m looking for.
I’ll give it a couple more days, and a run through at rehearsal, but it might be going back for an AC15 or a deluxe.
EDIT: I’ve totally changed my mind about this amp. Its working for me now, please continue to read the rest of the thread.
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Post by markT on Dec 8, 2019 6:57:08 GMT -7
Well, I’m not sure the Jetta is for me. It’s pretty dark compared to the Fender and Vox sounds I like. I guess I should have known, but I figured I could dial it in. I’ll give it a couple more days, and a run through at rehearsal, but it might be going back for an AC15 or a deluxe. Yeah....It's not much like an AC15 or Deluxe. Definitely got it's own thing going on. And I can see where some folks might call it dark. But it does have some sparkle going on...on top. The higher you push the master, the less lows and more highs it has. And more you turn the volume control up, the more lows it has. But I've never found it mushy....with humbuckers or single coils. You must use high output pickups? I haven't used a tube screamer type pedal, or OD for that matter. But I do use boost pedals with great results. CoT specifically. ( My new secret weapon on just about every amp! Cheap and effective! ) JETTA is not a high gain amp, or a super clean machine, but has that great edge of breakup that works for me. |
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middy
New Member
Posts: 13
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Post by middy on Dec 8, 2019 7:45:38 GMT -7
Yeah, I noticed that it is brighter at high master settings and darker at high volume settings, unfortunately I think this ends up being too loud for our drummer-less combo with amount of grit I want.
I had my heart set on using no dirt pedal and just my delay in the loop, but the loop is pre-pi anyway, so it isn’t much different than running the delay up front. I got this amp as a lightweight replacement for my TRRI, so I’ll go ahead and try it clean with the pedals up front like the Twin... at least it is still half the weight with plenty of headroom.
I’ll also try an eq pedal.
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Post by DRZ on Dec 8, 2019 8:43:25 GMT -7
I had my heart set on using no dirt pedal and just my delay in the loop, but the loop is pre-pi anyway, so it isn’t much different than running the delay up front. This statement makes me question your knowledge of amp design. Can you give me an example of an Effects Loop design that is Post Phase Inverter, which would be inserted directly into the output tubes. All E/F loops are pre PI and the best ones come after the signal is processed through the tone stack , adjusted for gain and EQ then run through an effect. I can truly understand that the Jetta may not be the amp for your taste or currant need that is fine. But your explanation of its operation and its " Mushy Tone " gives me pause. Z |
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middy
New Member
Posts: 13
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Post by middy on Dec 8, 2019 8:55:19 GMT -7
Ok, never mind. The Jetta is staying. This thing loves dirt pedals.
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Dec 8, 2019 9:09:13 GMT -7
Also, the highs will improve once the speaker is broken in.
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Post by Rockerfeller on Dec 8, 2019 9:21:15 GMT -7
It sounds better loud, of course, but at the edge of breakup and the small club volume I’m looking for, the high E string gets buried under the midrange, and rolling back the guitar volume for cleans gets too dark too quickly, even with the guitar tone all the way up. It would probably work great for guys who want to use dirt pedals, because it gets that nice throaty and thick tube overdrive that complements the typical overdrive pedal’s sound. I just gigged my new Jetta last night in a tiny room. It was the first time I got to actually turn it up. I play Tele's. I had the volume at 12 and the MV around 11 with the tone knob moving back and forth between 12-2pm. It was never south of noon! The clean tones were fantastic. All across the Tele tone spectrum from the neck to the bridge. Everything was usable AND the amp cut through the mix. I used an overdrive for a few some songs. My take on the amp after one gig is that it will cover clean and on the edge of break up tones with my Tele perfectly. I'm keeping her.
I do have another gig Monday in a much bigger room and larger stage. I would normally take the DB4 and a cab, but I think I'll take the Jetta.
Middy, what kind of guitars were you using? I think it's a perfect amp for a Tele.
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middy
New Member
Posts: 13
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Post by middy on Dec 8, 2019 10:08:21 GMT -7
I had my heart set on using no dirt pedal and just my delay in the loop, but the loop is pre-pi anyway, so it isn’t much different than running the delay up front. This statement makes me question your knowledge of amp design. Can you give me an example of an Effects Loop design that is Post Phase Inverter, which would be inserted directly into the output tubes. All E/F loops are pre PI and the best ones come after the signal is processed through the tone stack , adjusted for gain and EQ then run through an effect. I can truly understand that the Jetta may not be the amp for your taste or currant need that is fine. But your explanation of its operation and its " Mushy Tone " gives me pause. Z Hi Doc, I don’t have much knowledge of amp design, please correct me if I’m wrong. The pi introduces some distortion of its own, so even if a delay is in the effects loop quieter repeats will sound cleaner than the original signal, unlike an amp designed with all of the clipping taking place in the preamp before the pi, or dirt pedals before delay run into a clean amp. I’m not saying that it’s practical to put the effects loop after the pi, just that the overdrive of some amps, like a Marshall 1959 and, I’m assuming, the Jetta, have some of the distortion taking place in the pi. The loop is a useful insert after the tone stack, but is not fully pre-distortion. As far as a mushy tone, I’m have better luck today dialing everything in. I think my ears were blown out last night and I was getting frustrated and too wrapped up in comparing it to my Twin with the bright switch on. I don’t mean to be negative about the amp at all, and I’m keeping it. For the quality, weight, and price this amp is a miracle of tone! |
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middy
New Member
Posts: 13
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Post by middy on Dec 8, 2019 10:11:19 GMT -7
It sounds better loud, of course, but at the edge of breakup and the small club volume I’m looking for, the high E string gets buried under the midrange, and rolling back the guitar volume for cleans gets too dark too quickly, even with the guitar tone all the way up. It would probably work great for guys who want to use dirt pedals, because it gets that nice throaty and thick tube overdrive that complements the typical overdrive pedal’s sound. I just gigged my new Jetta last night in a tiny room. It was the first time I got to actually turn it up. I play Tele's. I had the volume at 12 and the MV around 11 with the tone knob moving back and forth between 12-2pm. It was never south of noon! The clean tones were fantastic. All across the Tele tone spectrum from the neck to the bridge. Everything was usable AND the amp cut through the mix. I used an overdrive for a few some songs. My take on the amp after one gig is that it will cover clean and on the edge of break up tones with my Tele perfectly. I'm keeping her.
I do have another gig Monday in a much bigger room and larger stage. I would normally take the DB4 and a cab, but I think I'll take the Jetta.
Middy, what kind of guitars were you using? I think it's a perfect amp for a Tele.
I’m using an Esquire. I agree it sounds fantastic with the master at 11, that just might be too loud for the combo I’m playing with... but my ears are adjusting and the speaker is breaking in... I’m having much better results today. I think I was actually turning the tone up too high, which with my guitar seemed to make the upper midrange overpower the highs a bit? I think if I just replaced the dirt pedal on my board with an eq pedal, I could dial this thing in perfectly at any volume. |
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Dec 8, 2019 17:14:11 GMT -7
An EQ in the loop can be miraculous and gives you control of your signal while allowing you to enjoy for amp for what it is. Highly recommended.
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middy
New Member
Posts: 13
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Post by middy on Dec 13, 2019 6:13:48 GMT -7
I tried the Jetta at rehearsal the other night, and the results were fantastic!
The Jetta has the perfect voice at the edge of breakup that works with your picking dynamics to sound clean when you want, yet lets single notes cut through the mix with a nice, fat edge.
My fears of it being too dark were unfounded. It has a nice top end and even some sparkle, but its main strength is an articulate mid-range and a solid low end without any mud in the low mids . My favorite setting so far is about 11:00 on the volume and noon on the tone.
I’ve replaced the OD-3 on my board with a TR-2. The od was used as an always on thickener with my Twin, and is no longer necessary with the Jetta. I never use reverb when playing with a band, but I do need tremolo. It may even knock the compressor off the board...
At 35 pounds and 30 watts, the Jetta is a perfect gigging amp. I can’t wait to get her to a big room and open her up a bit! I’m afraid to try it with my Twin in stereo, I might want to drag both of them around.
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Totally dig mine. The introductory price PLUS Thanksgiving discounts make this amp an ridiculous bargain. 
