I ordered another custom - Fender Harvard -calling it Stax

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Big Steve

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I just sent in my donor for another classic Fender amp, the Harvard. This is the amp Steve Crooper used on all the classic Stax Records with guys like Otis Redding, booker T and the MG's, Sam and Dave, et al. It is a little simple 12 watt amp. Can't wait to hear what Rob comes up with.
 
This one is going to be done today. Just got a first look at the artwork. Nick the guy who does the artwork for Jaded Faith is good and easy to work with. Hopefully Rob will do a little cell phone video on facebook before he ships.
 
I think you are almost single-handedly sending MTS in a new direction, Steve. ;)

This could mean that in your search for ultimate vintage tones, you may end up with a hi-tech Wall Of Death rig behind you at your blues gigs :lol:
 
VitaminG said:
I think you are almost single-handedly sending MTS in a new direction, Steve. ;)

Rob mentioned to me that more and more people are going for these kinds of mods. I think randall really screwed up by focusing the MTS stuff on high gain metal-ish modules. I came into this the last year randall was selling it and while I love the high gain tones, I also love classic old country or R&B tones. The idea of the Harvard or that old Ampeg mod really appeals to me. There are a lot of older guitarists out there who have never heard of this stuff and would kill to own these kinds of amps.
 
Rob posted a pic of it this morning on Facebook. Looks pretty cool. Get your Steve Cropper on!

544093_622453021102449_334428232_n.jpg
 
VitaminG said:
I think you are almost single-handedly sending MTS in a new direction, Steve. ;)

This could mean that in your search for ultimate vintage tones, you may end up with a hi-tech Wall Of Death rig behind you at your blues gigs :lol:

Yeah, I will take all the credit. Just like Al Gore inventing the internet.

I went to the LA Amp show last year and stumbled across the Jaded Faith booth. There were a bunch of folks wailing on high gain and I almost left. But Rob started talking with me before I left. I told him I was into low gain vintage blues tones. He asked me to try the Vybe Deluxe out. It simply blew me away. I went back a couple times to try it because I didn't believe my ears. Thus far, I have loved the MTS stuff. I now have the Vybe Deluxe, a Ampeg Gemini and the Overdrive Special. This Harvard will be my next one. After this I am thinking an old Magnatone like the one Phil X has been rocking.
 
Rob's base modded Deluxe and Tweed are every bit as cool as the Vybe. I have all three and they all blow me away. I have a Blackface that VooDOo modded, but Trace seems to understand high gain stuff but not Fenders IMHO. I will have to send it to Rob at some point. His Deluxe can do the Keith Richards thing real well. I am a fan of Steve Cropper and love his Tele tone, so the Harvard/STAX may be on my list also. What donor did you use?
What is the 3 position switch on your STAX for? I assume it has some kind of pushed mode?
 
I forget what the stock module we used was. I think it was a stock Plexi but not 100% sure.

On the Harvard amp, there are three inputs. Each one has a different sensitivity. They have different values resistors across them. It is sorta like a bright and normal input, but the Harvard has three. Rob created each of the inputs via a three way switch.

He used a really high value on the bright switch. He called it spank. It will add a little more gain and compression is the way Rob explained it. It is similar to the spank switch that he uses on the Super Clean module.
 
Got home this afternoon and the module was waiting for me on my porch. I took it out. First impression, art work looks great, then I look at the circuit and almost everything is gone! Ok, this should be interesting.

I put in a ge jan 5751 in the first slot and an old GE12AX7 in the second slot. I plug it in with my Esquire and begin to wail. Man this thing does everything I had hoped for. It is AWESOME. I love it. It has a little more gain than I was thinking it would be the gain sounds so righteous I might tame it down with another tube, but for now I am playing away ad loving it.

Still don't really understand the tone knob right now. It is almost like it is wired backwards. I love the spank switch, great call. The three input don't sound all that different like you said. If I had to do it over again, I would probably make them more different. But we stayed true to the original amp.

The touch sensitivity may be the best of any amp I have played. Just fantastic. I am a really happy guy right now. This thing cuts like a sharp knife. I will blast out of the mix with a band. Can't wait, I am going to a jam tomorrow with it and then my band has a gig on Tuesday and Saturday.

GREAT AMAZING OUTSTANDING JOB Rob! You ARE THE MAN!!!!
 
I have just finished rocking this thing for about three hours. I own tons of gear and currently own 20 amps including high dollar boutique and vintage. It has been a very long time since I have been so inspired by a tone to just noddle for three hours. This is a great mod. I will try to take some iPhone video of it tomorrow.
 
Got up this morning while everyone in the house was still sleeping and started to play at very low volume. This thing sounds great at low volume as well. I know it is early, but I truly think I found the tone I have been searching for, for a very long time.

Doing some comparison between the Vybe Deluxe and the Stax. The Vybe deluxe sounds like a big amp, and the Stax sounds like a little amp. The Vybe Deluxe has so much more bottom end to dial in. I was able to dial in a setting on the VD that was similar to the Stax (but not exactly the same). It is as follows.

Gain=2 o'clock
Bass= between 8 and 9 o'clock
Treble= 4 o'clock
Pushed mode
Volume= 2 o'clock

If you try those setting and like them, then you would like the Stax as well. The Vybe Deluxe is very touch sensitive, and the Stax is even more. If you dig in, you can sent it into overdrive. Pick lightly and it is clean. The Stax also has like a natural reverb happening that the Vybe Deluxe doesn't. If you are looking for versatility, the Vybe Deluxe is the best module. It has three classic Fender tones.

In short, I really like both the modules. The Stax is just a little more of the sound I had in my head. I will be using both modules when I play live. I will have the small tweed sound of the Stax and will run the big Vibroverb sound on the Vybe Deluxe. Two great classic tones that will be perfect for the blues I play.
 
Well I have been able to play this mod out a couple times. Once at an open jam and tonight with my blues band. It is a great module. It cuts really well. Playing alone at home, I was afraid that it was a little too bright, but with a band it just fits in so well. It cuts great but without the ice pick highs.

It has plenty of natural gain. But my Tube screamer and other overdrive pedals still sounded great with it. I think for my next gig, I am just going to go with a boost pedal instead of an overdrive.

I am really happy with this one and would recommend it to everyone if you like vintage tweed small amp tone.
 
Play it Big Steve! It would be fun to play in a band that did the staxx tunes.
 
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