An Amplifier Made Out Of A FILM PROJECTOR? (Projector Amps History and Explanation)

[@grosebud4554]

Blake wasn’t using this amp in the fender live recording of if I’m unworthy. He was using his super tweed modded by Austen hooks and was using a Victoria reverbammo in the ammo box. He stopped using this amp after 2014-2015 for live stuff. Also the early modded versions are very different than the other ones. I went on a solid 1.5 year journey of messaging every tech and player that peaked inside one and was able to get some pictures and talk to a tech that reverse engineered one of the early models (one used on heigh ho, not the exact one but around the same time) early ones were very much stock with some upgrades where they count. Some resistor swapped out etc… later models which is like what he used at the Fretboard Summit we are pretty sure is when he added A negative feedback switch on the back which gives it more headroom and a little more linear tone - little more black face like (that switch is on the front for some) some he added a presence switch on the front as well which the tech is said was on the one he peaked at. Another key is speaker selection, you need a high end (as in treble) speaker because these can be very mid focused amps - Jensen p12/ p15 like Blake uses are very much part of the tone.

[@wallyg3]

Great content, this is the first I've heard of projector amps. It's always a good video when I have to stop and Google a few times in the middle.

[@DanMmusic]

So glad you liked it! Thanks!

[@mitchellstrauss5117]

I was just watching a video about Walrus pedals and the subject of Filmosounds came up and I searched out for more information out of curiosity and found this video... what an excellent job you've done educating your audience! Thanks and best of luck with your future endeavors...

[@DanMmusic]

Hey thanks so much! Glad you liked it! This was one of my first research-based videos, and still probably my favorite because of the topic. And then to get comments like this make me even more glad I started!

[@AndrewMasters]

Great video dude

[@DanMmusic]

Thank you!

[@mexicanhouseful]

8" speaker in the projector box.. not a 10" :) Cool video! thanks!

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

These amp are cool. Have a 57 and 58 385. Have put em in ammo cans as well. Cool stuff

[@cocaswa]

Your production value is very high and this should have much more views. Thanks a lot for sharing all this information on these amps! It was difficult to find out anything about the differences between the different iterations of the filmosounds and the different conversions, you really did your homework. Subscribed! 😊

[@DanMmusic]

Hey thanks man I appreciate it! Its a bit of a cool niche, especially considering they circulate around players I like a lot. Glad you liked it!

[@cocaswa]

I've found out a lot over the past week. I live in The Netherlands and have bought a Specialist 399 but the amp looked different from other 399s. I think it is because it's made in Japan. It has El84 tubes instead of 6V6 tubes like the 385 and some other parts are slightly different Japanese versions of the parts. (and just a small quirk: the speaker is mounted in the back like a 385). Can't wait to get it converted into a guitar amp!

[@DanMmusic]

@@cocaswa Hey! Very cool info about your 399! Interesting thing that its got the speaker on the back! Those EL84 versions are SUPER desirable here in the states! Looking forward to hearing more about yours after it becomes an amp!

[@cocaswa]

@@DanMmusic Cheers Daniel, I'll definitely make a video once it's finished! 😊

[@DanMmusic]

@@cocaswa looking forward to it!

[@sythe77]

The mods are very necessary. Bernie's needed a few safeguards.

[@brentley1121]

Great overview of these amps! Underground gems but they've been found out now. Krinard and Hooks conversions aren't as far enough from each other as you may think... Hooks definitely has some unique mods/switches, but they bones are still there. You mentioned the 'Bernie' conversion of these amps and I'd dig more into those. He was the first to convert these and what he did is a completely original and inventive. I think his amps sound the best overall and check out Colin Cripps slide playing for a taste of that amp. Cheers!

[@mexicanhouseful]

Colin is a legend

[@calebrosazza]

Sounds awesome. Who did the mods on yours?

[@DanMmusic]

Thanks Caleb! Its a Bill Krinard mod. He's the founder of Two-Rock amps

[@artshaw7079]

So Daniel, are you saying the jhs color box does a better job of simulating the b&h 385 circuit across all settings or at higher " cranked settings? Maybe you can explain in more detail. I can't figure out if your saying the JHS is better than the Walrus pedal at more compressed and clipping settings or it does better than the Walrus period.

[@DanMmusic]

Hey Art, thats a tremendous question, and something that I did somewhat avoid answering during the video, because it has to do with what you're looking to get out of a Filmosound amp. We all know you're never going to get an exact emulation of an amp from a pedal, because they work in completely different ways. You may get similar tones of amps from pedals, but you may not get the responsiveness or the bass response as you sweep volumes and such. I'm starting to ramble on... The answer to your question though is that in my own opinion, the walrus 385 really nails the overdrive and fuzz tones of a Filmosound circuit. It does not get anywhere close to the touch sensitivity and the snap of the amp though, and if you're looking for those really beautiful "edge of breakup" tones, or even the really fast clean sound, the walrus 385 isn't going to get you there. The JHS Colourbox, however, does get you there. My opinion is that the transformers in the colourbox allow for that snappy response and dynamic breakup. The outright blown out fuzz tone that the Filmosound can get is definitely represented in the Colourbox, but the colourbox can go even further to the point of somewhat nasty gated fuzz sounds, which I am not the biggest fan of. But they are there. You can see theres a whole additional video in itself here... lol. Thanks for your comment!

[@artshaw7079]

Your reply is appreciated. I'd just ordered the Walrus 385 and I agree it sounds characteristically close. With the JHS having actual transformers in circuit, the breakup and compression probably much closer to the real deal. Do yourself a favor and check out the pedal Hudson electronics built for musician, Ariel Posen. I went back and forth quite a bit before settling on the Walrus 385. Upon arrival, if I end up truly loving what the 385 offers up, i can picture ultimately dropping the extra 45- 50 bucks and buying the Hudson broadcast AP.

[@DanMmusic]

@@artshaw7079 I just watched the andertons video on your recommendation. I had heard of this pedal, but I didnt know it was based around a transformer as well, and I am just blown away. It sounds great, especially with Ariel's baritone mule. Same vibe too in the way he effortlessly switched from lead to rhythm just by backing off his touch. I think you'll really like the Walrus 385. Its a mainstay on my pedalboard, and its got its own "secrets". For one, it works so well as a gain staged pedal. I have a Klon KTR that I use as just a clean boost, and so I can either use the 385, alone, as just a heavy drive, or I can stack it with the Klon and get that blown-out fuzz tone that sings. The JHS and the Filmosound don't quite stack as well, they still do sound pretty good though.

[@anisioandrade353]

How about the 185

[@mexicanhouseful]

👎

[@wrongchordsrecords]

if you change the transformer like this 'Austin' you're changing quite a fundamental character of the amp aren't you ? i thought that was why people liked them . the pedal is like cooking your dinner in a microwave it can never be the same !

[@DanMmusic]

Definitely changing a very fundamental part of the amp, quite frankly I think that transformer is what MAKES the amp sound the way it does. But I don’t really know what Austen does... it’s pretty hush hush. Even people who work with him wouldn’t tell me what he had going on inside those amps. But also to my ears, I’d say the fundamental tone of the Austen-modded amps compared to any other modded Filmosound is not substantially different

[@wrongchordsrecords]

@@DanMmusic you can understand it if he is trying to make money from it . we hear a lot about these bell howells for guitar but not to much about other projectors , (maybe it is with good reason!) but i think im going to try an amprosound or an italian one at some point .the youtuber ''the guitarologist '' made a video on them .

[@DanMmusic]

@@wrongchordsrecords yeah thats a good point about not hearing much about any other projector... maybe these ones are just more readily available, or have a fairly simple process of separating the amp from the projector unit. I do see a lot of builders messing with other tube-based circuitry though, Skip Simmons has a really great amp he builds from these vintage PA heads. He also has a great podcast called "The Truth About Vintage Amps" where they occasionally delve into the projector amp world.

[@TEAMCREAM_96]

How about a 8302

[@DanMmusic]

Never actually heard of the 3842, I just had to look it up. It sort of looks like it uses the same amplifier section, but im not sure. Are you pretty familiar with the 3842??

[@TEAMCREAM_96]

@@DanMmusic i only kinda know about the 8302 but ive never been able to play audio through it because all the films i have are silent

[@DanMmusic]

@@TEAMCREAM_96 huh... Yeah I wonder what an amp made from that would sound like. I've seen a lot of the different Filmosound models converted into amps and they all seem to sound a little different.

[@Aniacakess]

!! "What is this?" !!

[@DanMmusic]

I went big on the thumbnail today haha

[@Aniacakess]

@@DanMmusic haha I just loved how you said it

[@driftless.electronics]

Interesting modern history of who is considered significant in modding projector amps, but your technical info is nonsense. Most pedals have nothing to do with tube amps, aside from marketing, and those amps often have little to do with each-other, aside from marketing. Projector amps are/were popular with builders because the expensive parts are fairly close to what would be in a vintage guitar amp, they were inexpensive, and they look cool. Two of the same model number aren't necessarily the same, and "mods" are usually building an amp from scratch. So, the quality is more who built the thing for you than what model number it is. I'm glad you mentioned safety. A 3 prong power cord is important, but you must also consider wether there is an Isolation transformer. Cheaper projectors didn't use a power/isolation transformer and not everyone modding amps is competent or scrupulous. If your amp uses tubes that don't start with a 12 or a 6, and there is only one transformer on top of you amp, get it checked out by one of the mythical amp technicians you speak of.

[@mexicanhouseful]

🤣

[@ElliottKleinguitar]

Second

[@DanMmusic]

Third

[@dylangorenberg8297]

If you're not first you're last.

[@STAY-GOLD-VINYL]

Males turning soft in this world Sad