Modding The Monoprice | Making A Great Amp Greater!

In this 50th installment, Jimmy does some modding on the Monoprice Stage Right 15W valve amp from Monoprice. Here we test out the differences by retubing the amp with a set of JJ tubes, along with a MOD 3 spring reverb tank. When in stock, the Monoprice Stage Right 15W amp is available on Monoprice.com

[@mjvicc1952]

Chief, I followed this instructional video and completed the mods with the components indicated. Absolutely NO experience and it went famously. Now I’ve done some research and found that replacing the 1st power tube with a 12AY7 gives a cleaner sound BUT diminishes the volume. The amp had a reduction in volume but it still had plenty of volume for most purposes. I, and I’m sure many subscribers, thank you for your educational videos and advice. Have a terrific holiday! 😊

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi mjvicc…thanks so much for watching and glad it was useful to ya! Much thanks!! 🎸👍

[@markloveridge3345]

Jimmy i love your channel it’s like sitting down with my grandpa or just putting a big overcoat, makes you feel great. Because you don’t do the hard sell,keep up the good work. P.s your the only channel I talk to when it’s on saying like GO ON JIMMY,!!!!

[@JimmyStewart1]

Wow! Thanks so much Mark! That gave me a warm fuzzy this morning with me tea! Appreciate your stopping in and the kind comments. Hope to see you around the channel! Stay safe...👍

[@markloveridge3345]

@@JimmyStewart1 no problem, keep up the great work 👍

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@markloveridge3345 👍👍

[@dukeofearl4117]

I just snagged an amp with JJ tubes for 199.00. I was on their mailing list and was notified when it came on sale. I ordered is ASAP and received it in 4 days. I’m really happy with it.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Nice!! Great buy, especially with the JJ’s stock on them now! Enjoy, and thanks for stopping in to let me know! Appreciate it! 👍

[@papablue3015]

I'm glad I found your site! We seem to do the same kind of stuff! Always messing with up grading or trying stuff out! Nice! Thanks!

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hey papa blue…glad you found the channel as well! Welcome aboard! Hope you enjoy the channel, and hope to see you around! Truly appreciate your stopping in! 👍🎸

[@brandonholguin2872]

Great video! I have totally modded my Monoprice Stage Right 15W tube amp. I installed a matched set of Tung-Sol gold pin EL84's, 3 Tung-Sol 12AX7's, a Belton 3 spring medium decay reverb tank and finally I installed a WGS 12" Reaper speaker. I got the amp for $225 and spent around $175 on the mods. The amp sounds amazing.

[@JimmyStewart1]

That sounds like a great mod you did! Outstanding! It really is a great amp for the $$ and my most used in the studio these days. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Greatly appreciated! 👍

[@ijamsum]

V3 near the el84 tubes is the phase inverter so to improve a great modded amp use a 12at7 in V3 or a $21 Sovtek 12ax7LPS with balanced triodes as this will improve the tone greatly when the gain is 4.5 or higher as many PI tubes cannot handle gain and will distort real bad distortion and ruin the tone coming from the preamp and sound mushy at high gain settings ! The Sovtek long plate tube is the best 12ax7 PI tube on Earth made today !

[@brandonholguin2872]

@@ijamsum Thanks for the tip! I will definitely look into this.

[@MrMojabo]

I have been playing mine over a year. I finally made an upgrade. I picked up a Celestion G12H 30 Watt 70 Anniversary for $50 and replaced the 70/80. Instantly made the amp heavier. And instantly made the amp come alive. When I turn the amp up the harmonies are singing. This is with humbuckers. I want to try my single coils, but cant stop playing with the what I'm listening to now. I will play this amp with anything comparable to a JR. It's simply an amazing upgrade . Great video by the way . Yea interesting how people can Believe those tube stories.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting MrMojabo! I have been contemplating doing a speaker “upgrade” as well, but have yet to pull the trigger. Perhaps in the future. Sounds like the G12H did the trick for you! Nice! Truly appreciate your stopping in to the channel and sharing! 👍🎸

[@ijamsum]

The right speaker is the best mod you can make to a amp !

[@bobtheblindbedroomguitaris8742]

Thanks for the upload I appreciate it I just purchased the amp myself a few weeks ago I got it about 10 11 days ago and I love it it was down to two 12 around Black Friday I'm blind and I was having trouble navigating the site and every time I went to pay something was screw up and to make a long story short they were out of it and every place else was out of it and finally I got it from Believe it or not Target online and it was 250 plus tax but I'm very happy with it so I'm looking forward I haven't got into your video in depth yet so I'll stop here and go back to watching you LOL thanks again sincerely yours, Bob the blind person guitars

[@JimmyStewart1]

What a ordeal! Glad you were able to grab one! Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Appreciate your stopping in to the channel! 👍

[@redelk2974]

Mr. Stewart, Watched your amp upgrade. Nice. Thank you. it is great to have this perspective. ❤ re

[@JimmyStewart1]

My pleasure Red Elk…truly appreciate your stopping in to the channel and glad you enjoyed this episode on the Monoprice amp!! 👍🎸

[@bradleyard4195]

I swapped 12AT7s into V1 on both of mine, and Tung-Sols into one of them, along with an Eminence Legend speaker. Huge difference. It has a much warmer, more Fender-like tone. With the other one, I wanted to retain more of the high end, so I left it as-is for now. With the two amps running side by side, it sounds great. Another thing these have above the Blues Junior is the ability to bias the tubes properly. They even made it simple to do. If you remove the chassis from the cabinet and look at the circuit board, there's two small potentiometers, one being the hum adjustment and the other being bias. If you look near the bias adjustment pot (closest to the power tubes), there's a little solder point with the word "BIAS" printed on the board next to it. Take your multimeter and touch the red probe to the solder point, with the black one grounded to the chassis. Plug it in, switch it on, and check your voltage. If you're +/-5% of 12v, you're good. If not, adjust the potentiometer until you're there. Unplug it, put it back together, and play away. These used to come biased cold (mine was all the way down at 8v), which contributed to the short life of the stock tubes. The second one was pretty much spot on, but when the power tubes wear out, I'll rebias it to spec. It's an easy operation, but always make sure when you're rebiasing the amp that you don't make contact with any of the capacitors. These run at some pretty insane internal voltages, and if you're not careful, it could injure (or possibly kill) you. If you're unsure or uncomfortable, take it to a qualified technician. If you're like me, then yolo.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for the insight and the very informative post Bradley!! Lot’s of folks ask about re-biasing these amps. As you state however, PLEASE be careful and cautious if you attempt to perform this yourself!! 👍

[@ijamsum]

Bias cold and the tubes will last for years , bias hot and it wears the tubes out quicker !

[@JimmyStewart1]

The Monoprice 15w usually ships biased fairly “cold” from what I understand from Monoprice and others…

[@bradleyard4195]

@@JimmyStewart1 One of mine was biased very cold (8v), the other was right at 12v, so it's hit or miss.

[@bradleyard4195]

@@ijamsum Not quite. Too cold will damage the cathode if you don't lower the other voltages across the tubes in kind due to vibration, where too hot damages the cathode from too much heat. You can bias a little cold, but I wouldn't go under 11v. On the other hand, a Variac allows you to lower all the voltages safely, which does allow for long tube life, but at a cost of reduced clean headroom and reduced output, which can actually sound great.

[@HelterSkelter117]

Just got mine yesterday. Love it so far. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it had JJ's! I think the only thing I would change would be to find a nice broken in Greenback to swap with the 7080.

[@JimmyStewart1]

That’s great Steve! Glad you are enjoying it so far. The JJ’s are a nice “upgrade” for sure. You can of course swap out the 70/80 but I think once you give it a chance to break-in a bit, it comes alive. Thanks for watching and commenting and stay safe! 👍

[@2dazetake]

This has been on my wish list for awhile, and I missed the good Friday sale,over a firefly LP I've wanted for some time, I will definitely be getting one,and doing the same tank upgrade too,really sounds amazing, after the upgrade Jimmy, big big difference,bet she takes pedals well now also,nice amp,thanks for the video.

[@JimmyStewart1]

I am sure there will be another sale in the future so you can “buy it”! 🤣 Thanks so much for watching and stopping by…it takes pedals great, and of course it has the effects loop as well! Great little amp! 👍

[@Jay-cp9kd]

FYI for anyone looking for a new speaker for this amp. a WGS Et65 sounds good with this amp to get a nice thick overdrive with decent cleans. And the wgs g12c (Jensen type voicing) is good for strat SRV blues tones which is what I ended up keeping in there. WGS are great and really affordable. You can find most of the ceramic models for 40 or 50 bucks used on reverb

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting Jason…good info to on the WGS. Appreciate your stopping in to the channel and sharing! 👍🎸

[@OEF_OIFVET68]

And even better yet an e65 and a veteran 30 in a vertical 2x12

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@OEF_OIFVET68 The Vintage 30 extension cab from Monoprice sounds pretty good as well! Lots of choices! 👍

[@OEF_OIFVET68]

@@JimmyStewart1 yup

[@Jay-cp9kd]

@@OEF_OIFVET68 I actually ended up with a Texas heat in there, biased with jjs and a eh12ax7 in v2. I’ve been gigging for the past month and I always get compliments on my sound. I love people’s reaction when I tell them it’s a $200 amp!

[@Wrguitar941]

I ordered my it’s coming Tuesday thanks for your review

[@JimmyStewart1]

My pleasure Bobby…congrats and enjoy it! Probably the best value 15W all valve amp on the market! Appreciate your stopping in to the channel and sharing. Be sure to stop back in and let me know what you think after you receive it, ok? Once again, congrats and keep pickin’…🎸👍

[@florascent9ts]

You've definitely got me considering this amp! I'm split between this and a Bugera v5 they've very comparably priced and I probably won't need anywhere near those 15W for a few years so I'm just sitting and contemplating that.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting! Tough decisions...I don’t own the Bugera V5 so can’t really give you my opinion on it outside of what I have heard and read about it, but it seems to be a decent amp. My only drawback would be a 8” speaker. I prefer at least a single 12” to push a bit more air. Are you planning on ever rehearsing with a band, drummer, or gigging? Again, having 15W on tap would help “future proof” buying another amp later if so. If you just simply want something small to practice with, I am sure it would be fine. Does the Bugera have a effects loop? I don’t recall if it does. I know that you can set the output (attenuation) like you can with the Monoprice too! I don’t think it has a true spring reverb either....just some points to consider...good luck in your choice, and thanks again for watching and commenting! 👍

[@ijamsum]

The B5 is a great sounding amp but no FX loop for the delays and does not have the bigger tone of a 12" speaker combo and the SR 15 has a 1 watt switch which is like a 5 watt tube amp volume ! The B5 amp cranked was at its best when i tried it out !

[@ctcards2636]

I own the Bugera T5 and the 5watt Stage Right and they are very different amps. Id say i like the T5 more as it has more features and the reverb and attenuator. But its a little dark sounding with humbuckers. But i fixed this by adding 150pf caps to the inner 2 lugs of the Vol and Gain pots and woot woot ! This is one of the best amps around for $120 ish used i have owned. Love it love it and i own a LOT of expensive amps. Right now for recordings im doing for a friend im using the 5 watt monoprice that i modded and the T5. I just bought the 15watt version that im hoping i can also fit into my recording setup. Its nice to have lil amps like this to record with that didnt cost as much as a car and sound pretty damn good. I am actually looking at getting a Bugera G5 down the road, that seems to be their top of the line 5 watt model. I have not tryed the V5, but i have heard positive things overall with them. Bugera is another sleeper brand tube amp wise.

[@micksterminator3]

@@ctcards2636 I shoulda kept my bugera. It was way too dark even with a coil split Seymour Duncan pearly gates. Installed a Jensen speaker per recommendation and it was still not my thing. This monoprice 15w has been a lot more enjoyable

[@calbrockocat8728]

The little tube amp that could just got a lot better. Those tubes brightened and made the overall sound more full. That new reverb tank showed what 50% more spring can do. Great info, Jimmy.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much Cal….the Monoprice Stage Right 15 is a great little amp, and one of the best deals in a 15w valve amp out there IMHO. Appreciate you watching and commenting! 👍

[@noisefuljoy]

Nice! I am intrigued by the Mod logo on the verb looking just like the Jensen Mod speakers that I've put into a couple amps.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hmmm...that is interesting. Thanks for watching and commenting! Appreciate you stopping into the channel! 👍

[@tokk3n-hj4xg]

My son has the same amp. I love it. Your upgrade amp sounds amazing. I think I'm going to do the same.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi tokk3n…thanks so much for watching and commenting. It’s a great little amp for sure. I think it truly benefited from the tube swap and 3 spring. Appreciate your stopping into the channel and sharing your thoughts! Much thanks…🎸👍

[@Factory_Muff]

Gotta save up some dough. I need this asap. Just woke up and read your comment and started digging for the video. Gonna hold off on the reverb mod for now though.

[@Factory_Muff]

Also, being that my initial gripe as of now is just the tube rattle, I’m tempted to try tube dampers to reduce vibration. I never played with dampers before.

[@JimmyStewart1]

I have never used them either….I have no rattle however….could work I suppose but I would re-tube 1st and see…🎸👍

[@BigDuckEnergyTM]

I did something similar with mine. Used the same reverb tank, and experimented with different tubes in the preamp section. In the end I settled on a 5751 in V1, an ECC83MG in V2 and a 12AT7 in the V3 for the reverb. Which gave me way more headroom, and a slightly softer feeling attack on the reverb. Makes for a great pedal platform. I have yet to swap the power tubes because I did not want to mess with re-biasing at the time, and in my experience power tubes have little effect on tone anyway. I'll wait until the Ruby EL84s start going south first. I also swapped the stock Celestion 70/80 for Vintage 30. One of the best sounding amps I own and one of the cheapest too! Love this thing.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Nice job on your amp! The headroom difference certainly comes from V1...and yes, the amp is great as a pedal platform. I would also agree that the power tubes can certainly wait, and the Ruby’s are not horrible, though they now ship with the JJ’s. I will just keep mine as backups as they are basically new. I thought about swapping the 70/80 for a Vintage 30 but decided to just let it go for now. Appreciate your stopping in to the channel. Thanks again, and stay safe! 👍

[@jimcamp2423]

@@JimmyStewart1 The voicing of a speaker change would've been even more of tonal change.

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@jimcamp2423 I agree with you Jim….just wanted to give the 70/80 a chance to break in before going with a swap! That’s next!! Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Appreciate your stopping in to the channel! 👍🎸

[@bassoneman]

I put in the same tubes,(actually I was coping you.. haha,, ) I could turn the gain up to 3 before too much breakup, I just finished installing a Jensen Legend 1258 now I can crank gain up to 6, Nice Clean tone for My CASH stuff. Still have to break it in for a while...

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@bassoneman That’s great Jim….a better, higher wattage speaker will also do wonders. Congrats man and happy to hear your getting your amp personalized to your needs!! 👍

[@acidbran]

$179 a few years ago on sale, changed the verb tank and love it.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Yep!! Thanks so much for watching and commenting! 👍

[@Steven1Cicero]

The one I ordered already had J&J tubes in it, I changed the speaker out with an 8 ohm 120 watt Eminence Man of War, Gave it a pretty sweet British sound.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting Steven. Yes, the newer models (about the last year now) have been shipping with JJ’s stock, so that’s a great bonus! I ended up upgrading the speaker as well, but went with a separate cab utilizing the Celestion V-30. The speaker makes a big difference for sure, along with having a larger cab to push a bit more air! Great little amp, regardless. Truly appreciate your stopping in to the channel and sharing! 👍🎸

[@muis22221]

When you have the old stock tubes, change only the first pre amp tube with a jj electronic. Than you can hear imidiatly a diference. Much cleaner sound. Thanks Jimmy.👍 .

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Yes, the V1 pre tube is the “magic” tube!! 😎 The newer versions now come with JJ’s stock, so even a better value! Appreciate your stopping in to the channel and hope to see you more! 👍

[@craigjacob3704]

If I upgrade the tubes do I need to upgrade all of the preamp tubes to the same or just the first one thanks so much in advance !!!

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@craigjacob3704 You can just upgrade the V1 if you wish

[@swimgc]

Awesome video. I am looking at getting one of these as well if one becomes available. If they already have JJs like one person did below, I can save a few bucks. I may look at a new speaker upgrade as well like a greenback. Great Job.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting Liz! I have heard from a number of owners who confirm that the latest release of the Monoprice does indeed ship with JJ tubes! The 70/80 speaker in this is no slouch, so before upgrading it, you may want to give it some time to “break in” as it does sound better to me every time I use it! Of course, you can do whatever, but “stock” the amp is still the best value 15W valve amp on the market in my opinion. Nothing even close in this price range. It’s basically a Laney Cub12 in a different cabinet, and 1/2 the cost! Glad you enjoyed the video, and hopefully will see you more around the channel! Stay safe! 👍

[@ephraimwarrior6766]

y can tell right away on the tank congrats on a epic upgrade

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting Ephraim! Appreciate your stopping in to the channel and hope to see you here more! 👍🎸

[@mjvicc1952]

Chief, as a “ Heads up” for you subscribers Monoprice is currently running a sale on these amps for $199.00+ free shipping. I already have the 5W version and you have convinced me that when you see a sale “ BUT IT “!😊

[@JimmyStewart1]

Yes!! These have been on sale and still in stock last I looked!! Appreciate your sharing!! 🎸👍

[@brentatkinson73401]

Oh wow what a great deal..l ordered one at the 199.00 with free shipping. I was blown away when l realized mine had the gt 100 speaker instead of the 70/80 and the tubes appear to be JJ's. I am actually very pleased with the reverb and have a NUX reverb pedal on the way...

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@brentatkinson73401 Hi Bret…congrats on yours and enjoy it!! Yes, the newer models changed the speaker and shipped with JJ’s….even more of a deal! Thanks so much for stopping into the channel and sharing your thoughts!! 🎸👍

[@mjvicc1952]

Jimmy, you are obviously very knowledgeable and multi-talented, playing, tech work and "teaching". Tell us something about yourself? This video is GREAT!!!!!

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting! I have a little “bio” in the about section on the channel page. Appreciate the kind comments...what would you like to know?? 😎

[@mjvicc1952]

Hey Chief, you look diabolically happy wearing that glove on your hand. The last time I saw that expression was on the Doctor’s face during my annual physical when he asked me to bend over! I hope he took of his ring! 😢

[@journeyquest1]

I replaced everything but the handle and it now sounds great!!!

[@JimmyStewart1]

Ha!! A spare set of tubes and reverb tank is hardly replacing everything but the handle. The amp sounded fine as it was, but now it ships with the JJ tubes. Most will find the 2 spring reverb just fine...I had it in a box for nearly a year, so threw it it. The tubes and tank just allows me more clean headroom before it starts to break up. I thought it a worthwhile upgrade...your mileage may vary. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@noelsalvador8232]

Another good video. Jimmy, the reverb tank sounds like a good upgrade. Thanks

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much Noel... The stock 2 spring tank was certainly a upgrade from the past versions of this amp and really didn’t sound bad. Most players will use a “outboard” reverb pedal, but for the small cost of the MOD tank, this I think is a good upgrade to the amp overall. Thanks for watching and commenting! Stay safe out there! 👍

[@davidkastin4240]

Great upgrade. It sounded good stock to me. The sound projects more with the upgrades and does sound better. I was surprised the big sound on 1 watt. Must be killer on 15 watts.

[@JimmyStewart1]

I think it sounds great stock as well, but I bought the new tubes and reverb tank when I bought the amp, thinking they would “need” to be replaced. Here we are 15 months later, and I finally got around to it. Just did it to see if it made any significant difference, and I believe it did. The amp doesn’t “need” it, but at least I have a backup set of tubes and a spare tank now too! The 15W setting will take your head off. I only use the 1W setting in the studio (mostly 👀) 😎 Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍

[@tubetone74]

Improved yes, a speaker would probably be more bang for the bucks on tone improvement. Still dropping a lot of $ in this cheaply built amp I think is risky for the primary reason I stated before.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Two years plus since then, and still going strong Dave. I have since added the V30 external cab and of course that makes a big difference in sound, also having a larger enclosure pushing more air. Appreciate your stopping in! 🎸👍

[@trevorliber5987]

Thanks Jimmy, was just about to give in and buy a blues jr earlier today but found this amp and your video helped me save about $300. Crazy this thing has an fx loop while the fender doesn’t...

[@JimmyStewart1]

I think you will be surprised by this amp, as I was! It now ships with JJ’s as well. The Blues JR is a very nice amp, but this little baby will hold it’s own with it, and at half the cost, I think it’s a no brainer. Include the FX loop as you state, and it’s a great buy!! Congrats on your new amp, and enjoy once you get it! Thanks so much for watching and commenting, and don’t be a stranger to the channel, ok? Stay safe...👍

[@justinpaquette224]

I modded mine with 5751 in v1 and v2, 12at7 v3, 3 spring mod tank and a Jensen p12n speaker. I think each upgrade helped the amp sound more they way I wanted it too

[@JimmyStewart1]

That’s great Justin! Sounds like you got it where you want it! Excellent!! Thanks so much for watching and sharing! Much appreciated….👍🎸

[@mantas68]

Chained Lightning!!! Fellow Babies!!! Great review and demo Sir. :)

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hey, thanks for stopping in and commenting! Really appreciate it! Have a great holiday and stay safe! 👍

[@whatarefriends4]

Dude you sound great I need jj’s now too😁

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting Sean! Truly appreciate your stopping in to the channel! The newer versions come stock with the JJ’s now! 👍🎸

[@erhman2004]

I got this amp back in October of 2020 with the JJ tubes installed. I still have the sock reverb.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting Eric! Hope you are enjoying your amp! Yes, the newer versions (mine in a 2019 model) are now shipping with JJ’s as stock, which is great! The stock reverb is actually pretty good, but the 3 spring MOD was another good upgrade in my opinion. Appreciate you stopping into the channel! 👍

[@Panicagq2]

What brand? I tried Hanes socks, but they sounded too wooly... ;- ) Seriously though, the 3-spring decay is soooo thicc.

[@277southtombob]

I actually just ordered one of these. They have started shipping with JJs and a better reverb unit so they’ve taken care of the biggest issues people have had with it. I might play with the first preamp tube once I get it but that’s about it. I’ve always been a hopeless tinkerer but I plan on leaving this alone and use it for a grab and go amp

[@JimmyStewart1]

Yep! It’s still a 2 spring reverb, but sounds fine and yes, JJ’s are now stock. It’s a fine amp, practice, studio, small gigs and even larger venues (miked). No need to tinker if you don’t want to…I just did the quick mods to get mine where I liked it more! The older stock Ruby valves in it were not horrible either…I had the tubes and reverb already to go, so put them in. Good luck with yours, and congrats! I am pretty sure you will love it… Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment! Much appreciated and hope to see more of you around the channel! 😎🎸

[@277southtombob]

@@JimmyStewart1 I’ve thought about getting a Fender Blues Jr for a few years for a handy small gig and jam amp but honestly never was impressed with them, at least not enough to spend $500 on one. I liked the demos of these better. If I start modding I can be a habitual tinkerer so I’d rather not have it apart on my workbench when I want to use it lol

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@277southtombob I did for awhile myself, but you get no effects in/out nor the attenuation switching the Stage Right has. Valve layout is identical, Fender uses a Celestion A and the Monoprice a Celestion 70/80 and the Fender is now closer to $600. I would choose the Monoprice every day of the week…after the 70/80 breaks in, it sounds just as good (if not better) in my humble opinion! 👍

[@277southtombob]

@@JimmyStewart1 I think most of those who complain about the 70/80 aren’t letting them break in. The Classic Lead 80 is one of my favorite speakers and after broken in the 70/80 sounds like a CL80 with a smaller magnet to me.

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@277southtombob I agree with you…I find a lot of folks who buy this amp with the immediate intention of replacing the speaker before they even get it. I mean, that’s fine…it’s your amp and you can do whatever, but after some break-in time, the 70/80 does tend to open up and sounds better with use. It really is a very decent sounding amp, stock, right out of the box… Thanks for watching and commenting….greatly appreciated! 👍

[@ijamsum]

Thanks for the Mod reverb number to upgrade my amp i just ordered from Monoprice ! It is $30 now 11 /2021 ! I retubed the 12ax7 tube preamp and cannot figure out exactly what V1a & b does nor V2a & b but ended up with a Genalex gold pin 12ax7 in V1 socket and a vintage Mullard in V2 and a sovtek 12ax7 LPS phase inverter tube with balanced triodes in V3 and the gain at 5 sounds rather clean but has sustain like its overdriven ? I think now V1a overdrives V1b triode and V2 runs the reverb with a&b triodes ! I am not sure but the Genalex has a lot of gain yet stays cleaner because it can take high gain easily ! It sure sounds great now that is certain !

[@JimmyStewart1]

My pleasure ijams sum…Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Have fun with your new Monoprice and the 3 spring verb! Congrats and thanks again for stopping in to the channel! 👍🎸

[@rayriedy8871]

I was surprised the new reverb tank improved the reverb as much as it did. Current 15W version of the amp from Monoprice ships with JJs.

[@JimmyStewart1]

I have been hearing that it now ships with JJ’s, but not owning the latest version, could not personally confirm that. Updating to the 3 spring gives it a more “lush” sound in the tank, allowing to bring up the “verb” without totally destroying the effect. Thanks for watching and commenting! Much appreciated! 👍

[@rochat]

How long ago did they start using JJ's?

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@rochat I have been hearing this for a few months now, but couldn’t give you the actual date they made the change. I will contact Monoprice and see if I can nail down the time frame. Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@bradejensen I think that’s a 2 spring tank, right? If so, it’s probably very similar to what’s in the amp now. The stock 2 spring is not bad actually, but if replacing I would go with a 3 spring like the MOD I used. I don’t see much sense replacing a 2 spring with a 2 spring unless the original is dead and you wanted it to sound as close to the original stock tank.

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@bradejensen I am not sure Brad as I have no background in the tank you described outside of the model number you provided. I would have to do some research on that particular tank. If the info you have on it already says it won’t work, then I would stick to what I know works and sounds good with the Monoprice which is the tank I used in this video. Here is a link to the MOD tank I used if you are interested. Perhaps you could match up the specs with the one you have: www.amazon.com/MOD-Reverb-Tanks-8EB2C1B-Tank/dp/B003BGXW50

[@guitarandstuff8265]

Holy cow nice sound. I got mine for $167 right before blackfriday on wish. Had been holding out on this when I saw the sale. I like it stock but sometimes play thru a fender cab with some kind of eminence speaker and it has a totally different sound.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Great price! You did well! I finally got the Celestion on this broken in a bit, and the new tubes should settle in well after a bit. Thanks for watching and commenting, it’s greatly appreciated! Enjoy that Monoprice! 👍

[@camilo1455]

How would you describe the different sounds? I plan on using it through my Fender Vibrolux cab with a replacement Jensen. I wish they offered a head.

[@guitarandstuff8265]

@@camilo1455 i think it sounds cleaner as a fender should. Maybe more low end but u can dial in a wide range of tone with the monoprice.

[@camilo1455]

@@guitarandstuff8265 holy nice cow, indeed! I can hardly wait.

[@TheYjmfan]

Nice job sounds great, just ordered one of these amps from thomann

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi The Yjmfan…thanks so much for watching and commenting! Enjoy your new amp, and thanks again for stopping into the channel and sharing! 🎸👍

[@damienbutler8512]

I just got mine 2 weeks ago and it no longer comes with JJ's, just some unbranded tubes that sound ok. It still comes with the 70/80 speaker. I swapped v1 with a 12at7 and have a lot more headroom but the ability to get that dirty overdrive sound. This amp is killer for the price ($340 Canadian after tax) when it's on sale :)

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi Damien…thanks for watching and commenting. JJ’s have been hard to come by lately…with the situation over there. Yes, swapping the V1 as you did will certainly help with headroom. It’s probably the best value, 15W all valve amp combo out there right now, especially when on sale! Truly appreciate your stopping into the channel and sharing your thoughts! Much thanks! 🎸👍

[@rickhammel9541]

whenever you do an upgrade, you should always record the "before" to compare the after.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting Rick. I totally agree with you…my thoughts were, well I have played and used the amp on dozens of reviews and demo’s prior to the upgrades so people should know how it sounded prior…🤣 I was in my fantasy world, believing everyone surely watched those video’s, right? But yeah, I should have included a little bit “prior” for sure! I truly appreciate your stopping in and hope to see you around the channel more! 👍🎸

[@Jrup2110]

Wife bought it for me for Christmas, it does have JJ tubes in it

[@JimmyStewart1]

I would say your wife is a keeper! 😎 Congrats on your new amp, and thanks for the confirmation on the tubes! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours! Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍

[@Jrup2110]

@@JimmyStewart1 same to you, and I think I’ll keep her around for a while 😃

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@Jrup2110 There ya go!! 😎👍

[@robertclarkguitar]

Very nice Jimmy!!!

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting Robert! Much appreciated! 👍

[@popsfereal]

I bought some NOS vintage Russian tubes for my 1/5w Monoprice. I haven't installed them yet.

[@JimmyStewart1]

The JJ’s are Slovic, so yeah....should liven the 5W up for sure! 👍

[@ebikes2xs159]

After a few mods this is now the only amp I own. There are only a few factories making tubes under different brand names so I wouldn't give much weight to the brand stamped on the tube.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi ebikes2…thanks so much for watching and commenting. Nice to hear your using one as well…congrats!! Still the best budget all valve 15w combo out there in my opinion. Yes, I realize that there are only a few tube manufacturers these days. The Ruby’s are made in China, and the JJ’s are Slovic. Truly appreciate your stopping into the channel and sharing your thoughts! Much thanks…🎸👍

[@ebikes2xs159]

@@JimmyStewart1 I'm using a JJ 5751 in the V1 spot. Much more clean headroom. Just ordered a MOD reverb tank long decay version. Can't wait to try it although the stock tank sounds good.

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@ebikes2xs159 Nice! Yes, the stock tank does just fine but I wanted a nice 3spring in there…🎸👍

[@y2kcurran]

Really enjoyed this after a long day's work, subbed immediately and looking forward to more videos. I'm awaiting delivery of the Harley Benton version of this amp and can't wait, does anyone know what tubes come stock with that one?

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much y2kcrran…glad you enjoyed, and “Welcome Aboard” the channel! Hope you will find lots of videos here of interest to you! Congrats on your new HB valve amp! I don’t have the HB version, but all the new Monoprice versions are coming stock with the JJ tubes now. I would think the HB version would too, as they are pretty much identical except for the badging (and of course the power supply). Truly appreciate your stopping in and have a look around the channel when you get the chance! Enjoy that new amp once you receive it, and keep pickin’ 👍🎸

[@somewhereman8]

I bought mine a little less than a year ago. Pretty decent but I’m thinking of upgrading the tubes, maybe check to see if they are JJs or not first. But the stock reverb is pretty noisy, wonder if upgrading the tank would help with that?

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting AG....yes, I would check tubes first to see what you got in there. Depending on when your amp was made, though I don’t have an exact time frame as to when Monoprice started shipping these amps with JJ’s stock. When you say the reverb is noisy, how do you mean? Boomy, fuzzy, hollow, staticky? I would check leads, but never noticed mine being “noisy”. I just wanted a bit more “lushness” out of mine where I could hit it with more signal. I think the Mod tank upgrade was a good choice and money well spent.

[@JayTrainerBand]

Great video, thank you! Which input impedance was that MOD reverb tank? 10 Ohms or the 800 Ohms model? I want to replace mine also since yours sounded so great but not sure which option to purchase as StewMac has both versions. Any help is GREATLY appreciated! Hope you are well, j

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting Jay! I ordered mine from Amazon, and here is a link to the one I ordered. It is the 800 ohms model... www.amazon.com/MOD-Reverb-Tanks-8EB2C1B-Tank/dp/B003BGXW50 Hope this helps you, and appreciate you stopping into the channel. Hope to see you around the channel as well! 👍

[@JayTrainerBand]

@@JimmyStewart1 thank you so much for the quick reply and for such a great video! hope you are well, j

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@JayTrainerBand Thanks so much....stay safe and have a look around the channel! Appreciate you stopping in! 👍

[@craigjacob3704]

Dang Jimmy I want one of those tube amps so bad 😁. Gotta sweet talk the wife into one of those hehehe might take awhile to work on her. It's sounds plenty strong for a house and much better than the cheap 40watt solid state amp I have right now.

[@JimmyStewart1]

They are great amps for the $$….probably the best buy out there for a 15w tube amp. Thanks for watching and commenting Craig!! Appreciate it! 👍🎸

[@keithklassen5320]

Hi Jimmy! I love to see this, i jst bought a Tube 15 and im interested in modding it. Do you think it would be possible to install that 3-spring *in addition to* the existing 2-spring? I'd also like some more lushness, but i do like the 2-spring for some sounds. I guess I'd need to make sure the two reverbs didn't interfere with each other, so maybe it would be better to keep one tank in a seperate enclosure?

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi Keith..thanks for watching and commenting. You probably COULD, but I would think the sound would be less than desirable. You would have to insure the correct impedance on both tanks, and keep the correct isolation and recovery. Wouldn’t work without some mods to your amp circuit. I would think it would be much easier to add a additional reverb pedal into your effects chain and go that route in my opinion. I have 3 different reverb/delay units on my board for those occasions when needed. It’s the correct impedance AND recovery signal mixed to the dry signal along with isolation that are the major factors. Hope that helps a bit… Appreciate your stopping into the channel! 🎸👍

[@Ratchman_5000]

Great video! Got mine last Christmas and was happy to find out it came with JJ's. Yesterday I noticed the volume dropping down intermittently. Would you recommend I replace the power tubes?

[@JimmyStewart1]

I wouldn’t think you would be needing new tubes that quickly, unless you have been hitting it hard and heavy since you got it….🤣 All cords to your guitars/pedals etc look good? Are the tubes “hot plating” or your amp running hot? Are the tubes seated? If all looks well and you have checked the obvious stuff, then perhaps you need tubes. Appreciate your stopping in to the channel! 👍🎸

[@Ratchman_5000]

@@JimmyStewart1 Thanks for the advice! After another once over, and making sure all of my pedalboard connections were secure, the volume drop went away. Also cleaned the volume pot on my guitar while I was at it. Thanks again!

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@Ratchman_5000 My pleasure, and that’s great news! Sometimes we forget about the basics, as it’s easy to do. Glad you got the issue resolved. 👍😎

[@Frank-in-NY]

Hey Jimmy...Love the Mod's you did here, especially replacing the Reverb Tank, it really made a difference. I'm an old timer, when we were kids we tested the Reverb by doing the "Rock" Test. By that, we Rocked the Amp, if we got the "Wipeout Crash', it passed. I'm curious if switching the Reverb Tank, would pass the Rock Test? I play through a Fender Reissue 65 Deluxe Reverb. However, I really like this Monoprice 15 Watter, and have it on my list. The 1 Watt switching and the Effects Loop are a terrific feature. Thanks for these reviews!

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi Frank…thanks so much for watching and commenting. Glad you enjoyed the video. Adding the 3 spring reverb helped me get the “tightness” I was looking for and being able to “add more” with less if that makes sense. 😎. This 15w Monoprice is probably the best value all valve 15w combo out there right now in my opinion. Certainly deserves a spot on your list! Appreciate your stopping in to the channel and sharing your thoughts! Much thanks…🎸👍 Pretty sure it would pass the “rock test”….🤣

[@Frank-in-NY]

@@JimmyStewart1 Thanks for the update Jimmy...Really enjoy your channel....

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@Frank-in-NY Thanks so much!! Enjoy having you here to explore! 🙏👍

[@tonytribble2977]

New subscriber here ! I just got my Monoprice amp last week & am very impressed. I think the Reverb is ok, but not great. Just curious, did you try a Reverb pedal with the amp before deciding to change to the 3 Spring Tank ? Im thinking of purchasing a Reverb Pedal that has other options. I like plate Reverb as well as spring Reverb.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi Tony…thanks so much for watching/commenting and of course subscribing! Welcome aboard! Yes, I use and number of different pedals including a couple of different reverb pedals. The spring reverb is of course a bit of a different animal…😎 My main reason for going to a 3 spring vs the stock 2 spring was so I could boost the “lushness” and bring up the volume without having to tame the verb too much. For that, I think it worked well. 👍🎸

[@DaytonaShooter]

Great video. I really like the amp. Would you like to pass along the old reverb tank? Do you think it will fit and benefit the 5W version? Thank you, Mr Stewart

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting! Sorry, but the 2spring I removed is already spoken for. Not sure how much room the 5w version has or how the spring reverb is supplied power.

[@DaytonaShooter]

Thank you for replying. Oh well, it doesn't hurt to ask 😁 I love watching videos that teach me things I never imagined. Really had no idea reverb is generated by springs. KZbin and people like yourself, are awesome! 💥💨

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@DaytonaShooter It never hurts to ask...if it wasn’t spoken for, you could have had it! Understand however, that not all reverb is generated by a spring unit. These are generally referred to as “spring reverb tanks”. In today’s use, they are also considered “old school” analog units. There is also “plate” reverb, “natural” reverb (think recording in a large empty hall) and digital reverb. You could buy a small reverb pedal to use with your 5w unit if you wish. Most prefer the sound of a good spring reverb, but some of the small digital units sound very good and are based on analog algorithms. Hope that helps a bit....👍

[@charlesbolin7249]

I just ordered one of these, expecting delivery in early July 2021, hope it has the JJ tubes. Must say the reverb tank is instantly noticeable, the upgraded 3 spring tank sounds great, just like every Fender amp I've ever owned and I must say the price is excellent for it, just wow on the reverb.

[@JimmyStewart1]

That’s excellent Charles! Enjoy it once you receive it! The newer models are shipping with JJ tubes now. The 3 spring really does add a nice depth to the reverb. The stock 2 spring is not “bad” however and much better than the original plastic box they use to have! Thanks so much for watching and commenting and hope to see you around the channel! Let me know how you like your Monoprice when you get it, and congrats!! 👍🎸

[@charlesbolin7249]

@@JimmyStewart1 Just got the amp a few hours ago, ordered Jun 6, arrived July 25, so around 2 months or so. Seller is Amazon, was on sale for $249. Have not fired it up yet, no time, must go to work. Unboxed it and it comes with a retail tag included in the bag with the user manual that states it is equipped with JJ tubes, so hopefully that helps inform others thinking about purchasing this amp in the near future. Amazon is currently out of stock and lists another seller who wants $355.50, so I'd just watch and wait as the regular price through Amazon was $262.50. The spring box inside appears to not have changed, I will have to investigate on that. Also I'd say use the amp for a while to break in the speaker before making a final judgement on it. All in all I don't foresee any possibility in thinking the amp is not worth the money, to put it into perspective, one of the pedals I plan to run through it is a JHS Unicorn which cost me $250. Going to do my homework on the "nerd" end and get the electrical specs/numbers for the reverb tank and see what all is compatible on a straight plug and play level and go from there, I'm very grateful for the legwork you've done here on this video, you definitely came up with a winner on tubes and reverb making this amp just as good as others that cost 2 to 3 times more just because of a "name tag". I will keep you updated on my findings with this newest iteration of the Mono Price 15w in this conversation, unless of coarse you make another video pertaining this new version.

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@charlesbolin7249 That’s great Charles…keep me in the loop! The “newer”version you have does now come with JJ’s stock. The reverb tank was changed to the 2 spring tank around early 2020 and has stayed the same. It works fine, but I upgraded to the 3 spring for a bit more “lushness” of the 3 springs. Thanks for stopping in and letting us know! 👍🎸

[@jamescogley1637]

Happy New Year

[@JimmyStewart1]

A very safe, healthy and Happy New Year to you and yours as well James!

[@scootergreen3]

Jimmy Stewart, do fuses blow in the Harley Benton 12 W like they do in the Monoprice Stage Right 12 W. I have heard great reviews about Harley Benton but I'm afraid of it because it looks same as Monoprice so do you know if I can change fuse myself in Harley Benton 12 without sending it to the factory.

[@JimmyStewart1]

The Thomann Harley Benton version is basically the same amp rebadged for H.B. Biggest difference is this is designed for overseas use and runs on 230v for the European market. If you are located in the States, you probably don’t want this version unless you are planning on using a step down transformer. You shouldn’t be blowing fuses in the Monoprice. I have had mine for 3 years now and no issues. I use it just about every day….if for some reason the fuse blew, it’s not that difficult to replace, but like I stated, a blown fuse could indicate some other issue that’s causing the fuse to blow in the 1st place.

[@MrZootalores]

Jimmy i love your mods & enthusiasum but another "mod" is to plug this into a 4 X 12 CAB & turn it up to Spinal Tap ~11~; such a great little amp i bought a 2nd one!

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi MrZootalores…thanks so much for watching and commenting. THAT is a great “mod”…🤣 I did pick up the V30 1x12 Celestion External cab for it…plenty for the studio!! Appreciate your stopping into the channel man…much thanks! 🎸👍

[@chancemiller9340]

Por favor... Link for the new tubes. Link for the 3-spring reverb box.

[@JimmyStewart1]

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BGXW50/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Reverb Link www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005F5TP6U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Pre-Amp Tube Link www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FO89CE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Power Amp Tube Link

[@TheQueguy]

Mine came with JJ s. Gonna try some vintage RCA s for fun

[@JimmyStewart1]

Yep! The models being shipped for around the past year are shipping with JJ’s now! Vintage RCAs should really be interesting! Good luck with it! Thanks so much for watching and commenting….truly appreciated! 👍🎸

[@ctcards2636]

Really like that Natural tele to the right ;-)

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks…yes, that’s the IYV ITF-300 thin line. Very nice guitar. Full review here on the channel should you wish to have a closer look/listen! 🎸👍

[@ctcards2636]

@@JimmyStewart1 Sweet ! I just joined your channel and gave a thumbs up ;-) Glad i found your videos, i can watch or do this work all day long haha. Love tube amps and axes ;-) "Once in awhile ya get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right" ;-)

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@ctcards2636 That’s great! Truly appreciate that and nice to have you “come over to the good side”!! Have fun and explore the channel! Welcome Aboard CTCards! 🎸👍

[@robertsherman6952]

I just got this amp delivered today 4/6/2021 for $250 from Amazon and I clicked the link on Amazon to write a review and the price is up to $329 a day later.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Congrats on the new Amp!! You got to love Amazon’s pricing. I find that all the time...strange the way they price things sometimes. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks for stopping into the channel. Appreciate it! 👍

[@johnwelch557]

Jimmy. I apologize for the late comment here. Have you tried the 5 watter from monoprice? I have extention cabs and a spring reverb tank. Thoughts?

[@JimmyStewart1]

I have not tried the 5w version of this, but most I know that have say good things. I would think as a small practice amp it would be just fine, but like I said, I don’t own one so can’t personally vouch for it. 👍

[@navigator3744]

I see you did this review about two years ago. How has the amp held up during that time? Have any new issues surfaced with it? Do you know of any mods on how to install a standby switch?

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for stopping in…no issues whatsoever with my amp, and I use it nearly daily. I have seen a couple of threads in my research about folks wanting to install a standby switch. If you Google “installing a standby switch on a Monoprice tube amp” you will bring some up. There is a very good video I saw once. He used a type of on-on-off switch on a blues JR as I recall. At 15w I don’t think it’s critical, so I have left it alone. You can actually just use the 1w switch to act like a “standby” when you turn it on. Leave it in 1W until it warms up, then switch over to 15W as needed! 👍🎸

[@avgmaster1]

I remember Paul Reed Smith said in one of his training videos that you need to put the amp on the ground for the best tone.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Well, I wouldn’t disagree with him! 😎 In a small studio environment however, having it on a small stand, with no real “volume” pushing through it (it was set to the 1w setting) I really don’t think anyone, me in the room included, will be able to hear a difference in tone vs having it setting on the floor. Thanks for watching and commenting! Appreciate your stopping in to the channel! 👍

[@dougselsam5393]

@@JimmyStewart1 Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with Monoprice. With such long videos it would be nice to cover the "15-Watt" setting for a 15-Watt amp too. By the title I thought "modding" the amp might be a little more involved than updating the tubes to today's "standard" offering of JJ tubes and swapping out the reverb unit. What about a better $120-dollar Celestion speaker instead of the $60 Celestion that comes with it? Also, wouldn't mind seeing you try the Monoprice cabinet with the Celestion Vintage-30 speaker. Personally I've recently acquired the 5-Watt combo, the 15-Watt combo, and the extra open-back cabinet with the V-30. Still trying to get a sound I actually like out of any of it. So far the best I can say is these amps are loud. The 5-Watt combo does sound way louder through the cabinet with the Celestion V-30 speaker. Wish I knew more about tube amps. I've always been the singer and/or bassplayer and realized I've never given guitar-amp sound much thought, just plug-and-play. Now getting a bit particular about what things really sound like. Using a few pedals such as a Crybaby Wah, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Monoprice fuzz, distortion, looping stompboxes. Not sure whether any of the cheapo monoprice effects stompboxes were worth bothering with - they seem to just pretty primitive. Finding so far whatever I set up ends up sounding better when I switch to a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Wondering what I need to get a good sound out of Monoprice stuff. I enjoy listening to your little blues licks! :)

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@dougselsam5393 First, thanks Doug for watching and commenting. I was thinking of doing another tone comparison style video with a few amps, and incorporating the full 15w setting on the Monoprice. It’s just a bit tough dialing in the sounds in the studio, as at 15w the Monoprice gets “loud” as you seem to be aware 😎 One of its selling feature to me, is the attenuation and being able to drive it a bit in the 1w setting. As far as the additional cab, I have also thought about that as well, but don’t really need it. The Celestion 70/80 stock speaker does sound better as you break it in. I do appreciate your input, and will take the 15w demo idea and see what I can do! Thanks again....👍

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@dougselsam5393 P.S. The Fender Hot Rod Deluxe is a nice amp....however it is also 40w, and runs around $800 so there is that....😎

[@popsfereal]

Jimmy loves Indio!

[@JimmyStewart1]

Always loved the amp...best value for a 15W value amp out there in my opinion. The Indio Cali Classic Strat just sounds freakin good...plays great! What can I say? 👍 Thanks for watching and commenting Pops! 😎

[@Xxmeca421xX]

I think I'm going to exchange mine for another. I ordered from Amazon and got it yesterday from a woman in her personal mini van who dropped the box. The feet don't sit level, the screw in the side was crooked and doesn't tighten and one power tube is rattling. They come with 3 out of 5 JJ tubes now or at least mine did. Two were slightly smaller Chinese tubes like their 5 watt. Made on 6/21 Black Friday was $229. I was going to keep it and fix it but the stripped screw changed my mind. It had been thrown around a lot I'm sure and it tweaked the screw and wood. I have bad luck with this brand but love the sound

[@JimmyStewart1]

Wow…yeah, I would definitely look to exchange it for another. Sounds like the delivery was a bit rough…yes, they started shipping with JJ’s over a year ago. They do sound good, and probably the best budget all valve 15w combo out there! I would explain to Amazon and get a replacement. I think you would be very happy with it! Thanks so much for watching and commenting d7…truly appreciate your stopping in! 👍🎸

[@richstankiewicz9420]

Nice job on the mod! Hey Jimmy, I'm a harmonica player. If I wanted to dirty mine up a little more, any suggestions for tubes? Thanks

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hey Rich, thanks for watching and commenting. It seems that position V1 tube in the preamp section is the tube you could play with to gain or reduce the headroom to have it breakup a bit sooner, or later. I would keep that as a 12AX7 tube. In my case, going to the JJ’s gave me a bit more clean headroom. You are kind of looking to do a bit of the opposite. If you have the amp already, then I would experiment with just bringing up the gain to where you get a bit of dirt you like, while bringing the volume down and setting your EQ to taste. Obviously, you get can more dirt while reducing the volume and using the attenuation switch as well. I would experiment with that first before looking for a lower powered tube for that V1 position.

[@Panicagq2]

Hey Rich - have you tried putting a boost or overdrive pedal in front of your amp? I have mine set @ gain @ 4, vol @ 5-6 and the Xotic EP Boost I use pushes the the stock tubes even harder when I kick it on. I actually keep it in the FX loop mostly, but both setups sound good and there are TONS of good pedals out there. You may also want to try just using a good EQ pedal in front of your amp - they're powerful. Also, look into harp mics...I have a Bulletini and it runs really hot, so it overdrives easily.

[@keithahman9206]

Hi Rich, get a Mojo Pad pedal. Then you can higher your gain without risk of feedback, makes a big difference

[@johnb4024]

It would have been nice to see the new tubes with full gain. Great video though.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting John. I will let them settle in a bit, then do a full gain testing a bit later!

[@donnyboy911]

i lifted the pin 8 v5 and installed 1ohm to grnd on top for bias check point since i am just using meter on mv scale. jumped 330k to 100pf cap on gain control and the 2.2k to gnd on bottom of that pot..plus experimenting with using VR1( cath side) as the gain control for signal to V2 instead of the 470k/470k split

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for your input Don! 👍🎸

[@donnyboy911]

@@JimmyStewart1 finished up mods...waiting on tubes and a cream back from owner...this should be interesting....LOL...sit and wait.. 8-(

[@donnyboy911]

@@JimmyStewart1 the stock preamp tubes actually sound ok-ish.. after all the mods. with zero circuit mods a 50ka pot for the 10ka rev pot gives a great more effect. / splashy if wanted

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@donnyboy911 Thanks for keeping us in the loop!! 👍

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@donnyboy911 Nice….the stock reverb wasn’t horrible..the 3 spring I put in mine did the trick for my use. Your amp should be amazing once your done Don! 👍

[@Factory_Muff]

Still watching. The results are great! Definitely not a placebo. This got me thinking a lot. How crazy is it that these things doubled in price on the reverb resale market. I’m also befuddled at the crazy prices people are asking for those little 9V Smokey Amps. The see through plastic ones, not the pack of cigarettes ones. I bought like 6 of them in various colors back in 2010 and was handing them out as presents to friends. I didn’t spend more than 12 bucks on one. Now they’re at around the 180 dollar mark used. 😳 Wish I still knew where mine was.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for stopping in…thought it might help you in your decisions…😎 Don’t remember those 9v Smokey Amps…I have a little Danelectro 9v and it’s a bit of fun….review here too! 🎸👍

[@Factory_Muff]

@@JimmyStewart1 Anytime Jimmy! Thanks for having me! Da electro Honey Tone? I had one of them too. But what I’m talking about is more akin to a toy, that’s actually a sleeper amp. You can use it as a head for a speaker it’s so good. I gotta find one at a reasonable price, but first let me search for some old KZbin reviews so you can get what I’m talking about. Brb

[@Factory_Muff]

@@JimmyStewart1 So here we go. Review from 2 years ago. They were 40 bucks then. Still double than what I was getting them for in 2010. Man I should have seen that coming and hoarded a bunch. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4ezeJlqqNSBiqc

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@Factory_Muff 👍👍

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@Factory_Muff Thanks…I will check it out! 🎸👍

[@adammichaelchannel]

Playing starts at 25:07. Great background info beforehand.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Appreciate your stopping in to the channel! 👍🎸

[@mark5150ty]

The circuit of that amp is a direct copy of the Laney cub 12 ( not the 12r ,that one has digital Reverb). There's a trim pot inside for biasing the output tubes. On the Laney Cub 12 schematic, there is a test point with the notation on what the voltage reading should be at that point to get Optimum bias. I own this app and if you want to rebias the tubes I definitely recommend looking at the Laney Cub 12 schematic. The Monoprice printed circuit board does not show the test point but it does follow the exact same capacitor and resistor identification so all you have to do is find the nearest point to where the test point is supposed to be I found it right near a capacitor about an inch and a half away from where the trim pot is. It's definitely a pretty easy process but look at the schematic before you try

[@JimmyStewart1]

Appreciate the info and of course watching and commenting! 👍

[@mark5150ty]

@@JimmyStewart1 no problem I'm also an amplifier technician and I hate to tell you but Ruby's in JJ's come from the same Factory there's only three places in the world that make tubes these days and they just get branded by the company that buys them you probably ended up with more Headroom with the new set because bias was not changed therefore the tube has more Headroom because the plate dissipation is different if you really want to get a different sound try changing that speaker

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@mark5150ty Yes, I realize the tube manufacturing scenario, but thanks again....I am ok with the speaker for now, as it has opened up a bit since new and breaking it in a bit. I may at some point soon, go with a Celestion Vintage 30 to try. Once again, appreciate your stopping in to the channel and the input! Stay safe...👍

[@mark5150ty]

@@JimmyStewart1 no problem I appreciate it sorry if I'm commenting too much this is my last one I got to get back to work LOL I also added a bright switch to mine. Right across the volume pot the same as you would see in a Fender amp and boy can you really get better tone at lower volume with it. It's funny I bought this amp as a tester amp in my shop but it turned out to become my small gigging amp of choice because it sounds so good. I cut my cabinet and half and turned it into a head so I play through a Harley Benton 212 with vintage 30s and it sounds amazing. Have a good day God bless

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@mark5150ty No problem at all man....always appreciate input and comments, especially from folks with helpful knowledge giving the viewers and subscribers to the channel as much straight talk as possible! Much appreciated from my end my friend...the “head/cab” and “tone/ bright switch” mod was something I was also thinking about...sounds like it worked out great for you! Truly appreciate the input! 👍

[@CalJennings]

I think I want to try to spring for the 15 watt and see if I think I need to change the spring reverb.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi Cal…sounds like a plan! The 2 spring is actually not bad at all really. I just wanted to be able to crank it up before starting to hear the springs banging..😎 Try it first before upgrading for sure! Thanks so much for stopping in to the channel! 🎸👍

[@bobmoire5676]

Question for the amp tech out there - I have a '72 Fender Champ. It is a 5 watt amp with NO reverb. It has one 12AX7 in the preamp circuit. There are alternate 12xxx tubes (possibly 12AY7 ?) that can be substituted for the 12AX7 that will provide more or less headroom. Does anyone know if alternates would play the same role w this amp? And which of the three 12AX7s would be replaced by them? I'm guessing that one of the 12AX7s here is related just to the reverb function. Thanks

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi Bob…not a “amp tech” by any stretch, but I have heard from many that if you want to gain more headroom in the Champ, you can swap out that 12AX7 with a 12AY7. Same would go here with the StageRight (V1 tube). Hope that helps and thanks for stopping into the channel! 🎸👍

[@philchapman1463]

A youtuber suggest a great setting for Fender Champ amps which seem to apply here as well. Turn the tone controls all the way off, turn the volume up. So try the following for the Monoprice. Set TONE to 5 (or higher), Set BASS to 0, MID to 5 (or higher), TREBLE to 0. Set Gain to 10, Volume to 5 (or higher). By keeping the Bass and Treble at zero and playing with the Mids this creates a whole new amp (JCM 800 ish ??)

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi Phil…thanks for watching and commenting. I think depending on the guitar you are using and the style of music or song you are playing would be a better indicator of your amp settings, no? I appreciate your stopping into the channel and sharing however! I will give it a shot at some point, though I tend to set up patches via my pedal board for specific tones I am looking for. Much thanks…🎸👍

[@ezrabatte7978]

I have one with the J&J tubes standard. It was built in Oct 2020. I always thought the reverb was pretty good, but I thought I’d try the mod that you suggested. It didn’t work. In fact, it lessened the effect. I double checked the ohms and they matched, reinstalled a few times. Still not good. I think the problem was that mine has the long decay reverb. The mod you spec’d is a medium decay. So I found a match for the ohms with long decay and the additional spring that was advertised for the blues jr. (8EB3C1B). It worked fairly well. The difference didn’t blow me away, but was a nice mod to an already pretty good amp. In my mind, it’s a steal for the money. Always enjoy your content. Thanks for taking the time.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Yes, it wasn’t too long after doing this that Monoprice started shipping them with JJ’s stock. The stock reverb on these models (2 spring) were not bad really. I wanted to put a 3 spring in it that didn’t “decay out” at lower volumes, and this mod worked for me. Truly appreciate your stopping in and visiting the channel! Really appreciate it! 👍🎸

[@martin-1965]

I found the 2 spring reverb to be far too weak so have just ordered a 3 spring similar to the one you fitted - identical I hope - as the 2 spring was pretty non-existent on mine. It could of course be faulty from factory - I haven't checked to be honest - but I will prefer a wider range of reverb options from the 3 spring anyway so it won't be a wasted upgrade :)

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting Martin. The stock 2 spring is not “horrible” but I just wanted a bit more volume to it before it saturated and the 3 spring gave me that. Good luck with yours! You can double check your leads in your stock one just to be sure it’s not just a simple loose connection as well! Appreciate your stopping in and sharing with us! 👍🎸

[@stevenwayne]

Great video and thank you! Do you think it’s necessary to bias this amp after replacing all 5 tubes? I’m looking to doing this myself on my Monoprice amp.

[@stevenwayne]

Oh wait, you mention at 21:10 that you didn’t bias this using the JJ EL84s. Did you not feel it was necessary to have it bias?

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@stevenwayne Hi Steve…thanks for watching and commenting. Two camps on biasing small 15w amps like this. Monoprice sets the bias a bit “cold” from the factory so going from the stock Ruby’s to JJ’s should make little if any difference in bias, especially on a small wattage amp like this. They started shipping these with stock JJ’s after I bought mine, but don’t know what they are shipping with these days. Mine has been running just fine for over 3 years now with no issue. So I am on the “not necessary” camp….thanks so much for stopping into the channel. 🎸👍

[@stevenwayne]

Thanks for the reply back! Yeah, it seems everyone has an opinion haha. I have a new 2023 model and it has unlabeled tubes in them, most likely Chinese brand. I’ll most likely swap them with JJ’s just like you and swap the reverb tank. I’m sure the sound difference will be minimum but I get bored and feel like tinkering with stuff haha

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@stevenwayne My pleasure man…they probably went back to the Ruby’s with all the issue with Slovic tube logistics.

[@marloumadrio8305]

Can I get further info about the three spring reverb tank. Can you share some links where to buy

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi Marlou…thanks for watching and commenting. Yes, the Mod tank I purchased from Amazon and here is the link: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BGXW50/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Appreciate your stopping into the channel and hope you enjoyed the video! 🎸👍

[@DarthEcoli]

The MOD tank makes a big difference. The JJs sound pretty good too, but you want to be careful when it comes to biasing power tubes, and should always do so. I blew up a Gretsch G5222 by adding vintage GE tubes, and not biasing it. Ooops! Pre amp tubes don't require biasing, but power tubes almost always do unless you have a self biasing amp like some Bugeras. I wasn't too upset blowing up the Gretsch since it was a poorly done reissue by Fender, and I'm planning to rewire it into a real Gretsch/Valco circuit anyway. In its new life, it will be closer to a Supro Spectator. If the Monoprice ever craps out, it might just become a blackface Princeton Reverb or AC 15, lol

[@JimmyStewart1]

The Monoprice comes biased pretty cold, and now ships with the JJ’s stock so thought I was pretty safe. It’s been fine, but I will continue to check it. Thanks so much for watching and commenting and your insight! Much appreciated! 👍

[@swinneydillan]

It self biasing

[@donnyboy911]

? curious...how did you verify the bias for new tubes?..ps: its a great sounding amp but could be set up as jcm with dual 1meg pot for the gain..

[@JimmyStewart1]

I didn’t re bias as from what I was told these ship a bit “cold” and because they now ship with JJ’s already, thought I would leave well enough alone. No issues in the past 18 months….👍

[@donnyboy911]

@@JimmyStewart1 cool. for the B+ on this unit; the calc was 28ma and change. mine was set at 26.5 soo thats close enough for me.+ the tubes have no labels on mine..really?. what funny.. i hear techs use math to get exactly what the bias could be..seriously? i use weber bias calc page and its NOT rocketry..close either way will be perfect. PV biases their classic 30s hot.. and im quoting the tech..LOL. he said "... its a 'range'....not gospel "

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@donnyboy911 Exactly Don…👍

[@buck7477]

Is there an even better reverb tank upgrade option if someone was willing to spend more money that will fit right in there? Thanks! I have one of the first versions of the amp with the controls on top. I can hear the reverb making noise for sure! I got the amp for $50 at the flea market!

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi buck7477…thanks for watching and commenting. There certainly “could be” I guess, but I really don’t know. I like the MoD and it works well. Fit is perfect…I guess you could research to see what fits and matches up, but I have not done that. Does yours have the little “blue box” reverb, or the two spring in it? Even the 2 spring would be a huge upgrade to the original “blue box” they use to come stock with.

[@fingersmagoo9344]

Did you read the voltage output on yours? Mine was from the factory at -7 volts. The specs on the cub12, which is what this is is -12.3. That said folks, if you aren't comfortable working around electronics, use it cold. But it is a simple tweak. I put an old set of telefunken tubes in mine. Biggest difference for me was I replaced the speaker with a WGS 12c 75 watt, got it for 40 bucks. Gotta say, this amp actually loves humbuckers. For the money, I paid 173 bucks for it, can't be beat. I am ready to do the reverb upgrade to finish it off. Curiously, I believe the reverb was MOD AEB2C1B? Nice job bro.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hey fingers magoo…thanks for watching and commenting. I never measured the voltage output but have heard from numerous sources that they ship “cold” so I didn’t bother with re-biasing the JJ’s. I did eventually pick up the 12” Celestion V30 cab for it…I believe that MoD 3 spring number is correct. Look in the comments here as I gave the reverb tank a number of times to other viewers who asked, but can’t remember exactly…it’s been awhile…😎 Truly appreciate your stopping in to the channel….this amp is the best value 15W valve amp on the market in my opinion! 🎸👍

[@mojangles28]

Reverb really sounds great here. Just picked one up myself, but seem to be having a bit of a problem. Wondering if anybody could help me out. Took me a few days of tinkering around to get the right tone. I finally found it (1W) setting. For me though, the direction the amp faces is more important than any of the EQ settings. Unless I'm directly facing the speaker it sounds extremely muddy. I've heard the speaker can be a bit harsh at first and takes time to break in so hopefully the issue will resolve itself. Anybody else have a similar problem? Thanks again Jimmy!

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting mojangles28…. The 80/20 Celestion does take some break-in time to open up. What guitars are you running through it? Single coils…humbuckers…P90’s….? Each will require some tweaking to find their “sweet spot” in your settings. Give it some break-in time and experiment a bit with what tones you have set with different guitars. I use the 1w setting (mostly) myself in the studio. 15w can get REAL LOUD…😎 Thanks again for stopping in and enjoy your new Stage Right! 👍

[@swinneydillan]

I did the same thing when I got mine I put JJ's in it and the three spring reverb the Reverb tank didn't really make a lot of difference but the tube did great little amp for the money to me it kind of sounds like an old Plexi Marshall

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting Allen! It is a great little amp! Appreciate your stopping in to the channel and sharing! 👍🎸

[@donnyboy911]

did you find the 1meg/100k pot is used backwards when looking at schem ? OR is the schem just labeled wrong with 1 meg( front 1/2)used to add in the cath cap on v1?

[@JimmyStewart1]

I assume you are referring to the Laney Cub schematics? I was under the impression from Monoprice that they will not release schematics for the Stage Right…

[@donnyboy911]

@@JimmyStewart1 i found a cpl dif versions. one uses 10k pot on rev, otrher shows 220k...slightly dif layout design wise ..and pcb use.

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@donnyboy911 Yep….kinda why I just went with a upgraded 3 spring tank…less hassle….😎

[@donnyboy911]

@@JimmyStewart1 keep the old one...had unit on bench with bad spring chassis. had old on with no outer case that dropped right in for the failed stock one. win-win

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@donnyboy911 Yes, I kept the old one as “backup” 😎👍

[@jamesbourbon3972]

Yes, the new Monoprice 15 has the JJ EL83S and EL84 tubes. The EL83S is the same as 12AX7.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Nice....thanks for that confirmation. Appreciate your stopping in and commenting! 👍

[@jamesbourbon3972]

@@JimmyStewart1 Got mine this month and it came with the TPSB2EB2C1B 2-Spring Medium-Decay Reverb Tank. Sounds great so far. I did swap the 1st tube with a TUNG-SOL 12AX7. Thanks for your videos!

[@JimmyStewart1]

That’s good to hear they are continuing to improve a already great amp for the $$$ Thanks so much for the info James! Again, thanks for stopping in and I hope to see you around the channel! 👍

[@leonarddaneman810]

I had bad luck. The first amp was damaged in shipping, breaking a tube. The replacement had damage to the front screen and the speaker ripped out of its anchor points. I was tired of setting up returns, so I just kept it and repaired the damn thing. I find using sawdust bits from MDF plus Titebond glue actually results in a stronger cabinet. It has the A-Type instead of the 70-80, and I liked the 70-80 better . . . more chime. But, more to the sound with playing and settings than between the two Celestions. Then, the amp blew a fuse and a tube, so I replaced all the Chinese AX7's with ElectroHarmonixs (Russia) . . . then, the amp died. It was an easy fix and the tech biased the EL84's and boy, you could hear the difference. Only about $60 . . . I tried switching the A-Type with a high-end Eminence I had laying around, but not much difference in sound. The weight of the amp almost doubled though! Last week, the amp started humming badly, and I narrowed it down to the Volume chain AX7, and when I touched the tube it shorted out the entire amp. So . . . back in the shop AGAIN in less than a year. Glad you are having better luck, and the 3-Spring tank looks like it worked out nicely . . . I've seen some KZbin comparisons of the AX7's, and Mullard or Tung-Sol are the best performers.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Wow! Guess you did have a bit of bad luck! Sorry to hear that! Had mine now about a year and a half, and so far (knock on MDF) no issues! It stays in the studio, and doesn’t see much abuse, so perhaps that has helped! I can imagine that amp was certainly a bit heavier with that Eminence in it! 😎 Good luck with the repair, and hopefully it will be all sorted out again for you! Thanks for watching and commenting, and stay safe! 👍

[@leonarddaneman810]

@@JimmyStewart1 On the positive side, I found a great local tech who specializes in musician equipment, and he is very reasonable. I also have the 5 watt version, and it has doubled in retail price. It is a good little amp, and works well too with a mic and harmonica. Hopefully, the 15 watt will be sorted out . . . and I started studying tube amp schematics and design. I have a collection of vintage power tubes . . . might make my own amp one of these days.

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@leonarddaneman810 I might pick up that 5w at some point...the all sounds great! Go ahead and build some!! Thanks again for stopping in the channel! 👍

[@jimcamp2423]

I figured the biggest improvement was adding the 3rd spring over the 2 spring. The tubes were pretty close. I was curious as to whether the he tubes were biased or matched to the original tubes closely. I figure you ordered new tubes that were matched among themselves (at least the power tubes) and whether there was any need or even way to bias the amp for the new tube set.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting Jim. The JJ power tubes were of course a matched set. As far as bias, the Monoprice seems to be biased a bit “cold” and they now ship with the JJ’s stock so the consensus was that it really didn’t require a re-bias of the amp (it’s only a 15w) and really not necessary. There is a way to do this, but requires pulling the chassis. I have had no issues since changing out the tubes, and as I said, the JJ’s are now stock in this amp. The 3 spring reverb does make a nice upgrade!! Appreciate your stopping in and thanks again!

[@bradleyard4195]

@@JimmyStewart1 A lot of the early ones were biased very cold (mine was at around 8 volts!), which resulted in shortened tube life. A quick rebias (a simple operation with this amp, actually) really opened it up with the set of Tung-Sols I put in it.

[@JimmyStewart1]

@@bradleyard4195 Thanks Bradley…yes I heard that they were biased pretty cold. Appreciate the insight and thanks so much for watching and commenting! 👍

[@carlc2597]

@@bradleyard4195 What that mean - cold biased?

[@bradleyard4195]

@@carlc2597 It means the voltage to the tubes (specifically the heater inside the cathode) is set too low, so the power tubes can't operate at their peak efficiency, which will shorten the life of the tubes. Likewise, having the voltage too "hot" will do the same. It's always best to be +/- 5 percent of ideal bias, which in this case is 12.5 volts.

[@bobtheblindbedroomguitaris8742]

I'm thinking of modding mine in the near future too I'm going to start with a speaker though cuz I think that would give the largest change in sound for the buck maybe an eminence or a warehouse or another celestion you know the speaker that's in it is a g7080 and it's a thick it sells for about 67 bucks it's a medium level speaker it's not garbage it ain't the best so that's going to be my first mod but I'm really interested to see how you are doing with yours sincerely yours, Bob the blind bedroom guitarist

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting! Speaker upgrades are certainly one way to change the sound if that is what your looking for! The 70/80 Celestion that is stock is not a terrible speaker as many would have you believe, and tends to open up a bit and sound better as it gets broken in. My amp is doing fine, and I appreciate your stopping in.

[@johnwillard6198]

I was hoping you’d play the same open picking chords as in the before sound bite

[@JimmyStewart1]

Yeah, I am sorry about that John! I don’t script any of my reviews, so I really didn’t think to try and duplicate the opening “doodling” I had done, but your right….it would have been a bit better to have done that! My bad, and I will try and remember that in the future! Thanks so much for watching and commenting! 👍

[@dvscool]

Can you share some more info on the reverb tank you bought? A link? model?

[@JimmyStewart1]

I have shared the link a number of times, but yes, here it is: www.amazon.com/MOD-Reverb-Tanks-8EB2C1B-Tank/dp/B003BGXW50 Thanks for watching and commenting, stay safe...👍

[@ryanjones4150]

I could be wrong, but in searching for a schematic on the net it seems that the circuit is basically a clone of the Laney Cub 15R ? If so, it has a fixed bias configuration for the power tubes, and when replacing them the power tube bias should be adjusted.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Hi ryanjones4150…thanks for watching and commenting. The circuit is actually cloned from the Laney Cub 12R…and yes the bias is adjustable from the circuit. I read many forums whom had positives/negatives about adjusting the bias (smaller wattage power amps and JJ tubes especially) and in my situation because the original bias/tubes were shipped/set pretty cooI from the factory, I left it alone and it has worked just fine for the past few years…appreciate your stopping in to the channel and sharing! 🎸👍

[@scootergreen3]

Is there a way to make changing a blown fuse easier? I heard fuse is way up in printed circuit board and you have to send it to company to change it.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting Michael….I am not a amp tech, but yes, the fuse is on the board and you need to pull the amp chassis to get to it. I would Google Monoprice 15w Stage Right Amp Fuse and read up on some of the threads about changing the fuse, along with troubleshooting and probably more important, what could be causing the fuse to blow? You could certainly change the fuse DIY, but always take CAUTION when working on a amplifier as they can be very dangerous if you do not know what you are doing.

[@scootergreen3]

@@JimmyStewart1 Thank you Jimmy.

[@fedayeentaqx9956]

hey i have this amp coming tomorrow, its supposed to come with JJs, but i want back up tubes due to the impending tube crisis, can someone please tell this tube noob exactly what tubes i need and a couple suggestions as to brand? im going for rich, complex, overdriven sounds with enough clean headroom to use pedals.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Congrats on your new amp! Thanks so much for watching and commenting! In the video, I go through the tubes that this amp takes (3 12ax7 for preamp and 2 EL84’s for the power section. Some like to run slightly different but compatible tubes based on preference, but those are the stock tube configuration. I would receive it first and fire it up, see how you like/dislike the stock tubes (and yes, could be JJ’s but not guaranteed) and go from there. There is really only a couple tube manufacturers that make all the tubes regardless, you just want to decide what you want sitting in your slots. Google “tubes for Monoprice 15w Val a amp” and see what others are suggesting. I like it stock with JJ’s that I used in this video…good luck and thanks again for stopping in to the channel! 👍🎸

[@andrewk9143]

Have you had to bias the amp after changing the tubes? Great video again 👍

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting Andrew…I have not re-biased the amp since re-tubing. The Monoprice ships biased a bit cold from what I understand, and I used JJ tubes which is what it ships with standard now. No hot plating, nothing I have noticed since replacing the tubes, and it sounds good so I left it alone. There is a pretty good explanation of how to do it listed here in the comments from a amp tech should you want to do it based on the Lany Cub 12 schematics that this amp is based on.

[@mikeyjohnson6610]

Can you tell me how to find the fuse on this amp? I can't find anything out on where the fuse is.

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks for stopping in Mikey….I have not tried to pull it, but think the fuse is more than likely inside the amp casing. You would have to pull the amp chassis to get access to it. 👍 Reminder that power amps can be DEADLY when working around…be sure to take appropriate cautions!

[@Waldorfcorp]

Three of the reviews that I watched illustrated that humbuckers were not sounding very good with the amp. Did you find that as well?

[@JimmyStewart1]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting Waldofcorp…honestly I am not a huge fan of humbuckers to begin with, and prefer P90’s and other single coils. That said, I didn’t really find this amp being “particular” with any specific pickups and can be pleasing with any. It’s all in the tone setting you want to achieve. Again, I do prefer single coils, especially P90’s and this amp has done everything I need including humbuckers here in the studio! Appreciate your stopping in to the channel…🎸👍

[@stevensweeting7191]

I heard some Bachman Turner! Thanks, bought the Amp today $199.00+tax, free ship with coupon, and sub'd

[@JimmyStewart1]

Well thanks so much for watching and commenting and hope you enjoy your amp! They now come stock with JJ tubes too! Good price!! Enjoy and thanks again! Much appreciated! 👍