THD BiValve thoughts

[Rich H]

Hello Forum Readers,
The impetus for this post is a thread on the BiValve from some time ago.
I recieved my BiValve in a cardboard box that was worn to the point of pretty much being a bag. But when I opened it up the amp was undamaged ! Ithink this speaks to the very high quality of the materials and the build.
My unit shipped with two EL43's and two 12AX7's. When I fired it up the first time, I thought "this thing is way too aggresive"! But I was plugged in to the "more" jack and this makes a BIG difference.While the distortion that the '34s were giving up was truly 3-dimesional harmonic heaven, I wanted to get sqeaky clean also.Dropping a pair of 6L6s and plugging in to the "less" input took care of that.Also, you can get differing shades of clean/dirt by using 12AT7s or 12AU7s in the input and driver tube positions.The "attitude" knob controls how hard the driver tube pushes the output tubes.It has nothing to do with negative feedback or presence control.
This amp has a built in dummy load. This means that you can record with this thing by using the line out (which is transformer isolated, meaning no ground loop issues) with it sitting right there in the control room and no speaker hooked up at the time!
I hope that other BiValvers will submit their fave tube combinations.I like the clean-ish/dirt-ish sound of an EL84 (with a Yellow Jacket) and a KT66,KT88,6L6 or 6V6 etc. Not to mention all of the input/driver tube combinations!
Let's create a great place to share THD info!
Easy,Rich H

[punkin]

Hello fellow THD owner...I went for the Uni. In case you weren't aware, there's a Uni/Bivalve forum...

Here is the active forums http://www.univalve.net/forums_new/
here are the archived forums http://univalve.net/forums/

Lots of good Uni and BiValve info there. Great posts and info about tube changes.

With that said, someone here turned me on to the Uni a while back. I was looking for a bluesier capable amp that didn't leave the ears bleeding at the end of the night. These amps are sweet aren't they?

I jumped right in and started changing out tubes...these amps are cool cuz you can put just about anything into them without the hassle of biasing (not sure if the BiValve is quite the same).

I liked the factory tubes (12AX7 Mullard, 12AX7 chineese and EL34 Sovtek). I got a 12AU7, 6CA7 and a 6L6...I'm not at home right now but I also picked up a Yellow jacket and a few of the smaller, lower power final tubes as well. The combination of sounds is simply fantastic.

The other amps in my collection have a lot of front end gain...the Uni/Bi amps turn things around a little and let you drive the finals harder. Just a completely different kinda class "a" amp. While heavy metal sounds can be achieved, it's really not ideal...need input booster/pedal to get the input/driver tubes to saturate.

N E ways...I too am a proud THD owner.

[Outlaws]

I posted a thread or two when I got my BiValve. You can search for them if you care to, but I am not really in the mood to retype everything.

But in short, I like mine.

[cellardweller]

Originally Posted by Rich H

My unit shipped with two EL43's and two 12AX7's. When I fired it up the first time, I thought "this thing is way too aggresive"! But I was plugged in to the "more" jack and this makes a BIG difference.While the distortion that the '34s were giving up was truly 3-dimesional harmonic heaven

You have piqued my interest in the THD amps once again.
Do you have any basis of comparison for the "too aggressive"?
Would this make a metal guy happy for life?

As some of you know, my ampeg finally fried on me, and I do not want to pay to fix the P.O.S. again!
This coupled with excessive amounts of overtime at work has put me in the market for a new amp again. I am, unfortunately, geographically challenged (not a single decent shop in my area).

So what do you think?
Is the BiValve meant/built for metal?


Speaking of work, back to it!

[punkin]

I can't speak to the Bi but I can to the Uni...I have much better choices for metal...The Uni "can" get there but you said make a Metal player happy for life...I'm thinking not. It really shines in the power tube distortion area where as most of the hard/metal rigs get a lot more input and driver gain distortion. I get some pretty good metal sounds but I've got to put a hard-driving pedal in front.

I picked the Uni up more for it's flexibility for a variety of sounds and it has a built in hot-plate. I can crank it up, keep the volume down and get plenty of final saturation without going deaf (some more). I shines at jazz, blues and classic rock and old school metal...the new heavy death stuff not so much.

Check out the Univalve.net forums...poke around in there and get with some of the BiValve users.

Hey Outlaw!...can you shed a little light on the metal? It seems to me that the BiValves have just a bit more head room (and a lot more power) than the Uni's...that so?

[travelin travis]

I'd really like to check out some THD stuff........but I'm poor. Maybe some day, a flexi.........

[Outlaws]

eh.....not Nu Metal.

Old school metal though. Maybe, maybe not. Its hard to say. I think it can to a good extent, but it might not be the 'tone' everyone wants.

I called it the Anti-Mesa Mesa once...not because it nails the Mesa sound, but because its a classic sound with a modern edge. Not modern as in metal but modern as in not trying to simply replicate a vintage amp like almost every single other 'boutique' amp maker is currently doing.

Mesa was something original when it came out.


The BiValve does a nice clean. Its not the 'surf' sound of the 60's, because its not a DeluxeReverb. Its got a great 'hard rock' tone of the late 70's and early 80's....almost nails AC/DC if you ask me....but it still isn't a Marshall. It can get dark, or 'metal' if you will....but its not a sustain machine nor a Randall, Bogner, or Mesa type of grinding chaos. Its more of an old Orange amp...isn't that what Black Sabbath used?

But in the end, I still think its in the fingers....hell, I was able to get extremely dark sounds out of my Blues Jr when I had that. -no pedals.

-Edit-
Though, to be completely honest, since I have had the BiValve, I honestly must say that the EQ section has left me wanting more. That really is my only gripe with the amp.

[Outlaws]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

I'd really like to check out some THD stuff........but I'm poor. Maybe some day, a flexi.........

THD made a Marshall Plexi ripoff a while back. The Flexi they claim isn't trying to copy the Plexi, but I think everyone knows that it is to an extent. But the Plexi ripoff they made was, and I haven't played one so its pure hearsay, dead on.

[travelin travis]

I did'nt know about the plexi ripoff but I did'nt really think the flexi would be a plexi clone. I'd just like to have a really toneful amp that let me play around with different pre/power tubes and the 20/50 option of the flexi would be really nice.