Hot Plate

[szulc]

Does anyone own one of these? I just got one.
If you have a tube amp and like the power amp grind this is very useful. You can also use it as a load box and use the line out to drive effects or a board. Very cool! The easiest way to the the Van Halen first album tone.

[Bongo Boy]

Is this the unit made by THD? I've been looking closely at their UniValve amp which includes a Hot Plate--but haven't heard one yet. According to all the testimonials, my guitar will basically play itself by simply plugging it into the amp :D

[szulc]

Yes it is made by THD and no it will not play itself.
In the type of music that you are interested in playing (Jazz) it would not be that useful, since its function it to allow you to drive your tube poweramp into distortion.

[Bongo Boy]

Oh absolutely, understand. But the idea of a snazzy-looking 15W amp with a built-in Hot Plate that just might sound great too is appealing. Plus hey, I'll be gettin' a solid body boat anchor with a half-dozen pickups on it someday, you know! :D

[szulc]

So you are not too fond of solidbodies?

[Danster]

Originally posted by szulc
... its function it to allow you to drive your tube poweramp into distortion.

I assume you mean it will do this at low volume?

[szulc]

This thing will do it a NO volume if you want just as a load box. OR if you put it on the lowest setting (-16 db) there is a pot that is continuously variable from about -infinity to -16 db. You can drive line level effects from it or even stompboxes. This is great for getting the early Van Halen Grind. Plus it is frequency compensated so it doesn't sound like all your highs and lows are gone when you play quiet.

[Danster]

What's a load box?
What's a drive line level effect?

TIA for helping out the ignert! :)

[szulc]

A load box is a way of connecting your tube amp without using a speaker, it acts like a speaker and dissapates the power as heat, thus the term hot plate.

Driving line levels effects is a verb, meaning you have the ability to use the line out signal from this unit to drive (apply signal to) line level devices, such as mixers or professional studio gear. THe unit can also be adjusted to provide a lower lever signal to drive stompboxes.

[Danster]

Originally posted by szulc
Driving line levels effects is a verb :o OK, I see. Gotta work on that reading comprehension. :D Anyway, thanks for the definitions.

Cheers,
Dan (who has never set foot inside a recording studio)

[szulc]

Hopefully, my explanation has helped your understanding of these things.

[Bongo Boy]

Originally posted by szulc
So you are not too fond of solidbodies?Oh absolutely...I was actually serious about getting one. But I spend 90% of my time with the hollow and when I pick up my 135 semi-hollow or say a Les Paul in the store...it feels like a cement block. Remarkable difference in sustain tho :)

[szulc]

It is hard to beat the tone of a strat, or the sustain of a LP.

[Bongo Boy]

I can now really appreciate James' comments regarding the Hot Plate. My new Univalve includes a HotPlate switch and oh my goodness, is THIS fun! I'm going nuts with just how much fun this is. For the stateside old timers here, just imagine that tone in the intro in Spirit in the Sky--something I thought was done with a fuzz box. Not so! Easily attainable with a nicely overdriven tube amp, and at bedroom volumes with the Hot Plate. So nice.

And as far as not being too useful for a jazz amp, NOT SO!!! This is, in my view, the Perfect jazz amp--and even with an EL34! I'm totally blown away by how flexible/versatile this little amp is. It's so cool to be able to go from a very typical contemporary, ultra clean jazz sound to almost anything you want--all at low volume. What I don't get is how I can get so much feedback at low volumes too--maybe it's because I sit in front of the cab with a hollow body--duh, but still, I'm amazed. It's heaven.

My entire life's dream now is to be able to play the first few bars of Can't Explain (The Who) thru this thing--my life will be complete. I've been cozying up to the Es135 a lot more lately :D