Nearly 3 years in service: Pignose G40V Tube amp combo

[stephen]

Yep, I still have and regularly use my G40V. For those that dont know much about it; Its a 40 watt, single channel (Pignose advertizes its a class A amp, but I've heard some say it is not), with a 10" speaker.

This has been my amp 100%, and after I got it loaded with some NOS tubes, I cant think of playing anything else!

Now under normal conditions, I play at low volume, but I recently played with my two of my boys (oldest on drums, youngest on guitar). My youngest son, who was playing his Marshall MG30CD, couldnt believe he could not compete with the volume and headroom my amp was puttin out! Its funny, a couple of their friends stopped by and looked at my dinky little amp, and couldnt beleive the tone and shear volume being pumped out by it! ANd I only had it cranked to about 5 ( :biggrin: ).

At a brand new purchase price of $200.00 us dollars, it is definttely a best bang for your buck purchase!

It utilizes two 6L6, and 3 12AX7's, though I have two 12AX7's and one 12ATS. I gotta tell you, if you love old Fender tube amp tones, this one is right their in that territory!

I dial it in about 4- 4.5 on the master volume, and set the volume to the level I want. It gives it that nice mildly overdriven gain tone I love outta Fenders. I use an Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808, that really compliments the tone nicely.

Now some might complain that there is only one channel. Even though I have it overdriven a bit, if I roll back on my guitar volume a touch, and ease up on my attack a touch too, I get amazing clean tones: chimmey, and blooming, with an ever so slightly hint of drive, but relatively clean.

I've gotten a lot of compliments out of this rig, and I dont forsee me gettin rid of it anytime soon!

So if your a guitarist on a budget, and want that tube tone but cant afford the big price of the big name brands, give Pignose G40V a try, you might just like it!

[refin]

I had one of the 30/60 Pignoses back in the early '80s,and with a Celestion that thing was awesome---great touch and crunch.
Congrats on the hard working Pig in your stable---I've never had the privelege of playing through the 40 watt tube.

[Teleguy]

Still makin' them?

[Pearly Gator]

Yep, TG they still sell them. I got mine as a factory refurb for $190. Plugged into an extension cab, the amp is a real monster. Plenty of power to keep up in a band. Mine is very Marshall like and loves Strats and Teles.

The only downer is a ground loop in the input wiring which causes some hum. It's an easy fix if you know what you're doin'.

One of my students has the Pignose G60VR 1X12 Pignose combo. It's even better! Oops, that's OT! Forgive me. :angel

Gator

[Teleguy]

Tks for the info.
If I can find one cheap, I'm in the market. ;)

[stephen]

Tks for the info.
If I can find one cheap, I'm in the market. ;)

Brand spankin new, out the door, $200.00 bucks. In my book, thats pretty low priced, especially for a tube amp!

Funny thing is, I dont see many used ones for sale out there.

[Teleguy]

Wow.
That is a deal.

[stephen]

Of course, you do want to dump them chinese tubes ASAP. They wont help your sound at all: very flabby sounding, and not a nice, consistant, creamy, overdrive. But once I got a set of NOS tubes as a practical gift from a brother ( ;) ), WOW! She came alive.

Now, the good thing is, I am told (by a very reliable and good tech: the same one that blessed me with the tubes), that the little 'Piggy' is wired hot, and the tubes that he gave me would be absolutely fine, and I wont need to re-bias the amp. Now I was concerned, but I trusted him, and I have had those tubes in my rig for well over a year now, and they show no signs of fading or degrading! But that bad drawback to that is: I am now hooked on NOS tubes! And if you happen to have lived in a cave for the past 5-10 years, THEY AINT CHEAP! But another buddy of mine (a electronics/computer guru, that cruises all the old electronic shops) told me of a mom n pops electronic shop in a city nearby that has a massive wall of old GE, Sylvania, Westinghouse, and Philips tubes, and they are dirt cheap! He's talkin from 5 to 20 bucks a pop! I may just have to go check it out and see if I can afford a lifetime supply of NOS tubes!

[Crunchyriff]

NOS tubes are da-bomb. It's all I use in my 75 Marshall. If I were forced to, I'd put in a certain combination of new mfg tubes that will give up at least 80% of the NOS goodies...but oh that last 20%!!!

I have a buddy that had the Pignose G40V. A very cool, "maximum value" amp. Unfortunately, his tranny went pooh-poo after about 6 mos., and it woulda cost him roughly half the purchase price (parts & labor) to get it fixed...

[stephen]

Unfortunately, his tranny went pooh-poo after about 6 mos., and it woulda cost him roughly half the purchase price (parts & labor) to get it fixed...

Ahem, luckily I work for a place that orders tons of different xfrmr's every single day of the year, and I'm pretty sure I could get either one of the two in my piggy, for purty cheap! Thank God I have not had any tranny problems though!

[Pearly Gator]

But another buddy of mine (a electronics/computer guru, that cruises all the old electronic shops) told me of a mom n pops electronic shop in a city nearby that has a massive wall of old GE, Sylvania, Westinghouse, and Philips tubes, and they are dirt cheap! He's talkin from 5 to 20 bucks a pop! I may just have to go check it out and see if I can afford a lifetime supply of NOS tubes!


Stephen,

When you go to this mom 'n pop shop, do you mind if I tag along? :cool:

Gator

[Crunchyriff]

Hey, can I go too huh, can I can I??? I'm in Central Ca...

[stephen]

Hmmmm, I sense a road trip brewin! I would have no problems with that my brother! Matter of fact, I'd love it! And if Crunchy wants to make the trip down, we can set up a date (most likely in September, cuz I'm kinda booked the next 2 months), and I dont see why we couldnt!

Now since PG would be driving at least 90 minutes, and crunchy could be a couple/few hours, I think it would be best if I at least scope the place out, and make sure the info I got is correct. I'd hate to see you guys make the effort for a bunch of sovteks, or chinese tubes :mad: . But I promise, if it does pan out, I will refrain from goin in too deep, and wait till we can raid that place like a candy store, and were a bunch of escapee's from a weight-watchers retreat!

[Crunchyriff]

That would be mighty kind of you Stephen!!

Deploy recon, delta foxtrot! Deploy!!

[ptrallan01]

UNITE!!!

I love my piggy except for the hum that goes away when I play it upside down!!! At this point it sits behind the recliner in my living room and I play it just about every day while I watch tv and talk to my wife. It is great with both teles, but it loves, flat out loves my Artcore AF75 with flatwound 12's and my series 10 (what's that?) imo les paul. I got it on ebay for $117.50 put some new tubes in and other than the hum I am in love.

[stephen]

UNITE!!!

I love my piggy except for the hum that goes away when I play it upside down!!!

Well, if anyone here can walk you through that piggy, it would be PG, I think he has just about modified and upgraded his to the 'nth' degree, and he knows them little piggy's well! So maybe Gary will see this, and help you cast that hum out of that little piggy! Yep, thats right, a full blown hum exorcism!

[Pearly Gator]

ptrallan01,

How handy are you with a soldering iron?

PG

[Pearly Gator]

Hey G40V owners!

Have you notice that the presence control has limited/no range? I'm wondering if my 2003 edition is the only one with this problem.

PG

[stephen]

Hey G40V owners!

Have you notice that the presence control has limited/no range?

PG

Well, I would cal it limited, but it does have some range. I can get from kinda flat sounding to kinda sharp. I run it at about 4. I do wish it had more range, but it doesnt bug me much.

[Pearly Gator]

Thanks, Stephen. I discovered the presence control is incorrectly wired in my amp. It doesn't match the schematic. I corrected the wiring and performed a couple of mods to make it closer to the '59 Bassman/Marshall circuit. All hum is gone from the G40V with the mod. I'll post the schematic and some instructions in a day or so.

God bless,

PG

[stephen]

I corrected the wiring and performed a couple of mods to make it closer to the '59 Bassman/Marshall circuit. All hum is gone from the G40V with the mod. I'll post the schematic and some instructions in a day or so.

:mrgreen:

[Pearly Gator]

The cold winter weather puts me in the mood for the warm glow of tubes and I’ve been tinkering with several amps lately. A Fender Pro Reverb, an Epiphone Galaxy, the Pignose G40V and a Tweed Deluxe clone. This is the Pignose G40V stuff for Stephen…

[stephen]

WOW!

I'm probably gonn aneed a little help, but I am definitely doin this mod!

[Structo]

Looks like they are going for around $320 now..................
Here's good review a tweak site.
http://www.guitarnuts.com/amps/g40v/index.php

[Pearly Gator]

Yep, prices have jumped. I wonder if it is because of the Christmas shopping season. I paid $199 for mine two years ago.

The Guitarnuts site shows a 12AT7 installation at V@ and a cathode resistor mod. That mod will draw 4X the normal current through the driver tube circuit. I stuck with the tried and true Bassman/Marshall cathode follower. There's even more mods over at the Blue Guitar site, most of which are voicing mods.

PG

[stephen]

I wonder if that is the MSRP, and not the street price? I saw a couple for $220.00, and I know the place might be talked down to 200 out the door.

[dmw]

I've not found any dealer selling it for under that $319 price either. At $199 I think I'd have to buy one. When it gets above $300 that opens it up to a few other choices, although this still might be the better way to go.

[stephen]

I tell you all what, after hearing Gator's amp when I went up, I am most definitely gettin the mods done!

Hey PG, it was still only modded up to the last 5 mods, or did you do em all?

[Crunchyriff]

Are you guys still using the same speaker?

[Pearly Gator]

Stephen, all those mods above are what the amp you played here has.

Crunchy, yes, the stock speaker. I don't know if it has broken in with age but it sounds really good. It has a nice balance of lows and highs. Not unlike a 70W Eminence guitar speaker.

PG

PS - Stephen, here's the schematic I drew for your Alamo Capri. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/pearlygator/Schematics/AlamoRedraw1.gif)