# Incoming Kartakou Collosus



## maggotspawn (May 27, 2019)

Just ordered a Kartakou Collosus preamp.
It's based on the 5150, clean channel seems improved. Ever since I sold my 6505+ I've been missing that grind.
I've been making do with the 5150 model in my GSP 1101. The GSP sounds great, but GAS hit.


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## Bearitone (May 27, 2019)

I want one of these for that mid sweep knob. A 5150 pre with that control sounds like a great idea


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## maggotspawn (May 27, 2019)

Bearitone said:


> I want one of these for that mid sweep knob. A 5150 pre with that control sounds like a great idea


Raf, who's the guy in the video says that knob is somewhat subtle. You can hear it but it's not over the top.


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## Gmork (May 27, 2019)

Ive hovered over the buy button many times on this. Very interested to hear your opinions since youve owned the real thing as well. 

And yead mid sweep is one of the best contros that EVERY amp or preamp pedal should have


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## Mourguitars (May 30, 2019)

Yep ! i seen his post else where and went to Reverb and bought one ! 15% off last weekend...couldnt pass up...looks pretty cool and I'm playing my rack more and more these days anyway..looking forward to getting it !

Mike


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## maggotspawn (May 30, 2019)

I asked about running it with a Voodoo Lab
Control Switcher. He said he'll throw in an adapter for me. Should be killer.


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## Mourguitars (May 30, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> I asked about running it with a Voodoo Lab
> Control Switcher. He said he'll throw in an adapter for me. Should be killer.



Oh really ! Very cool of him ....

Mike


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## maggotspawn (May 30, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> Oh really ! Very cool of him ....
> 
> Mike


Yeah, I thought the same.
Mike, did yours ship yet? Mine says shipping label created, but it hasn't actually shipped.


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## c7spheres (May 30, 2019)

Crazy! I was just looking at these yesterday. I want one to run into my 2-50-2. I love my rig but gas is setting in!


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## Mourguitars (May 30, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> Yeah, I thought the same.
> Mike, did yours ship yet? Mine says shipping label created, but it hasn't actually shipped.



Label created as well....I keep looking tho, I’ll keep ya posted tho 

Mike


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## vick1000 (May 31, 2019)

I GASed for one for a year or so back before I went Axe FX. They are really well designed and look like solid builds, with real high current tube signal path, unlike a lot of competitor stuff. It was just such a risk for me back then, since they are imported here, and sort of unknown at the time.


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## Mourguitars (May 31, 2019)

Still the same status, but i ordered a pickup thru MF on the same night and it says pre shipment...both are coming USPS maybe the USPS isn't updating...ive had this before..it got here before the tracking was updated

Mike


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## Mourguitars (May 31, 2019)

vick1000 said:


> I GASed for one for a year or so back before I went Axe FX. They are really well designed and look like solid builds, with real high current tube signal path, unlike a lot of competitor stuff. It was just such a risk for me back then, since they are imported here, and sort of unknown at the time.



Yea Vick i had a Ax8 but someone offed me a price for it that i couldn't refuse..it sold yesterday. Might (will ) buy the Ax3, but I'm in my rack mode in the moment...i like having choices and different toys !

Btw Tom morris brought over a Atomic CLR yesterday to my warehouse, i like that speaker ! Mixed with the xitone it balanced out well...Tom has a Friedman incoming as well...we are in the same state ya have to stop buy...we have a lot of nice gear ! Im in PSL

Mike


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## USMarine75 (May 31, 2019)

Bearitone said:


> I want one of these for that mid sweep knob. A 5150 pre with that control sounds like a great idea



That’s one of the main mods that FJAMODs does. I have it on mine and it is awesome. Changes the whole character of the amp. I could even get it to sound like the Engl FB100 with those lower dark Mids (kind of like a Framus Dragon too). But then go right back to stock throaty 5150 toanz.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 1, 2019)

i sent Vasili a message this morning , received a very quick reply back, answered all my questions...Vasili said sometimes there is a delay in Tracking...my tracking from my order from MF just updated this morning saying out for delivery...we are dealing with the USPS, i figured it will update when it hits the shores over here going thru customs ect....its my first order from overseas, so i kinda new it was going to be a experience !

Mike


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## op1e (Jun 1, 2019)

I almost ordered one yesterday. I hit pause though after I googled Russian VaT. How bad was the hit on that?


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## Mourguitars (Jun 1, 2019)

op1e said:


> I almost ordered one yesterday. I hit pause though after I googled Russian VaT. How bad was the hit on that?



i don't know, i hate what's going on now, i went to eBay going to buy a few things and prices went up..so i passed. 

Im in the fishing business and our trade show iCast is when we will know the new prices...we have a lot of stock so well make more money on that but .....the wages are stagnate 

Mike


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## op1e (Jun 1, 2019)

I just mean the customs fees. Are they gonna hold ya up for $72 when it hits the border? Or is it gonna just shoot right thru I hope.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 1, 2019)

op1e said:


> I just mean the customs fees. Are they gonna hold ya up for $72 when it hits the border? Or is it gonna just shoot right thru I hope.




Ok my bad , i just was experiencing a little sticker shock while wanting to purchase a few things today...

I expect some sort of duty charge, it is what it is...

Mike


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## op1e (Jun 9, 2019)

Get it yet? How bad were the customs fees?


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## maggotspawn (Jun 9, 2019)

op1e said:


> Get it yet? How bad were the customs fees?


Still waiting. Tracking issues, so I have no idea of where it's at. Pretty sure it will make it without any customs fees.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 10, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> Still waiting. Tracking issues, so I have no idea of where it's at. Pretty sure it will make it without any customs fees.




Same ....tracking issues as well ...been two weeks

Mike


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## op1e (Jun 10, 2019)

They YouTube guy you linked answered my question. He's in Florida and his shot right thru, no additional fees. Probably gonna sell my 6505mh to fund this.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 11, 2019)

Your item was accepted at 10:23 am on June 11, 2019 in BELARUS.

I guess he was just behind...


Priority Mail International Parcels
Features:
International Parcels


mike


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## USMarine75 (Jun 11, 2019)

I've had the same issues with ordering from Svisound from Bulgaria and AMT direct from Russia. No VAT or customs issues, but having tracking issues and then boom its back on track and arrives.


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## maggotspawn (Jun 11, 2019)

Still no news on mine. Bummed out.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 11, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> Still no news on mine. Bummed out.




I contacted him yesterday, i didn't get a reply but he read the message ...same status, but when i clicked it it updated....im sure he's just behind, That vid that Rafiq was a selling point..thanks Rafig ! I'm sure he sold a few and gotten behind also you can buy them on Ebay, Reverb and Amazon so he's expanding ! Hang in there...

Mike


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## Mourguitars (Jun 11, 2019)

Processed Through Facility 
MINSK PI 3, BELARUS 
Your item has been processed through a facility in MINSK PI 3, BELARUS on June 11, 2019 at 2:45 pm.

Its moving !

Mike


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## maggotspawn (Jun 12, 2019)

Mine finally shipped. In transit. What a relief.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 12, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> Mine finally shipped. In transit. What a relief.




Very Cool !

Mike


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## maggotspawn (Jun 12, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> Very Cool !
> 
> Mike


Yeah, I'm stoked. can't wait for it to get here. What power amp are you going to use with yours?


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## jclogston (Jun 12, 2019)

After following this thread I'm in so tempted to buy one of these. but I have that evh 50w head already so don't know if I need both of these?


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## Mourguitars (Jun 12, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> Yeah, I'm stoked. can't wait for it to get here. What power amp are you going to use with yours?




Mesa 2:90 ! \m/ 

Mike


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## Mourguitars (Jun 14, 2019)

June 14, 2019, 8:20 am 
Processed Through Facility 
MINSK PI 3, BELARUS 
Your item has been processed through a facility in MINSK PI 3, BELARUS at 8:20 am on June 14, 2019.

moving slowly...

Mike


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 14, 2019)

In my experience, receiving items from Russia can take from a couple of weeks to a month.


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## Bearitone (Jun 14, 2019)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> In my experience, receiving items from Russia can take from a couple of weeks to a month.



This^^^


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## op1e (Jun 16, 2019)

So, 19 days just to get it out the door? Bummer.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 16, 2019)

op1e said:


> So, 19 days just to get it out the door? Bummer.




Origin Post is Preparing Shipment 
We have received notice that the originating post is preparing to dispatch this mail piece.

shoulder shrug...

Mike


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## maggotspawn (Jun 16, 2019)

op1e said:


> So, 19 days just to get it out the door? Bummer.


It's a bummer, but I think it will be worth the wait.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 16, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> It's a bummer, but I think it will be worth the wait.



Oh i know it will ! ....Im eyeing a Myasnikov so this was a test buy so to speak, I'm really looking forward to it.....but also looking for a decent shape old Rocktron patch bay...at a steal, I've gotten some good deals lately..good hunter always waits

Mike


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## jclogston (Jun 16, 2019)

hmm Myasnikov or Kartakou or even R&R Sound SL/LD...


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 16, 2019)

jclogston said:


> hmm Myasnikov or Kartakou or even R&R Sound SL/LD...



Myasnikov is like... direct clones, correct?

The Karkataou only does the 5150 I believe.

The SL/LD is like an old 2ch Recto meets an SLO, but more versatile.

I owned the SL/LD and loved it. With a boost, it's insane.


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## jclogston (Jun 16, 2019)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Myasnikov is like... direct clones, correct?
> 
> The Karkataou only does the 5150 I believe.
> 
> ...




the SL/LD looks really versatile...how were it's cleans?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 16, 2019)

jclogston said:


> the SL/LD looks really versatile...how were it's cleans?



I can't remember too well since I didn't use them a lot, but I THINK I remember them being very clean. Really hard to break up.


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## jclogston (Jun 16, 2019)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I can't remember too well since I didn't use them a lot, but I THINK I remember them being very clean. Really hard to break up.



Thanks. I like it and the kartakou as i would still want a clean channel....looking to replace my evh 50watt head with something smaller


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## op1e (Jun 16, 2019)

I'm thinking my rig is gonna end up being the Colossus and R&R PWR150 eventually. Trying to move some stuff. Tried 2 different setups last night and wasn't liking the mids of either. Everything sounded hollow and didn't cut until I kicked on the loop that the 6505mh was in. Then it was too "squeely". I guess there's a buffer in the Patchmate that's too hot going into the loop.


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## jclogston (Jun 16, 2019)

op1e said:


> I'm thinking my rig is gonna end up being the Colossus and R&R PWR150 eventually. Trying to move some stuff. Tried 2 different setups last night and wasn't liking the mids of either. Everything sounded hollow and didn't cut until I kicked on the loop that the 6505mh was in. Then it was too "squeely". I guess there's a buffer in the Patchmate that's too hot going into the loop.



I wonder how any of these will sound using AMT tube cake or mooer baby boom?


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## Gmork (Jun 16, 2019)

Ive had EXCELLENT customer service for my custom engle FB100 footswitch with kartakou. And as far as shipping from over there ive also experienced weird tracking issues and somewhat long wait times. Ive had my eye on the collosus for a long while. Cant wait to hear some first hand accounts! I want to hear it next to 5150


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## op1e (Jun 16, 2019)

jclogston said:


> I wonder how any of these will sound using AMT tube cake or mooer baby boom?


There's no way I'll be the one to find out. Neither one of those will be anywhere near loud enough if the 6505mh isn't.


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## MrWulf (Jun 16, 2019)

FWIW i have the Tube Cake 1.5W version. Decent mobile poweramp that can get loud but not too loud for practice purposes. The presence/depth knobs are quite useful though


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## jclogston (Jun 16, 2019)

MrWulf said:


> FWIW i have the Tube Cake 1.5W version. Decent mobile poweramp that can get loud but not too loud for practice purposes. The presence/depth knobs are quite useful though



Cool. Thanks for the info. I might look into it as my power amp for this.


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## maggotspawn (Jun 23, 2019)

It arrived. Only got to play it at bedroom volumes, but it sounds on par with my 6505+ at the same volume. Can't wait crank it up. It has momentary relays for the channel switching. My G Major 2 wouldn't work for that. I hooked up a Voodoo Lab Control Switcher, and all is good. At first the gain channel wasn't working. It turned out to be some loose tubes from shipping. 
Very happy with this purchase.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 23, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> It arrived. Only got to play it at bedroom volumes, but it sounds on par with my 6505+ at the same volume. Can't wait crank it up. It has momentary relays for the channel switching. My G Major 2 wouldn't work for that. I hooked up a Voodoo Lab Control Switcher, and all is good. At first the gain channel wasn't working. It turned out to be some loose tubes from shipping.
> Very happy with this purchase.




Awesome you received it, mine is WPB so ill get it Monday. Glad to hear that it sounds on par with the 6505+, that's what i was looking for in it. Thanks for the heads up on the loose tubes.

I was going to use it with the Replifex that is a channel switching via TRS cable...is that the way its designed ?

Any way..Enjoy and glad you received it !

Mike


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 23, 2019)

Also cool to hear it's based on the 6505+. Everyone wants to emulate an OG 5150 or a 5153, but never any love for the 6505+515II.


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## maggotspawn (Jun 23, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> Awesome you received it, mine is WPB so ill get it Monday. Glad to hear that it sounds on par with the 6505+, that's what i was looking for in it. Thanks for the heads up on the loose tubes.
> 
> I was going to use it with the Replifex that is a channel switching via TRS cable...is that the way its designed ?
> 
> ...


I don't know if the Replifex can switch momentary relays. The footswitch input is 5 pin DIN. Vasili sent me an adapter, that is 5 pin DIN to 1/4" female TRS. I don't know if he sends out that adapter with every order.
But like I said my G Major 2 couldn't.switch channels on it. Drove me crazy last night.


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## maggotspawn (Jun 23, 2019)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Also cool to hear it's based on the 6505+. Everyone wants to emulate an OG 5150 or a 5153, but never any love for the 6505+515II.


It actually has a switch for for 2 modes.
5150 & 6505+. In my brief testing I preferred the 5150. Still have tweak with it at volume.


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## op1e (Jun 23, 2019)

It's laid out almost exactly the the Salvation Mods S1S0. Has a I/II switch and a mid sweep knob. Just missing the fire switch to take it into EVH territory. I moved all my gear I was trying to move. Torn between ordering this and just getting another dam EVH 50w 6L6. Only thing is I have a Mesa OS straight/slant and did not like v30's with that head last I tried. Oh well, I have a couple Legend v128's in a 2x12 I can steal for an X pattern.


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## c7spheres (Jun 23, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> I don't know if the Replifex can switch momentary relays. The footswitch input is 5 pin DIN. Vasili sent me an adapter, that is 5 pin DIN to 1/4" female TRS. I don't know if he sends out that adapter with every order.
> But like I said my G Major 2 couldn't.switch channels on it. Drove me crazy last night.


 I have a Replifex and it's not intended for momentary relays, but I have had it work on them before, probably a fluke. I wouldn't expect it to work on momentary though. I'm really interested in this preamp though. sounds awesome in the YouTube vids.


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## maggotspawn (Jun 23, 2019)

Finished rack and some gut shots. It came with JJ's. I may swap V1 for a Tung Sol, but want to play with it some more.


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## op1e (Jun 23, 2019)

That sucks I can't use my G Major, I'm out. Why would he design it that way? I would need the adapter and even then it wouldn't work with my Patchmate or G Major.


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## maggotspawn (Jun 23, 2019)

op1e said:


> That sucks I can't use my G Major, I'm out. Why would he design it that way? I would need the adapter and even then it wouldn't work with my Patchmate or G Major.


You can pick up a Voodoo Lab Control Switcher for like $100. Then it would work with your setup.


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## op1e (Jun 23, 2019)

The control switcher just works with a regular DIN cable? What's relay switchable other than channel?


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## maggotspawn (Jun 23, 2019)

op1e said:


> The control switcher just works with a regular DIN cable? What's relay switchable other than channel?


For the Collosus, using the included footswitch, the loop is switchable as well.
The Collosus footswitch jack is 5 pin DIN,
but I used the adapter Vasili sent me . It converts the DIN to 1/4" TRS female. I used an insert cable to plug into the adapter, then into the Control Switcher. 5 pin DIN may work, but I didn't want to fry anything.


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## Emperoff (Jun 24, 2019)

op1e said:


> That sucks I can't use my G Major, I'm out. Why would he design it that way? I would need the adapter and even then it wouldn't work with my Patchmate or G Major.



Kartakou's stuff is custom made, so maybe it can be tweaked by request?


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## maggotspawn (Jun 24, 2019)

Emperoff said:


> Kartakou's stuff is custom made, so maybe it can be tweaked by request?


All it would take to work with the G major is latching relays for the channel switching.
I don't know how involved that is though.
BTW, I got to crank it up a little today. Sounds pretty sick.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 24, 2019)

Received mine today, been testing it for the last hour will do a full review later but.....first impressions....ive been buying gear since the the early 80's so I've been thru honeymoon phases, i like this unit !

Has balls and cut....want to try all my cabs, boost pedals and all my guitars..so far the Bad Monkey is the best boost with the Low and hight at 1 o'clock ..had to tame the pres on the mesa 2:90 a bit, the mesa 4x12 will rattle ..

stay tuned..

Mike


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## op1e (Jun 26, 2019)

What would be cool is if the I/II switch could be relayed instead of the loop. I'll inquire what can be done.


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## maggotspawn (Jun 26, 2019)

Well, the G Major 2 I planned on running with this would not play nice with my SS power amp. It kept triggering the limiters. When I turned down the output, I lost a lot of volume. I returned it to GC. Stuck a delay pedal in the loop, and that's it basically. 
I usually don't use much more then some delay anyway. 240 watts is loud as HELL. Sounds awesome. Might try out that Amptweaker DepthFinder for laughs.


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## jclogston (Jun 26, 2019)

Remind me again how long it took from ordering it to when you received it?


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## maggotspawn (Jun 26, 2019)

About 3 weeks. Definitely worth the wait.


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## jclogston (Jun 26, 2019)

Nice. I might pair it up with AMT tube cake for home use...or maybe a used rocktron velocity...


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## Bearitone (Jun 26, 2019)

Thoughts on the sound of the preamp overall?


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## maggotspawn (Jun 26, 2019)

Bearitone said:


> Thoughts on the sound of the preamp overall?


I've only had a 6505+, and never played an OG 5150. This preamp definitely has that grind to it. I play it with the 5150 setting engaged. The 6505+ setting is a bit too tight for me with my SS power amp. I don't feel the need to boost it. The clean channel sounds better to me then the 6505+ clean, which had too much hair for my taste. Overall, I really dig it, sounds sick. It's a steal at $400 shipped. I got it during a Reverb sale for $370. Very happy with it.


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## jclogston (Jun 26, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> I've only had a 6505+, and never played an OG 5150. This preamp definitely has that grind to it. I play it with the 5150 setting engaged. The 6505+ setting is a bit too tight for me with my SS power amp. I don't feel the need to boost it. The clean channel sounds better to me then the 6505+ clean, which had too much hair for my taste. Overall, I really dig it, sounds sick. It's a steal at $400 shipped. I got it during a Reverb sale for $370. Very happy with it.



Think it can replace the evh 50 watt head? Or at least cover similar sounds?


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## maggotspawn (Jun 26, 2019)

jclogston said:


> Think it can replace the evh 50 watt head? Or at least cover similar sounds?


I haven't played one, so can't comment.


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## Bearitone (Jun 26, 2019)

In my experience the EVH had a more refined/smooth gain structure while the 6505 had a more gritty/biting gain structure. 

The EVH has a bouncier/faster low end response than the 6505 too.

If this thing is really is voiced like a 6505 i doubt it will cover EVH 5150 ground.

But, that’s just my guess


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## jclogston (Jun 26, 2019)

Ok cool. I keep going back and forth on this or the carvin x1.


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## maggotspawn (Jun 26, 2019)

Final setup. Snagged an ETA power conditioner to fill the empty space. left over from the G Major.


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## DiezelMonster (Jun 27, 2019)

Man these preamps look so rad! 

I think I'll get one of these and the R&R preamp! They sound great too!


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## DiezelMonster (Jun 27, 2019)

Why did you get rid of your Gmajor?



maggotspawn said:


> Final setup. Snagged an ETA power conditioner to fill the empty space. left over from the G Major.


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## jclogston (Jun 27, 2019)

DiezelMonster said:


> Man these preamps look so rad!
> 
> I think I'll get one of these and the R&R preamp! They sound great too!



The r&r preamp looks interesting. Which one?


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## maggotspawn (Jun 27, 2019)

DiezelMonster said:


> Why did you get rid of your Gmajor?


I couldn't get it to work well with my SS power amp. It was triggering the amps limiters.
If I lowered the output on the G Major there was less volume overall. It pissed me off so it went back to GC. The Collossus sounds really great straight into the power amp, with no digital crap messing with the tone, though I do have a digital delay pedal in the loop for solo's.


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## jclogston (Jun 27, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> I couldn't get it to work well with my SS power amp. It was triggering the amps limiters.
> If I lowered the output on the G Major there was less volume overall. It pissed me off so it went back to GC. The Collossus sounds really great straight into the power amp, with no digital crap messing with the tone, though I do have a digital delay pedal in the loop for solo's.



How are the cleans on it?


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## maggotspawn (Jun 27, 2019)

jclogston said:


> How are the cleans on it?


The cleans are great. Pristine.


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## DiezelMonster (Jun 27, 2019)

jclogston said:


> The r&r preamp looks interesting. Which one?



http://rnramp.com/products/SL_LD

This one here, thee are a bunch of videos and they all sound great! If I can score a used one I think I'd be set, truthfully I'd like the SL/LD the Kartakou and ofr a more synthetic high gain the Rocktron Chamelon! having those three preamps running at once would be super badass!

hahaha I'm nuts!


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## DiezelMonster (Jun 27, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> I couldn't get it to work well with my SS power amp. It was triggering the amps limiters.
> If I lowered the output on the G Major there was less volume overall. It pissed me off so it went back to GC. The Collossus sounds really great straight into the power amp, with no digital crap messing with the tone, though I do have a digital delay pedal in the loop for solo's.




That's a drag, I have the older Gmajor and was going to use that but I also have a Seymour Duncan Andromeda so I'd probably use that instead for delay!

Cheers.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 27, 2019)

DiezelMonster said:


> http://rnramp.com/products/SL_LD
> 
> This one here, thee are a bunch of videos and they all sound great! If I can score a used one I think I'd be set, truthfully I'd like the SL/LD the Kartakou and ofr a more synthetic high gain the Rocktron Chamelon! having those three preamps running at once would be super badass!
> 
> hahaha I'm nuts!


I talked about it earlier in the thread, but the SL/LD is legit. Slightly tighter Recto sound without the fizz.


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## jclogston (Jun 27, 2019)

I think the r&r also has a total of 3 channels. It costs more though, and has more tubes I believe as well


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 27, 2019)

jclogston said:


> I think the r&r also has a total of 3 channels. It costs more though, and has more tubes I believe as well



Yup, 5 preamp tubes. 

And the 2 gain channels I found were very similar. The blue channel has less gain, but has a bright switch that adds more attack to the sound. The red channel just has a shiiiit ton of gain that even makes a Recto blush.


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## jclogston (Jun 27, 2019)

So the question then is the extra cash for the r&r worth it compared to the kartakou?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 27, 2019)

jclogston said:


> So the question then is the extra cash for the r&r worth it compared to the kartakou?



Depends if you want that 5150 grind or that early-revision Recto fatness


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## maggotspawn (Jun 27, 2019)

DiezelMonster said:


> That's a drag, I have the older Gmajor and was going to use that but I also have a Seymour Duncan Andromeda so I'd probably use that instead for delay!
> 
> Cheers.


The G Major still may work for you.
You should try it and see.


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## maggotspawn (Jun 27, 2019)

Tried out a Tung Sol in V1 while I was rearranging the rack. Instant fizz. It seems to be dialed in to work with the JJ's it shipped with. Also it has a ton of bass. I can't believe how good this thing sounds. Tempted to get another one just to have around.


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## chopeth85 (Jun 28, 2019)

I just have bought the colossus and Warner preamp with fast shipping Mode. As soon as i have i'll ley you know!


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## maggotspawn (Jun 28, 2019)

chopeth85 said:


> I just have bought the colossus and Warner preamp with fast shipping Mode. As soon as i have i'll ley you know!


Congrats.


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## DiezelMonster (Jun 28, 2019)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I talked about it earlier in the thread, but the SL/LD is legit. Slightly tighter Recto sound without the fizz.



I did see that, and your comments are why I went looking! This will be a cool rig, I was going to get another Triaxis again and still might, but these I think suit my needs better than that.

And if it truly is a tighter recto like the Pre 500's then that is sweeeeeeet!

Plus I'm really into the old Rocktron Chameleon so that will add a neat tone.


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## jclogston (Jun 28, 2019)

DiezelMonster said:


> I did see that, and your comments are why I went looking! This will be a cool rig, I was going to get another Triaxis again and still might, but these I think suit my needs better than that.
> 
> And if it truly is a tighter recto like the Pre 500's then that is sweeeeeeet!
> 
> Plus I'm really into the old Rocktron Chameleon so that will add a neat tone.



old Rocktron Chameleon - which version since there are several of them these days?
I've always wanted one of these and the voodoo valve.


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## DiezelMonster (Jun 28, 2019)

jclogston said:


> old Rocktron Chameleon - which version since there are several of them these days?
> I've always wanted one of these and the voodoo valve.




I really like the old blue face version, Martyr used one to record at least 2 of their records with it and it's always been an awesome tone to me.


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## DiezelMonster (Jun 28, 2019)

Having said that, its a pain in the ass to program and they almost always have an internal gate that chops notes even if you bypass it.

But I still dig it.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 28, 2019)

After dealing with almost a week of Vestibular migraines and vertigo...time to fire this thing up...Was going to tube roll but MS said the JJ's sound fine and i agree...

Mike


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## jclogston (Jun 28, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> After dealing with almost a week of Vestibular migraines and vertigo...time to fire this thing up...Was going to tube roll but MS said the JJ's sound fine and i agree...
> 
> Mike



Looking forward to your assessment on it...


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## DiezelMonster (Jun 28, 2019)

jclogston said:


> Looking forward to your assessment on it...



I'm very stoked to hear what your impressions are!


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## Mourguitars (Jun 28, 2019)

Again, I've been buying gear for decades and still have gear from those decades so ..i can tell you after been thru many honeymoon phases ...i was very impressed with this unit.

I play mainly a stereo rack rig, JMP-1, Piranha, Prophesy thru solid state power amps and stereo EL34, mesa 2:90 thru many cabs with speaker mixes or my fav mesa 4x12 v30s..30 rack spaces of all this and effects..i like rack gear ! Even have a AX8..

I use many over drives, all are different and play very different with different guitars, pickups, pre amps and cabs...gain at 9am, tone noon, level to taste but usually dime it..

On the Kartakou...very basic pre..the Character i like to the left, gain 11am, sweep the same...Bass /noon Mid/ 9am to 1pm Treble to taste , i like noon...it can cut but my power amps have presence so i had to adjust to taste..

The Kartakou is more responsive than all my preamps ive listed above, and has a better feel..omg..i mean its so touch sensitive and responsive ..like a tube amp should be

The Kartakou took every drive boost pedal i had, it added tightness but i don't think you need to boost it..just crank it !

The most surprising and I'm sure a lot of you many do, was to run it in the loop of a head or combo..I have a Ht-20 head that i run a AMT DT-2 usually ...The Katakou made that head with EL34s ...well...im basically speechless ...friggin amazing thru a 2x12 with a Greenback/V30 combo...AND it took my old ZW OD that i had written off...This is most likely the rig ill play it thru, its a mid heavy rig so that ZW OD is like a SD-1 so the mid hump wasn't very prominent ...Les paul TB-5...chug chug...feel everything in the guitar neck resonate ...

I tried a MXR EQ in the loop..worked great but don't need it. unless you like fine tuning things..BBE Sonic stomp pedal and used like Depth/ Res it added more well, what you would think it would..out of the two the BBE won..but that's mainly for home playing with iTunes...i Did try some settings from Andy Sneaps forum for BFMV 5150 w/a T.S...spot on !

It sounded great thru my Velocity 300 and a old Mosvalve 500 solid state power amp for those who have or wanting to use a solid state power amp..i think you will be happy

To sum it up, i love the Character switch to the left so i think thats the 5150..boosted with the settings ive mentioned...Character to the right added more bass..kinda flubby ish ?

The Clean channel its clean, but i didn't buy it for the clean...i needed a 5150 pre copy..so the Kartakou delivered it...

The unit is very well built , not as deep as some rack pre's kinda like those old BK butler Blue tube pre amp in size so kinda shallow, i opened mine up to inspect just in case a tube came unseated like " MS "unit did..mine was fine, very pretty work inside and a excellent build. ..3 JJ 12AX7....The power plug is a little snug plugging in..so be careful . The foot switch has a 10' cable, 2 buttons to change channels and turn on and off the effects loop..also comes with a small i guess DIM to a 1/4TRS cable for switching channels..havent tried that..

If you like Rafig's youtube review..its spot on sound wise...i bought it because of it so thanks for the demo Rafig !

This is my 1st buy from eastern Europe...tracking was slow updating until it hit the states so it took about 3 1/2 weeks...no duty, came well packed with a Russian chocolate bar !

I will be exploring a few other units from other builders over there, i was going to go the Synergy rabbit hole...glad i chose the Kartakou , its simple and well it rocks..any question i had the builder answered very quickly...awesome customer service on reverb.

Mike


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## maggotspawn (Jun 30, 2019)

https://app.box.com/file/483913733959
Quick test clip. I used a 906 and I5 split left and right. 
It recorded kind of dark sounding, it might like an SM57 better.


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## maggotspawn (Jun 30, 2019)

https://soundcloud.com/maltese-fan/kartakou-test
The Box link apparently wasn't working.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 30, 2019)

There you go sounds awesome ! 

I felt those low notes hit me thru my monitors before i heard them ...lol

Mike


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## maggotspawn (Jun 30, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> There you go sounds awesome !
> 
> I felt those low notes hit me thru my monitors before i heard them ...lol
> 
> Mike


Thanks dude. It definitely does not lack bass.
I ordered an Amptweaker DepthFinder, to further tweak the tone. Will update when it gets here.


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## maggotspawn (Jun 30, 2019)

Swapped the JJ in V1 for a Chinese 12AX7B. Less dark more open sounding.
So it may benefit from some tube rolling.
I tried a Tung Sol in V1, but it just introduced a bunch of fizz.


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## Mourguitars (Jun 30, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> Thanks dude. It definitely does not lack bass.
> I ordered an Amptweaker DepthFinder, to further tweak the tone. Will update when it gets here.



Looks like I’ll be doing the same...I tried the BBE sonic stop and I liked it but I think the Depthfinder might be the better choice..

I’ll order it Monday....thanks for turning me on to it, let me know what tubes you like , I have a shoebox full

Mike


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## DiezelMonster (Jul 1, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> https://soundcloud.com/maltese-fan/kartakou-test
> The Box link apparently wasn't working.



That sounded fuckin killer dude! I can't wait to get this rig rolling!


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## maggotspawn (Jul 1, 2019)

DiezelMonster said:


> That sounded fuckin killer dude! I can't wait to get this rig rolling!


Thanks dude.


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## Necky379 (Jul 3, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> Swapped the JJ in V1 for a Chinese 12AX7B. Less dark more open sounding.
> So it may benefit from some tube rolling.
> I tried a Tung Sol in V1, but it just introduced a bunch of fizz.



My 5150 loves Chinese 12ax7’s too


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## Mourguitars (Jul 4, 2019)

Going to try the channel switching on the Kartakou with the Replifex with the cable he supplied with the unit later today....i will report back

Mike


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## Mourguitars (Jul 4, 2019)

Couldn't get it to work, tried everything so i sent a message to Kartakou on reverb...waiting to hear back he gets back pretty fast .BUT since i was there..i did buy the Amptweaker Depthfinder...whats a 5150 pre with out a res/ pres control right? $89 free 2day shipping so ill have it this weekend....ill let y'all know what Kartakou says...rearranging my rack..then going to play...later

Mike


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## jclogston (Jul 4, 2019)

I just need to unload a guitar and then I will definitely get this preamp after hearing what all you guys have been talking about


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## maggotspawn (Jul 4, 2019)

The DepthFinder didn't work for me at high volume. With the Collosus volume up it was distorted sounding. At low volume it worked as expected.


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## Mourguitars (Jul 4, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> The DepthFinder didn't work for me at high volume. With the Collosus volume up it was distorted sounding. At low volume it worked as expected.



Oh man...i read this and requested a refund, so we will see..Thanks for the heads up M.S !

I did get a message back from Vasili, i had it wired right just had to hit store on the replifex..Duh ...my bad !

TRS into that pigtail changes channels fine now on the Replifex ...its a little lag, but that's fine, its sounds like it has a momentary switch as you hear it click...but it works !

Ive been playing it thru the loop of my HT-20 head...thing sounds fantastic, its mid heavy with EL34's and the mesa 4x12 V30s....the SD-1 boost takes some out..a little different rig because i usually play thru a stereo power amp, but im glad i got some use out of that Blackstar..i have a good set on NOS Mullards in there a friend gave me

Also playing my Ds-2 Charvel Les paul $150 beater that i swapped those Charvel actives out with a EMG 81-60 set i got off FB market place local for $60 for the set ...it was play and play...that was awesome..Any one reading this hook up the way it was original wired , do not have to flip the plug around like I've read on the net...

its a nice tight sound, very chug palm mute tightness..i like that cheap guitar !

Personally i don't think i need any more Low end its sounds killer, but i do like the Kartakou with a boost...tightens things up..

I have a Orange 2x12 that i might swap out speakers with the Celestion T-75 i have laying around..might do that tonight. , and try my set up with that, anyways..back to playing !


Mike


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## c7spheres (Jul 4, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> Oh man...i read this and requested a refund, so we will see..Thanks for the heads up M.S !
> 
> I did get a message back from Vasili, i had it wired right just had to hit store on the replifex..Duh ...my bad !
> 
> ...



Hi, Was wondering how much lag it has on the switching. I have a Replifex and there is no lag on it when switching my V-twin or anything else I've tried. I also don't have to hit store to make the channels switches work. Sounds like somethign could be wrong with either unit, but I'm mainly wondering the lag time when switching channels.


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## Tisca (Jul 4, 2019)

I ordered a Colossus today, the one that was in stock. Been looking for a tube power amp but the big brands hardly make them anymore. If I can't find a suitable 2nd hand pwr amp I'll have one of these small builders make me one. I have plenty of tube heads which I can run thru but I want the full rack experience sooner or later.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 4, 2019)

Tisca said:


> I ordered a Colossus today, the one that was in stock. Been looking for a tube power amp but the big brands hardly make them anymore. If I can't find a suitable 2nd hand pwr amp I'll have one of these small builders make me one. I have plenty of tube heads which I can run thru but I want the full rack experience sooner or later.


Find a Peavey Classic for the ultimate 5150 experience?


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## Mourguitars (Jul 4, 2019)

Tisca said:


> I ordered a Colossus today, the one that was in stock. Been looking for a tube power amp but the big brands hardly make them anymore. If I can't find a suitable 2nd hand pwr amp I'll have one of these small builders make me one. I have plenty of tube heads which I can run thru but I want the full rack experience sooner or later.



Ive switched to a MosValve 500 mid day...sounds awesome with a solid state power amp..

My les paul with a TB-5 sounded massive thru it..man it roars, thats a good combo with that pickup..my cheap 7 string JS 22-7 with a D Activator lower the gain and bass..sounded awesome and wasn't bright with that all maple neck, btw i changed strings 8 months ago put in case..it was in tune when i took it out..not bad in this Fl weather

I played it thru the Blackstar Ht-20 only head i have, because i figured most on here would most likely do that..you won't be disappointed

I loved it thru the 2:90 , Intellifex and the Kartakou..mesa 4x12 and Analogkid85's presets loaded the first batch he put up years ago..JP solo...omg...yep


I will see hope many seconds it lags tomorrow ..give you a report

im digging this pre amp, it very responsive vs my JMP-1 and even my Piranha

It seems when you turn the loop on, it gives it a boost...FYI

My camera is not working with my Mac...or else i would upload pic's..ill figure it out !

Mike


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## Tisca (Jul 4, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> Ive switched to a MosValve 500 mid day...sounds awesome with a solid state power amp..


Cool. I will most likely pick up a Harley Benton GPA-400, for science. They only cost 178 € brand new. 



Mourguitars said:


> It seems when you turn the loop on, it gives it a boost...FYI


Don't think it should do that. There might be something there to compensate for the assumed longer cable runs when engaged. 
This is what Vasili told me: 
"It has not just a FX loop, but switchable FX loop. It made for convenience. You can switch off all loop-plugged pedals by one click from footswitch. "


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## jclogston (Jul 4, 2019)

Apparently they are sold out now on Reverb


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## maggotspawn (Jul 4, 2019)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Find a Peavey Classic for the ultimate 5150 experience?


I'm actually searching for one. There is a 60 watt one locally, but I want more wattage.


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## Mourguitars (Jul 4, 2019)

Tisca said:


> Cool. I will most likely pick up a Harley Benton GPA-400, for science. They only cost 178 € brand new.
> 
> 
> Don't think it should do that. There might be something there to compensate for the assumed longer cable runs when engaged.
> ...



It does give it a boost , maybe a dB or two..it’s noticeable 
,maybe it’s there for some pedals tone suck a little...I’ll figure it out

I have a big giant warehouse so I hear a lot of gear from friends most of them going the Fractal route, so I can play at a bedroom to a full band situation this pre can cut thru the mix...



jclogston said:


> Apparently they are sold out now on Reverb



Oh man that sucks...he will build more !

Mike


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## Mourguitars (Jul 4, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> I'm actually searching for one. There is a 60 watt one locally, but I want more wattage.



Are we talking about the power amp? If so that and a Rockmaster totally rocked ..I had the 50/50 classic it lacked low end to much for me with el84’s

Mike


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## Mourguitars (Jul 5, 2019)

The channel switching lag on the Kartakou and the Replifex when you turn the preset dial and it stops on the next press it switches so its only milliseconds...like i had when switching scenes on my Ax8...best way i can describe it

Mike


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## jclogston (Jul 5, 2019)

not to go too far off topic but i was looking at the ISP Technologies Theta pedal as well. Same price as the Collosus....


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## Mourguitars (Jul 5, 2019)

Test pic from iPad of my messy work bench


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## Mourguitars (Jul 5, 2019)

I tried lots of tubes today in V1...this one made the unit quite as a mouse


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## maggotspawn (Jul 5, 2019)

Was just jamming with mine. I put a Donner EQ pedal and a DD-3 in the loop. Sounds so killer. I like this rig better then the 6505+ I had. I'm rethinking my desire for a tube power amp. It doesn't need it at all.


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## Mourguitars (Jul 5, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> Was just jamming with mine. I put a Donner EQ pedal and a DD-3 in the loop. Sounds so killer. I like this rig better then the 6505+ I had. I'm rethinking my desire for a tube power amp. It doesn't need it at all.




Ive been playing that mosvalve in mono with the Replifex thru the mesa 4x12 , man it sounds good. I watched Michael Neilson I think Big Hairy Guitars he was playing a Bogner Fish Pre the a bunch of power amps and one was that Mosvale it sounded fantastic. I think that was jerry Cantrell rig when he first started...never rule out a solid state power amp !


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 5, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> Ive been playing that mosvalve in mono with the Replifex thru the mesa 4x12 , man it sounds good. I watched Michael Neilson I think Big Hairy Guitars he was playing a Bogner Fish Pre the a bunch of power amps and one was that Mosvale it sounded fantastic. I think that was jerry Cantrell rig when he first started...never rule out a solid state power amp !



I've read that was his touring rig for the 2nd half of the Dirt tour. He started off using the Fish with a Mesa pre, but switched to the MosValve because it cut through the mix better. He never recorded with it, though.


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## Mourguitars (Jul 5, 2019)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I've read that was his touring rig for the 2nd half of the Dirt tour. He started off using the Fish with a Mesa pre, but switched to the MosValve because it cut through the mix better. He never recorded with it, though.



oh ok thanks for the correction ...I got the mosvalve from my rockstar buddy who was in all the 80's bands, been on MTV back in the heyday...I have his touring bass rig at the warehouse he used

Mike


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 5, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> oh ok thanks for the correction ...I got the mosvalve from my rockstar buddy who was in all the 80's bands, been on MTV back in the heyday...I have his touring bass rig at the warehouse he used
> 
> Mike



Yeah I don't wanna say it sucks. If you wanna cut through a live mix, it'll do the trick since it's like... ALL mids.


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## Tisca (Jul 5, 2019)

jclogston said:


> Apparently they are sold out now on Reverb



He had one available and I bought it. Doesn't make much sense to build and keep in stock more than one when you're a one man shop. Let him know if you want one and he'll build more.


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## maggotspawn (Jul 5, 2019)

I just checked, and there were 9 available on the Reverb site.


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## Mourguitars (Jul 5, 2019)

Tisca, that maple fretboard Jackson on your instagram is wicked awesome...never seen one like that !


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## Spinedriver (Jul 5, 2019)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yeah I don't wanna say it sucks. If you wanna cut through a live mix, it'll do the trick since it's like... ALL mids.



Back when I was playing guitar in the band I was in, I used a Pod XTL with a Mosvalve power amp and (at different points) a BBE Sonic Stomp or MXR 10 Band Eq. I gotta admit, it sounded pretty bad ass for what it was. The only reason I stopped using that is because I upgraded to a Randall T2. Even though it was 10-ish years ago, I ended up selling the T2 but I still have the Mosvalve.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 5, 2019)

Spinedriver said:


> Back when I was playing guitar in the band I was in, I used a Pod XTL with a Mosvalve power amp and (at different points) a BBE Sonic Stomp or MXR 10 Band Eq. I gotta admit, it sounded pretty bad ass for what it was. The only reason I stopped using that is because I upgraded to a Randall T2. Even though it was 10-ish years ago, I ended up selling the T2 but I still have the Mosvalve.



I could see a BBE helping with one of these. A Mosvalve really could have used a depth control of sorts.


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## Mourguitars (Jul 6, 2019)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I could see a BBE helping with one of these. A Mosvalve really could have used a depth control of sorts.



I could put a BBE Sonic Stomp in the loop of the Kartakou, but the unit sounds great as is . I have the presence all the way off on the Mosvalve ...the treble on the pre amp around 1-2 o’clock depending on the guitar....it cuts, but the 4x12 Mesa gives things a lotta depth

Mike


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## Tisca (Jul 6, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> I just checked, and there were 9 available on the Reverb site.



FML. Now there's a 15% off sale. Do they announce these ahead of time or is it on the common holiday sales? Think this couild be a 4th of July sale.


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## amptweaker (Jul 6, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> The DepthFinder didn't work for me at high volume. With the Collosus volume up it was distorted sounding. At low volume it worked as expected.





Mourguitars said:


> Oh man...i read this and requested a refund, so we will see..Thanks for the heads up M.S !
> 
> .......
> 
> ...



If you guys ran the DepthFinder at 9V, it probably wasn't able to handle the swing of that tube preamp once you turn up its master. If you'd checked with me, I would have suggested running the DepthFinder at 18V for max headroom. If you DID try 18, then the only other suggestion would be to move it into an effects loop position rather than after the preamp.

The other thing is that turning up the Resonance is probably a tighter lowend boost than the bass on the preamp, and would break up less.....meaning you should try turning the bass on the preamp down a little and the Resonance up more. 

Anyway,
thanks
James B
amptweaker.com


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## Mourguitars (Jul 6, 2019)

Thanks for Chiming in James , canceled sale but still may try it down the road, but thanks for the good advice !

Mike


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## maggotspawn (Jul 6, 2019)

I tried it with 18 volts. At low volume it definitely helped, sounded great. I didn't try it in the loop of the preamp though, as I was just switching that on and off with the foot switch. May give it a go again at some other point in time.


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## ATRguitar91 (Jul 6, 2019)

amptweaker said:


> If you guys ran the DepthFinder at 9V, it probably wasn't able to handle the swing of that tube preamp once you turn up its master. If you'd checked with me, I would have suggested running the DepthFinder at 18V for max headroom. If you DID try 18, then the only other suggestion would be to move it into an effects loop position rather than after the preamp.
> 
> The other thing is that turning up the Resonance is probably a tighter lowend boost than the bass on the preamp, and would break up less.....meaning you should try turning the bass on the preamp down a little and the Resonance up more.
> 
> ...


Does this same principle about the voltage apply to pedals with the Depth Finder mod?


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## Tisca (Jul 7, 2019)

Just ordered a Harley Benton GPA-400 SS power amp... for science =)

How many working days until your tracking number from Kartakou started tracking?


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## maggotspawn (Jul 7, 2019)

Tisca said:


> Just ordered a Harley Benton GPA-400 SS power amp... for science =)
> 
> How many working days until your tracking number from Kartakou started tracking?


It took over a week. You'll have to be patient.


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## amptweaker (Jul 8, 2019)

ATRguitar91 said:


> Does this same principle about the voltage apply to pedals with the Depth Finder mod?


Yes....any time you start cranking up lowend, you can get some headroom issues.
thanks
James B
amptweaker.com


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## amptweaker (Jul 8, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> I tried it with 18 volts. At low volume it definitely helped, sounded great. I didn't try it in the loop of the preamp though, as I was just switching that on and off with the foot switch. May give it a go again at some other point in time.


Understood.....a real Resonance control is part of the power amp's feedback, so it's all passive...so it just clips the power amp when you crank it at loud volumes. You may have actually been clipping the power amp with the DepthFinder too, which is always a trade-off game between power and headroom. It's also why I always rolloff some very low stuff in any volume boosts I put on amps or pedals. That way you can get the loudness without beating up the power amp, kind of like going from a Malcolm to an Angus tone 

thanks
James B


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## maggotspawn (Jul 8, 2019)

https://soundcloud.com/maltese-fan/kartakou-test-2


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## Mourguitars (Jul 8, 2019)

maggotspawn said:


> https://soundcloud.com/maltese-fan/kartakou-test-2




Was that with the CS200 power amp ? It had that growl and roar of a 5150 .....sounded Brutal !

\m/


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## maggotspawn (Jul 8, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> Was that with the CS200 power amp ? It had that growl and roar of a 5150 .....sounded Brutal !
> 
> \m/


Thanks. My recording skills are limited, I'm learning. In the room it sounded sick AF.


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## maggotspawn (Jul 11, 2019)

Added a DBX 215, which cured the problem I was having with the Collosus setting off the limiter on the Peavey power amp at full volume. I'm able to monitor the output level of the preamp with the DBX and adjust accordingly. Sounds killer. I ordered a Y cable so I can split the output from the preamp to the DBX, and run pseudo stereo.


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## Mourguitars (Jul 11, 2019)

Awesome M.S.....your going to need a bigger rack soon !

Mike


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## maggotspawn (Jul 11, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> Awesome M.S.....your going to need a bigger rack soon !
> 
> Mike


 I thought about that, but I think I'm going to keep it as is. How is going with your setup?


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## Mourguitars (Jul 11, 2019)

Its going great thanks for asking , my Patchmate came in all the cables will be in friday...the older Patchmates are stereo that needed TRS split to 2 1/4 mono cables so looking forward to wiring it up this weekend...just reading the manual !

Mike


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## maggotspawn (Jul 11, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> Its going great thanks for asking , my Patchmate came in all the cables will be in friday...the older Patchmates are stereo that needed TRS split to 2 1/4 mono cables so looking forward to wiring it up this weekend...just reading the manual !
> 
> Mike


Sounds good. Enjoy.


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## Mourguitars (Jul 12, 2019)

On my fix it Friday, i cleaned the pots and looked things over on the Mosvalve , got the Presence knob working....

M.S you are right , i found a old Chinese Tube and put it in the Kartakou...sounds better

Mike


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## maggotspawn (Jul 12, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> On my fix it Friday, i cleaned the pots and looked things over on the Mosvalve , got the Presence knob working....
> 
> M.S you are right , i found a old Chinese Tube and put it in the Kartakou...sounds better
> 
> Mike


Good to hear. Yeah, I thought it was a bit dark with all JJ's. The Chinese tube in V1 opened it up some and added some clarity for me. I'm waiting on a power supply, then this weekend, I'm going to see if my Boss MS3 can switch channels on it.


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## Tisca (Jul 19, 2019)

Arrived today. Tested it briefly through a ss pwr and amp's 6L6 power section.
contents of box:


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## DiezelMonster (Jul 19, 2019)

Tisca said:


> Arrived today. Tested it briefly through a ss pwr and amp's 6L6 power section.
> contents of box:



How was the brief test? this looks fantastic! I can't wait to order one.


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## Tisca (Jul 20, 2019)

DiezelMonster said:


> How was the brief test? this looks fantastic! I can't wait to order one.


I like it but the clean ch is nothing special. first impression is that it sounds better than my Victory Kraken pre. Holes also appear to be for M5 size threads while all my other rack stuff is M6. Might be easiest to just drill the rack ears.

There's a jack that says "cab sim". Is there a cab sim built in or what is it?


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## Mourguitars (Jul 20, 2019)

Tisca said:


> I like it but the clean ch is nothing special. first impression is that it sounds better than my Victory Kraken pre. Holes also appear to be for M5 size threads while all my other rack stuff is M6. Might be easiest to just drill the rack ears.
> 
> There's a jack that says "cab sim". Is there a cab sim built in or what is it?



Good question, might be a jack to go to a IR loader..mine has it as well, I just sent him a message on Reverb

Mike


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## Mourguitars (Jul 20, 2019)

Cab Sim our already has cabinet emulation. 
I’m really happy you like it and I wish you’ll create some serious riffs with it 

From Vasili..

Mike


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## DiezelMonster (Jul 20, 2019)

Tisca said:


> I like it but the clean ch is nothing special. first impression is that it sounds better than my Victory Kraken pre. Holes also appear to be for M5 size threads while all my other rack stuff is M6. Might be easiest to just drill the rack ears.
> 
> There's a jack that says "cab sim". Is there a cab sim built in or what is it?




Victory makes a Kraken pre??? too bad it's not in a rack format!


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## Mourguitars (Jul 20, 2019)

The old Mosvalve 500 died on me R.I.P , so had to redo the rack with the Multivalve and the Velocity 300. The Mosvalve had that nice mid range and bite that I liked , but the Velocity has the Reactance and Definition added all that was missing from the Mosvalve ...

The Kartakou really sounds good with S.S power amps....period

I played my JMP-1 and Piranha yesterday and all I did was fiddle with the units , they sounded compressed even with the Mesa 2:90 compared with the Colossus...so 

Mike


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## Tisca (Jul 21, 2019)

Mourguitars said:


> The Kartakou really sounds good with S.S power amps....period



Hear hear. SS does something for the bottom end, makes it tighter. I'm not GASing for a tube pwr amp anymore, I'll keep an eye out for good deals tho.


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## Mourguitars (Feb 14, 2020)

Put a new Chinese square getter from NessTone in V1 and Ruby's AC5HG's in V2 and V3.....this Pre is brutal !

It seems it like's Chinese tubes , big difference instead of the JJ's ....Didnt like the Tung-sol at all in V1


Mike


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## op1e (Feb 15, 2020)

I'm gonna have to try that. I have one Ruby laying around that I researched is one of those Shuguang. I'm still rocking my Kartakou Beastbox rack. Boosted with MXR m77.


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## Mourguitars (Feb 15, 2020)

Kartakou is a nice simple unit with a lot of gain ! I hardly run my gain past 11am boosted...has that nice clear punchy grind to it....chugs and palm mutes you feel before you hear the sound !...great Pre !

Mike


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## op1e (Feb 15, 2020)

I only wish there was separate gain for crunch/lead. Maybe my tech can mod it. It has such a nice character with the gain way up unboosted.


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## Mourguitars (Jul 30, 2021)

Any one still buying these ....i havent look around much on Youtube ?

Mike


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## Emperoff (Jul 30, 2021)

Mourguitars said:


> Any one still buying these ....i havent look around much on Youtube ?
> 
> Mike



I guess they're not very popular since anything you buy from Russia is gonna have extra import/custom taxes. Now with the new EU import regulations (you have to pay VAT while checking out) I'm afraid we won't see much of these around.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 30, 2021)

With the prices of Peavey amps going up, these would be nice. Unlike R&R Sound, Kartakou still seems to be alive.


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## Emperoff (Jul 30, 2021)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> With the prices of Peavey amps going up, these would be nice. Unlike R&R Sound, Kartakou still seems to be alive.



Not that dead, apparently:

https://www.facebook.com/rnramplification/posts/5824633177608058

Based on gut pics alone, R&R build quality always seemed better than Kartakou to me (which uses SMD components in all their preamps).

Yerasov preamps look even better, and I sometimes regret not grabbing their Detonator (Bogner XTC clone) preamp when I had the chance.


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## Ribboz (Jul 30, 2021)

Anyone try the Myasnikov 5150?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 30, 2021)

Emperoff said:


> Not that dead, apparently:
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/rnramplification/posts/5824633177608058
> 
> ...



Huh, cool, they're back. I hope their 5150(II) preamp comes out like they were talking about a year ago? The SL/LD pre was killer, but the Recto/SLO sound just isn't for me.


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## Spaced Out Ace (Jul 31, 2021)

Emperoff said:


> Not that dead, apparently:
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/rnramplification/posts/5824633177608058
> 
> ...


Does Yerasov do a Marshall style Preamp?


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## Emperoff (Jul 31, 2021)

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Does Yerasov do a Marshall style Preamp?



The only rack preamp they do is the Detonator, IIRC. But since the Bogner XTC is essentially a Hot Rodded Marshall with more bells and whistles I guess it can work.

R&R does, though. It's called the DP13.


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## Spaced Out Ace (Jul 31, 2021)

Emperoff said:


> The only rack preamp they do is the Detonator, IIRC. But since the Bogner XTC is essentially a Hot Rodded Marshall with more bells and whistles I guess it can work.
> 
> R&R does, though. It's called the DP13.


I meant one of the pedals they make. Apparently though, you have to order them from Russia, which... no thanks. (I don't have an issue with Russia exactly, but rather international shipping in general seems a bit of a mess.)


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## Emperoff (Jul 31, 2021)

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I meant one of the pedals they make. Apparently though, you have to order them from Russia, which... no thanks. (I don't have an issue with Russia exactly, but rather international shipping in general seems a bit of a mess.)



Yup. That's exactly the reason I don't have a Beastbox. First you have to import it from Russia (330$ pedal + shipping + 25% VAT), and if anything goes wrong you have to:
a) Send it back to Russia and pay import taxes again after getting it repaired.
b) Get screwed because there are no schematics of his stuff and the pedals are entirely SMD. Good luck repairing them without the schematics.

Either way, they might do custom stuff (pedals), but the problem with shipping remains.


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## Spaced Out Ace (Jul 31, 2021)

Emperoff said:


> Yup. That's exactly the reason I don't have a Beastbox. First you have to import it from Russia (330$ pedal + shipping + 25% VAT), and if anything goes wrong you have to:
> a) Send it back to Russia and pay import taxes again after getting it repaired.
> b) Get screwed because there are no schematics of his stuff and the pedals are entirely SMD. Good luck repairing them without the schematics.
> 
> Either way, they might do custom stuff (pedals), but the problem with shipping remains.


Yeah. I like some of the pedals even though it doesn't tell me what a lot of them are based on. I just wish they had American distributors like AMT.


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## op1e (Jul 31, 2021)

Still have my Beastbox rack. There's only one other in existence and I haven't seen it yet. It's glorious into the return of my Origin 20 cranked.


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## Mourguitars (Jul 31, 2021)

op1e said:


> View attachment 96221
> 
> 
> Still have my Beastbox rack. There's only one other in existence and I haven't seen it yet. It's glorious into the return of my Origin 20 cranked.




Sweet looking Rig !

I spent about a hour with mine today....great pre amp !

Mike


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## Legion (Aug 7, 2021)

Nice! I spoke with Vasili a few weeks ago and he seems to be working on an IR loader included version of the Beastbox. I'm really looking forward to that one.


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## Emperoff (Aug 8, 2021)

Legion said:


> Nice! I spoke with Vasili a few weeks ago and he seems to be working on an IR loader included version of the Beastbox. I'm really looking forward to that one.



...Interest re-intensyfying...


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## op1e (Aug 10, 2021)

Mourguitars said:


> Sweet looking Rig !
> 
> I spent about a hour with mine today....great pre amp !
> 
> Mike



A Beastbox or Kolossus?


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## Gmork (Aug 11, 2021)

I really need to get a colossus already. Im sure it would sound good going through a mesa 50/50
but i wonder how itd compare to the real deal.


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## sonoftheoldnorth (Aug 11, 2021)

The Colossus sounds great going into my Peavey 60/60. Interestingly though, I can dial the GSP1101 5150 model to sound indistinguishable from the Colossus. Like, when A/Bing, you actually can't tell the difference.


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## op1e (Aug 11, 2021)

I heard that about the ENGL patch in the 1101 and the e530, but I much prefer the Beastbox. I used the e530 and the 5150 patch for years and they work, but tubes always feels better and reacts more in a way I prefer.


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## Mourguitars (Aug 11, 2021)

op1e said:


> A Beastbox or Kolossus?



Kolossus


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