Albion TCT35C Amplifier

Norman86 · 2011-05-04T15:23:46+00:00

Anyone know if any shops in JHB stock these amps?? i know of a shop in witbank, but dont want to go all that way just to test one out!

costafonix

Norman86 wrote The mesa 5:50 on the other hand... melted my heart... and then some...
and that was a live experience!
Regardless of what i play! Unless its another Mesa Boogie Express 5:50 or Fender Deluxe VM!

Hey Norm,
Music Connection has a couple of Mesa 5:25's, why not go test one out there and see if you like that??
Not sure of the price though but I'd imagine a bit more that the R3700 for the Albion, but if your heart is set on a Boogie, then may be worth the wait and the saving?

Norman86

CostaFonix wrote
Norman86 wrote The mesa 5:50 on the other hand... melted my heart... and then some...
and that was a live experience!
Regardless of what i play! Unless its another Mesa Boogie Express 5:50 or Fender Deluxe VM!
Hey Norm,
Music Connection has a couple of Mesa 5:25's, why not go test one out there and see if you like that??
Not sure of the price though but I'd imagine a bit more that the R3700 for the Albion, but if your heart is set on a Boogie, then may be worth the wait and the saving?

Heya Costa...
Thanks for that... I'll go one day and try them out... but i dont think im gonna like the 5:25... it doesnt have the same tubes as the 5:50!
it does have the same tubes a the fender blues junior... so im already weary of them!
but the proof is in the playing i suppose hey?! i'll go with an open mind, promise! lol!

Norman86

Okay... so a bit of an update regarding this...

1stly, for anyone considering the Cash crusaders Albion...
They told me today they wont drop the price more.
But, i also asked about the foot switch, and it doesnt come with the Albion foot switch.

Also, there is an Albion bass amp combo there, not sure on the price.
But they arent willing to lower their prices, so good luck to you!

Secondly, i decided to go straight to the source...
i contacted Audiosure, told them of my experience and asked where i could test their products out.
So, they have organised that a local shop, (thank goodness not Marshall music) get stock of the TCT35Combo, the TCT35Head as well as the GLS212 Cabinet for me to try!
The shop should be getting them in today, when i was there earlier, it was on its way still!
But i will be trying it out soon ? Yay!

Anyway, good on you Audiosure, and thank you! You're a great bunch of guys!
Hopefully the stores get more than this stock that people can start trying and end up buying!

Norman86

Okay... So, for those interested...

Music mate in K90 Boksburg has gotten the TCT35C (as a Wharfedale unit, but dont be put off, its the same thing!)
Also, they got the TCT35H plus the GLS212 cab!
Available for testing! not sure how long it will be in store though!
i must say though, the pics of the wharfedale dont look that good, but it doesnt look half bad in real life!

However, if i purchase the TCT35C, i'll take the Albion TCT35C and not the Wharfedale one myself, purely for looks!

Will test it out either tomorrow or tuesday! By the latest wednesday!

Norman86

WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW!!!!!

Holy $%&*...

This amp rocks!!!!
The combo is good...
But the head and cab is just SOOOOOOOOOOO much better!!

A better review / opinion will come later when i have time...

Also gonna test a mesa tomorrow...
Maybe i'll keep my opinions till then!

For the price, this is a solid deal imo!!!
Im so glad i got the opportunity to test it today!

Plus, had a guy let rip on my guitar while going through the amps tones etc...
It might not be a heavy metal amp... but this thing has balls!

Norman86

Oh yeah...
In closing... If you're hung up on names, you are missing out sorely!!!

arjunmenon

Aubs1 wrote
CostaFonix wrote
joel wrote @ Costafonix , the Gibson Supreme was sold to an "Indian guy" for 10 K :? , a month or so ago .
Thanks Joel,,, so they did drop their price further ,,,,,,,,,
I know the guy. He's gonna restore it, and sell it!

And it isn't me

arjunmenon

Brentcgp wrote
Norman86 wrote Brent, did you listen to the demo's i posted? :-\
Sounds good yes ?

And prices are good! But I know for a fact they ain't gonna fly off the shelves here..

I like Vox/Fender Tweed/BF/Princeton kinda vibes

Vive le Blackface!

aubs1

Mr. Marshall, you traitor!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are definitely out of the family will now ....... !!! ?

Norman86 wrote ... but this thing has balls!

"The Marshall sound is the Balls... " so says Jeff Beck and me ..... ?

arjunmenon

Aubs1 wrote Mr. Marshall, you traitor!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are definitely out of the family will now ....... !!! ?

Norm is what you call a turncoat, Aubs ?

aubs1

Norman86 wrote Oh yeah...
In closing... If you're hung up on names, you are missing out sorely!!!

Mr. Marshall always sounded better than mr. Albion ....... !!!! ?

Norman86

Keep in mind that it is Steve who designed the Marshall (and Vox) amps, who now builds Albion ?

So, Mr Marshall became Mr Vox and IS Mr Albion now ?

For the price, this thing is a serious contender!
Even the combo in the right hands!
But i preferred the TCT35Head and GLS212 Cab!

For what im looking for in an amp, this is it!
Sure, one day i hope to own a Fender Deluxe VM and Mesa Boogie 5:50 Express...
But if this amp can do all those tones... Which it does, why wait for one day??

The clean is Fender-ish, and while the reverb is digital, it sounds good too!
If needed, i can always add a spring reverb pedal like the Boss Fender Reverb FRV-1...
The overdrive channel can go from blues to dirty very well!
Even had to turn the bass down playing with my strat!

Im seriously impressed! i didnt think i would be this mpressed, but ja... its just SO good! really!

If it were a blind test, i fail to see how you would tell the difference between this and the Deluxe VM or the Boogie! Though, the Boogie might just have more grunt and get closer to a metal tone!

dont take my word for it though... try it out for yourself before simply throwing it away!!!
If your dare of course!

Oh ja... i dont mind me being a Marshall and playing on an Albion ?
The name doesnt worry me! (Except on my guitar)
Just like a good guitar is a good guitar, regardless of the name on the headstock, a good amp is a good amp! and this is a great amp!
As much as some would like to take that away from it, you cant!

Now to sell some unused stuff... 8)

Jacquesg4j

What kind of guarentee does it have?

Norman86

Jacquesg4j wrote What kind of guarentee does it have?

Good question actually... forgot to ask... will find out!

Norman86

Just something which i found, and thought prevalent to the thread...
Yes, i know it deals with mobile phones, but thats not the point.

http://www.mobile-review.com/articles/2011/birulki-114-en.shtml#1 wrote Prejudicial Myths. The Country of Origin Myth Illustrated by China

One of the most resilient myths on the market of consumer electronics suggests that products manufactured in China are drastically worse than those manufactured in, let's say, Malaysia, Taiwan or Singapore. This myth dates back to the time when Europe and other markets were overrun by the first wave of consumer electronics from China that started in 1990-s: very cheap devices in unpretentious plastic bodies that very often had famous brand names on them. No one was expecting quality – the only perk they had was the price. I must add that even if the Chinese wanted to produce quality stuff they would have failed – back then China did not have the necessary technologies (plastics, molding presses, production lines) or the expertise (production lines staff, engineers, designers).

But in a decade China made a breakthrough in quality and quantity. By creating free economic zone China managed to attract most of consumer electronics manufacturers from around the world with cheap labor and fiscal privileges. Today European, American and even Korean manufacturers operate in China for reasons mentioned above. The result? The result is that as far as one brand is concerned, Sony for example, there is absolutely no difference where the products are manufactured: Malaysia or China – the quality is the same. It is achieved by simply following the production manuals and testing vreating a quality standard (you can offer come across "ISO certified" which stands exactly for the quality standard).

The goal of any manufacturer is to follow the quality standard regardless of the factory. Moreover, all the parts of a single device are all the same at any factory with almost no exceptions. All this allows you to create identical products and quality issues usually arise due to improper factory quality control or faulty production lines – the ubiquitous human factors.

Another example, when Nokia opened a cell phone factory in Hungary the number of defective handsets exceeded the average for the company. This was due cheap and incompetent labor. The production line is automatic and foolproof and for it to malfunction someone has to create a malfunction – which was done by the maintenance staff. This is where the quality control should have intervened by stopping the production. This, however, was not done since the factory was new and the competence of the production line staff left much to be desired. When the company started receiving negative feedback they just brought staff from other factories who launched the production properly. It is only the human factor that can affect the quality of the end product.

One could think that my human factor argument implies bad quality of products from Chinese factories. Many would turn to the stereotype saying that Made in China products cannot be of good quality. But the statistics does not lie. It is the Chinese factories that lead in terms of quality – China is the world number 1 concerning quality. There is, however, a confusion about what is a Chinese product.

I will draw an analogy. You come to Paris and visit Grand Opera. You are positively delighted by the solo of a Parisian diva and you share this impression with your friends in Twitter. The French opera from now on has a positive image for you and you readily recommend it to everyone you meet. Meanwhile, a friend of yours returns from France and tells you that he positively hates the French opera and that he could not imagine a spectacle duller. You begin to inquire and learn that your friend has visited a provincial opera that was horrid. It is a French opera but another level of it. I could provide millions of similar examples: just compare the food in a three star restaurant in the capital and a fast-food drive-in on a highway – both are in the same country.

We are tricked by the Made in China stereotype and we associate everything Chinese with the devices that used to break down immediately after the purchase. This attitude has been very slowly changing in the recent years. You should always draw a line between Chinese products manufactured by major international companies that guarantee the quality and tiny Chinese cottage industry. Both are Chinese and will have Made in China on their products but the quality will differ dramatically.

There is another facet of this myth – the country of origin. Recently I have come across an online store that offered two variants of all products: from Chinese factories and from other countries (Japan, Taiwan, the US etc.). They even offer lower prices for Made in China goods e.g. HTC Incredible S from a "Chinese factory" for €425 and €500 for the same phone from Taiwan. The thing is, that despite a factory in China HTC has not produced a single Incredible S until the last week all the production of this model was exclusively on Taiwan. The HTC has officially confirmed that all the phones on the market are from the Taiwanese factory. Canon was also surprised to hear that there is production of Canon 7D and other mirror cameras in China since it is only manufactured in Japan. As a matter of fact, if such devices have a Made in China sign it means they are counterfeit.

The above mentioned online store offers "Chinese" variants for a reason. The vendors exploit the myth that Chinese goods are worse even if they are manufactured by big companies. They say that same devices manufactured in China have a poorer quality, often defective and that it is worth paying more for the "real thing". The truth is, they cannot possibly have any "Chinese variants" as in case with HTC Incredible S – it is only manufactured on Taiwan. Usually the buyer does not get a cheaper equivalent as the retailer simply says that they have run out of the "Chinese equivalents" or if they do not it means that they are selling counterfeit devices unlicensed for your market. Or in some cases you win the lottery and get the real thing (usually if it is real it is used or has some defects). This is an example of how to create a flourishing business on the stereotypes that Made in China is bad. But the quality of a product does not depend on the country of origin but on the manufacturer and the quality standards.

So, when assessing a product of a major manufacturer you should not jump to conclusions based on the country of origin. If a product is relatively new on the market you won't find any good reviews concerning its quality. If a product has been out for a while you may come across reviews saying that Made in China products are more liable to break down. This is our collective unconscious – we blame China since our minds associate China with bad quality – which is not true. I hope I will succeed busting this myth.

Norman86

Some more info:

aubs1

Hey Norman, looks like you are totally sold on this amp. So when are you gonna get one? Hopefully next time you come over to visit, you can bring it with, I am really (seriously) keen to listen to what this hype is about...... not that I am in the market for another amp..... (or anything for that matter)

Gearhead

Aubs1 wrote Hey Norman, looks like you are totally sold on this amp. So when are you gonna get one?

No, dude! I would prefer another couple of pages of exclamation marks and superlatives, personally ?

@Norman: no offense man, as long as you're happy with what you buy.

Norman86

Aubs1 wrote Hey Norman, looks like you are totally sold on this amp. So when are you gonna get one? Hopefully next time you come over to visit, you can bring it with, I am really (seriously) keen to listen to what this hype is about...... not that I am in the market for another amp..... (or anything for that matter)

Mr Aubrey:

Yeah, i am sold on it hey!
Just trying to sort out the logistics... but hopefully soon ?
and no one wants to buy my cube?! ugh...
need to sell that and some other stuff first, but i seriously want this head and cab!!!
I think you will be suitably impressed with this amp hey!!
Will make a point to come visit once i get one!!

That way i can meet up with Gearhead too!!

MIKA-the-better-one

dude, bad advice here but just go get the amp if you want it.. someone may get it, and that will suck..... then just sell your cube to make back the cash.....

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