# My experience with Mad Professor Amplification



## jerVic (Jul 7, 2021)

After doing some research (ie. watching a lot of Youtube videos), I decided on
Mad Professor as my amp purveyor of choice. Since I was in the middle of a
project to build a speaker cabinet, I decided that their Old School 21 RT Head
was what I needed. Their site offered a discount code, so I placed an order.
At the last moment, I added in a B-stock (demo) Amber Overdrive (handwired) pedal.


A bit about Mad Professor and the amp. The company is in Finland, and their amps
are built in the UK. I think the handwired pedals are built in house, but maybe
not the factory ones - I'm not sure. The amp. is on its 2nd iteration - mk2.

Before I purchased, I sent them an email with some questions, which Marko
Karhu promptly answered:

1. Is it a handwired amp.?
- no, PCB
2. Is a footswitch included?
- yes
3. Is the reverb spring or digital?
- reverb is digital, basically our Silver Spring Reverb circuit
4. The amp. has a selectable power supply between 120v and 240v. Will the included power cord will be compatible with North American plugs?
- yes
5. What is the difference between the old version and the current model?
- New OS 21 RT is very cool and smaller in size. And has tube buffered
tremolo. Tremolo sounds better with a tube but we are very happy how
our digital reverb sounds so that is unchanged!


They shipped my order more or less the same day I placed it (taking into account
the 10hr time difference between the west coast of Canada and Finland).

And 2 days later, FedEx lost it.

After about 3 weeks, FedEx conceded that it was indeed lost. I immediately called
Mad Professor - it was 6pm on Friday night, their time. Jukka Mönkkönen - the guy
who had shipped my amp and Product Manager - answered. He was very apologetic,
and asked whether I wanted my money back, or a replacement shipped. I opted for
the replacement, which he shipped out first thing the next Monday morning.

He shipped it International Priority, and it arrived at my house in a little over 3 days.
It was well packed and there was no damage. The Amber Overdrive looks like a
brand new pedal and not B-stock or demo at all.

The amp sounds great. My speaker cabinet is 7/8" solid fir. 21"x19"x9.5", with an
Eminence Governor speaker. The clean sounds are clear and chimey to mellow, depending
on how you play with the eq. and the cut knobs. You can get a substantial amount of
gain, esp. with the gain boost engaged, and the tone is great - almost rivalling that
of the Amber Overdrive, which I'm really loving. The reverb is great. I'm still
playing with the tremolo settings, but it's definitely growing on me the more I get
it dialled in.

So in conclusion, I'm very happy. The only thing better than how the amp and the pedal
sound would be the amazing customer service. Thanks to all at Mad Professor, and esp.
Jukka.


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## Mikev7305 (Jan 6, 2020)

First off, welcome to the forum! And congratulations on the acquisition. To tell you the truth I didn't even know mad professor made amps, but I'm sure they are incredible. Sonically, what amp would you compare it to?


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## SmoggyTwinkles (May 31, 2021)

Awesome! I had no idea they made amps. Always known about their pedals (aren't they sort of related to BJF stuff?) Had a Mighty Red Distortion once and it was really really close to my perfect higher gain sound. 

That's great that they gave such great service. Must have been stressful for a bit.


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## SmoggyTwinkles (May 31, 2021)

Amp head kind of looks like a Matchless cosmetically.


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## jerVic (Jul 7, 2021)

Mikev7305 said:


> First off, welcome to the forum! And congratulations on the acquisition. To tell you the truth I didn't even know mad professor made amps, but I'm sure they are incredible. Sonically, what amp would you compare it to?


Thanks! Yeah, they make amps. Apparently an older one they make (CS40?) is legendary. If I understand correctly, the company was formed as a vehicle to bring BJF's amp and pedal designs to market. I believe their association has since ended (in 2017?) but Mad Professor is still making and selling stuff he designed.

@SmoggyTwinkles, funny you should mention Matchless. The other serious candidate for me was the Bad Cat Cub 15R Player Series.

As for what amp it sounds like, I'm not sure I can give a good answer. I pretty much play by and for myself, so I haven't had a chance to listen to a lot of amps. The manual gives settings guidance for Bright American (Fender-ish) and Warm British (Vox-ish) tones. I think it approximates those types of amps, but it's got it's own thing going on. Of all the amps I've had/have, (Roland JC-60, Boss Katana 50 mk2, Stage Right 15w tube, Fender Blues Junior), I'd say it's closest to the Blues Junior, but not really... It's less... muddy? But my cabinet is much bigger than the Fender, speaker is different, etc. I think Mad Professor used to use Creambacks in their combos and cabs, but now use Jensen Tornado Stealth 100w speakers across the line up. I have a neo Creamback on order, so whenever it gets here, I'll swap out the Eminence and see what the difference is. All this stuff is so subjective, though....


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## SmoggyTwinkles (May 31, 2021)

Can I ask about the cab btw? I'm looking around for a 1x12" and also considering building my own.

Just curious what cab that is and where you got it, what's on the other side (closed back open back, both options with a removable panel etc etc.)

If not too much trouble.

Hope the new speaker is a perfect fit for your new amp!

EDIT: Right, so this is what I do. Ask a question then go back and read the OP to find the info is all right there. 

Did you build the cab off a suggested plan/schematic?


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## jerVic (Jul 7, 2021)

SmoggyTwinkles said:


> Can I ask about the cab btw? I'm looking around for a 1x12" and also considering building my own.
> 
> Just curious what cab that is and where you got it, what's on the other side (closed back open back, both options with a removable panel etc etc.)
> 
> Did you build the cab off a suggested plan/schematic?


No worries.  

First, 2 places in Canada that sell components (speakers, metal rounded corners, wiring harness, and much more):






Parts for Amps, Guitars, Pedals, and Pickups - Next Gen Musical Ltd.


Canada's source for amp, guitar, pedal, and pickup parts. Free shipping over $149.




nextgenguitars.ca









Canada's Largest Inventory of Celestion, B&C & Eminence Loudspeakers


Free shipping over $150 on most products to almost anywhere in Canada. DIY audio repairs, parts and accessories. Largest selection of Celestion, Eminence, Misco, Quam and B&C speakers. Guitar, pro audio and small replacement speakers of every size available. We Ship to the United States.




qcomponents.ca





I ordered from the first one, and had a good experience. I think they both offer free shipping over ~$150, which is easy to
get to if you buy a speaker. NextGen also has occasional (Easter, Canada Day this year, maybe Labour Day, Black Friday and
Boxing Day as well?) sales/discount coupons, so something to keep in mind. They had 10% off almost everything on Canada
Day, including Celestion and Eminence speakers.


I didn't follow a specific plan, but I looked at a lot of plans and info online. Here were some that I thought were useful:


https://guitargeary.com/how-to-build-a-guitar-amp-cabinet/
 









How To Build A Guitar Cabinet | Guitar Cabinet Design


Sonically, birch is great because it strikes a very desirable balance; it’s rigid enough to produce punch and definition while being soft enough to sound warm but not floppy. Remember that the cabinet acts as a resonator for the speakers just as the wood of a guitar acts as a resonator for the...




gear-vault.com












Top 10 Mistakes when building a cabinet


Ok, so you want to make a guitar cabinet however before you start I thought I would share the top 10 things you need to do to ensure you don't find issues down the track. Trust me, I have I have learnt from my own mistakes. 1. Pick an easy build. Don't start with the idea of a fancy timber build...




thespeakerfactory.com.au












How to make a Fender-Style 1x12 Speaker Cabinet - Pixachrome


Learn how to build a 1×12 speaker cabinet to replicate the vintage Fender cabinets built in the 50’s and 60’s. The video covers construction, covering with Tolex, applying hardware and some tricks of the trade to make the cabinet solid and rattle-proof.




www.pixachrome.com





The size of the box I made was constrained by the size of the wood I had. I would have made it 10" deep if the wood had
allowed. In retrospect, I maybe should have gone for a more a more standard 3/4" thickness, but it's fine. The baffle is 1/2"
MDF from Home Depot.

The back is open with 2 panels, and I'm debating making a 3rd panel and having the option of open/closed. I also, in hindsight,
should have put screws in the corners and the leading edge of the back panels, not just the middle. There is black felt strips
from the craft store between the panels and the cabinet frame, to stop any vibration.

Hot tip: Use a soldering iron to burn/cauterize holes in the speaker grill and the felt strips where screws or other fasteners
will penetrate them. Don't burn down your house/garage/workshop.


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## SmoggyTwinkles (May 31, 2021)

That's basically exactly the type of 1/12" cab I'd like to build. So thank you very much for all the info/links!

Birch eh? 

Alright. Time to start brainstorming......


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## SmoggyTwinkles (May 31, 2021)

jerVic said:


> No worries.
> 
> First, 2 places in Canada that sell components (speakers, metal rounded corners, wiring harness, and much more):
> 
> ...


Right so you just found me my 1/12" unloaded cab. Bless you! Eminence XTC112-BT 1 X 12" Guitar Cab

And the warehouse is right by St Jacobs in Waterloo, which is pretty far, but my parents go there every September, called them and they said absolutely you can order online and pick it up with no shipping costs. 

Cool! Thank you for those links!


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## jerVic (Jul 7, 2021)

SmoggyTwinkles said:


> Right so you just found me my 1/12" unloaded cab. Bless you! Eminence XTC112-BT 1 X 12" Guitar Cab
> 
> And the warehouse is right by St Jacobs in Waterloo, which is pretty far, but my parents go there every September, called them and they said absolutely you can order online and pick it up with no shipping costs.
> 
> Cool! Thank you for those links!


Nice. I saw those, and if I hadn't been set on building my own.... I don't think you could build that cab for that price. I see they have 5% off cab and speakers if you buy it preloaded.... 😈


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## SmoggyTwinkles (May 31, 2021)

jerVic said:


> Nice. I saw those, and if I hadn't been set on building my own.... I don't think you could build that cab for that price. I see they have 5% off cab and speakers if you buy it preloaded.... 😈


Yeah, seriously awesome link you sent me there. 

I feel like I should repay you but all I got is Philadelphia Luthier Tools & Supplies Guitar building tools and parts if you need guitar specific stuff. They will put small priced items in a bubble envelope and charge you $8, sent USPS, shows up in a week no duty or anything. 

basically, F stewmac and all those places. Just a tip and thanks for yours!


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## gearlovin (Apr 9, 2013)

jerVic said:


> Thanks! Yeah, they make amps. Apparently an older one they make (CS40?) is legendary. If I understand correctly, the company was formed as a vehicle to bring BJF's amp and pedal designs to market. I believe their association has since ended (in 2017?) but Mad Professor is still making and selling stuff he designed.
> 
> @SmoggyTwinkles, funny you should mention Matchless. The other serious candidate for me was the Bad Cat Cub 15R Player Series.
> 
> As for what amp it sounds like, I'm not sure I can give a good answer. I pretty much play by and for myself, so I haven't had a chance to listen to a lot of amps. The manual gives settings guidance for Bright American (Fender-ish) and Warm British (Vox-ish) tones. I think it approximates those types of amps, but it's got it's own thing going on. Of all the amps I've had/have, (Roland JC-60, Boss Katana 50 mk2, Stage Right 15w tube, Fender Blues Junior), I'd say it's closest to the Blues Junior, but not really... It's less... muddy? But my cabinet is much bigger than the Fender, speaker is different, etc. I think Mad Professor used to use Creambacks in their combos and cabs, but now use Jensen Tornado Stealth 100w speakers across the line up. I have a neo Creamback on order, so whenever it gets here, I'll swap out the Eminence and see what the difference is. All this stuff is so subjective, though....


Congrats on the Mad Pro amp.

I've had the prototype of the old school 21 before the reverb and trem... It was a killer amp.

I still have 2 CS40 and a MP101.
Huge heads but some of the best sounding ones. Both design by Bjorn Juhl of BJFE

Envoyé de mon SM-G973W en utilisant Tapatalk


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## dolphinstreet (Sep 11, 2006)

I remember when their first came out. I really wanted one but it was very expensive.

This video provides some history and more info on current models.


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