#168880  by wpmartin1979
 
Hello Everyone! Just wanted to share my experience with The Amp by Milkman. I picked one up gently used to save some money since they are so $$$$$$. I saved around $100.
It sounded great and higher volume levels with the master past 1 o clock (see my Eastwood Tiger demo video on another post).
However, when I was trying to use it at lower volumes for practice it was clipping pretty badly whenever I engaged my overdrive pedals (vintage MXR Distortion +, Boss OD-3). I only use those pedals for clean overdrive with a little bite for solos, but no matter what I couldn’t dial in a clean Jerry tone at lower volumes without clipping. I tried with several different speakers to make sure it was the amp.
I finally decided to reach out to Milkman for advice to see if I could adjust anything or if they could help me problem solve. The response I got from Tim was “sorry but since you bought it used I can’t really help you. You could try a different tube or return it and buy one under warranty.”
Needless to say I was kinda surprised and unimpressed with his response.
I decided to return The Amp (luckily I bought it from an actual guitar store) and picked up a Quilter 101 Reverb to try instead. I’ll let you guys know how that works out.
In the mean time I’ve been getting really great Jerry tones at low volume with my Fender Superchamp x2 head on channel one (with upgraded Genalex Gold Lion preamp tube and a pair of EHX 6V6GT Power tubes). I would highly recommend this setup for anyone looking to dial in blackface clean tone in a budget.
Anyway, we’ll see how the Quilter compares to the Superchamp in a short while!
Last edited by wpmartin1979 on Sat Dec 12, 2020 11:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
 #168881  by playingdead
 
I'm not sure what the issue is here -- sounds like the output on your overdrive pedal was too hot and it's clipping the input of the Milkman so you should have turned down both your pedal outputs till you got the sound you wanted and then adjusted your clean volume accordingly. He probably suggested trying a different tube because there are tubes that will not break up as easily when faced with higher inputs ... gain staging and headroom is a big part of amp design and that's why a Twin Reverb doesn't break up turned up to 10 and other Fender amps are designed to break up around 3 or 4 and are revered because of it.

But you bought it used to save money, one of the things you get when you buy something new is a warranty and technical support. You can 't have it both ways, did you expect him to tell you to ship it in so he could check it out on the bench and repair it for free if something was wrong? If there was something wrong with it, that would be something to address with the store or person who sold it to you. It could have been modified or damaged, and Tim has no control over it. But posting about a "bad experience with Milkman the Amp" isn't too fair to the company. It might just not be the amp you are working for, that doesn't make it a "bad" amp.
strumminsix liked this
 #168882  by wpmartin1979
 
Well, I definitely wasn’t look for any kind of warranty or coverage. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with the amp, but I didn’t have the manual so I was looking for advice.
I was expecting him to tell me whether or not I could make adjustments and dial it in to make it sound good. I didn’t want to go into detail about our exchange because it was too much negativity to post here, but he did compare himself to Leo Fender. He said Leo Fender doesn’t make time to help everyone who has an issue with a Blues Jr. I’m not making that up. That is what he said.
The fact is that the amp didn’t sound good at lower volumes. That is a fact and that was my experience whether you like or not.

I did have a bad experience when I tried to solve the issue, so I will say that these experience is subject and unique to me, but that it is a truthful representation of my experience.
Just trying to warn others who may be looking to pick one up used and use it for practice. That’s all!
Last edited by wpmartin1979 on Sat Dec 12, 2020 11:34 am, edited 2 times in total.
 #168883  by wpmartin1979
 
playingdead wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 10:53 am But you bought it used to save money, one of the things you get when you buy something new is a warranty and technical support. You can 't have it both ways, did you expect him to tell you to ship it in so he could check it out on the bench and repair it for free if something was wrong? If there was something wrong with it, that would be something to address with the store or person who sold it to you. It could have been modified or damaged, and Tim has no control over it. But posting about a "bad experience with Milkman the Amp" isn't too fair to the company. It might just not be the amp you are working for, that doesn't make it a "bad" amp.

Why are you accusing me of trying to have something both ways? All I wanted was advice, lol!
Can you please quote the section where I called it a bad amp? Because I didn’t.
Do you work for Milkman? What is your experience with using the amp at practice volumes?

I thought this forum was for heads to share their experiences, not just blindly promote products.
Last edited by wpmartin1979 on Sat Dec 12, 2020 11:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
 #168884  by wpmartin1979
 
BTW
If you are someone who truly loves Milkman Products then you should definitely buy them and support the company!!!
I’m just sharing my experience for what it’s worth.
That’s all!
Last edited by wpmartin1979 on Sat Dec 12, 2020 11:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
 #168885  by wpmartin1979
 
playingdead wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 10:53 am I'm not sure what the issue is here -- sounds like the output on your overdrive pedal was too hot and it's clipping the input of the Milkman so you should have turned down both your pedal outputs till you got the sound you wanted and then adjusted your clean volume accordingly.
I tried this, believe me. It diminished the tone of the pedal and I couldn’t get the clean bite that I needed. Also, I was using the OBEL so master volume control of the pedals was on the guitar. Not sure if that had something to do with it? Which is why I was looking for advice.

There’s not really a problem at all, btw. Just sharing my experience, lol.
Last edited by wpmartin1979 on Sat Dec 12, 2020 11:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
 #168886  by wpmartin1979
 
wpmartin1979 wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 10:30 am Hello Everyone! Just wanted to share my experience with The Amp by Milkman. I picked one up gently used to save some money since they are so $$$$$$. I saved around $100.
It sounded great and higher volume levels with the master past 1 o clock (see my Eastwood Tiger demo video on another post).
However, when I was trying to use it at lower volumes for practice it was clipping pretty badly whenever I engaged my overdrive pedals (vintage MXR Distortion +, Boss OD-3). I only use those pedals for clean overdrive with a little bite for solos, but no matter what I couldn’t dial in a clean Jerry tone at lower volumes without clipping. I tried with several different speakers to make sure it was the amp.
I finally decided to reach out to Milkman for advice to see if I could adjust anything or if they could help me problem solve. The response I got from Tim was “sorry but since you bought it used I can’t really help you. You could try a different tube or return it and buy one under warranty.”
Needless to say I was kinda surprised and unimpressed with his response.
I decided to return The Amp (luckily I bought it from an actual guitar store) and picked up a Quilter 101 Reverb to try instead. I’ll let you guys know how that works out.
In the mean time I’ve been getting really great Jerry tones at low volume with my Fender Superchamp x2 head on channel one (with upgraded Genalex Gold Lion preamp tube and a pair of EHX 6V6GT Power tubes). I would highly recommend this setup for anyone looking to dial in blackface clean tone in a budget.
Anyway, we’ll see how the Quilter compares to the Superchamp in a short while!
 #168887  by lbpesq
 
First off, I think you are going to like the Quilter. I have a 101 Mini Reverb and the 10” BlockDock cab. Absolutely incredible to get the tone and volume out of that tiny little rig. It has replaced my Alembic F-2B>Carvin DCM200L>twin 1x12 JBL K-120s for most jams where I have to travel.

I’ve never played a Milkman, but if I were you I would certainly be disappointed in the lack of customer service you experienced. Good boutique companies that behave in that manner just are short-sighted. When I bought my first Alembic guitar used at a guitar show, it had some issues with the electronics. I brought it to Alembic (I live an hour away) and they treated me as if I had just bought a brand new $20,000 guitar! Guess what? A couple of years later as I approached my 50th birthday, I ordered a custom Further from them. I certainly wouldn’t buy a new Milkman after being treated in that manner.

Bill, tgo
wpmartin1979 liked this
 #168890  by jackevorkian
 
Milkman Amps have always seemed really overpriced to me, relative to similar boutique offerings. I've bought more than a few used boutique amps over the years and anytime I had a question or problem, the builders have always been beyond helpful despite me not being the original owner...Tone King, Carr, Goodsell, Victoria...just to name a few. It seems like a bad business decision to be difficult with people that own/use your product, as the boutique gear world is small and has got to be a tough way to make a living.
wpmartin1979 liked this
 #168891  by wpmartin1979
 
jackevorkian wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 12:00 pm Milkman Amps have always seemed really overpriced to me, relative to similar boutique offerings. I've bought more than a few used boutique amps over the years and anytime I had a question or problem, the builders have always been beyond helpful despite me not being the original owner...Tone King, Carr, Goodsell, Victoria...just to name a few. It seems like a bad business decision to be difficult with people that own/use your product, as the boutique gear world is small and has got to be a tough way to make a living.
Yeah I agree. I was trying to think about what would motivate him to blow me off the way he did. Maybe he was just having a bad day! It could also be that he’s tired of hearing a lot of complaints about The Amp not having enough headroom and so he is frustrated on that level and doesn’t want to deal with it. I was really hoping for Jerry in a box and it does deliver at loud volumes but my poor ears can’t take it and I can’t put my speakers in another room. My expectations were probably too high and for around the same price as a Sarno SMS that’s probably the better option anyway. Although if I were going to spend that much money again I might consider the FYD TRP with the real spring reverb.
Yes I would also need a power amp but I could go into the FX loop of the Quilter 101 R and see how that sounds first.
Thoughts on that idea?
 #168901  by Jon S.
 
lbpesq wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 11:34 am I think you are going to like the Quilter. I have a 101 Mini Reverb and the 10” BlockDock cab. Absolutely incredible to get the tone and volume out of that tiny little rig. It has replaced my Alembic F-2B>Carvin DCM200L>twin 1x12 JBL K-120s for most jams where I have to travel.
Wow, that's high praise! So you do feel the Quilter has enough of that sweet high end to work for Jerry tone? I've heard mixed things in that regard from fellow D'heads. Some say definitely and some say no. I wonder if the differences in opinion may come down to earlier-in-the-signal-chain differences like, say, the guy with 250K pots says no and the guy with the 500K pots says yes.
 #168904  by lbpesq
 
First, you should be aware that I’m more of a Bobby than a Jerry. Does the Quilter (I have both the 101 Reverb and a MicroPro 200-8) sound as good as the big rig? No. But it’s close enough that when I’m heading out for a jam (remember when we used to do that?), and I’m deciding whether to hump the rack case and two 1x12s, or just grab the 17 lb. Mini Reverb and BlockDock 10tc, or the 19 lb. MicroPro combo, the big rig usually stays in the studio. The Quilters can be tweaked to give more than enough treble, certainly for my purposes. And you should also consider that I’m playing mostly single coils - Alembics and Strat-type singles that I wind myself. The older I get, the more convenience becomes important.

Bill, tgo
 #168906  by Jon S.
 
lbpesq wrote: Sun Dec 13, 2020 3:19 pmDoes the Quilter (I have both the 101 Reverb and a MicroPro 200-8) sound as good as the big rig? No. But it’s close enough that when I’m heading out for a jam (remember when we used to do that?) ...

The older I get, the more convenience becomes important.
Hey, I jammed for 3 hours with my regular bandmates and a sit-in cajon hand-drummer just yesterday. The other guitarist has a huge outdoor deck, we were each about 12' from the others, it was awesome.

I hear you on the portable gear aspect. I brought my solid state Orange 35RT to the jam. I love that little amp!
 #168907  by lbpesq
 
Yea, I hosted several jams and rehearsals in my yard earlier in the year. Then we had a few weeks where the air was so bad from the fires here in California that we had to stay inside. Now it’s cold and rainy. The first warm weekend we get, I’ll set up the PA and have people over again.

Bill, tgo