The Dawg Pound---Lil Dawg Amp Owners

Let's talk about our Dawgs....which ones we have, what speakers, tubes, etc
Also maybe we can share amp settings...

I'll post pics soon.

I have 3 Dawgs currently with a 4th being built now..

1. 5F1 Champster Special---started out as an 8 watt Champster but I put in a 12 watt OT to make it a bit more suitable for gigging. USA "pulls" 5Y3, 6V6GT & 12AX7. Jensen P12R ri. Love this amp. Especially dimed.
Cab is a beautiful Lil Dawg cab with 22 coats sprayed on for a real amber, aged color.

2. 5E3 D-Lux w/25 watt OT. I am also using USA NOS tubes in this baby. 5Y3, 2 6V6GT, a 12AX7 in V2 & the all-important 12AY7 in V1. Love this amp too...took her to an open jam last week & this is the one everybody wanted to play. I have the chassis slapped in a cheesy 2X10 combo I tolexed with "tweed-look" tolex. Looks crummy compared to the hand-built perfectly tweeded cabs Jim makes (or made, now that he's not making cabs anymore), but this amp delivers the goods. I have a Dr Z Z-10 ceramic 16 ohm paired with a Jensen P10R ri. I love all the settings....jumpered, straight in, interactive volumes... my favorite for my pinecaster tele with Rumpel pups...

3. 18 Watt Pug (Marshall 1974 clone). Mine is the first production model Jim made of the mini-bluesbreaker. It is in a tweeded matching cab the same size as my Champster so looks are WAY deceiving with this one! It has NOS Mesa EL84s, an NOS 5v4, & 2 JJ 12AX7s. Speaker is a Weber C1230 8 ohm. I did have an Emi Red Fang in it but tried the Weber on Jim's advice & am very happy with it. British blues-rock/classic rock tone for days. It is one LOUD amp...especially with the Red Fang in an ext cab...I have been asked to turn down at outdoor gigs! Fulfills the lust for Marshall OD since I LOVE British blues-rock from the 60s....

4. A special build....I'll keep mum on this Dawg till I get her home in a few weeks...this is a head designed to power my Red Fang ext cab. I am REALLY excited about this one!

There you go Dawg lovers!

The hardest part for me is deciding which Dawg to take on a gig...not really...Champster for small gigs, D-Lux for blues gigs, & the Pug for gigs where I will be playing a lot of Blues/rock & classic rock.

One neat thing I love about the Dags is that they all play equally well with humbuckers, singel coils or P90s.

Tell me about your Dawgs!

Li'l Dawg 5F2A Prince tweed combo
12 watt 8 ohm output transformer
Mather 12" deep tweed cabinet
Weber Alnico Signature 12 (8 ohm, 25 watt)
set of JJ tubes (1 5AR4/GZ34, 1 6V6GT, 1 12AX7)

The chassis is done. We're just waiting for the cabinet from Mather.

I'm getting really antsy. Can't wait to fire it up.

Here is Jim's description of the one I bought, a slightly different version of the Champster.

"I have a 5 watt 1x12 available and ready to ship right now. Here's
some
pics of one for you from a sunny day a while back. It's got a set of
Mercury Magnetics (5 watt/4 ohm), Sprague Atoms filter caps,
Mallory 150
tone caps, Alpha pots, SwitchCraft jacks, ceramic sockets, and a Weber
Alnico Signature 12, all in a Better Built deep 1x12 tweed cab."

I have to admit that the "ready to ship right now" was a big factor in going for that one! A little less output wasn't an issue for me, no Champ power wise is going to work for any need I have except home use and/or recording anyway.

All I can say is, it's perfect. Sounds great, does just what I wanted it for.

....special build...it is in a "lunchbox" cage head...perfect for a nasty snarling Dawg!

My band "Matt & The Testifiers" plays a big blues festival Saturday so last night I took my 2X10 D-Lux to rehearsal in an old barn where I could crank her up a bit....man she sounded sweet. I tried a treble booster (rangemaster clone) through her for the first time & I liked what I heard...I'n not a pedal guy at all...Just cable straight to amp....but sometimes I use a wah or a fuzz....All my Dawgs take what few pedals I ever use really well.....I do prefer to go straight in though.


Mark

Where ya at , fellow members of the Pound? I know you're out there!!!

Let's bark it up a bit...:grin:

My first Dawg is in the works. Can't wait to get it, but it should be here in July.
It's a 59 Bassman clone.

Wow...wow....wow....that is the ultimate Dawg! I amost had Jim make me a Top Dawg instead of the special build (which is done BTW) but the only cab I have for it is my 2X10 D-Lux & then the D-Lux chassis wouldn't have a home & I don't have any more room for Dawgs!

Once the head arrives, I will be in one in-one out mode concerning amps as I will have 4 Lil Dawgs & one vintage Valco & have no more room...problem is, I like 'em all & don't wanna part with any...

But I would like a low-powered Twin or a Bassman clone...:lol:

Proud owner of a Lil Dawg Champster Spl. I took it over to a friends place a couple of months ago and we hooked it up to one of his Marshall 412 cab's. It sounded scary good.

I have always wanted to do that! Jim told me from day one that a Champster will drive a 4X12 & sound gigantic....speaking of gigantic Champs, Jim is considering building a 25 watt Champster! That would be a monster!

He also offers now the "Mutt"... a cross between a tweed D-Lux & A Champster...I think he merges the front end preamp of a D-Lux with a Champster power section.

But that's not what I got coming in the mail....the ChocoDawg is enroute!:grin:

Champster Special here. Been thinking a lot about a D-lux but can't make up my mind which one to go for.

Proud owner of a 25 watt d-lux. absolutely love the tones comin out of that thing. i built a nice homemade cab for it and run it thru a weber 12f150. sweet sweet tele heaven.

I've talking with Jim about the Mutt!
A 12W watt 5E3 with a Champ power section... for less than a 5E3?
Seems nice!

My latest Lil Dawg arrived yesterday, the Chocodawg! Jim's take of a Fender 6G3 Brownface Deluxe. I got it in a lunchbox head-style am am running it into a Lopo ext cab with an Emi Red Fang Alnico.

I have only played it for 2hours as I took it to rehearsal last night. Man, this amp is LOUD for 25 watts....due to the mega efficient Red Fang.

Compared to my Lil Dawg tweed D-Lux, this is a MUCH tighter amp (GZ34 rec tube as oppossed to a 5Y3 in the tweed). Stay pretty clean until 5-6, then sweet OD starts coming in with full-on Marshall type crunch from 9-12. More than bright enough with buckers.
The trem is awesome....bias-type like in the original.

I can get useable cleans outta this one but man it is sweet cranked. I'l give a fuller report once I wring it out, jumper channels, etc.

So far so good. This is an awesome amp...typical top-notch Lil Dawg build with quality parts & craftsmanship. This is the first brownface amp Jim has built & he hit another home run.

This amp should appeal to those who love the tweed tones but wish it were a bit tighter....I don't know yet but this may be indeed the perfect amp. It is my 4th Lil Dawg & I'm keeping them all for now...it reminds me of teh Champster but on steroids and a lot tighter. I know....I need to post pics...

Those who say the browns are between the tweeds & BFs are right....sometimes I LOVE the ragged glory of a dimed 5E3 but other times I want it to hold togetehr better & this amp does that while retaining the fat tweed cleans. Just too cool. :grin:

I forgot...a JJ GZ34 rec, 2 Tung-Sol labeled RCA 6V6gts (nearly NOS), and 3 NOS 12AX7s (2 GE & 1 RCA) for the tubes. OT is 25 watt as Jim couldn't find a 20 watter like the original had. Brown knobs, 4 inputs, Hi & Lo for both bright & normal channels, 2 speaker outs, 8 ohm, one line out, one output for the trem footswitch (which I made myself), and a bronzed plexiglass baseplate that is somewhat transparent.

I'm gonna spray the grey cage a nice Choco brown to match the knobs.

If you can, provide some sound clips too.

I received my Li'l Dawg Prince last night. It's an amazing amp. I think the pics are below. First time loading pics, so sorry if they're not there.

28223

28225

28226

Also maybe we can share amp settings...




Hey, I just noticed this line in the original post.

Okay, I'll go! On my Champster, usually around 9 or 10. http://thestevieboy.tripod.com/bouncy.gif

Hello,
I started a new thread documenting my new build here:
Li'l Dawg - Top Dawg - 59 Bassman build
(http://www.tdpri.com/forum/amp-central-station/169035-lil-dawg-top-dawg-new-build-june-july-2009-a.html#post1922420)

I traded a buddy of mine some gear for his D-Lux. Mine has a 40-watt transformer and a mystery speaker. It sounds great as is, but I want to install a Red White & Blues speaker and some JAN-Philips 6V6s. The cabinet is the finest I've ever seen. I use a Dano Cool Cat Tremolo pedal, and occasionally a Dan-Echo.

Std D-Lux (5e3), JJ tubes, Weber C-1230. Like Jakeboy, not a pedal user, but have put a boosta grande (clean boost) in front to drive it more w/single coils. Great sound. Have used it w/aby with Allen Accomplish (think blackface deluxe) and wow is THAT a fun combination. It's hiding behind a 535 in the pic below...

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh237/fxdx99/heritagehoc170.jpg

I am still diggin' this Brownface D-Lux! It really is an in-betwwen amp....stays clean a lot longer than my 5E3 yet still fatter tan a BF type Fender.

fxdx99, I too have used a Boosta Grande in front of my 5E3 occasionally but settled on a fuzz instead when I want something like that...I haven't tried it with the Chocodawg yet though.

I gigged my ChocoDawg for the first time last weekend using my Red Fang loaded 1X12 ext cab with the Choco on top....it was an outdoor gig & people were saying "Is that little guy gonna be enough?"

Well, I was backing up another band. I was second guitar and I had to turn down because the lead playerhad a Peavey Classic 50 cranked & couldn't hang!

Did I mention Red Fangs are loud?

I got a great deal on a used Mullard GZ34 which I put in the Choco before the gig & man O man what sweet tone I had with just a cable & a Ricenbacker 650 Dakota! I really think this is the one...the ChocoDawg is great! Jim asked if it has become my 'desert island' amp...I think so...:grin:

It's funny...whenever I play any of my Dawgs, I am amazed...I pulled out the Pug yesterday & thought 'does it get any better?'

Hey Jakeboy, got any sound clips of this thing?

I gigged my ChocoDawg for the first time last weekend using my Red Fang loaded 1X12 ext cab with the Choco on top....it was an outdoor gig & people were saying "Is that little guy gonna be enough?"

Well, I was backing up another band. I was second guitar and I had to turn down because the lead playerhad a Peavey Classic 50 cranked & couldn't hang!

Did I mention Red Fangs are loud?

I got a great deal on a used Mullard GZ34 which I put in the Choco before the gig & man O man what sweet tone I had with just a cable & a Ricenbacker 650 Dakota! I really think this is the one...the ChocoDawg is great! Jim asked if it has become my 'desert island' amp...I think so...:grin:

It's funny...whenever I play any of my Dawgs, I am amazed...I pulled out the Pug yesterday & thought 'does it get any better?'

What is a "ChocoDawg"?
Thanks

straightface, no sound clips yet...my band is busy gigging...once we start recording our second CD in the Fall I'll post some tunes with the ChocoDawg...which is,wbm68, Jim's clone of a Fender Brownface 6G3 Deluxe. It roars. It is the amp for me above all others right now...

I am the proud owner of Mutt #1. Jim had just finished it when I contacted him to ask questions about both the Champster and DeLuxe. He offered up Mutt #1, added a line out jack on the back and shipped it without tubes (I have plenty, don't need more). It's housed in a custom head of my own design and build and runs through a speaker cab (mine again) designed with input from Ted Weber. Tubes are all NOS '50s except the 6V6, it's an NOS 1945 Raytheon. This amp responds to quality tubes and I've spent hours, just tube rolling.

I think that Jim is on to something here. I don't think that it's an original idea, as I've seen references to similar in the past. But the execution is fantastic. All of the benefits of a DeLuxe at Champ volumes. That means hitting the sweet spot at lower volumes, my days of 50 watt amps are long gone. I can use the line out if I need more volume. Plays well with humbuckers, single coils and especially P90s. I'm not set up to do sound clips yet, but I will post something soon. Pictures can be seen at:

http://mysite.verizon.net/res8305p/therevampsite/

If volume isn't your thing, but tone is, this may be your answer. There are several people that have tried it already talking to Jim about one for themselves. The ultimate bedroom amp? Possibly.

31425

31426

Sound clips next.

Here's mine:

Lil Dawg Prince Lunchbox head
sitting atop a AB Audio 1x12 in western brown & wheat grille
Speaker is a Weber Sig12B

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/nasonm/lildawg-smaller1.jpg

still enroute. jim shipped friday and i'm supposed to receive on wed., 9-9.

i think my ron kirn axes gonna sound mighty good through this guy.

also, pic shows the genuine, namesake, li'l dawg.

regards, eljayski

http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt262/eljayski/larrysampwiththerealLilDawg.jpg

I was emailing Jim about a D-lux and he talked me into the Mutt.
Do you guys think it can handle a drummer with just as 12" speaker?

I just want to add that Jim has got to be the nicest, most sincere builder/seller I've ever encountered.

I bought my Prince used and Jim answered all my questions and made me feel as if I was buying it directly from him. Great attitude and wonderful work!

I haven't tried it with a drummer around yet, but I think it would. Some drummers, however, refuse to let anyone be louder than they are. At times, they seem a neccesary evil.

Put some good old American vintage tubes in the Mutt, it responds well to them. I have an Ivory colored face plate available for a Mutt if anybody is interested. I had it done when I had the brown one in the pictures I've posted, done for the extra cost of the material only. It's free to any Mutt head (only) for the price of shipping. Email me.

By the way, I want to send my condolences to the family of Ted Weber. I just heard that he didn't make it to getting his lung replacement. When I first started making cabinets for myself, then others, Ted went out of his way to help me make the best product possible. Like Jim, at Lil Dawg, Ted loved what he did, was free with information, and would always return even the stupidest email with a thoughtful answer. People like this are getting harder and harder to find. When we lose one, I wonder of there'll be anyone there to take their place. The music business has lost a good man.

Choose your speaker wisely...an Emi Red Fang will be screamin' loud, as will the Emi Texas Heat. A 12 watt Mutt will cut it but you will be either micing it or keep it cranked....I personally like the tone of my Dawgs cranked....don't need no OD or distortion pedals!

+1 on Ted Weber being a good guy to deal with....I have a lot of Weber products and he is already missed.....

came today.

i know this is the tele forum but the 335 was tuned up and ready to go for the inaugural run.

sounds pretty righteous! :grin:

regards, eljayski

http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt262/eljayski/ldawg1.jpg

Hi guys. Ordered a 5F2A Prince "LunchBox" with a 6V6 build through Jim a week or so ago and got my first pics today of the start. I went with the 5 watt Mercury Magnetics option and a line-out as I have higher wattages covered with other amps and want to play at church with this one.
I'll be playing it though an Avatar open-back 1x12 with a Weber Ceramic Greenback clone with pre-rola doping (whatever that means... I bought it on Ebay). :-)
All the good things I've heard about Jim and the amps are what led me to start looking at them. Not any Prince clips on Youtube though... if you guys with more talent would post some I'm sure we'd grow the dawg pound even more.
Can't wait to get my hands on it!

Jim finished the lunchbox today and I'll get it next week!
Here it is, just like I asked for...
blue light, white chicken head knobs, MM OT and PT and 6V6 tubes.
Can't wait to plug it in!! :grin:

Hi guys, I got my amp from Jim and I can't believe how great it sounds, looks and is built. I'd buy from Jim at that price if he were mean as a junkyard dawg but he's not. He has been absolutely outstanding in every communication I've had. Thank God for Jim and his Lil Dawg too!

Ive got a 12w D-lux being built for me, with mather cab and weber 12a125. Very exciting. this will be the longest month everrrrr.

Just got some construction pics of my "in-the-process" 5E3, I'll post them since this thread could use some more stuff!

I just got these pictures of the finished wiring of my 5E3 Li'l Dawg D-lux lunchbox from Jim.

She's finished and a beauty. Jim will be shipping her tomorrow. Have a look:

Hi,

I just ordered a Li'l Dawg D-Lux from Jim. I am having him build a chrome plated 5E3 chassis, 12 watts, Mercury Magnetics PT/OT with a line out. I am having Mather Cabinets make a small (18W x 10H x 8D), cream tolex/wheat and brown grille cloth head. This amp will sit on top and match my Allen Accomplice head. I am able to outfit it with NOS RCA 5Y3, 12AY7, 12AX7 and a matched pair of 6V6 GTs (black plate).


I have a 1 x 12 cabinet which I can use either a Emi R,W&B (120w, 102dB) or a Scholz SugarCone (100w, 99 dB). Will either of these work with a 5E3 or should I consider looking at a new speaker? If so, what would work with both amps?

Thanks,

Bob

Hi Everybody,

Thinking of putting two tens in my Prince amp Jim built for me. I have one twelve in there now. It's a Weber Vintage series. The man who built the pine cabinet for me made it to accomadate two tens as well. Money's tight, but oh, the sound it will have. Thoughts?

Hi Everybody,

Thinking of putting two tens in my Prince amp Jim built for me. I have one twelve in there now. It's a Weber Vintage series. The man who built the pine cabinet for me made it to accomadate two tens as well. Money's tight, but oh, the sound it will have. Thoughts?

I think you'll like it. I bought a Champster Special from him a couple of years ago, and he put in 2x10's for me. That was back when he was building his own cabinets. Quite loud, and the crunch is quite nice. I'm using the standard Jensen P10Rs and they sound great dimed.

Here's a link to the gallery of pics during the build:

Building my Champster Special (http://www.squish.us/gallery2/v/Joe/music/guitar/)

Joe G.
Bishop, CA

New Dawg arrived in the pound today....

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9cc24b3127ccef89e3e28fde500000040O00IYtWrRq2aMQ e3nwQ/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

A custom Li'l Dawg D-Lux (5E3 circuit) arrived to today. I had Jim make it as a head with a line out and Mercury Magnetics PT/OT set. Peter Mather did a great job making a small cab that matches my Allen Accomplice. I was able to outfit it with NOS 1950s RCA 5Y3, 12AY7, 12AX7 and blackplate 6V6s. It sounds great I am just beginning to explore the tonal options.

I wholeheartedly recommend working with Jim at Li'l Dawg and Peter at Mather Cabinets. Great stuff!

:-)

Bob

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9cc24b3127ccef89f1a275c8400000040O00IYtWrRq2aMQ e3nwQ/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

I'm hearing rumors of a possible Mutt mutation that's EL84/6BQ5 based. I love my Mutt (see my HarmonyCentral review), but if this materializes, I may have to get one. Nothing better than old Sylvania black plates for power.

I think you'll like it. I bought a Champster Special from him a couple of years ago, and he put in 2x10's for me. That was back when he was building his own cabinets. Quite loud, and the crunch is quite nice. I'm using the standard Jensen P10Rs and they sound great dimed.

Here's a link to the gallery of pics during the build:

Building my Champster Special (http://www.squish.us/gallery2/v/Joe/music/guitar/)

Joe G.
Bishop, CA
Nice photos. I'm strapped for cash now so the 2 tens will have to wait. I have so much treble now, I wonder if 2 tens will be overkill in that regard. I put the amps tone knob on about 2-3. Really sounds nice with my Strat. Here's a pic.
http://i403.photobucket.com/albums/pp120/gldfshkpr/LilDawgForEpi-1.jpg

have had 3 dlux
3 champsters
1 superdawg
the champs keep getting sold to mates as do the dluxes
currently have a 25 watt dlux and a superdawg
mainly use the dlux the superdawg is saved for special occaisions

i just fired up the dlux to check the pedal board setup as i have been roadtesting another amp and have a big show sunday - the band has insisted i use the dlux -

i turned it on and realised AGAIN how good this amp is -
its sonic chocolate - absolutely the top amp i ever used in 45 years

i plays blues, a bit of r&B plus some 60's acid pop

here is the dlux in a cab i built
http://www.carltonguitars.com.au//posting/1_dlux2_4.jpg

here is the dlux in a cab i built
http://www.carltonguitars.com.au//posting/1_dlux2_4.jpg

Very nice work. I just ordered a Champster 1x12, 5 watt from Jim. The chassis is finished, but we have to wait for Mather to send him the cab. Below is my Li'l Dawg 12 watt D-Lux head in a cabinet built by a friend out of Peruvian walnut. I love this amp.

Man... I look at those beauties and I can smell the vintage waxed caps, and the rosin core scented smoke from 60/40 floating in the air.....

If I ever get time...

Ron Kirn

Count me in! I have a used Prince lunchbox on the way...super excited about this one as I really am not sure what to expect.

Next move is to decide on the cab and what 1x12 to stick in it!

A.

i kin tell ya that ron kirn teles 'n strats sound muy bueno thru a lildawg amp cuz i know! :cool:

Count me in! I have a used Prince lunchbox on the way...super excited about this one as I really am not sure what to expect.

I'll tell you: You will hear every single thing you do wrong on a fretboard. :shock:

Seriously, it'll help you become a better player. My old SS amp disguised everything.

i kin tell ya that ron kirn teles 'n strats sound muy bueno thru a lildawg amp cuz i know! :cool:

+1

I'll tell you: You will hear every single thing you do wrong on a fretboard. :shock:

You'd think that the best amps would make us all sound better huh! Well, this may be the beginning a beautiful love/hate relationship...

You'd think that the best amps would make us all sound better huh! Well, this may be the beginning a beautiful love/hate relationship...

That's the good part. You WILL become a better player. The touch-sensitive nature of Tweed amps is your ally.

Thanks to selling my Prince 5F2A to s360guitarist I have now placed an order for a D-Lux build. I'm on the fence on OT's (12 or 25) and whether or not to get the Paul C mod build in. (** scratch that, after talking with Jim it'll be a standard 12 watt OT with no Paul C mod).

Oh, and thanks for Falconer I'm getting mine in a black powder coated chassis lunchbox with black chicken head knobs. That should be sharp (or shahp if you're in New England as I am).

Thanks to selling my Prince 5F2A to s360guitarist I have now placed an order for a D-Lux build. I'm on the fence on OT's (12 or 25) and whether or not to get the Paul C mod build in.

Oh, and thanks for Falconer I'm getting mine in a black powder coated chassis lunchbox with black chicken head knobs. That should be sharp (or shahp if you're in New England as I am).

Thoughts? Thanks.

12 or 25? Will you gig with it? Mine's a twelve. A LOUD 12. Jim has also been doing some power scaling work. I'd check with him as to his satisfaction with it at this point. Trust me when I say that he doesn't compromise on quality.

I took out my PaulC mod, but Jim will build it switchable if you like. You can then use it either way.

Good luck! Let us know what you decide.

12 or 25? Will you gig with it? Mine's a twelve. A LOUD 12. Jim has also been doing some power scaling work. I'd check with him as to his satisfaction with it at this point. Trust me when I say that he doesn't compromise on quality.

I took out my PaulC mod, but Jim will build it switchable if you like. You can then use it either way.

Good luck! Let us know what you decide.

I don't gig, so 12 is more than enough. My Prince was build with a 12 Watt OT and THAT was sometimes too loud.

I don't gig, so 12 is more than enough. My Prince was build with a 12 Watt OT and THAT was sometimes too loud.

12 is plenty. Believe me. I just pulled the trigger a couple of weeks ago on a Champster 1x12 combo with a 5 watt MM transformer set. Looking forward to that one.

Just drop Jim a note about power scaling and the switchable Paul C. That should cover all your bases.

My Prince was build with a 12 Watt OT and THAT was sometimes too loud.

Umm, shouldn't that be MY Prince now Mark? LOL!!

Looking forward to getting the amp delivered tomorrow. Glad one Li'l Dawg purchase funded another.

Right now here in middle America, some delivery guy for FedEx is setting his alarm clock so he can get up at the butt crack of dawn, hop into his loaded truck and deliver me an amp...sleep well and drive straight!

Here's my D-Lux now just getting the finishing touches by Jim. It's a standard 12W D-Lux. Black on black chassis with a red jewel light. Looks Sharp!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/nasonm/marksloadedchassisrear.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/nasonm/marksloadedchassisfront.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/nasonm/marksfinishedchassisinterior.jpg

She'll be here tomorrow! Jim built her with a 5 watt Mercury Magnetics transformer set, a switchable NFB, and a Weber 12A125 speaker in a Mather 1x12 cabinet.

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae288/epdreher/cab_front.jpg?t=1269969583

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae288/epdreher/cab_rear.jpg?t=1269969583

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae288/epdreher/cab_open.jpg?t=1269969583

Ordered my Mutt today:

Li'l Dawg Mutt chassis (head style)
12x8x2 steel chassis enclosure
Heyboer export power transformer
8 ohm output transformer
blue Fender style pilot light
black chicken head knob
2 input jacks (High & low for both bright & normal channels)
2 parallel 1/4" speaker output jack
Line out
negative feedback loop switch (front mounted)
rear mounted fuse holder
tube set of new JJs (excluding GZ34, substitute USA made 5Y3GT)
plexiglass bottom with feet (clear)
steel cage with handle

Will be playing this through a home made 1 x 12" slant cab V30, with a view to swapping for 2 x 10" P10Rs maybe.

Do I win a prize for being the Li'l Dawg furtherest from home (Auckland, New Zealand)?

Matt

My lil dog got away. :sad: It was a dlux. Man I miss that amp.

Do I win a prize for being the Li'l Dawg furtherest from home (Auckland, New Zealand)?
Matt

I've got the exact amp you've ordered, minus the transformer set. You're going to love it.

"Furtherest"? I've seen Jim's amps advertised on Australian sites.

Now wine is another story. I understand you guys are starting to give Oz a run for its money. :wink:

Wine? Does Australia make wine?

OK, there are some nice reds....

Ray Carlton in Melbourne sells Jim's amps, so I am sure there are a few Aussies out there with Dawgs.

Slightly off topic, I can't load a picture to my profile. It comes up with 'fail', size is 100 x 100 pixels and less than 64kB. Any hints? thanks, Matt

update, the phot shows up in my profile page, so I guess the moderators are checking it for indecent content.:razz:

Slightly off topic, I can't load a picture to my profile. It comes up with 'fail', size is 100 x 100 pixels and less than 64kB. Any hints?

You'll need some photo software to reduce the size to something a little smaller, I guess. My avatar is 80x60 pixels. Try 99x99 or something like that. If you don't have the software, email me the picture and I'll adjust it then send it back. Best I can suggest unless a moderator has a solution.

By the way, here's a picture of my D-lux, in a Peruvian walnut cab built by a friend:

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/7949/dsc00435t.jpg

Wow!

I sure hope that a timber sustainable resource ;o) it looks beautiful. I'm now too scared to post a photo of MY home made 1 x 12 cabinet!

Thanks for the tips on the profile photo, I'll check in again tomorrow and see if it works then.

Matt

Falconer, can you tell me how many Dawgs you have? I see a D-Lux combo, head and lunchbox, plus the Mutt?

A general question to Dawg owners, is anyone using a passive A/B box to 'channel switch'. I'm thinking of making one myself, but have heard conflicting reports on noise or loss of tone. Ideally I'd have an A/B swtich and tuner/kill switch in one pedal.

Thanks

Falconer, can you tell me how many Dawgs you have? I see a D-Lux combo, head and lunchbox, plus the Mutt?

I've got two. The 12 watt D-lux 5E3 head pictured, and a 5 watt Champster 1x12 combo pictured prior that was just delivered two hours ago. :grin: I've had just a few minutes to play through that one, but wow. Can you say "attitude"?

A general question to Dawg owners, is anyone using a passive A/B box to 'channel switch'. I'm thinking of making one myself, but have heard conflicting reports on noise or loss of tone. Ideally I'd have an A/B swtich and tuner/kill switch in one pedal.

Thanks

I've got one of these:
http://www.loop-master.com/product_info.php?products_id=40

I've used it as a channel switcher with the D-lux, but am using it now to switch between amps. No noise or tone suck at all.

Princetone...

Princetone...

Wow! That is a looker!

Princetone...

A beauty!

I agree, beautiful in blue!

Jim has completed my Mutt, will post some videos of the results in May when I get it back home:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4512975762_44a443ed2a_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2356/4512975834_44b68ae865_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2296/4512338465_f9315a4528_o.jpg

I have never dealt with anyone as dedicated as Jim before. His daily updates/photos of the build and friendly advice have been a real eye opener. Surely the best value amps on the planet!

I have never dealt with anyone as dedicated as Jim before. His daily updates/photos of the build and friendly advice have been a real eye opener. Surely the best value amps on the planet!

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/1633/iagreex.gif

I got my D-Lux 210 back in '07.Mine has a 35watt Hammond OT in it with 4/8/16 ohm switchable output..Parallel speaker outs...1 Jensen C10Q speaker and 1 Mojo P10R speaker..Tube line up is 1 NOS Sylvania 5Y3GT, 1 RCA 6V6GT, 1 GE 6V6GT, 1 NOS Raytheon 12AX7, and 1 RCA 12AY7....
I still love the way it sounds!!

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o74/Mixelplix79/Jazzmaster/IMG_1066a.jpg

Does anyone happen to have any soundclips of the Mutt here? Thanks.

I just got these pictures of the finished wiring of my 5E3 Li'l Dawg D-lux lunchbox from Jim.

Does Jim paint the chassis on request?

Does Jim paint the chassis on request?

I don't know. He uses either aluminum or powder coated material by request though.

I'm embarrassed, but I need to ask a dumb question of all you dawg owners.

I'm really interested in a Champster combo (of course, I have to get those @#$%@ kids to finished college first!). From everything I've read and heard, the amps - and the amp builder - are wonderful. The photos on this forum alone are causing me some serious amp-envy!

But the Li'l Dawg on-line pricelist has me stumped. I can't figure how much a combo amp actually costs - speaker and cabinet included. I'm a dunce. There, I've said it. I'm really just an acoustic guitarist; all these tubes, wires and stuff confuse the heck out of me. Is everything ala carte? :confused: Please help a struggling fingerpicker.

I'm embarrassed, but I need to ask a dumb question of all you dawg owners.

I'm really interested in a Champster combo (of course, I have to get those @#$%@ kids to finished college first!). From everything I've read and heard, the amps - and the amp builder - are wonderful. The photos on this forum alone are causing me some serious amp-envy!

But the Li'l Dawg on-line pricelist has me stumped. I can't figure how much a combo amp actually costs - speaker and cabinet included. I'm a dunce. There, I've said it. I'm really just an acoustic guitarist; all these tubes, wires and stuff confuse the heck out of me. Is everything ala carte? :confused: Please help a struggling fingerpicker.

here the price list.
[URL="http://www.littledawgamps.com/prices.php"]http:

The prices are kinda a la carte.
Send Jim a note about any & all question. Hes a great guy to deal with. Theres no such thing as a dunce here Alaska... we're all a little thick. Youre not "just a acoustic guitarist". Youre a player like the rest of us.

Be Well
Craig

I'm embarrassed, but I need to ask a dumb question of all you dawg owners.

I'm really interested in a Champster combo (of course, I have to get those @#$%@ kids to finished college first!). From everything I've read and heard, the amps - and the amp builder - are wonderful. The photos on this forum alone are causing me some serious amp-envy!

But the Li'l Dawg on-line pricelist has me stumped. I can't figure how much a combo amp actually costs - speaker and cabinet included. I'm a dunce. There, I've said it. I'm really just an acoustic guitarist; all these tubes, wires and stuff confuse the heck out of me. Is everything ala carte? :confused: Please help a struggling fingerpicker.

Not everything is a la cart.

Jim's current web price for the 1x8 combo is $599 with no speaker installed, and the 1x12 is $669. Subtract $35 if you already have your tubes, or he'll credit the $35 toward NOS tubes if he has them in stock. He likes Weber speakers, so if you visit www.taweber.com, just pick your speaker (recommend a 8A125 for $80 or a 12A125 for $105), and add the listed price. Jim orders from them, and sells them installed for the same price you pay direct to Weber.

That's it, unless you have other options which he'll discuss with you at the time of your order. I ordered my 1x12 Champster with the 12A125 and a switchable NFB loop, and no tubes.

$669 combo
$105 Weber speaker
$ 20 switchable NFB
$794 subtotal
-$35 tubes
$759 total plus shipping to your area and sales tax for CA residents

A Fender '57 1x8 reissue is $999. Hope this helps.

Other than the OP I don't see anything regarding Jim's 18 watter. I have a Champster, Prince and a DeLuxe. I run the Champster with a 6l6,12ax7 and a 5r4 thru a Celestion gold and the deluxe with the std setup except for a 5751 in place of the 12ay7 thru 2 golds. The prince is mostly un played due to the similarity to the Champster. What am I going to get with an 18 watter that I can't get now? I'd like some more volume and edge but would like some clean sparkle turning down the guitar. Possible maybe?

Does anyone happen to have any soundclips of the Mutt here? Thanks.

Hi, I posted a video of my Mutt, with our lead guitarist noodling around at 'band camp' earlier this week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB-qk_tJWMk

It should give you an idea of what it sounds like on '11'.

:grin:

I got my D-Lux 210 back in '07.Mine has a 35watt Hammond OT in it with 4/8/16 ohm switchable output..Parallel speaker outs... I still love the way it sounds!!

I got on Jim's waiting list in '06 and got my D-Lux in '07, too. Mine also has a Hammond OT with the ohm switchable output, but mine is 60 watts. It has a 50-watt 15" Weber 15F150 speaker and JJ tubes. And my power tubes are 6L6. So as you can imagine, when it breaks up, it's heaven, but it stays clean for a while. I have a Fulltone OCD that loves my Li'l Dawg for lower volume break up.

Here's my Li'l Dawg and my G&L Asat Classic:

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c232/drjordan/DSC00705-1.jpg

this thread is seriously GAS-inducing.

anyone got anymore videos or sound clips?

this thread is seriously GAS-inducing.

anyone got anymore videos or sound clips?

you can have a listen here to clips of a few different Dawgs:

www.carltonguitars.com.au/resources/sound/soundclips.htm

enjoy!

you can have a listen here to clips of a few different Dawgs:

www.carltonguitars.com.au/resources/sound/soundclips.htm

enjoy!

those are awesome, thanks

I got a Super Dawg about a month ago. Got the chrome chassis with cream knobs and a blue jewel. I'm planning to build a cabinet as soon as I decide on speaker complement.

I bought 2 eminence legend 1028k's and tried them, but I didn't like it at all. Muddy, bright and flabby all at the same time. I don't understand it as I thought these were supposed to be a good fit for a 5f4. Anyway, the amp sounds amazing through (of all things) a peavey scorpion 12. I mean really good. It's making me seriously consider putting it in a 1x12 combo with it. I really can't wait to get the right speaker(s) and build the cab.

Jim was a pleasure to deal with and his work is impeccable. I highly recommend him.

I will definitely post some pics when I get a cab built. I'm planning on a fairly typical tweed style cab out of antique heart pine (not covered). Not sure what I'll do for the grill cloth yet. My longterm plan is to also build a tele to match.

This NOT good for my GAS!
I think I need a Mutt!!

Hi, I should note that the volume you get out of a Mutt will depend greatly on your speaker choice (obviously). The single Weber 12A125A I currently have installed is about 1/2 as loud as the Celestion Vintage 30 i was previously using. With the Weber or similar it may struggle to keep up with a rock band if you are looking for clean headroom. Against advice from many, I'm going back to the Vintage 30.... but I'll miss the fuzz-like breakup of the Weber.

Well I've had the superdawg for a few months now and I'm still very pleased with it. I'm running it through 2 emi legend 1028k's and I have not even thought of other amps in months. (in case you saw my post above about the emi's and wonder why I changed my mind, apparently I had a moment of idiocy when I first tried them and hooked them up backwards. Once I sorted that out I was blown away with the sound--so clear and harmonically rich.)

I will say this-- this amp is loud. It doesn't break up at all at the volume we play. But that's ok. It sounds so good I can hardly stand it and I have headroom for the clean stuff at gig levels.

MickM, Jim's 18 watter Pug will give you the Marshall tone. Way more gain than any of the others you have....and a different gain flavor. Very British, especially if you run it through those Alnico Golds....even some Voxy chimes on the lower settings....but it gets to serious OD fast, cleans up nicely with the guitar vol knob, and the full on distortion is tight and not flabby at all. Killer amp....

Hi, I should note that the volume you get out of a Mutt will depend greatly on your speaker choice (obviously). The single Weber 12A125A I currently have installed is about 1/2 as loud as the Celestion Vintage 30 i was previously using. With the Weber or similar it may struggle to keep up with a rock band if you are looking for clean headroom. Against advice from many, I'm going back to the Vintage 30.... but I'll miss the fuzz-like breakup of the Weber.

you should try the 12a125o 20 watt. I have the 30 watt in my 5c3. very nice, early break up.

Just bought a used Pug chassis on the auction site.
I've got an 18w Weber TMB head, and plan to put the Pug in a small 1x12 cab.
I like the 18w for its Marshall distortion sound, but really love it for its clean sound.
How loud does the Pug stay clean? I expect Jim put his own interpretation into it, and I'll be nervous 'till I hear the beast.
Anybody here a fan of the Pugs clean sound?

My Pug goes into OD pretty quick with a G12h30....with a Red Fang Alnico, it was very chimey with gorgeous cleans up till about 4. G12h30 didn't really have cleans with this amp....fine by me as I like OD!

But it depends....what speaker, what volume level, what pickups....my Strat stays cleaner longer than my HB Hamers....my Pug just rocks... If I want to clean it up during gigs, I just roll off the volume knob in the guitar. FWIW, I use no pedals and get my tone from my amps, Gita, and fingers.

I just picked up 2 30 watt Weber 12a125-o speakers. I put one in the Champstet and one in the ChocoDawg. Great tone!!!

Hi
, New to the forum, I live in Ireland and found out about Lil Dawg amps by chance.
I was looking at self build 5E3 kits and trying to find someone to build one for me. I contacted Jim and he is going to build me a D-Lux 12watt Chassis. I would have loved the Cab but it would have cost me a fortune to ship to Ireland so I have ordered a Mojo Tweed 5E3 Cab from Tube amp Doctor in Germany Not as nice as one of jim's cabs but the best I can get. It's finished in Nitro and if any of you guys know how I can tone it down to an Amber colour please let me know.
Could'nt get the Weber speaker I wanted so I went for a Jensen P12Q.
Really looking foward to getting the amp just have to wait 2/3 weeks
Here is the build Spec.
Std D-Lux with Mercury Pt and Ot transformer upgrade,
Sprague Atoms filter and bypass cap upgrade,
SoZo BlueMolded Coupling Cap upgrade,
"Paul C" Mod.
.047 coupling cap Mod
1/4" parallel Speaker output jacks
Line out

Jim is a fantastic guy to deal with and he is giong to send me some pictures of the chassis in build he is just waiting on the MM 240 volt transformers.

lotr2:

You'll to be thrilled with your D-lux lunchbox. My Li'l Dawg is almost the same--no Paul C, all NOS tubes supplied by Jim. Running it through a Weber 12A125A in a Dr. Z Covertible. Sounds amazing. And, you're correct: Jim is the best.

Been jonesin' for a Mutt for some time, so finally my Mutt combo12W w 12A125A is getting built next week, yahoo! So what special stuff am I gonna hear when I get it? Any pointers? Coming from a modded Pro Jr and Fargen Mini-Plex.

I think you'll like it. I bought a Champster Special from him a couple of years ago, and he put in 2x10's for me. That was back when he was building his own cabinets. Quite loud, and the crunch is quite nice. I'm using the standard Jensen P10Rs and they sound great dimed.

Here's a link to the gallery of pics during the build:

Building my Champster Special (http://www.squish.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3560)

Just re-posting, because WordPress changed the link URL. Gallery of Jim's build of my Champster Special...

Joe G.
Bishop, CA

Pic of my D-lux lunchbox (black chassis, cream chicken-heads, bronze lucite bottom, and purple jewel):

http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt227/gpinto75/357a91ef.png

I'm gettin a Pug made at the moment. Really lookin forward to it. I still have about 5 weeks of waiting so I've been killing the time by endlessly reading other peoples forum posts about lil dawg amps. I stumbled on here and noticed that the guy above me has the same bench that I do (even though I use mine as a coffee table). I'll take it as a sign that going with lil' dawg was the right choice.

Modern classics: Fender Deluxe, Marshall 18 Watt, and Nelson Bench. Makes good sense to me.

I like your style

Well Guys,
The eagle has landed. I got my D-Lux Chassis loaded it into a 1x12 Vintage Tweed cab with a Jensen P12Q speaker. After some emails to jim I decided not to go with the Paul C Mod or the .047 Coupling cap Mod. I have never seen such beautiful work , The chassis was so well put togeather and the sound from the amp is just fantastic with any guitar. So many tones from this amp. Just beautiful. If you are looking in Jim thank you for all the help with the build and I will never part with this amp.
Expect some more orders from Ireland.

http://i403.photobucket.com/albums/pp120/gldfshkpr/IMG-20110531-00087.jpg

http://i403.photobucket.com/albums/pp120/gldfshkpr/IMG-20110531-00086.jpg

Well, I'm considering letting this amp go to a nice home. I've really enjoyed it. I have some nice old vintage tubes as well as the original JJ's to go with it. I'll post specs if anybody's interested.

Cab is made by Mather Amp Co. out of Memphis with a laquer coat I requested. Speaker is a 12' Weber. I also have a Carbon Copy and Big Muff Pi I'll consider as a package.

I'm considering going acoustic and will put the sale money towards that. Just putting this out there to see if anybody's interested. I know it will go to a good home here. Might decide to keep it and save (yeah right) for the acoustic. Anyhow, please let me know if anybody's interested.

I just ordered a 5E3 D-Lux combo. First of all you guys are right about Jim....GREAT GUY.
So mine will come with:

Mercury Magnetics 12 watt set
switchable Paul C mod
All tubes upgraded to NOS (5Y3GT,12AY7,5751,6V6GT)
Weber 15A150B (50 watt, 8 ohm)

It will take 2 months to get here (probably the longest 2 months I'll experience)

What's amazing to me is that you can get the "Classic Fender" amp customized to your taste for a really fair price. And again, Jim is such a pleasure to deal with. He's is very knowledgeable and instills confidence.

Very excited and just can't wait!!!

My Pug goes into OD pretty quick with a G12h30....with a Red Fang Alnico, it was very chimey with gorgeous cleans up till about 4. G12h30 didn't really have cleans with this amp....fine by me as I like OD!


How does it handle Hendrix, "Hey Joe" and "Wind Cries Mary" tones?
What the heck, does it sizzle like "Crosstown Traffic? when pushed?
Thanks!

I thought you were referring to the Dawg Pound at Cleveland Browns stadium!!

I forgot to join this club! I got my D-Lux from Jim in October, and I really really love this thing. It's got a Weber 12A125A in it, NOS tubes, and Jim's switchable "Paul C" mod. It's a work of art, and a thing of beauty! Plays well with singles or HBs:

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/539/Lil_Dawg_D-Lux_w_Tele.JPG

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/539/medium/Lil_Dawg_D-Lux_w_Heritage_535.JPG

Hey there guys, I am new and in need of advice. Im looking at purchasing my very first Dawg and unsure of which amp is going to be a good fit for my sound. I am by no means an expert which is why I'm looking for advice.

I play Alt Country/Rock; however, I am also currently playing with a band that has a very progressive rock or indie sound. I prefer that vintage tube amp sound with some twang, but I am hoping to find something versatile enough to handle pedals. I need something with enough wattage to be played at small gigs but would love to make this my primary at home amp as well.

I know I have a TON of contradictory statements here and may be asking for too much. At the end of the day I really want some killer tone and would prefer to have a great clean tone over the ability to handle pedals (thinking long term and past my current needs).

Thanks for the help guys!

I picked up a Champster with a 12 inch Weber 12A125 in April 2011. I don't play it or anything very much. I can't say I am pleased of displeased with it. It probably is not the sound I am looking for. The purchase experience was fun and the followup customer service has been very good. It certainly was worthwhile but I might sell it and try a Pug.

Fritz

Build sheet

Li'l Dawg 5F1 Champster
incl. chrome chassis
Mercury Magnetics 5 watt/ 8 ohm PT & OT upgrade (FTCP-59 & FTCHO-5M)
SoZo Blue Molded coupling cap upgrade
Line out or parallel speaker output jack
NFB switch (bottom mounted)
Progressive circuit toggle switch to replace fuse which is relocated to bottom of chassis
incl. red Fender style pilot light
incl. black chicken head knob
incl. 2 input jacks (bright & normal)
incl. 1 1/4" speaker output jack
incl. tube set of new JJs (1 5AR4, 1 6V6GT, and 1 12AX7)
NOS 5Y3GT (brand varies)
incl. dark lacquered, deep 1x12 tweed cab from Mather Amp Cabinet
Weber 12A125 alnico speaker (30 watt, 8 ohm, no dope, blue frame)
parallel speaker output

I'm in! I got a Champster Special and am really happy with the tone. It's my third tube amp, after owning a Valvetrain Concord and a 1960's Voice of Music, and without a doubt it's my favorite. It's about as basic as you can get- one knob, no reverb. But after playing through it for the last several weeks, I can honestly say I don't miss the tone control (anyway my git's got one) or reverb and I don't feel the need for any other pedals, even dirt (which doesn't mean I won't buy any). Great amp.

The only issue is an occasional crackle/pop which is not a reflection on the amp or builder (btw Jim is a really great guy) since I bought it used and the seller packed it poorly.

It's a shame he doesn't offer cabs for the brown amps.
I'd be interested if he offered some of the tweed amps with tremolo, or brown amps with cabs. Great amps tho, they look and sound great!

For Monkey Man.....in the I am so sorry I didnt see this till now category...yes it will sizzle like Crosstown Traffic....remember the Pug is a Marshall 1974 x clone......not an amp known for sparkling cleans. Withe a Red Fang or Celestion Blue, I could get Chimey, beautiful cleans low on the dial.....with single coils.....the Pug shines though when cranked....buckers send it into instant OD and then distortion. A killer amp for classic rock, it will clean up nice enough with the guitar vol control. Mary and Hey Joe sound Fenderish to me, except for the Hey Joe solo....

Regarding the trem on tweeds, ask Jim.

The brown cabs can be ordered elsewhere. What is difficult to find is the brown amps....my 6G3 ChocoDawg LOVES an EV SRO 1x12.... Yet for slightly quieter gigs I love it pushing a 2x10 cab loaded with Weber Blue Pups. My ChocoDawg lunchbox is the one on the website...cept I painted it a Choco brown. I love having the head separate from the cabs so I can mix n match.

I have the money in paypal and I'm ready to go but not sure which way to go. I thought I wanted the Mutt until I heard the sound files. The Champster seems to have the wooliness and smoothness I'm hearing in my head.

THE PLAN
Buy a head from Jim at Lil' Dawg.
Get a 5e3 combo cab on ebay leave as bare wood with finish
12 inch speaker
Buy a separate 12 inch cab bare wood

THE SOUND
Wooly ZZ Top style blues tone.

NEEDS
This is for playing in the guitar room, on the porch, 2 or 3 gigs a year with a band. They always mic the amps for these shows.

THE QUESTIONS
Would a 5 watt Champster through a 12 or a pair of 12's do it?
I feel the need for 12 watts but I want early breakup.
Can I increase the wattage down the road if needed?

I thought I wanted the Mutt until I heard the clips and the Champster sounds like the sound in my head. I'm thinking about the possibility of a master volume on a Champster.

Any thoughts from you Dawg owners? Is 5 watts enough or should I go for 15?

I don't gig so i can't say how the Champster would do in such a situation but the tone you seek (wooly and bluesy) describes this amp perfectly. It's a beautiful sounding amp, smooth and sweet at low volume but really barks at higher levels.

Who here owns a Mutt?

What can you tell me about them? I'm mainly a basement and bedroom player but I like my tweedy break up.

Thanks everyone and wow, what nice looking amps! :mrgreen:

I bought a Lunchbox Prince from Jim a couple years ago when I was first getting into lower-watt amps.

I tried it with two different cabs and never really loved the sound of it. I bet if I got it in a combo with a sweeter sounding speaker it would've sounded better, but with what I had at the time, I never really bonded with it. I believe I had a 75-watt Eminence 1x12, and a 4x12 with Celestion 70-watters. Sounded kinda dull clean, and kinda ratty distorted. Didn't work for me with what I had.

But, that being said, Jim is the nicest guy on earth, and the quality of his work is obvious. So nice, I've considered buying from him again and giving maybe a different amp/speaker setup a shot.

I have the money in paypal and I'm ready to go but not sure which way to go. I thought I wanted the Mutt until I heard the sound files. The Champster seems to have the wooliness and smoothness I'm hearing in my head.

THE PLAN
Buy a head from Jim at Lil' Dawg.
Get a 5e3 combo cab on ebay leave as bare wood with finish
12 inch speaker
Buy a separate 12 inch cab bare wood

THE SOUND
Wooly ZZ Top style blues tone.

NEEDS
This is for playing in the guitar room, on the porch, 2 or 3 gigs a year with a band. They always mic the amps for these shows.

THE QUESTIONS
Would a 5 watt Champster through a 12 or a pair of 12's do it?
I feel the need for 12 watts but I want early breakup.
Can I increase the wattage down the road if needed?

I thought I wanted the Mutt until I heard the clips and the Champster sounds like the sound in my head. I'm thinking about the possibility of a master volume on a Champster.

Any thoughts from you Dawg owners? Is 5 watts enough or should I go for 15?

Billy Hell, or is it Hellbilly?
I got a 8W Champster in a 12" cab w/Celestion gold. Also HAD a 5e3 deluxe that I didn't bond with and sent to Jim for the Mutt treatment still liked the Champster way more than the Mutt which now is getting the Pug treatment.(gotta do something with my EL84's:mrgreen:)

For the sound you describe, you can easily get with the 8w or 12w Champster with a 12" speaker. Don't worry, either one will break up soon enough and you won't need a dirt box to get into the Rev. Willie G's tone zone. (have never tried 'buckers, only single coil tele/esquire pickups).

All of jim's amps are great and he'll do what it takes to help you get what you want. The really nice feature of the Champ circuit is that it contains 1 pre amp tube, 1 power tube and 1 rectifier tube. With a simple streamlined circuit it is so easy to change the voice of the amp by substituting different tubes. Ask Jim about the choices you have in tube choices......WARNING, it can cost some money if you start getting into NOS tubes but that's another thread! Good luck.

Got home from work today and found I had some mail from Jim at Li'l Dawg. The Mutt to 18W conversion is finished and will be shipping this coming week! Here're a few pics....and the wiring is soooo pretty. Check it out!

I'm kinda' geekin' over this because my other Dawgs are all Fender style circuits and I've been waiting for something cool that has that EL84 tone.:grin:

BTW, the plugged inputs/knob holes are due to this chassis starting life as a 5E3 which was converted to a snotty little Mutt and finally to an 18 Watt Pug.

Figure it's about time to mention the 18W Pug(Jims take on the 18w marshall) that arrived the same day as my last post. I finally tubed it up and have around 6-7 hrs thru it with my NoCaster and Esquire without pedals. I had a pair of nos Mullard el84s and a variety of 12ax7s and a pair of nos Sonotone branded telefunken el84s(one took a dump as soon as power was on). Settled on the Mullard power tubes and 1 mullard and 1 amperex 12ax7s for the pre-amp after trying a couple old rcas and sylvanias. (not a big difference so I went with 2 brand new old guys)

With the amp 3/4 of the way up and tone knob on 6 it has nice clear articulate tones if you work the guitar vol down. Play with the tone knob down and you can minor 9th and 13th yourself silly without the wet blanket over the speaker tone. (speaker is celestion gold 50w alnico) and have plenty of top end for more meaty sounds. Overall, cleans are nice but imo not as sweet as the Fender black/silverface cleans.

Cranking the guitar volume opens the door to where the nasty bitch lives! Bridge pu with tone 1/2 to 3/4 up and you get the Who Live at Leeds, early Zep, early Billy Gibbons. Just good raw tones without the mud or loose bottom end. Also I didn't expect 18 watts to hit me in the gut but it's noticeably louder than a deluxe.

For a straight up no frills (2 knobs) rock and blues amp it's the best I've had. Should also mention that my nocaster has Ellis Broadcaster pu's and the Esquire has a Tom Shorts Vintage country coil. Regardless, you hold up your end the Pug will do the same. Thanks to Jim at Li'l Dawg for another great one! OH! no financial interest!!

Also thanks to Jakedog for his opinion and view of this amp when I was considering getting mine.

Here is my D-Lux

- paper board construction, chrome chassis
- Bruce Collins humbucker mod switch
- mercury Magnetics PT/OT
- NOS RCA tubes
- Peter Mather deep combo cabinet
- Weber 12A150 (25w, no-dope)

Great Amp!

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff495/iim7v7im7/amp%20stands/lildawgd-lux1.jpg

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff495/iim7v7im7/amp%20stands/lildawgd-lux2.jpg

Very nice! What does the humbucker mod do? Also what does the switch/knob do that's on your trick amp stand?

Very nice! What does the humbucker mod do? Also what does the switch/knob do that's on your trick amp stand?

Bruce Collins of Mission Amps sells mod kits. I had my local guy (Jimmy Soma) install the kit. It provides a toggle switch and some resistors that make the bass less poopy when playing with humbuckers vs single coils. The knobs on the back of the stand adjust the height of the back support.

Bruce Collins of Mission Amps sells mod kits. I had my local guy (Jimmy Soma) install the kit. It provides a toggle switch and some resistors that make the bass less poopy when playing with humbuckers vs single coils. The knobs on the back of the stand adjust the height of the back support.

Sorry, I meant the switch and knob that is on the unit that says "ultimate".:confused:

Sorry, I meant the switch and knob that is on the unit that says "ultimate".:confused:

That is my attenuator. The potentiometer is volume and the toggle is a on/bypass switch. It is called a "ultimate attenuator".

I'm close to being in the Dawg Pound !!

I'm close to being in the Dawg Pound !!

Looks like a Wonder Dawg? If so, how many watts? You'll love it no matter what model it is.

I got the head that's on Jims site. 12 LOUD watts and sweet as honey when you ask it to be!

Welcome to the Pound!:mrgreen:

Yup, 12 watt WonderDawg, should have her next week !!

Tried something new last nite. I have a pair of NOS RCA 5881's that I've never had use for but knew they were "similar" to the 6l6/6v6.
So I asked Jim if it was possible to sub one of these in place of the 6v6 in my 8W Champster. Jim said go for it and that I'd probably notice a tighter bass and more headroom. So, I did and he was right on the money! Along with the 5881 I also put in a 5V4 rectifier in place of the standard 5Y3.

This was around 2am this morning so I only played with it for an hour at most but In plain words I'd say that overall it's more "robust". I can play clean at noticeably higher volume with no flubber on the bottom end even on the Tele neck pickup. (no 'buckers tried) With the amp 3/4 full volume and the guitar cranked it still has all the sweet breakup, just more defined.

I probably mentioned in prior posts that my Champster is a combo housed in an oversized cab with a 12" Celestion AlNiCo Gold.

If you have any 5881's laying around, give it a try, you might like it.

Had some more time to experiment this evening and wound up keeping the 5V4 rectifier but put the old NOS Sylvania JAN 6V6 back in the power tube slot. I still get that sweet greasy 6v6 breakup but the 5v4 rectfier keeps everything tight on the bottom end.

It's nice being able to "plug and play" with differen't tubes and having Jim one email away to let you know if you're liable to smoke something.

that sweet greasy 6v6 breakup

I think that sums up the magic of 6v6s better than anything I've ever heard. Love them in my D-Lux; it's the best amp I've ever owned.