Hafler T2 - Anyone heard of this or had any experience??

[rabidgerry]

So I got this the other day

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hafler-T2-valve-guitar-preamp-/162377957429?nma=true&si=ZiNYrdFjKMNum17HGW4s7kPugjY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

no idea about these things other than they are US built.  I have come across very little info on them, but anything I have read is generally positve.  Anyone have any info they can share about this preamp?

I bought it for the hell of it as I won it for quite cheap and no one else bid on it.  I wanted a basic preamp and possible backup just incase (yeah cause I don't have backups already lol who am I kidding     GAS)

If this is shit sure I will sell it on but let's hope it's good.

[rnolan]

Hey RG, never come across them before but looks like fun  .   Let us know what you think when you get it. (it could probably use new tubes LoL..). Probably go ok in a loop ? (if you like the tone)

[Samuraipanda]

I knew a local guy that had one and he ran it through a Rivera TBR power amp. I thought it ripped.

I have a demo of his somewhere on cassette in my archives. I'll have to dig it up.

[rabidgerry]

I knew a local guy that had one and he ran it through a Rivera TBR power amp. I thought it ripped.

I have a demo of his somewhere on cassette in my archives. I'll have to dig it up.

Those would be good to hear SM if you can get em transferred.

When you say ripped do you mean in a good way?

If it turns out to be a little demon then hell yeah I'll be happy.  I got it for £110.  Guy was looking £160 but no one hit the "buy it now option" and no one else bid but me so could be a little steal!  Or perhaps a turd.  I like the stereo loop option.  Very handy.

[Kim]

Seems like a good score, RG.    I've heard of these, but never actually tried one or knew anyone local that I could check one out.  At thast price, doesn't hurt to try it....if it's a turd you can throw it back on the market.

Now, I recommend you send me that crappy Peavey Rockmaster you have hanging about as soon as possible...    ;)

[rabidgerry]

 Exactly Kim, so we shall see.  I heard some clips (all three of em) on youtube.  They're poor quality but one give me a kinda idea of the high gain sound.  There is a secret boost apparently in the drive knob, like the Rockmasters, pull it for that extra layer (like adding a pedal in front).  Who know's what this thing will sound like.  I like the simplistic nature of it and as I say nice to have another unit and may be even something unique tonally about...................and if anything just another backup unit 


I laughed out loud for real at

Now, I recommend you send me that crappy Peavey Rockmaster you have hanging about as soon as possible...    ;)

Uh Rockmaster? I aint got no Peavey crap in my house 

Ok I lied Which one man?  I own two  .  I've modded the one I use in my home studio and I plan to try a few more little cap tweaks as well.  Recording with it currently.  Love those pre's.

[rnolan]

Ahh a secret boost  >:D , sounds like a fun gadget to roll a few tubes through  :whoohoo!: , is the loop parallel ?

[rabidgerry]

Ok so it has arrived!!  It's sitting beside me in work!!  Looking forward to tryng it.

I need to get some tubes RN, I just hate the dam price of the things!  I have some spare to experiment with in the mean time.

[rnolan]

Hey RG, The Mullard LPs are costing me $30 AUD (used to be $22 AUD but then the dollar dropped  ) so not a fortune, but not trivial either.  IIRC you still have some of the original chinese bottles, they would do ok I recon (though I'd go the MLPs  >:D , no surprise there LoL).  Hey this gadget may be great  , you can eq elsewhere if you need to e.g. in Fx unit), and/or put the rockman in it's loop  :whoohoo!:

[rabidgerry]

Well I hope so Richard.  Fingers crossed eh!

If the initial bed tone is good and I find the EQ is too limiting hell yeah use another EQ like my Rockman intrument EQ to carve it to perfection.  If it stinks, well sure back on ebay it goes.  Yeah I have the Chinese bottles still in my regular mp1.  They still sound good to me. 

[rnolan]

Hey RG, well looking forward to your reaction to it  (and what tubes its got etc etc), I do like its simplicity, my gut says you'll like it allot LoL (particularly really loud  >:D ), I suspect I wouldn't mind one either...

[Samuraipanda]

Here's a youtube link to their Demo: JJ is a great player.

https://youtu.be/FBASl5_nyrw

https://youtu.be/FBASl5_nyrw

[rabidgerry]

Thanks Samuraipanda will check these out!

So I got it home, out of the box and played it!

I like it.....................but!

The tone is amazing, to me it sounds different from anything else I own.  Has these crazy texture harmonics!  It reeks of 70's amp but then being pushed hard.  Well I think it does.  Then with the boost it has MASSVIE amounts of gain.

But the draw back is, even at quite lo gain setting there is something unpleasant for me about the feel.  It's like a compressor with all the attack cut off but you get singing smoooooooooooooth susatain.  However as it is pushed this squash effect gets more obvious and to me I could not handle that.  I really soft strumming kind of a guy might but it doesn't suit my style of playing.  And this is a shame a that amazing smooth singing sustain is actually sensational feeling and sounding.

With the boost off it's better, but that squash thing is still there.  In place of the boost if I use an external boost (in my case one from my boss GT5 using an OD) I get less of the squashed attack and it's pretty usable.  External boost gives that chunk but not as much squash.

I kinda would like the option to use an external boost and use the onboard boost which would be really great without the dynamic theft.  I wonder could it be modded to allow the attack to come through but keep all the distortion.

Rolling back volume on my guitar works also but you can't compensate the loss of distortion on the pre amp itself by turning it more.  You can a little bit but not enough.

I like it and I think I will keep it, but I think I will only do so if I can modify it somehow.  I think Richard you would actually like this, has an older flavour to it compared to say an MP1 or Peavey Rockmaster but despite this it can give you as much distortion if you like.  I dialled in more 70's rock tones almost immediately using a dimarzio super d equipped guitar.

[rnolan]

Hey RG, what tubes are in it ?  That could make a big difference  , the squishing will probably be related to how the 4 triode gain stages in the 2 tubes is setup.  Do any of your compressor style gadgets have expander options ?, may help get some dynamics back into the signal.. certainly worth a try.  As you say I probably would like it given the more recent direction of my guitar playing (wind the distortion back (allot), roll the guitar vols back to 2.5 - 3 ish although I'm mostly playing bass currently (and loving it), crap MB-1s are good  >:D (and I've heard allot of bass amps over the years).

[rabidgerry]

well the compressor on my FX unit has basic Attack, threshold and level.  But I don't want to get into needing one of them all the time.

If I could mod it some how that would be awesome.

I aint checked the tubes but I will.  I have a feeling they are Hafler own branded tubes.  Correct me if I am wrong, but I have never come across tube swaps that made as big and drastic a change as it would need to sort this squash out.  Would different tubes of the right flavour really be able to give me dynamics and attack again?

Also would new tubes lose the cool texture-tweedy harmonics?