Blues Blaster vs JT30RH
Hey Fritz,
What's the difference between the Hohner Blues Blaster and the Hohner JT30 Roadhouse? I look at descriptions of the Roadhouse and it says they come with brand new crystal elements and already has a volume knob and screw on adapter. What's your opinion on these?
-Taylor
So... The HOHNER JT-30RH. It could be called a "REPLICA" of the classic ASTATIC JT-30 as it IS produced by the company with its roots in the original -and that's the definition of 'replica'. As the old joke goes: Looks like it, feels like it, good thing I didn't step in it...
Much like a 'tribute band', it may have the appearance -but it ain't the real thang: Tinny tiny Japanese crystal; non-standard look-alike output connector. They DID include a 5MEG potentiometer to maximize the capabilities of the anemic Xtal. I know there's been much talk about using them as parts donors (think Dick Cheney clones) or platforms for 'soft mods' like dropping-in a full-sized MC-151 crystal or MC-127 ceramic element. With the correct corresponding gasket you'll be fine.
HOWEVER: More commonly I'm hearing of the intent to cross-breed these new creatures with SHURE Controlled-Magnetic elements. BEWARE! Beyond the required gasket upgrade you'll also need to drop the value of the potentiometer significantly (from 5MEG to 100K) to prevent a mis-match that would adversely affect your TONE. A well-planned surgery is a successful surgery...
Sweet. Thanks for the advice Fritz!
Hello Taylor,
I've worked on a few of these -but I need to check-up on some stats before I put both feet in my mouth, so I'll be back in a bit...