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SOLD - Warwick Pro Tube IX OFFERS WELCOME: 900W @ 4 ohms, FET/tube channels
£450

72deluxe

By 72deluxe,
in Amps and Cabs For Sale

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72deluxe Explorer

72deluxe

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[size=6][b][u]NOW SOLD THANKS[/u][/b][/size]

[font=trebuchet ms,helvetica,sans-serif]Hello all

The time has come for me to sell my [color=#0000ff][b]Warwick Pro Tube IX[/b][/color]. I bought this brand new from Warwick in 2002/2003 after working for 6 months on leaving sixth form. Yes, what a young baby I was back then. I bought it direct from MAD Music who were the UK Warwick distributors at the time.[/font]

[attachment=231676:DSC07767.JPG]

[font=trebuchet ms,helvetica,sans-serif]Why am I selling it? Because I find I am using this with single 8ohm cabs, and it is really better suited to 4 ohm loads. I do not need the volume or transportation of two 4 ohm cabs in my life. Also I have turned to the Dark Side and am using class D amps more these days.

This is a class A/B 900W amp with more features than any other amp before or since, from what I can tell, other than perhaps the last Trace Elliott 12 band before they were bought out (and that didn't have a tube channel).

The rear panel is as configurable as the front and would make space-shuttle pilots blink at the infinite configurable complexity. This is a Good Thing in my opinion.

Some details:

- This is a stereo amplifier, with each channel being 450W @ 4 ohms.
- It has a tube preamp, with a 12AX7 and a switchable EL84. I always left the EL84 turned on as it sounded brilliant.
- The tube preamp stage has variable crunch control (basically a second-stage gain control), and a tone control, along with bass/mid/treble cut/flat/boost switches. Although these are set at certain frequencies, they are interacting so you can shape stuff quite well. Besides, I used the EQ on my bass for the most part and left the amp flat. All I wanted was that edge of tube grit.
- There is a separate FET preamp stage, with 12 band graphic EQ. Low boost and high boost is included in this. If you boost the high-end and low-end and leave the EQ flat, you've got yourself a great smile-curve for slapping.
- The FET channel has a limiter on it (not configurable). It just limits the input signal for a bit of squashiness.
- Both the tube and FET channels feed into the solid state amplifier section. As this is class A/B and not class D, there is a whopping lump of metal inside and it is quite heavy. The cooling fins are also quite hefty, as you can see from the pictures.
- There are no marks on this unit at all other than a few tape marks on the front top screws (see pictures). This is where I put some tape over them to protect them when I put another piece of equipment on top of it. It’s just sticky marks, not metal damage. The chassis is bomb-proof.
- It has a lovely [color=#0000cd][b]BIG BLUE W[/b][/color] on the front, with a lamp behind it that generates enough heat to cook toast (very convenient mid-gig).
- The amp has a variable crossover in it, which permits you to send low to one side of the amp (so 450W of bass) and mid/high to the other side (so 450W of treble).
- The amplifier can work in this crossover mode or it can work in full-range mode, where your entire signal is blasted at all outputs.
- It has Speakon connectors at the back (the black type, not the green type). It also has speaker-out via XLR ports which is unusual and a great way to heat/melt microphone cables if you use them instead of proper thick speaker cable.
- There is a mono effects loop, plus a separate stereo effects loop. The stereo effects loop can be blended dry/wet on the front panel (with the mono effects loop obviously being entirely inline/full wet).
- The stereo effects loop can be used as just a return path into the power amp stage to completely bypass the preamp stages of the amp, so conceptually you could just plug a stereo feed of music into the amp's stereo return, turn up the blend control on the front, and hey presto you have a PA amp. The manual explicitly states this as a usable mode (use it just as an amp).
- The tube preamp channel [b]CANNOT [/b]run at the same time as the FET channel like Genz Benz STLMax9.2 sort-of amps - it's either/or.
- It has a dedicated tuner out, stereo DI via XLR (switchable pre/post so you can have your dry bass sound or preamped sound), plus separate stereo line-outs (via TRS jacks). So loads of outputs available.
- It's got a fan in it which comes on when it starts sweating.
- Unlike other Warwick amps, this has a sensible font on it (no Comic Sans), can kill a man if you dropped it on him, plus has plenty of beautiful chrome knobs all in perfect condition unlike others I have seen that looked very weathered.
- It's in tip-top cosmetic condition. Tubes are fine but I have never changed them. They are Electro Harmonix tubes I think (you can just about see the “[i]armonix[/i]” in the pictures).
- Gigged about 10 times, used really quietly at home the rest of the time so never driven hard. Good for causing hernias if you're into practical jokes like that.


Pickup from Droitwich Worcestershire please. Sadly I do not have the ability to post this (no giant box or packaging).

I can meet up by the M5 junction or drive up/down the M5 a bit if that helps. Also, I work in Coventry so can meet up on the way back from there if that's helpful for you.

Loads more pictures here, including the internals: [url="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3vzHZmGDdwKNnhTSGZyYVFKWlU"]https://drive.google...NnhTSGZyYVFKWlU[/url]

Questions welcome![/font]

Edited by 72deluxe
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andybassdoyle Veteran

andybassdoyle

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Very nice. Warwick made some great amps back in this period imo. Question - if set to full range and mono is this bridgeable to deliver 900W into a single 4 ohm load? It looks from your description and pics that you might need a separate 4 ohm cab on each side to utilise the full power ergo not great with a single cab solution...
This said, the W lights up so I am definately interested.
Lot's of groovy older amps around at the moment, I feel like a young man during spring.....

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72deluxe Explorer

72deluxe

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Yes sadly that appears to be the case. There is no mention of bridging in the manual at all. So yes it may not be ideal for a single 4 ohm cab. All the recommended setups showed this driving 2 or more cabs. Having said that, 2 lots of 2x10s would be fun, no?

I will miss the amp as it sounds lovely; the tube channel is not capable of full-on fuzz at all, but just enough to sound creamy or gritty. I just can't justify having this much gear!

The manual is available here: http://old.warwick.de/media/manuals/ProTube/ProTubeIX_EN.pdf

I also have the original paper manual somewhere and their test guide for engineers testing it...

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72deluxe Explorer

72deluxe

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[font=trebuchet ms,helvetica,sans-serif]No sadly this has not sold - still available! It is still sat unused in my bass cave, inside a flight case away from dust and light.

If you're far away I am happy to drive a bit for it to go to a good home - I'm in Droitwich, Worcestershire but work in Coventry so am used to combating the motorways.[/font]

Edited by 72deluxe
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