Hamstead Soundworks Artist 20 User manual

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USER MANUAL
Artist 20 & 60
for mkiii +rt series

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Thank you for purchasing this Hamstead Soundworks
Artist Series guitar amplifier. Please read this user
manual carefully so that you are fully familiar with
your new amplifier. It also contains useful information
on care and maintenance, to uphold the amplifier's
operating safety and reliability.
Enjoy!
PETER HAMSTEAD
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WARNING! IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
DANGER! HIGH INTERNAL OPERATING VOLTAGES
•This is professional audio equipment — follow all instructions and heed all warnings.
•Before the unit is switched on make sure the loudspeaker is connected as described in
this manual using the correct cable.
•Do not open the equipment case. There are no user-serviceable parts in this
equipment. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
•Protect the power cable from being walked on or pinched particularly at mains outlet
sockets and the point where it exits from the apparatus.
•Do not use this apparatus near water or in damp conditions.
•It is recommended that the equipment reach room temperature before switching on.
This will avoid the build-up of condensation if the product has been moved from a cold
environment into a warmer location.
•Clean only with a dry cloth.
•Do not block any ventilation grilles or allow objects to fall into the equipment.
•Do not place the unit near any heat sources such as radiators, stoves, or other
apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
•This product is heavy and the weight may be unequally distributed. Pay extra attention
when transporting and setting up this product. Failure to do so may cause serious harm
to the product or persons.
•Only use this product when a mains earth (ground) connection is present.
•Always replace damaged fuses with the correct rating and type.
•Power supply cable should always be handled carefully and should be replaced if
damaged in any way.
•Only use the supplied power cable which is compatible with the mains supply voltage
in your area.
•Unauthorised modification of this product is expressly forbidden by Hamstead
Soundworks and may invalidate the warranty.
•Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the
apparatus has been damaged in any way, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen
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into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not
operate normally, or has been dropped.
•Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
•High loudspeaker levels can cause permanent hearing damage. You should therefore
avoid the direct vicinity of loudspeakers operating at high levels. Wear hearing
protection if continuously exposed to high levels.
•If the product does not operate normally when the operating instructions are followed,
then refer the product to a qualified service engineer.
USA & CANADA ONLY
Do not defeat the safety purpose of a grounding type plug. A grounding type plug has
two blades and a third grounding prong. The third prong is provided for your safety. If the
provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician.
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Before Switching On
Ensure that the amplifier is set to the correct voltage for the country it is being used in
and that the correct fuse for that voltage is fitted.
Ensure that the speaker is connected to the correct impedance jack socket. Please note
that valve amplifiers should never be used without the correct load connected.
Always use a high quality shielded instrument cable. Use of low quality cables can
severely compromise your sound.
Switch the amplifier on and allow a few minutes for the valves to warm up before playing.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
WARNING! Always replace fuses with the correct rating. Never use a higher rated
fuse.
Fuses protect the power supply from faults in the equipment, the equipment from faults
in the power supply, and they also indicate that there is a fault.
The Power Input is protected by a fuse in the IEC Inlet Socket. To access the fuse, first
unplug the power cable from the supply socket and then remove it from the amplifier
back panel. The drawer in the IEC socket contains the fuse and also a spare. The
correct fuse rating is indicated back panel of the amplifier. Artist 20 requires 1AT for
230V and 2AT for 115V. Artist 60 requires 1.6AT for 230V and 3.15AT for 115V.
In the unlikely event that the Power Light is on but the amplifier is not functioning, turn
off the power and remove the mains cable. Wait for 2 minutes and then check the
speaker cable is plugged in and the valves are all secure in their sockets. If the
amplifier still does not function even after replacing the valves, please refer to a
qualified technician. The low voltage and high voltage supplies inside the amplifier are
protected by fuses mounted on the circuit boards along with spares. Access to these is
only possible by removing the chassis from the cabinet.
DANGER! Lethal voltages are present inside the chassis, refer all servicing to a
qualified technician.
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Valve (Tube) Care
VALVE REPLACEMENT
WARNING! Output valves reach high temperatures. Please do not handle hot valves.
Always power down the amplifier and unplug from the mains outlet before changing
valves. If the amp has been operating, allow at least thirty (30) minutes for the valves to
cool down.
NOTE: Artist 20 models are cathode-biased and therefore do not need to be
biased.
OUTPUT VALVE BIASING (ARTIST 60+RT MODELS ONLY)
With the amplifier turned off:
• Turn the SET control fully anti-clockwise.
• Turn the BALANCE control to 12 o’clock (slot vertical).
• Connect a test meter between the V5 RED test point and the 0V BLACK test point.
• Set the test meter to read voltage (if the meter is not auto-range select the best
voltage range to be able to read up to 500mV = 0.5V).
• Place the MUTE switch in the up position and turn the amplifier on. Allow it to warm up
for 5 minutes.
NOTE: Watch the test meter and if the reading exceeds 300mV (0.3V) switch
the amplifier offimmediately.
• Rotate the SET control slowly clockwise to get a meter reading of approximately
400mV (0.4V).
• Move the test lead from the V5 RED test point to the V4 RED test point. Adjust the
BALNCE control to get a meter reading of approximately 400mV – clockwise to
increase, anticlockwise to decrease. Recheck the V5 RED reading as there is slight
interaction between these two controls.
• After about 20 minutes, recheck and adjust if necessary.
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Features & Controls
FRONT CONTROL PANEL
•HI & LO INPUTS: HI is the standard input. LO has a lower impedance which rolls off a
small amount of the high frequencies and lowers the available gain.
•BRIGHT SWITCH: With the Gain, Bass and Treble at 12 o’clock, the Bright Switch
boosts at 10kHz by 8.5dB in the UP position, is neutral in the MIDDLE position, and
boosts by 4.5dB in the DOWN position.
•GAIN: Controls the signal level through the pre-amplifier.
•BASS: Allows the BASS frequencies to be decreased or increased relative to the 12
o’clock position.
•VOICE: When selected will give a mid boost at 800Hz. The level of boost can be
preset on the back panel. This can also be operated from the TWIN/QUAD
FOOTSWITCH.
•TREBLE: Allows the TREBLE frequencies to be decreased or increased in amplitude
relative to the 12 o’clock position.
•REVERB DEPTH: Controls the amount of REVERB.
•REVERB SWITCH: Switches the REVERB ON. This can also be operated from the
QUAD FOOTSWITCH.
•REVERB TONE: From the 12 o’clock position rotate anti-clockwise to give the
REVERB a bass boost and Treble Cut, or clockwise for a treble boost and bass cut.
•TREMOLO DEPTH: Controls the amount of TREMOLO from 0 to 100%.
•TREMOLO SWITCH: Switches the TREMOLO ON. This can also be operated from
the QUAD FOOTSWITCH.
•TREMOLO SPEED: Controls the SPEED of the TREMOLO from 0.4Hz to 15Hz.
•MASTER: Master Volume control.
•POWER: Indicates that the amplifier is on.
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BACK PANEL
•MAINS INPUT: Fused IEC MAINS input. The drawer also includes a spare fuse.
•ON/OFF: MAINS POWER switch.
•MUTE: MUTE switch.
•VOLTAGE SELECTOR: Enables the amplifier to be adjusted to suit the available mains
power supply voltage. Fuse ratings will depend on the supply voltage as indicated.
•VOICE PRESET: Set the level of boost when VOICE is selected. Select 2, 3.5, or 5 dB.
•OUTPUT POWER SWITCH:
ARTIST 20: 20 Watts, 7 Watts and 2 Watts. Three way back switch can be
operated even when the amplifier is on. Each setting retains the character of
the amplifier and only lowers the volume.
ARTIST 60: 60 Watts, 20 Watts and 7 Watts. Three way switch which can be
operated even when the amplifier is on. Each setting is a different voice. 60
Watts offers high headroom and punchy response, 20 Watts is voiced as the
Artist 20, and 7 Watts has the characteristics of a low-wattage amp with early
breakup, valve sag, and the ability to oversaturate the power stage.
•GAIN SWITCH:
LO: Selects low preamp gain giving you more clean headroom.
HI: Selects higher preamp gain with earlier breakup.
•LOUDSPEAKER OUTPUTS: You may use either of the speaker output sockets and
select the required impedance with the slider switch. Always use a good quality
speaker cable. NEVER use a guitar cable. ALWAYS power down the amplifier before
altering the speaker load.
WARNING! Never use the amplifier without a speaker load connected!
•FOOTSWITCH: This is the TRS socket used to connect the footswitch.
•FX SEND: Line Level output for external effects units.
•FX RECEIVE: Line level input for external effects units.
•REVERB ORDER SWITCH: This switch allows you to change the order of the Reverb
and Tremolo in the chain.
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Footswitch
Every Artist 20+RT & 60+RT amplifier is supplied with a QUAD FOOTSWITCH. The
footswitch provided is connected to the amplifier using a TRS connector, which is also
included. Plugging the footswitch into the back of the amplifier overrides the front control
panel switches regardless of their selection, and the front panel indicator lights will mimic
the footswitch indicator lights.
QUAD FOOTSWITCH
Three foot-switches and associated indicators replicate the switches and indicators on
the amplifier front panel for VOICE, REVERB and TREMOLO. The fourth switch and
indicator allows the FX LOOP to be turned on and off.
NOTE: The QUAD FOOTSWITCH is designed solely to work with the MKIII ARTIST 20+RT
and ARTIST 60+RT models. Damage may occur if used with any other amplifier or if a
different footswitch is used. The Warranty does not cover damage caused in this way.
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Specification
ARTIST 20
Power Requirement: 88W
Power Output: 20W
Input Impedance: LO: 136K HI: 1M0
Valves: 3 X ECC83 (12AX7) 2 X EL34
Fuses: IEC Inlet Socket: 115V: 2AT 230V: 1AT
Internal Low Voltage: 2 x T500mA + 2 x Spare
Internal High Voltage: 1 x T250mA + 1 x Spare
EUROPE ONLY: Peak Inrush current for Artist 20: 11.4A
ARTIST 60
Power Requirement: 160W
Power Output: 60W
Input Impedance: LO: 136K HI: 1M0
Valves: 3 X ECC83 (12AX7) 2 X EL34
Fuses: IEC Inlet Socket: 115V: 3.15AT 230V: 1.6AT
Internal Low Voltage: 2 x T500mA + 2 x Spare
Internal High Voltage: 1 x T500mA + 1 x Spare
EUROPE ONLY: Peak Inrush current for Artist 60: 21A
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FAQs & Troubleshooting
For a comprehensive and up-to-date FAQs section please visit our website at:
hamsteadsoundworks.com/faqs
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Warranty
HAMSTEAD SOUNDWORKS NON-TRANSFERABLE FIVE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY
Hamstead Soundworks warrants the product to be free from defects in material and
workmanship for a period of five (5) years. If the products fails within the warranty period,
Hamstead Soundworks will repair or, at our discretion, replace the product at no cost to
the original purchaser. The terms under this warranty do not affect your statutory rights
and shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English Law.
EXCLUSIONS
This warranty covers defects in manufacturing discovered whilst using this product as
recommended by Hamstead Soundworks. This warranty does not cover loss or theft, nor
does the coverage extend to damage caused by misuse, abuse, unauthorised
modification, improper storage, lightning or natural disasters.
The following components are exempt from the aforementioned five (5) year period and
covered separately for the terms set out below:
•Speakers, footswitch, reverb tank: One (1) year
•Valves, fuses, cables, filament lamps: Thirty (30) days
LIMITS OF LIABILITY
In the case of malfunction, the purchaser’s sole recourse shall be repair or replacement,
as described in the preceding paragraphs. Hamstead Soundworks will not be held liable
to any party for damages that result from the failure of this product. Damages excluded
include, but are not limited to, the following: lost profits, lost savings, damage to other
equipment, and incidental or coincidental damages arising from the use, or inability to use
this product. In no event will Hamstead Soundworks be liable for more than the amount of
the purchase price, not to exceed the current retail price of the product. Hamstead
Soundworks disclaims any other warranties, expressed or implied. By using the product,
the user accepts all terms herein.
NOTES:
•If we are unable to repair the defective product, we reserve the right to provide you
with a replacement which may or may not be a reconditioned unit.
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•In the event of a replacement, we shall be entitled to take and keep possession of the
defective unit.
WARRANTY REGISTRATION
The warranty is activated on the date of purchase. If your product was not registered at
the time of purchase you may do so on our website hamsteadsoundworks.com/support.
Please register your product within 30 days of purchase.
OBTAINING SERVICE UNDER WARRANTY
You must contact Hamstead Soundworks prior to obtaining service and will be issued with
a service number. The products must then be shipped or taken to Hamstead Soundworks
or a designated authorised dealer. The product must be accompanied proof of purchase.
For more information please visit hamsteadsoundworks.com/support.
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©HAMSTEAD SOUNDWORKS MMXVIII