Genz-Benz BP30 User Manual
OWNERS MANUAL
BP30
BP30-410CAB
®
BP30-212
BP30-212CAB
BP30-112
BP30-310
Black Pearl 30
The
®
is a classic, all-tube, EL 84, Class A design combined with
upgrades, enhancements and tone you would expect from Genz Benz. This amplier is built for those
that know tone and feel are inseparable.
The Black Pearl 30® is meticulously designed with an all-tube signal path, component selection and
custom transformers that add up to responsive, thick, rich tone. Inside there are beautifully crafted
black military spec PCB’s with robust, precision routed direct-to-point gold-ashed signal traces,
neatly dressed wiring and custom tube sockets and retainers; all to ensure that every amp built
delivers the Black Pearl 30’s® boutique tone yet will withstand the rigors of the road.
They say “Tone is in your ngers”, but it’s our tube rectier design, custom wound transformers and
choice of Eminence® Alnico speakers that lets your tone come through, from the bell-like chime of
single coils to the warm purr of humbuckers.
THE GENZ BENZ Black Pearl 30® DESIGN
The Black Pearl 30® is based on the classic Class A, EL84, 30 watt platform.
In the development of this guitar amplier we referenced the most sought after vintage and “boutique” amps
available for our performance and tone standard. We then added a design feature set and GENZ BENZ build
quality that makes the Black Pearl 30® a versatile and “tour-tough” tone source for the most discriminating
professional musician.
CLASS A: The Black Pearl 30® operates in cathode biased, Class A mode. This method of power tube
operation eliminates harsh, zero-crossing distortion and generates warm, lush, musical output tube breakup.
Another hallmark of Class A operation is it’s exemplary dynamics. The Black Pearl 30® is highly touch-
sensitive; every subtlety and nuance of the player’s technique are reproduced making the amplier an
extension of the guitar and the player’s hands.
NO FEEDBACK / OPEN-ENDED: In order to stabilize the tone of an amplier, most designs include a
signicant amount of global feedback in their power amplier signal path. It is an easier way to design a power
amplier, but unfortunately it dampens dynamics and desirable harmonics resulting in a lifeless tone and feel.
With the Black Pearl 30® we’ve taken painstaking time in creating a carefully executed design and layout that
remains stable without the use of global feedback. Incredibly rich harmonics, musical output tube breakup and
a wonderful feel is the result. Just the right amount of sag and soft, tube compression is present to let your
notes respond and sing.
EMINENCE® RED FANG™ ALNICO SPEAKERS: Alnico speakers contributed greatly to the wonderful
tones produced by vintage, Class A designs. Their sensitivity was partly responsible for these amps dynamic
response as well. Due to Alnico’s expense, speakers using this magnet material fell out of wide use in the
1970’s and they are now only found in premium speakers such as the Eminence® Red Fang™.
We conducted blindfold tests in a room full of speakers made with different magnetic and cone materials from
several respected manufacturers and we chose the Red Fangs™. They bring a perfect combination of warmth,
bite and thickness with a very musical midrange to the Black Pearl 30®. They are also highly touch-sensitive.
The BP30-112 and BP30-212 models use the 12” Eminence® Alnico Red Fang™ loudspeakers and
the BP30-310 utilizes a newly developed 10” version of this premium speaker. We worked closely with
Eminence® in developing this 10” Red Fang™, assuring its tonal match to the Black Pearl 30® amplier.
The Red Fang™ 10” reproduces wonderful punch and chime along with a stellar focused midrange vocal quality.
The tight triangular conguration of the speakers in the BP30-310 enhances the big tonal foot print of this design.
FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW:
INPUT JACK – The ¼” input is unbalanced and high impedance to allow for the correct matching of the
instrument’s pick-ups with the ampliers tube buffered input circuitry.
VOLUME CONTROL – This control sets the preamp volume/gain of the input stage. Use this control in
conjunction with the Master Volume control. The Volume control also interacts with the Boost level settings.
MODE – The Mode switch selects the level of gain for the single channel of the Black Pearl 30®. A position for
the foot switch is provided so that the Boost function can be accessed through the single button foot switch that
is included with each amp.
BOOST LEVEL – Controls the amount of gain boost and/or volume boost when engaged. This control works
in conjunction with the preamp Volume control and reacts differently depending upon the preamp Volume
control settings. With the preamp Volume set at lower settings the Boost function acts more like a volume boost.
With the preamp Volume control set at higher settings the Boost level control adds more gain to the signal.
VOICING CONTROL – This 5 position voicing network provides a tonal foundation within the preamp gain
stages, unlike a normal EQ network. Located in this position of the design, the Voicing lters add a unique avor
to the varying gain settings of the preamp. The voicing lters are (from bottom to top): Thick, Dark, Natural,
Bright and Deep. These allow the Black Pearl 30® to deliver a variety of moods from dark to fat to spanky.
This feature is very useful in optimizing the Black Pearl 30’s® performance for your personal guitar pick up
selection; fatten up your single coils and add some chime to your humbuckers. It is also great for adding some
brightness to the amp when operating in the naturally darker triode mode.
PASSIVE 3 BAND EQUALIZATION – The Black Pearl 30® design incorporates a customized passive EQ
network that provides surprisingly responsive tone enhancements with no interaction between the Bass, Middle
and Treble lters. This provides for more precise tone shaping and easily repeatable settings. The important
Middle lter is very powerful. It changes the feel and character of the amp as it actually adds gain and sustain
to the signal path when placed in the 2 o’clock to 5 o’clock positions.
TOP – This control is more like the classic “presence” network within the power tube stage, controlling high
frequency content and clarity within the critical phase inverter stage.
REVERB – Adjusts the amount of return from the all tube driven reverb network. The Black Pearl 30® comes
with a long pan 3 spring Ruby Tubes™ reverb pan for extra-lush reverb texture.
MASTER VOLUME – Controls the overall volume of the tube output stage. Running the amplier with the
Master Volume control wide open essentially takes the control out of the signal path.
STANDBY SWITCH – The Standby switch removes the high voltage power supply from the plate circuit
of the output tubes to protect the tubes from “cathode stripping” when rst powering up the amplier. The
recommended start-up procedure is to place the Standby switch to the Standby position, turn on the Power
switch and allow the amplier to warm up for at least 30 seconds before switching the Standby switch to the
operate position. This will help to prolong the life of your output tubes.
POWER SWITCH – The Power switch turns on the AC power to the amp. When this switch is turned on, power is
applied to the heater circuits of all tubes, the high voltage power supplies are allowed to stabilize and the low voltage
power supplies are energized. Power should be switched on only with the Standby switch in the standby position.
REAR PANEL OVERVIEW:
POWER MODE – The Black Pearl 30® design offers several options for attenuating the power level for more
exibility and tonal splendor. This section consists of a “4/2 tube” selector switch and a Pentode/Triode switch.
With these switches the BP30 power level can be adjusted to 30W, 15W or 8 watts.
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