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betterinsodapop posted:I've got a Blackstar HT-5 combo. It seems less loud and kinda muddier than when I got it, so I was thinking of chucking some new tubes in it. Assuming I go with the same types of tube (12AX7 and 12BH7,) should it be fairly "plug and play?" I can't seem to get a straight answer anywhere, even the manufacturer makes contradicting statements. Try a bright high-gain tube in the 12ax7 position. I've used Chinese and Electro Harmonix tubes to good effect. A JJ I had in there was too muddy. Neved swapped out the Bh7 though. A Boss GE7 in the effects loop is also awesome for tweaking the sound.
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Apr 25, 2011 17:57
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betterinsodapop posted:I've got a Blackstar HT-5 combo. It seems less loud and kinda muddier than when I got it, so I was thinking of chucking some new tubes in it. Assuming I go with the same types of tube (12AX7 and 12BH7,) should it be fairly "plug and play?" I can't seem to get a straight answer anywhere, even the manufacturer makes contradicting statements. You might need to adjust the bias when you swap out the power tube, if there's a bias adjust. I have no idea if those are "fixed" bias like Mesas or what. cheap sunglasses fucked around with this message at 18:32 on Apr 25, 2011 |
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Apr 25, 2011 18:30
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Zakalwe posted:Try a bright high-gain tube in the 12ax7 position. I've used Chinese and Electro Harmonix tubes to good effect. A JJ I had in there was too muddy. Neved swapped out the Bh7 though. I'd been thinking about the MXC 10-band EQ, but I've always been a big fan of Boss products, so I'll look into that as well. cheap sunglasses posted:You might need to adjust the bias when you swap out the power tube, if there's a bias adjust. I have no idea if those are "fixed" bias like Mesas or what.
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Apr 25, 2011 19:11
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Chances are like 99% of amps it's biased cold so you can switch out the power tube with a moderate range of values and not harm anything. Reading up on it it seems the primary clipping stage is all op-amps and diodes and the preamp tube is more for show, so changing that probably won't make too much difference (it rarely does anyway). It really can't hurt and at worst you'll be out $30-40 and have an extra set of tubes in case something explodes.
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Apr 25, 2011 21:24
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Anyone played with the Fender Champion 600? I picked one up super cheap (~$100) this weekend new; and the thing has an awesome tone and decent at-home volume for that price. It sounds _awesome_ with a telecaster. If so, is it worth my time/effort to swap out for nicer tubes? This is my first fully tube amp (I mainly play solid-state bass)
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Apr 26, 2011 21:32
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Walked posted:Anyone played with the Fender Champion 600? The biggest upgrade you can make is to the speaker-the tubes are actually pretty decent, but the stock speaker blows. Webber makes a great replacement.
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Apr 27, 2011 02:20
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I think I'm gonna pull the trigger on the Rivera 5512 this weekend, pretty pumped to get the amp. The only problem is I can't find any information on how much this amp is worth. I am going to ask the store how much it is I forget. model is RIVERA R55-112 Edit: Found it, they want $950, seems pretty steep. Sweeper fucked around with this message at 03:30 on Apr 27, 2011 |
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Apr 27, 2011 03:19
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I came into a bit of $$ recently, and i'm looking to upgrade - I've been playing a Fender Power Chorus recently, which is really only good for blowing eardrums. The head I've settled on is the Vox Night Train, and if you guys haven't checked this thing out, do so soon. For 500 dollars, it has to be one of the best sounding things I've ever played - I tried an Orange Tiny Terror for comparison, and this weird little toastery-looking Vox blew it out of the water. Anyway, my question is this: what cab would be best to play the Night Train through? My band plays punky rock'n'roll, so I've usually got the gain cranked, and I tend to like a trebley tone. Also, my budget's firmly below $500. Looking for a 2x12" or a cheaper 4x12 - would rather have something good sounding than super loud.
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Apr 28, 2011 05:40
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Are there any other good, affordable hi gain amps that aren't the 6505? I want death metal tone but also bluesy cleans and I know the cleans suck on the 6505. I guess I'm looking for versatility. I'd be willing to spend 1200, though I want a combo since i don't have a cab. I really only need a 1x12 combo.
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Apr 29, 2011 15:51
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Kerpal posted:Are there any other good, affordable hi gain amps that aren't the 6505? I want death metal tone but also bluesy cleans and I know the cleans suck on the 6505. I guess I'm looking for versatility. I'd be willing to spend 1200, though I want a combo since i don't have a cab. I really only need a 1x12 combo. With a budget like $1200, you could think about getting two separate combos and an AB switch. You could pick up a Fender Hot Rod or a JC-120 for cheap and spend the rest on the 6505. Do you want an all-tube high gain amp, or would you be willing to look at a modelling amp? That would probably give you a lot more options.
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Apr 29, 2011 18:18
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I'd prefer an all-in-one solution and modeling is definitely out of the question. I already have a POD X3 that I use for recording and I'd really like the real thing, so something all-tube. Using two amps with a switch is too much work for me. I haven't really seen anything that fits the mark.
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Apr 29, 2011 21:56
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It's time to replace some stolen equipment with better equipment! I'm looking for a tube head with enough clean headroom for gigging at clubs and small venues, as the pedals should satisfy all/most of the distortion and tone shaping needs. I'm aiming for a warm and balanced clean tone. A Fender Deluxe Reverb and a Fender Twin each with Jensen speakers sounded best on my most recent trip to GC. The Orange Tiny Terror sounded pretty good too, but it was too quiet, as I had the volume almost all the way up without being obnoxious. A Vox AC15 with a Greenback sounded good until turned up and the low-mids seemed to muddy up.
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Apr 29, 2011 22:08
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Kerpal posted:I'd prefer an all-in-one solution and modeling is definitely out of the question. I already have a POD X3 that I use for recording and I'd really like the real thing, so something all-tube. Using two amps with a switch is too much work for me. I haven't really seen anything that fits the mark. the Bugera 6262 is a clone of the 6505, and it sounds great and its cheap. You can probably find a mesa dual rec combo for around that price as well. Same with that line 6 model line that has a tube section designed by bogner, i think its the vetta or spider IV series. If you want more versatility you're going to need to save up some more cash. High gain, versatile, all tube and $1200 don't go in the same sentence.
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Apr 30, 2011 03:26
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People who know a thing just roll back the volume for soft/clean stuff anyway. That's what tube amps are made for in the first place.
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Apr 30, 2011 03:42
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Volume pedals kick rear end too
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Apr 30, 2011 03:46
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Also the green channel on those newer 6505 combos is perfectly fine all on its own. e: a used Mark IV combo runs about $1200 but you could get a JCM 900 combo for about half that cheap sunglasses fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Apr 30, 2011 |
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Apr 30, 2011 03:48
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I have to admit the 6505 clean channel doesn't sound as bad as I thought. It certainly isn't going to beat a HotRod or a JC-120 but it's considerably better than I remember. Getting a used amp isn't out of the question, I'm guessing Mesa amps are generally relatively sturdy and well-built? I have played a Dual Rectifier before and I wasn't really impressed at all. The Bugera 6262 sounds pretty good but it's so cheap I wonder how reliable it is.
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Apr 30, 2011 04:40
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Kerpal posted:I have to admit the 6505 clean channel doesn't sound as bad as I thought. It certainly isn't going to beat a HotRod or a JC-120 but it's considerably better than I remember. Getting a used amp isn't out of the question, I'm guessing Mesa amps are generally relatively sturdy and well-built? I have played a Dual Rectifier before and I wasn't really impressed at all. Mesa amps are generally extremely well built, my guitarists mark v has had a couple issues, but it is backed up with a 5 year warranty. Apparently, Bugera issues are commonly associated with the 2009 models? They are apparently very sturdy, or so I've heard. You can't beat what you get for what you pay.
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Apr 30, 2011 08:41
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You can get a 6505 1x12 new for less than the Bugera knockoff combo, if you're dead set on that sound. But if you're just dicking around in your bedroom and recording it's still too much amp even for that.
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Apr 30, 2011 10:23
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I was looking at some Harmony Central reviews on those Bugera amps and lots of people had reliability issues related to power and poor construction. I'm looking for something to move around and play outside the bedroom. I'm probably going to go with the 6505+. Peavey seems like a reliable brand and I know you guys regularly recommended their Classic line up. For the price point/sound/reliability I can't think of any other good equivalent.
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Apr 30, 2011 20:31
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What do people think about VHT? I'm considering replacing the Vox DA5 with a VHT Special 6.
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Apr 30, 2011 20:35
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If I have a Peavey Bandit 112 Combot and I get a proper tube head, can I have both amps use the speaker in the bandit combo and switch between them in some sort of fancy way until I get a proper cabinet? Also, is there an internet shop like gabkits.com where you can buy custom enclosures for amps and cabinets that ships to Denmark? Boz0r fucked around with this message at 22:29 on May 15, 2011 |
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May 15, 2011 22:26
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Boz0r posted:If I have a Peavey Bandit 112 Combot and I get a proper tube head, can I have both amps use the speaker in the bandit combo and switch between them in some sort of fancy way until I get a proper cabinet? I don't think you're going to be able to do that, as looking at the Bandit the speaker is wired directly to the amp. If the speaker was wired like an external cabinet (like there was a power amp out jack and a speaker in jack on the amp with a removable cable between them) you could do it with something like this but you're probably better off saving your money for a cab.
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May 16, 2011 02:57
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Boz0r posted:If I have a Peavey Bandit 112 Combot and I get a proper tube head, can I have both amps use the speaker in the bandit combo and switch between them in some sort of fancy way until I get a proper cabinet? If your amp has a slave out (or parallel FX out) you can send to the bandit and use your Bandit as a slaved power amp, or you can solder on some speaker leads to your bandit with a speaker jack (though, then you would have to deal with impedance issues potentially) I would PERSONALLY run your amp with a splitter pedal, as you can then use the Bandit as an extra clean amp, or do some cool stereo FX stuff.
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May 16, 2011 21:08
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Does anyone have experience with Dr. Z amps? I haven't been able to play one yet, but everything I've read on the internet has been overwhelmingly positive. I'm only interested in the low end of the Dr. Z spectrum, the Carmen Ghia, the Maz 18 Jr and the Monza. The two bands I cover the most are Phish and At The Drive In.
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May 16, 2011 22:03
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Han Solo posted:Does anyone have experience with Dr. Z amps? I haven't been able to play one yet, but everything I've read on the internet has been overwhelmingly positive. This fella reviews several Dr Z amps: http://www.youtube.com/user/gearmanndude, including the Maz 18. Sound pretty good to me.
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May 17, 2011 12:24
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Has anybody done any mods to their Blackheart BH5-112? I swapped the Eminence speaker for a Pre-Rola Celestion G12M and it already sounds less like barf and more like sex, now I'm wondering if swapping the tubes could give me a little more crunch. It's got a 12AX7 pre-amp tube and an EL84 power tube, unsure of the brand but since the amp is made by Crate I wouldn't imagine it to be anything too special. What are some popular replacement tubes for this?
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May 18, 2011 19:11
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Handen posted:Has anybody done any mods to their Blackheart BH5-112? I swapped the Eminence speaker for a Pre-Rola Celestion G12M and it already sounds less like barf and more like sex, now I'm wondering if swapping the tubes could give me a little more crunch. Not sure what brand of EL84 comes stock in Blackhearts but I know a popular replacement for EL84 type tubes is the JJ EL84 or the Mullard EL84 depending on what type of sound you want out of your amp. The JJ is just a great all around tube where as the Mullard is a straight dirty as hell nasty aggressive tube if that's what you're looking for.
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May 18, 2011 19:47
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Sirius Sam posted:Not sure what brand of EL84 comes stock in Blackhearts but I know a popular replacement for EL84 type tubes is the JJ EL84 or the Mullard EL84 depending on what type of sound you want out of your amp. The JJ is just a great all around tube where as the Mullard is a straight dirty as hell nasty aggressive tube if that's what you're looking for. Yes, I want disgusting overdrive. Mullard it is!
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May 18, 2011 20:12
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I didn't read the entire thread here (I read most of it though) but I'm gonna post about my big-rear end stupid amp, since it seems to be relatively oddball. DISCLAIMER: I'm not a guitarist, so I probably won't satisfy 100% of guitar-sperg poo poo, but I'll try. I own a Fender Dual Showman head from the red knob era (late 80s-early 90s), which I believe is one of the Rivera-designed Fenders. It weighs about 80lbs on its own, mostly due to the fact that it has giant grapefruit-sized transformers on both ends of the cabinet, which are mostly likely partly responsible for this thing being the LOUDEST GODDAMN THING EVER. It's rated at 100w, but at half volume would make the Marshall 1965a I was running it through cry. Running it through my buddy's Fender 2x15 basically resulted in setting off car alarms several blocks away. Cool things about this big stupid amp: Shitloads of bells and whistles, like EQ notches and variable output damping, wattage switch (would switch between 100w and 50w, and if you pulled the two center power tubes, it'd do 60/30), effects loop, shitloads of headroom on the clean channel, and a really nice, predictable breakup on the drive channel. I'm a keyboardist, and my setup was basically Rhodes MkI > 47 pedals > Amp, and the gain channel turned to about 4 gave me a really nice top-end crunch when I'd dig into it that sounded really funky and soulful. It was also capable of drowning out the two idiots with AC30s that I had to compete with in my last band. The drive channel was definitely a Fender drive channel, but slightly more modern sounding, with a fair bit of edge to it. Each channel has its own EQ, as well; although the clean channel only has a 2-band EQ. lovely things about this amp: it's really loving heavy for its size. It really needs handles screwed onto the ends rather than just the one plastic one on top, but I haven't gotten around to it. It's also not one that gets you a lot of cred with your guitar nerd buddies, but they're all idiots anyway. I hope you guys enjoyed my post, and that it leads you to consider red knob Fenders in your future amp-buying adventures. I've owned three (Super 60, Evil Twin, and the Showman) and they all kicked rear end in their own way. edit: Here is a picture of one that I found on the internet. This is not my personal amp. 
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May 18, 2011 22:43
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That amp kicks rear end.
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May 19, 2011 01:15
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You know who likes red knob fenders? Steve Cropper, that's who. Says they distort too much if you turn them up, and their volume and tone is totally different from other Fenders, but if you back the bass off and turn the treble up you get a really good clean sound. He uses a Twin from that era playing live.
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May 19, 2011 03:44
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relative_q posted:I've owned three (Super 60, Evil Twin, and the Showman) and they all kicked rear end in their own way. How's the Evil Twin? I've been considering it after I heard the drive channel was lifted from the Sunn Model T reissue.
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May 19, 2011 21:56
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plester1 posted:How's the Evil Twin? I've been considering it after I heard the drive channel was lifted from the Sunn Model T reissue. From a guitar perspective, I couldn't tell you. It crunches out an electric piano nicely, though.
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May 20, 2011 00:52
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I wanna build myself a cab to make my AC4 a bit louder. Does anyone recommend any particular plans to do this? Is it a bad idea to mismatch speakers? I had always imagined having one 10" and one 12" would give a more interesting sound, or putting two different 12" speakers might also make the sound richer. Is either of those a bad idea?
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May 20, 2011 13:19
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Underflow posted:This fella reviews several Dr Z amps: http://www.youtube.com/user/gearmanndude, including the Maz 18. Sound pretty good to me. It's worth noting that this dude is Jack Black. Really.
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May 20, 2011 21:19
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Holy hell, it does sound like Jack Black. You serious? Edit: And it plays like Jack Black. I think you are serious. Also, now I want a Dr. Z, after listening to him play his King Bee tele through it. Warcabbit fucked around with this message at 22:17 on May 20, 2011 |
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May 20, 2011 21:58
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rt4 posted:I wanna build myself a cab to make my AC4 a bit louder. Does anyone recommend any particular plans to do this?
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May 20, 2011 22:57
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Well, mine is the 8" version, which I think hampers the sound a bit. Also, I want to do some woodworking generally (either a speaker cab or a chest will be my first project I guess) and the idea of having 2 speakers has always appealed to me. I'm closing on a house in just over a week so I'll finally have some space to do woodworking and enough space that I can play loud without driving my wife and neighbors nuts, so it seems like the perfect project.
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May 21, 2011 01:23
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Deelon posted:It's worth noting that this dude is Jack Black. Really. Sorry, is a guy called Eric Whorton, the Jack Black thing seems to be an urban legend. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gelDeT5MlTs&feature=related (around 1:36) This too, from a quick google search: "In the 'Den of the gearmanndude' video. The gearmanndude pans the camera over posters of acts he has recorded in his home studio. The most prominent of these is an 'El Roostars' poster. A band from Louisville, Kentucky. featuring 35 year old guitarist Eric WHORTON. Who loves Elvis and the Stones. Who posts videos on his band's youtube page of pedalboards from live gigs. Who can be seen in numerous videos playing in the very recognisable gearmanndude studio as well as filming his kids and grandparents in this studio". Edit: Goon confirms it isn't Black here http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2880432&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1 Zentrenched fucked around with this message at 18:58 on May 22, 2011 |
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May 22, 2011 18:56
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