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Old 01-12-2021, 10:51 PM
M Hayden M Hayden is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: The Glorious East SF Bay, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa View Post
FWIW I never owned the Deluxe/JBL combo; I heard it at an affair back in the '70s, and I was so impressed (I love the Johnny Smith Gibsons, and you don't see too many - much less the two-pickup version - on the local club/catering-hall circuit) with the combination that I still remember how it sounded almost 50 years later: sweet, full, well-defined, with a touch of high-end sparkle that kept things from getting thuddy/muddy (as full-size archtops can often do) and zero cone breakup - to my ears the ultimate tube-powered jazz amp, and a perfect match for the Johnny Smith...

The main reason I suggested the Cannabis Rex to the OP is that he's looking to warm up the tone of a British-voiced, EL84-powered "rock" amp - something which, speaking as the (highly satisfied) owner of a Bugera V22 loaded with the "big-brother" Swamp Thang (similar voicing to the CR but much "bigger" sounding - my V22 sounds more like a 2x12" - but also significantly heavier, and I doubt the lightly-built Monoprice could handle the weight) it will do admirably, taming the inherent brashness of the EL84 power tubes (not an issue with your 6V6's); FYI I had a JBL E-120 in my 7591-powered '64 Ampeg Rocket back in the '70s - inspired by the JS/DR combination mentioned above - which sounded wonderful for cleaner styles (jazz, country, soft rock) but was a real boat anchor to carry (added at least 15 pounds to the total weight). If you're going to use it solely as a jazz amp and you're looking for a slightly mellower tonality (not to mention a significant weight savings) the Cannabis Rex might be a good choice; that said, as long as you can handle the ~60 lb. bulk of the DR/JBL IME you're not going to find a finer (and more versatile, in the long run) mid-powered combo...

Thanks! I like the JBL quite a lot, but as you note it’s heavy. I’m always looking for a lighter rig, but it would be hard to sound better than it does now....
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