#16
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Get the model with a volume knob. Works great.
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#17
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What I was thinking as I read through this thread.
I think one thing that's missing in this discussion is "presence". With a tube amp (not sure about solid state amps) a lot of speaker area and a lot of power results in presence that's just not available in the smaller amps. That's why I love my Super Reverb.
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Acoustic: Taylor 314ce Taylor Mini-e Koa Plus Maton EBG808 Alvarez AP66SB Yamaha LL16R A.R.E. Fishman Loudbox Mini Electric: 1966 Fender Super Reverb 2016 Fender Champion 40 1969 Fender Thinline Tele 2015 Epiphone ES-339 Pro 2016 Fender MIA American Standard Strat 2019 Fender MIM Roadhouse Strat |
#18
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Lots of good information. Thanks guys. I'm gonna take a while to process it. I suspected the 15w would be to loud and had thought about the idea of an iso box.
The thing is, I do 95% of my playing at home for my own enjoyment. So I want to get good tone at acceptable volume. Not just some good enough to practice with. I am planning on making a trip to GC and play though some different stuff and see what it sounds like at home volume level.
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Acoustics: Yamaha A3R Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE Electrics: Warmoth Tele Amps: Blues Jr. AC15HW |
#19
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Ya I have a 5 watt microcube that's louder than hell but it sounds like crap next to my other rig. It's about TONE, you want a good tone, you want a nice rich sound, you get that with the higher wattage amps. You can always turn down the volume.
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Alvarez 66 CE Alvarez AJ80CE Takamine F340 Guild F-2512 Deluxe CE Ibanez Acoustic Bass 12 M1 Martin 12 string X Series Harley Benton Telecaster EVH Wolfgang Formerly known as Martin Maniac..... M |
#20
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Hi adaw
Carl's Custom Guitars Speaker Soak Power Tube Amp - Amplifier Attenuator - Brake - Pad. They are hand built in an aluminum box. Mine's about 3 yrs old. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Carls-Custom...5bkuwJejQgPl7w I own one of these for my Blues Jr and it allows you to push the tubes, and keep the volume manageable. Works great - $49 (8 or 16 ohm) or $63 (4 ohm). Handy little thing for playing quiet stages/venues/rooms using my normal amp settings. Just unplug the speaker wire from the amp (to the speaker), connect a speaker wire from the amp to the power soak, then plug the speaker wire into the other side of the soak/box.
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Baby #1.1 Baby #1.2 Baby #02 Baby #03 Baby #04 Baby #05 Larry's songs... …Just because you've argued someone into silence doesn't mean you have convinced them… Last edited by ljguitar; 04-26-2017 at 01:31 PM. |
#21
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Quote:
A speaker and cabinet that matches your sound preferences will certainly help. Most find 12" speakers about right. Which one of those, is a matter for lengthy debates.
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Breedlove, Landola, a couple of electrics, and a guitar-shaped-object |
#22
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Who said anything about shredding wallpaper ?? I play mostly at low volume, and get a nice rich tone. The 5 watt amp doesn't have that same tone.
And yes I use two 12" speakers.
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Alvarez 66 CE Alvarez AJ80CE Takamine F340 Guild F-2512 Deluxe CE Ibanez Acoustic Bass 12 M1 Martin 12 string X Series Harley Benton Telecaster EVH Wolfgang Formerly known as Martin Maniac..... M |
#23
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Quote:
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=460805 BTW, before buying the V5 I regularly used a V22 for home practice; in case you're not aware it too has scaleable power levels, achieved here by running the tubes in triode class-A (versus pentode class-AB in full-power mode), as well as a dedicated OD channel with independent gain/volume controls. One of the fringe benefits here is that the triode setting lends your tone a pre-Top Boost Vox-type flavor, essentially giving you a formidable combination of two separate and distinct tonal palettes from which to choose, the fullness of a 12" speaker, and if you need trem a stomp box can cover that end of things - all for far less than an AC15... Another option available to you with the new Infinium circuit is the use of various compatible power tubes, without the need to have your amp professionally biased ($100+ around my end of town, and most emphatically not a DIY job if you value your equipment - and your life ); with the right combination of preamp/power tubes you can achieve just about anything from "brown" crunch to Boogie sustain to Twin-like cleans, depending on the power/EQ/channel settings and instrument used. One virtually unknown - and extremely useful - option is the use of specialized low-output power tubes, to drop the overall volume while still maintaining the characteristic EL84 tone; here's an example: http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/EL...low-power-EL84 Pretty cool for $30 - no need for pedals when you can get your tone the right way, for far less money - and when you're ready just plug in a set of these: http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/EL...9-Premium-EL84 - and play a 700-seat house with no problem... You really can have the best of both worlds - if you buy right the first time...
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) Last edited by Steve DeRosa; 04-26-2017 at 04:47 PM. Reason: typo |
#24
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I have never heard a good solution for taming a tube amp. Everything that tames volume to give breakup and lower levels sucks tone in my experience.
I have always found very small wattage with onboard attenuation and a 12" speaker the best solution |
#25
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I routinely crank my 100W up to a quarter to a third of full on, at least when no one else is home. More than that and I'd have to leave the room, but it's not crazy loud at the ~ 25W level in a large room in a house. Anything with a master volume will sound fine at lower levels, but you do miss the power-amp side overdrive, so the tonal character isn't quite the same. What I'd do is, go check out some amps, all in the same room and at the same volume level that you'd like to play with at home, and see what you like best.
That's all for tube amps. In my experience more headroom is better with solid-state amps, because you don't want them to distort. If you want distortion, you use effects pedals.
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'17 Tonedevil S-18 harp guitar '16 Tonedevil S-12 harp guitar '79 Fender Stratocaster hardtail with righteous new Warmoth neck '82 Fender Musicmaster bass '15 Breedlove Premier OF mandolin Marshall JVM210c amp plus a bunch of stompboxes and misc. gear |
#26
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Quote:
Quote:
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#27
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It sound good in writing but the results in reality are not as good at taming. When I tried it, it was just ok. Some tone change was present and volumes were not tamed as much as advertised. As indicated, to my ears the best solution is a small watter with on board attenuation.
Throw in a Bugera and see what happens. In a AC 15 they were meh. Not worth the $ or time. |
#28
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Probably either the idiosyncrasies of the AC15 circuit or the match level of the tubes, but I'm a bit surprised - they seem to have had great success with an AC30 and a Pro Junior; I can't vouch for the results with a Bugera, and since I'm mostly a high-headroom clean-tone kinda guy I wouldn't be inclined to plug in a set of EL844's anyway - but thanks for the heads-up...
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#29
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The EL 844 tubes sound interesting. If I get the bassbreaker, I will definitely try them out for the money. Are tubes something that I would be able to change myself?
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Acoustics: Yamaha A3R Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE Electrics: Warmoth Tele Amps: Blues Jr. AC15HW |
#30
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Quote:
A lot of bedroom amps let you lower the power section volume, and control gain with the preamp section. That's a great development to get distortion at low volumes, but it isn't what we've been raised on. So it sounds lacking to folks who have gigged with amps they've turned up above "6". That's why I like my Mesa Transatlantic. It has the "Master Volume" and "Gain" (actually lets you bypass the master volume on channel 1) abilities of modern amps, but it also lets you pick how many power tubes you're running so it lets you push the power end at 7, 15, or 25 watts. Even a 7 watt amp being run hard is too loud for bedroom if you ask me and sends me running for my ear plugs. But the character changes as soon as you turn up past 5 or 6 which can be doable depending on your living situation. It's just a different sound.
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I only play technologically cutting edge instruments. Parker Flys and National Resonators |