My amp found Bliss

[asphalt-abate]

...or rather I figured out how to find bliss using my amp's tone controls. I have an old mid 80s Acoustic G60T amp head. There's many reasons I love this thing, first its built like a tank, huge x-formers etc.; second its late 70's early 80's retro with dark brown tolex and a tan grill; third it fits well and looks good on my 2x10 cab; and finally I'm the only kid on the block who has one. Oh and I almost forgot. Its a very stable amp. I've found with most of my tube amps the tone drifts over a long session and I have to occasionally re adjust the tone controls. The Acoustic pretty mush stays where I set it.

But lately all has not been well. When I was rocking out to classic rock with my ASAT the amp was a good fit. It took pedals very well, was loud when I needed loud and drove my 2x10 cab to a nice classic Rock and Roll tone. However, lately I've been dabbling in classic country using an American Standard Telecaster. I have tried over the weeks to find a good clean tone on the Acoustic. But it always sounds too bright and boomy or too muddy. I was seriously thinking of selling it and trying to find a good clean Musicman head to replace it. But Friday night, magic hit. TWo pieces of advice came to mind. A while ago I read a comment from Pete Anderson, Dwight Yokum's guitar player. He said that he turns the mid range to 10 on his amps and the bass and treble down. Recently while researching another amp, which is known to be bright, I read one reviewer comment that the secret to taming it was to turn the bright switch on and adjust the treble down to compensate. Friday I tried both. I turned the bright switch on, the treble to 0, the bass to 3 and the mid to 8. I also discovered that the volume control really affects the tone. Turned down it is muddy. Turned up it is brittle. The sweet spot is at 5. The amp has a master that I can use to adjust the volume.

Now this baby sounds great. It has a classic country sound, tight bass, without the ice pick highs and good thick mids and it shimers like a decent tube amp should. Even better I can play it loud and the tone still sounds good. It translates up and down the volume range.

Lesson learned: When changing tone requirements on your amp, throw out your old play book and start from scratch. There's a lot of potential in your amp that you never knew existed.

[Elwood]

Great news...nothing like a good Eureka moment,
and a plus if it saves somes bucks.

I find myself closing my eyes more while dialing things in.

My Alembic preamp is modeled after the dual showman circuit. It is designed to have a (relatively)flat
response with the tone at 2-7-2 (bass,mid,treb).
I've been getting some fantastic gilmourish tones with my thomas wah toe up and the tone on the guitar dialed back until it just breaks into treble territory (2-3). Throwing an old JBL 12 under the head was my last eureka moment, I now have a bunch of stamped frame 12's for sale as I fill the cabs with D131's.

How about some close ups of your little arsenal of tone ??

I saw the sun out once today...did you see it?
Elwood

[asphalt-abate]

Elwood:

Here's a couple of quick photos.






I loaded the cab with with 2 - 16ohm 10s that came out of Peavey Classic 20 amps. I contacted Eminence and they told me that these 10s use the same cone as the Eminence Ramrod 10. Yes they are stamped steel cheapies but the whole amp/cab set up was well below $500 maybe below $400. Its a decent set up for a "poor mans" rig. And it looks cool too.

The sun, well as you know this is teaser weather. Don't expect summer until after July 4th.

Hey send me an email with the 12's you are selling.

[Elwood]

Elwood:

Here's a couple of quick photos.

boy , that makes me want an ASAT Classic, thanx for the eye candy.
Those groove tubes cabs are nice, I had a few , my GT trio preamp gets used every day,
good for bass too.

I'll PM you about the available 12's, gonna take pics tonight.

There the sun is...back when it's greyer.
Elwood

[jonc]

Ah, the "Mesa-Boogie" era for Acoustic. Great amps. An EV "Force" 12" - if you can find one, is a great fit for that amp imho. Just have a hand truck or "yard apes" around to help move it.

[Elwood]

Ah, the "Mesa-Boogie" era for Acoustic. Great amps. An EV "Force" 12" - if you can find one, is a great fit for that amp imho. Just have a hand truck or "yard apes" around to help move it.

Mesa definitely influenced a few builders designs,...Acoustic,Sundown,Mitchell,even my early ENGL has that
early mesa look.
Last night we put together an EV12/15 hybrid- we put a 15" magnet on a 12" frame and fitted and glued the voice coil,spider,cone and gasket. I'll get to try it out this weekend,
I haven't forgotten about you Tom, I'll be sending you some speaker shots tonight if things go as planned.

[asphalt-abate]

Ah, the "Mesa-Boogie" era for Acoustic. Great amps. An EV "Force" 12" - if you can find one, is a great fit for that amp imho. Just have a hand truck or "yard apes" around to help move it.

Arghhh.. I had a Force 12. Bought it new through the mail, didn't really like it because I thought it was too stiff. Bought Peavey Scorpions instead. Sold the Force 12 for a rediculously low price ($25 I think). Wish I would have kept it. I sold the Scorpions too. No longer have a 12 cab. I only the 2x10 GT shown in the picture.

THe Gain channel on the Acoustic smokes (thanks Mesa). The clean channel is o.k. but not very tubey sounding. And right now I'm playing all clean. I can't sell the Acoustic however, its just too cool.

Tom

[jonc]

Two speakers you might want to look into, and which might make the cleans come alive are either a Eminence Cannabis Rex or Swamp Thang. I've used both in amps that needed a bit more character and dimesion. Plus they won't kill your back like a JBL or EV, or a Mesa/EV Black Shadow. There's also a "redo" of the old Altec 417 that's made by a company in the midwest whose name I can't remember. From what I heard it sounded like it has all the goodness of the Altec with upgraded components and an even better sound.

[louis cyfer]

Two speakers you might want to look into, and which might make the cleans come alive are either a Eminence Cannabis Rex or Swamp Thang. I've used both in amps that needed a bit more character and dimesion. Plus they won't kill your back like a JBL or EV, or a Mesa/EV Black Shadow. There's also a "redo" of the old Altec 417 that's made by a company in the midwest whose name I can't remember. From what I heard it sounded like it has all the goodness of the Altec with upgraded components and an even better sound.

i agree. i have the cannabis rex in several amps and it is awesome. really opens up the cleans.

[Elwood]

There's also a "redo" of the old Altec 417 that's made by a company in the midwest whose name I can't remember. From what I heard it sounded like it has all the goodness of the Altec with upgraded components and an even better sound.

Great Plains Audio, they have all the machinery from the old Altec plant (and know how to use it! )

[Elwood]

The clean channel is o.k. but not very tubey sounding. And right now I'm playing all clean.

Tom

My leslie has never sounded so warm and tubey since changing out the Jensen for a older K-110.
...and I like Jensens...but the JBLs have a natural roll off in the highs and maybe a little compression in
the upper mids that makes my ears happy.

We are going through our 10"alnico JBL stock (there are 30-40 of them rolling around ). We should get together and try a few combinations of speakers.

Elwood

[jonc]

that's it. thank you. that will be my next speaker purchase for a 69 Ampeg Gemini I'm bringing back to life.