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Post by billyguitar on Apr 7, 2006 5:26:11 GMT -7
I just got a Ghia head from Curt. I've only played it a bit so far. My guitar has a single coil at the bridge and a splittable humbucking on the neck pickup. It's hard to get the tone control set to suit both pickups. It gets pushed too hard and sounds too flutey with the hummer. I'll probably just use it split. Wondering how humbucker guitar guys get along with Ghias? By the way, this amp has an incredible sparkle on top. Unlike anything else I've heard though reminiscent of a Z-28 with the treble way up.
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Post by G'OlPeachPhan on Apr 7, 2006 6:52:06 GMT -7
I find the Ghia isn't too picky... it loves my 'bucker and sc guitars. What speaker(s) are you using? What preamp tube are you using in V1? Are you using a 5751 in V2?
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 7, 2006 11:37:15 GMT -7
I think the issue is my guitar has both kinds of pickups. They blend well on the Maz 38 but they're a little more problematic with the Ghia. The flutey thing sounds like it's pushing the output tubes too hard or the PI with that pickup. I've got an old 5751 in V2 and another vintage tube in V1, whatever it's supposed to have. Curt had good tubes in it! It sounds good with a 12AY7 in V1 too. So far I've only run it with a closed back 1-12 box with a 27 year old EV. It actually sounds great with that EV. I've had that speaker since it was new and it's WELL broken in. I've got some other speakers and cabs around to try it with. I've got a '60s small Bandmaster cab that has a couple of '70s 30 watt Celestions that would probably be nice. A '63 Bassman 2 -12 with a couple of Jensen Vibranto 12s. Also JBLs and Altecs and some Kendrick Blackframes that are bad with most amps but occasionally sound good.
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Post by terryg on Apr 7, 2006 13:14:18 GMT -7
mmmm - I really love pushing the ghia with humbuckers. The clean sound *is* really good, but overdriven...yum.
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 7, 2006 14:35:54 GMT -7
I sprayed a little tuner cleaner in the socket of V1 and then worked the tube in and out. Way mo betta! It still doesn't like the neck humbucker as much as the single coil at the bridge but it's better. Ya'll are right, after about 1:00 it's one loud little mother. Who needs a $2,300 Marshall 18? I'll try the 12BH7 for some more headroom. In stock configuration it's breaking up after 9:00. I was looking at BWs settings from the pictures of that London gig. My amp set like that is too woofy, even on the bridge pickup. I'm setting the tone knob at about 11:00.
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Post by Curt on Apr 7, 2006 14:43:22 GMT -7
Billy, I always prefered singles with that amp, I kept the tone around 11/12 at first but as I gigged her it crept up to 1/2:00..all with a V-30 in a Z 1x12 open back cab.
kinda miss that thang.....but she was not getting played anymore.
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Post by bustertheboy on Apr 7, 2006 18:38:31 GMT -7
i found the 12bh7 in v2 better with humbuckers until i put a nos rca12ax7 in vi- i'd had a jj or mullard reissue in there- now i've gone back to a nos jan 5751 that i love as it is so detailed actually both single coils and humbuckers have imprloved with the rca i wonder how it would compare with the telefunkens myles talks about? another suggestion is droppiong the gain with the humbucker and using a clean boost , tubescreamer or ocd with the single coil- or else just achieve the same thing with volume control?
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 9, 2006 14:43:53 GMT -7
One thing I've found is that backing off the tone pot on the guitar a bit makes a big difference, at least with my amp.
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dave
New Member
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Post by dave on Apr 9, 2006 16:31:54 GMT -7
Billyguitar - I guess you saw BW's comments in the 'low volume Ghia' thread on the tone settings when he used my amp. My amps seems bright and it needs a 2-3 o/c tone setting with sc's... but 11 o/c ! wow, that would be way too thin on mine. It really suits humbuckers though. Just screams.
For the record it has a JJ 12AX7, a GE 5751 and Harma cryo treated (dont get me started) El84's (all new).
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 9, 2006 17:51:31 GMT -7
I've never heard of cryo treated tubes. Tell me more!
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dave
New Member
Posts: 7
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Post by dave on Apr 10, 2006 1:24:44 GMT -7
Hmmm I was being sarcastic! I tried to start a thread on what people thought of cryo treating guitar components and valves a while ago. It has to be bunkum and the physics of cooling to 'temper' and 'stress relieve' things does not stack up. The thread was prompted because Watford valves promote cryo treated valves and I was trying to lure Myles into commenting on this! In the end I tried them, as it was what Derek at WV reccomended for the Ghia. And they sound fine, appear not to break up as early as the GT's I had in before, but I am not sure that they have any thing to do with the brightness thing.
If you check out some of the cryo treatment companies that do this they claim the performance of EVERYTHING is improved, be it a cutting tool, a saxophone, a microwave oven or even your pet cat.
But, you have to respect makers like Callaham though who cryo treat pickups, pots, tremelo blocks and say they improve the sound...so I dunno. But the science behind this is flawed.
But the brightness - I am worried about my conjunctive filter now. What does it look like? Something new to lose sleep over...
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Post by bustertheboy on Apr 10, 2006 4:23:48 GMT -7
a large 5w resistor between the el84 output tubes- may have a disk capacitor attached- amazing how these things are cropping up in the postsmaybe someone should check with the doctor about whether certain tubes cause them to burn out
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 10, 2006 5:03:59 GMT -7
I was in on the earlier cryo thread. I remain pessimistic. I didn't remember anyone discussing tubes.
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Post by prowler on Apr 18, 2006 18:38:16 GMT -7
I played my Ghia with buckers but I prefer the Ghia with singles. Even split buckers sound good but true singles are my favorite with the Ghia.
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Post by RC on Apr 23, 2006 23:05:26 GMT -7
I put a pair of matched and traced GT EL84s #5 I got through Myles in and a nos RCA 5751 in the V-2. It made a huge deference in the tone I'm now getting out of the Ghia with my Burstbucker- pros. It made the high end smoother and fattened up the low mids a bit. The really great thing about the Ghia is you can tune the amp with simple tube changes to fit the pick ups and style your playing. For me I can't Imagine a better sounding amp but I'm still going to keep looking.
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Post by BW on Apr 24, 2006 8:08:23 GMT -7
Hey Billy, Dave's ghia sounded great and was a real lifesaver for me that night at the 100 club, I think the ROOM was the culprit as far as the tone control was set. Small basement w/ concrete floors and walls, lotsa reflective surfaces PLUS I was running the Swamp Thang which is really bright and clean, AND a tele bridge pickup w/ the guitar tone rolled back a little. So I had to dial in a little more low end. I think Dave's amp has a bit more headroom than mine, probably his tube choices. Gonna use it again tonight on the gig with a Vox Blue Dog I've had around for years thats been reconed w/ a Vintage 30 kit. Rubs a little but sounds purty slammin' without the front row turnin' their hearing aids down;^)
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 24, 2006 8:59:26 GMT -7
Hey thanks guys! I've been working with mine a little more and I've solved my issues. I set the tone knob at about 10:00 and roll down the tone pot on my guitar to get what I want. Works great for me. The biggest problem now appears to be some loose pin sockets on V1. I guess I'll open it up and retension those sockets. I just use that amp at home so no rush. It is a very cool amp! I think a cut control would make it the perfect low powered amp but it's fine as it is.
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