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Post by fuzzkarl on Apr 3, 2007 17:25:33 GMT -7
I have a RT66 & 112 W/ v30.Got it just a wial back. LOVE the amp.,but kinda missing that el84 chime. Well I started doing a covers gig & find I just can't get this thing pumpin' enough to get the sound I want. I know..."get an Airbreak"....But thats more money I don't have. I do however have an chance to trade out for a Gia. So do I go with a 210 combo(even trade for my head & cab) or a head & new speaker(probably the same,even)? I'm reading the Blue bell & Gia is awsome.Are you guys using them in a open or closed back cab(mines closed)
I mostly play a les paul or firebird,but have a strat coming back in the mix soon. We do mostly classic rock,some newer rock & funk.
Do you think this will fair well or should I save for the airbreak.
Those of you that switched....why? & any regrets?
Thanks
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Post by Ed M. on Apr 4, 2007 6:30:26 GMT -7
I'm interested in this also since I have been thinking about doing the same exact thing for the same reasons. I spend most of my time playing my maz jr and the route 66 is getting very little use, I love the chime of those el84's too.
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Post by rcrecelius on Apr 4, 2007 7:17:18 GMT -7
I was very close to doing this myself...had a trade deal worked up, then we decided to buy a house and I sold my 66 outright. I'll have a Ghia someday though... FWIW - your 66 and cab is probably worth $$ than a CG combo so I'd take that into account before doing an even trade...just my 2 cents.
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Post by James on Apr 4, 2007 9:05:50 GMT -7
I experienced this exact progression of amps...........it makes a lot of sense to get the giah. The airbrake and 66 are not going to get you the chime and sparkle you miss when using el84's.
I love the 66........and when I bought mine I was blown away with how well it flat out rocked..............but, this was at home. In a band situation, I just always wanted more sparkle. For me, it made sense to sell the 66 and go for more versatility.
If I did not already have the maz 38, I would have gotten a JR instead of the giah.
Lately I have been mulling over the idea of trading the giah for a maz jr as well.........just for some more versatility.
my 2 cents
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Post by jimfla on Apr 4, 2007 17:19:13 GMT -7
I have a 66 and a Ghia that I run through a Z best with a Weber alnico blue and a silver bell. I like them both the Ghia is not as thick as the 66. The Ghia around 12 to 2:00 with the Z Best cab is a quite a sound. I only use a Luxury Drive for solos. It cleans up nice using the guitars volume control. I use some od pedals with the 66 and sometimes a Hot Plate. You didn't say what kind of speaker you are using. A less efficient speaker like a greenback may help with your volume problem.
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Post by Dr.T on Apr 5, 2007 1:10:43 GMT -7
I'm considering a Ghia, but I WON'T sell my 66! To me it is a lifetime amp, with its unique tone and voice, so the little sister Ghia would be only added, and will not replace it...
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 5, 2007 6:23:19 GMT -7
I think of the 66 and the Carmen Ghia being at opposite ends of the Z amp tonal spectrum. The 66 has the most honking mids and the Ghia scoops the mids and has the most jingle, jangle, jingle.
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Post by kc on Apr 5, 2007 13:32:35 GMT -7
I've played only a 66 for the past 4 years, but I will be getting a Ghia head within the next week or so. I expect I'll be playing the Ghia for at least the next while -- that's unless I have the chance to play any large venue or outdoor gigs, then I may use both together. I've enjoyed playing the 66 thru two 1x12 Celestion Blue cabs, I plan on using the same for the Ghia.
kc
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Post by bustertheboy on Apr 5, 2007 15:44:23 GMT -7
I think of the 66 and the Carmen Ghia being at opposite ends of the Z amp tonal spectrum. The 66 has the most honking mids and the Ghia scoops the mids and has the most jingle, jangle, jingle. How much of this is a tube/ speaker thing? Only with some old very bright speakers have I ever heard my Ghia sound bright. I'd say full, fat, detailed, chunky. That's with greenbacks, but even with a V30 and other speakers, I wouldn't have called it bright. Maybe for me a bright switch on blackface Fender is bright. Brett
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 6, 2007 9:21:58 GMT -7
My Ghia sounds bright to me. Not ice pick in the ear Fender blackface bright but lots of top end extension with lots of air and sparkle. This will vary with each guitar. I usually turn down the tone pot on my Lentz to darken it just a hair. The Maz amps and Stang Ray can also be brighter than the Ghia but there's something unique about the high end on the Ghia. The Ghia definitely scoops the mids too.
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Post by fuzzkarl on Apr 7, 2007 7:13:17 GMT -7
Thanks for the replies guys. To answer a couple things. The speaker is a 112 v30 Marshall closed back.I tried a greenback. Hated it.Tried a 412 GB cab ,loved it.One greenback just didn't cut it IMO. As for the trade,I know the 66 is worth more,but the trade is with a store so ,as you know,they always have to make out better on trade deals.I also don't have the time to wait to sell outright then buy something else. I do how ever have a chance to check out the RT66 w/ the airbreak right next to the CG. And i believe he said I can take the CG to a gig ,try it out & if I don't dig it,bring it back. Very cool of him. Also I tried the maz jr,I didn't care for it.
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 7, 2007 10:29:48 GMT -7
RETRACTION! I just played my little Ghia head and I must say it's not all that bright. It must've been the room interaction at the last club I played it at. Also my Anderson guitar sounds much brighter than my Lentz so that was part of it also. Sorry if I lead anyone astray. It's very well balanced tonally. Here's something that amazed me though. I have an old non reverb blackface Princeton that I modded a long time ago. The mod was in one of Gerald Weber's books in a chapter called "Save That Princeton", I think. Currently it has too much internal gain and a real tech needs to sort that out because it feeds back within itself somehow and makes a low howl now and then but that's not my point. I was amazed that plugged into my Z 2x10 cab and comparing it to my Ghia, it was a bit louder! Not a lot but enough to notice. I also converted this little Fender to cathode bias and it's springy, bouncy clean was fabulous. If I ever get around to getting a tech to sort it out this may actually become my small gig amp! Some of the other mods it has is a midrange control and a presence control. Awesome little amp. Not to dis the Ghia because these are not the same kind of amps at all but I did find it interesting. What it makes me want more than ever is the EZG40 and a Z28!!!
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Post by fuzzkarl on Jul 30, 2007 7:16:21 GMT -7
Well I had a chance to borrow the 2x10 Gia for a week.
While I found it a great amp & loved the tone,it only took about 2 chords of the 66 when I got it back to know I will be living with the 66 for a long time.
The Gia had great clean chime & killer lead tones ta boot. Might be one of the best blues/roots amps I've ever played. I barly used any drive pedals.I could see doing a hole night of covers w/ just a booster & a phase90.Maybe just the phaser.
I deffinetly need to own a Gia one day.The Gia/66 together might be my ultimate rig.
But the raw power of the 66 is just something I can't part with. Nothing swallows a fuzz like the 66 & for the Page ,Gibbons,Walsh type tone ,nothing comes close.
Thanks for all the advise but for now the 66 stays. I will be visiting the Gia again someday I'm sure.
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Post by rcrecelius on Jul 30, 2007 10:20:26 GMT -7
Well I had a chance to borrow the 2x10 Gia for a week. While I found it a great amp & loved the tone,it only took about 2 chords of the 66 when I got it back to know I will be living with the 66 for a long time. The Gia had great clean chime & killer lead tones ta boot. Might be one of the best blues/roots amps I've ever played. I barly used any drive pedals.I could see doing a hole night of covers w/ just a booster & a phase90.Maybe just the phaser. I deffinetly need to own a Gia one day.The Gia/66 together might be my ultimate rig. But the raw power of the 66 is just something I can't part with. Nothing swallows a fuzz like the 66 & for the Page ,Gibbons,Walsh type tone ,nothing comes close. Thanks for all the advise but for now the 66 stays. I will be visiting the Gia again someday I'm sure. fuzzkarl, thanks for the update. Since this thread started back in April I have acquired a Ghia and it has become my main amp.
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Post by billyguitar on Jul 30, 2007 11:09:24 GMT -7
Hard to beat that little rascal! I think with using different speakers you could adjust to most any gig. I think everybody ought to own one and then branch out from there for other sounds.
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Post by kc on Jul 30, 2007 16:53:31 GMT -7
I played a 66 for about 4 years and have recently bought a Ghia head. I'm really enjoying the Ghia - a couple of observations:
a) No mo' Airbrake!!! Haven't used it yet with the Ghia - had to use it with the 66
b) someone on this forum wrote that the "Ghia has beautiful clean sounds" - and boy are they right, thanks to whoever wrote that, it was one of the factors that made me buy this amp.
c) I'm using it with Celestion Blues and I have relatively high output pickups, so I'm getting plenty of volume with it - and one band I play in has a drummer who bangs pretty hard and my amp isn't mic-ed.
d) A buddy plugged his pedal board in while using his Strat thru the Ghia - he lost all kinds of volume and had to dime the amp volume - I suspect the levels on his stomp boxes were poorly set. I wonder if that could be the case when I read that others don't get enough volume from the Ghia.
And I haven't even tried swapping tubes yet ....
I'm sure my 66 will get used again, but for the next while I'll be using a Ghia.
kc
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Post by bustertheboy on Jul 30, 2007 17:02:21 GMT -7
Hi KC- the bit about pedals and volume is pretty spot on. If I want to use pedals I use my nos GE 12ax7 in v1 and nos RCA 12BH7 in v2- lots more headroom. Since I mostly play with pedals- especially my OCD on 18v and 808 modded TS, that combination is my favourite one. Lots of volume using 2x12 half closed cab with greenback and GWS v30 clone! What a thick tone- not at all a bright amp with this set up. Brett
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Post by fuzzkarl on Jul 30, 2007 19:38:33 GMT -7
For the gigs I'm doing I accualy had to attinuate the Gia as well. I KNOW..Bad GIGS. But overall I couldn't give up the 66 growl. I just need a better job so I can have both ;D
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Post by jb on Jul 31, 2007 6:08:10 GMT -7
My first Z amp was a Rt 66 and then I bought a Ghia. As much as I like the Ghia, I can't bring myself to sell the Rt 66. It is just too good of an amp at what it does. One thing it does is in your face rock with a Les Paul. It gives me goose bumps!
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Post by fuzzkarl on Jul 31, 2007 7:56:09 GMT -7
yep I've been strickly a Gibson guy as of late. Les Paul Deluxe-Firebird Lovin' the tones.
P.S.If you play a Les Paul(or in the near future a Firebird for that matter) you gotta check out this guy-http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=29189970
Websites under some updates.
These pickups are absolutly killer.
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