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Post by leftymetal on May 31, 2007 6:19:17 GMT -7
Hi guys... long time lurker, first time poster. I've been driving my co-workers nuts playing the last few minutes of the Dean Parks ProSoundCommunications.com video (where he switches to the Music Man with humbuckers) over and over and... I am absolutely floored by the tone and whomp of the overdrive. I've never heard anything like that before and it's really got me wondering why I need all these dirt pedals at my feet if a tone like that is out there...
My questions:
1 - is it right to assume that the Ghia's power stage or "master volume", if you will, is full tilt all the time, and that the Ghia's volume knob is sort of like a preamp gain control?
2 - does the 5751 tube come first or second? My guess is first.
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Post by JChance on May 31, 2007 7:18:23 GMT -7
The 5751 is in V2.
The Ghia's volume knob works like you would expect. However, after about 12:00, you don't really gain much more volume, just more shades of dirt. And with the unique tone control, which is kind of like an EQ sweep, it makes it so that you can get all kinds of personalities with the amp. With the volume up to about 12:00 and the amp set a little bright, you can get really chimey cleans a la Vox, Matchless, etc. After 12:00, with some knob tweaks, and also depending on the guitar, you can get more into Marshall territory. Very cool amp that can do a lot of things well. And of course, the output is just about perfect stage volume for most situations. You can crank her up and still be able to be mixed well with the rest of the band.
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Post by leftymetal on May 31, 2007 10:16:47 GMT -7
Thanks a ton, JChance.
Having the 5751 in V2 is interesting - since it's a lower gain tube, wouldn't that actually increase the ceiling the amp would need to hit to get into power tube distortion?
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Post by tjstrat on May 31, 2007 16:16:04 GMT -7
Tube experimentation is one of the fun things with Zs. J, didn't you try a 12ax7 in V2, or is it someone else I was thinking of?
Right now, Lefty, I have a Ghia head that I use either a Mesa or Z Best 2x12 with... Both have ceramic blue Dog/Silver Bells, but the Mesa is open backed and the Z is closed and ported. I usually don't get the volume much above 9:00, but with judicious choice of pedals that's PLENTY loud.
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tnaluv1
New Member
Music is the best..... FZ
Posts: 49
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Post by tnaluv1 on Jun 8, 2007 22:58:53 GMT -7
Hi guys... long time lurker, first time poster. I've been driving my co-workers nuts playing the last few minutes of the Dean Parks ProSoundCommunications.com video (where he switches to the Music Man with humbuckers) over and over and... I am absolutely floored by the tone and whomp of the overdrive. I've never heard anything like that before and it's really got me wondering why I need all these dirt pedals at my feet if a tone like that is out there... My questions: 1 - is it right to assume that the Ghia's power stage or "master volume", if you will, is full tilt all the time, and that the Ghia's volume knob is sort of like a preamp gain control? 2 - does the 5751 tube come first or second? My guess is first. Man that video blew me away too!!!! I think a lot of the tone is in that cats HANDS! I have a 12 ax7 in V2 right now and I dig it. But I like the amp with my volume at about 10 am. It's just clean there but really responsive to touch and pedals. It has a very rich harmonic content, not to dissimilar to my old deluxe, just more elegant. I don't play loud enough to get it up to 12 or 1 O'Clock anymore.... I getting soft in my old age! HA! You know, I used to ski all the crazy stuff, but now I just like to carve big smooth turns and work on my balance, I think my playing is going that way as well. And the Ghia is becoming a BIG part of this "new" style..... It is helping me really hear what I'm playing. It has been very revealing. I've been getting away with a lot of crap and the Ghia just won't have it! BUT I have cranked it a few times and man, the little bugger rocks. think "Can you hear me knockin" by the stones, or something like that............. Just a thought! Peace, Alex
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Post by guitarboy02451 on Jun 9, 2007 8:50:36 GMT -7
Jay hit the nail on the head! The 5751 will give you a bit more head room. It's really voiced nicely for that amp where it adds that certain pop and snarl. But with the Ghia I usually try to get as much headroom as possible.
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Post by jwr on Jun 9, 2007 9:01:51 GMT -7
I believe V2 is the Phase inverter position. If you use a 5751, 12AU7 or a 12AY7 it will help keep the output section clean. But you could do the same thing in V1 as well and keep the input section clean/er as well. A friend of mine has a CG and he loves his with a low gain tube in V1, I think he has a 12AY7 in there. In the end though, once the volume knob goes past 12:00-1:00 or so, the amps gonna break up. Why fight it, I say put ECC83's in V1 and V2 and let 'er rip!
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Post by leftymetal on Jun 11, 2007 12:55:47 GMT -7
Thanks guys... my current amp, a little Crate V1512 combo, has been a ton of fun to experiment with different tubes. Stock it's 12AX7 for all three preamp tubes, but lately I've been cleaning it up with 12AU7 in all three spots. When I'm not using delay I swap out the V1 and V3 (phase inverter) for 12AX7 and let 'er rip.
I think the Ghia could give me anything I needed at giggable volume levels. Wicked.
Thanks, guys.
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