|
Post by Brian on Aug 27, 2012 19:53:19 GMT -7
For some reason...I can't seem to fully bond with this amp. I really think I just don't agree with the Celestion Blues. It's a 212 combo with blues. I think they are an acquired taste. Any other speaker combination suggestions I should try before seeing if another Z brother wants this thing?
|
|
|
Post by eschak on Aug 27, 2012 20:25:45 GMT -7
I prefer my Ray with the Z-Best. Not as loud.. Like the lows and mids better with my single coil gitters
Ed
|
|
|
Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Aug 27, 2012 20:26:46 GMT -7
Sounds great with a 1x12 gold
|
|
|
Post by Ridgeback on Aug 28, 2012 7:58:10 GMT -7
Not a fan of Blues as a stand alone 1x12 speaker (w Ray or otherwise). Never tried a 2 Blue setup but I suspect I would have the same issues. With my Ray and Ghia I prefer the following:
1x12 = Gold 2x12 = Blue + 50 watt ceramic Weber Blue Dog
As always, tone is in the ear of the behearer and YMMV. Good luck, the Ray is a wonderful amp.
|
|
|
Post by muzacman02 "Jamie" on Aug 28, 2012 19:54:03 GMT -7
When I bought My Ray it had Blues In the 2x12 Matching cab, When I got it home I thought man its BRIGHT I gigged with it and I said to myself I have made a Mistake and should have bought the other EF 86 Amp >>> ?...... I sought my Good friends On the Ray Forum, They said try GOLD and a GH30, Or both I loaded my Cab with a GOLD/Heritage GH30 It was Tonal Bliss The Ray came ALIVE , YOU HAVE AN AMAZING AMP I HAVE A FEW SPEAKERS FOR SALE PM AND I WILL FILL YOU IN , "DONT SELL" ;D
|
|
|
Post by drew on Aug 29, 2012 12:12:29 GMT -7
A lot of folks love the Ray and Blue pairing and have great sounding rigs. IMHO the Ray is an amp that takes on different characteristics per speaker choice. My favorite Ray tones are not thru blues but loved the blue in my old AC15. Even when plugging that AC15 into a newer blue. Back to the point, the Ray into ceramic speakers gives me more of a rock tone and has a cool immediate thud factor that flat out rocks.
One point to consider is the life of your el84 output tubes. When my Ray starts to sound ho-hum I plug in a new set of el84's and BAM the Ray is Rockin like Dokken. ;-) I'm not a heavy rock player but I just saying Rockin like Dokken but the Ray can rock with ceramic speakers.
|
|
|
Post by Brian on Aug 29, 2012 12:35:35 GMT -7
I play mostly country stuff with some 70's rock vibe thrown in. I have some other speakers I may throw in there and try them out. Maybe I should give them a whirl. How about some Greenbacks?
|
|
|
Post by muzacman02 "Jamie" on Aug 30, 2012 20:15:21 GMT -7
Greenbacks, 12-65, Celestion GH30, Gold Alnicos, Weber BLUE/SILVER Alnico or Ceramis these have Been the Best with The Ray I think there are lots here who can agree, The Ray Will Rock with Greens wont be as Snappy but will sound KIller You may Try one Blue Alnico and a Greeenback, That would give you some snap and a Little bit of THUD as my good ole Buddy Drew says!!! The Weber Blue Dog rocks too!!! Dont sell the ray It Flat rocks with the right speakers, ;D
|
|
|
Post by Hohn on Aug 31, 2012 7:25:38 GMT -7
Yes, the Ray will rock with other speakers! I personally love Blues, but a juiced Ray with Greenbacks can get you to Queen territory with a treble booster.
My favorite setup is a Blue mixed with a polar opposite speaker. Blues have early breakup and flubby bottom. Pair it with a super-clean speaker with a huge bottom end (EVM12L, JBL D120, etc) and it will blow your socks off. Heck, the H30 is a GREAT pairing with a Blue as the Blue fills in the scooped mids of the H30, and the H30 takes a little edge off the Blues crang while tightening up the bottom end.
JMO
|
|
|
Post by SRZ65LE#31 on Aug 31, 2012 16:08:21 GMT -7
I've just started using a combination of a Gold and a Weber Blue Dog 30 watter (Thanks Jamie!) I am using two 1x12 cabs, one open back, and the other is closed back and front ported. It has a nice immediacy and snap and is not too bright. I am still getting used to the sound. I have played Boogie amps for years and the Stang Ray is a very different sound. I am liking the two speakers for a more full sound. With a Paisley it is really nice. I am liking stacking a Fulltone OCD with the Paisley (both on fairly light drive) for a singing lead tone. As Randall said, the amp "is not stupid loud." It is very immediate and responsive to how you hit the strings. I'm going to spend more time with it because so many folks have said such great things about it, I have the sense I will learn some things from it if I set aside my preconceptions.
|
|
|
Post by muzacman02 "Jamie" on Sept 1, 2012 7:24:21 GMT -7
The best feature about the Ray, It has such a nice midrange BLOOM, THats why I favor an alnico and a Neutral Speaker which I think is a 12-65 GH30 EVM/L etc... The Ray gets Loud with efficient speakers, I recently ran it with my Fane 2x12 Marshall cab and WOW it was so Spanky snapppy clean like an Old Twin Reverb, it was almost too clean, I think we have made the point with a great thread....; I hope you will give the Ray a chance ;D
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2012 12:51:51 GMT -7
Another vote here to "Hold Onto the Ray"...
tom
|
|
|
Post by Brian on Sept 6, 2012 20:55:36 GMT -7
The next time I play it...I am going to leave a blue and put in a g12h30....see how that hits me.
|
|
|
Post by John James on Sept 15, 2012 21:10:30 GMT -7
Is it a stangray head? If so, DM me what price you're asking...
|
|
|
Post by Brian on Sept 16, 2012 9:33:09 GMT -7
Ok, I switched out the blues to a couple of g12h30 speakers I had. What a tonal difference. I was missing the perceived low end that I wasn't getting from the blues. I need to dial in my pedal board for the Ray now. Will be working on that before the gig this afternoon. I may have some Blues for sale.
|
|
drc
New Member
Posts: 37
|
Post by drc on Sept 17, 2012 17:26:04 GMT -7
Brian, I had a similar experience. Mine was more of the order of the acoustical differences in the shop where I bought it (a big lofted space) and my apartment. But once I got the amp in a spot that was a bit more open and I could open up the amp a bit it got closer to what I was looking for.
The one other thing I found that never occured to me before was the difference in series wiring vs. parallel wiring a 2x12. I thought it was all math and hocus pokus. I tried an alnico Weber Blue Dog/Silver Bell combo, I tried a Blue and a Greenback (which actually sounds perfect with my RxES but not with the Ray) I tried an H30 and the Blue Dog...all of them sounded good, but not quite as chimey as I was looking for. And they were all swapped in and out of closed back and open back cabs, all wired in parallel.
Finally, I tried something different. I read that the Z-Wreck cab had a Gold and a Blue wired in series. I had an 8ohm 50 watt pre-Rola doped Blue Dog here already so I found an 8 ohm C-Blue on Craigslist and thought I'd give it a try.
Perfect.
All snap I want is still there. All the top end harmonic stuff was still there with the volume rolled down a bit. Not perfect with buckers but that's not what I bought this amp for anyway.
It sounds like you found what you were looking for with the H30's. Maybe give the series wiring a try. It won't be as tight in the lows if you are doing a lot of palm muting, but if you are letting a lot of chordal stuff ring out in your songs it sounds really good.
One more piece of advice I would give is to not go with higher wattage ceramics unless you are using a 1x12 cab. And I think the 15 watt Blue sounds better miced up than the 50 watt Blue Dog. I think there is something to lower wattage speakers that just sounds better. Couldn't give you the science on it, just my experience.
Good luck.
|
|
|
Post by muzacman02 "Jamie" on Sept 17, 2012 19:33:29 GMT -7
GREAT SUGGESTIONS FROM EVERYONE. I have found a new Love in a higher wattage speaker , with the RAY its HEAVENLY its Called a "SCUMBACK" J75 , i OWN AND HAVE owned Several speakers , the Scumbacks are the CATS meow IMO, in a semi open 1x12 the ray has snap, sparkle, and chunk a chunk if you like that TOO! I just thought id give the ray a try with it , man the STANGRAY RULES!!!! I hope you have decided to keep it, if not I hope you'll try another Z maybe a Rx or a Wreck ;D
|
|
|
Post by Brian on Sept 18, 2012 12:33:02 GMT -7
I'm digging the h30's...kinda gets almost fender clean...
|
|
|
Post by lestele on Aug 21, 2021 12:30:01 GMT -7
Sounds great with a 1x12 gold Yeah that’s my favorite combo
|
|