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Post by cap217 on Feb 15, 2014 16:57:51 GMT -7
I bought a ray. I keep asking if I needed one and how it compares to my rxes, z wreck, Liverpool, and vox ac30hw but I guess I will find out. I'd like to only keep 2 amps since they are all close to the same but I don't know if that will happen. I have a vox 2x12 hw cab and a z wreck cab to use with these heads. Demos to come.
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Post by 6strang (aka Paul) on Feb 15, 2014 21:11:46 GMT -7
Cool. Congrats on the score. I am excited to hear your demos and comparisons.
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Post by telejas on Feb 18, 2014 22:03:38 GMT -7
Congrats..... Looking forward to hearing the demo's!
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Post by telejas on Feb 18, 2014 23:04:42 GMT -7
.......And, obviously you'll need to take a picture of the logo and make it your Avatar......Lol!
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Post by cap217 on Feb 19, 2014 9:47:49 GMT -7
.......And, obviously you'll need to take a picture of the logo and make it your Avatar......Lol! You and I talked via email and/or PM about the RXES vs the Ray and I guess I would never know until I bought one. If I dont like it I can just sell it but I am hoping its different enough than the RXES and my Vox ac30hw that I will keep it. I get it today but am very busy. Wont have time to play anything.
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Post by Ridgeback on Feb 19, 2014 11:58:47 GMT -7
Congratulations. I've recently moved on from a many year affair with el-84's but the Ray was my favorite of the Doc's el-84 based designs. I'll probably regret selling it down the road but I needed the funds to buy an EZG-50. Enjoy.
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Post by cap217 on Feb 20, 2014 7:39:23 GMT -7
Got it yesterday but am too busy to do anything with it. I set it up and played a few chords when it was on 1 so that's never a real test.
It has a lot of low end if needed. It sounds close to my rxes. It has a different feel to it while playing.
I think feel is something that is always overlooked with an amp. I'll give some updates and demos soon.
EDIT
I just played it (only on 2 for volume) vs my rxes and although its the same amp, its not. The SR is chime, big, full, and the mid range I was looking for. The rxes is more marshall sounding. You cant really do much with the mid range even with the mid control. I actually wish it had a bigger sweep. The SR is what I wanted my RXES to be. But now I have to find another use for the rxes. I have marshalls, vox's, d-styles, and a 66 super reverb. Hmmmmm.....
The real test is going to be vs the vox hw normal channel-through 2 blues. This is where the SR will either stand out or be very close.
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Post by cap217 on Feb 21, 2014 19:50:54 GMT -7
Spent a lot of time with the ray and the rxes and the vox ac30hw. I ran them through a vox hw 2x2 w blues and a z wreck cab with a gold and a 30th annv.
I spent a lot of time trying to get the vox normal channel to sound like the ray but the tb channel sounds a lot closer... Almost too close. That's weird because the vox sounds like the z wreck on lower volumes. The z wreck can made all the amps sound really good and "dr z" signature. Even the vox sounds like a dr z through the z wreck cab.
Stangray sounds big and more scooped than any others. I was testing all these at 2 on the volume. The ray can get more low end than you ever need while staying chimey and that's hard to do. The ray sounds scooped and just like a perfect vox should sound. It's modern sounding and it sounds like a tb circuit to me. It acts like a th circuit as well. In the gain it gets a tb gain but more smooth in the kids bc of the ef86. This being based on the normal channel of an ac 4 confuses me but I never played a pre tb ac 4. The z is very stiff, maybe a touch too stiff and it could benefit from a lower filtering but this is what keeps z amps super quiet and accurate.
The vox sounds really good. Mine was modded by pin sonic and has sozo caps and lower vintage filtering. There is more sag in this amp and it's softer. It also has a more vintage sound in the dull highs, round boomy lows, and noticeable mid range. The vox next to the z wreck sounds very close. I am surprised at how the vox sounds close to the ray as well. It's like the ray is one step to the left and the wreck is one step to the right. So vs the vox they are close but in the z world they are a bit more apart. I like the vox if the tone stack wasn't so interactive and if the kids were a little more scooped. But the vox is in the same ballpark. The feel is where the difference is and that goes back to the a being stiff.
Lastly is the rxes. Now I try to find every reason to not like this amp but it holds it's own in this demo. It is more marshall sounding and the mids are different. I say they are hollow sounding but I can't explain it. It's a smooth amp and it has a fender-marshall-dumble sound to it. It's cool because it's still in the vox camp but different. This amp needs more active tone stack. I wish I could dial in more lows and have a wider mid sweep. I also wish the highs were at a different frequency. That said, this amp has so much head room and makes it a keeper because of head room and because it's the best amp to play. It's more accurate and articulate. The feel is the best to me on this one.
All in all, they are all worth keeping. Blah.
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Post by cap217 on Feb 21, 2014 22:37:17 GMT -7
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Post by BradPaisleyFan (Pat) on Feb 21, 2014 23:14:18 GMT -7
Stangray sounds best to me. A lot more spank and chime then the other two.
what kind of tubes are in the stangray???
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Post by KeithA on Feb 22, 2014 6:07:09 GMT -7
Stangray and Vox are pretty close. I think the Stangray holds things together a little better. I would be indifferent to either but if I had to choose it would be the Stangray.
The Rx is a different beast. I love that sound even though it's different than the Stangray. My RxJr is one of my favorite amps.
I still need a Stangray, though !
Keith
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Post by cap217 on Feb 22, 2014 8:56:34 GMT -7
Stangray sounds best to me. A lot more spank and chime then the other two. what kind of tubes are in the stangray??? All stock. JJ el84, sovtek 12ax7, winged c ef86, sovteck rectifier. Mine has heybor choke and PT. It also has a 50w/4000 OT. I have read that others have 40w/4000.
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Post by cap217 on Mar 5, 2014 15:20:39 GMT -7
Now after more time....
The Ray sounds big and nice. It does have a lot of low end and some nice sparkle too. It is a darker amp though or at least thats where I think it sounds best. I try to get that clang like Baker did in the Z demo but I cant get that sound. Still trying.
THe RXES is a winner. It stays super clean and the tone controls are more useable when the amp is turned up. I would say that you cant really judge these amps unless they are up to 5-6. Thats a shame though because it really loud at that point.
The Vox just cant keep up. The vox has a defined mid range and get A LOT of drive but it lacks the balls of the Z amps. A Z wreck sounds close but it stays big and gets bigger. The vox can start to give out in the low end and the high end gets shrill.
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Post by John on Mar 6, 2014 7:19:31 GMT -7
You have a hard time getting that tone of the Dave Baker video? When I had my 'ray, I had a hard time NOT getting that tone.
Tele, plug straight in, all knobs pointing straight up. That will do it.
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Post by cap217 on Mar 6, 2014 9:24:27 GMT -7
You have a hard time getting that tone of the Dave Baker video? When I had my 'ray, I had a hard time NOT getting that tone. Tele, plug straight in, all knobs pointing strait up. That will do it. I havent used a lot of guitars yet so it could be the guitar... Here is a pic of my Z stack. I dont like it stacked up but I am going to run out of room in my new guitar room so amps need to get stacked or sold. I dont want to sell amps!!!!
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Post by BradPaisleyFan (Pat) on Mar 6, 2014 12:53:58 GMT -7
You have a hard time getting that tone of the Dave Baker video? When I had my 'ray, I had a hard time NOT getting that tone. Tele, plug straight in, all knobs pointing strait up. That will do it. I havent used a lot of guitars yet so it could be the guitar... Here is a pic of my Z stack. I dont like it stacked up but I am going to run out of room in my new guitar room so amps need to get stacked or sold. I dont want to sell amps!!!! I don't know...but it looks like you have a lot of room there.
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Post by cap217 on Mar 6, 2014 14:56:37 GMT -7
I havent used a lot of guitars yet so it could be the guitar... Here is a pic of my Z stack. I dont like it stacked up but I am going to run out of room in my new guitar room so amps need to get stacked or sold. I dont want to sell amps!!!! I don't know...but it looks like you have a lot of room there. Yes, in this pic. But I only have this amp in the room along with a mesa and a super reverb. I need to bring in: 26 guitars and cases marshall 4x12 cab marshall head dumble style head vox ac30 vox 2x12 line 6 vetta combo full pedalboard pro electronic drum set mandolin other smaller things
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Post by BradPaisleyFan (Pat) on Mar 6, 2014 14:59:53 GMT -7
Gotcha...
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Mar 6, 2014 15:14:55 GMT -7
Here is a pic of my Z stack. I dont like it stacked up but I am going to run out of room in my new guitar room so amps need to get stacked or sold. I dont want to sell amps!!!! That isn't crowded - this is beginning to get there though p.s. - contrary to popular belief these are not all mine (though I wish they were!)
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Post by bluzman on Mar 6, 2014 16:33:14 GMT -7
Hey Mike... If you need any more I'm letting a few go. I had my StangRay and 2x12 sold today, but I backed out of the deal after we demo'd it for 30 mins.
I sent him home with my Blonde Remedy head and he way fine with that.
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Post by 6strang (aka Paul) on Mar 7, 2014 6:52:24 GMT -7
Those darn Ray's sound even sweeter when they are being sold don't they... Glad you kept her and the 212 Paul T.
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