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Post by cpa2guitar on Nov 21, 2012 23:38:20 GMT -7
Yeah, Mark sparked the same GAS in me also. Especially when he said the 4 X 10 with Golds is easier to haul than the Z-Best. You just HAD to point that out, didn't you Mark. I think about it every time my sciatica flares up.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Nov 21, 2012 23:33:07 GMT -7
Dave at Avatar Speakers said he hopes to have Celestion Creambacks in stock in about 10 days. Dave usually has the best prices on Celestions. Edit......................... Just heard from Dave again. He says Celestion always pushes back the delivery date. So the 10 day thing probably won't hold. Still...I've gotten such good customer service from Avatar, that I prefer to buy the speaker from them. I heard that Celestion's warehouse lost power due to the Frankenstorm (i.e., Sandy), and they are behind on all their shipments.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Oct 29, 2012 22:39:43 GMT -7
I've got one pre-ordered from Sweetwater. They say it's due in this week, maybe. Planning to use it just as you say--in a 1x12 (open closed?) with a Rem. Will post results shortly after the speaker arrives, most likely. Please post your impressions once you've installed it and spent some time with it. Thanks,
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Post by cpa2guitar on Oct 1, 2012 23:06:15 GMT -7
Old thread but I thought I would share that I just converted my Matchless SC30 to a DC30, and it has a G12H30 and a Gold in there. Very cool sounding. Thanks Sean. Could you be a bit more descriptive about what you are hearing with that combination? That's what I've ordered from 65 Amps and it should be here in a couple of weeks. Thanks,
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 24, 2012 16:50:34 GMT -7
I just sold my Remedy head to a friend, but I'll say this: If you buy or trade for a Remedy, you won't be disappointed. I'll probably by another Remedy someday, but for now I'm headed in a different direction. It's one great rocking amp though.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 24, 2012 16:45:08 GMT -7
Gig Update: It went great! Not only was it a welcomed simplification of my load in/out, set up, etc but I also reconnected with my guitar and amp's natural tones. It was sweet. Sounds like a winning combination. Having owned a Wreck for awhile, if I were playing some place where I could open it up without the club owner having a conniption, I can't imagine needing pedals... okay, maybe a little echo... but nothing else. I mean, what's the point of having a $4,000 guitar and $3,700 amp if your going to run it through a $100 pedal. If you have a great guitar and a great amp, you don't need anything else... except maybe a little echo.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 24, 2012 16:36:12 GMT -7
I ended up selling my first Z-Best because of it being too bass heavy and boomy. Then started to do some research on speakers and contacted John and T-Rock. They both have greenbacks in their Z-best. I discovered that we all like that classic rock tone. I found a good deal on a used Z-best then started experimenting with speakers. My gut instinct was to just go with two greenbacks but took a chance on the Legacys. Which BTW are really good speakers. I tried the Legacys but the 65 watts in the Z-best for me was overkill. So I sold the legacys and ended up putting two 25 watt greenbacks in my Z-best. Now I know why these guys have kept their Z-best. John and T-Rock helped me out big time. They are right the greenbacks in the Z-best are a perfect fit. Especially with the Remedy. Now it really sounds like my old Marshalls. Actually its sounds even better. I had a similar experience. I had a Z-Best, but just couldn't warm up to the V-30 in it, so I ended up trading it and ultimately ordered another Z-Best, and based on John's suggestion, this time with Classic Greenbacks. I also had it wired for 16 ohm instead of the standard 8 ohm. This was a great improvement and I have no complaints. I actually tried to order this cabinet with Heritage Greenbacks, but doc would not sell me a Z-Best with this config. Bottom line is: At 16 ohm, with the Classic Greenbacks, played with the cabinet in an upright position, she sings.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 24, 2012 15:11:17 GMT -7
I can help with your first question. You won't find a lot of difference in the tone running an 8 ohm tap into a 16 ohm speaker, but there is some. Personally, I like what I hear when I do this. The amp gives up the goods (i.e., distorts) a little earlier. Stu at Fat Sound Guitars recommends using the 8 ohm tap of the Sommatone OD35 into a 16 ohm load.
Will have to defer to others for your second quesiton.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 23, 2012 11:03:05 GMT -7
Well this has turned into an interesting discussion. Thanks for the advice. I've posted on Grosh's web site to ask if I could drop their Fat 60s into my Strat without drilling or alterations so I could take it back to all original if I wanted to. Lyle responded this is no problem, so I guess I'm ordering a Fat 60s set to drop into my old Fender.
I'm still keeping the Thorn order. Will see what that produces. I'll post a review when it comes in, but it is not expected until next March.
Thanks for the discussion,
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 22, 2012 9:34:51 GMT -7
I agree that guitarists may be identified, regardless of the gear being used, by their style, phrasing, etc., but I think I have failed to communicate what I mean. Great Stratocasters have a certain voice(s) that we all know and many of us love, and this voice is independent of who is playing the guitar. Hendrix had this classic tone on "The Wind Cries Mary" and SRV also had this classic tone, and though not identical, they both have that classic "Strat" sound to which I am referring.
My 1980 maple neck Strat does not have that sound. It is thin. The amp is not the issue, as I have played it through a Lab Series L5, a Dr. Z Maz 18, Z-Wreck, Remedy, a Bogner 20th Anniversary Shiva, a Sommatone OD35, and 65 Amps Stone Pony, and you can hear the guitar's deficiencies through each one of these amps. It just does not have that "Strat tone" we all know and love (well, many of us love anyway). So, whereas I know the perfect Strat will NOT make me sound like SRV - nothing will - at the same time an ideal Strat will produce the kind of tone I'm talking about.
Apparently some Strats have the mojo - some don't - but why is that? This problem is just not limited to Strats. It's true of all guitars. The very best luthiers in the world (e.g., Ed Claxton) can minimize the variances and consistently produce their signature sound, but even then their guitars vary in tone from one to another, even if the same woods are used.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 21, 2012 16:52:06 GMT -7
I think Strats are in general a little trickier to pull off in terms of making a great one. I thought this before I started my current build, but I'm even more convinced now. For one, it's complexity. Strats have more moving parts with how the trem is setup and such. By comparison, the simplicity of a Tele or LP makes it much easier. See, I have this theory that ANY weakness in a guitar can destory otherwise great tone. EVERY detail, not just most or some has to be right. It can't *just* have great wood or a tight neck pocket or a thin finish or great pickups or light tuners or (insert ad nauseum items here). There are a million opportunities to ruin a good tone. From this perspective, you can really make a guitar sound 'better' per se-- you can only liberate it to sound more like its potential by removing things that compromise the tone. A truly great Strat really will ruin you. Especially because there are so many that are merely good or maybe even awful-- the truly great ones haunt you. My personal feeling that the following are the order of importance for Strat success: -- wood choice -- build quality (esp neck pocket) -- pickup choice -- finish type/quality -- wiring quality -- everything else. Thanks Hohn. I've been following your build, but have not kept up with it recently. Have you strung her up yet? Regarding your comments about the tone coming from each component and the way in which these components interact, I certainly cannot disagree. I'm just trying to understand how Fender can crank out Strat after Strat, and some kill and some don't. There seems to be some kind of gestalt that is either present or not. I hope Ron Thorn can bring it all together for me.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 21, 2012 16:37:35 GMT -7
^^^ +1. It's a wonderful guitar for pup changes IMHO. Responds really well to a variety of pups and there's a set to suit every ear. Very customisable instrument therefore very versatile. I think its versatility is much under-rated by many, but I love 'em! Maybe it's too late, but I would have changed the pups out first, before ordering a new axe, especially if you like everything else about the guitar. But if you have the itch, and the scratch, who's to complain? oh, and of course for the perfect SRV tone to be just so, you probably need 13s a half step down and SRV's fingers maybe? Hi Pete, I understand. The thing is: Back in the '70s when I worked in a music store, at the time we thought part of the magic of the pre-CBS Strats came from the aging of the guitar. We thought as the wrappings in the pickups aged and became brittle, the tone improved. Guess we were wrong, but this is part of the reason I left the guitar unaltered. Wonder if I could drop Grosh Fat 60s in it without having to drill or make alterations. May have to post that question on the Grosh web site. Don't mean to be dense, but when you say "13s", are you referring to the gauge of his first string? If so, I had no idea he went so heavy. Man, what did he use for the third string? I may be considered a heretic for saying this, but I think technique only minimally affects tone. Sure, the pick attack makes a big difference, but beyond that, I don't think so. Where SRV leaves me in the dust, seriously in the dust, is with speed, smoothness, and phrasing - none of which really affects tone. Regarding ordering the Thorn, you raise the point "who's to complain?" Uh... that would be my missus.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 21, 2012 16:09:16 GMT -7
The pups may have lost some magnetic flux density. A quick regauss may have fixed 'm up. Hi Doug, Forgive my ignorance, but what is a "regauss". Thanks,
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 20, 2012 22:42:03 GMT -7
I bought a top-of-the-line Strat brand new in 1980. When I bought it, I thought by the time I reached my current age, the guitar would be 32 years old, the wire in the pickups would have become brittle with age, and she would just sing. Wrong! I liked the way it sounded better new. The bridge pickup has some serious bite, but there is no growl. I was hoping for some SRV tone, or some of the tone Hendrix got (think "The Wind Cries Mary"), but it did not happen.
I finally broke down and sent Fat Sound Guitars a deposit to have Ron Thorn build an S/S for me. When I placed the order, I was straight up about the tone I wanted - I want Thorn to nail that SRV voice. He says he can do it. We'll see.
The thing is, what is it with Strats? Why will one break your heart with tone to die for and another will leave you cold with its thin sound? Can anyone shed some light on this?
Thanks,
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 20, 2012 22:28:15 GMT -7
Well, the price does look pretty reasonable. Having said that, ever since I bought my Grosh, I've realized there are some great small shops and luthiers out there who are making guitars with fit and finish, tone, and playability that the large producers just can't match, and they are doing it for less money than you have to pay for a new production guitar from the Big 2.
Still... for that reasonable price, I can see why it would be tempting.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 20, 2012 22:23:04 GMT -7
Congrats Mark! Admit it - you just could NOT bond with that silver color (lol). What cab will you run it through?
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N.G.D.
Sept 15, 2012 10:59:02 GMT -7
Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 15, 2012 10:59:02 GMT -7
Beautiful top on that one. Congrats!
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 10, 2012 8:11:23 GMT -7
Maddog, is your Huckleberry............. Hey T-Rock, I had to grin when I read "Maddog is your Huckleberry." The role of Doc Holiday is my favorite Val Kilmer performance, and that movie is my favorite of all the Wyatt Earp movies.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 10, 2012 8:07:42 GMT -7
I haven't found one thing I dislike about this guitar. It seems perfect in every way.....Ron is a very nice and helpful guy..... Thanks maddog. Sounds like you are smitten with your Thorn. Hearing there is not one thing you don't like about it and that it "seems perfect in every way" is the kind of assurance I am needing. By the way, your Thorn does look striking in the pictures you posted. Thanks,
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 9, 2012 0:38:12 GMT -7
Ever since I received my Grosh Bent Top and was floored by it, I've wanted to order a custom Strat-style guitar. This is due in part to the fact that my 1980 Fender Strat has not aged into the guitar I thought it would become, and my Grosh made me want to own a single coil Strat-style guitar that was as well built, playable, and killer sounding as my Bent Top, which is based around humbuckers. I thought when I finally placed the order that it would be for a Grosh NOS Retro (and it still might be) but there's been a twist to the story.
I've ended up with some store credit at Fat Sound Guitars, so the time seems right to finally order this guitar. Mike Gallow, who works there, is the first person I call when I need tone advice or need to buy a guitar, amp, or something related. When I discussed what I am seeking with Mike, he suggested that I seriously consider the Thorn Custom Guitars S/S. After looking at the Thorn Guitar web site, I have to admit that it does seem like the S/S might come closer to what I am after than the NOS Retro. Thing is: I have no experience with Thorn Guitars.
Has anyone here owned one, played one, or know something about Thorn Custom Guitars? If so, I would really appreciate hearing about your experience, impression of the guitar you owned or played, and anything else you can tell me about the company and their guitars.
Thanks,
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 3, 2012 22:32:41 GMT -7
I have an Aracom attenuator and a Dr. Z Brake Lite. The Aracom degrades the tone so badly that I don't use it; the Brake Lite preserves the tone, but even with the Remedy on half power, it is still too loud for playing around the house, and it was WAY TOO LOUD on the Z-Wreck. I'm not experiencing any tone degradation on the Stone Pony, even with the master voltage turned all the way down. Don't know if the cabs I'm using make a difference, but I'm running the Stone Pony through either a 16 ohm Z-Best with Greenbacks or a 16 ohm Bogner Ubercab. Sounds odd if you are "not" getting any tone degradation, even all the way down, if working properly, you would have a significant drop in power. I just played a Lil Elvis the other day, with P90s though, but below 3 on the Master I wouldn't even consider the tone usable Below was my setup, and I had the Weber Mass, and I got great tones at home levels I can only report what I hear. Except for the amp being quieter, I am not hearing any significant change in the tone of the Stone Pony when I turn the master voltage all the way down. YMMV, but the fact that the Stone Pony outperforms the Sommatone in this area is one of the reasons I am keeping the Stone Pony and selling the Sommatone.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 3, 2012 17:25:05 GMT -7
Out of curiosity, have you tried any attenuaters ? I had the Remedy, and I used the Weber speaker cone style. With Half Power and the attenuator, I was getting great tones at home levels. The Weber has a switch to let in more highs I got the Remedy dialed in to be a Screaming Rock Machine. I could not get that out of the Master Voltage, just got too soft. I have an Aracom attenuator and a Dr. Z Brake Lite. The Aracom degrades the tone so badly that I don't use it; the Brake Lite preserves the tone, but even with the Remedy on half power, it is still too loud for playing around the house, and it was WAY TOO LOUD on the Z-Wreck. I'm not experiencing any tone degradation on the Stone Pony, even with the master voltage turned all the way down. Don't know if the cabs I'm using make a difference, but I'm running the Stone Pony through either a 16 ohm Z-Best with Greenbacks or a 16 ohm Bogner Ubercab.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 3, 2012 14:19:52 GMT -7
Hey doveman, hope you don't mind me posting your videos. They're just too good. Here's Doc's TGP post from a few weeks ago in response to someone asking about power scaling on Z's: I'm looking into it. Some Z owners have been quite happy with the add on VVR from Hall Amplification.
Still have another amp to release this year ( Antidote ) so maybe next year you'll see them stock and up gradeable on select models.
DR.ZIf the Doc does this, I will have to get out my checkbook. I'm one of the guys who has posted about loving the tone from my Dr. Z amps - I have bought three of them, all new - but having issues with not being able to tame the volume. Now if the Doc incorporates this solution... I'll put it this way: I am currently trading my Remedy for a Producer, but if Doc incorporates this power scaling into the Remedy, and especially if he incorporates it into the Z-Wreck, I'll have to buy one! I imagine there are others on this forum who feel the same way.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 2, 2012 16:44:09 GMT -7
I have not been able to find any in the U.S.A. I see them on E-bay but they are all in England. I want to try one in a 1/12 cab with my Remedy. Do you know when they ship to the U.S.A? No - I don't. I just assumed they could be ordered now for stateside delivery since these speakers have been listed on Celestion's web site for awhile now.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 2, 2012 16:03:41 GMT -7
I have read up a lot about this, especially since 65amps brought out their Master Voltage control, and it's a bit of a minefield technically. I know one of our brothers up here uses a Variable Voltage solution from Hall Amplification to great effect. That solution is not easy to get over here, and has its detractors (I believe heat sinking is the issue, and therefore component failure in the VVR unit is not unknown), so I have been pointed strongly in the direction of London Power power scaling. This is becoming more prevalent over here, and seems to address the issue very logically. I am keen to abandon attenuation, but have to control volume without loss of tone. Anyone any experience with these technologies? I'm thinking of having it installed in my Z28 - it's completely reversible, and when maxed, is effectively out of circuit. I bought a new 65 Amps Stone Pony two months ago, and my experience with this amp led me to order a Producer this past week - I can give the Stone Pony no higher compliment. To my ear, the master voltage control on the Stone Pony works as well as Dr. Z's Brake Lite works on my Remedy, except the master voltage can quiet the Stone Pony even more than the Brake Lite can quiet my Remedy, and it does this without degrading the tone. It's an awesome solution to the volume wars.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 2, 2012 15:48:28 GMT -7
It may LOOK like a Grosh. I'm guessing that is as far as the resemblance will go. You just can't do what Don does at the speed Gibson does. +1 Hohn. I have a 1972 Les Paul that I bought new in 1973, and back then there was still some decent workmanship in the guitars. But late in 2010 I ordered a Grosh Bent Top that I received early in 2011, and that Grosh blows away every other guitar I've ever played. As much as I like my old Les Paul, I'll doubt that I will ever buy another Gibson (i.e., unless I come across an old '59 Les Paul).
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 2, 2012 15:40:41 GMT -7
Just curious: Has any of our Z brethren tried the Celestion Creambacks yet, and if so, what did you think?
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 2, 2012 15:23:35 GMT -7
What do you guys think about swapping the V30 for a Celestion Blue in a Z Best? So you would have a Blue with a G12H like they mention above. Would that be good in a Z Best since it is not closed back but ported? I realize that you will only have a 30 watt cab at that point. With one caveat, that should be a winner, as 65 Amps recommends that very pairing in the cabinet section of their web site. The caveat is the one John mentioned about people preferring Blues in open-back cabs, which is how 65 Amps loads them (all 65 Amps cabs are open back). I was originally going to order a 16 ohm 2 X 12 from them with one Blue and one Gold, but I spoke with Dan Boul and he convinced me to go with one G12H30 and one Gold. They normally recommend one G12H30 and one Blue, but when he learned I would be using this cab with a Producer, Dan said they recommend replacing the Blue with a Gold for that head, so on Thursday I ordered a 2 X 12 16 ohm cab with one G12H30 and one Gold. Since my original plan was to order a 2 X 12 with one Blue and one Gold, after placing the order with 65 Amps I started getting OC about it, so I posted in the Z-Talk cab section to solicit opinions about this pairing. I've only received a couple of responses, but both responders recommended using the Gold with the G12H30, not a Blue, so I am going to quit second guessing my decision and get back to practicing. On a slightly different note, have you seen Mark's report on a 4 X 10 cab with all Golds? That has intrigued me and I would like to hear his cabinet. Would also like to hear a 4 X 10 with a mix of Golds and Blues.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 2, 2012 13:36:27 GMT -7
Nice, any pics of said guitar? I had a Strat that I had installed a couple of Tallboys and a Stelly in the bridge. Nice pickups, for sure. I was a loaded pickguard from Rio Grande, actually. It was pearloid with matching toppers and knobs. Hey Zed, That's the first time I've seen pickup covers and knobs matching the pickguard. That's a really nice look.
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Post by cpa2guitar on Sept 1, 2012 21:56:00 GMT -7
Thanks Marc and revrand - that's the kind of good info I was seeking. Sounds like I need to quit obsessing and just go with Dan's recommendation.
Thanks,
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