Ghia - Do you use reverb?

[JoeYello]

How many of you use reverb with your Ghia?

I have tried a BOSS RV-5 and a Holy Grail and have found both to be slightly noisy. I don't miss the reverb with my Maz 18NR as I use some delay for lead tones with that amp, but my Ghia just doesn't seem to ring out as much as my Maz. It has JJ EL-84's and 12AX7.

[kaseri]

I used to be a die hard reverb fan but for some reason I don't use it anymore. As for the Ghia, I find that it sounds very open & three dimensonal just the way it is & I have no need for reverb when using my Ghia. I have another amp with a great reverb tank built into it but I don't use it at all. Sometimes I'll play a little "Surf" style music & I'll turn it on but for the most part I like the open sound of my amps without reverb.

[martyncrew]

I also use a Holy Grail reverb, not much, but I do use it.

[BigMike]

No reverb for me anymore. The Z28 cured that. Run them both dry. Love it!

Of course, it makes me have to play better without the grease to coverup the clams!

[G'OlPeachPhan]

JoeYello, are you using the same cab/speakers with your Ghia that you are with the Maz18NR? That can make all the difference in the world. If you're not, try running your Ghia through your Maz cab and see if that does the trick.

[JoeYello]

The Ghia is a 1x12 combo with a Weber Blue Dog, I run the Maz with the Z-Best. I haven't tried the Ghia through the Maz. I will definately try it soon. I also have a Marshall 2204 50 watt head that I want to try through the Z-Best. I am just trying to break in the speakers at the moment.

[G'OlPeachPhan]

I'd be willing to be the Ghia will ring out far more with the Z best cab... An open-back Ghia 1x12 combo cab is just no match for a Z-best 2x12 when it comes to filling a room with sound.

Also, what speakers do you have in the Z-best? Is your Weber Blue Dog an AlNiCo or ceramic magnet speaker? If you have the usual mix of either V30/H30/M25(greenback) ceramic speakers in your Z-best, then that would also be a big factor as to why the Maz seems to ring out more... Ceramic magnet speakers tend to ring out and fill a room with a more open sound when pushed, whereas AlNiCo tends to compress. Both can sound great, but it depends what you want. When using a single speaker in a 1x12 I've found that I prefer a ceramic (Vintage 30, G12H30, or Greenback) speaker to an AlNiCo speaker with most amps... However, my frame of reference on AlNiCo speakers when making this statement includes the Celestion Blue, the Emi Red Fang, and the Weber P12N, not the Weber Blue Dog (so I can't comment on the Blue Dog specifically). What power rating is your Blue Dog? Maybe you're overpowering it and pummeling it into compression?

Of course the Maz and Ghia are still going to have tonal differences no matter what you do (the Ghia is more of a hot-rod gainy tone), but I think there are better ways than using a reverb pedal to give the Ghia a more dimensional tone like you are hearing from the Maz.

Lots of stuff here --- hope some of it helps. Follow up and let us know what happens after you try a few things. Hopefully your experiments satisfy what you're looking for.

[dzghia]

I love the Ghia with no effects at all. The amp just sounds so open and alive to my ear. All my pedal have been put deep inside my closet. Can't say enough about the beautiful tones this amp can create!

[rubess]

I love my Ghia too, but wish it had reverb. I use a Holy Grail, and it works very well, although it does add a bit of noise. I tried a Digitech X-Series Digiverb, but it was not nearly as good. Until/unless something better comes along, I think the HG is a good, and reasonably priced, choice.

[mcd]

I really like the Boss GigaDelay. I guess it is Boss's answer to the Line 6 delay. I really like it because it sounds just as good, it's cheaper, and you can program it for bpms. The Analog Delay w/mod sound is really good for a modern 3d sound (especially if you want to sound like the Edge).

[ajlove]

I like the Ghia without any effects, it sounds killer as is... the only thing I'll be using with it (most of the time) is an Airbrake for smaller venues.... Lots of natiral reverb from bouncing the Ghia's tone around the room will work for me

[myles]

I use verb at times. I tried the Holy Grail unit and it was MUCH too noisy.

I now use this:



The red box on top is an A/B switch to use the Ghia with a Z-28 in some live applications.

[oldtroll]

I'm new to this forum but have become a student of tube guitar and other amps for many years. On the subject of "to reverb or not to reverb", a few years ago I took some classes on multitrack recording and the instructor always told us to add in reverb at the very last stage of massaging a mix. If a track or mix didn't sound right without reverb, it needed fixing in other ways. Reverb, though a wonderful sounding effect, can actually be overused to make marginal to bad tone sound "better". Until I got an original Black Face Fender Bassman refurbished and hooked to a decent speaker cab, I would never have believed I could stand playing guitar at home without reverb as being anything I could stand for long. Now I do it all the time, and my cheaper combo amps with reverb have been shown to simply have "less than ideal" tone, which the reverb tends to mask and make tolerable.

I've been researching a few boutique amps like Dr Z's and am struck by the almost universal acclaim these carefully crafted tube amps get for such nice tone, often without using pedals or reveb or any other effects. This just tends to reinforce what my pro sound instructor hammered away at, if it sounds righteous dry, adding effects may not be necessary or will only be icing on the cake. He who processes least, usually processes best. Who needs digital modeling and a floor full of pedals anyway?

I'm seriously considering the Ghia or one of the Dr's other lower powered push-pull amps for myself. These posts are helping a lot with making a decision.

[real oldster]

"I took some classes on multitrack recording and the instructor always told us to add in reverb at the very last stage of massaging a mix."

That's a good point. Also please note that reverb in a recorded mix is a very different issue from the question of using reverb with an amp in a live setting. ;D

[weedrock]

Hi all-
Just joined the forums. Thought I'd throw my 2 cents into the verb talky. Most of the amps that I've purchased as of late are non verb. My mainstay live amps for the last 18 years have been a pair of stock black face Super Reverbs. I love the tank, nuf said. but I also enjoy grabbing anything and going to the gig 'blindfolded'. My 'lil Ghia IS RIPPING of course, and I've used it with/ without pedals, quiet- loud and it all sounds good. For the reverb tone quest, don't waist it on pedals. I tried that, tried everyone made including some 'Frankenstein's (homemade). Peavey valverb, holy grail blah blah blah.

I found on Craigslist one day a spring reverb made by Furman. Like many good things it's discontinued, but I got one for $75. It's called the RV-1. to me it sounds better than the reissue tanks and any stomp box. this thing is a find apparently because when I called furman to inquire about this gem they were floored that I got it so cheap.......

I agree with the nay sayers about reverb on a Z amp. But I also like the added richness that verb gives an amp. If the amp is tuned up and harmonically rich and proper, then the verb is the per'verb'ial icing on the cake. Yeah that was bad ;-)

On another note, I was in LA and went to TruTone Music. they have, I believe, all of Z's amps in there with several speaker configurations/ cabs. I sat there for 3 hours playing all of his amps and A/by'ng against some classics and new 'gems' and I have to say that whatever Z is doing let us pray he does it for a long time. It's a pleasure to walk into a store and be lucky to find one amp that from the word go sounds good, but ALL of the Z's sounded fantastic (thus making my fingers do things I never thought possible). And each one has a unique thing, and that's beautiful.

I'm curious as to what kinds of pickup people use with the Ghia? Hi output, low output/ single coils/ p90's/ rio grande's/ fralin??? I think I have most configurations covered, but if someone has a jewel they'd like to share........ See ya, Erik;D

[G'OlPeachPhan]

good per'verb'ial joke weedrock... i laughed.

I've tried verb in front of the Ghia, and it didn't work for me... That said, I crank the Ghia and go from there, so that might have something to do with it. The Ghia's tone is pretty complex (with a somehow alternatively simple signal path) when cranked, and I found 'verb got in the way.

Used sparingly, I found a little analog delay to stay out of the Ghia's way much better, while still adding a nice amount of extra ambient depth... I usually only use the analog delay when the guitar volume is rolled back to '6' or less. When the Ghia is really rippin', I've usually stepped on the pedal to turn it off while simultaneously rolling up the guitar volume knob... Unless I'm doing Red House. ;D

Pickups... you could really start a whole new thread on that topic for the Ghia. I don't think there is one yet, is there?

To answer your question, the real gem for me through the Ghia are the WCR (Jim Wagner) Crossroads in my 335. The drive level of these PAF-style lower output 'buckers is just perfect with the Ghia... They drive it just hard enough that it gets as dirty and saturated as I want it to, but they are relatively low output for 'buckers, so they still stay articulate allowing the character of the 335 to come through the amp without dominating the sound by being too gained out. So the 335 is axe numero uno with the Ghia, and it's mostly attributable to those pickups.

To drive the amp a little harder and get a thicker midrange tone, I go to my PRS with WCR Goodwood pickups. This combination turns into a sustain monster with the guitar volume cranked... Roll the tone control all the way off, and thanks to a Holland Musicap (from RS Guitarworks), the tone has JUST enough bite left to cut through, but is very smooth and singing with a creamy rounded uppermid and treble.

This guitar is also wired up to McCarty specs (started life as a Custom 22), so I rely on splitting the Goodwoods to get my single coil sounds... Being as thick and fat as they are, the Goodwoods split quite well. The tapped goodwoods are capable of driving the amp as hard as the crossroads in humbucker mode, but they are not QUITE as fat, and are more articulate with more cut and bite. This is what I use when I want max clean or semi-clean volume out of the Ghia.

Between these two axes and pickup combinations, I get every sound I want out of the Ghia. The Ghia is a great amp, but it NEVER sounds as good to my ears as when it's being driven by WCR pickups.

[bradical]

I use a Z Verb

[simpleton]

I had an outboard tube reverb for a while with the Ghia, but I felt it was interfering with the fullness of tone from the old gal. So I ditched the 'verb all together. The Jule Reverb tank I was using definitely made a noticeable difference in the overall volume of the amps out put...much quieter. That said the only time I'd miss reverb might be when playing alone, but never while playing with the band.

[freddieg]

Just use a hint of analog delay instead.

Reverb live = feedback. IMHO

[j4gitr (John)]

I use just a bit of delay (Boss DD5 mostly). Would like to try an analog delay but it's not really a priority as it's used so sparingly...just for a little ambience.

[Deleted]

Ahhhh! Zombie thread!!!! Die!

But, yeah, sometimes I use my blue sky with the Ghia. Sometimes not.

[doctorice]

Mostly just some slight delay and only on a few songs.

[Lash LaRue]

'63 Fender Reissue Unit works good with the Ghia, UNLESS you have the amp wide open. Then, to my ear, it becomes harsh and intrusive. I am playing a custom (Tom Bartett) Les Paul with Whiz pickups. I really like the way that this guitar interacts with the Ghia.

[vaughn4380]

My practice board has a TC Hall of Fame reverb on it. My live board has a Wampler reverb. Both are good, I like the Wampler a bit better.

[bigsbybender]

Sure do. Hermida Reverb.

[drew]

Dec 29, 2013 10:50:11 GMT -7 @ajb20002 said:

Ahhhh! Zombie thread!!!! Die!

But, yeah, sometimes I use my blue sky with the Ghia. Sometimes not.

Funny! Yep, was happy with the holy grail, liked the room-mate better, mr. Springy even better. Currently using the line 6 63 fender spring effect.

[ericatunc]

Yep, just a very, very small amount. Stereo WET Reverb here.

[BW]

I would love to have a Z-Verb to run in front of the Ghia, but it's a space issue for me, the Ghia and Z-verb are the same chassis/size. The roadcase I carry my overseas Ghia head in is bigger than the one I have for the MAZ Sr. Very nice case, but maybe a bit overkill. And if I got a Z-verb I'd hafta have TWO of 'em!
Still like to have a Z-verb one of these days, love that sound! And I just need a skosh to get where I'm goin'.

[drew]

"And I just need a skosh to get where I'm goin'." Nobody get's it there better.

[redjr]

My $0.02. Reverb is great when you're noodling by yourself. Not really necessary in a live (loud) setting. Kind of gets lost.