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Post by miroslav on Nov 15, 2009 19:42:04 GMT -7
Now I have my second Dr. Z amp! My other is a Route 66. I was on the hunt for an EL34-based amp...and was seriously considering the SRZ-65.... ...and then today found the Rx ES 112 combo deal that I couldn't resist. It has the Celestion Gold, OD footswitch, along with the factory installed Master Volume....and it's coming in a Rock Hard road case w/casters. It's a 2007 model...like new, mild studio time....for an exceptional deal! Now I have two Dr. Z amps...and forums to hang on. ;D
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Post by westcoast on Nov 16, 2009 0:05:01 GMT -7
Congrats on the amp, it's a great combo with the gold! I was mulling over the ES as well, but I've got 2 amps already... I sure loved the one I played through, SO loud!
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Post by miroslav on Nov 16, 2009 9:49:15 GMT -7
Yeah...that's what everyone says...they are LOUD...but heck, my Route 66 is LOUD too!!! That's why I'm glad the seller had this one modded with a Master Volume on the back...otherwise I would have sent it to DR. Z myself for the mod.
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Post by rcrecelius on Nov 16, 2009 12:30:27 GMT -7
I too bought mine cause I found one at a good price...and I've been playing it ever since...its a great live amp, especially when ya need some VOLUME! Yep, its a loud one but I've found I can get a decent tone at lower levels on this amp where I have struggled doing that with other amps.
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Post by miroslav on Nov 16, 2009 16:05:47 GMT -7
I'm glad to hear you say that...I was kinda' thinking this might be a perfect single amp gig-rig. It looks like it can cover a lot of different tones...has the volume to cut it in medium-to-large venues, yet can be dialed down with the installed MV (or an attenuator) for smaller places...is a nice compact ombo, but not one of them "tiny" little combos...it's not too heavy at 47 lbs...and this one already comes with a road case! What else can you ask for!!!
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Post by Tom the Guitar Guy on Nov 17, 2009 13:18:30 GMT -7
Congrats and welcome to the club!
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Post by dickenscpa on Nov 17, 2009 15:33:51 GMT -7
Brake Lite and RXES is just as manageable as my Ghia with no attenuation.
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Post by rcrecelius on Nov 18, 2009 8:18:56 GMT -7
Brake Lite and RXES is just as manageable as my Ghia with no attenuation. Is the Brake Lite and RxES a "safe" combination? I thought the BL was designed to handle 45 watts max? I know the Rxes is "rated" at 45 watts but if oyu push it into overdrive territory and it would easily exceed 45 watts.
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Post by dickenscpa on Nov 18, 2009 12:06:55 GMT -7
I wondered about that too, but I'm almost 100% Doc said it was OK in one of the threads here. Paraphrasing it was like "any 4 el84 amp and below." If I can find the thread I'll add it to this post.
I've used it every Sunday since about April with no ill affects. We start practice at 8AM and play solid thru about 10:45. Turn it off for about :40 and back on for altar call and another :30 or so. Mine doesn't even get that hot.
Depending on what songs we're doing, I sometimes BL the Ghia for a crunchy tone and A/B/Y with the RXES for clean only and stereo. I may not be the best player in the world, probably not the best in my own post, but I get a lot of compliments on my tone. Most of the non-guitarists call it "my guitar sound." A lot of players in a Nashville congregation and they all seem to dig it. My next purchase is to upgrade my A/B/Y pedal. I have a cheaper Morley and it makes a horrible noise when switching out.
I'd bought a db meter a while back and now I have it down to a science on matching their volume no matter which is attenuated. Not just saying because they're the two Z's I have, but the CG and RXES in stereo is a beautiful sound. THey fill each other's gaps nicely. Step on the overdose for a solo and you're there.
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Post by miroslav on Nov 18, 2009 12:48:49 GMT -7
... every Sunday... ... We start practice at 8AM.... That's about the same time I'm rolling over to do the other side for a couple more hours of zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! ;D But...you have a higher calling!
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Post by rcrecelius on Nov 18, 2009 15:09:19 GMT -7
I wondered about that too, but I'm almost 100% Doc said it was OK in one of the threads here. Paraphrasing it was like "any 4 el84 amp and below." If I can find the thread I'll add it to this post. I've used it every Sunday since about April with no ill affects. We start practice at 8AM and play solid thru about 10:45. Turn it off for about :40 and back on for altar call and another :30 or so. Mine doesn't even get that hot. Depending on what songs we're doing, I sometimes BL the Ghia for a crunchy tone and A/B/Y with the RXES for clean only and stereo. I may not be the best player in the world, probably not the best in my own post, but I get a lot of compliments on my tone. Most of the non-guitarists call it "my guitar sound." A lot of players in a Nashville congregation and they all seem to dig it. My next purchase is to upgrade my A/B/Y pedal. I have a cheaper Morley and it makes a horrible noise when switching out. I'd bought a db meter a while back and now I have it down to a science on matching their volume no matter which is attenuated. Not just saying because they're the two Z's I have, but the CG and RXES in stereo is a beautiful sound. THey fill each other's gaps nicely. Step on the overdose for a solo and you're there. I have a brake lite in my Mazerati combo now but I asked the Dr about a master volume mod for the RxES and he said would install a Master Volume in your existing RxES for $150...if I ever get $150 ahead I think I'm gonna have that done. Glad to hear youre having good luck running the brake lite with it but I would still be a little nervous myself.
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Post by miroslav on Nov 18, 2009 18:17:56 GMT -7
... but I asked the Dr about a master volume mod for the RxES and he said would install a Master Volume in your existing RxES for $150... That's what's in the one I just got....that's what I meant by "factory installed" Master Volume.
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Post by dickenscpa on Nov 19, 2009 7:43:05 GMT -7
... every Sunday... ... We start practice at 8AM.... That's about the same time I'm rolling over to do the other side for a couple more hours of zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! ;D But...you have a higher calling! I actually get there right at 7:30 so I can have my amps and pedal board set up, tubes warmed up and ready to roll at 8 on the nose. As far as a MV on the RXES, I would definitely consider that and leave the BL on the Ghia full time. Wonder what the turn around time is on that mod? As in how long would I be without my RXES?
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Post by miroslav on Nov 19, 2009 8:57:56 GMT -7
I just can't imagine plugging into a guitar amp at 8:00AM and running through some tunes! Maybe an acoustic.... I'm just NOT a morning person.
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Post by asattwanger on Nov 20, 2009 17:57:25 GMT -7
Maybe not at 8:00am but by 10:00am I'm all for it.
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Post by miroslav on Nov 20, 2009 23:59:04 GMT -7
Hey asattwanger...how do you like the Swart amps?
Are they worth the price?
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Post by muzacman02 "Jamie" on Nov 21, 2009 15:06:09 GMT -7
The SRZ is a bad dude but you got a great find! The Gold is and awesome speaker!!! The case is well worth it too. Congrats!
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Post by taswegian on Nov 21, 2009 19:39:12 GMT -7
Man, Miroslav, you got the DEAL OF THE CENTURY. I saw that and was amazed. The time I played a RXES I was totally and utterly convinced it was my next Z. It was that good. Especially thru a 4-12 with greenies. Oh my. It had a crunch of doom with the overdose on. That there is the best overdrive pedal you'll ever find. As a gig rig, I would have run it clean, run the overdose as my crunch and had a boost or something if I needed a little more for leads. It's a great gig amp and should be very versatile. The clean should be glorious with the Gold. Funny thing is, you get back on this forum and start listening to everything said and time moves on, you just get too curious about all the others! But even if it's not exactly what you wanted as a second Z, you have an awesome new rig at an unbelievable price. Well Done!
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Post by groovergeorge on Nov 22, 2009 2:56:20 GMT -7
Man, Miroslav, you got the DEAL OF THE CENTURY. I saw that and was amazed. The time I played a RXES I was totally and utterly convinced it was my next Z. It was that good. Especially thru a 4-12 with greenies. Oh my. It had a crunch of doom with the overdose on. That there is the best overdrive pedal you'll ever find. As a gig rig, I would have run it clean, run the overdose as my crunch and had a boost or something if I needed a little more for leads. It's a great gig amp and should be very versatile. The clean should be glorious with the Gold. Funny thing is, you get back on this forum and start listening to everything said and time moves on, you just get too curious about all the others! But even if it's not exactly what you wanted as a second Z, you have an awesome new rig at an unbelievable price. Well Done! Amen, I will second that. I agree with everything Jaye said. This from a very happy RXES user.
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Post by miroslav on Nov 23, 2009 21:49:08 GMT -7
OK…the Rx ES arrived today (a day early). It came unharmed…that Rock Hard road case certainly is ROCK HARD!!! ;D As soon as I got it out, I noticed some buzz/rattle just from bumping the amp…and it ended up being that the board inside the chassis was a bit loose…plus the chassis bolts were a bit loose…and actually, most of the screws on the amps needed a little twist. But after that…it was nice and solid. The amp is CLEAN…not a mark on it!!! At first power-up…with Volume up…I notice a bit of a buzz…like a single-coil ground buzz, even though I was playing a humbucker. My AC power is clean, and none of my other amps do that on that same AC circuit. Nothing really bad…just a little buzz…so maybe a tube…though I eventually changed all the tubes and the buzz was still there, but much milder, nothing I would be real upset about…though I’m wondering where it’s coming from if not the tubes? Moving on…I decided to right away try the amp cranked and with the Master Volume down…just to see what kind of crunch tones the Rx ES can do at lower output levels. I found that when pushed toward the top 1/3 of the “Volume up/MV down” approach…the crunch isn’t all that great. It got better when I swapped all the tubes…but when pushed real hard like that with the MV down…the crunch had this garbled quality to it and single notes sounded like they were doubled and out sync…a blurry sound. But as I back things off…turn down the Volume and raised the MV…it goes away, and the amp sounds really nice with just a touch of hair on it. I even tried it with the MV all the way up and instead I used an attenuator to bring down the output level while the Volume was cranked…and that somewhat blurry sound was still there, though less. I’m just guessing this amp wasn’t really meant for the MV kind of setup…which is OK. That aside…with more of a clean setting…and leaving the MV up all the way or even half-way…there were some really nice tones, and I could still control the output level to something manageable and not ear-splitting. The cleans are wonderful…I could play it like that a lot! I didn’t get to try any pedals….so I’m saving that for this long weekend…and I’m expecting THAT’s when the amp will really shine for crunch stuff, and if that’s the case with this amp…that I don’t try and choke it down real hard with the MV…that’s fine…that’s how I will use it. I think it will make a great gig amp…assuming it works great with OD pedals…which appears to be the case from what other folks say. I’m curious if anyone else that has the MV option already installed…if you can comment on what I said above. I just want to know if this is the way this amp normally behaves…or do I maybe need to send it in for a check-up. More to follow after the weekend….
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Post by rcrecelius on Nov 24, 2009 8:47:11 GMT -7
I would suspect that the MV isnt going to give you a good "bedroom" setting but rather provide a way to bring the volume down a little while keeping the volume knob up in the sweet spot.
So with the volume up loud(past 12 oclock), can you use the MV and effectively decrease the overall output quite a bit before it gets to sounding bad?
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Post by miroslav on Nov 24, 2009 12:35:01 GMT -7
Yes...it's only when the Volume get past 2:00...while choking down the MV to studio levels that causes that blurry sound to the single notes.
I was mainly curious how the amp performs at the outer limits....which isn't going to be my norm.
I know with some amps you CAN crank the Volume and drop the MV down to nothing...and the power tube crunch stays articulate, though just more subdued. I wanted to see how wide this amp’s sweet spot really is. All in all…it looks like the Rx ES covers a lot of ground…it just may not hit the extreme crunch zone as well as some other amps do…but I think it makes up for and then some in other areas. I am eager to try some OD pedals through it!
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Post by JASON (aka jgleaton) on Nov 25, 2009 23:38:14 GMT -7
... but I asked the Dr about a master volume mod for the RxES and he said would install a Master Volume in your existing RxES for $150... That's what's in the one I just got....that's what I meant by "factory installed" Master Volume. OK… Gotta, Chime in here, Doc did a master volume on my RX ES quite a while back... HIGHLY recommended!! $ Worth every penny. I never mentioned it until now other than to a few friends on the low down… as I promised Doc I wouldn’t say anything about it until he knew he was going to be doing it as a mod. So now that it’s OFFICIAL and I can brag about it!! Works JUST like the RX JR and mine sounds just as good at any volume, master up or down, OD on or OFF... I really don't have to use an airbreak for either of those amps. Now I usually use mine with the OD off, just a bit of hair and then hit it with pedals as I like to do with all my amps… I hardly ever have the Master over 12:00, but I can set the amps volume and EQ exactly where I want it and it’s plenty loud... just set the MV to taste. I told Doc after I got it, That on the RX JR the Master volume to me is more of a “tool” and makes the RX JR really, really versatile since it is already a lower powered amp. But on the RX ES, I told him to me the Master Volume is almost a “necessity” and makes the RX ES so much more usable to average guy’s like me at typical club volume levels because it’s so loud. It really is a mod I would recommend to ANYONE using an RX ES… Now as far as the sounds you’re getting miroslav, I really did not seem to find this to be the case with mine even with the original tubes… granted I don't use it like that, but I have tried it with just about every speaker imaginable and every setting I could just to see what it'd do. and I hate to beat a dead horse... but it just makes such a big difference... If I had access to one, I would try a different speaker than the Gold just to see if that changed what you're hearing ( as good as the Gold is maybe a ceramic one for higher gain, like a silver bell, G12-65 or green back variation instead of an alnico), or possibly even a new set of tubes ( always need spares anyway) However, I also have a NOS Mullard rectifier I liked best in mine which seemed to give me a little more clean headroom and tighter sound that I like out if it. So even a simple tube swap may be in order… But I did try a bunch of different NOS ef-86’s with mine… the Dario was my favorite and kinda the best of both worlds of all of em. I also use lower output vintage style single coil pick-ups primarily so that may be a big difference between what you're using and hearing and what I've tried with mine. What I could do if you want, tomorrow or after you get back with me, If you give me you exact setting where you are getting this sound... I will set mine up like that, using different speakers and guitars, try mine again and see if I can make mine sound that way? Then I can tell you what I'm hearing or not hearing and what I tried it with since there are so many variables. Jason
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Post by miroslav on Nov 26, 2009 12:53:27 GMT -7
Hi Jason
Thanks for all that info...I was hoping someone with the same Rx ES mod would chime in.
I did try the Gold in my Rt. 66 extension cab…and got the same blurry crunch tones…but I will try another speaker altogether later today. I also have swapped every tube…and even tried a Weber Copper Cap SS rectifier.
Here is where I start to get the blurry sounding crunch tones: If I try to really push the power tubes hard with the Volume and dialing the MV way down. I would say it start from about the 2:00 position on the Volume…and if the MV is anywhere from about 9-10:00 and down to OFF.
If raise the MV higher..sure, it cleans up the blurry crunch, but it also pushes up the output level a bit too loud the Volume up as high as it is. If I also lower the Volume to compensate for the higher output level because the MV is turned up…then the amp is lower in output level, but at that point, there’s just some hair on it…and any of the more saturated crunch is pretty much gone.
It’s most noticeable when hitting single notes on the middle strings. It seems that the lower tones give off more of that blurry crunch quality than the higher tones…especially if the strings are attacked harder. With light picking…it’s not as pronounced.
*shrug*
Other than that…it sounds great at less extreme settings…and with OD pedals, quite good. The amp has an inherent bright-bite to it that I’m not use to…but it certainly offers up a lot of new tonal palates for me…I was just trying to see how it behaved when in that full, overdriven and saturated crunch zone. I could live with it as-is if I just depended on OD pedals for the crunch part, and use the amp in non-pedal mode for all the other stuff. Love the clean..it provides a nice “base” work your pedals from.
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Post by miroslav on Nov 27, 2009 10:09:46 GMT -7
OK...spent some more quality time with the Rx ES last night. Tried different speakers..had no real effect on the blurry crunch…but I’ve narrowed it down. It’s mostly the D and A strings that will do it, especially with hammer-ons or slide from another note. What’s happening is the previous note continues to ring out along with the ending note…so you get a two-note vibration going which is where that blurry quality comes from. It’s kinda weird…as I’ve pushed my other amps into all kinds of saturated crunch zones, and they don’t do that. This happens only when the MV is turned from about 10:00 and down to anything lower…while the Volume is up past 1:00 and higher. I guess what’s happening is the gain becomes so hot, that it continues to sustain the previous note to about the same level as the next note I’m playing… If I just cleanly pick one-note-at-a-time…then no “blurriness”…and like I said, mostly on the D and A strings. What I then found was, if I turn down the Bass tone below 10:00…I can remove most of it. Mind you, I never had the Bass higher than 12:00 when it was really doing it a lot. Anyway…it’s some kind of harmonic/sympathetic sustain thing going on…which I now understand better AFA where it’s coming from, and can dial most of it out as long as I don’t go way into the extreme settings of the Volume and MV. If I drop the MV down to “bedroom” levels while also cranking the Volume up past 3:00 to full-tilt….then you almost can’t avoid that blur on the lower notes. I’m guessing there is nothing really *wrong* with the amp…it’s just the combination of things…the tubes, the high gain, the low-end notes…the playing…etc. Other than that…I was able to really dial in a sweet-spot where the amp was kicking arse, without ear-bleed! Between the Rx Overdose and a Lovekraft Mojo Drive…I could get two totally different types of crunch…plus the clean setting without either. And…if I stepped on BOTH the Overdoes AND the Mojo…SCREAM!!!! ;D Only other small issues was the ground buzz…but I got it solved. I have a pair of Voltage Regulators in my studio…each running on dedicated 20amp lines that feed everything. I have a bunch of guitar amps all on that circuit…all without any issues. For some reason, the Rx was kicking up a ground buzz that was…well, too loud for studio work. I had everything disconnected and shut off in my studio…EXCEPT the Rx…and it still buzzed. I then found that just running a jumper wire from anywhere on the Rx chassis and connecting it to any other amp chassis in my line-up…the buzz would instantly stop. Not sure why the Rx doesn’t like that AC power line…it's both clean and voltage regulated... ...though maybe there is a loose ground inside the Rx (but I didn’t notice anything when I first got it and checked it over). Next time I pull it I’ll give it a closer inspection, but for now, the jumper wire does the trick and the Rx is nice and quiet. I can see it will take a bit of time for me to find out everything this amp can do…but overall…I like…I like.
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Post by Tom the Guitar Guy on Nov 27, 2009 16:33:57 GMT -7
Which input are you using and with what guitars/pickups?
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Post by miroslav on Nov 27, 2009 17:44:02 GMT -7
The High input and with typical humbucker guitars...the PUs are ALNICO 5, not super-hot. I also tried the Low input, which naturally has less juice to it, and so takes a more extreme setting of the Volume and MV to get to that crunch point...but then I wouldn't really even try to get a saturated distortion off the Low gain input. The more I play it, the better I've been able to dial it in and get great tones out of the amp...and I can get to some nice crunch tone flavors without ever getting the "blurry zone"....which in the end may just be the natural character of this amp under those more extreme Volume/MV positions. I've learned it takes at me a couple of weeks of playing before I find the sweet spots and before an amp really shows me what it has and settles in for me. I remember almost hating my Route 66 initially...but then after awhile I found it's magic, and now I love it!!!
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armao
New Member
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Post by armao on Dec 3, 2009 1:56:27 GMT -7
I've got my flaming RXES 1x12 combo last weekend, first eye on her, feeling been atracted;test the tones,fall in love
feel good to join here
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Post by miroslav on Dec 4, 2009 12:51:50 GMT -7
Question for you Rx ES owners...
If you wanted to smooth out the high-end a bit...what speaker choice would you go for this amp other than the stock Celestion Gold?
I love the Gold I use with my Rt. 66...but the Gold that came in the Rx ES combo just isn't working for me. the high end is a bit too "glassy" for my taste and when I play the high E & B strings on my humbucker guitars, they sound like I'm playing my single coil Tele. There's just too much of the bright POP to the high strings...so I want to make it a touch smoother/warmer.
I've tried the Rx Es with a Celestion G12H30 in an Avatar Bluesbreaker cab...and it's much more to my liking, only trouble is, the G12H30 will only handle 30W, which is OK for the studio but not for live playing.
I don't like a V30 and I also tried a Greenback and a Weber Chicago Ceramic, which like a Lead 80...and they all allow the glassy/poppy highs to chime really pronounced...only the G12H30 smoothes them out...but I need to find a similar speaker that handles 50-60W.
Any suggestions?
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Post by Tom the Guitar Guy on Dec 4, 2009 14:36:39 GMT -7
The Gold may not be broken in yet ~ although the RxES has some bright characteristics all it's own. The mild studio time that it has had may not have been enough to break it in. But that's just a thought. . .
I have the 2x12 combo and am running a Weber Silver and Blue combination. The Weber Blue might do it for you if you liked the Greenback.
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