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Post by BGiannini on Feb 25, 2011 9:06:05 GMT -7
Just got a red/blonde stangray head Haven't had a chance to air it out at length yet. Ran it through my closed back stock z best cab ( greenback and a 30) and it sounded really woofy. Hitched it up the ghia 2x10 cab and much improved. Building a 2x12 open back this weekend with a Gold and a Blue based on the comments from the forum. Any advice would be great and I will make some more comments once I really get to air it out!
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Post by rickc007 on Feb 25, 2011 9:48:02 GMT -7
Like your choice
Open back all the way
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Post by kc on Feb 25, 2011 10:42:22 GMT -7
open + alnico = way to go.
I'm using two 1x12 cabs - a Blue and a Gold.
the only thing I might suggest is to - assuming you have two 8 ohm speakers - hook them up is series for a 16 ohm cab with the Gold first - this is how the ZWreck is wired.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2011 10:42:33 GMT -7
Congratulations on your new Stang Ray, and Welcome to the forum... I'd really like to hear what you think of the Blue/Gold combination when it's up and rocking... tom
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Post by rickc007 on Feb 25, 2011 15:23:42 GMT -7
open + alnico = way to go. I'm using two 1x12 cabs - a Blue and a Gold. the only thing I might suggest is to - assuming you have two 8 ohm speakers - hook them up is series for a 16 ohm cab with the Gold first - this is how the ZWreck is wired. Interesting ... I remember demo'ing Stangrays with 2x12 cabs with Blues they were factory wired 2, 8ohms in parallel for 4 ohms Any familiar what differences you'd hear if you switched from series 16ohm, to parallel 4 ?
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Post by BGiannini on Feb 25, 2011 22:22:11 GMT -7
I have 16 ohm blue and golds. Have a technical dilemma. The cab has two inputs. Input one has jumpers going to input 2. Input 2 has speaker leads coming off of it in (I believe) typical parallel. I can't figure out what input 1 really does. To my untechnical mind the two inputs are doing the same thing. I'm overly concerned about wiring it up wrong and frying my amp. I considered just eliminating the first input but I'd reach out to some smarter people than me on the Z forum first! Anyone got any insight??
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Post by BGiannini on Feb 25, 2011 22:57:41 GMT -7
I think I have concluded the extra input is just for daisy chaining. If anyone knows different, tell me!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2011 23:06:06 GMT -7
Avatar cabs have a dual output panel on their speakers - for daisy chaining... I use a pair of 16ohm 4x12 cabs - wired one to the other - then into my amp as an 8ohm load... Or, you could use one of Todd's (PCNS) parallel (or series) "Y" cables to achieve the same results... cheers
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Post by kc on Feb 26, 2011 5:47:16 GMT -7
open + alnico = way to go. I'm using two 1x12 cabs - a Blue and a Gold. the only thing I might suggest is to - assuming you have two 8 ohm speakers - hook them up is series for a 16 ohm cab with the Gold first - this is how the ZWreck is wired. Interesting ... I remember demo'ing Stangrays with 2x12 cabs with Blues they were factory wired 2, 8ohms in parallel for 4 ohms Any familiar what differences you'd hear if you switched from series 16ohm, to parallel 4 ? Not sure how much of a difference, if any at all. I believe the reasoning behind wiring in series with the Gold first - as Doc explained it at the last Z Fest - is to prevent the 15 watt Blue from blowing. By having the Gold get the initial hit from the amp, the chances of the Blue blowing are lessened (I think i got that right). Doc also suggested that series may be a bit fatter sounding than parallel. There's a possible 2nd reason for doing this - and that is, some folks believe an amp sounds best when utilizing the entire output transformer. When you have a 4, 8 and 16 ohm tap, the 16 ohm tap uses the output of entire transformer. kc
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Post by rickc007 on Feb 26, 2011 10:22:35 GMT -7
Thanks KC
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Post by Hohn on Feb 26, 2011 15:49:15 GMT -7
open + alnico = way to go. I'm using two 1x12 cabs - a Blue and a Gold. the only thing I might suggest is to - assuming you have two 8 ohm speakers - hook them up is series for a 16 ohm cab with the Gold first - this is how the ZWreck is wired. Interesting ... I remember demo'ing Stangrays with 2x12 cabs with Blues they were factory wired 2, 8ohms in parallel for 4 ohms Any familiar what differences you'd hear if you switched from series 16ohm, to parallel 4 ? My Stang with 2x Blues is factory wired 16Ohms in series. I think Doc switched to Parallel because occasionally a Blue was blowing in series. The lower impedance of the cab will reduce the OT efficiency somewhat and should result in *slightly* reduced max power output. Not really something you'd hear, but enough to keep a 15W Blue alive. JH
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Post by muzacman02 "Jamie" on Feb 27, 2011 20:12:51 GMT -7
CONGRATS!!! My friend has a new Zwreck its wired at 4Ohms, However , 4 or 16 The Ray sounds Killer!! Bottom line. Depending on what sounds your looking for I have mine set up to be Clean, But will get mean, using mostly a 2x12 Gold/GH30 Mojo combination, or with my 1x12's could range from a Heritage GH30 to a G12-30 Rola Celestion. I love my Ray it really delivers and is very loud. If you like clean twangy the Blues are great, but the Golds really deliver in the bottom. Welcome and enjoy! ;D
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bigredridinhood
New Member
Give me a few months and I'll change my mind again -Ignatious
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Post by bigredridinhood on Feb 28, 2011 9:16:51 GMT -7
Congrats, and welcome to the club! You will love the Ray!
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Post by kc on Feb 28, 2011 13:34:27 GMT -7
CONGRATS!!! My friend has a new Zwreck its wired at 4Ohms ...... ;D Then I stand corrected, thanks. Apparently the ZWreck 2x12 cab isn't necessarily wired in series @ 16 ohms (and maybe not at all). kc
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2011 14:14:29 GMT -7
Sounds like that cabinet may have been changed after leaving the Doctors office... Stock ZWreck 2x12 cab is "series" wired @16ohm... Or is that ohms?
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Post by BGiannini on Mar 1, 2011 10:45:47 GMT -7
I got the blue and gold hooked up. Sounded miraculous, but a little boomy in the low end. I couldnt seem to eq it out without it becoming thin. I switched the Gold out last night with a Weber blue but didn't get a chance to crank it. Will report on that later.
The real shocker was how the Blue and Gold made my Ghia and the V2 Mazerati sound!! Un-freaking believable!!! The Mazerati with the Blue and Gold should be in production!!! The Mazerati is quickly becoming my favorite amp!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2011 11:21:49 GMT -7
Please do let us know what you think of that WEBER/BLUE combination, "B"... thanks
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Post by BGiannini on Mar 5, 2011 21:36:59 GMT -7
The Weber/blue was ok but I ended up putting the Gold back in. Still not completely happy with it. It still seems boomy at the bottom, no middle, and a little thin at the top. I tested the blue and the gold independently and liked the sound of blue better. I'm going to try a blue/vintage 30 and a blue/greenback combo tomorrow. There are aspects of the Stangray that I absolutely love but it just seems to be missing something. For a long time, I played the Maz Jr almost exclusively. Lately I have been playing the Mazerati mostly. It is thick, percussive, sometimes too midish, but in a band setting, cuts through like nothing else. I haven't rehearsed with the band yet using the Stangray but my sense is it will get lost in the mix. I'm open to any suggestions! I know the sound is there, I just gotta find it.
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Post by BGiannini on Mar 6, 2011 9:01:49 GMT -7
And it hates every overdrive I've thrown at it! Fizzy. Fizzy. Fizzy. Very frustrated. Tried a Tim, Sparkle Drive, Ecstasy, Paisley, OCD...all sounded like tail...unusable. Help guys..
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Post by rickc007 on Mar 6, 2011 9:43:10 GMT -7
And it hates every overdrive I've thrown at it! Fizzy. Fizzy. Fizzy. Very frustrated. Tried a Tim, Sparkle Drive, Ecstasy, Paisley, OCD...all sounded like tail...unusable. Help guys.. Fulltone Fat Boost
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Post by kc on Mar 6, 2011 10:09:43 GMT -7
Is this a used Ray? If so, you may need to get some new tubes. What kind of sound are you aiming for? Country? Rock?
kc
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Post by bluzman on Mar 6, 2011 12:45:12 GMT -7
^^^^^ What Ken sez!
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Post by drew on Mar 6, 2011 13:00:50 GMT -7
Congrats on a great amp. I agree with KC and Bluzman, new tubes. I've gigged the ray with a 2x12 thd cab running weber 50W silver bell and 30 Watt Greenback clone both ceramic. For classic type R&R the middle and bottom end really come alive and running the cut around 9:00, tone 10:00 and get a fat crunchy tone. I always have to back off the treble control on strats & HB guitars to keep the highs from being too thin. I've very happy with the exotic BB and the ray. I set it differently than I do with other amps by backing off the treble control less than noon (indent) and boosting the bass a little past noon (indent).
For what I do the ray has different personalities depending on the speaker choice, most alnico verses ceramic. That said, I've experimented with the ray more than any other amp I've owned.
Good luck with your searches. Ping muzacman02 "Jamie" he's had great experience with speakers and pedals with the ray. He's using the ray for many different styles of music.
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Post by BGiannini on Mar 7, 2011 15:12:52 GMT -7
I appreciate all the responses and encouragement! I'm still trying to sort it out. I did consider a Fat Boost, and may stilll..., but just to clarify, I am able to dial in enough low end, but when I do, it kills the top and I've yet to find any mids in the amp at all. Steve (Benttop) has been very helpful and as he and some of you suggested, I'm gonna swap some tubes. I feel pretty confident that the fizziness that I'm hearing regardless of what OD i am running is not by design or they wouldn't have sold so many Stangrays! I think I've just become so hooked on the Mazerati that i compare everything to it and so far, nothing compares! I have purchased a Brake Lite which I will have in a few days and I'm hoping that cranking it will help! I will keep you guys posted!
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Post by imyurhuckleberry on Mar 16, 2011 21:37:07 GMT -7
Congrats! You can't go wrong with a Ray!
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Post by Ridgeback on Mar 17, 2011 8:51:14 GMT -7
A properly operating Ray is a thing of beauty tone-wise. Good luck getting it sorted out.
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Post by Maddog on May 14, 2011 21:52:54 GMT -7
Interesting ... I remember demo'ing Stangrays with 2x12 cabs with Blues they were factory wired 2, 8ohms in parallel for 4 ohms Any familiar what differences you'd hear if you switched from series 16ohm, to parallel 4 ? My Stang with 2x Blues is factory wired 16Ohms in series. I think Doc switched to Parallel because occasionally a Blue was blowing in series. The lower impedance of the cab will reduce the OT efficiency somewhat and should result in *slightly* reduced max power output. Not really something you'd hear, but enough to keep a 15W Blue alive. JH Mine is two blues in parallel for 4 ohms total impedence.....
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