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Post by Funk#49 on Aug 27, 2014 3:09:44 GMT -7
Hey guys, I have had my Ghia for a couple weeks now and I'm really diggin it! The tone control is one awesome design. It kinda makes me dread dialing in my Mesa dual rectifier.....who would have thought one tone control would be all you really need?!
My question for you guys is what is the best set of tubes to run in my Ghia to get some good overdrive out of the amp? My Ghia stays fairly clean even at 1-2 o'clock on the volume control. (Tele/SG) It has a set on JJ el84's in it now. The guy I bought it from said he changed the tubes in it....but didn't specify how long ago? Would older tubes contribute to the lack of drive?
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Post by bryan0418 on Aug 27, 2014 4:59:03 GMT -7
The Ghia is a fun amp for sure. What level of gain are you looking to get from this amp? It isn't designed to get a lot of gain like you may be used to from your Mesa.
Usually the Ghia will start to break up after 11:00 with a humbucker guitar.
The JJ tubes are the factory spec tube Dr Z choose for that amp. Some guys switch to the JJ EL844 tubes which claim to break up 25 percent sooner. I never tried them but maybe someone will chime in.
You speaker is also an important piece of the breakup you are after. A lower wattage speaker like a Celestion Blue or G12M Heritage 20 watt speaker in the Ghia will break up and contribute to the breakup you hear. A higher wattage speaker like the Vintage 30 will not break up with the Ghia.
You also could run a clean boost into the front of the amp to push your signal a bit more.
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Post by nmz on Aug 27, 2014 5:17:54 GMT -7
Wow clean at 1-2 o'clock? Like others I find excellent drive from 11 and up.
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Post by Baconator on Aug 27, 2014 5:52:56 GMT -7
That does seem to be remarkably clean for a Ghia since mine starts breaking up around 10;00 with my tele and strat. I'd check the tubes that are in there are supposed to be there, most importantly the preamp tubes (5751 and 12ax7). Some people will change the 12ax7 to a lower gain tube to clean up the amp so perhaps that's what's going on.
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Post by simpleton on Aug 27, 2014 8:33:39 GMT -7
Yeah I agree with the fellas up above about the usual break up being around 11 ish and that usually you will have as the stock configuration of tubes = V1: JJ ECC83S, V2: NOS 5751, V3/4 JJ EL84 (matched pair), V5: NOS 5Y3
Like stated some folks will replace the 12AX7 with another NOS 5751 to increase the clean headroom. As well some folks will replace the 5751 with another 12AX7 to increase the gain. That in connection with speaker options and the Ghia can honestly take on many shapes of tone. A shape shifter of tone if you will.
Welcome into Z mania. Also besides the crazy amount of knobs on the Mesa amps they usually have a crazy amount of tubes too !! After so many years of my Ghia I don't even like to have to adjust the Bass Treble or Mids anymore, I don't even know what I want anymore. 2 knobs is just right for me.
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Post by Funk#49 on Aug 27, 2014 10:20:06 GMT -7
Thanks for the replies. You guys are awesome! It seems to be running the correct tubes in the suggest order. I'm definitely not looking for the "mesa overdrive" from my Z, but just wondering if say..."ZZ Top drive" is possible?
My Ghia has a Warehouse g12c 75 watt speaker...I kinda figured that was part of my problem. I would like to get a Celestion blue for my Ghia asap. The only extra speakers I have available to swap out with is a Celestion Vintage 30.
I have been using a Wampler Plexi-drive and an Xotic RC boost for my drives.The tone and power this little amp has is awesome. Just itching to hear a little more of its natural break up!
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Post by Baconator on Aug 27, 2014 10:46:22 GMT -7
ZZ Top drive is a little beyond the typical scope of the Ghia without some sort of dirt pedal, but you can get close if you're willing to crank it up. One thing I've only recently learned from the fine folks here is that if you do want to run the volume in the higher ranges you probably will want to adjust the tone to be a little brighter. The Ghia tends to get a little fuzzy when maxing out the volume, or at least mine does. You might want to try the V30 since that's what generally is in the Ghia combos - it's certainly worth a shot anyways.
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Post by simpleton on Aug 27, 2014 10:48:10 GMT -7
Doc sells them with Vintage 30's so that wouldn't hurt to try. I've never tried it thru a Blue, but I use Eminence Legend 10516 in a 2x10 and they are rated for 75 watts too so I don't think your breakup is associated to the speaker necessarily. I'd think to get to ZZ territory you'd be up to the top of the volume dial also it seems to me to get more breakup early if the bass is thickend up.
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Post by Funk#49 on Aug 27, 2014 12:54:06 GMT -7
How does the Celestion blue compare to the greenback. Is it worth the extra money for the blue?
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Post by simpleton on Aug 27, 2014 13:53:28 GMT -7
How does the Celestion blue compare to the greenback. Is it worth the extra money for the blue? This I don't know as I've played neither, but I was thinking about this post today while playing with the Ghia and I totally get what you're saying. The Ghia doesn't really have gain at 11 o'clock, rather it has grit and overdrive. To get gain I'd agree it has to be higher on the Volume. This is when comparing to my Monza which is a gain style amp. It kinda made me realize what you were saying. Single notes sound cleanish around 11 o'clock but when you strum out a chord with gusto, you'll be rewarded with a great overdrive sound. I mostly use P90's or hotter Tele style pickups. |
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Post by Funk#49 on Aug 27, 2014 14:15:45 GMT -7
I totally agree. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this little amp! It is definitely what I would call a game changer for me. You get out of it what you put it in it. I have wanted a Dr Z for a long time and it's been well worth the wait! It definitely sounds and responds differently than my 6L6 Fender amps. It seems to have a tone and frequency range that puts your guitar right where it needs to be in the mix.
After playing the Ghia...all I can say is Wow! And this won't be my last Dr Z. Just out of curiosity, does anyone on here own a Stangray? If so, on the low input will it reach light overdrive. Or is it strictly clean with headroom for days?
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Post by jb on Aug 27, 2014 14:31:15 GMT -7
I think the Celestion Blue sounds great with the Ghia. Also use a G12H30 with it and you can really hear the difference. I think the Blue is worth the money. Welcome to the Forum!
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Post by nmz on Aug 27, 2014 14:33:19 GMT -7
I totally agree. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this little amp! It is definitely what I would call a game changer for me. You get out of it what you put it in it. I have wanted a Dr Z for a long time and it's been well worth the wait! It definitely sounds and responds differently than my 6L6 Fender amps. It seems to have a tone and frequency range that puts your guitar right where it needs to be in the mix. After playing the Ghia...all I can say is Wow! And this won't be my last Dr Z. Just out of curiosity, does anyone on here own a Stangray? If so, on the low input will it reach light overdrive. Or is it strictly clean with headroom for days? And your journey begins! |
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Post by eryan36 on Aug 31, 2014 11:57:04 GMT -7
I had the opposite goal- more clean on the dial. I pulled the V1 ECC83 the PO had and swapped it with a NOS 6072A. Clean up to about 1:30. So, OP, try the reverse.
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Post by Funk#49 on Aug 31, 2014 21:27:33 GMT -7
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I appreciate it.
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Post by Brimstone on Sept 1, 2014 17:47:23 GMT -7
Currently I am using Tung-sol 84's. V1 is a Tung-sol 12ax7 and V2 is a NOS GE 5751. Recto is the stock NOS 5Y3 and speaker is the Red Fang. I hit it hard around 2 o'clock with an LP and hold on!! Experiment!!
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Post by simpleton on Sept 2, 2014 0:34:17 GMT -7
I'm just using what Doc recommends from the website as far as tubes, but AGREE big time with the Volume being up. I was running mine at 3 o'clock tonight with the 1x10 Red Fang and my buddy uses a Bogner Metropolis ( crazy great sounding amp ). His amp is 30 watts and the ol' Ghia was ...' Wo O o O o Hangin' tough ' all night. LP with P90's and keeping my guitar volume around 5-7 for rhythm or quieter lead work... but room on knob for the scorchers. I love the Ghia....Best amp ever I think.
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Post by mauiman(Bill in Texas) on Sept 2, 2014 10:47:18 GMT -7
Your situation sounds like the same one I had when I bought my first Dr Z amp off eBay. It was a Carnen Ghia too. And it wasn't what I expected after watching videos and reading the Z Forum. It had a WGS 65 watt speaker. Not only did I have to turn it way way up to get any overdrive, the tone I had expected was not there either. I eventually replaced the WGS with a new Celestion Blue. That along with some NOS tubes from KCA and now I finally have the amp I wanted. Great amp! Great amp!
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Post by Funk#49 on Sept 2, 2014 13:51:17 GMT -7
I think we have the same situation Bill. I love the amp the way it is, but I see a Celestion blue in the near future. I have been using some Wampler pedals for my drive tones which works well for lower volume. When you replaced the tubes with the NOS set did you replace them to the docs specs? Do you mind sharing the set and brand of the tubes? Thanks for all the comments and info. You guys are all very knowledgeable and helpful.
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Post by mauiman(Bill in Texas) on Sept 2, 2014 15:20:08 GMT -7
I installed a JAN Sylvania 12AX7WA and a pair of Tungsram EL84. These were not my first choices. I originally contacted Mike at KCA and told him the problem and what tone I needed at lower volume and what NOS tubes I thought I wanted to buy. All this after reading everything I could read on the subject in 6 to 8 hours. Mike said he had a much better idea. Hey, he was right. Way right. But looking back I would have saved a bunch of time and a little money just following Doc's advice. I'm still way happy with what I got and I got what I wanted. But then again you may be looking for something different. Good luck on your tone quest!
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Post by jesslm02 on Sept 3, 2014 11:53:38 GMT -7
The ghia and a blue are a great match. The gold is great also if you need a tighter bottom end.
Sent from my Galaxy S4 using Proboards
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Post by Funk#49 on Sept 4, 2014 12:06:29 GMT -7
JJ ecc83s
5751
JJ el84 ×2
JJ 5y3s
Theses are the tubes that came in my Ghia. From what I can tell these are what the amp calls for. Do you guys think a nos 5y3 would make a difference? I had someone refer a nos Sylvania 5y3gta.
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Post by Brimstone on Sept 6, 2014 13:52:25 GMT -7
Mine came with an NOS 5y3 from Z so I really have nothing to compair it to. Experiment.
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