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Post by benttop (Steve) on Apr 21, 2006 15:59:00 GMT -7
Well I have a half hour in on my Stingray through my 4x10 with Fender 15 watt speakers and HOLY MOLEY! Is this thing good or what? I have my fingers crossed that it will be loud enough because it sure has the clean mojo I've been searching for. DANG! And noticing the effects loop there, I tried my Rotosphere II that hasn't worked well with ANY of my other amps, and for crying out loud - THERE IS NO NOISE FROM THE ROTOSPHERE II!!!! How that comes about I cannot say, but for the first time since I bought the Rotosphere, I can actually use it! It sounds just WONDERFUL through the Stingray! I have a lot of other testing to do obviously, but the 'ray is going out tomorrow for its first gigs, so I'll have real world data by Sunday. But right here at home that thing sounds wonderful. I'm grinning from ear to ear here! Curt - dude, you get Karma all week! I have never heard a clean tone with so many complex harmonics in the sound - I can't wait to get my cab on order now! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by JASON (aka jgleaton) on Apr 21, 2006 16:15:49 GMT -7
I think my initial reaction was... HOLY CRAP! ;D It definitely should be Loud enough and just remember on that 1st gig that it's louder than you think it is ( so far with mine anyway) cause it's SNEAKY loud, It's not harsh and so smooth sometimes you can't tell just HOW MUCH that thing is cutting through BUT it really IS... I can't WAIT to hear the report from your gigs... heck I can't wait till OUR next gig cause I wanna crank it! Jason
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Apr 21, 2006 16:51:03 GMT -7
I put another half hour on it just now. I wanted to turn on the BB Preamp, try the Speedster Analog Chorus, try the Demeter Compulator and the Humphries Atom Smasher - virtually everything sounds better. When I get time I'm going to have to redo all of my testing because this is a whole new ballgame with the Stingray. And not a bad ballgame either. I just can't get over how great that Rotosphere II sounds - I've been wanting that sound for a couple of songs for like EVER and now I'll have it. I'm grinning so wide my ears are going to fall into my mouth! The complexity that I hear with the Stingray is a similar thing to what the Flexi has, only on the clean side of the equation. With the Flexi, I can dial in a similar tone as the Stingray (albiet they still are different because of the power amp topology) but I like the Flexi for the way its distortion sounds - complex like the Stingray - but I've wanted a similarly complex clean tone to A/B with. Well the Stingray totally does it! YAY! ;D
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Apr 21, 2006 22:29:21 GMT -7
Well another session under the belt here and I'm more impressed than ever with the Stingray. Wow, this really is a completely different amp - a whole extra layer of complex harmonics on everything. The word "Jangle" just isn't descriptive enough. I've discovered though that it doesn't like my THD 2x12 nearly as much as it likes my 4x10 cab, but the 4x10 isn't quite as loud. The THD seems to be a bit peaky - I'm thinking a proper set of speakers is in order here. I recall seeing here that the Alnico Blues tend to be a bit louder than some other speakers, and that might suit me fine. I'll probably use the 4x10 until I get the new cab though. I thought I'd like this amp, but I was utterly unprepared for just how much I'm liking it so quickly. Maybe tomorrow the honeymoon will be over, but right now it sure doesn't look like it.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2006 22:52:12 GMT -7
I know what you mean Steve. The honeymoon is not over with the Stingray. Every time I turn it on I find a new sound. The amp has so much depth and complexity, I couldn't find a bad sound if I tried. ;D
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Post by hdahs143 on Apr 22, 2006 4:38:43 GMT -7
So you like this thing huh ;D ;D!
My Stingray head and my ZBEST don't get along either. You loose alot of that complexity and jangle. Plus the bottom end of the 'Ray seems confined in the closed back setup.
An open back 2x12 with 30W Weber Alnico Blue Dogs, or the Celestion Blues, is next and soon!
Welcome to 'Rayville
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Post by Bill on Apr 22, 2006 5:21:30 GMT -7
Benttop, just wait until you gig the amp where the true colors rise to the surface ;D. To me it's an amazing amp in my little room, but then onstage around drums, bass and other guitars it really SHINES! I played a packed club last night and this rig makes it much more enjoyable. That and the dancing girls! Can't comment on the speakers, at least from my experiences. From day one I've used a single Weber alnico Blue Dog (but you probably already knew that ), and it is nothing short of outstanding to my ears. It seems the amp is designed for open back cabinets, and most likely is happier with alnico speakers. I'm sure by now you're also discovering how many killer tones are available in those TWO little knobs. For me it's as simple as setting the rig up, Cut at noon, and dial in your sound to taste & the room...takes only seconds. Need an adjustment? Just tweak the tone knob and you're there...love it!
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Apr 22, 2006 7:36:01 GMT -7
Thanks guys. When I set up the funding for this, I made sure I had enough for a Z 2x12 open back with Celestion Alnico Blues, so that's where I'm headed with this. Need to wait till Monday to do the order though, and gig with what I have until it gets here. I don't imagine it will arrive in moments either. So I'm pleased that the 4x10 sounds as it does so I can gig this thing. Checking the bands set list for tonight it appears I'll be using the 'ray on the majority of the tunes, so I'm looking forward to it!
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Post by JASON (aka jgleaton) on Apr 22, 2006 13:05:25 GMT -7
So you like this thing huh ;D ;D! My Stingray head and my ZBEST don't get along either. You loose alot of that complexity and jangle. Plus the bottom end of the 'Ray seems confined in the closed back setup. An open back 2x12 with 30W Weber Alnico Blue Dogs, or the Celestion Blues, is next and soon! Welcome to 'Rayville If you try a Weber 50 watt Alnico Blue OR Silver in the top with your G12-H30 in the bottom of your Z-best... the Ray will then sound very good through the Z-best and the Maz Sr sounds better to me also... the RAY doesn't like that V30 at all.... the weber warms it up...ya get that complexity and jangle BACK and the bottom is HUGE! Sounds DIFFERENT than the open back but very good... Just a thought but ya could try that as a simple fix while ya wait on your open back 2x12...then when ya do get it.... you've got a cab for both amps that are interchangable if you liked the speaker swap... just a thought.... I've discovered though that it doesn't like my THD 2x12 nearly as much as it likes my 4x10 cab, but the 4x10 isn't quite as loud. The THD seems to be a bit peaky - I'm thinking a proper set of speakers is in order here. I recall seeing here that the Alnico Blues tend to be a bit louder than some other speakers, and that might suit me fine. I'll probably use the 4x10 until I get the new cab though. YES, my THD with the original speakers didn't like my MAZ 38 EITHER! as much as I liked that cab with NON Z AMPS... WITH DR Z's it was spikey and ear fatiguing until I switched speakers... the webers here also made all the difference! the celestions that were in the THD cab could really WAKE Up dull sounding amps but with the RICHER sounding DR Z's it was a bit much... now both the MAZ SR and the RAY sound good through that cab... Jason
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Post by Curt on Apr 22, 2006 19:29:42 GMT -7
Uhhhh, your welcome Steve,
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Apr 23, 2006 1:33:38 GMT -7
Well I played the Stingray tonight - I had originally planned to A/B with the Flexi but I decided the best way to get used to a new amp is play the darn thing, so I just took the Stingray and my 4x10 cab. But that cab's not going to do it for me. It just isn't quite right for the Stingray - just all I really have for it for now. The amp was pretty good though - a LOT different than the Flexi of course, and so it challenged me - running fairly clean and articulate makes you have to play better! And it will take a while to learn the amp's strong points and play them. I used the BB Preamp for gainier songs, and that worked pretty good too - I think I need one other overdrive box on there with more gravel in the distortion - the BB is really smooth and pretty articulate. I was worried about the Stingray having enough volume, but the highest I had the airbrake was at one notch down from thru. So I probably have another 2db I could pull out. That's pretty close to wide open I'd say - with the right speakers I don't think I'll have any issues there. Overall a pretty successful maiden voyage. Now to get those speakers! My feet hurt - think I'll hit the hay now...
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