$400 Good Clean Amp for Pedal Use?

[Mukobi]

Re: $400 Good Clean Amp for Pedal Use?

That is awesome! Congrats on the new amp! Please let us know what you think.

I would say see what you think of it before immediately swapping out the speaker–see what you think of the amp and how it responds. That way you will know what qualities you like and what is lacking/needs help (if any, you may like it as it.) I love the Eminence Legend in mine (I have one from the first year they made these, they changed speakers in the early 2000s if memory serves me right) but I just got a screamin deal on two Cannabis Rex speakers and will try one in my HRD.

A super cheap mod that can help give you more clean head room is this simple mod where you replace the first 12AX7 (from right to left when looking at the back of the amp) with a 12AT7 or 12AY7.

Feel free to PM me with any questions, love my HDR.

The HRD is my first "real" amp, so I don't have anything else to compare the speaker to.

With the preamp tube swap, do you feel like it improves the gain sounds of the Hot Rod (people say the gain channel sucks a bit stock) or is it more just for lowering the volume and rate of gain of the amp? Also, is there a tonal difference between 12AT7s and 12AY7s in your experience or is the difference just in gain?

[HTT]

Re: $400 Good Clean Amp for Pedal Use?

Genres I like: Blues, jazz, 70s-80s rock, fusion. The only real requirement of is that the amp needs to be able to get a reasonably good jazz tone as the other genres I can easily get with good pedals.

A used AC15 would work. I much prefer the Vox chime for cleans.

edit: crud. I responded to the OP and did not read the whole thread. It looks like you are all set. HRDs are very nice amps.

[treyhaislip]

Re: $400 Good Clean Amp for Pedal Use?

The HRD is my first "real" amp, so I don't have anything else to compare the speaker to.

With the preamp tube swap, do you feel like it improves the gain sounds of the Hot Rod (people say the gain channel sucks a bit stock) or is it more just for lowering the volume and rate of gain of the amp? Also, is there a tonal difference between 12AT7s and 12AY7s in your experience or is the difference just in gain?

Well, just see what you think of it, you got a great price on it and a good replacement speaker can be had for under $100.

I've only tried the AT7, not the AY7. From the demos (which you can't always write home about) the drive sounds much better. Mine was modded BUT it still sounded better to my ears, not quite as harsh. I only noticed a significant tone change in my Gold Cello pedal, the others sounded better but wasn't a change in tone to my ears.

For pedals, the added clean headroom was incredible! I tried this mod last September and haven't swapped back yet.

Here is a thread about it.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: $400 Good Clean Amp for Pedal Use?

Well, just see what you think of it, you got a great price on it and a good replacement speaker can be had for under $100.

I've only tried the AT7, not the AY7. From the demos (which you can't always write home about) the drive sounds much better. Mine was modded BUT it still sounded better to my ears, not quite as harsh. I only noticed a significant tone change in my Gold Cello pedal, the others sounded better but wasn't a change in tone to my ears.

For pedals, the added clean headroom was incredible! I tried this mod last September and haven't swapped back yet.

Here is a thread about it.

Yes, very little if any change in tone. I haven't noticed any. But there is a significant change in the gain...certainly less gain, but as Trey said, it is also a smoother less harsh sounding gain.