As promised: Class5 & WGS Green Beret

JeffB

JeffB

Let it B
335 Studio w/ 57 Classic>orange Box Phaser>MXR BA78 (for lead only)>Mooer Reecho>Marshall Class 5. Mullard RI EL84. Shugangx7B in V1, Mullard RIx7 in V2. Ampeg 1x12 closed back cab with WGS Green Beret (greenback variation)

I do not think it is possible to take out that buzziness on the top end of this amp..at least with tubes and speakers. Perhaps a tech could mod it.

 
Re: As promised: Class5 & WGS Green Beret

That high end rasp is hard to escape with EL-84's in a Marshall type amp. I think the best I've heard it done is by 65 Amps with every EL-84 amp they've made. Also Bad Cat.

Getting a great Marshall tone at normal volumes has always been 'almost there, but not quite' as far as I'm concerned. Since lunchbox amps are all the rage, I think they should be doing stuff like 2 6V6 and 1 EL-34 or KT-88. EL-84's are great, but have too much chime and high end rasp for bold Marshall tones IMO.

I like my Orange Tiny Terror because it's got good tone, but that EL-84 rasp still sits on the top end, no matter what. It's fine in clean amps, but I think gainy amps sound better with bigger tubes.

All the companies focused on lunchbox amps should be thinking like THD......one octal power tube....whatever you like. 3 or 4 preamp tubes, and several knobs and switches. I think they'd be much better using that line of thinking.

And with these small amps....so much of the tone is the speaker and 1st preamp tube. They reveal the most about the circuit. If we get those two right, almost any low wattage amp will sound good.
 
Re: As promised: Class5 & WGS Green Beret

Agreed Joe. El84s have always been far from my fave tube, and both the class 5 and Tubemeister drive me nuts because of it (though the TM is pretty damn smooth overall, once you jack that master..broken glass) El84s also just do not have the low end needed in a Marshall circuit and have a high mid that totally dominates your tone in a bad way, Afaic.

Funny you mention 65amps, I have recently been introduced to their Empire model, which for me is about perfect as it does 60 and 70s Marshall type tones in !the 20ish watt range And it, of course, uses 6v6s. Even Marshall is now using 6v6s in the low watt DSL (and haze 15 before it) amps, and the new DSL 5 watt coming out has abandoned the 84 for one of those small 12b whatevers.
 
Re: As promised: Class5 & WGS Green Beret

I like your tone and think that the majority of it is coming from the Green Baret.

I've never been bothered by that raspiness because I like all the other good qualities of EL84's so much more. I like 6L6 and 6V6 but like the extra bite and crunch in the EL's.
 
Re: As promised: Class5 & WGS Green Beret

Thanks for listening Doc.

With the simple circuit, any changes..speaker, tubes, is very noticable with the class5. I had the gain full up there, usually not a setting I use. At that point, it doesnt matter what the speaker is, it is going to be nasty sounding as things get oversaturated...everyones mileage will vary on whether it is a good nasty, or bad nasty ;)

That said, it is SUPER fun and has a great feel to play when it is completely jacked up. I cannot say the same for my other amp when pushed to its limits.
 
Re: As promised: Class5 & WGS Green Beret

This sounds great as well. Nice amp/speaker combo. I do like the Tubemeister clip better though. Just seemed to have a bit more oomph. Both amps sound fantastic, Jeff. Nice stuff there.
 
Re: As promised: Class5 & WGS Green Beret

I dunno, what you call 'rasipness' I would call 'cut' and in a mix w a touch of Pultec love and a great room verb ... I think it would sit in a mix a lot better than the H&K...

Also, small diaphragm omni or cardio mics are not really suited for electric guitar. An SM57, properly close mic'd and into an inexpensive interface like the little Focusrite Saffire will give a much truer sonic picture than your de facto recorder.

I would nix pedal and tube rolling for the time being, and get a Saffire 2i2, and any of the great <$100 mics out there -- Shure, Audix, Heil, Prodipe, Blue, &cet.
 
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Re: As promised: Class5 & WGS Green Beret

TwilightOdyssey said:
I dunno, what you call 'rasipness' I would call 'cut' and in a mix w a touch of Pultec love and a great room verb ... I think it would sit in a mix a lot better than the H&K...

Also, small diaphragm omni or cardio mics are not really suited for electric guitar. An SM57, properly close mic'd and into an inexpensive interface like the little Focusrite Saffire will give a much truer sonic picture than your de facto recorder.

I would nix pedal and tube rolling for the time being, and get a Saffire 2i2, and any of the great <$100 mics out there -- Shure, Audix, Heil, Prodipe, Blue, &cet.
Click to expand...

Absolutely If I was interested in cutting more professional quality clips, Ben, I would invest in a real mic, and some software, though my guitar room is nowhere near my desktop, not even on the same level of the house, which is a PITA. I would need to either move all my guitar stuff, or buy a laptop...neither feasible for various reasons.

All that said, I play for my ears, and my fun, so pedals and tubes, and doohickeys get the nod over boring stuff like a mic and a piece of software ;)

And THAT having been said, I am considering picking up one of those Blackstar ID amps so I can run some backing tracks to jam along with instead of noodles.
 
Re: As promised: Class5 & WGS Green Beret

I don't hear whatever it is you think is wrong with the top end. It sound pretty good to my ears.
 
Re: As promised: Class5 & WGS Green Beret

JeffB said:
Absolutely If I was interested in cutting more professional quality clips, Ben, I would invest in a real mic, and some software, though my guitar room is nowhere near my desktop, not even on the same level of the house, which is a PITA. I would need to either move all my guitar stuff, or buy a laptop...neither feasible for various reasons.

All that said, I play for my ears, and my fun, so pedals and tubes, and doohickeys get the nod over boring stuff like a mic and a piece of software ;)

And THAT having been said, I am considering picking up one of those Blackstar ID amps so I can run some backing tracks to jam along with instead of noodles.
Click to expand...
My point being that SDC mic's can be PAINFULLY bright, especially inexpensive ones, and they accentuate a harshness in the upper mids that could easily be dialed out with using a more appropriate mic. :)
 
Re: As promised: Class5 & WGS Green Beret

UMD, glad you like it! Its alittle too crispy for me, but different strokes and all. I can dial in a tone that is a bit smoother but it comes at the loss of a chunk of gain.

Ben, the limiter on the recorder I use actually does a better job of dulling the issue. Class5 definitely gets raspy and harsh cranked. But yeah, I could probably do alot more to make it sound better once it has been recorded....but I am of the stubborn mindset to get it right in the room, instead of using band-aids to cover up the issue (no pun intended).

At any rate, I agree that in the mix it will likely disappear.
 
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