Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

[Lewguitar]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

I love stock Vintage 30's and don't find them to be harsh or to bright at all. Whether they sound good to a player or not is, I think, dependant on the pickups, amp and playing style and whether you play with a band or are just listening to them at home all by yourself with your ears just a few feet away from the speakers hearing every tiny detail.

I do like the G12H30 a little more than the V 30...it has a thicker tone with more mids and to me it sounds a little fatter in an open back cab than the V30.

But guys like Steve Vai have used the V30 for years in 4 x 12 bottems and obviously Steve knows good tone and gets a good tone.

If a player can't get a "good" tone out of the Vintage 30 I wouldn't blame the speaker. But whether it's the speaker for "you" or not is, of course, a personal thing.

But there's no reason on Earth why the V30 shouldn't sound at least "good" to just about any player because, IMO, it's way beyond just "good"...it's a great and classic speaker.

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

I am not a fan so much of that speaker. Has an upper mid bite that does not speak to me. A friend has a cab with em, so I hear it all the time. Not bad, but I don't like my heads through it. Makr sure you get it broken in, that will surely make a big difference. I also have had great luck spraying fabric softener on the cone ( let it dry fully) it does a nice job of loosening up the speaker and will mellow high end.

I have fallen in love with the Eminence Swamp Thang. It is very open sounding, warm highs and very full bottom end, while still possessing great clarity. I have a Wizard too, which does a nice G12H impersonation. Have that in another cab.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

Vintage 30's, like all speakers, break in over time and the tone deepens. The speakers in my two Matchless amps are Vintage 30's that Matchless breaks in with the acetone trick. They sound deeper and warmer than any stock Vintage 30 I own. Lew

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

I love stock Vintage 30's and don't find them to be harsh or to bright at all. Whether they sound good to a player or not is, I think, dependant on the pickups, amp and playing style and whether you play with a band or are just listening to them at home all by yourself with your ears just a few feet away from the speakers hearing every tiny detail.

I do like the G12H30 a little more than the V 30...it has a thicker tone with more mids and to me it sounds a little fatter in an open back cab than the V30.

But guys like Steve Vai have used the V30 for years in 4 x 12 bottems and obviously Steve knows good tone and gets a good tone.

If a player can't get a "good" tone out of the Vintage 30 I wouldn't blame the speaker. But whether it's the speaker for "you" or not is, of course, a personal thing.

But there's no reason on Earth why the V30 shouldn't sound at least "good" to just about any player because, IMO, it's way beyond just "good"...it's a great and classic speaker.

Hi Lew!

That's the thing. With my other tube amps, my V30/G12H30 x pattern 4x12 makes them sound like completely different amps compared to the speakers that were in it before. They sound "vintage" and the speakers are just so full and incredible. In this Vox though the V30 sounded real bad (Hellatone which is supposed to be broken in already) and the G12H30 sounded great, but the bottom was real flab or woof. I turned down everything but that didn't do the trick. The neodog does sound the best but now I'm going to go the tube route and I want to try one of those Earcandy 2X12s with a few mixes of V30s and G12H30s. I can hear that my tones are in this amp and I WILL pull them out, LOL.

You know what though? The bottom line is I'm having fun doing the speaker changes etc... I love messing with the amps. I also got a BBE Sonic Stomp and maybe that will help as well. By the way the guitars I'm testing these out with are my 75 LP custom with antiquites, my early 70s LP deluxe with a JB bridge and my custome made Mooretone strat.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

Hi Lew!

That's the thing. With my other tube amps, my V30/G12H30 x pattern 4x12 makes them sound like completely different amps compared to the speakers that were in it before. They sound "vintage" and the speakers are just so full and incredible. In this Vox though the V30 sounded real bad (Hellatone which is supposed to be broken in already) and the G12H30 sounded great, but the bottom was real flab or woof. I turned down everything but that didn't do the trick. The neodog does sound the best but now I'm going to go the tube route and I want to try one of those Earcandy 2X12s with a few mixes of V30s and G12H30s. I can hear that my tones are in this amp and I WILL pull them out, LOL.

You know what though? The bottom line is I'm having fun doing the speaker changes etc... I love messing with the amps. I also got a BBE Sonic Stomp and maybe that will help as well. By the way the guitars I'm testing these out with are my 75 LP custom with antiquites, my early 70s LP deluxe with a JB bridge and my custome made Mooretone strat.

Good luck with the speaker changes and I agree it is fun...Eventually you'll hopefully find the winning combination for your setup....The V30s are great and I'm finding it hard to fathom that they sound bad? I've never heard a V30(s) that sounded bad,plus I never felt that these speakers were harsh? They have mids,and strong lows and they cut great,but they aren't harsh? Maybe it's my ears? LOL.....I like smoother and warmer tones and the V30 wouldn't be my speaker of choice if I were in agreement on bright and harsh...:smack: :13:

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

Good luck with the speaker changes and I agree it is fun...Eventually you'll hopefully find the winning combination for your setup....The V30s are great and I'm finding it hard to fathom that they sound bad? I've never heard a V30(s) that sounded bad,plus I never felt that these speakers were harsh? They have mids,and strong lows and they cut great,but they aren't harsh? Maybe it's my ears? LOL.....I like smoother and warmer tones and the V30 wouldn't be my speaker of choice if I were in agreement on bright and harsh...:smack: :13:

Yeah, I know! This is the only amp I've ever had a V30 not sound good in. I would have chalked it up to not being broken in but it's a Hellatone. I've got to think it's either the tube, this cabinet maybe doesn't like one V30 or my particular amp doesn't do what it's supposed to do. Today's my day though, hee hee. It's mad scientist day.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

The "flub" IME is not the speaker re: Valvetronix...

In both combos, and now with the ToneLab SE, even through the super tight 200 Watt speaker in the Atomic Reactor, the bottom end is still flubby. The only way I've been able to tighten them up is using a pedal model or a real pedsal, but this also turns the sound to mud in the mids and highs.

I ran the Tonelab through my Rivera with it's custom 55 celestion and same prob. POD XTL through the Atomic, and the Rivera is super tight. Used sev different guitars all w/ Alnico V or Ceramic pups.

Also, I ran a SansAmp (original) through both of my VT combos (using the Dumble clean model set "neutral") and had no issues with tight enough bass.

I just think the VOX pre-power amp modelling sounds flubby compared to other companies designs. It's unfortunate cos they def sound more like a "real" tube amp than the all digital designs.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

The "flub" IME is not the speaker re: Valvetronix...

In both combos, and now with the ToneLab SE, even through the super tight 200 Watt speaker in the Atomic Reactor, the bottom end is still flubby. The only way I've been able to tighten them up is using a pedal model or a real pedsal, but this also turns the sound to mud in the mids and highs.

I ran the Tonelab through my Rivera with it's custom 55 celestion and same prob. POD XTL through the Atomic, and the Rivera is super tight. Used sev different guitars all w/ Alnico V or Ceramic pups.

Also, I ran a SansAmp (original) through both of my VT combos (using the Dumble clean model set "neutral") and had no issues with tight enough bass.

I just think the VOX pre-power amp modelling sounds flubby compared to other companies designs. It's unfortunate cos they def sound more like a "real" tube amp than the all digital designs.

I don't agree with the problem being the VT series amp,as I don't experience this phenomena with mine? Might be a bad amp or a tube issue...????

 

[JeffB]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

I don't agree with the problem being the VT series amp,as I don't experience this phenomena with mine? Might be a bad amp or a tube issue...????

Possibly a tube (as they are all stock)...but it's been the case with 3 diff VTs of my own, and noticed the same issue in two of my friends VTs as well ? I can't believe they are all bad amps :shrug: I'm speaking of the Marshall and Soldano models under high gain...I don't mess around with the rest of the models. The Plexi on the Tonelab SE is actually the tightest (when theoretically it shouldn't be) of the Marshalls. The POD XTL sounds like an 800 or Soldano should..tight bottom end..quite a big difference actually. Perhpas I'll try and get some clips up of the POD vs. the TOnelab SE up through the atomic when I have a chance so people can hear what I'm talking about.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

Possibly a tube (as they are all stock)...but it's been the case with 3 diff VTs of my own, and noticed the same issue in two of my friends VTs as well ? I can't believe they are all bad amps :shrug: I'm speaking of the Marshall and Soldano models under high gain...I don't mess around with the rest of the models. The Plexi on the Tonelab SE is actually the tightest (when theoretically it shouldn't be) of the Marshalls. The POD XTL sounds like an 800 or Soldano should..tight bottom end..quite a big difference actually. Perhpas I'll try and get some clips up of the POD vs. the TOnelab SE up through the atomic when I have a chance so people can hear what I'm talking about.

Must be our music styles cause "flub" isn't a characteristic of my tone from the series,though you know I'm a pedal modder and have pretty good ears? So they tell me! LOL....After that it really boils down to our gear and the way we eq our amps? I guess I feel lucky that I don't have these issues with my own amp through 2 different cabs,plus I researched this amp quite a bit before buying...I use this amp more than my vintage Fender and Marshall stuff and either I'm crazy,or I just like the way I have mine dialed in? :wink:

 

[JeffB]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

Must be our music styles cause "flub" isn't a characteristic of my tone from the series

Quite possibly, John...def our music styles are very different..I suspect you are not using the type of gain I am.....I don't doubt others get good (and enjoy the) sounds of the Valvetronix series (I'm not saying they suck, the Bassman mod in particular and the plexi are quite good)...but they cannot deliver the bottom end tightness I need or am used to with my choice in guitars/pups...the POD XTL, Sansamp, my old 1987X, and Rivera do.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

I'm starting a new post called results of Valvetronix experiments. I think I've solved all my "problems" with my Valvetronix amp, not that there were any real problems so to speak.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

Getting back to V-30 thing: I wonder how similar the Hellatone modded V-30 is to the Matchless modded V-30? The V-30's in my Matchless amps are the fattest, warmest, thickest sounding V-30's I've ever heard. I wouldn't have even thought they were Vintage 30's if Joe (Gearjoneser) hadn't told me what they were! To me they don't even sound like a Vintage 30...they sound more like a G12H-30 but they're fatter sounding than those too...

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

Getting back to V-30 thing: I wonder how similar the Hellatone modded V-30 is to the Matchless modded V-30? The V-30's in my Matchless amps are the fattest, warmest, thickest sounding V-30's I've ever heard. I wouldn't have even thought they were Vintage 30's if Joe (Gearjoneser) hadn't told me what they were! To me they don't even sound like a Vintage 30...they sound more like a G12H-30 but they're fatter sounding than those too...

The Hellatone is supposed to be a stock V30 that Avatar cranks music or something through for lots of hours to break it in. I asked him to crank lots of Hendrix so I could catch the mojo baby, LOL. If you peel back the Hellatone label the stock Celestion label is right underneath. He never mentioned any other mods but you never know.

When I got my Hellatone 60's and 30's(G12H30) and put them in an X pattern in my cab, I thought I died and went to heaven when I fired up the amp.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

The Hellatone is supposed to be a stock V30 that Avatar cranks music or something through for lots of hours to break it in. I asked him to crank lots of Hendrix so I could catch the mojo baby, LOL. If you peel back the Hellatone label the stock Celestion label is right underneath. He never mentioned any other mods but you never know.

When I got my Hellatone 60's and 30's(G12H30) and put them in an X pattern in my cab, I thought I died and went to heaven when I fired up the amp.

I think the rest of the trick is to brush acetone on the sticky surround of the speaker and remove some of the "dope" as well as soften the surround while pumping a little music through it. My brother Bruce turned me onto that trick, and it works great for deepening the tone of a brand new speaker. He fills a jar with acetone and uses a soldering flux brush and keeps dipping and rinsing it in the acetone. Lew

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

The matching Vox AD 2x12 cab is baltic birch just like my Marshall AV 4x12 cab....The Vox cab was $449.Both sound great...I Pulled the Neo-Dog off of E Bay just to try it with the V30 to see how it sounds...The vox cab s pretty sturdy and stout overall and the construction seemed really good when I was inside of it recently..

Hi John--Did you try this yet? I saw in your previous post that you put the other dog on ebay, but didn't say if you tried using one V30 and the dog together.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Put a Hellatone V30 in my Valvetronix...

Hi John--Did you try this yet? I saw in your previous post that you put the other dog on ebay, but didn't say if you tried using one V30 and the dog together.

Nope I'm very happy with the set of V30s....The second Neo is on E Bay again...