New amp day

[birv2]

Got my Christmas present early -- a used Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. It's in need of some work, so I got a pretty good deal on it. I consulted my amp guy first, and he felt it was worth going for.

I love the warm clean and overdriven sounds. A lot fuller than my Pro Jr. I do realize that they have a history of defects (cold soldering, input jacks, etc). Hopefully, we can get it up and running reliably. The former owner said it needed a new speaker, tubes, and repair on the presence. Even with all that, I'm happy with the price.

I'm going to Eurotubes for one of their HRD sets, and I'm looking around for a replacement speaker. Any suggestions?

Everyone says how light it is, but I've been spoiled by my PJ. Feels heavy to me!

 

[FrankenFretter]

Congrats on the new amph! I think the speaker you choose depends on what kind of sound you're looking for. I prefer Celestion, as far as brands go, but I also have a Jensen and an Eminence that both sound good.

 

[Tig]

and I'm looking around for a replacement speaker. Any suggestions?

The info at this website is actually from a Blue Jr point of view, but the detailed descriptions of speakers could be of use for your decision making:
http://billmaudio.com/wp/?page_id=295




* Something a little off the radar here, but has gotten positive attention...
From Avatar speakers and cabinets, the Hellatone 60. I know, I never heard of them either until recently, but this is worth checking into.

We start with a stock great sounding classic 60 watt Celestion Vintage 30. We convert it into a Hellatone by aging it slightly and by exercising the suspension for 15 hours so when you get it, it has a warmer tone on the very first note. These two aging processes warm up the low end and smooth out the midrange slightly. The Hellatone model 60 really projects and is great for all kinds of music..especially Rock and Metal! Large Heavy 50 oz magnet 60 watts 8 ohm or 16 ohm.
$99 plus $12 shipping

 

[birv2]

Thanks for the info, Tig. That Hellatone looks interesting, though the heavy magnet scares me off a bit. The amp feels plenty heavy right now!

I like the clips I've heard of the Eminence Wizard.

Still looking...

 

[Robert]

I use the Wizards, and I really like them.

Scott Henderson uses a Heritage 65 in his HRD, and Scott knows good tone. Hint.

 

[oldguy]

My Epi 4x12 cab has the Lady Luck Eminence in it, and I think it sounds great. My Avatar cab has Celestions in it, and I like it almost as much, but I prefer the Lady Lucks in the Epi. I generally prefer a closed back 4x12 for the projection.

 

[Commodore 64]

Has anyone ever tried WGS Speakers? Vintage 30 Clone.

Good Prices, Assembled in the USA.

I have a Greenback Clone on the way (scheduled delivery tomorrow). I will be replacing what I think is an Eminence-100E speaker in a VHT cab.
Decent Review.

 

[oldguy]

I've never tried those but they do look interesting.........I'll keep them in mind for future projects. Thanks for the link!

 

[birv2]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Man, there are a lot of speakers out there! So hard to make a decision.

I play blues, and I like a fat, warm, smooth sound, both clean and overdriven. I also like R&B sounds from the 60's and classic rock tones as well (the usual suspects: Cream, Jimi, etc.). Is there a speaker that would cover that tonal range?

 

[ZMAN]

I also have and Avatar 2/12 cabinet. It came with Eminence Legend V1216 speakers in it. I wasn't sure about them but I now love them. They are the 16 ohm version of the V128. They are excellent for blues, and really take the OD well with lovely clean highs. They are made in the USA in Eminence Kentucky. Most of the Celestions are now made in China since 2002. The Heritage series that are very expensive are still made in England. The older used V30s and Greenbacks are probably worth more than what you paid for your amp. I have heard good things about the Hellatones and they seem to be quite reasonable, but are made in China as well. Avatar "breaks" them in for you so they don't sound so tight.
I had a Blues Deluxe Reissue, that came in the Tweed. I eventually traded it because it was very sterile. It was different than the Hot rod because it had no gain channel. I tried to warm it up with pedals but it didn't work.
Good luck on your rebuild. The jack thing is an easy fix, as are the speaker changes, and new tubes. I think you are looking at between 200 and 300 for the upgrades a least.

 

[Commodore 64]

Great thread on Speakers from UG.

 

[Spudman]

I have a HRDx too. Congrats on getting yours. They can be very satisfying indeed. I just dusted mine off and have it in for a tube swap (which I can do) and a bias (which I can't). I'll be running mine at 66-68 ma. They say it makes a big difference where the bias is set. The numbers I am going for make it run a bit hotter than the stock setting.

As for speakers, all the research I've been doing for the last couple of years suggest the Cannabis Rex and V30 are very good choices. These are the models that I see mentioned most often. I haven't swapped mine yet but I do have a V30 here at the house I'll probably try after I get the amph back.

 

[birv2]

I have a HRDx too. Congrats on getting yours. They can be very satisfying indeed. I just dusted mine off and have it in for a tube swap (which I can do) and a bias (which I can't). I'll be running mine at 66-68 ma. They say it makes a big difference where the bias is set. The numbers I am going for make it run a bit hotter than the stock setting.

As for speakers, all the research I've been doing for the last couple of years suggest the Cannabis Rex and V30 are very good choices. These are the models that I see mentioned most often. I haven't swapped mine yet but I do have a V30 here at the house I'll probably try after I get the amph back.

What tubes are you putting in it? I'm going to go with the "blues option #1" from Eurotubes (JJ's). btw, he's got a video on how to bias these amps here:
http://www.eurotubes.com/euro-video.htm

Let me know what you think of the V30 when you try it. Sounds pretty interesting. Warehouse Speakers has a clone of the V30 that's cheaper.

 

[Spudman]

What tubes are you putting in it? I
Let me know what you think of the V30 when you try it. Sounds pretty interesting. Warehouse Speakers has a clone of the V30 that's cheaper.

I'm using some Veinman specials a'la Roberto. He sent me a pair of EH 6L6s.

The V30 I have is also the Warehouse version. And yes they are cheaper. I got mine a while ago back when they were going for $25 and haven't loaded them.