Dumble ODS- musings on speaker choice-

[norburybrook]

I've just returned from a friends Studio where we spent the day going through speakers in a very critical way.

So, the amps:
100w Bluesmaster HRM
50w Bluesmaster HRM
50w #102

these amps have been used with a sealed/ported 1x12 EVM cab for the 100w amps, and Celestion Classic lead 80 speakers for the 2 50w amps. Both were 16 ohm speakers.

we recorded every speaker with each 50w amp with his '58 Les Paul and Firebird, his guitars of choice and listened back with a third friend who was also putting speakers in and out of the cabinets for us.


I brought over my new tweedled Dee and the matching 1x12 Alnico cream, and also had a new 8ohm classic lead 80 waiting for me.

the 100w amp's pairing with the EV is perfect and that remained the same. However testing between the 'new' 8 ohm and the older 16 ohm lead 80 it became clear that the 8 ohm speaker sounded better.

We then moved on to the alnico cream and it soon became apparent that 50w amps really liked this speaker, so much so that the old king, the classic lead 80 had been dethroned and replaced with the 90w alnico cream.

The alnico just seemed to be able to really articulate the subtleties of dynamics more than the celestion without any negatives, it's very clear, yet no harshness.

My friend by the time I'd arrived home had already ordered two Alnico creams.

I just thought I'd share this with everyone as speakers are a very easy way to drastically change the amp tone.


M

[pompeiisneaks]

I've got an alnico gold and a ceramic creamback in my cab for the slightly different tonalities each bring, I used to just have the gold and man I loved it, but when I started building bigger amps, I needed a bit more wattage. I know I'm risking that alnico gold with a 100W amp, but I don't run it at max volume, it's the dumble anyway. the creamback is 65W so it's find holding it's half of the load. I really do like how those two complement each other. I do want to get an EVM 12L on my wishlist though

~Phil

[xtian]

Marcus, were you listening in the room with the speakers, or thru mics in the control room?


BTW, I've been playing an Eminence Wheelhouse 150 8R with my new 50w Bluesmaster. The mids are SO sweet with the PAB engaged. Man, I've never enjoyed PAB this much!

[Bombacaototal]

Great report Marcus. I am wondering if you were testing the amp clean or with the OD engaged or both?

[norburybrook]

My friend uses the ODS amps ONLY in overdrive mode and uses guitar volume to clean up. The PAB is sometimes used on the HRM Bluesmaster if an extra bump is needed.

We were ONLY listening through the studio monitors of the recorded/monitored sound as the cabs were in the isolated guitar room, amp heads in the control room with us.

It's the only way to really be objective about the speakers.

As they're all powerful amps if they sound good like this, then they'll sound good live on decent stages mic'd up. Small amps can sound great in the studio dimed but they're no good live as they don't have the volume, and quite often volume is tone

We were going through this as he has a really big arena gig in the USA coming up in September so I was helping him get his perfect 'rig together'.


M

[xtian]

I asked, because mic choice and placement matters as much as speaker choice!

[norburybrook]

Sure but the mic and placement remained constant throughout the test.

Only slight worry was when we ordered the new alnico creams, the guy who sells them to us at trade price is a pro amp maker (633 engineering) and he said he'd blown up a cream alnico.

I'll report back.......

My friend blew up an EVM12 last year!!


[emoji41]

M

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