Looking to buy a nice bluesy amp

Wolf At Bay

mccreadyisgod wrote:

If your ears haven't been used to hearing really good tone, then changing a speaker will seem like a subtle change. Especially when you've been used to a solid-state amp, any tube amp will sound a lot more lively and responsive, so I don't know that I would recommend swapping the speaker right away. Get used to the tone of the amp as-is, and once you've learned what the amp is like, then you can look to a speaker swap to change the tone to fit your needs. Some folks really like a vintage alnico, which has a really woody, midrangy tone like older tweed amps. You could go with a Celestion Greenback, which would give you a rawer tone with more distortion breakup. The Vintage 30 is kinda like a transparent speaker... it usually doesn't color the tone a whole lot, and it really lets the amp shine through.

Again, I'd recommend you get the amp and play for a while, then start looking at what a speaker will do. Think of it this way: Stock, the amp is 90% of the tone you're looking for. The speaker will make up that last 10%.

I've got a blues deluxe - and you seem very knowledgeable - any speaker recommendation for a fatter, punchier tone?

mccreadyisgod

Wolf At Bay wrote:

I've got a blues deluxe - and you seem very knowledgeable - any speaker recommendation for a fatter, punchier tone?

Honestly, the best way to get fatter and punchier tone would be to add a sealed extension cabinet. I know that Fender released extension cabs for the Hot Rod Deluxe amps, which would work great with the Blues Deluxe, or you could find some other 1x12" sealed cab (Peavey used to make a decent cab with a Sheffield speaker that sounded really good, and Mesa/Boogie has their Thiele cab). The sealed enclosure tends to give a punchier tone with more focused low-end. Adding a sealed cab to the speaker inside the amp, it tends to sound really full, definitely a "bigger" sound. You could try some other speakers, but honestly, the open-back cab will suck the low-end out of the tone. And don't try to seal the cab on your combo, it'll cut off air circulation to the tubes which is needed to keep them from overheating. Try to find an extension 1x12" or even 2x10" cab that's fully-enclosed, that will do the trick.

Wolf At Bay

mccreadyisgod wrote:

Wolf At Bay wrote:

I've got a blues deluxe - and you seem very knowledgeable - any speaker recommendation for a fatter, punchier tone?

Honestly, the best way to get fatter and punchier tone would be to add a sealed extension cabinet. I know that Fender released extension cabs for the Hot Rod Deluxe amps, which would work great with the Blues Deluxe, or you could find some other 1x12" sealed cab (Peavey used to make a decent cab with a Sheffield speaker that sounded really good, and Mesa/Boogie has their Thiele cab). The sealed enclosure tends to give a punchier tone with more focused low-end. Adding a sealed cab to the speaker inside the amp, it tends to sound really full, definitely a "bigger" sound. You could try some other speakers, but honestly, the open-back cab will suck the low-end out of the tone. And don't try to seal the cab on your combo, it'll cut off air circulation to the tubes which is needed to keep them from overheating. Try to find an extension 1x12" or even 2x10" cab that's fully-enclosed, that will do the trick.

Thanks very much. I didn't know that about closed-backs. Good call.

mccreadyisgod

Wolf At Bay wrote:

Thanks very much. I didn't know that about closed-backs. Good call.

It'll make your amp sound completely different, bigger and more ballsey. Trust me on that one.

Fuzzy Bidali

benjs wrote:

keeponrockin wrote:

Benjs... You're in Toronto, do yourself a favour, go to Long and Mcquade, and play some of the Traynor amps. Beautiful cleans with a distortion thats much more useable than the Fenders. Seriously, the best kept secret on the guitar market.

Long and McQuade's is actually my destination for tomorrow, so I'll definitely check 'em out... thanks for the advice, everyone!

Go to Cosmo Music in Richmond Hill - best guitar strore in Canada. Ask for Andrew (Guitar Manager) - her's Stone in rearviewmirror (Toronto tribute band.)