NAD + question

Wormwood

Got my 1st Marshall on Saturday, stoked.
I have read some people have changed the stock driver to V30 and so on. My question is, v30's are 60 watt and so is the amp output. I don't imagine i will really run this thing anywhere above 3/4 full power.
How likely is this amp to blow the driver if i put a v30 in it?
The amp has a selector for 16 and 8 ohms so that shouldnt be a problem and the speaker outputs to a jack.
I mean should i be worried if i do this?

Although its subjective really, has anyone here owned this amp and put a v30 in it? Did you like the change?

anyway:

new elixir d string snap second time i used them >☹

11 people got retrenched from my company on friday, unbelievable how flimsy your job security is in 2014 SA .
among them were guys i jam with. I think this area is where the jcm is going to live for a while ☹

Wormwood

I would also like to know: If i bought new preamp valves, could i fit them mice elf or would i require a tech to bias them, I'm a noob, but i would have thought its the output valve... actually can anyone explain where you would have to have matching pairs of valves and when you would have to have valves biased and why?

ezietsman

Preamp valves are cathode-biased, just plug them in and go. Not so with the power tubes, that amp needs biasing for them.

Celestion Vintage 30s are really bright with lots of mids. Think Slash. It depends on the amp whether thats' good or bad. You could probably go and try the amp plugged into a cabinet with V30s and see if you like it better.

DaFiz

Wormwood wrote:
11 people got retrenched from my company on friday, unbelievable how flimsy your job security is in 2014 SA

I was but one of almost a million retrenched in 2009...
Being 50+ duzzent offer much scope for re-employment.
Thankfully I have my guitars to turn to when the going gets ruff... 8)

Wormwood

Shot for the advice re valves EZ.
with regard to the V30, its more that the amp is 60 watts and the driver is rated 60 watts. thats what worries me, but how worried should i be.

DA fiz..so hectic, there are no words

Gearhead

Don't worry, if you really want to worry then check the temperature of the speaker (the back, obviously) with your hand. You should be able to hold it for a long time (<60degC) without it being painfully hot.

Wormwood

shot

Charlie4

60W speaker can handle a 60W amp. Makes sense?
Honestly, if you ever manage to blow that speaker with your amp I'd be pretty impressed. Do you know how loud a fully cranked valve amp is? 60W cranked and your ears will bleed.

Btw, I'll send you a pm.

ezietsman

Charlie4 wrote: 60W speaker can handle a 60W amp. Makes sense?
Honestly, if you ever manage to blow that speaker with your amp I'd be pretty impressed. Do you know how loud a fully cranked valve amp is? 60W cranked and your ears will bleed.

Btw, I'll send you a pm.

Correction: a 60Watt speaker can handle 60Watts of power yes. However, a valve amp is rated on how much power it can output at some small value of harmonic distortion i.e. clean output. Most valve amps cranked to 10 will output almost double their clean rating. So playing that amp on 10 will likely blow the speaker.

Charlie4

I guess that valve sweetness does have a bit more oomph. Man, I would actually want to hear that thing at full blast, with hearing protection of course. 8)

AlanRatcliffe

Speakers made specifically for guitar are typically conservatively rated and are designed to take the punishment a valve amp puts out. So you can safely use a 50W speaker with a 50W amp. Having said that, more is usually better.

The one exception is the vintage Celestion Alnico Blue - which is why Vox amps always used to burn through them quickly. But they've even given the newer Blues a bit more headroom over the rated 15W these days.

Wormwood

Ok, well Ill try it out.
I doubt I will ever play it on 11 ( though I think I tried briefly when i got it - im not sure where i had every volume nob. Its loud, but not like..Back to the future loud)
Besides, if i do blow it for some random reason I can always put back the wolverine.
Thanks for the advice all, At least i know where the dangers are.