Hey Members,
So earlier this year I bought my first tube amp - a BlackStar HT-5R combo. Well, it sounded good at the time and I was all about playing metal and some more metal. And it is "voiced for metal".
Then somewhere along the line, I traded my guitar which had active pups, for one that have passives and things sounded better to my ears - not so flat and linear. I also started playing more difficult pieces of music (during guitar lessons) and decided to play them on the clean channel with my electric guitar and not just on my acoustic.
- I used to do all my lesson stuff on the acoustic and metal on my electric for some dumb reason - call it newbness.
Then I started liking the clean tone and have sort have become obsessed with getting the chimey, bell-like sound, prefect note definition and what not - that sound that gives you goosebumps.
So instead of dishing up another small crapload of ZAR for another combo amp, I am considering doing some upgrades on the HT-5R.
It currently has:
1 x ECC83 Preamp valve. What I've read is that it Sovtek.
1 x 12BH7A Power valve. Not sure about the brand.
Blackbird 50 12" speaker
So what I am considering doing:
- Speaker: Celestion Gold 12" or Celestion Blue 12" or Celestion Vintage 30 12"
- Preamp Tube: Mullard ECC83 or Tung Sol 12AX7
Which speaker would you recommend of those listed or any other you think is better than what it currently has?
Will the tube change make a significant difference in that clean tone I am looking for?
So earlier this year I bought my first tube amp - a BlackStar HT-5R combo. Well, it sounded good at the time and I was all about playing metal and some more metal. And it is "voiced for metal".
Then somewhere along the line, I traded my guitar which had active pups, for one that have passives and things sounded better to my ears - not so flat and linear. I also started playing more difficult pieces of music (during guitar lessons) and decided to play them on the clean channel with my electric guitar and not just on my acoustic.
- I used to do all my lesson stuff on the acoustic and metal on my electric for some dumb reason - call it newbness.
Then I started liking the clean tone and have sort have become obsessed with getting the chimey, bell-like sound, prefect note definition and what not - that sound that gives you goosebumps.
So instead of dishing up another small crapload of ZAR for another combo amp, I am considering doing some upgrades on the HT-5R.
It currently has:
1 x ECC83 Preamp valve. What I've read is that it Sovtek.
1 x 12BH7A Power valve. Not sure about the brand.
Blackbird 50 12" speaker
So what I am considering doing:
- Speaker: Celestion Gold 12" or Celestion Blue 12" or Celestion Vintage 30 12"
- Preamp Tube: Mullard ECC83 or Tung Sol 12AX7
Which speaker would you recommend of those listed or any other you think is better than what it currently has?
Will the tube change make a significant difference in that clean tone I am looking for?