NAD NAD NAD! oh my lord!

[Dmoney]

SO!

I get back from work this morning (night shifts) and I get home JUST before my new amp arrives. I'm sure most people read the story that led to me getting this, and most people are aware of my beef with Sounds Great in Manc.

this is my new Soldano Avenger 100w with EL34 power stage

So yeah, this time round, i decided to take some photo's of the unboxing process.








I plugged this baby in and let it warm up. took it off stand by and i was WORRIED! even with the volume up is was super quiet and fizzy. I slowly turned up the preamp gain and JUST as the preamp reached 1 on the dial, BOOM! this thing burst into life and blew my face off!!!! same thing with the master volume, if you have either control lower than 1 the volume drops right off, that means you can actually get some nice cleans from this amp with careful settings!

I got the gain up to about 5 then 6 then 7, sounded awesome, a bit like my mesa but tighter. then i played with the eq, and the presence and depth alter the character so much! i thought it was going to stick being one sounded then as i turned the presence nob it just went through so many colours it was amazing.

It also has a purple light on it!

i played my MM loaded LTD through it, later on when i wake up im gonna blast the RY les paul custom through.

now all i need is some better speakers then the G12T-75's in my cab.
im thinking vintage 30, or maybe even Jensen electric lightning. im going to change one of my cabs wiring and speakers and get it re-covered to match my orange soldano.


if you wanna hear this live, my band is playing london on friday. although if you come don't tell me cos ill be embarressed. forget i said anything.!

[ailean]

Very happy for you mate! It looks pretty!

You could always get an Orange 4x12, they are V30 loaded, already Orange, and built like tanks.

After the saga you went through getting it I really hope it gives you the sound you are looking for! And even if not, it's a custom build! Can't be bad.

[Dmoney]

true!

Orange cabs are one line of cabs ive never used. ive used some trace elliot, mesa rectcifier 4x12, peavey 5150 4x12, various marshall's w/ V30's or G12T's at some point.

I know i like an angled cab. I can get a 1960A re covered, thats not a problem. but im now thinking of changing the speaker wiring to 14 gauge wire or something, and hard wiring speakers in 4ohm or 16ohm mono, to match my other cab. take out the stereo option. since i don't use it. im thinking about mixing 2xV30's in with the G12T's, or going 4xV30's, or 4xElectric Lightnings, or G12T's and Eminence Govenors. Governors + Wizards.

so many ideas.

i emailed hotroxuk about some jensen ideas, and they suggested 4x12 loaded with 12" Blackbirds, 100watt Alnico speakers! pretty expensive!

[ailean]

I've got a Diezel on order and the new rear loaded cabs come with Tone Tubby Hempcone speakers, which they seem to be making a lot of fuss about. Might all be hot air though :)

[hunter]

Great great great! Avengers rule!!

I think mix of Greenback and G12H30 for this one.

I saw that combination on the Bogner Alchemist, and although dB ratings would recommend against a match of these 2 speakers, as I had them lying around I put these in my Heritage 2x12 cab to give it a try.

Wow, I am impressed, it's a great tone. I have these speakers in the cab since 3 weeks now and meanwhile I prefer it to the Bogner 4x12 (which is supposed to be the best cab made by man).

Especially on higher gain patches, with Diezel or Engl models on my Axe, it adds that kind of evil dark midrange that is lacking on those tones with Vintage 30s.

[Dmoney]

I just finished nights and my brain is fried... are you saying you put both a greenback and a g12h30 into your 2x12?
what head are you using with that?

yo ailean ive also been hearing things about hemp cones, but not very much. although this is really my first venture onto the world of speakers

[Fourth Feline]

Congratulations,  That certainly looks a monster !  I like the simple layout ( and purple lamp ).

Regarding speakers, if going higher £££,  I love the Electrovoice EVM12Ls, rated at 200watts each. I have a pair of the 'Classics' but there are also the 'Black Label' 300watt version to consider too of course .

My only concern for you ( needing 4 speakers ) - is cost.  At much lower cost - Twinfan really impressed me with his Celestion ' Hot 100 ' speakers .  :)

[hunter]

I just finished nights and my brain is fried... are you saying you put both a greenback and a g12h30 into your 2x12?
what head are you using with that?

yo ailean ive also been hearing things about hemp cones, but not very much. although this is really my first venture onto the world of speakers

I use both a Bogner Shiva and then a rack with Axe-FX and VHT2502.

The Avenger should sound great with any good cab, I would take a day off and visit music shops, taking the head along, to get  better idea for the flavour.

As you have G12T75s, might be worth trying to mix those with Vintage30s, like Bogner do on the Ubercab: http://www.bogneramplification.com/customshop/4x12Info.php

[noodleplugerine]

I would deffo go for.an orange cab, they sound amazing and the aesthetics are right. What kind of sound are you going for in. The cab?

[Oli]

I'd vote for the Eminence Governors- the top end isn't harsh at all, and the mids just push right through... loads of bass if you need it too (and that's using it in an open backed cab, i can't wait to try them in a closed cab).

[Dmoney]

Regarding speakers, if going higher £££,  I love the Electrovoice EVM12Ls, rated at 200watts each. I have a pair of the 'Classics' but there are also the 'Black Label' 300watt version to consider too of course .

I looked at electro voice, but the EVM12L's are discontinued. they only seem to do the Black Label, which looks a touch over spec'd for me. 300watt! 4 of those in a cab sounds like crazy talk.

As you have G12T75s, might be worth trying to mix those with Vintage30s, like Bogner do on the Ubercab: http://www.bogneramplification.com/customshop/4x12Info.php

i didnt know bogner did this. i heard Randall had a cab with this speaker config. i think that combo is probably going to be the cheapest one to use as an experiment. just changing 2 speakers. I could cart the head around london, but id like to put some interesting speakers in their, denmark street has a lack of interesting cabs i think. once place does have a Diamond Amplification cab. buts mostly various peavey, marshall and hiwatt. i cant remember if some places have the odd randall or orange. i keep reading names like jensen, scumback, fane, weber, etc... soooo many. I guess the vintage 30 is a safe option that sounds good with almost anything. party the reason why i looked at jensen electric lightnings, i think they are comparable to a V30. but im only gonna be able to try a lot of these things if i buy them first. which is the gamble/trial and error element of speaker browsing.

[exoslime]

amazing!!! have a lot fun with you new amp
cheers
exoslime

[FELINEGUITARS]

Regarding speakers, if going higher £££,  I love the Electrovoice EVM12Ls, rated at 200watts each.

My only concern for you ( needing 4 speakers ) - is cost.

My concern would be for his back when lifting the cab - EVs are stupidly heavy
My Rivera 2x12 had EVMs in and took 2 people to lift and it was tough going
I swapped them out for Celestion Sidewinders - same sensitivity , 150w each, great clarity with a celestion smoothness
Sadlty discontinued :(
Ask Will about them - he buys them on ebay

[hamfist]

Lovely new amp !!!!!

Looking forward to the gig report of it, after friday.

As for speakers, and cabs, it comes down so much (like anything tonal) to personal taste.
  Personally, I wouldn't countenance playing with just a single straight 4x12, as I wouldn't feel I would hear myself enough. Closed back cabs are just so directional and , until I get ear grafts on my legs, I want at least some sound pointing a little bit upwards at my head.  That's definately a bad mark in the Orange 4x12's book for me. THey should consider doing an angled cab too !

  I really like std 1960a cabs, but with different speakers.  I think the notion of swapping out two of the G12T-75's for V30's is a very good idea, and then definately get the V30 mic'ed at gigs (I assume everything goes through FoH).  It's a pretty cheapish option for you too.

[AndyR]

Nice one on the amp - I'm so glad it worked out ok in the end :D

Looks like a beast - nice layout, even I could probably understand the controls :lol:

And it's got a purple light!!! Nuff said... :lol:

Can't help on the speakers though...