Naylor duel or superdrive vs Top Hat emplexador

[Praetorian]

Hey all

I've been looking at Marshall style heads. Was originally thinking that I would go for a channel switcher for clean, crunch and lead. I was looking at amps like CAA PT100, PWE Event Horizon, Bogner Goldfinger.

Thinking now that I most like the sound of the clips from more single channel amps. I've narrowed it down to a Naylor Superdrive 60 or duel 60 and a Top Hat Emplexador.

I would be using either in a band situation and at home to record. Guitars would include a Strat and a Les Paul.

Any one want to let me know which they think would be the best amp. I know it's only opinion but feel free to take a side, and also to tell me how you run yours to get clean, crunch and lead out of it (if you own one) in a band setting. How they respond to pedals would also be useful info.

cheers

[Bigtone]

I own a Naylor , but have played a emplexador, I would say the Emplex is more closely related to an older Marshall sound, where as the Naylor is a bit more of its own thing,
The Naylor is a very thick sounding amp, the emplex is like a flexable plexi/metal panel , in one box,

The Naylor has an excellent master volumn,

Bt

[Praetorian]

Thx Bt. Yeah I realise that Naylor's have some Marshall DNA, but also Tweed and Hiwatt depending on how you dial them in. They are an addictive kind of sound, at least the clips I've heard.

Which model Naylor do you have? How do you run yours? Do you run it at gigs? If so how do you get clean, crunch and lead sounds from it?

Also when you played the emplex did it impress you as a Marshall clone? Not necessarily as absolutely nailing the Marshall sound, but as you played it you thought .....yeah....this is good!

[ski_fast]

Both are good amps. I owned an Emplexador and now have a Naylor Superdrive 38.

The Naylor head is less weight and slightly smaller. A fabulous master volume that sounds full and rich at any volume. To my ears the Naylor is smoother. A great tube driven effects loops.

The Emplexador has some good features with the switches. The Emplexador is very true to the Marshall tone. The Naylors have a bit of Fender and Hiwatt in their DNA.

The Naylor can nail any tone with an array of good boosts and overdrives but so can the Emplexador. Both are great. I like running overdrives into the Tophat low inputs. It tames the sizzle and brings a fuller bodied tone.

You need to mention what type of music you are playing with your band. If it is real hard rock Marshall based music the Emplexador might be better. If more of a balanced tone of multiple types of music probably the Naylor. The Emplexador likes to be cranked up but it also has a good master volume.

[Bigtone]

Originally Posted by Praetorian

Thx Bt. Yeah I realise that Naylor's have some Marshall DNA, but also Tweed and Hiwatt depending on how you dial them in. They are an addictive kind of sound, at least the clips I've heard.

Which model Naylor do you have? How do you run yours? Do you run it at gigs? If so how do you get clean, crunch and lead sounds from it?

Also when you played the emplex did it impress you as a Marshall clone? Not necessarily as absolutely nailing the Marshall sound, but as you played it you thought .....yeah....this is good!

I liked the emplex alot, I have an older JMP, and thought the Emplex was just a little smoother than that , more flexable for sure, with the master and some cool switches etc, just a great amp,
The Naylor I have is a super club 38 head, great loop and master, the clean tones are so so, IMO, but thats not at all where it shines, its a bit of an overdrive sniper if you will, very good at medium to plexi type gain levels,
Its very smooth but NOT dull, if that helps, just roars through a 4 12"cab,
I mean maybe the fullest od I have heard through that,massive.

Maybe this will help...
JMP Lots of rip and snarl
Naylor , smooth but still mean sounding,lots of lower mids,
K & M Custom D-style... lots of upper mids , singing quality , lots of gain,

The emplex sits between the JMP and Naylor,

[Praetorian]

Originally Posted by ski_fast

You need to mention what type of music you are playing with your band. If it is real hard rock Marshall based music the Emplexador might be better. If more of a balanced tone of multiple types of music probably the Naylor. The Emplexador likes to be cranked up but it also has a good master volume.

The band I'm in plays a variety of pop, rock, classic rock and a few hard rock numbers. Songs include Fleetwood Mac, Blondie, KISS, The Cult, GnR, U2, Audioslave, STP. So I need an amp that either on it's own or in combination with pedals can get a variety of tones, and I generally gravitate towards Marshall tones.

For my own playing I like an edge of break up and a low gain singing type of tone that might be described as more bluesy more so than rock or hard rock. I like the clips of the Naylor's that I've seen by Sam the Man (on you tube he is 5v1L0). But then again he makes a lot of the amps he demos sound great. I would use high gain tone occasionally for recording certain solos, but most of the time, especially with my Strat the lower end of the gain range is what I like the most.

Am I right in thinking that the singing type of gain is what the Naylor's are good at? Do they do that at all levels of gain or only towards their maximum level?

[riffmeister]

I had a Naylor Super CLub 38 for a while, didn't really bond with it. the dirt channel was pretty good but the clean channel left me wanting. I gigged and recorded an Emplexador for several years, what a wonderful amp. It does clean to mid gain very well. With a boost or OD pedal, high gain infinite sustain tones were easily possible with my Les Paul. It's not a channel switcher, though. So you have to finesse it with your guitar vol and OD pedal to get the full range of clean to high gain.

[ski_fast]

Based on what you said I would get a Naylor. It will do clean to scream, be easier to carry around, and will fit better on narrower cabinets. Here is a pretty good example of what the Superclub 38 can do with a Les Paul plugged straight in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxFh3I1IW4E

I get excellent clean tones with my Superclub but you really have to put some vintage longplate 12AX7s in to maximize its potential. If you have a quality amp like this and are trying get a pleasing clean tone with new production short plates you are clearly missing out. Get some longplate RCA, GE, Ken-Rad, CBS, Raytheon, Amperex, Mullard and switch them around. You will hear a difference between just swapping the same tubes between V1 and V2. If you want earlier breakup run blackplates. Later grayplates have a bit more headroom. Do some research reading on 12AX7 longplates on the forum.

As far as singing gain I use a Blackbox Oxygen to boost the front end. It will sing without being too crunchy. Blackbox made two versions and the early lower gain version is what I use. I only use a bit of the compression circuit. This pedal makes any guitar sound three times as big.

Check out the clean to scream tones on this Naylor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hr_y...eature=related

Cheers!

[sickboy79]

Never played a Naylor. I hear nothing buy good things. But, the Emplexador is the best non-Marshall Marshall amp out there, IMO. Hard to beat.

[saltydogg]

Originally Posted by sickboy79

Never played a Naylor. I hear nothing buy good things. But, the Emplexador is the best non-Marshall Marshall amp out there, IMO. Hard to beat.

Same here, although I don't know about "best" but, definitely a great sounding, versatile Marshall based amp. The only Marshall based amp (that I can think of) that is more versatile may be a Soultone.

[Hand of Doom]

I have not played the Emplexador but keep in mind that the Naylor is smooth and not a crunch machine

[ski_fast]

That is exactly why I like the Naylor. You can easily add different layers of crunch but if the circuit has crunch and sizzle you cannot take it out. I like its EQ better.

I do think the Naylor Superclub 38 has plenty of excellent crunch if you want it with no pedals required. The bite switch is really the Marshall switch.

Emplexador: AC/DC, Scorpions, Judas Priest etc has more boost in the high mids with Marshall sizzle...

Naylor: Will do these bands and others... has more clarity in the low end and low mids which helps with Teles and Strats. Has a more smooth Van Halen type tone which I have never thought of as sizzle. It is a clear smooth overdrive that fills the room nicely.

This is like arguing about two pretty girls and which one is "best." Pick the one you like.

[scriptphase]

Originally Posted by Praetorian

I like the clips of the Naylor's that I've seen by Sam the Man (on you tube he is 5v1L0). But then again he makes a lot of the amps he demos sound great.

Funny you mention that. I bought a Top Hat Emplexador mostly because of his demos:

[samtheman]

I owned both, and now I have SD60 again but now it has EL34 tubes.

Emplex was a great amp, both modes sounds great, but I was very tired to chose which mode one I wanna use

Naylor circuit is very unique, precence is different than i.e. Marshalls, very good loop, great master volume.

I dont like Duel series, SD60 is always winner to me. Use Lo input and push it with fuzz -> TONE, Hi input, bite on, gain around 3 o´clock...tight VH type tone (IMO)

So, Emplex is a more vintage, but Naylor has something...addictive..

cheers

/sam

[Praetorian]

Originally Posted by scriptphase

Funny you mention that. I bought a Top Hat Emplexador mostly because of his demos:

Haha...yeah I saw those videos as well. He makes everything sound good doesn't he? Don't know whether he still has the Emplex or whether he's moved it on. Gets good tone out of it though!

I've seen a few comments in his vids that say he really likes his Naylor. There you go he got in and answered just as I was typing this!!