Heritage Colonial Users Chime in

[boon]

Got a colonial with matching cab and it's awesome. Did an ep recording today with it so managed to crank it up but noticed that it was starting to breakup before 12 o'clock. Basically settings were, US, US, Vol at 1 o'clock, bright off, eq flat, modd zero and punch. Guitar was an es339 and a tim for more gain.

What settings do you guys use for the best cleanish tones? I prefer clean amps as I like having pedals to do the gain thing. Also forgot to mention, have tonkerlites in the closed back ported cab.

 

[boon]

Forgot to mention that I'm using stock preamp tubes and EH EL34 power tubes

boon

 

[hawkeyeinexile]

can't comment on the speakers, but my Colonial is very touch-responsive & will yield glorious cleans with both vols beyond 1 o'clock - just a matter of righthand usage & guitar vol knob...i use a Mather/Heritage 2x12 slantfront cab with a Jensen Blackbird in the top and a Cele G12H30 in the bottom, usually 1/3 open-back...

 

[Rod]

Hi boon...I think the EH tubes in your amp are breaking up fairly early...They are a good tube, but they do break up fairly early....I have a Colonial as well, and it's really clean past 12 o'clock, but I have the large Ruby EL34's...I think they are a cleaner tube...I use Scumback M55's and H75 speakers

 

[boon]

Hi boon...I think the EH tubes in your amp are breaking up fairly early...They are a good tube, but they do break up fairly early....I have a Colonial as well, and it's really clean past 12 o'clock, but I have the large Ruby EL34's...I think they are a cleaner tube...I use Scumback M55's and H75 speakers

Ah yea I noticed that the EH tubes were slightly smaller in size too. What other tubes are u guys using? Don't really know much but I do know that JJ's are always good and well made.

 

[hawkeyeinexile]

.... What other tubes are u guys using? Don't really know much but I do know that JJ's are always good and well made.

tung-sol 5881's (new ones)

 

[bobotwt]

Taking my Colonial in for a tune up and retube. Anyone tried KT66's? Is there another tube that approaches the warmth and fatness of 66's?

Josh

 

[Dave LaP]

I have EL 34's in mine. I had it biased closer to the tolerances for EL 34's instead of the manufacturers recommended bias whcih was lower.

It made the sound much more robust.

It's a great amp. Super cleans and takes pedals beautifully. I've had lots of higher end boutique amps and this is pretty much as good as any of them and better than lots.

 

[meterman]

I think you may want to play with the mood control, it controls the amount of negative feedback in the circuit and is supposed to make the amp break up earliest at CCW settings (low/zero negative feedaback) and get tighter and cleaner as you turn it CW (adding more negative feedback into the signal path which reduces mids and gain)

 

[Ken]

If I turn my Colonial past 8:30 to 9 0'clock, the band yells at me for getting way too loud

Mood control is a very nice feature!

 

[boon]

I thought the modd knob makes the bass freq looser when turning CW?

 

[Rod]

I thought the modd knob makes the bass freq looser when turning CW?

It depends on the model i think...My Colonial is tighter [negative feedback loop in] CCW and looser [Feedback loop out] CW

 

[boon]

It depends on the model i think...My Colonial is tighter [negative feedback loop in] CCW and looser [Feedback loop out] CW

Didn't know there were different models of the colonial. Actually I've seen one with a bright switch and the other with a bright and normal volume knob. Mine is the latter.

 

[Marz]

Well, not exactly worthless - there is a lot of
good info being exchanged - let's just say
it's not complete without pics.

 

[Dexter.Sinister]

I would remove the Tim if you want it to be cleaner.

I run mine in US/US or US/Brit between 10 and 2, mood at about 2 and get clean to crunch by how hard I pick, how wide open are my volumes and whether I am playing the Strat or the Les Paul or the ES335 (all three use low wind type pickups...'64s in the Strat, pat#s in the ES335 and Shed supernatural PAFs in the LP). I use a Barber launch pad to slam the front end when I want it to break up at lower volumes.

Great amp! I'll be tracking with mine in the next two weeks.

DS

 

[boon]

Do u guy use the bright channle much? I find with us/us, i only need to use the normal channel

 

[gtrshow]

Present!

It's a great amp. Super cleans and takes pedals beautifully. I've had lots of higher end boutique amps and this is pretty much as good as any of them and better than lots.

I agree with everything above. The Colonial has been my #1 amp for ~3 years now (it's a new world record!).

I tend to go back and forth between EL34's (NOS Seimens) and 5881's (NOS Tung Sols). Both sound great, with the 5881's breaking up a little earlier. Preamp settings are US/US, and I vacillate between Mood fully CW and fully CCW. The amp is a lot fuller and louder in the CW position. Volumes can be anywhere from 9:00/9:00 and 2:00/2:00 depending on other settings.

 

[meterman]

I thought the modd knob makes the bass freq looser when turning CW?

Sorry I could easily have that backwards, it's been several years since I played around with one....anyway worth a shot

 

[bobotwt]

Has anyone ever run JJ 6v6's in theirs?

Josh

 

[hawkeyeinexile]

Has anyone ever run JJ 6v6's in theirs?

Josh

last i heard ("search is your friend") any 6v6s will run, but may require different rectification (use tube rectifier only?) and will sound just OK at best...

(just a note 'til someone more knowledgeable happens along. look for posts esp. by TGP:KLB &, of course, PaulC)