Red Plate CD2 combo

[humblepie]

I've been fortunate to have two nice RedPlate combos in the course of a few weeks, a Tweedyverb Pro, which I absolutely loved, and a CD2, which I traded for because it had two very important features to me that the Tweedy did not have, the effects loop and the active master.
They are both stellar amps and one is not better than the other, but I'm disappointed somewhat in the higher gain settings on the CD2.
They are far less defined and focused, though that sound is viable and very cool.
It appears I will have to use my OD pedals after all to play certain styles. Can anybody discuss their experiences?

 

[SuperReverb2]

I have a CDS2. DISLIKED the overdrive part of the amp since day 1. Loathed the Vintage 30 it came stock with. Have learned to live with the amp through my Glaswerks 2 x 12 loaded with Celestion G12-65's. I've also tried the amp through the Celestion V-Type and A-Type speakers with some degree of success. Like the Tweed part of the amp and used that for a sudo OD side of the amp for quite a while. Pretty much given up on the OD side now. Using the clean (which is quite decent) as a platform for a few pedals I have. Vemuram Jan Ray and Rage e and the Free the Tone SOV-2. ALL of those pedals sound stellar through the clean side of the CDS2 with the G12-65's and to my ears blow the doors off the OD side of the CDS2.
If memory serves me right the CDS series had/has a more rock orientated OD side, rather than the so called "talent in a box" smoother "D" style - fusion style vibe some of Henry's other amps are famous for. To my ears, the OD side of my CDS2 is VERY bright and fizzy in comparison to the clean side, even with the OD cut pull switch engaged. Very hard to get a decent clean in conjunction with a decent OD with my CDS2 even with the gain and drive knobs way down. Tried all the NOS power and pre amp tubes I have as well, and although better, there are still fizzier, brighter, edgier, tones that seem to be inherent in the OD side of this amp.
This amp is capable of some stellar clean tones if one concentrates on that channel alone, and in that context, makes a pretty decent pedal platform. One can dial in some decent tones on the OD side but I found that I had to set the clean channel so dark and somewhat muddy to counteract the brightness on the OD side, that the clean channel was virtually useless for any tonality I would ever consider musical. Even with that said, I find the OD side of the amp very hard to balance from the high E to the low E regardless of what I do. I understand the concept of the amp, but it seems to my ears anyway that it somehow got stuck between where it came from and where it was intended to go.

OK amp, but not a "buy again" for yours truly. Other opinions may vary depending on ones musical styles and tastes.

 

[Ramblin Hymns]

Call Henry and see what he can do. I'm sure he has some ideas for you. He doesn't want a unsatisfied customer even if you bought it used. H2 is a good man and has brilliant ideas. Also and another cab to it and it will sound big.

 

[TJNies]

Redplate will be glad to change your amp to suit your needs. The guy that bought my TweedyDrive wanted more Marshall-style OD and Henry hooked him up fairly inexpensively.

 

[cal1024]

I haven't tried your amp, but I'll say that the Magica I have has an outstanding OD channel, so the RP guys know how to put one together. Like the other posters have said, give them a call and see what can be done.

 

[straightblues]

RedPlate is a small custom builder of amps. Yes they have models, but they are all based on customer ideas and tweeks. Send your amp back to RedPlate and have it tweeked to your preferred sound.

Having said that, I have an early RedPlate and I just love the BF and Twee Channel. I tend to use overdrive pedals in front of it for versatility. It takes pedals very well.

 

[Ramblin Hymns]

I sent Henry my MDD to just look it over and make sure everything is still working right. It had a noise of some oscillation on the HRM OD. Got it back in no time and I haven't had a problem. This was the very first MDD he made and he made it 50 watts for me. He only charged me transport from Phoenix to the great metropolis of Watkinsville Ga. Henry is a good man to work with. I've got the Blackline coming Tues. and that's amp #5 from him. I still have them all except the CDS2. The only reason it's gone is because I put it on CL and a guy wanted it so I had to sale. I was just really checking the waters.

 

[Puckbucker]

Henry is cool! So are RP amps!

 

[humblepie]

Thanks for all the comments, they are each helpful! I've been playing around with it a bit more and I'm getting great sounds across the board now. It's taken some tweaking, and balancing the gain, drive, level controls, the tweed channel settings, as well as the clean channel tone controls, has gotten me pretty far down the road.
I do miss the D in a box that the Tweedyverb Pro was giving me, but I need the active master and the effects loop, so I have those now, and it was well worth the trade for my purposes. If I wasn't determined to use delay and some other effects that simply do not need to be run in front of pre-amp distortion, the Tverb Pro would be my perfect amp.
I may send this CD2 to Henry at some point for tweakage, but for now, I'm digging it. I also use a Music Man RD50 as a backup, and to run stereo effects if I want to. It's quite the killer setup in terms of what I've owned up to this point.

PS - the previous owner told me of Henry's affection for the V30 for this model amp and I can see where it compliments a lot of what this amp does, but it still has that blasted spike!!!
I may try a WGS ET65 or a Veteran 30.

 

[Ramblin Hymns]

Just got the Blackline this afternoon and play for about 30 mins. and came back to it and set it up and it is a great amp. When I get another hour on it it's going to be even better. Backing off like that gives me ideas in my head on setting it up. I can set it up for fusion and a marshall type OD. I'm sure there are more in there but and I will find them. The boost setting is a good feature. I would say it's a keeper right now. Good build Henry.

 

[humblepie]

Tell you what, I put a Weber hemp come Silver Bell in it, the put two Tung Sol RI 12ax7s in v1 and v2, a Mullard RI in v3, and a JJ Gold pin long plate in v4, and
GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY, this is the best 1X12 combo I've ever played through. It lacks nothing.
Full strength blackface, moving into brownface and into tweed cleans, a fully blown tweed channel that functions the way it should, and oh lawd, the lead channel is a thing to behold. Between controlling the signal with your guitars controls, and working the signal with what Henry designed his controls to do, I can't imagine what you could ask this amp to do that it couldn't. That being said, it's a very strong 40 watt combo in a small cabinet, that can be pushed to swell to a perception of a closed back 2X12.
For those that had a mediocre experience with a RedPlate, well, beyond new tubes and speaker, I would be mystified by that.