Top Hat Club Royale - Fizzy?

[Ryan]

I've finally had a chance to put this amp through its paces, and I just can't get around the fizzy-bright-brittle-harshness that it has when it's driven. The clean is decent, quite good even; but the overdrive is just not what I was expecting. It has the stock speakers, they're well broken in (it's a 2004), good tubes... I've tried it with a Lovepedal Eternity, Blackbox/Oohlala Cobalt, and Monte Allums DS-1, as well as on its own just cranked. No mater how I EQ it, adjust the volume and master....I'm just not digging it. I think it must just be my ears, since everything else I've heard about the CR is nothing but good. Am I alone here?

 

[farlowhigh]

try turning the treble control down below noon on the dial as that thickens up the sound...have read that the treble control on the CR can make the amp sound thinner if you put it above noon...great amp...I have loved every Top Hat I have ever tried and I bet you will soon dial in tones you really like...versatile amp with great cleans and I like the od a lot...you might post something at the Top Hat Forum as they have lots of experience with the CR there...certainly lots of fans around here who will give much more helpful advice than I can offer...I have only played a CR for a week (borrowed it from a friend).

I assume you have played around with the fat/off/bright switch...I kept it generally on "fat" as that gave the amp a great thick sound...

 

[Ryan]

Yeah, I've got it on fat and I've been playing with the tone controls.. Maybe I just need to dial it in some more..

 

[Yankee Univox]

Yeah,that treble knob is really the key to getting any 'warmth',esp. with a single coil guitar. When I had a CR,I had it basically off with my Strat.

 

[GuitarBrent]

I'm a huge fan of Top Hat amps. My old King Royale rules. But here's the thing...every Club Royale I've ever played through had that fizziness. I've never been able to figure out why. My King Royale doesn't. For AC-15 tones and band rehearsal, my Matchless Spitfire kills the Club Royale anyway. No fizziness, or steeliness with the Spitfire, which a lot of the Matchless amps seem to have. Go figure.

 

[smallcrap]

I love my Club Royale. But I have to say that despite some others' opinions, it *is* capable of bad sounds. The EQ can cover a pretty wide range that can get you into some not so hot sounds.

I've never had a fizziness problem but I did have a weird sort low frequency distorted "rumbling" until I switched out the stock rectifier tube. I am by no means a big tube swapper but I think I put in an NOS Sylvania of the same type. Maybe try that.

Also I'd recommend starting with everything at noon, and slowly tweak from there. What farlowhigh said about the treble thinning out the tone is true. Maybe also try running it through a different speaker cab if you have one. Good luck.

 

[cochese]

I have a 2004 Top Hat Club Deluxe. When you say you've put the amp through it's paces how loud are you driving it? I find my amp with the 6V6's which will have a bit less sizzle and chime than the EL84's yours has can be a finicky amp with pedals. I prefer to put the master on full and run the preamp at about 3/4's up which is probably too loud for most home use. I use either a Hot Plate or I variac it at 95-100 volts which reduces the volume to about 7 watts which is still pretty loud.

Part of the reason the amp has so much sizzle is that there is an additional bright cap on that volume control in addition to the fat-off-bright switch. That cap can't be defeated which makes the amp less than pedal friendly. My tech wired a pull pot on the volume control which defeats the cap and the amp becomes much more friendly with distortion boxes though I still prefer running the amp into it's own overdrive.

 

[TREV FLINT]

I found the same fizzy problem with my CR when I had it. I ended up swapping it for the Top Hat Super Deluxe and I havn't looked back. The CR was a great amp with amazing cleans to natural break up, but it just didn't get along with overdrive pedals. The Super Deluxe works great with overdrive pedals and is more versatile in my opinion. Top Hat amps are great with top notch quality and customer service:AOK

 

[Ming Chow]

I'm still honeymooning my CR. Today, I got both the master and volume to 3/4. Bass around 2, mid at noon, treble at 9 and cut around 2. Using a LP Jr w/ a P90. No fizziness or brittle tones to be had.

 

[ahab]

I'm still honeymooning my CR. Today, I got both the master and volume to 3/4. Bass around 2, mid at noon, treble at 9 and cut around 2. Using a LP Jr w/ a P90. No fizziness or brittle tones to be had.

That's about exactly how I typically run mine. Great, great tones there with the P-90!

 

[riffmeister]

Don't forget the cut control.......all of the action is in the last 1/4 turn.

 

[Ampegged]

also....just take almost everything you know about EQing an amp & ditch it....the CR is a different animal when EQing...don't be afraid to go extreme on any setting to dial it in. It has some great tones, so just mess around with it...Good Luck

 

[Mr.Hanky]

What speaker is in there?

It is a bright amp and there is a certain amount of fizziness, especially when cranked.
Try input 2, that helps out a lot.

 

[mockoman]

And then there's the Mid control-below noon is darker & fatter,above noon is brighter.

 

[jay42]

Anybody know what B+ is in a Club Royale? If it's too high (400V), the fizziness is a feature. Just my opinion, ymmv.

 

[FAC]

don't forget the cut control.......all of the action is in the last 1/4 turn.

+1

also....just take almost everything you know about eqing an amp & ditch it....the cr is a different animal when eqing...don't be afraid to go extreme on any setting to dial it in. It has some great tones, so just mess around with it...good luck

+1