What do you do before selling your amp?

[Yossi]

What do you do before deciding that you have the wrong amp.
Do you change cabinets?
Speakers?
Tubes?
Change the polarity of your speaker cable?
Take guitar lessons?

The reason that I'm asking is, I have a Two Rock Emerald 50 amp that I for some reason am not feeling or hearing a very organic, swirl, clean sound, or for that matter a great OD either.
It could be that it doesn't like my Marshall 1960a cab with the regular speakers, or it could be that I'm not playing the amp loud enough, or that I don't have the right tubes.
Before I get rid of an amp that has a great reputation among most, but certainly not all, I want to see what else to try.
Yes I have to get a better speaker cable. But what do the rest of you do?

 

[rockon1]

Bring it to a store and try it with a few different cabs. Bob

 

[GuitarInnovations]

Don't forget to crank it. Tube and speaker swaps make the biggest difference. I don't think I could own an amp without doing one or both of those things before I gave up on it.

 

[NOVA70]

Go with the speakers, I went through the same thing with my Komet. Try several different kinds even if it's just single twelve's and go from there.
Regards,
Pat

 

[Sean French]

You've had the amp for a while.So,was it better before and now not jivin' with ya?The cab and speakers make a world of difference.Like mentioned above try it on other cabs and speakers.I prefer oval back cabs with TR's.I had an Emmy 50 and know what they can do.The internal timmers are there to tweak for you too.Like many amps this amp does need to be opened up a good bit to give up the goods.What guitars are you mostly playin' through it?When was the last bias and power tube change?

 

[Carol-AnnAmps]

I am not familiar with this particular amp, but given the direction it'sw coming from, you probably have one of the worst speaker cabs to use with that sort of design, especially if it is loaded with either V30's or T-75's. All the peaks and troughs are in the wrong places. Check out with TR what they recommend. Speakers make a huge difference with these type of amps.

 

[pcutt]

I'd make sure to verify that my guitar's vol/tone knobs and pup switches are actually working as they should, or perhaps try it with another guitar.

 

[Jahn]

I give an amp the total benefit of the doubt. new tubes, caps, power cord, speaker. everything short of the transformers, which should be the "soul." if that's crushed, then so be it. but all else should be replaceable to sound as good as it did to survive the tastes of all its previous owners.

 

[JackButler]

Tehre are internal trimmers on that model for gain, bass, mid, trebles, try that. The trhee eq's around noon, bass backed off alittle.
Basically the fornt panel controls all around noon, give or take a few seemed to be the best. Use the loop master on back as a master volume, sure you already do this.
Best thing, change cabs. That needs an open back or partially open back cab to breath, you WILL notice a huge improvement.
I tried all sorts of tubes, the short bottle 6l6GWC (I think) by TAD worked the best, which is what cam ein it when I got mine. I tried Sylvania and some other NOS and went back to the TAD.

 

[mlongano]

What do you do before deciding that you have the wrong amp.

Dream up the correct verbiage on why you have to part with the best amp you've ever heard or played...

 

[syxxstring]

How old is the cab? I have 2 4x10's one sounds great its twin sounds like poo. The prior owner only ever used the one that sounds good, after abusing the "bad" one for a bit it opened up as the speakers broke in.

 

[soldano16]

Changing cabs and tubes is somewhat like changing pickups. If you like the guitar/amp to begin with, things will probably work out.

But if you really don't like what you have, tubes and cabs probably won't be enought to make you really like it.

 

[mcgriff420]

I use it at rehearsal to get a feel for the whole live thing before I try it onstage. If I can't get it sounding right at a few rehearsals no way will I bring it onstage.

I'll A/B it with a really good 'benchmark' tone amp. My benchmark clean tone is a Star Gainstar. Many a good amp has gone down the road after standing next to the Gainstar..

I try it with every OD pedal I have. Playing it with a pedal then without is pretty revealing for me. Diff pedals bring out diff characteristics in the amp. I also try it with an attenuator to see how it reacts to being 'cranked'

After all that I step back and ask myself
1)can I see myself using this onstage now or in the future?
2)does it do anything that my other amps can't
3) what kind of resale am I getting, should I trade or sell outright

..

 

[burner]

From your post, the obvious answer seems to be:
Turn it up.

 

[Guinness Lad]

What do you do before deciding that you have the wrong amp.
Do you change cabinets? Makes a huge difference, definitely needs to be tried out before you sell.
Speakers? Same as above
Tubes? Like changing to a different brand of string, a difference but wont make you suddenly keep an amp you didn't like before.
Change the polarity of your speaker cable? Hardly and real difference maybe slightly louder or softer again not much of a change.
Take guitar lessons? Probably the single biggest difference fo rthe better but it wont change the tone of the amp.

The reason that I'm asking is, I have a Two Rock Emerald 50 amp that I for some reason am not feeling or hearing a very organic, swirl, clean sound, or for that matter a great OD either.
It could be that it doesn't like my Marshall 1960a cab with the regular speakers, or it could be that I'm not playing the amp loud enough, or that I don't have the right tubes.
Before I get rid of an amp that has a great reputation among most, but certainly not all, I want to see what else to try.
Yes I have to get a better speaker cable. But what do the rest of you do?

A speaker cable is not going to save the amp, try a couple different speakers, if this doesn't work the amps not for you.

 

[markom89]

Dream up the correct verbiage on why you have to part with the best amp you've ever heard or played...

haha, lol. Good one, Mike :BEER

Personally, I just start the search early for my next amp

 

[Yossi]

Joe agreed that the Marshall Cabinet with its current production Celestion speakers are not going to sound good with his amp.
He said that the 2x12 Jenkins cabinet that I have in my office will sound much better and also the 4x12 cab is too much overkill for my home studio.
He also said that it's a good idea to have the amp biased and adjusted, and perhaps have new tubes put in, especially since I have not had this done since I bought the amp used several years ago. That could be a reason that I'm not happy with the amps sound.

The good news is that all I have to do is send him my amp and Two Rock will do the bias and adjustments for no charge, even though I bought the amp used from someone else! Of course they will charge me if they put in tubes.

Now I think that I'll get rid of my 4x12 and look for a Two Rock cab instead. Even though I have a 2x12 already, I like what its doing at the office.

 

[mprvise]

Cab is the way I'd go as well. And before you settle on the TR 2X12, try the 1X12 - a seriously good cab, and some like it better than the 2X12.

My Two-Rock is REALLY liking a recently purchased Port City 2X10, believe it or not. Used that rig on a few gigs now and have gotten tone compliments from band and audience members.

 

[justonwo]

Tubes and speakers usually. I was just about fed up with my Quiana before I spent a lot of time tweaking those two. I've had the amp now for 7 years. Still sounds great.

 

[Yossi]

.... before you settle on the TR 2X12, try the 1X12 - a seriously good cab, and some like it better than the 2X12.

Joe said that they spent a long time selecting the speakers that they use. He said that they accentuate the amp.

Does the TR 1x12 sound bigger than most 1 x 12 cabs?