incoming NAD

Make it loud here.
User avatar
FightingPlankton
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2090
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 5:36 pm

incoming NAD

Post by FightingPlankton » Tue Jul 11, 2017 12:31 pm

Just ordered another ampeg amp. This time i got a GVT52-212. Not a great price, but I felt $500 was the lowest I'd ever see one for, so I grabbed it.
Nice lower wattage option to my SR212R(100w). I suppose I really ought to get a smaller amp that isn't 2x12 though... oh well.
Image
What is acoustic? Oh, you means a grandpa's guitars? A grandpa's guitars? That's for pussies and grandpas. I think you know it.

User avatar
wproffitt
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1263
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Ellicott City, MD, USA

Re: incoming NAD

Post by wproffitt » Wed Jul 12, 2017 3:30 am

That's a cool looking amp! With these newer Ampegs, were they going for a specific sound (Fendery, Voxy) or do they have their own thing going on? I remember seeing some demos online a few years back but couldn't tell much for all of the distortion.

User avatar
mathias
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 1:01 pm

Re: incoming NAD

Post by mathias » Wed Jul 12, 2017 4:36 am

I have the 15 watt GVT head and it's great! Quiet (no hum), real spring reverb, and an effects loop. I've always wanted to upgrade to one of these 50 watt combos just to get a "channel 2" drive on a stomp!

They have 6v6's on the 15 watter and 6L6's on the 50 watt combo. That said, I don't consider them terribly Fender-y. Due to the Baxandall EQ, it doesn't have the Fender scooped sound. Without boosting, the 15 watt head doesn't really do high gain - it is more country and classic rock when cranked. The 50 watt combo sounded in demos like it could do more crunch, but I've never played one in person to compare.

I think they're great! Versatile for the kind of music I play and takes pedals like fuzz and delay really well (which is why I don't go for more amp crunch.)

User avatar
FightingPlankton
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2090
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 5:36 pm

Re: incoming NAD

Post by FightingPlankton » Wed Jul 12, 2017 9:22 am

wproffitt wrote:With these newer Ampegs, were they going for a specific sound (Fendery, Voxy) or do they have their own thing going on?
As Mathias stated, the baxandall eq gives Ampeg amps their own tone. I believe orange amps use the baxandall as well. here's a vid some guy posted
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU3Uk5Wxd_w

What I like about these amps is the option to go from 50w down to 25w at the flip of a switch. Since it's not here yet, and I havent played through the 50w version in person I cant comment on the actual sound yet. What I'm hoping is headroom on the 50w setting and classic crunch on the 25w. I'll let you know in 2 weeks.
this guy does a decent demo. a wee bit too much talking though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x5zdnW0JKU
What is acoustic? Oh, you means a grandpa's guitars? A grandpa's guitars? That's for pussies and grandpas. I think you know it.

User avatar
wproffitt
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1263
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Ellicott City, MD, USA

Re: incoming NAD

Post by wproffitt » Wed Jul 12, 2017 5:28 pm

Sounds pretty cool to me. You really can hear what each band of the EQ is doing in those demos.

User avatar
mathias
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 1:01 pm

Re: incoming NAD

Post by mathias » Thu Jul 13, 2017 6:38 am

Let me know what you think when you get it!

User avatar
garyfanclub
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 571
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:29 am
Location: NYC

Re: incoming NAD

Post by garyfanclub » Thu Jul 13, 2017 1:41 pm

Hmmm....

If wattage switching wasn't a factor, I'd say track down a vintage GU-12. 60s-70s Ampeg is always a win. Haven't seen the new stuff in the wild, at least not the guitar stuff, so I don't have an opinion there.

Interested to hear how it sounds!

User avatar
mathias
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 1:01 pm

Re: incoming NAD

Post by mathias » Thu Jul 13, 2017 1:44 pm

I think they stopped making these a few years ago. Weren't popular enough. It's a shame, really.

User avatar
FightingPlankton
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2090
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 5:36 pm

Re: incoming NAD

Post by FightingPlankton » Thu Jul 13, 2017 2:31 pm

mathias wrote:I think they stopped making these a few years ago. Weren't popular enough. It's a shame, really.
them not being popular is part of the attraction for me. I don't like using the gear everyone else uses, I want to have an original tone I can call my own. Im the kind of guy that would rock an ampeg guitar amp and a fender bass amp just to be different. My next amp will probably be a Traynor. I know they're big up in the great white north, but here in the states not many people use them(that I know of).
What is acoustic? Oh, you means a grandpa's guitars? A grandpa's guitars? That's for pussies and grandpas. I think you know it.

User avatar
nikkij
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 582
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:21 pm
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Re: incoming NAD

Post by nikkij » Mon Jul 17, 2017 2:05 pm

I used to have the 5-watt head version of this amp and it was fantastic! Congrats on the NAD!

User avatar
FightingPlankton
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2090
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 5:36 pm

Re: incoming NAD

Post by FightingPlankton » Sun Jul 23, 2017 9:10 am

PSA: there's another one on reverb for $400+$16 shipping. Wish I would have been patient.
https://reverb.com/item/6068956-ampeg-gvt-52-212
What is acoustic? Oh, you means a grandpa's guitars? A grandpa's guitars? That's for pussies and grandpas. I think you know it.

User avatar
FightingPlankton
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2090
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 5:36 pm

Re: incoming NAD

Post by FightingPlankton » Tue Jul 25, 2017 5:55 pm

Amp arrived in the post today, unfortunately it showed up 10 minutes before I had to leave for work so I'll update with 1st impressions tomorrow.
What is acoustic? Oh, you means a grandpa's guitars? A grandpa's guitars? That's for pussies and grandpas. I think you know it.

User avatar
FightingPlankton
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2090
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 5:36 pm

Re: incoming NAD

Post by FightingPlankton » Wed Jul 26, 2017 12:04 pm

Well, bad news. The amp works but I'm pretty positive I need new power tubes. Right now it sounds all thin and tinny. The breakup is really uneven and crackely and I had to crank it to 10 on master volume to get it as loud as my little 10w epiphone amp.
so, I'll send it to my tech next time he's in town for new tubes and biasing then report back.
What is acoustic? Oh, you means a grandpa's guitars? A grandpa's guitars? That's for pussies and grandpas. I think you know it.

User avatar
mathias
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 1:01 pm

Re: incoming NAD

Post by mathias » Wed Jul 26, 2017 12:13 pm

That sucks. I hope you get it sorted soon, and cheaply

User avatar
FightingPlankton
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2090
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 5:36 pm

Re: incoming NAD

Post by FightingPlankton » Wed Jul 26, 2017 2:48 pm

just spoke with my tech, he reckons it's the cheap preamp tubes not sending enough to the power tubes. He's stopping by sometime next week and bringing some NOS 60's tubes. Im psyched.
What is acoustic? Oh, you means a grandpa's guitars? A grandpa's guitars? That's for pussies and grandpas. I think you know it.

Post Reply