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Post subject: HRDLx Speaker
Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 1:11 pm
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I'm thinking about replacing the stock Special Design Eminence speaker with an old Celestion G12-65. I'm using the amp with a jazz group, so mostly clean sound, I kick on the drive channel here and there. I'd like to take some of the bite out of the high end. Thoughts?


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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 2:20 pm
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If the tubes are stock, dump them and rebias the amp. I had JJ's in mine and they worked out well. None of the HRD series amps stay really clean for long. It wasn't designed to. You can get more headroom with a tube change. www.eurotubes.com


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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:01 pm
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I'll probably change the tubes too. How about the speaker though. Has anyone tried different speakers in the Hot Rod? How would the Celestion differ from the Emminence?


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Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:13 am
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I would start with the tubes first. Sometimes the results can be pretty dramatic. Celestions are great speakers. I have Celestion Custom Elite 80's in both my Egnater cabs. They do need a little while to break in.


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Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:28 pm
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I've tried several speakers in my HRDx and the best one I've found is a well broken in Celestion V30. It fixes many of the "problems" with the amp- flubby bass, smooths out the mids, and tames the harsh distortion from the Drive channels. A new speaker makes much more difference than tubes if the tubes are decent at all.


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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:34 pm
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Supro is right, change the tubes to JJ tubes. This will really cut the ice picky highs and farty bass. I have an Emminence Cannibas Rex in my HRDLX and highly reccomend it. It's an undoped hemp cone speaker that doesn't color the tone of the amp, but has good mid-range punch.

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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:29 am
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Here's something to try that won't cost a fortune or nothing at all if you have a $15 multi meter. Check the bias. I'll bet it's around 62-68mv. Which is way too cold. If the bias is set too cold which Fender usually ALWAYS does on the HRD series, you'll get that biting, sterile, icepick in the forehead tone.

If that doesn't work........
Speakers are a hard call. If you call some of the speaker manufacturers and tell them what you're after, they can guide you. The Celestion V30 and the Cannabis Rex and Tone Tubby as well as Jenson are great too. It depends on what you're looking for. Like I said start with the tubes. You may be happy with just a tube change. If it gets you close, but not quite, then look for a speaker. One person will say the Celestion's are great, some will say their awful in you amp. Personally, I like Celestion speakers in closed back cabinets. But just getting rid of the high end bite? Go to www.eurotubes.com and look at the HRD retube kit called Blues Option #1. Set your bias around 78-85mv.


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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:44 am
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63supro wrote:
Here's something to try that won't cost a fortune or nothing at all if you have a $15 multi meter. Check the bias. I'll bet it's around 62-68mv. Which is way too cold. If the bias is set too cold which Fender usually ALWAYS does on the HRD series, you'll get that biting, sterile, icepick in the forehead tone.

If that doesn't work........
Speakers are a hard call. If you call some of the speaker manufacturers and tell them what you're after, they can guide you. The Celestion V30 and the Cannabis Rex and Tone Tubby as well as Jenson are great too. It depends on what you're looking for. Like I said start with the tubes. You may be happy with just a tube change. If it gets you close, but not quite, then look for a speaker. One person will say the Celestion's are great, some will say their awful in you amp. Personally, I like Celestion speakers in closed back cabinets. But just getting rid of the high end bite? Go to www.eurotubes.com and look at the HRD retube kit called Blues Option #1. Set your bias around 78-85mv.


+1 I like the Celestion Greenbacks too.

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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:20 pm
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Tried a Celestion V30 and that seemed okay, then swapped it out for a Weber California paper cone, and this was made a huge difference. Since I never used the on board distortion, always a pedal, the clean was vastly improved, and the distortion was also much better. Ended up selling the amp with the original speaker, and put the California in a DRRI, and still have it that way. Great clean sound.


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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:24 pm
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Celestion's take a while to break in. When they do they sound great.


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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:29 pm
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Thanks for the tips. Ultimately, I'll do all of the above. The reason I mentioned the G12-65 is because I've already got one. It's inside of an old Holmes solid state amp that hasn't worked in years. It should give me a much smoother sound. I've read that some people don't recommend it for single 12, open back cabs, but it doesn't seem like a majority opinion. Anyway, if anyone would advise against using it in the HR for any reason, let me know.

I gotta say, it's a bit disappointing to see how disparaged the Hot Rod is on this board. I got a great deal and it fits my needs - something for the right price that sounds a lot better than a Squier Sidekick 15 and is a lot lighter than my Marshall JCM900 2x12. So no regrets, but still it's kind of a bummer.


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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:29 pm
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Mutthound wrote:
Thanks for the tips. Ultimately, I'll do all of the above. The reason I mentioned the G12-65 is because I've already got one. It's inside of an old Holmes solid state amp that hasn't worked in years. It should give me a much smoother sound. I've read that some people don't recommend it for single 12, open back cabs, but it doesn't seem like a majority opinion. Anyway, if anyone would advise against using it in the HR for any reason, let me know.

I gotta say, it's a bit disappointing to see how disparaged the Hot Rod is on this board. I got a great deal and it fits my needs - something for the right price that sounds a lot better than a Squier Sidekick 15 and is a lot lighter than my Marshall JCM900 2x12. So no regrets, but still it's kind of a bummer.


The HRD has a bad reputation on a lot of boards. check out www.thefenderforum.com There is a reason for it. I went through HRD hell with mine until I finally had enough and sold it with 7 months left on the warranty so I wouldn't feel guilty. I wouldn't buy another one at half the price. I actually wouldn't take another one for free. I like buying stuff for the long haul not the fill up landfills. My Twin and Champ are over 30 years old and never let me down even once.

If you already have the speaker and the impedance matches, change it out. It couldn't hurt. You may like it.


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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:32 pm
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Mutthound wrote:
Thanks for the tips. Ultimately, I'll do all of the above. The reason I mentioned the G12-65 is because I've already got one. It's inside of an old Holmes solid state amp that hasn't worked in years. It should give me a much smoother sound. I've read that some people don't recommend it for single 12, open back cabs, but it doesn't seem like a majority opinion. Anyway, if anyone would advise against using it in the HR for any reason, let me know.

I gotta say, it's a bit disappointing to see how disparaged the Hot Rod is on this board. I got a great deal and it fits my needs - something for the right price that sounds a lot better than a Squier Sidekick 15 and is a lot lighter than my Marshall JCM900 2x12. So no regrets, but still it's kind of a bummer.


Don't let it get you down bro. There are a very vocal few here who hate anything Fender younger than 1970. If you read posts over a period of time, you'll find a lot of very satisfied HRD owners. Lots of mid-priced Fender amps are professionally used. So don't let an old hippie harsh your mellow!


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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:27 am
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That's not entirely true. I had a troublesome HRDlx which was made way after 1970 and started failing after only three months of light use, and I have a 6 month old Egnater Rebel 20 that has been rock solid and is gigged with, practiced with and rehearsed with 4-6 days a week and has been an incredible amp. I do have a couple amps from the 70's though, but they are not my main amps anymore.

The HRD series is what it is. Like I said, check out other boards and you'll see what I mean. There used to be a whole website by Juston Holton on how to repair and mod these amps. It's not a "vocal few". Almost every day someone has a problem with a HRD series on this forum and is looking for a way to fix it. I still have the zip file. :roll:


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