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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:51 pm
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Arjay, Here's a photo of the "modfied" TRRI with the K120 speakers. I guess I had the thing reconed in 1999. Still soldiering on...

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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:34 pm
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Nice!

That looks exactly like the back of my '91 TRRI, right down to the ersatz "GROUND" switch.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 8:35 pm
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Just a bump here, I'm getting close to a choice here !

I put in a Sovtek GZ34 today and swapped some other RCA 6V6's

The shrill tone is still very much there in the volume ranges you would need for a small to medium gig.

Has anyone here tried the swamp thang emi ? sounds like it would handle the bass gasiness (sic) problem, wondering if it will take the ice pick too ?

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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 10:33 am
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I have noticed one thing about the four or so go to speakers for the DRRI, only one does NOT show up used on e-bay where as the rest do.

I do a lot of selling on e-bay so I'm on it every day several times, i have noticed that the Swamp Thang is seldom for sale used there while the C-rex the 12A150, Texas Heat and a few others are there used most of the time, Even my personal favorite in anything tweed the 12A150 shows up used fairly often.

I will say the webers sell for close to new pricing when they sell used most of the time.

I'm thinking the guys buying Swamp Thang Emi's are keeping them.

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Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 1:00 pm
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Great discussion here. What are the differences in tone between the Emi CRex and Swamp Thang?
cheers, Have a happy and safe holiday weekend everyone.


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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 2:28 am
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Hi Blues Bondsman,

This thread isn't complete as no-on has yet mentioned the Celestion Gold (Alnico) 12" speaker in a DRRI.

I fitted one not so long back and the thread below deals with this in more detail with pics.

http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=61477&sid=d5bc0721391f49d9ebec430e4be08133

However, its probably the most expensive option you could choose (£200 GBP) and you'll need to remove 4 x of the fixing bolts from your baffle as its a 4 hole chassis. This is a bit tricky, but quite doable with patience.

But it WILL be worth it - believe me: the best Xmas pressie you could buy yourself.

It transformed an already great little amp into a powerhouse sound - gone is the flab and fizz of the Italian Ceramic: hello sweet blues or country OR alternatively, a rock'n'roll beast when using an overdrive sound.

But importantly, and I can't over-emphasise this enough, you will need to give the speaker (probably any new speaker?) sufficient break-in time of circa. 40 -50 hours before it 'sweetens up'. I achieved this by D/Ling a 10-min .mp3 of pink noise from the Internet and feeding this from my PC into the DRRI leaving it on medium vol. each day on Winamp (repeat play) while I went to work (I live in a detached house so no neighbour issues it worry about) - this again significantly changes the sound as the highs fall away to the 'used' sound.

Over to you.....good luck!

Feed.

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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 8:57 pm
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From the online sound bites I have heard the C-rex comes across as very dark.

Using my dell sound system to try and buy speakers is like trying to buy a fly rod by watching a video tape of someone using it, so..........

The Gold has been well recieved by several online DRRI owners in several different forums I have read, I want a typical American Rock and Blues sound with a huge bottom and no flubby stuff, I also want to crank it up and not feel ice picks in my brain !

I know the celestion top line stuff is great, just not the sound I'm after with this amp.
Weber alnicos are some of my all time favorite speakers and I really don't think they will fit the bill with the black face DRRI either so......

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2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
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1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 11:09 am
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Guitar Center had a buy 99 get 20 off today with free shipping and so i got a new swamp thang and two pair of Ernie Ball classic Rock SS 9-42's for less than the speaker alone.

Great Deal and now for the trial, it will no doubt take me several weeks to begin a decent break in.

I hear the solid bass response causes love at first strum, we shall see !

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Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:19 am
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The big brown truck (scary thought) brought my Swamp Thang Eminenece yesterday, I kept the volume pretty low so far and so I can't tell you if the shrill is gone at plus 3 on the volume knob just yet.

First impressions are excellent and yes it is a whole lot warmer sounding speaker, i had to adjust my treble from 2 to around 5 and back the bass off to 6 (more tone tweeking to come).

So far the major improvements have been 5751's amd some good RCA 12AX7's a very nice set of vintage 6V6 RCA's, a few bias adjustments along the way and the new Swamp Thang.

I feel much more at home now !

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Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:44 am
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The Swamp Thang is getting sweeter by the day !

Great lows , and I find a ton of sparkle in the highs too, not ice pick shrill like the OEM speaker for sure.

Some day I will buy or build an extension cab with a 12A150 in it, then I'll just unplug the onboard and use it when I want that alnico tone or maybe one of those new Eric Johnson eminence alnicos as soon as they let us know a price on them .

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Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:22 pm
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Nice work mate, I bet the amp sounds great with that speaker and will just get better as you play it in and tweak the knobs to find the tone you want. I used the Texas Heat in my amps and I can't speak highly enough of that speaker, Eminence are really making a nice range of flavours these days and some well built made in USA product.

How do you find the Signa Drive? I have the Cmatmods "Butah" and find it to be a great mild OD that, he builds really nice hand-made pedals for a good price, somewhat under-rated I think.

Snowy


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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:35 pm
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Indeed the eminence stuff is great !

The Buttah is next on my list, i had the signa comp also for a while, there is just something about those older route 66 pedals from Visual Sound.

The cmatmods stuff is absolutely as good as you will find and his prices are awesome !!!!
Never meet a nicer guy too !

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Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:44 am
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Anything but a Cannibas Rex: i dontknow why everyone likes them; they're so dark sounding, i find them to sound terrible. Maybe Id get one if i was using an amp that didnt have enough bottom. I like Eminence speakers, never liked Celestions in American Amps. Though i do like to use Britsh tuned speakers in American amps. I used the Fender Special Design that i pulled out of a Deluxe Hot Rod; while i didnt like them in the DHR, i really liked theway it sounded in my DRRI. Id go for a Private Jack, or something like that. I dont like to use speakers rated for anything over 75 watts in an amp witha power rating below 30 watts, I think a 75watt rated amp is perfect for a 22watt amp.


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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:56 am
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The best thing to do if you dont like the top end of the Vibrato channel, is to give the normal channel the ability to use reverb/tremolo, all you do is clip one end of R25 (or R12,i have to look at it to see which one, but if you're looking into the chassis with the pots facing away, its the one furtheset to the right out of the two). Clip one end of the resistor off; then using low heat touch the other lead, just enough to soften the solder allowing you to pull the lead ou just a little bit. Then using a jumper wire; solder one end of the wire to the clipped resistor, to the end thats still in the pcb board, and run the other end of the jumper to R12(or 25 again i cant see it infront of me). This will give you the ability to have recverb and tremolo on the normal channel, which doesnt have that bright cap. Funning distortion or fuzz into the VIBRATO CHANNEL makes it sound fizzy,

You may also want to change the 6.7K resistor that keeps the midrange at a fixed level. I used a 15K in the normal channel, essentially making it sound like a tweed, and used a 10K trimpot on the Vibrato channel so i can adjust the midrange. I dont like the sound of these amps when C10 is removed, though they sound good if you use a lower valued capacitor. You can also install a switch to put in/take out the cap of the signal. The speakers arent as much the problem as just the way the amp is built. Believe it or not; though people complain about it; the Fender Special Design speaker from the Hot Rod series amps sounds pretty good in the DRRIs, plus gives you a little more dirt sound.


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Post subject: Re: Best replacement speaker for DRRI and WHY ? Users Guide
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:38 am
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That second to the last reply has me laughing !

The Swamp Thang was a major improvement over the stock emi, however I just ordered a C-Rex to see if i like it better.

Yes I "broke in" the swamp thang for many hours with my stereo and with playing time and it was still too bright for me.

The C-rex has a pretty good following and I like a warmer sound any way.
I am begining to think I'm not a blackface kinda guy and that the tweed bassman is more My sound.

I won't mod the amp any further, its most likely to turn into a tweed 4x10 of some kind, thats the sound that makes me happy !!!

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Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


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