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Post subject: DRRI & Low Watt Tone Tubby
Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 7:23 pm
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Posts: 292
Location: SoCal
Just put one of these in my 2005 DRRI, and as it breaks in, I'm thinking that Fender should consider making it the OEM speaker:
http://www.tonetubby.com/low-watt.html
(To digress: I also think these should be the OEM power tubes: http://www.tubedepot.com/jj-6v6.html. I swapped some GT from a SCXD and the DRRI's original EH tubes, and those were flubby, indistinct, and broke up early and non-musically. The JJ's seem to have the headroom to deliver a volume=10 clear tone to the speakers and let them break up alnico-naturally. I'm running cool though, @ 20mA).

I actually like the original Jensen C12K, and thought it had the elusive "chime". But it always seemed to sound similar on all the Strat pups, and the amp broke up in a non-musical barrage when turned up. Most of the pros in here have always recommended Alnico for the sweet-down-low and compressed-musical-breakup-high with touch sensitivity as the spice. I tried an Eminence Swamp Thang, and the Strat had more tonal variation, but it was too harsh (and too loud with no break up). I got a cheap '72 Eminence alnico on ebay, and it showed some of style that the alnico can demonstrate. I was smitten, and decided to troll for my favorite speaker manufacturer JBL (I have several 1970s on my home stereo, and no, I do not play mp3s on it). But the sticker shock!

Then I stumbled on the hemp cone Alnico Tone Tubby. And check out that price ... Very friendly. And this dude has all the alnico qualities like the pros said. The DRRI now has more tonal variations and possibilities than it ever has. It's going from thin and haunting to ACDC crunch (though I needed to goose the input with my Roctron Big Crush). And this hemp cone sparkles; some might even find it too clean and ice-picky (this surprised me). However, and I know this will be controversial, the Vibrato channel is now thicker than usual and more tonally complicated. I like it better than the Normal (and no Fritz mod required).

It's not perfect. There is a slight lack in the upper mids (it can sound "hollow" when plugging directly in, the Compressor mitigates it a little); and the volume is less than ceramic. But I was able to drop my Strat pups down near the pick guard and turn the amp and guitar to 9, and finally see what touch sensitivity actually is. I can never go back.


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Post subject: Re: DRRI & Low Watt Tone Tubby
Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 8:24 pm
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Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
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I found this to be the ideal speaker to mate with my DRRI......

Image

The hemp-cone Tone Tubby is a great choice as well.

8)

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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