Triple X tone

[shredrick]

I inherited a Peavey triple X combo from a friend 60 watt 1x12 this thing has a ton of gain on tap, I have never heard an amp with this much gain before. Anyway I'm not digging the tone, it sounds kinda mushy not loose buy mushy hard to describe. Anyway I have actually heard good things about this amp but never expected it to be so bland and dull

[pioneerprogress]

turn the gain down. It's still more gain than you need under 12 o'clock, and more clarity.

[Jesse G]

gain on tap

 

[K-Bizzle]

Also what speaker is in the combo?

[eudaimonia02912]

Keep the gain lower. Also, get better tubes. One good thing about the XXX is that it is unusually responsive to pre-amp tube changes.

 

Try this:

Reissue Tung Sol in V1

NOS EI in V2

whatever you want in V3

Sovtek LPS in V4

 

JJ KT77s for power tubes

 

Thank me later.

 

 

EDIT: PS, do you know how to use the EQ? It has active EQ knobs, so everything at 5 is neutral, anything above 5 boosts, and anything below 5 cuts. Finally, make sure to keep the amp on the loose setting.

[sabrex]

Keep the gain lower. Also, get better tubes. One good thing about the XXX is that it is unusually responsive to pre-amp tube changes. Try this: Reissue Tung Sol in V1 NOS EI in V2 whatever you want in V3 Sovtek LPS in V4 JJ KT77s for power tubes Thank me later. EDIT: PS, do you know how to use the EQ? It has active EQ knobs, so everything at 5 is neutral, anything above 5 boosts, and anything below 5 cuts. Finally, make sure to keep the amp on the loose setting.

 

 

Disagree entirely. Pre amp tubes will make subtle tonal differences which are completely overwhelmed by the active EQ.

 

You can use lower gain preamp tubes or darker tubes to take away character from the amp. But the amp just sounds "less".

 

Get the highest quality, highest gain pre tubes you can find.

[-Juggernaut-]

crunch channel, gain on 5, eq to taste.....

[Mustaine-who?]

Disagree entirely. Pre amp tubes will make subtle tonal differences which are completely overwhelmed by the active EQ. You can use lower gain preamp tubes or darker tubes to take away character from the amp. But the amp just sounds "less". Get the highest quality, highest gain pre tubes you can find.

 

 

I disagree with your disagree-ance...

 

I went with just that, and it made a huge difference from the stock {censored} Sovtek 6L6 and EH 12AX7s...

 

I am able to use the gain on each channel better to find that balance between saturation and loss of definition. I also have 2 killer tones from the 2 lead channels. I now use the Ultra for rythem and Crunch for leads...it was that drastic...

 

Still searching for a cab for it, which I believe will also make a drastic difference...

 

Also...to the OP...there's a huge long epic post on the XXX. Find it and read every post...lotsa useful tips on there...

[DrakkarTyrannis]

Disagree entirely. Pre amp tubes will make subtle tonal differences which are completely overwhelmed by the active EQ. You can use lower gain preamp tubes or darker tubes to take away character from the amp. But the amp just sounds "less". Get the highest quality, highest gain pre tubes you can find.

 

 

I highly disagree. The Pre amp tubes make a huge difference. Don't believe me, drop a low gain into V3 and see what happens.

 

The XXX can do well with high gain tubes, but the amp has so much gain most people go with low gain ones to tame it a bit..which makes perfect sense. You can darken it to help with it's brightness, and use low gain tubes to chill out that insane gain. You can even put a low gain in V3 to cut volume and chill out the scope of the EQ range.

[Ultrahighgain]

Disagree entirely. Pre amp tubes will make subtle tonal differences which are completely overwhelmed by the active EQ. You can use lower gain preamp tubes or darker tubes to take away character from the amp. But the amp just sounds "less". Get the highest quality, highest gain pre tubes you can find.

 

 

Bunk.

[shredrick]

Ok I have tried a 12 DW7 in the V 1 and 2 it did lower the gain but the tone was still {censored} it still seems dull and lifeless it really reminds me of a peavey triumph I used to have and a rockmaster really smooth and dull gain stages, it needs more punch in the preamp section

[sabrex]

Ok I have tried a 12 DW7 in the V 1 and 2 it did lower the gain but the tone was still {censored} it still seems dull and lifeless it really reminds me of a peavey triumph I used to have and a rockmaster really smooth and dull gain stages, it needs more punch in the preamp section

 

 

The amp really responds to boost pedals. The input gain stage in not all that hot even though the later gain stages are really saturated. Also, the active EQ is pre-gain so you can effectively boost the input signal by running all 3 controls high.

 

Dont listen to the children wasting time on pre-tube swaps. Speakers and boost pedals (and pickups) will net the most tone change.

[DrakkarTyrannis]

The amp really responds to boost pedals. The input gain stage in not all that hot even though the later gain stages are really saturated. Also, the active EQ is pre-gain so you can effectively boost the input signal by running all 3 controls high. Dont listen to the children wasting time on pre-tube swaps. Speakers and boost pedals (and pickups) will net the most tone change.

I'd recommend trying everything to help the tone of the amp. A tube swap won't solve every issue. With amp issues you do a tube swap to get it to what you want as a base tone, then you build around it with pedals and pickups and speakers and whatnot.

The major rule of ultra amps, at least to me:

Dime the master, use the channel volumes for level, dime the FX loop and engage it. Thickens and provides as much punch as this amp is gonna give

[pioneerprogress]

 

Ok I have tried a 12 DW7 in the V 1 and 2 it did lower the gain but the tone was still {censored} it still seems dull and lifeless it really reminds me of a peavey triumph I used to have and a rockmaster really smooth and dull gain stages, it needs more punch in the preamp section

 

 

lifeless?

Me and the rest of my band agree, my Triumph sounds better than any other amp I've carried into the practice space. It cuts better, and sounds absolutely HUGE through g12t75's.

After practice last night, I made the final decision to sell my triple xxx. I finally got a tone that I really liked AND cut well from the triple xxx. Thing was, the gain was turned so low, it's kinda pointless to even keep the amp. Not using it for its intended purpose.

After trying a number of amps I've found it's really true that what might sound good on its own really doesn't do it with the band.

[shredrick]

lifeless? Me and the rest of my band agree, my Triumph sounds better than any other amp I've carried into the practice space. It cuts better, and sounds absolutely HUGE through g12t75's. After practice last night, I made the final decision to sell my triple xxx. I finally got a tone that I really liked AND cut well from the triple xxx. Thing was, the gain was turned so low, it's kinda pointless to even keep the amp. Not using it for its intended purpose. After trying a number of amps I've found it's really true that what might sound good on its own really doesn't do it with the band.

 

 

 

 

So you are using a triumph over an X, did you use the same speakers with the X?

[pioneerprogress]

 

So you are using a triumph over an X, did you use the same speakers with the X?

 

 

Didn't like the Triple xxx with the 75's. It sounded better through a Peavey cab, but still just wasn't quite there.

To be fair, I've found I'm really not all that fond of really high gain, compressed, fizzy amps.

[TheEsupremacy]

The amp is awesome. You'll love it.
Put JJ KT77's in it for power tubes (Gold Lions IF you can afford them).
Use a Tung sol 12ax7 in V1 if you like treble/presense in your amps or a Mullard 12ax7 in V1 if you like it darker and more organic sounding.
Then fill in the rest of the preamp tubes with Shuguang 12ax7B's (Silver Dragons). Make sure you use the real B's with the octo spacer. They are hard to find but in stock at BOI Audioworks. Trust me on this tube combo. I spent a {censored}load of money messing around with tubes in my JSX. This was the best sounding combination of tubes I've found. It's more of a fact than an opinion too. Give it a try.

[DrakkarTyrannis]

The amp is awesome. You'll love it. Put JJ KT77's in it for power tubes (Gold Lions IF you can afford them). Use a Tung sol 12ax7 in V1 if you like treble/presense in your amps or a Mullard 12ax7 in V1 if you like it darker and more organic sounding. Then fill in the rest of the preamp tubes with Shuguang 12ax7B's (Silver Dragons). Make sure you use the real B's with the octo spacer. They are hard to find but in stock at BOI Audioworks. Trust me on this tube combo. I spent a {censored}load of money messing around with tubes in my JSX. This was the best sounding combination of tubes I've found. It's more of a fact than an opinion too. Give it a try.

 

 

This is interesting. I have a JSX. Ever try a JJ in V1? If so how would you compare it to the Mullard? I like the JJ because it's darker in tone, which helps tame the amp's brightness..you use a mullard for the same thing it seems?

[shredrick]

The amp is awesome. You'll love it. Put JJ KT77's in it for power tubes (Gold Lions IF you can afford them). Use a Tung sol 12ax7 in V1 if you like treble/presense in your amps or a Mullard 12ax7 in V1 if you like it darker and more organic sounding. Then fill in the rest of the preamp tubes with Shuguang 12ax7B's (Silver Dragons). Make sure you use the real B's with the octo spacer. They are hard to find but in stock at BOI Audioworks. Trust me on this tube combo. I spent a {censored}load of money messing around with tubes in my JSX. This was the best sounding combination of tubes I've found. It's more of a fact than an opinion too. Give it a try.

 

 

So you have the X and used those tubes you described in it? And it made a significant difference in tone? It's like the preamp section is missing some punch, and it is a really smooth type gain, too smooth. I have found in the past experience with amps that a tube change really doesn't make that big a difference. Maybe a speaker change will though.

 

 

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