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Disappointed in XXX XXX Super 40 EFX Combo


milkandmeat11

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http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/481394/

 

Just came in the mail, and It sounds pretty bad. I paly an LP with an 81. It's lifelss, cold, thin, grainy, buzzy etc, especially soling high up. I've messed with the eq for awhile, and changed the damping swithc, but nothing helps. This is the firts tube amp I've played, and I expected a lot more. Ultimately, I'm looking for metal tones and nothing more. My flextone got better metel tones (and my flex is awful). I'd make clips, but the cheap mic I have makes the amp sound completely different then it does right here. Not to mention the amp is insanely loud at idle. I expected it to be noisy, but not this bad. With the gain halfway and the volume at just 1, it's very loud. I messed with the polarity switch also, and it did nothing. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be sending this amp back.

 

So my question now is what to get. I have a budget of about 500-600 max. That's not a lot I know. I'm just looking for something that I can get a smooth, somewhat warm tone from. The Metallica tone from the Load/Reload days would be ideal. I know I won't get that tone, but somethig similar hopefully. I'm thinking about getting a used 5150 212 off ebay. The thing is, I have nowhere that I can try amps, I have no good music stores near me.Would you guys buy a 5150 off ebay? They're kind of old so I'm kind of scared.

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=187505&songID=3192316

 

That's from an fja modded 5150 combo, played with a bridge 707. That's pretty much the tone I would love to have, especially the soling at the end. Could I get similar tone from a stock 5150 with an emg 81?

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Originally posted by milkandmeat11



Just came in the mail, and It sounds pretty bad. I paly an LP with an 81. It's lifelss, cold, thin, grainy, buzzy etc, especially soling high up. I've messed with the eq for awhile, and changed the damping swithc, but nothing helps. This is the firts tube amp I've played, and I expected a lot more. Ultimately, I'm looking for metal tones and nothing more. My flextone got better metel tones (and my flex is awful). I'd make clips, but the cheap mic I have makes the amp sound completely different then it does right here. Not to mention the amp is insanely loud at idle. I expected it to be noisy, but not this bad. With the gain halfway and the volume at just 1, it's very loud. I messed with the polarity switch also, and it did nothing. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be sending this amp back.


So my question now is what to get. I have a budget of about 500-600 max. That's not a lot I know. I'm just looking for something that I can get a smooth, somewhat warm tone from. The Metallica tone from the Load/Reload days would be ideal. I know I won't get that tone, but somethig similar hopefully. I'm thinking about getting a used 5150 212 off ebay. The thing is, I have nowhere that I can try amps, I have no good music stores near me.Would you guys buy a 5150 off ebay? They're kind of old so I'm kind of scared.




That's from an fja modded 5150 combo, played with a bridge 707. That's pretty much the tone I would love to have, especially the soling at the end. Could I get similar tone from a stock 5150 with an emg 81?

 

 

sounds like you've got something screwed up there.i've got a triple x head that sounds pretty damn close to that clip you posted (and it's pretty quiet at idle as well).

have you checked all the tubes to be sure they are seated?

tried switching cables,batteries in your guitar etc???

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Originally posted by Ripping Rudy

XXX amps just suck period. If you must Peavey get a 6505 or better, a cheap used 5150.

 

 

 

They don't suck if you know how to set them up. They're just not that great stock IMO....new tubes fix everything.

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Sorry to hear you don't like the amp man, it takes a fair amount of fiddling. Have you tried another plug? It helps if it's not on the same circuit as your computer/monitor/TV/etc. Those can create a fair amount of noise

 

I've got the Super 40 EFX too and loaded up some clips on my soundclick. I am recording with an old computer mic so most of the lowend is gone. Clips 1-3 are my LP with the Duncan Distortion, the 4th is my RG7321 and the pinches clip is the RG

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=284799

 

I got curious and even with my gain maxed on the ultra channel, there is zero hum and I haven't had any feedback yet. You can hear every slide on the strings and messup but no humming

 

garfight! I really have to try that. Seriously everything straight up on the ultra channel? I also dialed back the tone knobs because I found it tough to eq out some of the harshness. It still sounds totally raw but I was wondering if you experienced this at all? I wonder if it's just everything breaking in or me not cranking it up enough :)

 

My eq looked like this for all my recordings. The volume was at about 1/4 because I have roommates. I lowered the gain to almost nothing for my 7-string recordings because I'm using that boost pedal

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/70CamGuy/Guitar/Tripleeq.jpg

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Originally posted by 70 Cam Guy


garfight! I really have to try that. Seriously everything straight up on the ultra channel? I also dialed back the tone knobs because I found it tough to eq out some of the harshness. It still sounds totally raw but I was wondering if you experienced this at all? I wonder if it's just everything breaking in or me not cranking it up enough
:)

My eq looked like this for all my recordings. The volume was at about 1/4 because I have roommates. I lowered the gain to almost nothing for my 7-string recordings because I'm using that boost pedal

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/70CamGuy/Guitar/Tripleeq.jpg

 

yep! - i thought it would be easier for him to replicate. that way he could get an idea of what it should sound like to help rule out something being wrong with his amp .

i did stumble across something tonight though regarding the harshness factor - if you keep the channel volumes below 7 or 8 and start with everything else at 5 and adjust from there .for example- if you want a mid scoop sound put everything on 5 and then add bass and treble as opposed to turning down the mids.

i think alot of people overlook the fact that the tone controls on the gain channels are active and give a boost above 12 oclock and a cut below.its kind of a strange layout but it does make the eq section pretty powerful.

listening to your clips man - i think you need to crank that puppy up a tad,scooch that mic back a couple of inches and aim it towards the edge of the speaker cone.that should help the fizzyness some :)

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I'd still steer the guy in the direction of a 5150. The XXX is terrible beyond words and couldn't possibly be worse. If I got one for free I'd set it on fire and then run over it with a tank to ensure that no one can be harmed by it's shrill, fizzy, totally useless sound.

 

Sorry to all XXX users. If you dig it great. Maybe there is a use for it.

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Originally posted by garfight



yep! - i thought it would be easier for him to replicate. that way he could get an idea of what it should sound like to help rule out something being wrong with his amp .

i did stumble across something tonight though regarding the harshness factor - if you keep the channel volumes below 7 or 8 and start with everything else at 5 and adjust from there .for example- if you want a mid scoop sound put everything on 5 and then add bass and treble as opposed to turning down the mids.

i think alot of people overlook the fact that the tone controls on the gain channels are active and give a boost above 12 oclock and a cut below.its kind of a strange layout but it does make the eq section pretty powerful.

listening to your clips man - i think you need to crank that puppy up a tad,scooch that mic back a couple of inches and aim it towards the edge of the speaker cone.that should help the fizzyness some
:)

 

the mic really is pretty terrible, it's an old voice mic from an old computer. A lot of the fizz and lack of lowend is from that.

 

I know about the active eq but it didn't occur to me to try boosting bass and treble for the mid-scoopy 7-string tone. I like the darker Nevermore and Amon Amarth style with my 7-string but I like the raw, Slayer type drive with my 6-string. I know it's strange but my tastes are weird :D

 

Thanks for the tips! I haven't even had the ultra channel up past half way (no master on this one) because it overpowers my room and makes roommates unhappy ;)

 

I wonder if a volume pedal would work in the loop because I have one I'm not using :confused:

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Originally posted by Ripping Rudy

I'd still steer the guy in the direction of a 5150. The XXX is terrible beyond words and couldn't possibly be worse. If I got one for free I'd set it on fire and then run over it with a tank to ensure that no one can be harmed by it's shrill, fizzy, totally useless sound.


Sorry to all XXX users. If you dig it great. Maybe there is a use for it.

 

 

thats funny man-i'm guessing you didnt spend much time with one? when dialed in correctly the triple xxx can sound almost identical to the 5150 i used to have.

but thanks for the helpful tips:rolleyes:

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Originally posted by 70 Cam Guy



the mic really is pretty terrible, it's an old voice mic from an old computer. A lot of the fizz and lack of lowend is from that.


I know about the active eq but it didn't occur to me to try boosting bass and treble for the mid-scoopy 7-string tone. I like the darker Nevermore and Amon Amarth style with my 7-string but I like the raw, Slayer type drive with my 6-string. I know it's strange but my tastes are weird
:D

Thanks for the tips! I haven't even had the ultra channel up past half way (no master on this one) because it overpowers my room and makes roommates unhappy
;)

I wonder if a volume pedal would work in the loop because I have one I'm not using
:confused:

 

oh yeah :)

i didnt think about the combo not having a master.you could always try the volume pedal thing and see if it works - it won't hurt anything.

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Originally posted by milkandmeat11



Just came in the mail, and It sounds pretty bad. I paly an LP with an 81. It's lifelss, cold, thin, grainy, buzzy etc, especially soling high up. I've messed with the eq for awhile, and changed the damping swithc, but nothing helps. This is the firts tube amp I've played, and I expected a lot more. Ultimately, I'm looking for metal tones and nothing more. My flextone got better metel tones (and my flex is awful). I'd make clips, but the cheap mic I have makes the amp sound completely different then it does right here. Not to mention the amp is insanely loud at idle. I expected it to be noisy, but not this bad. With the gain halfway and the volume at just 1, it's very loud. I messed with the polarity switch also, and it did nothing. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be sending this amp back.


So my question now is what to get. I have a budget of about 500-600 max. That's not a lot I know. I'm just looking for something that I can get a smooth, somewhat warm tone from. The Metallica tone from the Load/Reload days would be ideal. I know I won't get that tone, but somethig similar hopefully. I'm thinking about getting a used 5150 212 off ebay. The thing is, I have nowhere that I can try amps, I have no good music stores near me.Would you guys buy a 5150 off ebay? They're kind of old so I'm kind of scared.




That's from an fja modded 5150 combo, played with a bridge 707. That's pretty much the tone I would love to have, especially the soling at the end. Could I get similar tone from a stock 5150 with an emg 81?

 

 

 

You own a 5150 combo modded by me or you're buying one? The only combo's I modded were for local guys here in the Syracuse, NY area. Who owned it before?

Jerry

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I didnt like the xx stock either. Sounded to me as he described it. By 5150 combo blows it away for aggression and the tracking is much faster. On a xxx the note follows a second behind.

 

here is a few examples of my 5150 combo:

 

 

http://www.web-design100.net/New%20Riff.mp3

 

http://www.web-design100.net/5150.mp3

 

And for solos it obviously does the bizas that is what EVH was all about.

 

I have even coaxed a more than usuable clean out of it.

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Not to be too much of a dick, but I think part of your problem might be lack of experience with tube amps! Also, I believe the 2 dirty channels have active EQ, so it'll probably behave a little differently than your regular amp. I once had a Mesa Subway Rocket, couldn't get it to drive the way I wanted, traded it for a Marshall Valvestate 80 watt. Dumbass! Those little amps rip, and they're going used for almost what they cost new! Be patient, judicious with the EQ, and turn it up!

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Sorry to hear you don't like it. When dialed in, the XXX rips. The EQ's are very sensitive, even a small turn, say from 10am to 11am makes a difference. It takes a while to get it the way you want, but the tones are there. I also have EL34's in mine now and although I liked the 6L6's, the EL34's sound a little better.

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I would say either give the XXX combo some more time and some new tubes all around or get a 5150 head or combo. A mesa mark III combo may be another great choice in about your price range.

 

Assuming that the XXX EFX combo has active tone controls like the head, that will make it different to dial in than alot of other amps.

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Originally posted by Ripping Rudy

XXX amps just suck period. If you must Peavey get a 6505 or better, a cheap used 5150.

 

 

 

Thats just not true. They are very versitile and the EQ sections are very powerful. The EQ need to be used sparingly at first until you know where you like them Start with the tone controls at 12 oclock and slowly tweak from there.NEXT AND IMPORTANT- a new speaker NEEDS to be "broken in" a bit. Crank that amp up and get it moving around for an hour or two at least before even doing any "critical" listening!

Also for that "smooth lead tone"try rolling back on the guitar treble a tad and using the neck pick up. I know this sounds simple but sometimes its overlooked.

As for the XXX being a "second behind" that umm..silly!. Its not " digital pitch shifter" and the power supply could NEVER have that much sag.

Ive owned many PV Ultra series and they are great amps perhaps not your cup of tea. SO give it a chance to break in! Also IMPORTANT your gonna have to OPEN it up volume wise if you expect to really hear what it (OR ANY OTHER TUBE AMP) can do sonically-not play it at" one" on the volume. Again this goes for any tube amp. ITS a Sweet amp. I wish I had some extra cash -damn at 499$ ITS A STEAL!!!

HTH-Bob

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:( Sorry you don't like the amp, I've heard several simillar complaints about the XXX Super 40 EFX amps. It looks like a bad investment, send it back. Your looking in the wrong place, if all you want is a Metal sounding amp, that's sad, because your not looking at what you will be playing in the years ahead. Unless your never going to change your style or buy a new amp every few years, you want an amp that will cover, everything and last you for years. The first thing you want a amp to do is have good clean sound a wide range of tones, and a volume control that works well and dosen't blow you out of the room at 2 or 3, that sucks. If an amp can't do that well nothing else will sound good but Metal, Punk and Hard Rock. Hell I can get all that out of a cheap SS amp and a $39 pedal. :rolleyes:
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Originally posted by The Boogie Man

:(
Sorry you don't like the amp, I've heard several simillar complaints about the XXX Super 40 EFX amps. It looks like a bad investment, send it back. Your looking in the wrong place, if all you want is a Metal sounding amp, that's sad, because your not looking at what you will be playing in the years ahead. Unless your never going to change your style or buy a new amp every few years, you want an amp that will cover, everything and last you for years. The first thing you want a amp to do is have good clean sound a wide range of tones, and a volume control that works well and dosen't blow you out of the room at 2 or 3, that sucks. If an amp can't do that well nothing else will sound good but Metal, Punk and Hard Rock. Hell I can get all that out of a cheap SS amp and a $39 pedal.
:rolleyes:

 

Sounds like you have never played one. It covers way more than metal and hard rock and even if it didnt very few amps cover everything from jazz to metal. However if your looking for metal sounds then why not get an amp that can deliver? Yep,its way more versitle than the name suggests. BTW-most amps ARE loud(depending on the gain) at 2 or 3-thats just a fact.:)

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