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Topic: N112 - small amps, decisions decisions, trail and error |
Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 28 Jul 2019 7:52 am |
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Well I confess that I am an anal amp person, I think to the point of foolishness. I play a bi monthly small room show, been on this gig for 4 years. I do play double duty, Steel/Tele, some shows can be more Steel some can be more guitar. Its really up to me. We have a very fine guitar player in the band, we work off of each other .
So 4 years back I started playing the show with a Nashville 112. I needed an extension speaker for the other side of the stage so I pulled the 4 ohm out, installed an 8 ohm'er and added a speaker LUG QUICK connecter for the other 8 ohm cab which brought me back to 4 ohms for this room. Using the N112 with an 8 ohm speaker by itself is not any big deal, I've used it on multiple Steel only gigs over the last 4 years . The speaker is a Fender Eminence Gold Label, fairly bright and eliminated the mid range "honk" typical with the stock PV speaker.
Ok so over the last 4 years, I've use countless amps, tube amps, SS amps all sorts of various brands and models, Fender, Carvin DV, GK, PV...always seeking euphoria. For guitar only gigs it is indeed a tube amp, Fender, Dr Z, Carvin etc, the tube SAG is what I prefer for E Guitars.
So, where am I now, well I'm back to the N112 and really enjoying it. Maybe I've mellowed out who knows. I can even find my way with the Tele using a Voodoo Labs Sparkle drive. Its a 2 hour show, it's not Shea Stadium or the Hollywood Bowl ! Add that I am also 4 years older, that may play into the scenario.
The N112, kinda like going home ! Sure glad I didn't sell it !
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website
Last edited by Tony Prior on 28 Jul 2019 11:33 am; edited 6 times in total |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 28 Jul 2019 10:05 am Re: small amps, decisions decisions, trail and error etc...
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| Tony Prior wrote: |
| N112, kinda like going home ! Sure glad I didn't sell this one. |
Feel the same way about not dumping my '77 LTD 400 with it's blown JBL speaker. After using it mainly as a doorstop for the better part of 40 years, I finally installed a well-used older 1501-4 Black Widow. Tonal nirvana with a push/pull. |
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Doug Palmer
From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 28 Jul 2019 3:28 pm amps
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Tony, not everyone has an amplifier museum like you. Like you I am back using my NV 112. 42lbs though. I thought about a lighter speaker but the Blue Marvel sounds great.
_________________
Emmons D-10, ST-10,LD-10 III, NV-112,Fender Deluxe Reverb. Authorized wholesale dealer musicorp.com! |
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Greg Lambert
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 28 Jul 2019 4:49 pm
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Still using my NV112 with an older 12" Black Widow speaker.
Cant get a better tone out of any amp that suits me except the NV. |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 29 Jul 2019 1:49 am Re: amps
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| Doug Palmer wrote: |
| Tony, not everyone has an amplifier museum like you. Like you I am back using my NV 112. 42lbs though. I thought about a lighter speaker but the Blue Marvel sounds great. |
Well Doug I suspect many here do have an amplifier museum !
For certain at 42 pounds and a speaker of choice, its a great little amp, it fills a lot of needs. Maybe not the perfect amp for all scenarios but certainly extremely friendly for a small combo and very reliable. I think over the years I never gave it enough credit.
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Kenneth Mennen
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 29 Jul 2019 7:24 am
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| Well, I have to comment in the positive for the NV112. I'm a long-time guitar player (35 years), who took up the steel guitar almost two years ago now. Last year I bought new a boutique pedal steel amp, whose brand name I'll withold. I like it (the clean headroom), but don't love it (tone), and I really should have sent it back after I was initially underwhelmed. But, I didn't, and that's water under the bridge now. Since purchasing it, in search of improved tone in general, I've tried several pickups in my Williams SD10. It came with a BL705, which to me was meh, but then I tried a true tone single coil which I liked, but couldn't take the 60Hz hum, and now I've settled on a George L E66, which is nice. Point is, I've tried different pickup combinations into my unnamed boutiqe amp, and I've remained underwhelmed. SO, when recently trying to record and not liking the result, I noticed a used NV112 that was for sale here on the forum, and decided to buy it just to see - simply out of frustration really. The result? I am MORE than pleased. This amp sounds great for my steel - which is first and foremost, but it also turns out to sound really nice with guitar!?!? This, to be honest, I wasn't expecting, since I'm a tube amp guy all the way. However, in retrospect it kind of makes sense because I always play clean guitar - and I don't play uber-loud. Just yesterday a fellow musician came over and said to me "you bought ANOTHER amp??" (It's a compusion I have with guitar amps), and I then proceeded to do a sound comparison between the boutique and the new NV112 - his unbiased comment was "that (NV112) sounds WAY, WAY better". Anyway, KUDOS KUDOS KUDOS to Peavey on this amp!!! All of which you can get new for a little more than 1/3 of the cost of my boutique amp... |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 29 Jul 2019 9:01 am
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| I confess to the amp buyers syndrome. I have far too many and like them all. I was doing a home shootout trying to decide what to sell and never got a true answer. I also play 6 string guitar and love my Telecasters and Archtops, so it's a tough choice. Like Tony I need that double duty amp and that's where it gets sticky. They all will work but us tone hounds want it both ways. That led to the massive amp collection, trying to find the double duty champion. I'm glad to know I'm not alone in this. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 29 Jul 2019 10:21 am
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I have to give a NV112 a kudo. I have a used one I bought that has a Telonics speaker. I can tweak it for steel or my Telecaster. Couldn't find a tone that I like for the Tele with the stock speaker (and no chip mod).
I bought the NV112 for backup as I had a Quilter Steelaire rack model and EPS-15C speaker that I was using as my primary amp. For whatever reason, not to be touched, I sold the Steelaire rack model and speaker and ordered a new Steelaire Combo. While waiting for the new Steelaire I used the NV112 and to be truthful with the Telonics speaker I really don't need the Steelaire. (Sadly I got the Steelaire combo but it has an initial problem and was sent to Quilter for repair or replacement - Quilter provided free shipping. My squeaky wheel got the personal attention of Pat Quilter for the problem). |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 29 Jul 2019 12:56 pm
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| Larry Dering wrote: |
| I confess to the amp buyers syndrome. . I'm glad to know I'm not alone in this. |
Its quite a conundrum !
Heres a few amps, mostly excellent for guitars and Tele tones, they are all OK for the Steel, the best being the 2 x 12 Deville but that baby weighs in at around 60+ pounds.
The Maz 38 Z is really the best for guitar only. Its ok for Steel, but its a 4 x EL84 amp, 100% clean with no grit is not it's thing. The 50 watt Carvin Nomad, 4 x El84's is really good for guitar, ok for Steel but lacks bottom end strength. The HR Deville 2 x 12 , 60 watt rated, can handle both duties well. Clean all the way around. But for Steel only, smaller rooms, the little ole N112 is front is really the choice but for guitar its a compromise.
Nope no Twin Reverb anymore , they are really the answer for double duty , did 30 years with one, the same one, then another 10 with another.
The N112 is very do-able for my regular double duty needs. Bigger stages will bring out the HR Deville and guitar only will bring out the Z, the Carvin or maybe the Blues Jr that's still out in he van from Sat night.
I keep a DV Mark 50 watter in the van as a back up, I like it just fine but prefer to use a combo.
Time to just say WHEN and use the N112 
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Doug Palmer
From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 29 Jul 2019 4:09 pm Amps
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Tony, do you have any more pictures of The Amplifier Museum?
_________________
Emmons D-10, ST-10,LD-10 III, NV-112,Fender Deluxe Reverb. Authorized wholesale dealer musicorp.com! |
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George Redmon
From:
Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.
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Posted 13 Aug 2019 8:34 pm
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| Tony, i love that little Dr "Z". Nice amp collection, but that group is completely out classed by that little Dr "Z". |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 14 Aug 2019 12:32 am
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| George Redmon wrote: |
| Tony, i love that little Dr "Z". Nice amp collection, but that group is completely out classed by that little Dr "Z". |
Ha George, The Z is really is one fine amp, well worth the money. When you open it up and look inside its a thing of beauty. I'm not sure it out classes the other amps but for it's purpose it shines. Its a MAZ 38 with reverb. My bandmate uses a Maz 18 which covers the same ground with a bit more grit but not quite clean enough for Steel at a moderate level. The 38 covers the Steel just fine at a moderate level.
But , because we can, I can, I'm now also considering a Showman head, again ! Thank god the world is circular so we can always get back to where we once were without even trying ! It just happens one day ! 
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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George Redmon
From:
Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.
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Posted 14 Aug 2019 12:59 am
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| I had the opportunity a while back to play a jazz jam. I played steel through a Dr Z, Z-LUX. A FINE FINE amplifier. Clean as a whistle for steel, and fine smooth grit when we played "Black Magic Woman" by Santana. I loved the Z-Lux, only Dr Z amp i've had the opportunity to use. But they are sweet, hand built and point to point i understand. A quality built tube amplifier. |
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