AD5 for a cleaner sound ?

plus2guitare · Post by **plus2guitare** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 10:00 am

Hi,

Do you think it's possible to clean more the gain of the little terror ?
More headroom, I'm a home Jazz blues player...

Perhaps with switch tube 12ax7 -> 12ay7 or 12 at7
What do you think about ?

Thanks for you answers

plus2guitare

BrianGT · Post by **BrianGT** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:04 pm

Hi,
Taking your topic heading first.....I think the TT is a far better amp than the current AD5. I tried both in my friends store.
The TT sounded like a real amp and the AD5 sounded like a practice amp.........to me that is. I don't think you would gain anything.

The TT is what it is really and by using a lower gain preamp valve you will only clean it up a little...but that might just be enough.
I wouldn't go lower than a 12AT7 as I think you could make it very sterile.
A 5751 (lower in gain than 12AX7) might do the trick but if not try the 12AT7 which is a little lower in gain than the 5751.
Hope this helps.....

AND WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

Jondog · Post by **Jondog** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:15 pm

I have a 12at7 laying around so I gave it a whirl in the TT for fun, it didn't really clean it up a whole lot.

plus2guitare · Post by **plus2guitare** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 1:06 pm

Thanks for yours answers,

I know, It's a pratice amp, yes but very ship in europe and good quality
It have a very good user review on Harmony-central
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/revi ... /AD+5/10/1

A vidÃƒÂ©o from Youtube show the original gain :
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=nB35SnO5GEc

In other amp reviews, some amp's mods have change tubes for differents gain. The type, the label give result.

For which fabrik of tube do you mean ? (Tesla, EH, Rubby, Sovteck ?)

bfitz · Post by **bfitz** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 1:20 pm

I have an AD5 and all i can use it for is practicing in my room and recording. I use it with a little big muff so that i can practie without annoying my neighbours(too much). I did bring it to practice and it just wasnt powerful enough to be heard over the drummer but it is insanely loud for 5watts.

If i could start over and had about Ã¢â€šÂ¬500 more id get a TT for sure and at some stage i probably will try to sell the ad5 and get a TT combo but not yet cos im skint.

The thing about the clean tones is it is nice but it starts to break up about 11 or 12 o clock on the amp. you can really drive the amp like turn it up all the way and with the volume control on your guitar you can clean the sound up to a nice clean tone bringing the control down to about 2 or 3 (have only done this with single coils) and then open it up to get a really really nice tube distortion sound (like SRV and Hendrix) but this would only suit a studio/bedroom/or if you mic'd the speaker and used a PA to give u enough volume to be heard over drums/guitars/bass and all that jazz

oh et bienvenue a la forum

plus2guitare · Post by **plus2guitare** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:31 pm

Thank for your answers
I anderstand that the Tiny Terror is better...
It's always the same thing, a little more of money, a greater model, a better sound... but...

At first, I would bought a Fender Champion 600...
Side by side, the AD5 seem better no ?
What do you prefer ?

bfitz · Post by **bfitz** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:57 pm

AD-5 sure costs more than the champ.

I have never played thru a champ so i cant tell u which one is better but they are both i would presume suited for the same purpose, a bedroom amp or a recording amp and not much else really.

if you play in a band you could probably get a more powerful amp thats more versatile for the money you would spend on the AD-5 (if you bought it new) especially on ebay

have a look at this, http://www.guitartrader.com/!bAOXwY8!c9 ... mplifier-s this amp is more powerful and cheaper than what i paid for the ad-5 and i would condider it a bit more versatile than the ad-5 in the sense that u could get away with playing it live.

I dunno it seems you may have ur heart set on an orange in which case IMHO i would only recommend the AD-5 if you are NOT going to try to use it playing with a full band. rather just using it for practicing on your own and/or recording.

TheOrangeJuicer · Post by **TheOrangeJuicer** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:26 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BrianGT
 Hi,
Taking your topic heading first.....I think the TT is a far better amp than the current AD5. I tried both in my friends store.
The TT sounded like a real amp and the AD5 sounded like a practice amp.........to me that is. I don't think you would gain anything.

The TT is what it is really and by using a lower gain preamp valve you will only clean it up a little...but that might just be enough.
I wouldn't go lower than a 12AT7 as I think you could make it very sterile.
A 5751 (lower in gain than 12AX7) might do the trick but if not try the 12AT7 which is a little lower in gain than the 5751.
Hope this helps.....

AND WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I agree. The TT is much more flexible and you can gain a little bit more headroom by substituting a tube to a lower gain version and then compensating for loudness by using more master volume. Where you really might ought to be looking for a cleaner sound is towards the pickups in your guitar. Those can make a greater difference than a tube swap.

In general, the TT is going to take you more places than the AD5. The AD5 is a really nicely built and sweet sounding little amp. It'll play clean but at very low levels and then it gets thicker and more compressed very quickly as it runs out of steam. It's a lower gain amp but it's also a much lower powered amp, suitable for practice and recording.

plus2guitare · Post by **plus2guitare** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:33 pm

Thank you,
Really, I don't play with a band, I'm poor longsome guitarist since a few decade.
I play with a little studio (Boss B532, MackBook, Washburn H35 and Gibson Sonex 180)
I'm fan of Hendrix, SRV, Wes Montgomery, + full other
I search a home pratice guitare amp with the tube sound... Eventuelly for record with a dynamic microphone.
It seem okay for this goal, dont you think ?

Heartsndspades · Post by **Heartsndspades** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:41 pm

should be alright.. the only thing id say to be wary of is the 10" speaker.. i had a badcat minicat and the 10" was the reason i didn't keep it.. well actually thats a lie it was the difference in volume btwn distortion and clean.. but that shouldnt be a problem with recording and if you use a pedal

TheOrangeJuicer · Post by **TheOrangeJuicer** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 6:39 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by plus2guitare
 Thank you,
Really, I don't play with a band, I'm poor longsome guitarist since a few decade.
I play with a little studio (Boss B532, MackBook, Washburn H35 and Gibson Sonex 180)
I'm fan of Hendrix, SRV, Wes Montgomery, + full other
I search a home pratice guitare amp with the tube sound... Eventuelly for record with a dynamic microphone.
It seem okay for this goal, dont you think ?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The AD5 will be perfect for that set-up. You will get sweet cleans at low levels and you can crank it to get a fatter, crunchier sound. You can also use a few pedals to create all sorts of effects at lower levels and it takes pedals better than the higher gain amps.

yell tennis · Post by **yell tennis** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:57 pm

Considering that you're looking for a cleaner AD5, perhaps the new Vox AC4 that comes out in March (?) may work for you. Nothing against Orange, they make great amps, but the AC4 combo is about half the price of the AD5 (at least in the US) and will have a cleaner sound overall (probably about the same amount of headroom though). Just an idea, I'm sure the AD5 would be great, too.

plus2guitare · Post by **plus2guitare** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:10 pm

Hi,
A very pretty vox for about the same price in europe
But no one have listen to it... Pearhaps, it's the same
thing about Valve Junior or Blackheart ?
The AD 5 Orange is the only into this style, no ?

TheOrangeJuicer · Post by **TheOrangeJuicer** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 12:24 am

The AD5 has the same single 12AX7 and single EL84 as many other popular 5w amps but it uses better parts than most. It has a nice, Celestion 10" speaker, a solid cabinet, a quality transformer set, and of course a great Orange sound. Better components leads to better sound and that shows in terms of its dynamics and lack of noise in comparison to some others. You might be able to find one to try out.

plus2guitare · Post by **plus2guitare** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 6:43 am

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by TheOrangeJuicer
 The AD5 has the same single 12AX7 and single EL84 as many other popular 5w amps but it uses better parts than most. It has a nice, Celestion 10" speaker, a solid cabinet, a quality transformer set, and of course a great Orange sound. Better components leads to better sound and that shows in terms of its dynamics and lack of noise in comparison to some others. You might be able to find one to try out.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yes, all is here !
The good quality of composants (transformer is very, very important), the kind of bulding's cabinet also,
I don't taste the sound of new china low cost Vox products.

AD5 for a cleaner sound ?

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