If, like most folks, your main complaint with the VK is that it sounds too bright and "fizzy" when overdriven, then my recommendation would be the ET65. If you want to keep it on the bright side, and maybe take it a little in the Britt direction, then Retro 30.
After I posted this I called and talked to Wayne and he sugested the Reaper HP. I ordered one and it came today. I put it in but have had very little time to try it out, only long enough for a quick sound check. He thought the Reaper HP would be a good all around catch all speaker...??? Any thoughts?
I'm curious about the Retro and Veteran 30's in a VK 112 combo.
I like the idea of the Veteran because the description sounds smoother, but the only demos I tend to see on this speaker are scooped metal licks played through closed back cabs - not my style.
How versatile is the Veteran compared to the Retro? Will it function well in an open backed combo? I'm looking for an over all performer in my VK 112 but Hard Rock (Van Halen-like tones) are about as far as I'll take it. I also want decent clean and Bluesy tones as well as relatively present harmonics.
I'm looking to reduce the high end harshness of the amp without sacrificing much presence or clarity, and I want to accentuate any "Britishness" I can in the amp. Retro seems like a no-brainer but I may need to dial out some upper mids, if that's even possible with the stock eq. This is why the Veteran appeals to me. Those upper mids already seem dialed out, but possibly at the risk of making it sound dull or sacrificing versatility.
Go Ret 30 for sure! It's high end is more articulate and extended than the Vet 30, but certainly not harsher. The Ret 30 is a speaker with a broader appeal ... more authoritative low end and articulate top end ... than the midrange-heavy slightly throaty (think celestion) voice of the Vet 30.
Put the Retro 30 in my VK 112 and it is like a new amp. Much more "British" crunch, a wider and smoother frequency response. Sounds very different/better in the mix, not as much on its own, but a difference there is still noticable.
I highly recommend this speaker in the VK.
WARNING: You need to remove the back panel, take out the reverb tank, and the power tubes to change the speaker. I almost made a horrible mistake thinking I could monuver it past the power tubes and the tube cage. Nearly got it stuck and almost poked holes in it the new speaker with the mounting posts... eeek. The magnet on my Retro 30 is enough larger than the stock speaker that it almost doesn't clear the tubeguard cage. But it does.
Awesome! And seriously, thanks for taking the time to post back here ... it helps us all!
I hate those tube cages that are showing up on the new amps, makes replacing tubes a hassle ... Probably for RHOS international regulations ... I always take them off, when possible ...
Hello Fellows, I have a Valve king the new version 20 Watts (digital reverb, EL84s in pwr). I was thinking to swap speaker in order to get a better definition of notes while I'm playing at high volume in the clean (that breaks up good) and on the Gain channel to also improve the definition and make it tight. I was thinking the Retro 30, can be a good replacement, maybe the gain channel will be a bit less distorted with this speaker? Gain channel just in 1 is too much distortion, I know that jus could be the way the amp is design. But At least looking for a speaker that can bring better definition and versatile will be a good option for me
If, like most folks, your main complaint with the VK is that it sounds too bright and "fizzy" when overdriven, then my recommendation would be the ET65. If you want to keep it on the bright side, and maybe take it a little in the Britt direction, then Retro 30.
Thanks Vaughn,
After I posted this I called and talked to Wayne and he sugested the Reaper HP. I ordered one and it came today. I put it in but have had very little time to try it out, only long enough for a quick sound check. He thought the Reaper HP would be a good all around catch all speaker...??? Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance, Dan
Seldom is a Reaper ever a bad choice! It's a great all-around speaker.
I'm curious about the Retro and Veteran 30's in a VK 112 combo.
I like the idea of the Veteran because the description sounds smoother, but the only demos I tend to see on this speaker are scooped metal licks played through closed back cabs - not my style.
How versatile is the Veteran compared to the Retro? Will it function well in an open backed combo? I'm looking for an over all performer in my VK 112 but Hard Rock (Van Halen-like tones) are about as far as I'll take it. I also want decent clean and Bluesy tones as well as relatively present harmonics.
I'm looking to reduce the high end harshness of the amp without sacrificing much presence or clarity, and I want to accentuate any "Britishness" I can in the amp. Retro seems like a no-brainer but I may need to dial out some upper mids, if that's even possible with the stock eq. This is why the Veteran appeals to me. Those upper mids already seem dialed out, but possibly at the risk of making it sound dull or sacrificing versatility.
Please advise.
thx!
Go Ret 30 for sure! It's high end is more articulate and extended than the Vet 30, but certainly not harsher. The Ret 30 is a speaker with a broader appeal ... more authoritative low end and articulate top end ... than the midrange-heavy slightly throaty (think celestion) voice of the Vet 30.
So, Dan, how does the Reaper sound in the Valve King?
Put the Retro 30 in my VK 112 and it is like a new amp. Much more "British" crunch, a wider and smoother frequency response. Sounds very different/better in the mix, not as much on its own, but a difference there is still noticable.
I highly recommend this speaker in the VK.
WARNING: You need to remove the back panel, take out the reverb tank, and the power tubes to change the speaker. I almost made a horrible mistake thinking I could monuver it past the power tubes and the tube cage. Nearly got it stuck and almost poked holes in it the new speaker with the mounting posts... eeek. The magnet on my Retro 30 is enough larger than the stock speaker that it almost doesn't clear the tubeguard cage. But it does.
fwiw
Awesome! And seriously, thanks for taking the time to post back here ... it helps us all!
I hate those tube cages that are showing up on the new amps, makes replacing tubes a hassle ... Probably for RHOS international regulations ... I always take them off, when possible ...
Hello Fellows,
I have a Valve king the new version 20 Watts (digital reverb, EL84s in pwr). I was thinking to swap speaker in order to get a better definition of notes while I'm playing at high volume in the clean (that breaks up good) and on the Gain channel to also improve the definition and make it tight.
I was thinking the Retro 30, can be a good replacement, maybe the gain channel will be a bit less distorted with this speaker? Gain channel just in 1 is too much distortion, I know that jus could be the way the amp is design. But At least looking for a speaker that can bring better definition and versatile will be a good option for me