Used 2014 Supersport 50W sounds…

  • Thread starter Thread starter AzRock
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AzRock

AzRock

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Hey everyone! Just joined here when I found out about this forum from the Splawn Facebook Forum. Have a couple questions about a used 2014 50W Supersport I recently purchased on Reverb..it’s my first Splawn, but I also have a new QuickRod 100W on order from Scott that should arrive in Nov/Dec.

When I first got it I really liked the sound of it. Now it’s starting to sound really tinny & brittle, and almost like an a.m. radio (if that makes sense). And I tried running it through a couple Splawn cabs that are loaded with Celestion GT 75s, and a Soldano cab loaded with Celestion vintage 30s, and still not thrilled with the lack of fullness in the tone. EQ adjustments don’t seem to be helping much.
my first thought was to completely re-tube it, since I don’t know when the tubes were last changed.

My questions are, do you think the tubes alone would make this much difference in the tone? And do I need to have it biasd if I’m just putting in a matched pair of EL34’s?

Thanks!
 
Maybe give us more about your experience from your settings and volumes you play at.. also the loop master if it has one.. I dont know much about the SS 50W but i have a used 2007 QR 100 and it was losing its brightness at higher volume settings.. it frankly only sounded good very low on the dial.. (Marshally).. turn it up and wet blanket.. I also tried it in 2 different cabs, but its not the speakers.. my clean channel seems ok.. it was the OD channel.. my amp had recently blown a tube and the KT-77's were replaced with EL-34 and rebiased.. but i began to get the wet blanket effect.. I took her to another amp tech who had experience with the Splawns and she checked out OK (not modded in the past which I feared) but he did find a screen grid resistor burned out on one of the tubes.. he also rebiased the amp.. I have yet to get it back, but It sucks when you have things just right and then off they go and not amount of tweaking gets it back.. So you answer your question, it could be a tube going bad.. it could be just about anything.. let us know how it goes..
 
I have a Super Sport and thin and tinny is never in my vocabulary.
whenever I get a used amp I always do a total retube and yes it should be biased, unless you can find a matched pair in the same range as the ones that are in there, but even so , how do you know the previous owner had them biased correctly?
I have JJ EL-34II's in my power section and old RFT's in my preamp and mine is very thick and full sounding.
I'd start there
 
Thanks guys! As for my settings, I just started with everything at 12 o’clock, and in the effects loop I have a Wampler Reflection reverb & MXR Carbon Copy. When I activate the efx loop it just sounds worse.

I’ll start with a bias and new tubes and see what that does.

Thanks guys!!
 
AzRock said:
Thanks guys! As for my settings, I just started with everything at 12 o’clock, and in the effects loop I have a Wampler Reflection reverb & MXR Carbon Copy. When I activate the efx loop it just sounds worse.

I’ll start with a bias and new tubes and see what that does.

Thanks guys!!
Click to expand...
If you mentioned it "used" to sound good.. it may be a tube.. have a good tech go over it.. and while you are at it have them check the loop as well.. may be an issue there.. I will let you know if my issue with bias and a screen grid resistor was my issue when I get her back from the shop..

Good luck!
 
Hey AzRock!

Glad you found your way over :yes:

I would mess with different tubes and bias settings. If you have not biased before, I made a biasing tutorial if you are interested.

Hope to see you around. There are more Splawn owners/post owners too on the main forum. Welcome :cheers:
 
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