Oh… I guess I forgot to state I’m looking for recommendations on speaker replacements for both Fender amps mentioned. Thanks!
IT’S NOT REALLY THE SPEAKER AS MUCH AS:
Change preamp tubes. Recommend high gain selected tubes.
Check the bias of the amp, it’s probably set too cold.
Both of these will make a major difference…
Once you get the preamp tubes and bias dialed in, then using a better speaker will be icing on the cake. Well sure, a good speaker is always an improvement—but tweak the amp for the best tone first.
Why necessarily high gain tubes? High gain does not mean better tone or dynamic response. FI, the JJ ECC83MG and ECC803S have respectively ~5% and 10% less gain the the ECC83S, yet they are both a bit less compressed, smother and more dynamic, and the 803S even puts out ~20% more power. Incidentally, those are good tubes to start with. The 803S for the PI slot.
Hey folks! This threat needs to be kept 100% SUPERSONIC 22!
That’s why we “stickied” this one to the top. We can’t start adding in Other models … or it looses 100% of it’s value. Just a Waring. I’ll probably be deleting the non-SR22 related comments here in the next week or so. For instance, we already have Deluxe Reverb threads (probably way too many … wish I could combine them) … so if you want to move them to a proper thread, do it now! I don’t have the ability.
So I now have a spare Reaper 30 watt speaker laying around after I swapped it for a black n’ blue on my ac15 twin. Anyone try a reaper in the supersonic 22? Thank you. ~Kevin
Yes, and it’s VERY sweet … brings more fat bottom end in.
Well I am going to add on to this thread as I had the same problem and it’s fixed. I am going to also share this. If you don’t like the sound of a speaker change it. I never hear a drastic enough change by long periods of use. There is a tone a speaker is designed for and that’s what it does. Maybe audiophiles hear a difference over time everyone is different. Subjective I know and I also really only changed four speakers in my life.
So I was craving a SS22 for a long time as on paper the tech specs on this amp sounded perfect and I cannot judge any sound at all unless I am in the room with it so I bought it online. Everything is great but the burn channel has one of the most horrible guitar amplifier sounds my ears have listened too. What I thought was funny is I have an old mustang III and the supersonic model sounds exactly like it, awful. I have a good amount of amps so the cover went on and I’ll take it out from time to time. My initial time with the amp was six weeks before I put it away.
I have a spare Reaper 30 Watt that I replaced in my AC15 twin with a B&B so I hastily opened up the SS and got rid of the crappy stock speaker and BAM! Now the burn channel sounds strong and full. I don’t know why Fender thought the current stock speaker is a good fit for both channels. The clean I had no complaints at all but on the burn channel it felt as if the bass was on 0 and a flat, dead EQ. The Reaper did no foul to the clean channel this amp is extremely well rounded now when you balance the two channel volumes. I wanted to try the Retro 30 but Seeing I had the Reaper 30 I said why not and am real happy with it. I will say in stock form and after the burn channel is articulate in a way I never experienced with another amp as weak as it was. Single note stuff only I felt was OK prior to the swap but that’s it.
In closing I did watch Vaughn’s speaker shootout and earlier I mentioned that I cannot make out much through videos but I went back and watched it prior to sharing my thoughts, opinions etc and to my ears I still think the Reaper 30 sounds the best. I plan on getting a Retro 30 someday for my 68 CDR. Good luck with anyone going forth in choosing and don’t suffer waiting for your speaker to “change” by playing it.