It’s a great amp, especially with a Strat and everything dimed! However, I’ve been trying to run it pretty clean (pre at noonish/one o’clock and the tone at about 11 o’clock) and use OD/distortion pedals with it and I can’t seem to find any that agree with it. Everything seems to get either fizzy or ice-picky on the top end. I am wondering if a different speaker would be the cure (it has the stock G12H30). Maybe an ET65?
A definite Vox-voiced amp … which means lots of glassiness and jangle! Of course some may term that harsh and piercing…
A HUGE part of the Vox tone we all love is the Alnico speakers … and for you the #1 choice hands-down would be the WGS Blackhawk Alnico. Not the BnB and not the Blackhawk HP … the regular 50-watt Blackhawk is the sweet spot of no cone-cry (or cone fry), and enough articulation. There will still be PLENTY of Vox Jangle there … but it’ll be kinder and more forgiving.
If you find yourself with the treble always WAY down, or you can’t afford Alnico, you might want to consider the smooth-cone G12C/S … which will really tame the top.
Thanks, Vaughn! I all ready have a G12C/S hanging around, so I’ll play that for a bit - but the Blackhawk is now on my list. (Probably sooner than later)