Possible upgrades
Hi,
I have a Harley Benton Tube5 Celestion amp. I found a technician who suggested the following modifications, and I wanted to get your opinion. The modifications are:
- Modify the tone stack.
- Modify the bright sound.
- Modify the cathode bias of the preamp tube.
- Change the preamp tube (a 5751 works well for this one).
As an extra option, though, the Celestion speaker it has isn't bad. It's a Weber Signature.
On the other hand, my amp doesn't have delay or reverb. Do you recommend any pedals? I have the Hohner HB52 microphone.
Hi,
Would the Bulletini be an interesting option? I'm asking because I was offered one at a good price. On the other hand, what vintage amps should I look into for home, rehearsal space, jams...
Even with a vintage amp, I understand the pedal is worthwhile.
I live in Spain.
Exactly, even with a vintage amp, the pedal is worthwhile (I use one), so it's a great place to start.
I think that the Bulletini will sound good with that amp (will help to give you more bass).
As for vintage amps, if you want a more distorted sound, Gibson GA series amps are great... PA heads are my fav (Masco, Bogen, etc.). If you want a cleaner sound, Fender is the standard (vintage Princeton Reverb amps are still reasonable).
Check out https://badassharmonica.com/collections/microphones, Dennis always has some great amps.
Thanks a lot.
Hello Mon1979. I'll chime in, since Skip's specialty is classic amps (he doesn't work with new amps). Right off the bat, that seems like a lot of expensive work on a budget amplifier. I recommend you get a Lone Wolf V1 delay pedal first... I think you'll like what it does to the sound (both it's tone, and the effect). If that doesn't do it for you, then probably a mic with a stronger output, like the Husky Howler with a Red Devil element. If you end up keeping the amp, or changing, these are still two good pro-gear purchases. If you're still not happy with the sound, you could try the mods (minus the speaker at first), but there's no guaranty that you'll like it, and the value of the amp will not go up. I would personally put that money towards a vintage amp.