NAD: First valve head - Night Train 15W

Vinylfan

Hi
After a few very helpful threads on here, I finally took the plunge and bought am amp head.  Its my first amp head and my first all-valve amp as well.  Got the Vox Night Train 15W G2.

Currently have it connected to a H&K 110 cabinet as I had that already and trying out the different settings, sounds etc. As far as I know it has the stock tubes in it.

I have a couple of questions:

- I have the speaker sitting on a wooden cupboard (which is full) at the moment - is that likely to impact the sound?
- Do I need to use a cable made specifically to connect an amp head to a speaker or can I use a regular guitar cable as well?

Any other tips/guidance to dialling in a nice tone etc would be great as well.  Appreciate the advice that's got me to this stage so far.

Hopefully the picture works:

https://i.imgur.com/vQIPvwB.jpg

Vinylfan

Why can't I get the image to show in the post?   Sorted now.

thecolourbox

 

thecolourbox

Just a word of warning, make sure you use a speaker cable from the amp to the cab, and don't switch it on unless that is connected as it may damage your nice new amp.

But otherwise, happy new amp day! I really like the Night Train amps

Vinylfan

thecolourbox said:

Just a word of warning, make sure you use a speaker cable from the amp to the cab, and don't switch it on unless that is connected as it may damage your nice new amp.

But otherwise, happy new amp day! I really like the Night Train amps

Thanks and warning noted.

ICBM

Vinylfan said:

- I have the speaker sitting on a wooden cupboard (which is full) at the moment - is that likely to impact the sound?

Yes, but if anything may improve it!

Vinylfan said:

- Do I need to use a cable made specifically to connect an amp head to a speaker or can I use a regular guitar cable as well?

Ideally, you need a proper speaker cable. But in fact, at this power level it won't make much difference, and there's almost no chance it could do any harm - although with higher-powered amps, it can. If you don't have a proper speaker cable yet, don't worry about testing it with a guitar cable.

Avoid using a coiled guitar cable though, they're significantly thinner inside than a standard straight one.

thumpingrug

by the way,  bloody nice looking amp.

Vinylfan

ICBM said:

Vinylfan said:

- I have the speaker sitting on a wooden cupboard (which is full) at the moment - is that likely to impact the sound?

Yes, but if anything may improve it!

Vinylfan said:

- Do I need to use a cable made specifically to connect an amp head to a speaker or can I use a regular guitar cable as well?

Ideally, you need a proper speaker cable. But in fact, at this power level it won't make much difference, and there's almost no chance it could do any harm - although with higher-powered amps, it can. If you don't have a proper speaker cable yet, don't worry about testing it with a guitar cable.

Avoid using a coiled guitar cable though, they're significantly thinner inside than a standard straight one.

That's interesting about the speaker - I thought that it might make it sound more boomy as its sitting on a cupboard.  But the cupboard is pretty full.

Re the cable - when I bought it the guy gave me a speaker cable so I'll use that.  If I need to move the amp and speaker further away then I might have to resort to a regular guitar cable, hence the question.

thumpingrug said:

by the way,  bloody nice looking amp.

Thanks.  I agree!

Just getting used to the tones it can produce and working out what I like and what I don't so lots of fiddling with the controls at the moment.  I think I'm looking for a clean tone with plenty of roundness, no shrill top-end and some depth - getting there slowly.  Just using the amp on its own at the moment so no pedals.