Ditch Princeton Reverb RI and get HX Stomp + power amp?

Loobs

I'm not super stoked on my PR anymore. I use it mainly for home use, although it's obviously also very useful for small gigs/sessions and I will eventually record with it. But I feel a bit underwhelmed by it – I find the stock speaker pretty bad sounding, super harsh and pretty unflattering with drive and fuzz pedals. When run through an external cabinet with a 12", I enjoy it much more. 

So I've been thinking about selling it and getting an HX Stomp with something like a Magnum .44 and using that into one of my cabs for home use. It'll certainly be a much more versatile set up. But I'll lose a classic, real amp from my collection. WDYT? 

lustycourtier

why the need for an amp? I gig with a Stomp and FRFR cab. a Headrush cab isnt much more that a .44 and will be way more versitile 

Loobs

I like it pretty old-school. I already have a good 1x12, so am not sure I need another cab. 

Loobs

What I mean is that I have bigger amps for live stuff and I can't imagine switching to a modelling set up for what I do. Just wouldn't make sense. 

normula1

I run my Helix into one of the EXH 5mm power amps into a cab in stereo with the fx return of my Laney Lionheart. Sounds way better than when I tried FRFR.

Loobs

Why do you run a power amp if you're using the Lionheart? Can't you just use its power amp? 

uncledaddy

Why not change the speaker?

Dodge

uncledaddy said:

Why not change the speaker?

Yep.  Try a Ragin Cajun.

munckee

Dodge said:

uncledaddy said:

Why not change the speaker?

Yep.  Try a Ragin Cajun.

Or a warehouse or Jensen alnico. 

Loobs

That's an option. 

Loobs

uncledaddy said:

Why not change the speaker?

I already have an external 1x12 I can run it through with a different (darker) speaker, a Celestion. Seems a little pointless to change the original speaker in that case. 

newi123

Dodge said:

uncledaddy said:

Why not change the speaker?

Yep.  Try a Ragin Cajun.

I changed my 68 Custom PR to a Ragin Cajun and it was great - main gigging amp for small gigs for a long while.

fretmeister

I have a Helix, a Stomp and a Tonex.

The HX system wins for ease of use every time. The UI is just the best and it is really flexible.

However the Tonex sounds just a little bit better for straight amp sounds. Not a lot in it - maybe 5% or something but it is noticeable and with the right capture sounds more like a real amp to me.

Tonex UI and software is some of the worst I have ever used for any product of any type. The recent redesign is a big improvement and it has boosted it to the level of 1986 Ceefax. The designers should have just done what everybody else is now doing, and copied Line6 UI. 

Tonex effects are extremely limited and the pedal itself is not really suitable for any deep dive. Needs to get plugged in. The Stomp can do it all on the screen.

If you want an all in one with FX then the Stomp is great.
If you want the best amp sounds in that sort of format and you are happy to add your existing pedals, then the Tonex is great: treat it like a 3 channel amp and you won't even have to change any banks!

My most used tones on Tonex are 1: A Fender clean - a bassman IIRC, 2: Vox TB cranked. 3: PRS JH100 (A plexi really). 

I use my HX Stomp to midi control the Tonex to change channels and to also add FX before and after the Tonex, but none of that is necessary if you have a drive pedal or two to go in front, and a delay to go after (The Tonex reverb is not bad)

In the house I run them into a Yamaha HS7 monitor. I've not gigged this set up yet but I have gigged with a Helix so I'm confident that it can be tweaked well enough to go into the PA.

Both platforms have big communities sharing their sounds for free and of course there are plenty of paid for options too.

english_bob

Loobs said:

uncledaddy said:

Why not change the speaker?

I already have an external 1x12 I can run it through with a different (darker) speaker, a Celestion. Seems a little pointless to change the original speaker in that case. 

The original speaker that's "pretty bad sounding, super harsh and pretty unflattering with drive and fuzz pedals"?

Surely there's a speaker that doesn't sound like that ^^^^ but that also doesn't sound like the darker speaker you already have.

UnclePsychosis

After years of periodically dicking about I've come to the conclusion that digital sounds really good but I also find it really unfun and uninspiring.

So personally there's no way I'd sell a proper amp for a Stomp. Sell it and get a different amp, perhaps... 

Dan

newi123 said:

Dodge said:

uncledaddy said:

Why not change the speaker?

Yep.  Try a Ragin Cajun.

I changed my 68 Custom PR to a Ragin Cajun and it was great - main gigging amp for small gigs for a long while.

Yep this. 

Recently installed a Ragin Cajun in my 68 custom PR and it’s great. Haven’t tried it at a gig yet but rehearsals it’s perfect. 

WGS G10C, emi copperhead and legend are also very good but not quite as loud. 

Lebarque

Get a new baffle and put a 12-inch speaker of choice in it. 

normula1

Loobs said:

Why do you run a power amp if you're using the Lionheart? Can't you just use its power amp? 

I use both in stereo, the EHX feeds its own cab with the Lionheart combo on top just using the power section.

MartinB

Is it the stock Jensen in there at the moment? There are some good choices that should be bigger sounding and less harsh even staying with a 10" - I ended up with an Eminence Copperhead in my Princeton Reverb-esque homebuild. And it still sounds Fendery, it'll do a different thing than plugging into your Celestion 12"

Loobs

Nice, thanks Martin. Yeds, it's the stock Jensen 10". Sounds nice clean if a bit too mid scooped (nature of the beast, I guess) but pretty fucking harsh with particular fuzz or overdrive pedals. 

 Lebarque said:

Get a new baffle and put a 12-inch speaker of choice in it. 

I have an external 1x12, so modifying the amp sounds like a lot of unnecessary hassle. I would however change the speaker to a different 1x10. 

Loobs

https://www.tubetown.net/ttstore/de/wgs-g10c-s-10-75-w-16-ohm.html tempted by this (sorry, German site).