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Amp for HD500X pedal


GuitarMannDude
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Front end = noisy mess. Avoid it like the plague.

 

Into an FX return, or into a power amp and cabinet rig...much smoother sailing. That being said, expect to spend a significant amount of time learning to dial in tones you like. It's not a "plug and play" unit. But as far as any one choice being "better" than another...that's entirely subjective. The truth is, you should be able to get excellent results with anything you choose, provided that you put the time in.

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Ironically enough last weekend I dusted off an old Nady GTA 1260 all tube amp that has no fx loop. Ran the HD into it and it was a holy mess until the HD's volume and amp's settings were adjusted. Running into the front of an amp (not just a tube amp btw) is adding another potential layer of gain via the amp's pre. So the distortion patch was driving the amp into further distorting its preamp. It can sound great but not the ideal setup. But if its all you have it will work.

 

Running the HD into the fx loop of a Crate V32 was sweet and deafening.

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I have run the HD bean every way you can imagine...I have even run it 4CM (yes, it is doable but very tweaky)... You can run into the front of a clean channel without much problem. start with the tonestack flat. One some amps with passive tonestacks that means turning all the filters full (dimed). Anyhoo, best of luck.

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You can 'save' 4 different models on to the DT using midi (if you don't need the defaults). When you use a POD and connect using the L6 Link the model/pre amp configuration is controlled by the POD so any amps you have on there (including expansion packs) are 'on' the DT.

 

They don't call it Dream Rig for nothing...

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I am having extremely good luck using an Ampeg B115 bass amp. I took out the piezo tweeter to avoid shrillness and digital cracking. It has great thump and knock if you know what I mean. It's a little bit on the heavy side and being a kind of cube it's weird getting into a small car. I'm seriously thinking of getting a 15" Neo speaker to knock off some of the weight. Try one, I think you will love it.

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A DT is on my "list".

 

During some of my less affluent years I used to run an old Ampeg V4B head into a Kustom 2x15 (yes blue tuck and roll) and it was thunderous. Those 15" speakers move some air.

 

BTW for the Valve Jr. I know what you are talking about as I've used the Kustom Defender (pretty similar) and as a small tube head it really shined.

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  • 1 month later...

I've had GREAT sonic luck with, believe it or not, an older Line 6 Flextone II head into a 4x12 stereo Flextone cabinet. Run either from headphone out on 500X - or - 500X L/R outs to the head's Effects Loop RETURN. This bypasses the Flextone's pre-amp section and only uses the 300-watt power amp section. Currently use mine through a Line 6 HD147 head the same way - however, the HD147 requires a dummy cable (or any cable for that matter) to be plugged into the front of the head for its effects loop to work.

 

Recap: guitar into 500X, 500X output (L/R or headphone out) to head's Effects Loop RETURN only. HD147 requires a dummy cable in front input jack. Control overall volume through head and/or 500X. Sounds shockingly good. Works just as well with all versions of "bean" PODs too.

 

If you search well enough, you might even find the older Flextone II head (black tolex with red panel) that has mini-fans on the cooling heat-sinks; mine was made in USA. They can be had for around $200. That's decent for a 300-watt stereo head. Saw today that Carvin makes a stereo TUBE power amp for $500 that runs 50-watts in stereo or bridged mono to 100-watts. That's next on my list... Hope my wife doesn't see this post. Ha!

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I go into the front end of my Hot Rod Deville 410 all the time at gigs. I love it. I am looking for a smaller and lighter amp, but for now it has all worked great. I play everything from country, classic rock, and blues. I play a Variax JTV 89F with a HD500X. I do get some noise depending on settings, not sure if I have a FX loop on my amp. I never knew I should be going through the FX loop. I will have to check tonight when I get home. My amp is so powerful, I don't crank it, but use it more as a stage monitor and I mic it with a SM57

 

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