Has Anyone Here Tried A Marshall Class 5?

[gkoelling]

I know there's a lengthy thread on this at TGP but I'm curious if anyone from the "seasoned" crowd here has tried one and what you might think.



Thanks

[otaypanky]

Not me ~~~

[gkoelling]

I did some more listening on You Tube and am not as impressed as I was initially. It sounds ok if you want to slam power chords but I'm not real sure of it as a blues amp.

That's the problem I've always had with the Marshall sound, it ain't Chicago blues.

[otaypanky]

I have been really enjoying my PRRI Greg. It has a sweet sound and I find it quite different from a DRRI. To my ears it actually has a more full and round sound. I grabbed mine when they were listing at nearly $1100. and MF had a blowout at $659. I even got a free Fender Fuzz Wah with it. Then prices started to tumble down with even Best Buy having some great deals on them for around $600 or so. A bit more than the Class 5, I know, but what's a couple of $$$ on the quest to that tone in your head ? LOL. And I see nice used ones pop up all the time.
When I first received it I felt it had some real limitations. It would start to crap out on the low end at 3 or above on the volume and I wanted an amp I could play out with. My preference is for an amp that you can ride the fence between clean and mean just with your playing attack. So I set out trying to make the PRRI in to something it's not. Besides fiddling with bias adjustments and different tubes, I tried a different 10" speaker, then went to a 12" baffle and tried a few different 12" speakers. Went back to a 10" for a month, then back to 12" again, and now have an Eminence Red Fang on order. I also got an output transformer from Bill M that works with both the PRRI and Blues Jr. and works well.
I think if I hadn't gone off on the tangent of trying to make the amp something bigger and badder than it is, I think I would have eventually become quite content with it. I liked the stock sounds at lower volumes so much I wanted to translate that into an amp I could play out with and be able to compete in the volume wars if needed, but not at the expense of losing that unique quality of tone that I hear in it. No doubt I have broadened it's abilities, and I haven't lost the tone. I have been using it with a device called a Sound Enhancer, a very cool product that works. And together with the Red Fang that's got a sensitivity rating of 103db, I think it will be as "big" as it's gonna get.
It has definitely become my #1 'go to' amp among 10 nice amps that are all plugged in and ready to go.

[gkoelling]

I have the Eminence Black Mountain 30 watt alnico in the gkoelling amp, great speaker! It isn't cheap but I'm not at all sorry I spent the money. Here's a TGP thread with some info/opinions. http://www.thegearpage.net/board/sho...light=mountain

If you ever want to try a Weber 12A150, let me know, I'll box it up so you can abuse it for a while.

[otaypanky]

I have read some great things about the Red Fang. I don't know by description if I will like it or not. That's the risky things about trying speakers, especially when they are pricey. The Red Fangs sell for $269, either 8 or 16 ohm, and rated at 50 watts. They had been available as 30 watt and I found someplace that must have some of the older ones and they're offered at $165. That should be of little consequence in the princeton, so I'm taking a gamble and should be able to find a good home for it if it's not to my liking. Thanks for the kind offer on the Weber. I have only heard great things about that speaker. I never saw a sensitivity rating on Weber's site, and the 103 rating was one thing that attracted me to the Red Fang. A little amp like that needs all the help it can get to run with the big dogs

[Grenville]

Yes indeedy, I just sold the Class 5 I bought December 4.

Tidy, beautiful looking little amp, and initially I thought it was a great sound. I played with a few NOS tubes and the sound got better.

Ultimately though, for low-volume jamming and such, it feels like a ghost. You can hear it, but it's just not there, if you know what I mean.

I was in two minds as to whether to experiment with speakers, would even have spent a few bucks if there was a drop-in aftermarket circuit upgrade available, but for now I'll just keep looking for the home amp I've been searching for.

BTW Otaypanky, the cheapest PRRI i've found locally is $1679!

[gkoelling]

Originally Posted by Grenville

Yes indeedy, I just sold the Class 5 I bought December 4.

Tidy, beautiful looking little amp, and initially I thought it was a great sound. I played with a few NOS tubes and the sound got better.

Ultimately though, for low-volume jamming and such, it feels like a ghost. You can hear it, but it's just not there, if you know what I mean.

I was in two minds as to whether to experiment with speakers, would even have spent a few bucks if there was a drop-in aftermarket circuit upgrade available, but for now I'll just keep looking for the home amp I've been searching for.

BTW Otaypanky, the cheapest PRRI i've found locally is $1679!

There are two PRRI's in the TGP Emporium right now at $650.00 apiece.

Are you sure you're talking about the reissue?

[otaypanky]

Originally Posted by Grenville

BTW Otaypanky, the cheapest PRRI i've found locally is $1679!

We must be speaking of two different things Grenville, they are listed all over the place at $899. But I have read various posts around stating you can sometimes get a great deal on them at Best Buy but they are not advertised. I think the people posting that had the good fortune of walking in to a store that had one in stock.

Regarding that Red Fang speaker, Amazon cancelled my order today. What a hosing. That's becoming a real common occurance while trying to purchase on-line. I don't typically buy anything at Amazon, but it was through what they call a third party seller. I've had it happen at Zzounds also. You see something at a terrific price and order it. Several days later you get an email saying your order is cancelled ~

[Grenville]

Originally Posted by otaypanky

We must be speaking of two different things Grenville, they are listed all over the place at $899. But I have read various posts around stating you can sometimes get a great deal on them at Best Buy but they are not advertised. I think the people posting that had the good fortune of walking in to a store that had one in stock.

Ah yes, forgot to say I live in Australia... I'd love to get one for US prices...

[gkoelling]

It sounds as if Australia needs to "reissue" the dollar.

Hey, I looked at a Weber tweed Princeton kit on their web site. There's a thread on TGP started by Denny where a prison in Vermont is building kit amps free.

A member posted pictures of their work and it looks real nice.

I have a couple 12" alnico speakers here so I would have to decide whether to go with the stock 10" in the Princeton, or have Mojo build a 1x12 cab for it.

[Grenville]

Originally Posted by gkoelling

It sounds as if Australia needs to "reissue" the dollar.

Eek indeed...

It's more to do with the cost of getting them here than the exchange rate (and the price set by the local distributor, don't ask...)