Oisin
836 posts
Jun 30, 2011
4:37 PM
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I have a Harley Benton GA15 which I bought at Christmas. I wanted a slightly louder amp for jam playing and this was very cheap from Thoman's. Well it is louder but it just doesn't cut it for harp. To me it seems like the speaker is very dull and lifeless and I was wondering if slashing the speakers like Mason Casey suggested on an earlier post might help the sound.
I e-mailed Alnicomagnet who sells customising kits on ebay to see if his GA15 kit would help but this was his reply....
Hi, the kit will improve the tone and sound quality, but no, the mod kit is not voiced for harp. I don't really recommend this amp for harp unless major surgery is carried out on it, ie remove or disable the IC op amp section, or (preferably) hand wire it point to point copying a Marshall 18watt circuit. As this is beyond most people, I don't offer it. Cheers, Nigel
- alnicomagnet
Just so you know I have absolutely NO MONEY to spend on this amp at present so I was wondering about the speaker slashing. Anyone tried it and if so how do you do it?
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Oisin
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mcblues
28 posts
Jun 30, 2011
5:59 PM
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If you want to do this...
My technique is:
Make cuts at 12 O'clock, 3, 6, 9 positions
Start cutting a few inches in from outer edge of speaker, cut towards cone about a 4" straight cut, but Do Not cut all the way to the center of speaker.
Just cutting these slits in the speaker will give it a better sound. Go for it!!
**Many non- believers will post shortly, I'm sure**
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Oisin
837 posts
Jun 30, 2011
6:13 PM
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Thanks Mason. It's 2o'clock in the morning here in London and I'm just finishing my shift so I'll try this when I get up later this morning and report back.
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Oisin
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mcblues
29 posts
Jun 30, 2011
10:26 PM
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Good... You can't lose.
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Oisin
838 posts
Jul 01, 2011
10:49 AM
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Ok I've just done it and tried it out. At first i didn't notice any difference but then I turned it up and right away it sounds much better...like I've got a fuzz box attached.Much better sound. I can't really give it a blast in the house but I'll take it to the jam next time I go. This maybe not to everyone's taste but I love it.
Thanks Mason
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Oisin
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Stevelegh
242 posts
Jul 01, 2011
12:28 PM
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Mason, does this work on tranny amps?
I'm guessing it does. I've got an old Fender Bronco (I think). I thinking that 'the sound' comes off the speaker so it'll have the same effect whether valves or not.
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mcblues
30 posts
Jul 01, 2011
3:44 PM
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I believe this will improve sound on solid state amp speakers... I did it with a Yamaha solid state and it now sounds like a tube amp.
I am glad you are pleased with sound Oisin; crank it up and lemme know what happens
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walterharp
638 posts
Jul 01, 2011
7:01 PM
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one thing to consider if you don't have the money to buy a better amp or speaker, you will have difficulty selling this one if you ever to get into a position to buy a better amp. in this case the deed is done, and if it sounds better to you, then that is all that counts
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Andrew
1359 posts
Jul 02, 2011
12:41 AM
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It's literally making bits of the speaker "flap in the wind" which adds a buzzing sound to what you have already. So it's just a form of mechanical distortion, rather than an electronic one. Naturally, it'll work on any amp. And as Walter says, it's going to affect the amp's re-sale value adversely.
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Andrew.
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Those who are tardy do not get fruit cup.
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Stevelegh
243 posts
Jul 02, 2011
3:50 AM
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Hi Walter and Andrew,
I'll be operating on a thrashed Fender Bronco (not an original, the solid state one that came out in the 90's). It's been pretty much kicked to death and has a split in the tweed grille, so it's worth nothing. I'll do the surgery and report back.
Thanks for the concerns.
Steve
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