NAD! HDRX 20 - gigging guitarists are going to LOVE this!

Steve's addiction

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I read somewhere that if you have a tone control for each pickup to set your guitar with both pickups and turn the bridge tone all the way off. Overdrive the amp and you can get close to the woman tone. I tried and loved the tone but not sure how close it sounds to said tone
 

Lewguitar

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I read somewhere that if you have a tone control for each pickup to set your guitar with both pickups and turn the bridge tone all the way off. Overdrive the amp and you can get close to the woman tone. I tried and loved the tone but not sure how close it sounds to said tone
Clapton says he got that tone by diming his plexi Marshall and playing on the neck pickup with the tone control of the guitar turned all the way down. Dimed Plexi Marshalls are a different breed compared to the amps of today. A very different playing experience than what most are used to. You don't really need an overdrive pedal or fuzz pedal. They just sound that way automatically when you turn them way up.

So do old Fenders, but not to the degree that old Marshalls do.

However, I remember seeing Mick Taylor back when he was playing with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers around 1967 or 68.

He sounded like he was playing through a Marshall but he had his Les Paul plugged into a cranked Fender 4 x 10 tweed Bassman.

Both his guitar and his amp were probably less than 10 years old at that time.
 
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Justin Bamford

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Something I watched a while back regarding old Marshalls said the 100 watt models usually peak much higher when they’re cranked up, and I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if that’s the case with the HDRX 20 as well. The fan in my Captor is singing when I use it, that’s for sure! That, and the MT15, are definitely pushing out some gig-worthy power. I would put both of them at around 40 watts if I were blindly rating them.

My Sweet 16 seems much closer to the advertised power rating - it’s “tame gig” volume, which is actually a good thing, because that’s the overall vibe of the amp, and getting it turned up is more achievable than if it were pushing like the HDRX 20 or MT15.

I think these little amps from PRS are fantastic. Lots of power and authority, unlike many of the lunchbox amps, and really, in 2023, if they’re not enough power for one’s live needs, they should probably evaluate their overall volume and PA situation.
Where do you typically run the master when using the captor? If I dime the master, the fan in my captor x is really loud lol.
 

nicolasrivera

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May 24, 2012
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The V1, V2, V3 are all JJ ecc83s, and the power tubes are Tung Sol 5881.

My PRS 2 channel 30 comes with those Tung Sol 5881s, yesterday did a swap for a matched pair of MESA 6L6 GC, bias to a hotter plate voltage and OMG the tone is incredible!!! Those 5881 are never goin back into the amp.

Would be killer if you could try 6L6 on this killer little monster and tell us how it change the sound and feel.

52814990769_61e07d355e_c.jpg
 
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Justblues

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Aug 7, 2012
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After reading up on this amp, I picked up one a couple weeks ago. Really a great little amp. Plenty of volume. I've been using a Dr. Z brake lite attenuator to tame the volume. I think it's an amazing amp for the money.
 

GGJJGG

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I have a preference for some other boutique-y amps, which I snuck into my basement when my wife wasn't looking. However, I agree this one is a just great set up for the money. Especially when compared to other amps in its class.
 

El Fenix

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Just spent a few hours playing through my HDRX 20 and Marshall 6100 into a Captor X. Both a LP and DGT were used.
(A tele in open G also made an appearance.)

A couple differences between the Marshall 6100 and the HDRX 20:
1. The Marshall is a lot brighter than the HDRX. Use the bright switch on the HDRX to get closer to what a Marshall sounds like. Or not, your choice.
2. The tone controls on the Marshall do a lot less than the HDRX. (Allegedly that's common to how the old SuperLead circuits were.)
3. The Marshall feels like a bigger amp, which it is. 100 watts.
4. The Marshall seems to have more cleanish/dirty dynamics than the HDRX. Meaning, like Zep or Rush live records in the 70s, turning down the volume pot a bit gets you clean. Picking hard hits the edge of breakup. Didnt find that with the HDRX.
 

ken374

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Usually master at noon to 2 o'clock 3 o'clock treble channel at 7 bass channel 8 o'clock or so. I like classic rock crunch to strat tones neck pup usually. Blues rock type. I usually play my Marshalls or EVH for higher gain. Biased right at 30.
 
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