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Post by SavedByGrace on Nov 5, 2009 4:33:27 GMT -5
Ok just to let you know Dorian, my nitro on like 11' o clock without a volume pedal in the loop....will almost certainly rip my pants, shoes,....and socks clean off my legs. Not even kidding. At all. I've tried putting it around 9'oclock and playing from the next room...practically did structural damage to the house. I'm running an Ernie Ball VP Jr. in the loop, no power source needed for those, had good luck with it so far.
It sounds like u may have the same version of the nitro as me, though, if your getting some noticable hum. I talked to Scott awhile back and he said that I have the version that runs AC power in the Preamp heaters, which he now switched to DC to reduce the hum. That being said, the type of incoming electricity from the wall also effects mine (try switching to an outlet on a different circuit). I also switched power tubes recently, this also reduced the hum (from Kt77s to EL34Ls).
Also listen to RedFastPonyCar.....take it from me, he knows what hes talkin about when it comes to splawnage.
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Post by jslick on Nov 24, 2009 21:46:40 GMT -5
Even though this post is old (sort of), I wanted to comment as well. I just puchased a used 09 Nitro and an 08 Splawn X cab (2 Celestion Silver Series 60W and 2 Celestion 70th Anniversary Special Edition Gold G12H 30W in X pattern) and also am dissapointed. I've been a Mesa guy for many years and love and use the Stiletto Deuce 2 as my main stage and studio amp. I own 6 Mesa's, and EVH 5150 III and a couple of Line 6's. All are nice, the Stiletto's are awesome. I was looking for something a litle more mellow in the high end yet warmer in the mids, so I read about the Nitro with EL34B's and it seemed to be a good fit for what I was after. The sound clips I heard were incredible to say the least. I just can't get mine to sound that way at all. Now, to be fair, I've only given it a week and after reading this thread, it sounds like months are required and a few newly learned tweaks. One major thing that's disturbing me though, that none of you touched on, was the bottom end. When I'm in a lead, the bottom sounds like somebody's hitting a garbage can lid ... like crap basically. I've gotten to the point where I've rolled the bass off to about 7 or 8 o'clock. I don't detune ... I pay all of my guitars at 440 straight tuning. Guitars are Jackson Custom Shop (EMG & other various pickups) and PRS Custom Shop w/various pickups ... all of them sound like crap. I just re-tubed the amp yesterday with Tung-Sol's ... all of them, 12AX7's (gold) and EL34B's and same problem $220 later. I think I may be able to get the mids in, but that damn bass slop is driving me crazy. Any suggestions? I'm trying a Line 6 M13 for effects ... just using some verb and delay in the loop. I hate to use external EQ's, but if I must I will ... I just want to make sure I'm not missing something else. If I can't fix this bass issue, this thing will have to go. Thanks.
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Post by Lewis on Nov 24, 2009 22:02:36 GMT -5
It took me a while to feel mine out but I was patient and it payed off. Call me crazy but after dialing the treble and resonance all the way down, bass at 11:00 and mids wide open with the gain around 2:00 in 50w mode she came alive. It's been said on here many times before "dial with your ears not your eyes". I'm not saying these settings will work for everyone but they work for me and my other guitarist. Good luck and keep us posted!
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Post by jslick on Nov 25, 2009 7:33:39 GMT -5
I'll give that a shot today and let you know. Thank you!
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Post by TJ on Nov 25, 2009 8:49:43 GMT -5
JSlick you should call the shop and talk to Scott. YOu did buy your Nitro used. Who knows what someone did to that amp. One thing the Nitro is not is flubby in the low end. IT's tight as can be. My buddy just purchased a new Nitro from Scott and it kills. NOthing of what you're talking about with yours. My advice would be to send it back to Scott and have him go through it.
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Post by shinysurface on Nov 25, 2009 12:55:39 GMT -5
Even though this post is old (sort of), I wanted to comment as well. I just puchased a used 09 Nitro and an 08 Splawn X cab (2 Celestion Silver Series 60W and 2 Celestion 70th Anniversary Special Edition Gold G12H 30W in X pattern) and also am dissapointed. I've been a Mesa guy for many years and love and use the Stiletto Deuce 2 as my main stage and studio amp. I own 6 Mesa's, and EVH 5150 III and a couple of Line 6's. All are nice, the Stiletto's are awesome. I was looking for something a litle more mellow in the high end yet warmer in the mids, so I read about the Nitro with EL34B's and it seemed to be a good fit for what I was after. The sound clips I heard were incredible to say the least. I just can't get mine to sound that way at all. Now, to be fair, I've only given it a week and after reading this thread, it sounds like months are required and a few newly learned tweaks. One major thing that's disturbing me though, that none of you touched on, was the bottom end. When I'm in a lead, the bottom sounds like somebody's hitting a garbage can lid ... like crap basically. I've gotten to the point where I've rolled the bass off to about 7 or 8 o'clock. I don't detune ... I pay all of my guitars at 440 straight tuning. Guitars are Jackson Custom Shop (EMG & other various pickups) and PRS Custom Shop w/various pickups ... all of them sound like crap. I just re-tubed the amp yesterday with Tung-Sol's ... all of them, 12AX7's (gold) and EL34B's and same problem $220 later. I think I may be able to get the mids in, but that damn bass slop is driving me crazy. Any suggestions? I'm trying a Line 6 M13 for effects ... just using some verb and delay in the loop. I hate to use external EQ's, but if I must I will ... I just want to make sure I'm not missing something else. If I can't fix this bass issue, this thing will have to go. Thanks. I take a middle of the road approach regarding time spent experimenting with other components/tubes/cabs/speakers etc. when I first get an amp. I believe you should have at least some percentage of instant inspiration when you first plug into an amp and recognize it's potential to completely satisfy after some possible tweaking and changing around of the surrounding components if necessary. I don't believe you should have to jump through an arbitrary checklist of super specific parameters that others lay out as fact to achieve an optimum tone however. Also I think it's a liability to have only one type of cabinet at your disposal when you first get an amp for evaluation, it could be the worst possible match and could cause you to sell the amp prematurely. Having a conventional Marshall(esque) cab with common speakers and maybe a more modern overbuilt/sized design would be the minimum to start with (a third conventionally sized front loaded cab would make a great 3rd addition to cover alot of ground for eval as well in my view ) to get an idea of an amps tonal possibilities, just imo. Most amp designers go in one of those directions when they design an amp regarding the type of cab they envision or build for it to be paired up with. Speakers as well. I realize not everyone may have a variety of cabs to play through, but it does help alot.  Having said all that if you hate the tone of an amp as soon as you plug in I'm not sure it's worth it to spend alot of extra time and money trying to improve it. It's a balancing act and only you can determine if you want to stick with it and possibly shell out alot of extra cash to make the amp even tolerable for you. For me personally I pretty much know right away if the tone is something I can work with even if the amp is badly matched with a certain cab/speakers or tubes, because I know what other cabs/speakers might sound like from using them in the past and envision how the amp might sound through them or how different tubes might affect the tone. I've played Stiletto Deuce II's before, the ones I've tried had a very strong high end treble response stronger than a Quickrod's imo. The Nitro has a more modern bigger bottom and a much darker tone than a Stiletto II imo. The Nitro's bass response can easily be overwhelming, especially through an oversized/overbuilt cab designed to exaggerate/multiply an amps bass response. Even in standard tuning I experienced that through one of my cabs (see my other thread on this forum lol). I would never call the Nitro's bass flubby though, strong and potentially overwhelming to the overall tone yes but never flubby. The Nitro doesn't have the same "boom" to the bass as a Rectifier imo but the bass is just as strong if not stronger but in a different way if that makes any sense at least to me. I would characterize the Nitro's strong bass as the polar opposite to the Stiletto II's strong treble response actually. Either can get out of hand when set or run a certain way imo. Since you like the Stiletto II's and 5150 III I am guessing that you might have been better off with the Quickrod. It's closer to those amps than the Nitro is, just a hunch. Maybe you could swap with someone for a Quickrod and then you'll know. Either way if the Nitro doesn't inspire you at all and you gave it an honest run you might want to try something else and move on. Good luck. |
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Post by jslick on Nov 25, 2009 18:14:06 GMT -5
Finally got done with work for the day ... a shorter one .. only 11 hours.  I'm gonna give this a good run tonight and play with some of the settings that were mentioned above. shineysurface, you are right on ... the minute I plugged into a Stiletto Deuce II, eq flat, it was like Heaven. It felt right. However, the highs are a bit too much overall, hence why I was looking for something a bit less shrill. Sounds like the QR may be the amp for me. I was listening to a clip earlier of either TJ or Scott and I heard the same low end 'rumble' during a lead. That, to me, sounds flabby or loose. If I'm hammering chords in the lower registers it sounds deep as all get out. It's when I hit the leads that I am dissapointed. I'm beginning to believe that it is a characteristic of this amp ... and some folks like it. I do not. If anybody is interested, she'll probably be going up for sale and I will be looking for a 2009 QR. Thank you all... |
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Post by snappinnecks on Dec 6, 2009 18:22:41 GMT -5
Finally got done with work for the day ... a shorter one .. only 11 hours. I'm gonna give this a good run tonight and play with some of the settings that were mentioned above. shineysurface, you are right on ... the minute I plugged into a Stiletto Deuce II, eq flat, it was like Heaven. It felt right. However, the highs are a bit too much overall, hence why I was looking for something a bit less shrill. Sounds like the QR may be the amp for me. I was listening to a clip earlier of either TJ or Scott and I heard the same low end 'rumble' during a lead. That, to me, sounds flabby or loose. If I'm hammering chords in the lower registers it sounds deep as all get out. It's when I hit the leads that I am dissapointed. I'm beginning to believe that it is a characteristic of this amp ... and some folks like it. I do not. If anybody is interested, she'll probably be going up for sale and I will be looking for a 2009 QR. Thank you all... I'm confused or either deaf. I don't hear any low end rumbling ever with my Nitro. Even with the short solos I do no rumble bro. I am in Drop B tuning also. My Nitro is super tight even when noodling through the neck pup. I love the solo tone I get. Your issue is going to be your speakers. I follow what cabs/speakers folks are using verses the cork sniffing "This amp isn't me" threads. The reason being all of the amps are the same (basically) tone/tight wise even with different tubes. The biggest difference is cab/speaker combination as far as overall tone. Honestly the best cab to use with a Nitro overall is a Mills with V30s. I hate V30s, but in a Mills cab they thump hard. Mills uses this weird center board with holes cut in it to help with phasing and apparently it works. Here are some things to try before selling it: 1) turn the resonance all the way off ( it makes the amp breathe) 2) try the amp through a Mills with V30s or another Splawn cab with Govs. 3)Check your bias. If it is too hot the amp will get loose and boomy. Find the hottest tube, bias to 30 MA, and then fire it up and tweek the bias while playing until you find the sweet spot. (Be careful and don't shock yourself though) 4) Get rid of the Tung Sol tubes and install some cheap Chinese pres and EL34bs. The absolute best tubes in a Nitro. I'm on my 4th Splawn and have found the best Nitro set up for the tone/tightness I like. Give it some time. You may regret selling it. |
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Post by Lewis on Dec 8, 2009 14:21:36 GMT -5
I plugged into my Nitro yesterday after playing the QR exclusively for about a month and I was totally feeling it. All settings were @ noon, vol @ 8:30 and it crushed, the Nitro is one Bad @ss amp!!!
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Post by DonaldDemon on Dec 8, 2009 17:01:24 GMT -5
I play a Pro Mod that uses KT88's and is 120 watts. The amp is from ’05 and has no loop volume or new volume taper. I don’t use a volume pedal/suck knob for live use at all. Sure the volume knob is sensitive and it takes a light touch to get the right spot but it’s very easily doable.
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Post by calebbuck on Dec 20, 2009 10:04:49 GMT -5
I agree, you should love it when you fire it up the first time. regardless of crappy tubes or whatever. When i first fired up my nitro I was feeling i should have ordered a QR.
The nitro was a little hard to dial "my tone" in, but after about five months I really grew to like it. I hated to part with it but it's clean/low gain tones were not what I prefer.
I will definitely own another splawn in the future, just not sure which one yet
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Post by sasquatch on Dec 20, 2009 12:21:32 GMT -5
I don't own a Nitro, but do own an '09 QR. Try running the mids up around noon to 2:00 o'clock, or possibly even higher. I was never able to set the bass on my QR past about 8-9 o'clock because it would sound flubby... until it was suggested I push the mids. Doing this made the amp tighter and allowed me to turn the bass up to around 11 o'clock. Also... SPEAKERS, SPEAKERS, SPEAKERS! I've played my QR through Greenbacks, Vintage-30's and Splawn SB25's. All 4X12 cabs. Vintage-30's sounded decent. I didn't like the Greenbacks much at all. My favorite is definitely the Splawn 4X12 w/SB's. Even though I understand the SB's are supposed to be a Splawn variation on the Greenbacks, to me they have their own distinct character that I just love. The lows are tight, mids are punchy yet retain a nice smoothness. The highs are sweet, singing and creamy. Best of all... the overall tone is awesome and I never get lost in the mix. Definitely check out different speaker combinations. Like one of the other guys said... you might be better suited with a Quick Rod. But I'd be willing to bet that if your current cab sounds great with your Stiletto, it probably isn't the best set up for the Nitro. The two amps are so different in overall sound and character. The best advise anyone could give you is to try different speakers and/or speaker cabs IMO.
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