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NAD- anyone got one of these? - Fender Ramparte

Discussion in 'Amp Central Station' started by Ragin Cajun, Aug 6, 2015.

  1. Aug 6, 2015 #1
    Ragin Cajun

    Ragin Cajun Tele-Holic

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    Fender Ramparte, 9 W, 2-12AX7, 1 6L6, 2 inputs (cool & Hot) no tone. I 've been looking for a small amp, and found this in Guitar Center for $250. with the $50 Extended warranty, it was $300 out the door. I played it in there yesterday, and it sounded good. One of the clerks made me turn it down, 'cause he coldn't hear his customer at the register (I think it was on 5 on the HOT channel.:D. Any advice or suggestions? I've already figured out I need an ABY switch to avoid plugging and unplugging. Any thing else I should think about? Thanks. PS it's a 1x12.
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2015
  2. Aug 6, 2015 #2
    marshman

    marshman Poster Extraordinaire Silver Supporter

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    Been jonesin' one for a while, but my Excelsior tends to slake my lust for low-watt mayhem, so I have thus far managed to avoid pulling the trigger. Problem compounded by the fact that a lot of folks paid the original $400-ish, so most are asking more than GC is currently selling them for.
     
  3. Aug 7, 2015 #3
    Lazer

    Lazer Tele-Meister

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    I have (had actually it's now in pieces) one. Don't like it at all, harsh and unpleasant. I tried to fix it in a number of ways, no go. The cab is now doing duty as cab only. Could have somethimg to do with the ridululously cheap transformers. Get a VHT instead.

    Cheers
    L-zr
     
  4. Aug 7, 2015 #4
    Ragin Cajun

    Ragin Cajun Tele-Holic

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    Just had a chance to try it out seriously. I think I'm in love!:D I'm not a pro or anything, just a living room hack. But, I really liked the way it sounds. It It worked perfectly. No funny noises or vibrations. I did not notice any flubbiness at the low end, and the high end sounded pretty crisp. My Telecasters sound like Telecasters! On the COOL channel, it stays pretty clean until somewhere between 6 & 7. The HOT channel breaks up between 3 &4. THE VOLUME KNOB GOES TO 16!!! :eek: Take that, Spinal Tap! :D

    Seriously I should have bought a small amp a long time ago. For what I do, which is fiddle around in the living room, this is perfect. I'm sure it would benefit from a better speaker and tubes, but I'm going to play it as is for a while. My only other amp is a Chinese made V50 Crate, which I thought sounded good. But looking back, I now remember that it was sometimes uncomfortable to play when I got it loud enough for the guitars to sound good. this one has only 2 volume knobs, and it will force me to use the knobs on the Telecaster to find sounds. The Crate has been gathering dust in the bedroom, and I haven't really been motivated to play much. i think thats gonna change. Sorry about the long post.
     
  5. Aug 8, 2015 #5
    Abu Twangy

    Abu Twangy Friend of Leo's

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    I have one and like it a lot. It's a tweed Champ-type Class A circuit but with a 6L6GC and two channels, one voiced a bit like a Tube Screamer--less bass and a mids hump

    Good for low volume gigs and playing at home. It gets more play time than my Deluxe Reverb Reissue and my Excelsior now just gathers dust. It sounds better to me with single coils and bright humbuckers than regular humbuckers. The volume controls are interactive, so adjusting the volume on the unused channel affects tone and gain a bit on the other channel.

    I contemplated adding a tone control to both channels after I used it with a Boss GE-7 EQ pedal, but now I like it as it is. My only mod is mine has the C12K Jensen from my DRRI which makes it a bit louder and gives it a bit more smooth bass; my DRRI sounds fine with the original Ramparte speaker.

    I use a reverb, echo/delay, tremelo or vibrato pedal if I'm in the mood for effects.

    A big downside is the upholstery fabric covering gets dirty and wears out easily. I'm planning to apply a poly sealant (like lacquering tweed) to the outside soon.
     
  6. Aug 9, 2015 #6
    Ragin Cajun

    Ragin Cajun Tele-Holic

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    Thanks AT.
    Has anyone used an ABY switch to avoid plugging in and out when changing channels? Any recommendations? Thanks. Other than that, I may try an EQ pedal, and a reverb. I already have a DS1, but I don't think I'm gonna need it.
     
  7. Aug 9, 2015 #7
    alnicopu

    alnicopu Friend of Leo's

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    Exactly why them and the 13 watt, 15" other pawn shop series amp (I had one and can't even remember what it was called) go for less than 200.00 on CL in my area. I bought mine at a GC fire sale at 200.00 and sold it for the same about 2 weeks later.
     
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