Got this amp in trade last year (plus an outboard reverb unit) for a Clark Tyger. I already have a tweed pro type (Sewell Wampus Cat), so figured I'd mess with the Vicky, then trade it.
As received, it was sweet sounding but rather quiet. 12ay7 in V1, vintage C15N speaker, NOS GE 6L6s. Power tubes first. The GEs sounded thin, no umph. In go Phillips 6L6WGB (longtime favorites). Then tried a bunch of old 12ax7s in the preamp. Replaced the C15N with an Eminence Legend 151 ceramic. Big difference. Way better. But still not up to the mojo in that Sewell. So I rarely play the Vicky. Heard clips of a vintage tweed pro with alnico speaker, which make me nuts it sounded so good. Actually tried to trade the 35115 for it. No go. So now I'm guessing I may be one good alnico speaker away from that fat, juicy tweed pro sound. It's the sound I always wanted, but haven't gotten yet.
And so it was. Ordered a Weber 15A150 50 watt. Out of the box it sounds great, which is a real surprise. Oh man, why did I wait this long? This amp has come alive with old school tone. Moral of the story for me is: Don't make easy assumptions about amp sound. For years I've preferred ceramics in older amps, for volume and headroom purposes. In the process, I missed something really obvious. That some of these old style amps sound best with original spec speakers, or close to it. The other moral is, every amp has a sweet spot, if you have the patience (and budget) to find it.
MD
As received, it was sweet sounding but rather quiet. 12ay7 in V1, vintage C15N speaker, NOS GE 6L6s. Power tubes first. The GEs sounded thin, no umph. In go Phillips 6L6WGB (longtime favorites). Then tried a bunch of old 12ax7s in the preamp. Replaced the C15N with an Eminence Legend 151 ceramic. Big difference. Way better. But still not up to the mojo in that Sewell. So I rarely play the Vicky. Heard clips of a vintage tweed pro with alnico speaker, which make me nuts it sounded so good. Actually tried to trade the 35115 for it. No go. So now I'm guessing I may be one good alnico speaker away from that fat, juicy tweed pro sound. It's the sound I always wanted, but haven't gotten yet.
And so it was. Ordered a Weber 15A150 50 watt. Out of the box it sounds great, which is a real surprise. Oh man, why did I wait this long? This amp has come alive with old school tone. Moral of the story for me is: Don't make easy assumptions about amp sound. For years I've preferred ceramics in older amps, for volume and headroom purposes. In the process, I missed something really obvious. That some of these old style amps sound best with original spec speakers, or close to it. The other moral is, every amp has a sweet spot, if you have the patience (and budget) to find it.
MD