I have been restoring a Silvertone 1482 and I was testing it with a brand new ET65. At first I was very disappointed because there were no highs at all. I adjusted the tone knob all the way up and it was still very dull. Then I pointed the speaker at me and the highs came back. If I stand with the combo on the floor... no highs. Lean it back so it points at me then it’s fine. Is this expected?
Is the ET65 very directional?
09/03/2019 9:46pm
High end dispersion has to do with cone aperture width and depth. Exponentially flared speaker cones also disperse high end wider than straight cones. Flared 12" speakers like the ET65 (and most 12" guitar speakers) generally disperse 1.5~2kHz to ~45° and 4~6kHz to only 20~10°. That high end directionality is of course louder than the low end on a stage vs in a small room where more bass is reflected back and "superposed" (with the exception of null points).
A veteran speaker designer on the TGP site explained how to use use 1/2~3/4" foam with a 3" whole cut in the center, and placed over the speaker to equalize the high freq level from 0 to 40°. It simply reduces the level above ~1kHz by ~12dB at center to match that of 40° off-axis. That might be too dark for you though. 1/2" foam will be little brighter at center. Might be a fun/cheap experiment anyway.
I took the amp with the ET65 out for its maiden voyage with a band last night. Really a problem. I am going to try putting the speaker in another amp to see if that is part of the equation, but it was so bass and mid heavy that you couldn't tell the difference between the guitar and the bass.
AFAIK, the ET65 doesn't have a pronounced glassy high end, and from what little I know of Silvertone amps, it's relatively smooth sounding. You could try some JJ 6V6S power tubes if you don't already use them. Those sound more like 6L6 with a brighter/more-glassy high end than a typical 6V6GT. Clearer/brighter preamp tubes can also help. Tung Sol are well-liked, but they may sound a bit harsh. The PI slot tube may make a big difference if it is driven hard. The Sovtek 12ax7LPS "long plate" is a common choice -- perhaps brighter than the JJ ECC803S when driven without being harsh. If that doesn't do it for you, you might go for a brighter speaker like a Reaper, G12C or maybe a Retro 30. You might then prefer either of those with a set of 6V6GT. A simpler/cheaper solution might be to alter the preamp with brighter signal path cap values, but it might not make much difference if the power tubes and speaker darken it down. Vaughn might know what to suggest there.
I have a G12C on the way... I bought it with the ET65 to use in a 2x12 combo but it arrived dead. Support has been great so I’m looking forward to trying it with the amp.
The tubes are all original... I recently moved so all my tubes were packed away but I found the box this weekend. I have some tung-sol 6v6 and a number of vintage 12ax7s to choose from.
The G12C has a good bit more high end, but is no less directional than the ET65. Should be fine with the mellow TS 6V6 tubes. May take while at full (~20W?) power to break in though.
The cab for the 1482 is very thin. The rear corner and edge reflections may well cause some cancellation in the ~2kHz "clarity" range (the freq = to 1/2 the total distance to and from the speaker). Have you tried running it with the rear panel off, or maybe stapling a folded bath towel over the back of the speaker to absorb rear reflections above ~1kHz. You might even prefer the ET65 then, and maybe with JJ 6V6S tubes? In any case, you'd have four combinations you could try.
You might even consider mounting the amp in a "AX84" spec cab that you build yourself. It's a very well-conceived design with a 140Hz ~2dB resonance, and the option to port in the 60~100Hz range via rear panel hole size, or even run it sealed. You could staple a towel over the speaker as well, but the inherent comb filtering of the cab is actually pretty nice. Pine with a 3/4" thick MDF baffle is good for light weight and a nice warm sound. Extend the sides up and add another top piece to mount the amp in (if it's not too wide).