How to warm up or soften an Acoustic Image Clarus 4+ Buscarino combo

[Steve Z]

... Are you aware if the current quality of the cabinet is the same as built by the founder prior to his passing? I believe the extended range 10 & 12 came out around his passing or after so not sure.

Not sure about the timeline of models; however, several years ago I visited the Wisconsin RE shop and they are using the same forms and plans that Rich used. My understanding is that the current owners (well, at least when Jeff Hale owned RE) had purchased the original forms, equipment, plans, notes etc and essentially just moved the shop to Wisconsin. Expansions to the available plans have continued, but to my knowledge the design of the original models is the same and being built the same. Some changes may be due to the speaker changes through out the years.

[Stringswinger]

Steve,

I have discussed the differences in the Rich Raezer built cabs and the Wisconsin built cabinets with Geoff Felsher, the owner of Raezer's Edge (he bought the company from Jeff Hale).

Rich Raezer used different wood for the cabinets and different glue for the Tolex. Having owned a couple models of both, I can say with certainty that the Wisconsin built cabs are a bit less dark.

Cheers,

Marc

[Steve Z]

Marc,

Good to know info. Thanks.

[medblues]

well, good news and bad news. the good news is that it works. the bad news is that it doesn't work to a great extent.

i parked a damage control liquid blues and a eqd tone job eq in front of my jc77 and plugged into it with the byrdland (i picked that one because i hate it in the jc77). i also had a 12 tube monster sitting just to it's left to go back and forth. i set the overdrive clean and gave it a little volume and it did add a little warmth and squish. it still felt kind of stiff and direct, but a little better than before. the eq helped tailor a nicer sound but didn't do much to change the qualities of the amp. on its own, once you dial it in, use your amp knobs and get used to the sound, it isn't half bad. it would work. i'd use it in a pinch without much reservation.

when i plugged back into the tubes, the difference was clear. i could call up a similar tone, but the feel and depth were different. its like the notes move around you while the jc77 was like getting hit with a solid block of sounds in the face. the notes are just kind of there, instead of swirling all around. they lack that stereotypical 3rd dimension. again, the tone was still pretty good. i just like tubes more, especially with that guitar. i tend to like acoustics and floaters into the jc77 a lot more than i do other kinds of guitar.

another thing i noticed that kind of helped was rolling off the volume just a little. maybe back to 9 or so, just enough to soften the attack.

I regularly use a Damage Control Womanizer into a PA or effect return of a SS amp and look for a sweet spot that is not necessarily "clean" but not overdriven either and hear that comes very close to the tube feel. I asked in other threads/forums as well if one uses tubes as a stereo power amplifier for recorded music in their linear range, could audiophiles pick it in a blind test from among SS power amps ? Never got an answer, but people told me that a tube power amp kept in its linear range is very hi-fi.

[Eagle2x]

I think the AI is the problem, not the speaker.

AI's are great amps, but as similar to a Fender as an apple is to a orange. The preamp ideas some suggest can really work.

Thanks for this. I believe you are correct, the comparison of solid state and the tube is night and day. I do like the consistency of the solid state as tubes can differ from one day to the next. I've got to try some of the preamp suggestions to get closer to the sound of tubes that I am used to.

[Eagle2x]

well, good news and bad news. the good news is that it works. the bad news is that it doesn't work to a great extent.

i parked a damage control liquid blues and a eqd tone job eq in front of my jc77 and plugged into it with the byrdland (i picked that one because i hate it in the jc77). i also had a 12 tube monster sitting just to it's left to go back and forth. i set the overdrive clean and gave it a little volume and it did add a little warmth and squish. it still felt kind of stiff and direct, but a little better than before. the eq helped tailor a nicer sound but didn't do much to change the qualities of the amp. on its own, once you dial it in, use your amp knobs and get used to the sound, it isn't half bad. it would work. i'd use it in a pinch without much reservation.

when i plugged back into the tubes, the difference was clear. i could call up a similar tone, but the feel and depth were different. its like the notes move around you while the jc77 was like getting hit with a solid block of sounds in the face. the notes are just kind of there, instead of swirling all around. they lack that stereotypical 3rd dimension. again, the tone was still pretty good. i just like tubes more, especially with that guitar. i tend to like acoustics and floaters into the jc77 a lot more than i do other kinds of guitar.

another thing i noticed that kind of helped was rolling off the volume just a little. maybe back to 9 or so, just enough to soften the attack.

Thanks for the experiment! Rolling of the volume is definitely a great suggestion.

[Eagle2x]

Steve,

I have discussed the differences in the Rich Raezer built cabs and the Wisconsin built cabinets with Geoff Felsher, the owner of Raezer's Edge (he bought the company from Jeff Hale).

Rich Raezer used different wood for the cabinets and different glue for the Tolex. Having owned a couple models of both, I can say with certainty that the Wisconsin built cabs are a bit less dark.

Cheers,

Marc

Interesting, Mark. Thanks for the info!