New 2525H sound different at home vs. in store?

[blackstrat13]

So I’ve recently bough a marshall 2525H with 2536 cabinet. I was impressed with the tone when I tried it in store, dead-on 80s rock sound like GnR and stuff.
But after I bring it home, it sounds very different now? There’s almost no bottom end (I have to put bass knob at 4 o’clock) and the mids are very nasal and honky.
Tried rolling the preamp tube (switching v1 to v2 and v3) and it improved somewhat but still not a good tone. I put a mxr 10 band eq in fx loop, scooped 500hz-1k and boosted the lows, and it’s quite close with how it sounded in store.
I wonder what should I try next? I tried boosting it with sd-1 but the sound became even more thin. I have on order a pair of new EH EL34 tubes, a pair of sovtek 12ax7wc and a genalex cv4004 (v1) tube, do you think it might be a bad tube problem?

 

[Kinkless Tetrode]

Different Room.

Same exact cabinet you played through at the store?

 

[fitz]

So I’ve recently bough a marshall 2525H with 2536 cabinet. I was impressed with the tone when I tried it in store, dead-on 80s rock sound like GnR and stuff.
But after I bring it home, it sounds very different now? There’s almost no bottom end (I have to put bass knob at 4 o’clock) and the mids are very nasal and honky.
Tried rolling the preamp tube (switching v1 to v2 and v3) and it improved somewhat but still not a good tone. I put a mxr 10 band eq in fx loop, scooped 500hz-1k and boosted the lows, and it’s quite close with how it sounded in store.
I wonder what should I try next? I tried boosting it with sd-1 but the sound became even more thin. I have on order a pair of new EH EL34 tubes, a pair of sovtek 12ax7wc and a genalex cv4004 (v1) tube, do you think it might be a bad tube problem?

Different Room.

^^^ THIS ^^^
And,
Did you buy the floor model, or new in box?
Tube amp issues are usually tubes.
New tubes are usually better than stock.
Same guitar?

 

[Ken Underwood]

The word is acoustics

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Was amp on floor in store or up on something?
Where is it at home? Cement floor?
Where are you standing?
Same guitar and especially, cab?
It is indeed acoustics, no point messing around with tubes at this stage.

 

[South Park]

The next time you are in a music store look at the walls and see if thar is any sound proofing that could be the difference

 

[Calebz]

If you played a display model, then bought a new one in the box, my guess would be speaker break-in being the main offender, with room acoustics being a close second.

 

[Eric'45]

The cheapest option might be- move it to another place in your room/house. Even if it's not permanent, you can hear how the sound is affected by different acoustic environments.

 

[Moony]

Have you bought the exact same amp you've played in the store?
Or was it a new one in a sealed box?

I have on order a pair of new EH EL34 tubes, a pair of sovtek 12ax7wc and a genalex cv4004 (v1) tube, do you think it might be a bad tube problem?

I personally think that the stock JJ EL34II are better than the Electro Harmonix EL34.
The same goes for JJ ECC83S (stock with red Marshall label) vs Sovtek 12AX7WC.
The Genalex CV4004 is a nice tube but hit or miss, it may be to brittle sounding in V1 and maybe humming a bit, but you can certainly use it in the phase inverter spot.

 

[Jubilant]

I’m using Mullard el34 power tubes and for v1 a eh7025 v2,3&4 mullard cv4004.It sounds amazing.I don’t know what style you want.I play Dio,Maiden,savatage style hard rock and this amp delivers in spades!

 

[Matthews Guitars]

Rooms make a difference. Yes they do. More than you think they will, until you experience it for yourself.

 

[GregM]

Stupid question time . Was the rythym clip in the same spot ?

 

[blackstrat13]

Thanks for the input. Yes it’s the exact same amp and cabinet, but different guitars. At the store I played through a JB loaded charvel and an evh strat, at home a JB loaded ibanez, musicman JP6 (dimarzio) and a prs (bareknuckle polymath). In both situation the amp is sitting on the floor without casters. True it could be acoustic or listening position. I discovered that the amp sound very different depending where I stand. I guess that’s just the reality of playing a real amp, previously I play mostly digital modeller/plugin through studio monitor.
So I recently installed the EH EL34 (stock tubes are tung sols), I notice the amp is a bit louder and a little bit smoother, could be placebo effect though. The 12ax7s haven’t arrived, but I hope I’ll get more gain compared to stock tubes (red/JJ in v1, white marshall in v2 and v3). Currenly I run the gain on full, and rhythm clip off.
Next I’m thinking I should take a look at different OD pedals, I’m currently interested in maxon 808, bb preamp or mxr timmy pedal. I hear that they all work great with marshalls.

 

[blackstrat13]

Stupid question time . Was the rythym clip in the same spot ?

So the rhythm clip was engaged at the store, but at home I find it too harsh so I turned it off. The gain was on 10 (max) in both situation.

 

[Moony]

Next I’m thinking I should take a look at different OD pedals, I’m currently interested in maxon 808, bb preamp or mxr timmy pedal. I hear that they all work great with marshalls.

Both will work fine!

So I recently installed the EH EL34 (stock tubes are tung sols)

Ok, Marshall mainly used JJ EL34II since late 2015.
So I'm wondering why there are Tung Sols in it. They had them in the JVM series too but not for a long period of time after the Svetlana =C= weren't available anymore.
Tung Sol EL34 are also better than EH EL34 if you ask me.
White newer Marshall labeled 12AX7 are Shuguang 12AX7B, the red ones are JJ ECC83S.
I personally like the mix of both very much in Marshalls. You could also try a Tung Sol 12AX7RI in V1 but it may hum a bit like the Genalex CV4004 which has the same built structure.

I gues there are a few factors adding up.
The acoustic of your room, the different guitars - and probably just your daily form.
Maybe give it a break, try it tommorow and see how it sounds then.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

hell, even my ex girlfriend sounded different in the store. bitch

 

[Jubilant]

I would highly recommend trying a good clean boost pedal in the front end instead of an overdrive.It tightens it up without thinning out the tone.I think if you do you could back the gain down to 7 or 8.I find running the gain at 10 gets a little mushy imo.Good luck it’s a great amp!

 

[Kinkless Tetrode]

Mine came with Tung Sol EL34s. It was an early one before it was re-named Studio Jubilee. However, I normally run fat bottle EH 6CA7 in that amp now. The Tung Sol EL34 are tweeked to give more bottom. IME, the 6CA7s do that better, but with with more open mids. I put the Tung Sols in my 50 watt Jubilee where they work good.

The stock Pre-amp tubes were a JJ for V1 with a Shug for V2 and Shug in the PI. I run an old Mesa Boogie branded (JAN-Philips?) 12AX7 from the 80's in V1.

 

[dro]

Are you using the same guitar, you used in the store.
I've had identical model guitars in the past.
Same pickups, same setup, same color, sound completely different.

 

[Leonard Neemoil]

Are you using the same guitar, you used in the store.
I've had identical model guitars in the past.
Same pickups, same setup, same color, sound completely different.

Op said it's different guitars at home.

I'm willing to bet the one in the store was X calibur. Hate when that happens because then I just have to go and buy it. Hehe