NAD - Excelsior

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 12:51 am

Several weeks back I got cockblocked by GC when I tried to buy a 67 SG Melody Maker. I got mad, I got annoyed.. but I still had my gift card. And now a 10% coupon after I raised a bit of hell about this.

So, with the gift card, and a 10% off coupon, I got this- an in-store used Excelsior (plus shipping to PR), and I still have enough on that gift card to stop by a GC next month when I'm in DC and pick up a pedal, or even a dirty cheap used guitar.

This one sounds a lot better than the new one I tried in a local music store a few months back- I guess it's already been broken in. But it's immaculate. Not a scratch, not a fingerprint anywhere. It looks new.

I'm definitely happy. It sounds absolutely amazing doing a bit of fingerpicking on my Tele. I'm not 100% sure it's a keeper, but it could be. I might replace the bright/dark switch with a pot to blend the two values to see if that turns it into a keeper.

Aaaaaand... pics:

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 12:57 am

that thing looks really cool. im not familier with these. is it digital with a tube pre-amp? what are the specs?

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 1:12 am

robert(original) wrote:that thing looks really cool. im not familier with these. is it digital with a tube pre-amp? what are the specs?

All tube, Class A, 13 watts through a 15" speaker. 2 12AX7's, 2 6V6's. Has a guitar, mic, and accordion input. The guitar input has no voicing, the mic input is padded, and a treble cut on the accordion input. I'm curious about playing an acoustic through the mic input... this might actually work well as an acoustic amp.

Here's a good review - http://billmaudio.com/wp/?page_id=1203 and a thread from the corksniffer board - http://www.tdpri.com/forum/amp-central- ... lsior.html

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 1:19 am

i just saw the fender logo on the back.... damn i am out of the loop.
13 watts thru a 15" speaker eh?

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 1:36 am

robert(original) wrote:i just saw the fender logo on the back.... damn i am out of the loop.
13 watts thru a 15" speaker eh?

Loud, and breaks up nicely when cranked all the way

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 4:39 am

Ooooh... gonna try this tomorrow:

http://jpkalliostruglingguitarist.blogs ... d-mod.html

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 7:48 pm

Tried... and succeeded on the mod!

What the inside looks like before:

I had to file a little bit to get the pot to fit (opted for one of the smaller, dime sized 500k pots because I was worried about size constraints - but after doing this, a full size pot will work)

Solder the three cables in the same oder

And voila! We have a tone control

Now to get a better knob for that.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:01 pm

how is the trem on that? before i got rid of everything built a tremolo byoc kit pedal, and it was decent, but it was almost too... "i your face" and i couldn't seem to get the sound i wanted out of it by itself. but with some reverb, it was rather slushy.

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:04 pm

Smooth and buttery - similar to my SF Bronco amp.

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:25 pm

Just ordered two different style knobs for the middle tone pot -

Silvertone Cupcake style guitar knob

Brown Chicken Head Knob

I think the Cupcake Style one will look the best in this, and hopefully it's large enough to cover the screwholes that were left behind.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:58 pm

I've always liked the look of these amps, there is a mod to tweak the tone stack to give you even more flexibility (apparently) and also a speaker upgrade is meant to do wonders. Even stock though they do sound great. What is the clean headroom like on it?

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 9:04 pm

It stays clean up until about 3 o'clock. I'm looking at new power tubes, and an Eminence Big Ben later on down the road. I've got a pair of TAD 7025's (my favorite 12AX7) at home waiting for this amp.

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 10:10 pm

Was admiring a surf blue one in a shop the other day. Looks great

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:44 am

Looking a lot better. I just now need two screws to fill in the holes. I might have to go to the hardware store this weekend.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:57 am

What's the point? It's not going to look factory. I like it though...kind of funny how the volume and trem have the lettering on the panel, but "tone" is written on the tone knob.

Definitely fits the style nonetheless

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:03 am

i made an demo of mine

[youtube][/youtube]

amp is great for playing with a loud ass fucking stereo. it keeps up fine. i had the volume on the lower jaghorn dialed back to about 25% to get clean sondz. upper jaghorn was rolley all the way.
during that song i am screaming along with the song as loud as I can, un-mic'd. you can barely hear me over it and the PA playing the song. it keeps up with my voice fine. That tenacious D song that goes "i do not need a microphone, my voice is fuckin powerful" was written for me. anyways the amp is pretty fucking loud.

but.

ive taken it to band practice and it doesn't keep up with my drummer. which makes me sad. so you gotta mic it.

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:04 am

Nick wrote:What's the point?

Nick wrote:fits the style

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:19 am

robroe wrote:ive taken it to band practice and it doesn't keep up with my drummer. which makes me sad. so you gotta mic it.

I was reading online about this amp on a amp tech's website. He said that the stock speaker is very inefficient and apparently you can almost double the volume with an efficient Eminence speaker.

He recommended the Eminence Legend 1518 speaker:

http://www.eminence.com/speakers/speake ... egend_1518

jagsonic · Post by **jagsonic** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:54 am

I had mine several times in a practiceroom for jamming around with two other guitarplayers and drums. It worked fine. For me: loud enough. (but i think i depends very much to the roomsize and the drummer)

And the excelsior LOVES stompboxes...

I just love the one-trick-pony thing of the excelsior. For changing the sound i take a stompbox or just an other guitar