Express 5:25 no low end?

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alphasports

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I find my Express 5:25 (10") has very little low end, an issue that I'd like to try and improve. I guess a 10" speaker has its limits, but has anyone swapped the stock speaker for something that improves bass? Also pondering an external 12" cab but not sure if that's the best use of $500? I have a Roland GA-112 with a single 12" and it has just insane low end, I love it, but I wonder if the Mesa external cab would yield roughly the same.

Could this also be a tube issue? I see reviews of the 5:25 10" where everyone says how great the bass is, but not on mine...

Thanks
 
So I almost pulled the trigger on a NOS 5:25 1x12 on sale at Long & McQuade...except they have no inventory and can't get any more. Or so they say. At CAD $1150 they were a great deal, but I guess all bait-n-switch ads seem great until you want to actually buy! Next choice was a new 5:25+ @ $1800 so "no thanks" for now.

So, I just ordered a Tone Tubby 40/40 replacement speaker that sounds like it will scratch the itch for awhile.
 
Sweetwater has my 5:25+ with the black tolex and grill for $1349 USD, the same price I paid two years ago.

Sweet amp!
 
We're in CAD dollars up here so add 40%!

Actually I almost pulled the trigger on a new 1x12+ but this little 1x10 is growing on me. I don't use the Burn channel at all, in fact neither of the "red" channels. I find putting a pedal (OCD, Blues Driver) in front of either "green" channel gives me excellent crunch & distortion without the excessive amp hiss of the red channels.

I have a full retube on the way from Doug's, and a new Tone Tubby 40/40 from SVVA. The tubes are supposed to quiet down the hiss so we'll see on that, and I'm concerned about comments that the new speaker won't fit due to the reverb tank, but we'll give it a shot.

So with all this dough going into this amp, it's not going anywhere. Just means I'll have two when I finally find a deal on a 1x12 !
 
To continue to thrash my own thread, I have been messing with the various EQ settings and am actually finding ways to extract some bass from this 525 1x10. I have Master maxxed out (5W) and use the guitar volume to control output...generates much cleaner cleans with a corresponding low(er) end that I couldn't get before. Still not a 12" but pretty good, and the new Tone Tubby should help.

Like everyone has said 1,000,000x, read the **** manual!
 
5w mode has a lot less bass then the 25w...also 1x10" speaker is simply not capable of producing decent bass, with any amp...
 
Krek13 said:
5w mode has a lot less bass then the 25w...also 1x10" speaker is simply not capable of producing decent bass, with any amp...

Yes but he's saying he's got almost none which is the complete opposite of every other Express owner I've ever heard.
Everyone else has got too much bass & we've dialled it down to under 11 oclock.

Most likely it's a tube issue & 1st thing I wold have done is replace all the tubes with the Express tube kit sold by
http://www.dougstubes.com
everyone luvs it & it costs about $US100
I wouldn't stuff around with other half baked tube options - get the best & replace all the tubes.

If there's still a bass lacking issue after full tube replacement then there's either something else wrong with the amp or the 10" speaker won't cut it.
I thought they always sounded a bit boxy but still had ok bass
In that case get a 12" cab - no point getting another 10 incher in the combo.
 
My 5:25 Plus 112 combo has fantastic bass response.....especially for a 25w amp! I am thinking any lack in bass response would be mostly due to the 10" speaker?
OP, do you have the amp setting firmly on the ground or do you have it elevated? The best bass response of any combo amp is when it is placed on the ground IMO!
 
I have the amp on the ground (hardwood basement floor).

FYI I just installed a complete retube from Doug's, amp sounds great but still light on the bass in certain settings. I fully realize I'm trying to turn lead into gold here with a 10" but I do like this amp and it's nice small form factor. I'm kinda hooped anyway because I have an expensive Tone Tubby 40/40 inbound so I've now got more cash into this thing than I'll ever see out of it. Very keen to hear the TT, hope the reverb can doesn't block the new speaker as some have suggested it does.

Of course since getting the upgrades a couple of Express Plus 12" (525 + 550) have appeared in the local classifieds at decent prices, and these almost never come up around here. Time for a willpower gut-check :)

Cheers
 
FYI I got the Tone Tubby 40/40 installed and it sounds awesome, like night and day over the stock Eminence Black Shadow, a completely different (and better) amp. So much headroom and thump it's sick. Also helps to have it on full 25w mode not 5w, makes quite a big diff.
 
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