I'm going to be replacing the awful Sheffield 1290 speakers in a Peavey 412MS cab I picked up recently. I'd like to combine two British Leads with something that will complement them tonally--specifically, Retro 30s or Reaper HPs. Can someone who's had direct experience with both weigh in on the merits of the two? The WGS clips sound fairly similar to me, with the Reaper HP perhaps seeming a bit less bright.
I'll be using an Engl Fireball 100, and playing '80s and '90s hard rock/metal in mostly standard tuning. I'm looking for tightness, clarity and aggression, along with a nice, singing lead tone. In closing, I should note that I really do not care for Vintage 30s.
Thanks in advance.
about 1 year ago I went through a plethora of WGS.
I had ReaperHP matched with Invader. I really liked the Invader. I sold Cab & Speakers for a boutique 212 3X worth it's price retail. Tone Tubbies made from Hemp, 1 Alnico 1 Ceramic. I play low volumes and am not BLOWN away by the tone. We'll see..
I had Retro 30 in an Epiphone 112 Cab. It was a very brilliant sound. Almost too brilliant.
Overall, out of all 3 I liked the Invader the most.
Reaper HP was a tad bit dull. Retro 30 a tad bit bright. Invader was JUST RIGHT.
I think the Reaper 30 is in between the Reaper Hp and the Retro 30. I have the Reaper 30 and i'm either getting 2 more or possibly going Retros since my treble is set so high (4:00)
Hummm ... just answered another Sheffield/Peavey 412ms question ... anyway ...
Yes, the Ret 30 is a LOT brighter than the Reaper HP! But ... the Brit Leads fall right in the middle ... so you could go either way ...
I'd choose the Ret 30s because they will add some solid bottom as well as a good bit of sparkle to the combination. The Reapers would add a nice organic lower-mid boost.