DC30, SC-30 or HC-30???
Now that I’ve ordered a Ceriatone DC30 kit, a West Labs 30W transformer kit (power transformer, output transformer and choke), and a London Power power scaling kit, I still have a few decisions I need to make about my new amp. The biggest one, by far, is what form should it take? 1x12 combo, 2x12 combo or separate head and cabinet? I had always though it would be a 2x12 combo, just like a genuine Matchless DC30—and there are some compelling reasons to go that route—but now I’m wondering if a 1x12 or head/cabinet setup wouldn’t be better.
The original Matchless DC30 is a 2x12 combo featuring mismatched Celestion speakers. From what I’ve read on the web, one is G12H-30 and the other is a Vintage 30 or, perhaps, a G12M ‘Greenback.’ The combination of mismatched speakers is reputed to contribute to the DC30s sound, and since I’ve heard more DC30 clips I have a better idea what the end result should sound like. But building a 2x12 combo has some drawbacks. It is physically larger, and will take up more real estate in my living room, dining room, or where ever I’m practicing. It’s also more difficult to move around and store when not in use. And, cost being a factor, may be more expensive to build. Using two speakers instead of just one may increase the cost, but building an exotic hardwood cabinet for a 2x12 will be costlier than a 1x12 cabinet.
Building a 1x12 combo, a la the Matchless SC-30 is another viable choice. The amp would be smaller, so easier to move and easier to store at home. But then I would be confronted by another decision—which speaker to use? Certainly either the G12H-30 or V30 would do the trick, as would a number of other Celestion models including the new(ish) Celestion Gold alnico. Other choices include any number of speakers from Eminence, Weber or even the high-end Tone Tubby Hempcones. Some speakers will work better with the amp and come closer to the kind of tone I would like. The problem is trying to figure out which one. Not having a ton of first-hand experience, I’m working mostly with what other people have posted on various forums.
While I’m fairly sure I will build a combo of some sort, the other option is to build separate head and cabinet boxes. I can make a beautiful little cabinet for the amp, and buy a 1x12 or 2x12 from a variety of specialty manufacturers. Going this route is a bit more flexible; I can start with a 1x12 cabinet and change to a 2x12 cabinet later if I want, or I can keep the original cabinet and sell the amp if I want to try something different. Separate head and speaker cabinets are also a bit easier on tubes since the vibrations from the speaker aren’t inflicted on the tubes quite so directly. I really don’t think this will be a concern at practice levels, though…. But a separate head has some of the same drawbacks as either combo—it will be larger and more complex than a 1x12 combo, and I’ll still need to pick the speakers I want to use.
Regardless of which route I take building the amp, I also need to pick tubes. NOS are frighteningly expensive, so I suspect I will stick with current manufacture, but I’m not sure if they will be from Groove Tubes, JJ or some other source.
Decisions, decisions, decisions.