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EC Collins Pinstripe grill cloth

goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
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8,931
I need your honest opinion fellas regarding this product.........those of you that have it on your amps and cabs and have played through equipment that have this.
Let me expand, I'm a sceptic with this stuff as I've checked it as used on the 1962HW combo(didn't play the combo though) and it feels rubbery and solid(thick), plus I've seen A/Bs on youtube of old versus new with the Marshall handwired series amps(1974/74X etc) and the '60s vintage amps sounded somewhat muffled and slightly dull(muted) by comparison.
 

marfen

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Jan 19, 2016
Messages
330
Salt and pepper basketweave cabs of mine sound better than the 70s checkerboard grill as the check grill is the most transparent sonically. I've heard the pinstripe is the most transparent. I guess it's all personal preference depending on the amp your using eg plexi being warmer sonically than a metal panel. And what's left of your hearing as most of us musicians have a mid dip in our hearing loss.
 

PixelBurst

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Apr 11, 2002
Messages
4,094
EC and vintage pin stripe cloth roll off the highs. I’ve compared two Scumback 4x12 cabs. One with EC pin stripe and the other with salt and pepper cloth. Same guitar, same amp, same speakers...
 

goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
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8,931
EC and vintage pin stripe cloth roll off the highs. I’ve compared two Scumback 4x12 cabs. One with EC pin stripe and the other with salt and pepper cloth. Same guitar, same amp, same speakers...

Thanks for your response Pixel and I like the description 'roll off the highs'.
I like to control the tone from the knobs on my LP and on the amp itself, and can't handle any inherent darker tonal response from my amps.
It's a nice idea to have a lookalike replica cloth.....and it's too bad that it's not a great 'tone' conductor, which also it seems may apply to the vintage pinstripe.
 

F-Hole

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Sep 2, 2015
Messages
2,171
It's extremely close to vintage pinstripe, you need to look hard and know what you're looking at to differentiate the two.

Vintage pinstripe cabs created some of the most revered sounds produced in rock...........'nuff said.
 

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
It sounds damn near identical to the original cloth. I have a #1962 comboI built in 2006 that has original T652 Celestions with “Marshall Uxbridge Rd.” labels on the magnets. I got to compare it side by side with an original and also to a Park JTM45 combo that had brown Bluesbreaker grill. I also have it on my reissue 1974x grill and a replica 18-watt era 2x10 cab( with 10” Elac speakers) & a 2061cx 2x12 cab. So a number of things that I’ve been lucky enough to get over the years and the grill does make a difference. Oh.. I put some on my Marshall Astoria combo.. looks better than the crap that came on it!
 

B Ingram

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Jan 3, 2016
Messages
730
... I've seen A/Bs on youtube of old versus new with the Marshall handwired series amps(1974/74X etc) and the '60s vintage amps sounded somewhat muffled and slightly dull(muted) by comparison.
Thanks for your response Pixel and I like the description 'roll off the highs'.
I like to control the tone from the knobs on my LP and on the amp itself, and can't handle any inherent darker tonal response from my amps.
... it's too bad that it's not a great 'tone' conductor, which also it seems may apply to the vintage pinstripe.

I've had the EC Collins cloth on a 2x12 cab for maybe 4-5 years. That cab sounds great.

People I trust say that cloth sounds like the original pinstripe. While I don't know if that's true, I know it does roll off highs a little. In my experience, it's just enough to take a hard edge off a sound, and gives me a little more room to turn up Treble/Presence.



"Pure Sound" is kind of a weird goal here, because if you've played your guitar into a ruler-flat dead-clean system (like a recording console) you know the naked guitar sound isn't that great. I personally just need the right mix of things that each add their own color to the sound.
 

deytookerjaabs

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Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,592
One thing that's always intrigued me besides his cloth is he custom makes (or used to?) bone saddles for ABR-1's too. Unfortunately you need to send in your bridge for fitment but it sounds like a neat project especially if you have a guitar from that (short?) era, very early 60's IIRC.
 

Gridlock

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Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
287
I had Eric Collins grill-cloth professionally installed on my Marshall 1962HW Bluesbreaker a few years ago. First, I loved the look of the EC grill-cloth. Second, the cloth does alter the tone of your amp. The cloth is a very rubbery type material. In my opinion, the cloth somewhat adds low-end bass and warmth to your tone.

The Bluesbreaker already and lots of bass on tap and is a super loud amp. Louder than the 100 watt Marshall’s that I’ve owned. I don’t recall the EC cloth affecting the volume at all. Sold the 1962Hw because it was just too loud for my needs.

I’ve owned a Marshall1973x and a 1974x since. I’m not a fan of bright amps at all, I was able to tame the brightness of these two EL84 powered amps using a 7-band EQ, but the EQ played havoc when using my OD pedals with these amps. I considered ordering EC cloth for these amps to help tame the brightness. I really wish that I tried EC cloth on either the 1973x or the 1974x. I do recommend the EC cloth.

After digging out a photo of my Bluesbreaker, I kind of wish that I kept it. Such a cool looking Marshall and especially with the EC cloth.

3B3E2C36-0542-43C7-9549-954464F8EE76.jpeg
 
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Midnight Blues

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Feb 20, 2011
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1,703
Had mine professionally installed on my 1974X. I've never compared it with an original, but I can type that I love the tone and what a difference in looks:

LdW6pEQ.jpg


VbVUZ6j.jpg
 

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
Midnight Blues; Love that amp! I did the same thing to my 1974x. But I went a little further and replaced all the signal path/coupling caps with the old Mustard caps and installed an RS Mains tranny & a RS Clone output tranny and an Alnico Celestion G12. The tone is just sick!!!
 

Midnight Blues

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Feb 20, 2011
Messages
1,703
Midnight Blues; Love that amp! I did the same thing to my 1974x. But I went a little further and replaced all the signal path/coupling caps with the old Mustard caps and installed an RS Mains tranny & a RS Clone output tranny and an Alnico Celestion G12. The tone is just sick!!!
Thanks TM1! Your's must sound phenomenal!!!!
 

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
It's actually an old Rola(alnico) from the `50's. Looks alot like T-652. It says: "Rola G12".
 
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goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
Messages
8,931
It's actually an old Rola(alnico) from the `50's. Looks alot like T-652. It says: "Rola G12".
Okay, I llike those old ones, I've got a '50s 74 1772 in my Princeton. Tried a Blue and T1088 and the 74 came out on top, Celestion certainly made them to last.
 
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