Why doesn't my Concert Lead have better tone?

[FrankenStrat]

 I am using an active EMG p'uped strat that  sounds very thin through my 73 Concert Lead with a 12" EV Force and 15" EV Force in separate closed back cabs. Each speaker is 8 ohms. I have them plugged into separate outputs from the amp. Would a tube preamp help me get better tone out of this rig, please?

[loudthud]

Are your speakers in phase? Have you tried a different guitar or tried your guitar in a different amp?

[Walt-Dogg]

Is the battery in your guitar fresh? Are the speakers both the same impedance (one will be seeing more power than the other if not, I think)? Are you using a dirt pedal or are able to engage the amp's distortion? Concert Leads are stupid loud and clean and a tad bit sterile before they get the least bit pleasingly dirty. What EQ settings are you using? The EQ is an all boost, not at all like the FMV or Ampeg EQs. If you want tube "warmth" you're not gonna get it from a tube preamp pedal or ART mic pre or w/e. They rarely run the tubes at high enough voltages for them to make a sonic difference. All in all. If you're gonna keep the Sunn, I'd switch to passive AlNiCo pickups, thats what those amps are most at home with. You need a tube amp to pickup the nuances of an active pickup.

[FrankenStrat]

I was looking at an AMT tube preamp that uses 2 12ax7's with a claimed 300 anode voltage. It is a $400.00 stompbox from Russia.
I have been using an old MXR Distortion + and a 2nd gen ProCo Rat for dirt. I am not that tech savy and not a stellar player. I just think that a better tone would aid my skills progression. Sometimes I could get some decent, powerful sounds out of the rig, but that is
the exception, not the rule. The speakers are both EV Force and I would think that their impedences are the same.
 
Thanks for any reply, guys!

[Walt-Dogg]

Those AMT and Correct Sound pedals/pres seem nice. But I have no experience with them. I do see them get flipped quite often though on eBay/CL/Reverb.

The old Distortion+ should be pretty sweet sounding in that setup. Newer RATs are okay and I've had good luck with them in front of my Concert Leads but those newer RATs tend to be dry sounding.

Maybe you should try a tube amp or passive pickups, something that will let you hear your playing more so you know what to really work on with you technique. If that's an issue for you, which it seems to be otherwise you wouldn't have mentioned it, I think.

About the speakers, try a 2x12 or 4x12. Preferably a Marshall or something similar. Not a couple of PA speakers like you're using, that's a recipe for sterile or harsh and boring guitar tone.

[FrankenStrat]

Walt, I was hoping that you could address the anode voltages that AMT claims for it's 12ax7 box. I am also considering my last purchase
of a JVM210H Marshall head. $1800.00 vs. $400.00(AMT). It is odd that sometimes I could get some nice classic rock tones, overall, but
the definition and sustain just isn't there. I'm an on again off again amateur, playing rhythm and trying some lead work. My budget is an issue. The Concert Lead was bought used many years ago. It has never been serviced. The speakers are guitar speakers, if I'm not
mistaken.

[Walt-Dogg]

Service the amp. Try a different speaker cab. Try passive pickups.

Yeah newer Marshalls are just a bit weak sounding.

I looked up EV Force, look like PA speakers to me.

[FrankenStrat]

EV Force speakers are both musical instrument and PA/monitor speakers. Force i speakers are PA/monitor designs. EV Force are 20 yrs. old, Force i speakers are current issue. Confusing, to be sure. I'm still wondering about that AMT tube preamp.