How do you get your dream guitar sound?

[gbbird]

bennyboysvuk said:

gbbird said:

I have a DSL401. Great when it works, but it is forever needing attention from teh good guys at Marshall UK

I don't think my DSL401 sounds as good as my old JCM800, but it's certainly a whole lot better than my old Peavey Renown 400 for the things that I use it for. I mainly use it on channel 1 with the gain set somewhere around three quarters. Then I use the guitar volume to control how much it's breaking up depending on the song I'm playing. After the last gig I played in London someone actually commented on what a nice guitar sound I had when I was talking to them outside after the show.

Mine's a 2005 model that I got on Ebay. It used to get pretty hot when I used it so I installed a couple of fans in the back of it and that keeps things cool, but it's not let me down yet. What sort of things has yours suffered from?

Lots of popping and crackling once warmed up. Had the valves replaced once, plus one or two other things (i live quite close to Marshall Headquarters in Bletchely, which is handy) and just recently the loud popping and crackling has started again. I wouldn't mind, but i only use it sporadically for home recording projects, so volume levels are never high. I always use the clean channel, with my Boss Mettalizer pedal for all distortion duties.

[Driller]

ADA MP1 preamp, the best metal sound EVER.

Sold it years ago

I have a TSL122 now but am on the lookout for something different that you can really crank up to get a high gain sound by pushing the power valves.

The trouble is, apart from the Krank rev junior pro at 20watts there is nothing out there which does metal and is 20watts or less. Build quality on the Krank is iffy one feels.

What I need is a single rectifier or Engl Powerball with a ten Watt power amp.

Why are so many amps 100watts or even 120 or 150? It's ridiculous.

ETA Don't even think of mentioning an amp strangling Hotplate.

[bennyboysvuk]

Driller, how's the TSL122 been for you? I've heard some stuff about them being unreliable, has yours been ok? I was so close to opting for a TSL122 when I bought the DSL401.

As for the 100w comment, I've never gigged my JCM800 50w head at anything over 2 with my current bands. ...I really must join a heavier rock band to help resolve that.

Edited by bennyboysvuk on Monday 15th June 13:07

[SaliMali]

[quote=Driller]ADA MP1 preamp, the best metal sound EVER.

Sold it years ago


I had 2 of those-1 standard and 1 modified by the owner of Voodoo Amps.

The standard one was fantastic!

I fancy checking out the Blackstar HT-5 mini stack for home use. It's supposed to be pretty good.

[Driller]

bennyboysvuk said:

Driller, how's the TSL122 been for you? I've heard some stuff about them being unreliable, has yours been ok? I was so close to opting for a TSL122 when I bought the DSL401.

As for the 100w comment, I've never gigged my JCM800 50w head at anything over 2 with my current bands. ...I really must join a heavier rock band to help resolve that.

Edited by bennyboysvuk on Monday 15th June 13:07

The TSL has been great. I've had it about ten years and all I've ever done is change the power valves. One handy function is a virtual power reduction button which brings it down to an alleged 25W but I still can't stand it on more than about 3.

I can imagine how loud the JCM800 goes even at "only" 50W. We need low wattage amps!

SaliMali said:

Driller said:

ADA MP1 preamp, the best metal sound EVER.

Sold it years ago


I had 2 of those-1 standard and 1 modified by the owner of Voodoo Amps.

The standard one was fantastic!

I fancy checking out the Blackstar HT-5 mini stack for home use. It's supposed to be pretty good.

Yeah I've heard heaps about the HT-5 but I do wonder about the quality and the amount of gain you get. Get on Youtube and listen to a demo of it and then listen to an Engl fireball or a single rectifier-the difference is astounding.

What really shreds though is the Peavey 6505, tons of gain but again at 120W it's just too damn powerful!

[paulmurr]

My 100w JCM800 is set to about 1.5 for rehearsals. It's just silly loud.

[SaliMali]

[/quote]

Yeah I've heard heaps about the HT-5 but I do wonder about the quality and the amount of gain you get. Get on Youtube and listen to a demo of it and then listen to an Engl fireball or a single rectifier-the difference is astounding.

What really shreds though is the Peavey 6505, tons of gain but again at 120W it's just too damn powerful!
[/quote]

...and too much hiss as well.

5150 head-the best power amp I ever had

HT5 is never going to challenge Rectifiers etc. at several times the price but it might cut it for home use.

That's one of the reasons I use pre amps and low wattage power amps at home (and distortion pedals for when the tubes are having an off-day)

[Driller]

SaliMali said:

Yeah I've heard heaps about the HT-5 but I do wonder about the quality and the amount of gain you get. Get on Youtube and listen to a demo of it and then listen to an Engl fireball or a single rectifier-the difference is astounding.

What really shreds though is the Peavey 6505, tons of gain but again at 120W it's just too damn powerful!

...and too much hiss as well.

5150 head-the best power amp I ever had

HT5 is never going to challenge Rectifiers etc. at several times the price but it might cut it for home use.

That's one of the reasons I use pre amps and low wattage power amps at home (and distortion pedals for when the tubes are having an off-day)

Yeah but even with power amps it's the same problem. There is not a power amp under the sun at less than 2x 40W (Boogie etc)...or is there?

[SaliMali]

Marshall do a 2x20 tube power amp. It's EL84 (from memory) so I use a KFK 10 band to get around the slightly pronounced mids.

[paulmurr]

Well, my run of luck had to end... the Marshall blew up at practice last week. Off to the repair man today, hopefully it'll not be too expensive to put right.

[bigbadbikercats]

Driller said:

The trouble is, apart from the Krank rev junior pro at 20watts there is nothing out there which does metal and is 20watts or less. Build quality on the Krank is iffy one feels.

What I need is a single rectifier or Engl Powerball with a ten Watt power amp.

Express 5:25 in 5 Watt mode. Some would have it that the Express amps don't have enough gain for Metal, but it's got more gain than I know what to do with and packs an implausible amount of bottom end "thump" for a dinky little 1x10 combo...

--
JG

[crofty1984]

I think I have a pretty good tone at the minute, Carlsbro Hornet45W lead amp (Older than I am!) Digitech RP6 pedal (after the RP5 finally gave up the ghost) And a 1996 Squier strat modified with cheap HSH setup. High and dirty on the bridge pickup, Nice tone on the Neck+middle for clean.

[Driller]

bigbadbikercats said:

Driller said:

The trouble is, apart from the Krank rev junior pro at 20watts there is nothing out there which does metal and is 20watts or less. Build quality on the Krank is iffy one feels.

What I need is a single rectifier or Engl Powerball with a ten Watt power amp.

Express 5:25 in 5 Watt mode. Some would have it that the Express amps don't have enough gain for Metal, but it's got more gain than I know what to do with and packs an implausible amount of bottom end "thump" for a dinky little 1x10 combo...

--
JG

There are two things that both me about the express: I have also heard loads of folk say that it's not a good metal amp. Since most of what I do is metal this won't do. The other thing is that for me the 25:5 is the way to go but they've gone and stuck EL34's in it (which obviously I already have in my Marshall) and I want 6L6s. The 50:5 has 6L6s but I don't want a 50w amp, even if it can do 5W class A.

I really need to try one though to decide obviously.

[Hanslow]

My current tone that I'm happy with is going as follows:

EMG81 pickup->Mesa Studio Pre->TC Electronic 1140 PEQ->Peavey Classic 50/50->Orange 4x12

I'm a gear we that goes way beyond my abilities, but since getting the Studio Pre and Peavey Classic, it's put more expensive equipment into the shade for the time being.

[Matthew_Eames]

Fender Mex Std Strat > JMP 2203 (1978)/1960AV (2004)

Occasionally put in an old 60's copicat aswell, played with multieffects but never took to them, just a good amp/guitar combo works for me

The amp is great, stupidly loud and pointless but I love it, and the guitar is good, but I want a 62AVRI at some point.

[bigbadbikercats]

Driller said:

I really need to try one though to decide obviously.

That last line is an important one.

It may or may not be the amp for you but "doesn't do Metal" is kind of a sweeping statement, especially when you consider that "Metal" is actually a fairly broad genre so I really wouldn't write it off until you've tried it...

For what it's worth my youngest son regards himself as a bit of a Metalhead, can do what (for me at least) is a quite uncanny Kirk Hammet impersonation when the spirit so moves him and loves my 5:25

--
JG

[zippy500]

This sounds ste I know, but it works remakably well.

My old Arcam Alpha HIFI, Mission speakers and a Line 6 POD XT. I have it wired with both left and right outputs going to teh amps tape input. Dont think its true stereo as such, more dual mono, but get the full effect of left right seperation for Stereo delay and flanger etc.
Use the Line 6 software to get the sounds I want and personally I think it is brilliant.

In the past I have had a 50w Marshall combo and a TSL100 with 4x12 cab. Both fantastic bits of kit, but both are way over the top for home use. This set up now is fab I reckon for home tinkering.

Good thing is also I get no hiss that you get with guitar amps. Downside, no real feedback, but you can dial in loads of gain etc with Gearbox, so can simulate it.

Food for thought if nothing else.

Edited by zippy500 on Wednesday 24th June 22:08

[Driller]

zippy500 said:

This sounds ste sound I know, but it works remakably well.

My old Arcam Alpha HIFI, Mission speakers and a Line 6 POD XT.

Yeah, you're right. It does sound st

[zippy500]

Care to expand on why you think so?

[Driller]

zippy500 said:

Care to expand on why you think so?

I don't really think so Zippy, it was just a joke Well OK it sounds a little bit st but at the end of the day if you get a great sound then good for you for being intrepid enough to find it

I still haven't found mine, well as I said, I found it once in the form of the ADA MP1.