Register To ReplyIt's true.
this shouldn't need to be said, but i'm going to say it anyway
go play your guitar at stage volume for 3 hours. any GAS pains you might have had should be relieved.
It's true.
Don't get me wrong, he's a nice guy, I like him just fine--but he's a mouthbreather.
I do that quite often, actually. I'm usually too busy performing to think about my gear though. In my case I know I don't need anything to work with but it's still fun to dream.
A student in my new class tonight brought his pedalboard in with a Fulltone Plimsoul and a Fulldrive among other things...now I have the opportunity to hear a few things I've been curious about
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been there done that. Don't need nuthin other than playing and practice time. And more chances to play out.
i think a lot of GAS pops up for many players because we're stuck going to work and coming home and playing at bedroom levels. actually getting into a rehearsal space and being loud doesn't happen nearly enough as it should. it's during those GAS pained moments, you know, when you're thinking of spending $3600 on an ugly instrument that won't do you any good, that turning up and playing the shit out of what you already have really goes a long way.
i've already booked the next rehearsal, but it isn't for another 10 days. i might need to just find a room and play one day to tide me over.
Yep. With you there. I have to look into a playing space and find guys to play with again.
It is usually the exact opposite for me. I play much more at bedroom levels, so I get used to that sound. When I get at stage levels and other instruments join in, I loose the bedroom sound and try to recapture it.
Originally Posted by tstrahle
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...?bandID=550959
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...?bandID=463945
+1
But it's so shiny...
EG
Did that last night. My amp is the weak spot. After much knob-twirling I found several sounds that were almost what I was looking for, but not quite. Close enough for me right now, but I'm still gassing for a better amp.It'll likely be next year before I can really look at getting one, though. I may try to put together a bit of money for a pedal or two, maye that'll help in the meantime.
On the whole though, it felt amazing and sounded awesome, too.
so if it felt amazing and sounded awesome, then what's the problem?
Probably nothing. I can't put into words exactly what I felt was missing from it, honestly. Probably means I should lower my expectations and practice more.so if it felt amazing and sounded awesome, then what's the problem?
i dunno. i'm certainly the first to say that anything less than a transcendental experience is unacceptable, but you kind of have to know what's missing before being able to move on. otherwise you're just shooting in the dark.Probably nothing. I can't put into words exactly what I felt was missing from it, honestly. Probably means I should lower my expectations and practice more.
I'm hoping to get out and try some things here in the next few months so maybe I can figure out just what it is I feel like I'm missing. Problem is, the closest GC to me is in suburban hell so its packed with 13 year olds all damn weekend and I can't really get out there during the week. Not that i'll have the money any time soon for anything anyway, though.
forget about other gear for a second. what do you feel is missing from your sound?I'm hoping to get out and try some things here in the next few months so maybe I can figure out just what it is I feel like I'm missing. Problem is, the closest GC to me is in suburban hell so its packed with 13 year olds all damn weekend and I can't really get out there during the week. Not that i'll have the money any time soon for anything anyway, though.
I play at stage volume when I'm at home.
I still have GAS, though I have way more stuff than I really need, and I'm perfectly happy with the way the stuff I have sounds and plays.
i would, but then the cops would be around shortly thereafter.
I get to play loud at home during the day. I work close to home so sometimes I just come home for lunch and just crank it up. Unfortunately, I havent been playing enough at any volume lately. Life has a way of getting in the way. I did crank up for a while yesterday though. felt good.
...we're all on the road to where we want to be on this thing. And when we get there we realize that we really wanted to get to the next town over, anyway
How'd you like the Plimsoul?I do that quite often, actually. I'm usually too busy performing to think about my gear though. In my case I know I don't need anything to work with but it's still fun to dream.
A student in my new class tonight brought his pedalboard in with a Fulltone Plimsoul and a Fulldrive among other things...now I have the opportunity to hear a few things I've been curious about
Something in the distortion. I'm after a really gritty, raunchy distortion sound but its not what I'm getting. I either need to find the right pedal/combination of pedals or get an amp that's got a gain channel that doesn't sound like unwashed ass. I'm pretty bad at following directions, no?
Speaking for myself, talent? Skill?
we're getting closer.Something in the distortion. I'm after a really gritty, raunchy distortion sound but its not what I'm getting. I either need to find the right pedal/combination of pedals or get an amp that's got a gain channel that doesn't sound like unwashed ass. I'm pretty bad at following directions, no?
so what are you getting instead of raunchy distortion? also, define raunchy. and unwashed ass.
Get a good fuzz. Problem solved.
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Stay thirsty my friends.
Didn't get a chance to try it yet. Too busy actually teaching on the first day of class
All of the video lessons are being moved here:http://markweinguitarlessons.com/
Check out my blog LoveHateGuitar.com and my page: http://markwein.com/
Buy Foundations for Guitar on Amazon.com
too broad of an answer. what kinda fuzz? wooly? spitty? velcro? you need to be more specific. and then it needs to fit his application.
Then I would say he should pick up a russian big muff pi.
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Stay thirsty my friends.
not a good idea if he wants to hear himself onstage.
Honestly, I think my biggest problems with this type of conversation are that I am not very good at describing the differences between the sound I am getting and the sound that I want and also that I'm not very well versed in pedals. I've never really used them much.
The gain channel on my amp sounds muddy and lifeless and feels unresponsive and the EQ knobs don't seem to effect much change in it at all. It doesn't even really feel overdriven or distorted, it just sounds muddier the higher I turn the gain and/or volume. The clean channel sounds awesome, but the pedal I'm using now to get distortion (TS-7 borrowed from the other guitar player) isn't going to cut it. I like the sound of a ton of pedals that I've seen youtubes of, but I don't know if they'll work for me. I just have to find a way to sit down and try a shitload of different dirt pedals and keep going until I find the one that gives me the sound I want. I need to wait to do that though until I can actually afford to buy one. At this point, any purchase I make that isn't food, diapers or rent is fiscally irresponsible.
i don't think it's about pedals or being versed in gear. in fact, i would encourage you to take the ts-7 out of your signal chain, if only to really work with the amp. what's your rig anyway?Honestly, I think my biggest problems with this type of conversation are that I am not very good at describing the differences between the sound I am getting and the sound that I want and also that I'm not very well versed in pedals. I've never really used them much.
The gain channel on my amp sounds muddy and lifeless and feels unresponsive and the EQ knobs don't seem to effect much change in it at all. It doesn't even really feel overdriven or distorted, it just sounds muddier the higher I turn the gain and/or volume. The clean channel sounds awesome, but the pedal I'm using now to get distortion (TS-7 borrowed from the other guitar player) isn't going to cut it. I like the sound of a ton of pedals that I've seen youtubes of, but I don't know if they'll work for me. I just have to find a way to sit down and try a shitload of different dirt pedals and keep going until I find the one that gives me the sound I want. I need to wait to do that though until I can actually afford to buy one. At this point, any purchase I make that isn't food, diapers or rent is fiscally irresponsible.
Currently Am Std Tele -> TS-7 -> lightly modded Crate V33 -> no name 2 x 12 cab w/celestions of some sort.
the TS-7 might just be complicating things. also, it would help greatly to find out what the cab is made of and what those Celestions are. it could be that you don't like the speakers, but when you hook up the amp to another cab, it comes to life.
are you going to Pragestock? if so, bring your amp with you. Prages and baimun can definitely help you sort it out.
I've been thinking of trying it with the other guy's cab for a while, he's got some sorta Marshall 4 x 12, just to see. I don't know if it would have any bearing on any of this, but it probably needs new power tubes as well. Guy I got it from said they'd never been changed and could probably use it soon and that's been several months now. I might try that if its not too expensive one day soon just to see if it makes any difference at all.
I wish I were. I have been meaning to get in touch with Baimun one of these times I go to South Bend though, just to get a beer or something...
tubes can make a huge difference. before you buy any new gear, have your amp tested and if the tubes need to be changed, go for it. it's kind of a spendy proposition (couple hundred, along with the re-bias, all told), but totally worth it. the tech will likely tell you what else is wrong with the amp too. then once you get used to the new sound, you can talk about pedals. but if the amp sounds like moist ass, it's probably the tubes. those Crates had a decent rep.
also, do you know what the mod was?
There were two resistors that were swapped, which apparently makes the whole amp sound less muddy. Also, the guy said he did some experimenting with preamp tubes, best I can tell I've got two 12au7s and a 12ax7.
I had a chance to play it last night some, so I took the pedal out of the chain. It sounded better, I'm getting closer to the sounds in my head now. I started using the pedal when I still had my SG because the volume and tone knobs were completely useless on that guitar. With the tele, I don't need the pedal at all to go from clean-ish to somewhat distorted which I really enjoyed. Now I've just gotta save some money up and take the thing in for a power tube checkup, I suppose. Maybe that will get me where I want to be.
Last edited by Jeremy; 06-16-2011 at 03:14 AM.
that's cool. if anything, it'll get you closer. i'm not a fan of mixing 12au7s in. yeah, they're lower gain. but i find that plugging into the second input (if you have one) is just as effective. let the amp run on 12ax7s like it was designed for. at least that's what i do.There were two resistors that were swapped, which apparently makes the whole amp sound less muddy. Also, the guy said he did some experimenting with preamp tubes, best I can tell I've got two 12au7s and a 12ax7.
I had a chance to play it last night some, so I took the pedal out of the chain. It sounded better, I'm getting closer to the sounds in my head now. I started using the pedal when I still had my SG because the volume and tone knobs were completely useless on that guitar. With the tele, I don't need the pedal at all to go from clean-ish to somewhat distorted which I really enjoyed. Now I've just gotta save some money up and take the thing in for a power tube checkup, I suppose. Maybe that will get me where I want to be.
I think after I get the power tubes checked out, if I'm still not happy with the sound I'm getting I'll switch them all to 12ax7's. Somewhat higher gain is what I'm after anyway. I don't have a second input, but I can always roll back the volume and/or switch to the neck pickup if I need less.
sounds like a plan. you may want to budget for the possibility that you'll need to swap preamp tubes at the same time as power tubes. then if you don't need to, it's no big deal.
If you ever own a Hot Rod Deluxe you might change your mind. The drive channel on those things are unusable with a 12ax7 in V1 and V2. Through in a 12au7 in there and you can actually use it. It still isn't the best drive, but it doesn't make you vomit when you hit the channel select button.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...?bandID=550959
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...?bandID=463945
i did own a blues deluxe and the drive channel was awful. but that's why they make pedals.
IMO, you should pick ups some preamp tubes first. Preamp tube are cheap, and there's no biasing (but I doubt that the V33 has adjustable bias on the power tubes either, unless you swap out some cathode resistors).
Replacing 12au7s with 12ax7s will give you a pretty large gain boost.
Check this out. 12au7s have a gain factor of 19. 12ax7 have a gain factor of 100.
http://thetubestore.com/gainfactor.html
What that comes down to in the real world is anybody's guess, but I'm betting you'll get a ton more gain by putting 12ax7s back in the amp.
And preamp tubes only cost $10 or so each and are a simple plug and play mod.
I have about 8 hours of stage volume coming up this weekend.
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Nice.
Mixed Nuts has been on a tear lately.
Thursday, June 9: Acoustic 1 hour covers set at baseball park opening for 80s tribute band
Friday, June 10: Full electric 4 set covers gig at Blvd. Tavern
Saturday, June 11: Full electric 4 set covers gig at Blvd. Tavern
Thursday, June 16: Acoustic 2 acoustic covers sets at Power Alley Grill at baseball park
Next scheduled gig is an outdoor electric gig in Marlinton, WV on July 6.
I do stage volume at home quite a bit.
great fun
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