American v. British sounds

[misterwhizzy]

Let's talk about this for a minute.

It seems that most gearheads say, "This has more of an American sound," or "This is a vintage Brit tone." Using as few vague tone words as possible, what does this mean to you?

I guess I hear the American sound as a little bit more open and well defined. I guess it's clearer all through, but less crunchy and without as much of a defined bloom. I think the immediate attack of the notes is more prominent in American-flavored amps as well. I tend to think of the frequency response as having more lower mids and tight bass than British-flavored amps as well.

I hear British as thick, and compressing quite a bit in the upper mids. I think there may be overall less clarity on each note because there seems to be more hair, especially on single note passages. Maybe this is just typical of Marshall, but after all, Marshall does define the British tone, doesn't it?

And that's just getting into amplifiers. What about speakers? What defines Brit or American there? (Besides the Eminence models colored red or black. That's just cheating.)

Any thoughts?

Feel free to post clips or YouTube videos, but tell me exactly what I'm listening for in them and at what time signature, if you don't mind. Pretty please.

[some_dude]

Re: American v. British sounds

When I think "British", I think Marshall or Vox, depending on the context.

When I think "American", I think Fender cleans or Mesa high gain, depending on the context.



If you want it simplified, when I think British I think mids and when I think American I think scooped.... although that's a bit of an over simplification.

[Gr8Scott]

Re: American v. British sounds

when i think "british", i think marshall or vox, depending on the context.

When i think "american", i think fender cleans or mesa high gain, depending on the context.



If you want it simplified, when i think british i think mids and when i think american i think scooped.... Although that's a bit of an over simplification.

+1

[Kam]

Re: American v. British sounds

When I think "British", I think Marshall or Vox, depending on the context.

When I think "American", I think Fender cleans or Mesa high gain, depending on the context.



If you want it simplified, when I think British I think mids and when I think American I think scooped.... although that's a bit of an over simplification.

Yeah, that's pretty much how I think of it. When I think of American I think of either Fender sparkle (something I've never really heard in a british amp, bearing in mind that I couldn't pick a Vox out of a line-up) or the Mesa Chugga-chugga. When I think of British amps I think of the classic Marshall or modern Orange or modded Marshall roar.

American amps, from what I know of them, seem to have a tighter, crisper, more rigid sound. British amps seem to have a looser, sort of out of control sound, that's almost literally a roar. Just massive and throaty and angry.

I dunno. That's just my opinion and my experience with such things is minimal compared to most of you so make of it what you will.

[FuseG4]

Re: American v. British sounds

american for me= smooth mids, crisp bass.
british= warm mids and bass, and the mids are sometimes kind of honky.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: American v. British sounds

When I think "British", I think Marshall or Vox, depending on the context.

When I think "American", I think Fender cleans or Mesa high gain, depending on the context.



If you want it simplified, when I think British I think mids and when I think American I think scooped.... although that's a bit of an over simplification.

+1,000,000.

You nailed it!

That's exactly the way I think of it. FWIW, I don't think you've really over simplified anything. Sure, there are a few exceptions in Mesa and Fenders lineup (aka the Super Sonics or Stilettos), but traditionally, yes, it really is as simple as Fender and Mesa typically being mid scooped and Marshall, Orange and Vox as being mid heavy.

[Lazarus1140]

Re: American v. British sounds

When I think "American" I naturally think Harley Davidson.

When I think "British" I think Triumph. Yeah, there are Royal Enfields and the old BSAs, but mainly I think Triumph.

[drpietrzak]

Re: American v. British sounds

I think most others refer to them as described. When I think US I think Tweeds. So my US and British (Marshall) are not so far off. As such I usually go

Tweed
Blackface/Silgerface
Early (lower gain) Marshall
Higher Gain Marshall
Vox
Mesa High Gain

[guitfiddle]

Re: American v. British sounds

I don't think of American sounds as scooped...the older Ampeg/Supro/Valco/Fender tweed/Silvertone/youname it was way more mid present than a BF Fender.

Thinking of the BF Fender sound as THE American amp tone means you might not have tried many great American amps.

[richard parker]

Re: American v. British sounds

When I think American I think of ringing Fender cleans and saturated Boogie high gain. When I think British I think of the sound in between those two extremes - the crunch of wound up old Marshalls and Voxes.

[glassman]

Re: American v. British sounds

Back in the pre-internet days...when I started repairing and modding guitar amps, the distinction between an American sound and a British sound was more distict. The American sound was characterized as big, round bass, barky mids and shimmering highs. The British sound was characterized by growling bass, agressive mids and crisp highs. Funny thing is, I had a lot of guys wanting me to add a British voice to thier Fenders but not one person ever asked me to add an American flavor to thier Marshall...ever. Also, the guys that had Silvertones, Ampegs, etc seemed to like them just as they were...right in the area between what was then regarded as American and British.

That trend seemed to be universal and now it seems that many "American" amps have gravitated toward what was traditionally acknowledged as a more British voice.

Today, I think the whole American vs British thing has gotten downright confusing.

[misterwhizzy]

Re: American v. British sounds

Today, I think the whole American vs British thing has gotten downright confusing.

Exactly! That's why I posted the thread.

Does early or late speaker breakup have anything to do with it? And what do you get when you pair American-flavored speakers with a Marshall?

[drew_half_empty]

Re: American v. British sounds

Exactly! That's why I posted the thread.

Does early or late speaker breakup have anything to do with it? And what do you get when you pair American-flavored speakers with a Marshall?

Not sure, but I love g12h30's in fenders


I don't think speaker breakup has much to do with it, greenbacks were probably the first brit speaker and they're only 25 watts.

I think of the difference more in EQ, probably just as much on the actual EQ section of the amp as how it sounds. To me american EQ seems to be more drastic--your lows are deep, your treble is definitely trebly, and your mids, well, they're kind of almost like a "dry" signal for your guitar--turning them up seems to make the sound more normal guitarish (to a point) and bringing them down seems to let the amp's EQ do more work.

Conversely brit amps seem to be more... well they're just mids, but not in the same way, they're each their own flavor of mids. The EQ section on these amps doesn't seem to do as much; it's more about fine tuning your midrange.


I don't think it's a difference in tubes either. Deluxe reverbs use power tubes that I think sound pretty close to EL34's but it's still a very american sounding amp.

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: American v. British sounds

I don't care...as long as the dratted thing works and sounds useable....
Then it could be Maltese sounding for all I care

[Uk Ant]

Re: American v. British sounds

When I think "American" I naturally think Harley Davidson.

When I think "British" I think Triumph. Yeah, there are Royal Enfields and the old BSAs, but mainly I think Triumph.

Hey you missed norton, man they made some great bikes back in the day