Dial that sucker in

[Wattage]

https://tonesmiths.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/the-secret-to-quickly-dial-in-a-tube-amplifier/

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Dial that sucker in

There's a lot to be said about listening to where you hear the frequencies start to "pop" on any given band.

[Securb]

Re: Dial that sucker in

That is cool and I am glad it works for him but my amp's sweet spot might not be mine. I tend to play on the bassy side. Interesting concept but I am not going to find my tone without my guitar.

[treyhaislip]

Re: Dial that sucker in

Very interesting article! I will have to try it when I get home–shifting my pedal board again so I am going to redo my amp settings anyway.

Thanks for sharing!

[jeremy]

Re: Dial that sucker in

interesting, never tried it thats for sure

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Dial that sucker in

It's extremely vague, I must say. The author never explains what this 'threshold' is, what causes it, how you can tell when you have actually reached it, and provides zero audio examples. It also does not state how big a role your loudspeaker choice has in this equation and whether you are supposed to do this for each of your cabs.

My THEORY is that by 'threshold', he is referring to the zero crosspoint on each EQ band as it shifts from attenuation to boosting, but that does not make sense if you have passive EQ. Or is it related to capacitive restistance on that EQ band?

The author's advice to run your MV wide open is impractical for many reasons. It also does not take into account that very low (single digit) wattage amps can go into power valve distortion when the master volume runs out of headroom. Many times this is dictated in part by the guitar you are using ... so not having your guitar plugged in whilst doing this procedure seems counter productive.

Finally, the most important part of the equation -- the room -- is completely left out, and yet your room has just as much influence on your tone as anything else. And when you move your amp to another room, it will sound different. So, this Tonal Utopia lasts only as long as the amp never moves from the precise location it was dialed in at, and that room's response does not change (ie, best not close the shades afterwards!).

[Demanic]

Re: Dial that sucker in

+1 to this. I am trying to learn how to use my ears when setting the dials. Though that is part of the technique described in the OP, I find it easier to do with an instrument plugged in.

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[Wattage]

Re: Dial that sucker in

I am more than sure that "salt to taste" is involved in the fine tuning.

I've tried in on 2 amps and I will say I was able to dial them in very quickly using these tips as a starting point.

[DankStar]

Re: Dial that sucker in

jolly method - everything on 7

[Wattage]

Re: Dial that sucker in

Everything on "7" is actually the Joe Perry method, though Jolly rocks so all good, I've used that too. Fender based stuff that works really most of the time if it is setup well.

You know it's all just another tool in the tool bag, that is all. Another way to learn the gear you're using whether it is yours or someone else's.

I have had to play any number of gigs over the years using a house backline, sometimes with very little time to get a sound. I have come up with a few tricks to get around it but why not add another one to the list?

Rarely in all my years of playing have I struggled to get a decent amp sounding good by whatever means. I can't ever remember dealing in hard data though I wouldn't be opposed to it if I had some meaningful way to interpret it.

Definitives and hard fast rules are pretty tough to come by with such a subjective thing as "your" tone no doubt, this was not meant to be definitive just some reasonably knowledgeable advice and another angle to try.

TIFWIW

[JOLLY]

Re: Dial that sucker in

jolly method - everything on 7

Yeah, I took that from the Joe Perry school of rock. It's just a starting point really, but most of the time everything sounds good there, so I leave it.

[johnthomas]

Re: Dial that sucker in

Dial that sucker in?
I went ahead and tried his method. My end results were that 5 out of 6 knobs ended where I had them before I began. The sixth was the treble knob which was 2 numbers less than it started. I do not hear any perceptible tone difference or note blooming difference. So, maybe it is useful technique if you are not already able to decide when something sounds good.
One thing I would like to mention. The midrange ended up on 3.5 out of 12 which is where I already had it. I suspect that many here prefer unnecessary mid boost, so if you look at your amp and see the mids set at 7 maybe you should try the "nothing plugged in" technique to see if it helps your tone. From personal experience I know that Marshalls are very midrange oriented and generally prefer more mid boost than Fenders, so, take all advice with many grains of salt.

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[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Dial that sucker in

My problem with this is that he does not account for high output pickups. My EMG/ DD equipped guitars will overdrive the amp much quicker at the same levels than a vintage Strat will.

I think I'll stick to diming the mids and rolling back on the treble and bass.

[JeffB]

Re: Dial that sucker in

I think on a historically "hard to dial in" amp, like your typical MESA or RIVERA where there are copious amounts of knob fiddling to get something worked out, I could see this maybe being something to consider.

For a typical Marshall/Fender, etc..which are pretty easy to dial in to find a tone, it's probably a fun exercise, but not sure I would bother.?