ErikH
Well-known member
I had to stop by GC last evening to pick up a box and while looking around, noticed they have a Vintage Modern full stack in, 100 watts. SWEET! Now, what guitar to play through it? Checked out some of the Strats and immediately picked up a SRV model when I saw it. It's got Texas Specials in it so what the heck. Closest I'll get to any of my guitars anyway.
Ok, so, the amp. Where do I start....it's purple..lol (pretty cool actually), has a neat power indicator (purple), and is so simply laid out it's crazy. There's a High/Low switch on the front (dynamic levels) and a Mid Boost (real nice). The Body control does what it says, fills it out with the lows and low/mids. The Detail control does what it says, upper mids and treble frequencies. They REALLY do work together. The tip in the handbook to set the EQ knobs to noon and tweak from there is no joke. That was the first thing I did before powering it up. It took some fiddling but I was able to get some really sweet tones in both the High and Low modes. Everything from James Gang to Maiden was within reach. The reverb is nice. There's more available than past reverb-loaded Marshalls to my ears, about 3-4 on the dial is where I set it. Just enough to get the effect.
Now, I've heard some say it's bright. Well, DUH!, old Marshalls are bright by nature. That's the "VINTAGE" part of it..lol. The "Modern" part is definitely modern, that being the new technology implored in to the amp with the High/Low dynamics switch and the Body and Detail controls. Too much "body" made it flub a little but that could've been the guitar too, dunno, I didn't play a humbucker equipped guitar to find out. Had to leave before getting my ass in trouble..lol.
Overall, it's everything I expected it to be. I knew what not to expect going in just reading about it, and knowing Marshalls. If someone goes in thinking they're going to sound like the new mega-heavy-ultra-uber-distortion-crunch-from-hell band, they'll be disappointed. This amp is for pure rockers, raw and rude. In addition, you HAVE to use the guitar volume with it to get all the dynamics. It practically forces you to do so.
I REALLY like it. Gimme a 50 watter and I'll be happy.
)
EDIT: Almost forgot, it doesn't help my amp GAS any.
Ok, so, the amp. Where do I start....it's purple..lol (pretty cool actually), has a neat power indicator (purple), and is so simply laid out it's crazy. There's a High/Low switch on the front (dynamic levels) and a Mid Boost (real nice). The Body control does what it says, fills it out with the lows and low/mids. The Detail control does what it says, upper mids and treble frequencies. They REALLY do work together. The tip in the handbook to set the EQ knobs to noon and tweak from there is no joke. That was the first thing I did before powering it up. It took some fiddling but I was able to get some really sweet tones in both the High and Low modes. Everything from James Gang to Maiden was within reach. The reverb is nice. There's more available than past reverb-loaded Marshalls to my ears, about 3-4 on the dial is where I set it. Just enough to get the effect.
Now, I've heard some say it's bright. Well, DUH!, old Marshalls are bright by nature. That's the "VINTAGE" part of it..lol. The "Modern" part is definitely modern, that being the new technology implored in to the amp with the High/Low dynamics switch and the Body and Detail controls. Too much "body" made it flub a little but that could've been the guitar too, dunno, I didn't play a humbucker equipped guitar to find out. Had to leave before getting my ass in trouble..lol.
Overall, it's everything I expected it to be. I knew what not to expect going in just reading about it, and knowing Marshalls. If someone goes in thinking they're going to sound like the new mega-heavy-ultra-uber-distortion-crunch-from-hell band, they'll be disappointed. This amp is for pure rockers, raw and rude. In addition, you HAVE to use the guitar volume with it to get all the dynamics. It practically forces you to do so.
I REALLY like it. Gimme a 50 watter and I'll be happy.
)EDIT: Almost forgot, it doesn't help my amp GAS any.
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