Playing the "amp"

[some_dude]

Re: Playing the "amp"

Well, it's a Monty Allums Opto Mod CS-3 now. And I really don't think the model affects my opinion much. I've had the same reaction to any compressor I've ever tried - both versions of the CS-3, a CS-2, Dyna Comp, Ibanez... I just can't deal with the way they get in the way of transferring my picking dynamics and guitar-volume-twiddling to the amp. Several of my heroes get great results from compressors, but not me.

Cool.

I've of generally the same opinion. The only time I really like them is when playing certain things were an even attack is more important than a dynamic one.... which is kinda the whole point of them.

 

[doveman]

Re: Playing the "amp"

I struggled with amps for years and was definitely helped by the arrival of the master volume too. But struggle ended slowly with the original Mesa/Boogie back in '78. It took a few months for me to transition from Marshalls to the Mesa as they are very different amps.

But I tweaked between every song when I was playing Marshalls, Ampegs, Music Man, and even the Fenders. Drove me nuts.

I ended up coming to grips that there were just a couple of settings on the Boogie and very few tweaks necessary ... I was only using one guitar for an incredibly long period of time. I got to where I could go into any room ... and I'd get what I wanted out of the rig ... what a feeling.

Since then I've got 5 electric guitars now ... so there's slight differences between the two single coil guitars ... two humbucker guitars ... and now this new P90 guitar. But it's like a half a click higher on both V1 and V2 for single coils lower output ... I used to change the mid-range but even that's become rare on these very different guitars. Except for the master volume, I almost never touch any other knobs. I tweak the presence 1 click depending on if the strings are new or not.

When it's all said and done ... it's mainly volume and tone knobs on the guitar and the attack of either the pick or fingers ... the amp tweaking is still fairly minimal.

I think amps have gotten way too complicated. Or maybe ... I'm just incapable of seeing the need. The bottom line is that I'm getting what I want out the rig and I'm rarely walking to the amp. That's the life!

 

[Aceman]

Re: Playing the "amp"

In my old age, I've found that I really have come to understand the interplay of gain & volume, and the role of the mid knob. Just using those, and a splash of verb I find I can craft tone extensively, or dial in my old familiar usual tone.

Sure the effects are nice etc...but I find I rarely using them except for playing cheesey 80's metal!

Also, the amount of gain I use has dropped significantly, and I really feel I get the character of the guitar and pups out more - not the other way around, using pups and guitar to get more from the amp.

 

[doveman]

Re: Playing the "amp"

I'm sitting here watching the Derek Trucks DVD Songlines ... that's just to me what tone is all about. An SG ... a Fender amp. Not even a tuner ... just a cord ... it's simple ... it's perfect.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Playing the "amp"

Yup. :beerchug:

I'm mostly bringing it up just to point out that different people can 'play the amp' in far different ways.... preferably before this becomes a 'small amps rule everything because you can dime them' thread. Mostly because I went down that road already (25w Rivera, 15w Mesa, two different 30w Oranges) and found it to be lacking.

Yeah, I think 'small amps rule everything because you can dime them' is taking things a bit too far. I believe that output stage overdrive is more dynamic and "playable" than what you get from high-gain preamps. At the volumes I play, the only ways to get output stage overdrive are a small amp and/or an attenuator. If getting your tone requires a bigger amp, then a small amp isn't going to work - it will run out of headroom trying to get sufficient volume, taking away the dynamic feel that we're talking about.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Playing the "amp"

:saeek:

I still tryin' ta figger out da GEETAR and ya want me ta play da AMP?

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Playing the "amp"

I'm sooooooooo into wiring of guitars and want to get into building them. But once I have those down I plan on tackling building tube amps!! I think everything adds up, but woods, pups and amps are the biggest factors IMO. Amps can really shape your sound, especially when you turn those circular things on the front, you know, them knobby things!!

 

[BGtelecaster]

Re: Playing the "amp"

IM glad I found this out at a young age. I Love amps with One Volume and One Tone. I find it very easy to dial in great tone

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: Playing the "amp"

You know when you are a true electric guitarist ??? when you sit down infront of the amp with out a guitar, focus on the input jack and make Eruption bust out of the cab ....

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: Playing the "amp"

bigalthethird: I used to have a falcon...cool amps for sure. In fact I have owned several smallish gibson amps, a few Silvertones a Premier or 2...all very cool amps. One of the best amps I even owned was a Gibson in fact...my Mission amps Super is my main baby these days but sopme of those older Gibson amps really are great amps!

I can't believe so many people have tried this and I'm just beginning down the vintage Gibson trail!

I guess I'm still just a padawan. o

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Playing the "amp"

Well, I find there's more variation in amps than guitars, as far as understanding their nuances goes. I like to keep things simple, and I find the simpler the amp, the more dynamic and open the tone is. That, to me, is more of an issue than wattage, though there is something quite special about having a 100 watter idling under your hands.

Screaming, I very much understand where you're coming from, but I'd suggest that you probably haven't tried the right low-wattage amps. All the designs you mention are pretty complex, modern amps with bunches of extra circuitry and doodadery that you could easily improve the tone and response of the amp by removing. Look for something simple and well made and you may be surprised...

 

[mad dog]

Re: Playing the "amp"

This is a great thread. So many players obsess about guitars, only to become frustrated later when they can't consistently get the tones they heard/once got/expect to get. Without paying at least equal attention to the amp, it's hit or miss.

I used to play amps at lower volume, guitar volume and tone wide open. Sometimes it worked. Not often. Started playing tweeds, old Gibsons, Magnatones, ampegs, and realized how unique some of these amp personalities are. Started jumpering inputs, experimenting with combining different channel EQs (as you can do on many magnatones). Started pushing amps, to see what they could do and where the sweet spots are. Now I generally run amp volume much louder, controlling volume at the guitar and liberally using the tone knob.

Amps are fascinating. Aside from learning how to use an amp per se, I love figuring out how certain amps favor certain guitars and/or styles. It's a work in progress, but seems to be paying off. Where I used to rarely sound good live, it's becoming I rarely sound bad live. (Speaking tone only here.)

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Playing the "amp"

Knowing the amp is one of those things that I have found only happens after a really solid length of time for me.

I believe it can happen with any amp....the issue primarily is playing it enough to know sonically what it's going to do in as many situations.

For me it took the better part of a year playing one amp twice a week for a few hours in rehearsals and gigs twice a month to get to that point.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Playing the "amp"

Screaming, I very much understand where you're coming from, but I'd suggest that you probably haven't tried the right low-wattage amps. All the designs you mention are pretty complex, modern amps with bunches of extra circuitry and doodadery that you could easily improve the tone and response of the amp by removing. Look for something simple and well made and you may be surprised...

The problem wasn't lack of tone or response.... the problem was lack of headroom. I fail to see how less knobs on a low wattage amp will solve this issue.

 

[Mephis]

Re: Playing the "amp"

This is something that I have never gotten out of big high powered amps

Turn down the gain and turn the amp UP, if it requires it, up to 10+.

It's just more noticable with a smaller amp because your ears can keep up with it. Then again I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.

Even with my 6505+ and all the gain and volume it has, I can still go to a semi-clean tone to rip your head off by pick attack. You'd need a solo boost for my style if you wanted to stick with that level of gain though. Also highly depends on the pickups.

I don't switch channels while playing, I look at the channels as different flavors instead of a bottled clean and distorted tone.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Playing the "amp"

I've been using the same amp since 93. I have a good idea of what it does, what it can do and how to get it to do what I need it to do.

I don't think you can teach someone about that, it's stuff you can give advice to- but discovering tone is so subjective- you have to play with it and figure it out yourself.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Playing the "amp"

To continue my negative impression from yesterday of the effects I've always dreamed of playing (the Vibe pedal - tried 3 and didn't like them) - I'm not much of an effects guy although I like the tone of effects in the hands of other player.
So far I mostly used my wah... I've owned a few distortion/overdrive effects tried many of them in stores, I have a Zoom multi effect and tried a few others - I just don't get along well with effects.
I do want to add some modulation to my tone - to make it more interesting and to use it in songs where I feel it is a must, but besides that - I love the guitar into an amp option - and I don't use too much distortion either...

 

[some_dude]

Re: Playing the "amp"

To continue my negative impression from yesterday of the effects I've always dreamed of playing (the Vibe pedal - tried 3 and didn't like them) - I'm not much of an effects guy although I like the tone of effects in the hands of other player.

If you still have one try setting it for a moderately slow, yet extremely subtle vibe. Something so subtle you can barely tell is on, but after it's been on for a minute or so you can defiantly tell that something is missing when you turn it off. As someone who's primarily a rhythm player I don't really go for extreme throbs and I don't usually like pedals that interfere with my 'connection' to the amp, but a vibe on a very subtle setting is a beautiful addition that doesn't get in the way.

So far I mostly used my wah... I've owned a few distortion/overdrive effects tried many of them in stores, I have a Zoom multi effect and tried a few others - I just don't get along well with effects.

Same here, except I don't always get along with my wah.

I do want to add some modulation to my tone - to make it more interesting and to use it in songs where I feel it is a must, but besides that - I love the guitar into an amp option - and I don't use too much distortion either...

Try the vibe setup like I suggested. Another cool one is a plain old Phase 90... the normal ones suck a bit of tone, but the Script reissues have a better bypass that doesn't suck tone. On slow settings it adds a swirl to your tone that's more noticeable on chords than on single notes, and you can crank the knob up for quasi-UniVibe/rotary speaker type effects.

 

[bigheadood]

Re: Playing the "amp"

Ok, so this works with Vintage tube amps.---Gotcha
This works with high gain metal monster amps.---My favorite

I submit that this works just as well with PODs and other modelers,
Provided, that the player quit fiddling with all the bells and whistles and
other crap and just play.

No, it's not as good as a 'real' amp, but the concept still applies.
Know your equipment.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Playing the "amp"

If you still have one try setting it for a moderately slow, yet extremely subtle vibe. Something so subtle you can barely tell is on, but after it's been on for a minute or so you can defiantly tell that something is missing when you turn it off. As someone who's primarily a rhythm player I don't really go for extreme throbs and I don't usually like pedals that interfere with my 'connection' to the amp, but a vibe on a very subtle setting is a beautiful addition that doesn't get in the way.

Same here, except I don't always get along with my wah.

Try the vibe setup like I suggested. Another cool one is a plain old Phase 90... the normal ones suck a bit of tone, but the Script reissues have a better bypass that doesn't suck tone. On slow settings it adds a swirl to your tone that's more noticeable on chords than on single notes, and you can crank the knob up for quasi-UniVibe/rotary speaker type effects.

I play most of the leads in my band so I do need some extreme tones... I thought that 400$ for an effect that is hardly there was a little too much...
The Phase 90 is the next thing I'm going to try - thanks for the tips!