Tube Amp or Digital Amp for Brown Sound?

D

DotNetTim

New member
Hi Folks.. Lately I've had this terrible hankering to try to get the Brown sound after listening to Eruption. I realize that EVH used hot amps, with voltage boosters, and effects, etc.. But I'm wondering what amp one can get that will at least get me close. I think I have the licks per sey if I just had the equipment. I also want to use a Digital processor even though I like tube amps better, but I'm getting too old to carry them around. I want something like the POD XT floor unit is what I am thinking that I can record with and play live with thru the house PA.. I just jam with a couple bands now, but I'm moving to Indianapolis and want to start a three piece band.. Mostly blues (Think Blue Jean Blues), but I'll also do stuff like Ted Nugent, Lynard Skynard, Ozzy, Racer X, Paul Gilvert, etc, etc.. etc.. VH of course.. Ok.. What digital amp would you recommend that has most if not everything I need.? I need something that of course has XLR outputs to go to the board or mixer.. Also, I need something that has enough patches to do anywhere from 30 to say 60 songs.. Enough effects to cover most things.. as I want to be versatile so I only have to play a couple guitars.. I will be playing probably a new Godin Strat style guitar, and a Jackson Reverse Headstock String thru the body guitar with probably a Duncan 59 in the bridge and neck or Distortion in the Bridge and maybe a PG in the neck.. The other guitar will be a LP STudio type guitar.. with probably two 59's.. or again a 59 and PG.. I might try the lower output Rio Grande Pickup on the Gibson.. Any help would be highly appreciated..
Tim
 
Re: Tube Amp or Digital Amp for Brown Sound?

I'm hearing good things about the Vox Tonelab or the AD60 (I think that's what it's called).


OR...you could spring for a Splawn Quick Rod & kick it completely in the nads!!! :burnout:
 
Re: Tube Amp or Digital Amp for Brown Sound?

That sound on the First VH album is extremely nice and a little hard to copy..... I know many many people believe that the voltage needs to be adjusted like Ed did to get that sound but i would never mess around with something that could damage my amps... A vintage Reissue 1959x JCM head with a Vintage Reissue Cab with Greenbacks turned up extremely loud would be darn close to the tone ED had... On the album there is lots of reverb and delay effects added and Ed used a Phaser and Flanger plus a Tape Delay so you need to add that stuff somehow as well. The Tube stack is too loud, too heavy, and starting to be a thing of the past.... less and less pro touring bands are having huge stacks. In fact there is a bunch of them going direct with Palmers and the cabs are just for show.......

To do it Digitally i would think you could get close with a POD type product as far as sound goes , but the feel is never the same. I like PODS thru Keyboard amps..... They seem to be able to go louder then the line 6 amps. With any digital simulator you'll need to sit down and adjust the sounds... Don't go by what the amp model says on the unit go by your ears. If say a Boogie patch is getting you closer to Ed's tone start with that patch and see if you can adjust it to get that sound.

WhoFan
 
Re: Tube Amp or Digital Amp for Brown Sound?

Thanks so much guys.. I'll check out the links. By the way, I did try the Vox digital processing amp and it rocked, and I'm a tube guy thru and thru since I grew up playing in the late 70's and all the way thru the 80's.. So it's hard to impress me, but this thing rocked.. Now, I played it side by side against a Marshall 40 watt tube amp, and it still was only about 8)% at the most as far as sound goes being good tube sound as the marshall, but if one hadn't done the side by side, you'd be hard pressed to tell..
Tim
 
Re: Tube Amp or Digital Amp for Brown Sound?

what is a splawn quick rod? I take it that it's some sort of amp or ?
Tim

PUCKBOY99 said:
I'm hearing good things about the Vox Tonelab or the AD60 (I think that's what it's called).


OR...you could spring for a Splawn Quick Rod & kick it completely in the nads!!! :burnout:
Click to expand...
 
Re: Tube Amp or Digital Amp for Brown Sound?

I had thought about that amp before, as well as the Peavey Tube amp.. classic model which I once had and liked, but it didn't have enough gain without a pedal.. I also thought of a Traynor which I hear really good things about.. What about the Peavey 5150 combo? Since it's really ed's amp, won't it do the early EVH stuff?
Tim


PUCKBOY99 said:
I'm hearing good things about the Vox Tonelab or the AD60 (I think that's what it's called).


OR...you could spring for a Splawn Quick Rod & kick it completely in the nads!!! :burnout:
Click to expand...
 
Re: Tube Amp or Digital Amp for Brown Sound?

My opinion is that the Marshall tones in most modeling amps just don't cut it.

If I were you, I'd look into the new Traynor combo with EL-34's. I haven't tried it yet, but for bang for buck, and quality gain tones at useable volumes, I'd check the Traynor first.
 
Re: Tube Amp or Digital Amp for Brown Sound?

Gearjoneser said:
My opinion is that the Marshall tones in most modeling amps just don't cut it.

If I were you, I'd look into the new Traynor combo with EL-34's. I haven't tried it yet, but for bang for buck, and quality gain tones at useable volumes, I'd check the Traynor first.
Click to expand...


I was just playing my new EL34 based Traynor that our friend GJ is speaking of and it definitely gets you in that Marshall territory. Especially with the master volume dimed to get the power tubes 'cookin' and using the channel volume as a 'variac' adjusting the loudness, you can really get into that territory.

You know how VH has that great distorted tone but still has the clarity of the notes, that's what you get with the master volume cranked power tube distortion from this amp. I'm lovin' this thing.

This is the one we're speaking of:
http://www.musiciansbuy.com/Traynor...r_Amplifier_with_Free_Cover_YCV50BLUEKIT.html
 
Re: Tube Amp or Digital Amp for Brown Sound?

DotNetTim said:
I had thought about that amp before, as well as the Peavey Tube amp.. classic model which I once had and liked, but it didn't have enough gain without a pedal.. I also thought of a Traynor which I hear really good things about.. What about the Peavey 5150 combo? Since it's really ed's amp, won't it do the early EVH stuff?
Tim
Click to expand...

I own 2 Peavey Classic models and you are right.... they seem to be good for pedal's as you really have to crank the snot out of them to get higain... Funny thing with the Classic line is i think they sound great with Gibson style guitars but suck with Fender style, and i think they suck at lower volume and only come to life when set over half volume..... The Classic 50 is one of my Favourite Clean amps ever too... I even run Piezo's thru them.

I own the Original issue 5150 stack and yes some of Ed's basic tones are in that amp, but Ed's earlier sound was cleaner and brighter than i've set the 5150 for. I imagine the 5150 could be set up to sound like the early stuff....

WhoFan
 
Re: Tube Amp or Digital Amp for Brown Sound?

Tube amps so far just nail Marshall tones better than digital. It'll be interesting to see in the future if digital can get down the feel and response of a tube amp. However, tube amps were meant to be pushed. This doesn't sound like an issue because DotNetTim you mentioned that you do play out with bands, and this is really what most tube amps were meant for. Digital amps are getting much closer nowadays and I really hope they do manage to pull it off so I can play without having to push my amps as hard as I do (plus, the flexibility makes it an obvious choice for people who are going for a ton of different styles).

Want EVH? Try these out: Splawn Quick Rod, Voodoo Amps V-Plex, and really any other Marshall modification people out there like Cameron. Tone is very subjective here and there will always be a battle of who's plexi mods sound the best, but the fact is that they are all amazing and accurate. The Quick Rod seems to be getting very popular around here as it is on other forums and the master volume sounds like it works extremely well (a big plus). I'm not sure what else the QR offers (cleans? etc.), but it looks like it fits early VH to a tee.

If you want a digital amp (which seems like the direction you're leaning towards), I recommend this one: http://www.zentera.de/zen.net/main.html. Check out the clips and see if it does anything for you. It seems like the most logical choice if you want a powerful and effective modeling amp and it's loud enough to cut it for Alex Lifeson in Rush.

Good luck!
 
Re: Tube Amp or Digital Amp for Brown Sound?

On the cheap, a Tonelab will get you there. I actually don't care for the Plexi patch too much, and instead use the "US HiGain" (Soldano?), usually with the Vox AC30 cabinet patch.

Of course, a better bet would be one of the aforementioned tube amps, but the Tonelab can get you into that territory.
 
Re: Tube Amp or Digital Amp for Brown Sound?

I tried out the podxt when it first came out, and it had a frighteningly close 'eruption' patch. Now of course a tube amp like a plexi ri or Splawn would be the best way to go, and I have issues with the 'feel' of modelling processors, but for light and cheap, I'd check out the XT.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top