JeffB
Let it B
Seen here-
Welp, I finally got around to spending some real time with the Distortron as a "gain channel" on my VOX VT15.
After getting the Pearly gate set in my Starla, it made a marked difference in how the amp and pedal "meshed". Before it worked fine as a goose, but I had an impossible time dialing in the distortron as the sole method of gain using the stock PRS pickups- too bassy? not enough highs? IDK- but I wasn't happy in that respect, I could not dial in anything that sounded remotely like a Plexi- it overloaded the amp in a very weird way. The PG set totally changed that. Just something weird with the PRS pickups I guess.
Running the pedal through the '58 Bassman model set clean, I was easily able to dial in a EXTREMELY good early plexi/JTM tone. No modeller I've tried can approximate the kind of tone I was able to get today on it's own- not even on the same planet. The Zvex managed to not only let me dial in a really good basic Plexi tone, it also provides some of the feeling/dynamics of an overloaded NMV amp- like the thing is gonna explode- its got similar overtones and a "push" that you just don't feel/hear with modellers & most pedals I've tried.
This was even more apparent when I decided to use the Distorton as the sole means of gain on the JCM 2203 model. The tone and feel with the gain up about halfway was very much like a early/mid 70s "metalface" Marshall, and with the gain boost engaged , it was more " late 70s NMV" (I was reminded of JP's Unleashed in East). Again with that El34s overloaded to hell feel and overtones.
To get that kind of vibe going on at a low bedroom volume is uncanny- cos I've not experienced it before. One of the things about the Vox modellers is that if you push the Valve Reactor tube (which functions as a mini virtual tube power amp), the amp will get a farty, strident, not terribly nice overloaded type tone. So you have to be careful how you tweak the volume, master, gain, and attentuator (and each model acts pretty different)- they are all highly interactive with each other. The ZVEX somehow is causing a much more "musical" load on the amp/VR and producing more authentic tube amp overtones, and push. I've run a Plexitone as well as a Plexitube through the Vox Modellers before and neither one of them have done anything of the sort.
$150 well spent :bigthumb:
Welp, I finally got around to spending some real time with the Distortron as a "gain channel" on my VOX VT15.
After getting the Pearly gate set in my Starla, it made a marked difference in how the amp and pedal "meshed". Before it worked fine as a goose, but I had an impossible time dialing in the distortron as the sole method of gain using the stock PRS pickups- too bassy? not enough highs? IDK- but I wasn't happy in that respect, I could not dial in anything that sounded remotely like a Plexi- it overloaded the amp in a very weird way. The PG set totally changed that. Just something weird with the PRS pickups I guess.
Running the pedal through the '58 Bassman model set clean, I was easily able to dial in a EXTREMELY good early plexi/JTM tone. No modeller I've tried can approximate the kind of tone I was able to get today on it's own- not even on the same planet. The Zvex managed to not only let me dial in a really good basic Plexi tone, it also provides some of the feeling/dynamics of an overloaded NMV amp- like the thing is gonna explode- its got similar overtones and a "push" that you just don't feel/hear with modellers & most pedals I've tried.
This was even more apparent when I decided to use the Distorton as the sole means of gain on the JCM 2203 model. The tone and feel with the gain up about halfway was very much like a early/mid 70s "metalface" Marshall, and with the gain boost engaged , it was more " late 70s NMV" (I was reminded of JP's Unleashed in East). Again with that El34s overloaded to hell feel and overtones.
To get that kind of vibe going on at a low bedroom volume is uncanny- cos I've not experienced it before. One of the things about the Vox modellers is that if you push the Valve Reactor tube (which functions as a mini virtual tube power amp), the amp will get a farty, strident, not terribly nice overloaded type tone. So you have to be careful how you tweak the volume, master, gain, and attentuator (and each model acts pretty different)- they are all highly interactive with each other. The ZVEX somehow is causing a much more "musical" load on the amp/VR and producing more authentic tube amp overtones, and push. I've run a Plexitone as well as a Plexitube through the Vox Modellers before and neither one of them have done anything of the sort.
$150 well spent :bigthumb:
