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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
 Posted - 09/15/2008 : 11:56:44
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I tend to use similar kind of setup for my amps for a while. Find it helps me getting to know the amp- and what the pedals do better.
Over time I find I change my mind about what really sounds good and what not. Mind you, it is all personal and nothing is conclusive as we all have different tastses, experience and gear.
Have been using my little Marshalls now for about a year. Find that these, combined with Celestionspeakers do help to bring out the Marshall sound in pedals like the OD-1, HM-2 and PW-2. The amp and speakers will give it a finishing touch.
MInd you, my Marshalls are transitoramps. They sound fine, but do not have the body and feel of a valve amp.
Over last few weeks read a book about Valveamps, and this made me go back to my Silverface bassman.
Tried the OD-1 and HM-2, and yes it sounded fulller, but nothing better than what the transitor Marshalls give me. Good eh??!!
Wait, hang on.............when I came to the SD-2 in its crunch sound. NOw this one does have this funny trailoff point in the transitoramps, not great really. Through the Bassman it sounded like I had a new sound, and one I like a lot.
Okay too much talk really, but yep, SD-2 in crunch mode sounds much better on a valve amp. Okay I know, we all have different speakercabinets, amps ect. so really what sounds good here may not sound good for you, but let us see what pedals stick out.
I have another story about another pedal, it is that blue one, but that story has to wait until a few days.
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 09/15/2008 : 12:46:32
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Hi Visserman
It's good to hear about all your sonic experiments.
Can I ask which book on valve amps you were reading?
Regards Dr. Bob
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2008 : 11:15:00
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HI Bob,
Which book? I will let you know tomorrow.
I am experimenting all the time.
What I mentioned yesterday about the SD-2 and the trail-off point, well when I use it through other transitoramps I get a different result, sounds much better. It is all about the speaker and the amp really.
I tend to use EQ and Exhiters a lot, but at times it may be better just to use your overdrive [or dist.] on its own. |
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2008 : 17:45:11
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Bob the book is called: "The Guitar Amp Handbook" it is by Dave Hunter and published by Backbeat Books, 2005.
Do you know it? It is quite general really, but there is also a chapter about building your own amp, which may be something more up your street |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2008 : 17:56:51
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Hi visserman
I believe I have a PDF version of it on my workstation somewhere?
I'll go look ..... ..... ..... .....
I just checked, I have:
The Electric Guitar Amplifier Handbook - Jack Darr in PDF
Is the one you have available as a PDF somewhere, that you might know of?
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2008 : 18:35:49
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| I am not sure Bob. Just found snippets of the book in pdf form, just tasters really, but the whole book in pdf form? |
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Dirk
Platinum Member
Netherlands
1309 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2008 : 15:35:17
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Coming slightly back to this subject, I noticed my HM-2 sounds a lot better used in front of clean sounding JCM 800 tube amp than in front of the clean channel of my Valvestate transistor amp.
Actually, that sounded like shit, even the Valvestate's crunch channel sounds better.
But in front of a clean tube amp it sound pretty darn good.
Also overdrives like the SD-1 and the TS-9 don't sound very good through a transistor amp.
So what's the difference?
The different response of a tube in contrast to a transistor or is it just my spoiled ears? 
I had always thought that most distortion pedals were designed to sound good on a (transistor) practice amp, cause that's were most people would use 'em cause they can't crank up a full stack in their bedroom without pissing off the neighbours and such.
Boss and other manufacturers definetely filled a blank there, but why after some 30+ years of transistor knowledge won't they still sound as nearly as good a tube amp? |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2008 : 17:45:22
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Hi everyone
I honestly believe that if your using effects that they sound the best going through a clean valve amp like visser's silverface bassman or the clean channel on dirks marshall.. i use the marshall superbass mostly on a clean setting with the greenbacks i really like it and i use the Twin Tube overdrive as my crunch and lead channels,or if i ever get around to ordering the parts for my Musicman that is another amp i find excellent for people like me who use a good sized pedalboard...Carl Martin brought a out a 2x12 single channel clean sounding combo specifically because thay also believe that effects sound best through a an amp like this as well.........
P.S....i should point out that i use all my pedals including the mod and delays in the front end and not through a loop as my amps are single channel for all intense purposes(70's vintage)...if you have a loop and channel switching and don't mind the extra cables and hassle of setting it up there is other possibilities open to you...one of the ways the likes of larry carlton,eric johnson etc are doing it is to mic the amp and run it through a small mixer into a couple of powered speakers and blend in the reverbs,echoes,chorus etc....in the aux sends on the mixer i really like this as it also lets you use the spare channels on the mixer for a mandolin or acoustic guitar with some nice stereo effects blended in..eventully i'm aiming to go this route with a half pedals/half rack format.... |
Edited by - FRANZONI on 11/01/2008 17:59:00 |
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2008 : 13:37:16
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quote:
Originally posted by Dirk
Coming slightly back to this subject, I noticed my HM-2 sounds a lot better used in front of clean sounding JCM 800 tube amp than in front of the clean channel of my Valvestate transistor amp.
Actually, that sounded like shit, even the Valvestate's crunch channel sounds better.
But in front of a clean tube amp it sound pretty darn good.
Also overdrives like the SD-1 and the TS-9 don't sound very good through a transistor amp.
So what's the difference?
The different response of a tube in contrast to a transistor or is it just my spoiled ears?
I had always thought that most distortion pedals were designed to sound good on a (transistor) practice amp, cause that's were most people would use 'em cause they can't crank up a full stack in their bedroom without pissing off the neighbours and such.
Boss and other manufacturers definetely filled a blank there, but why after some 30+ years of transistor knowledge won't they still sound as nearly as good a tube amp?
Dirk, this is an ongoing issue and cannot really be resolved as such as it is all about personal tastes and opinions
I think if you play a lot of valve amps you may prefer the sound of them full stop.
I still think trans. amps do sound fine as well, and using any dist. or od pedal infront of them does do the job of mimicking valve amp. But yep, compared to the real thing you will always notice a difference. Same really as with any model amp.
When using dirt pedals, I would say you get better results if you are using a clean sound, unless you go for more gain and other special sounds, then a dirt-on-dirt may get some interesting results.
When you play in a band context you also get differerent results. Remember my posts about the BD-2? Well in band context I really think this one sounds great regardless of whatever amp [and setting] you use. |
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Dirk
Platinum Member
Netherlands
1309 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2008 : 17:32:07
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quote:
Originally posted by visserman
When you play in a band context you also get differerent results.
You're definetely spot on about that one, something I noticed very often in the past.
At home all sounds great, but when you get to a rehearsal or live stage, you crank up the volume and the tone changes.
Not to mention tone that gets eaten by other instruments, in my case (bassguitar) loud guitars with too much low end, and loud cymbals.
I never played guitar live (just bedroom for now), but I can imagine it to be just the same.
In the end it comes down to finding the right gear that'll sound the same anywhere, or will adapt easily to different acoustics without too many knobtwiddling. Some amps will just never sound good no matter how much knobs you twist and turn.
Usually, the lesser knobs and the simpler the layout, the better.
Also, in some reverby sounding venues your will never find a good sound. Then you just have to play and hope the audience likes your music.  |
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zentropa
Gold Member
USA
837 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2008 : 19:22:46
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i must have missed this thread in my MIA time a bit.
quote:
The different response of a tube in contrast to a transistor or is it just my spoiled ears?
i wrote a few threads on this, including my pedal wars one.
i definitely agree that some pedals just don't kick well into a solid state amp... usually bordering upon harsh and cheese-gratery on the high end without any nuttage on the lows and a buzzy type gain.
certain pedals do well into tube amps with solid state rectifiers but struggle to find their niche into tube rectifier amps.
others... really need a tube rectifier amp to really shine.
lots of times i find it's the gain potential with the clipping diodes and how dependent it is on the amp's natural valve compression to find it's sweet spot.
speakers definitely do make a difference as well.
examples:
BD-2. hated into solid state. hated into tube rectifier. liked into a vintage fender or musicman w/ solid state rectifier.
HM-3. decent into solid state. decent into solid state rectifier. absolutely chokes going into a high gain tube amp.
DS-2. hated into solid state. hated into solid state rectifier. pretty cool and sludgy into a high gain tube amp.
i've only found a very small percentage of boss pedals that perform really well into all types of amps. |
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Which Bosspedals sound defintitey through ValveAmp
