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Base theme by DesignModo & ported to Powered by Vanilla by Chris Ireland, modified by the "theFB" team.
Comments
- Valve amps are not the best solution for this
- Lots of factors in what will make a valve amp enjoyable at lower volumes, but what's often overlooked is the size of the cabinet and speaker - a single, small speaker in a small-footprint cabinet is generally a touch lacklustre to say the least (they can sound good when recorded, but are underwhelming in the room)
- A larger valve amp with an attenuator gets much better results, but it's still hard to get the sound in your head at volumes that will keep your neighbours off your back
- Better still, in my experience, is a larger valve amp set clean at the lowest possible volume that doesn't sound like it's being strangled, then hit it with an overdrive pedal in whatever flavour you find most pleasing (for me, a Box of Rock into a 2x12 Marshall Bluesbreaker)
- You need some decent reverb
- Easier all round is a digital option - either a modelling unit or, as others have said, the ToneMasters seem to be hitting the sweet spot for a lot of people
- A lot of what we perceive as great tone is actually high volume, with a lot of air moving in the room - it makes you feel it as well as hear it (difficult to explain, easy to experience if you go to a rehearsal room)
- Try not to go too far down the rabbit hole - you can't recreate the experience of winding a valve amp up in a club or hall if you're in a domestic living room and you'll probably have more fun (and definitely improve more) if you just get a Yamaha THR-10 and... play your guitar.
Good luck with the hunt!flanging_fed “
flanging_fed “
They really are great little amps
How good are these? I’ve been intrigued by these amps for a long time. So many options out there
I used to have a 70's champ for this job but it was not as dirty and the low end, even into a big cab was not enough.
A matter of taste really.
A Morgan Ac20 could do too as well as s Tone king Gremlin
When someone wanted me to do an open mic accompanying her vocals including some songs by London Grammar, it was good to be able to add lots of ambiance to fill the sound out, but for the most part there are a few amp models that I particularly like, so I have some patches with those in and largely stick to them.
I could carry on chasing the perfect tone, but for the way I play - which is mostly at home for my own pleasure and relaxation - this is the best solution I've had by far. And I've tried a few, including 5, 15, 30 and 50 watt amps of varying values. It's just about the right tools for the job.
* @digitalscream recommended the PS170 to me on the basis that if you turn up to play in a different space to the one you're used to and the sound is suddenly very different (too flubby, not cutting through, piercing treble etc), the tone controls allow you to rectify it very easily and intuitively by turning a physical knob rather than adjusting your patch. It's superb. I have found that I like most patches best with the mid control way further down than I would imagine when playing (like, around 9 o'Clock), but I turn it back up if I'm playing alongside other instruments or the guitar disappears a bit.
I have fancier ODs, but if edge-of-breakup is all you want that pedal is perfect (it's a Timmy knockoff)
*edit - load pun not intended
My trading feedback: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/210335/yorkie