KVR Audio

tinman · Post by **tinman** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 9:23 pm

there were some days (only some days, don't know what that was about) my old Bandmaster would scream, never could get that out of my MesaBoogie, let alone my Peavey solid state amp.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 9:49 pm

tinman wrote:there were some days (only some days, don't know what that was about) my old Bandmaster would scream, never could get that out of my MesaBoogie, let alone my Peavey solid state amp.

I had a Marshall Plexi many years when I was younger (on a Hi-Watt 4x12) it was my baby, modded with a master and hig-gain circut (back then some called the mod "cali hotrod")..the amp was sweet. Then oneday I was in a friends music store checking out Laneys (which I didn't like) cause then they were all the rage. I didn't intend on buying one, I just wanted to know what if anything I was missing...turns out nothing.

Anyhow in the corner he had just picked up a Mesa Boogie SOB head off someone...I plugged into that for less then five minutes before I asked what he would give me for a trade with my Marshall...he personally liked my plexi, we swapped even..but he didn't sell my plexi, he used it. I haven't seen him in about 7 or 8 years now but I know he still was using it last we spoke.

For me it was decision I would never regret, that SOB was incredible sounding...sadly it got stolen along with a lot of other gear and guitars...

If I see another SOB on ebay or somehing I would bid on it...

cold c · Post by **cold c** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 9:50 pm

Scot Solida wrote:I prefer the discrete Chandler Limited/EMI TG-2 over the Manley Dual Mono Mic Pre. The Manley has many uses, to be sure, and believe you me, it sounds wonderful. However, if I had to choose between the two, the Chandler wins hands down.

Scot Solida wrote:One thing I have noticed about a lot of gear that is highly-regarded: much of the sound attributed to tubes is actually the result of good transformers.

The not yet released Manley TNT (Tubes No Tubes) has the option to "dial in" the amount of iron from the transformer with a knob.

greendoor · Post by **greendoor** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 9:51 pm

There is good tube stuff and bad tube stuff. There is good solid state stuff, and bad solid state stuff. They both offer different colors. But generally, unless you spend enormous amounts of money, it's easier to get premium hifi quality out of solid state than it is to get it of tubes.

All though guitar players are brainwashed at birth to repeated "tubes" like a mantra - frequently the tones they worhip were created with solid state amps. The Beatles often used transistor amps. Brain May of Queen used a home-brew transistor battery amp. The famous Pignose is transistor. (I bought a tweed Pignose the other day - instant Layla! The rythmn part - not the lead part, that was a Champ).

Distorted guitar is the sound of rock - and many famous guitar parts from 'Satisfaction' onwards requiered a transistor fuzz box.

Many famous players use an Ibanez tube screamer (Frampton, The Edge, SRV etc) which uses IC chips.

When Boston's 'More than a feeling' came out, everyone wanted that sound. It was totally solid state, and led to the development of the Rockman. That was the sound of Def Leppard. Lenny Kravitz used to be a tube fan, but then he discovered Protools and Amp Farm and Line 6 stuff.

So who needs tubes? Really?

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 9:59 pm

Brain May of Queen used a home-brew transistor battery amp.

maybe when he was a kid...live he used 9 Vox AC30's stacked three high and three acoss and a custom made modulator pedal (I believe of his own design, he's brilliant and well educated)....of course most people know the tale of his guitar...

3*s · Post by **3*s** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 10:09 pm

Yes. Please report to your local guitar store for manditory mental reprogramming. You are sick, and they can help you.

greendoor · Post by **greendoor** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 10:17 pm

Hink wrote:
Brain May of Queen used a home-brew transistor battery amp.
maybe when he was a kid...live he used 9 Vox AC30's stacked three high and three acoss and a custom made modulator pedal (I believe of his own design, he's brilliant and well educated)....of course most people know the tale of his guitar...

Thanks. Your post is a good example of what I mean. Brian used the homebuilt 'Deakey' amp on many classic Queen recordings - including Bohemian Rhapsody. He also used an AC30, with his home-brew treble booster.

Brians live rig was largely for show. I believe the bottom row amps were just spare amps, not plugged in. You need spares when you tour with tube amps, but it was for looks mainly.

Brian used a harmoniser to create delay and stereo effects to appromixate his studio sound. In the studio, this was all multitracked stuff, so it was single amps. But yes - he used the solid-state Deaky amp a lot. It had no volume control - he controled the volume by throwing his coat over it.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 10:47 pm

Thanks. Your post is a good example of what I mean.

what the hell does that mean, a good example of what? I don't think he would think twice about using a homemade amp in the studio, though I never heard that he had it would be directly in his character, I spoke of only what he used live...I saw every us tour they did beginning in '73...but you have to understand that this man is pure genius, he's quite mathematical by nature. The fact you think his amps for show suggests you don't realise this. There's a certain matematical perfection to a cube and I have heard him speak of it.

In the studio people use many things, I had a picture of Randy with a distortion plus plugged directly into a mixer....I believe that was just for show because I've treid it and it sounded like crap...on Street fighting man by the stone Kieth Richards recorded the original riff using a crappy recorder in his home (just as a scratch pad). He took it to the studio so they could record the song, but he never could get the same sound again so they used his original recordings.

So I'm not sure what I am a perfect example of, except I might be guilty of being a gear slut for 3 plus decades

greendoor · Post by **greendoor** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 11:12 pm

I was talking about guitar enthusiasts who believe that tubes are necessary for good guitar tone. Then you popped up, arguing with me, and therefore I think you are a good example of what I was talking about.

I'm a long time Brian May fan, and i've known about his live rig for years. I assumed that was what he used in the studio, and was surprised to find out about the home-brew transistor amp. I consider the guitar tones on those early Queen albums to be about as good as it gets.

All i'm saying is that you don't always need tubes to make great guitar sounds. I was pointing out (correctly) that a lot of extremely famous classic guitar tones have required transistors, and could not be done with tubes.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 11:23 pm

I was talking about guitar enthusiasts who believe that tubes are necessary for good guitar tone.

do you always respond without reading people's posts? Please go back and read my other posts in this thread to see how far off base about me and being a tube purist....jumping to conclusions never is wise...I too have been a Queen and Brian May fan...in fact I might be on of the few here that actually has Brian May and friends the mini album (not ep, he was very direct about that it was a mini album with) he made with EVH...but back in the mid 70's to early 80's around here being a Queen fan wasn't quite as "in" as it was then across the pond or is now here...in fact many was the time in my youth and then when I was in the service I was put down because of my love of Queen.

BTW my intent wasn't to argue with you, though I can see why you would assume so...more to add to what you were saying about Brian May...

Har · Post by **Har** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:01 am

Scot Solida wrote:Coincidentally, as I write this post, I am waiting for delivery on a refurbished, recapped solid-state UREI LA3a...mmmm. Toasty.

Hey, I've got a...err...vintage (jbl)UREI 6230 that I'd be glad to offload...uhhh...sell ya! And it's real fried...err...toasty too!

Anyway, I've been mostly a solid-state guy for as long as I can remember, including my recent Eden bass amp (which I love and occasionally use its DI for guitar tracks as well). Not that I have anything against tubes or anything, it's just what I've personally always used and enjoy the sound of.

(I guess it's not surprising: for example I always hear "true" Rush fans go off about how much they hated the "Power Windows"/"Hold Your Fire" era of the band when Alex Lifeson was supposedly using solid-state amps....and that was probably when I most enjoyed his overall sound.

Ah well, as usual YMMV...

)

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:07 am

who likeD GK? for guitar, not bass like they turned most of their focus on...

Har · Post by **Har** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:14 am

Hink wrote:who likeD GK? for guitar, not bass like they turned most of their focus on...

One of the guys in my lil' acoustic cover-band trio has an old 80's GK 250ML guitar amp that sounds great...actually, I used it to drive a bass cab for my bass and Stick for a little while before I got my Eden and I was suprised how good it sounded. Damn nice little amp!

nuffink · Post by **nuffink** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:16 am

I seem to remember loads of reggae bands using solid state H&H amps. But I could easily be wrong.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:21 am

Har wrote:
Hink wrote:who likeD GK? for guitar, not bass like they turned most of their focus on...
One of the guys in my lil' acoustic cover-band trio has an old 80's GK 250ML that sounds great...actually, I used it to drive a bass cab for my bass and Stick for a little while before I got my Eden and I was suprised how good it sounded. Damn nice little amp!

I loved em, but couldn't afford that and my Marshall then Boogie...I always wanted one, but I always bought something else instead of another amp.

Is it wrong to like solid state?