how to get that guitar tone

[spuddle]

Especially since they were priced below 250 $ if I remember correctly.
susiwong

I got mine for £79, a bargin I reckon!

spuddle,
You'd really think H&K would re-issue some of their earlier stuff. There are a few improvements - you can get an inexpensive attenuator from http://www.tedweber.com/atten.htm that uses a real (silent) speaker motor as a load - plug the "speaker" out into the Weber attenuator with full attennuation, but take your direct out from the "Cabulator" jack. This gives you a reactive load instead of a passive load and I thought it was worth doing. There is also info on the web about bypassing the ss opamp on the input for an all tube signal path (but that would lower gain, so you might not be happy with that mod).

I heard that these things sound best when just driving a Cab on their own. My direct sounds from the Cabulator were pretty acceptable but a little cold sounding so I want to see if a mic'ed cab will give some warmth. I don't understand why you'd need an attenuator in terms of reactive/passive loads? That went 'Zooom' over my head

[guitarzan]

It'll sound better with a cab, for sure - then you'll have a reactive load, so never mind me.

If you had to use DI, the load from the Weber attenuator reacts with the power section just like a real speaker, were the built in load is just a resistor (doesn't "react", just a dummy load).

[spuddle]

Ah I'm with you now.

I have a Pod 2.0 for all my D.I needs but find the sound to be quite lifeless thus I don't use it much. The Cream Machine is ideal for the low volume, cranked tube sound at a cheap price, has no EQ but you can't have everything. Does makes you squeeze out as many tones as you can get with pickup selection and tone pot twiddling though.

Saving up for a Cornford Carrera though, might be lucky to have one within 10 years!

[susiwong]

Hink,
you definitely neither hear the "cheap acoustic" nor the piezo, the condenser makes all the difference. I'm a religious hater of "the typical Ovation piezo sound" - so very common during the last 25 or so years. Flames please via PM. My law department will take care of them.
Have a good night or day or whatever (depending on your location), time to get some sleep now.
Really enjoyed our conversation, guys !
See you all next time,
same place, new insults !
susiwong

[spuddle]

Hink,
you definitely neither hear the "cheap acoustic" nor the piezo, the condenser makes all the difference. I'm a religious hater of "the typical Ovation sound" - so very common during the last 25 or so years.
Have a good night or day or whatever (depending on your location), time to get some sleep now.
Really enjoyed our conversation, guys !
See you all next time,
same place, new insults !
susiwong

I guess you mean this 'Ovation sound' then?

[Hink]

Hink,
you definitely neither hear the "cheap acoustic" nor the piezo, the condenser makes all the difference. I'm a religious hater of "the typical Ovation sound" - so very common during the last 25 or so years.
Have a good night or day or whatever (depending on your location), time to get some sleep now.
Really enjoyed our conversation, guys !
See you all next time,
same place, new insults !
susiwong

and I just bought an ovation last fall......It's odd about the dean, the back seperated around the edge from the sides for no reason a while back...I reglued it (I used a bunji like rope to act as a clamp)...but it still doesn't sound right...I've been thinking about putting steel srings on it and pushing up the action...if I tuned it to open G U could put hevy strings on it with confidence...it might be cool for slide.

But my ovation doesn't have the traditional soundhole...so it's better for recording late when the family is sleeping. I do know what you mean by the tone, but for some reason this seems to sound better. I was on that or a seagull (which I sold many of), but it just didn't do it for me like the ovation. However if I was looking for a traditional acoustic (and will) I would of gone with the seagull. I tested them both with a hard disk recorder and the ovation just really stood out.

[susiwong]

Oh shirt, that's how I like the end of a nice day ! Nothing like a quick insult of somebody you've been talking to for hours.
Sorry, spuddle, but I couldn't possibly have done that on purpose (my lawyers tell me).
Beautiful ballad, nice guitar, though admittedly I always prefer a more "miked" sound. But ask two guitar players if you want to hear five different opinions ...
Cheers, susiwong

PS: ...and sorry Hink, same to you ! Just saw your last post.

[spuddle]

Hehe, was just playing with ya.

The tune is very old now but was my ovation straight into the soundcard. I probably would do it differently now, add a Mic by the soundhole and probably some more ambience on the direct signal. It does make it incredibly conveniant though, plus the OP-30 is a sweet pre-amp.

Good night there!

[rogerperrin]

susiwong wrote:

But ask two guitar players if you want to hear five different opinions ...

Sorry, I just got off work, and replying to the thread 3 pages back will sound off topic, but anyway:

Hink, we were talking about amps having master volume only. One summer I was injured at work and played several old 50's and 60's small tube amps, like 5 to 10 watters - played 'em all summer. These were more along the lines of the early 40's amp designs. They were very low power and they had to push them hard to be heard over an orchestra. So they would get the power stage pushed into overdrive, but not distortion as we know it.

Early day amps were designed for a clean sound, and by trying to be heard, the guys pushed the power stage into mild disto. It wasn't until probably the mid-60's that big amps were being designed with preamp disto in mind.

Anyway, these days I'm totally solidstate and lovin it. Guitar->Marshall Bluesbreaker overdrive -> Zoom 503 -> Stereo Amp.

[John Vulich]

without being a wall of noise...

Pussy.

[Sickle]

without being a wall of noise...

Pussy.

lol.

[John Vulich]

Or STFU.

[Hink]

Or STFU.

it aint the amp that makes the player good, it's the player that makes an amp good...if you like a wall of soung so be it...I like a little variation in my music...It don't matter what I plug my ax into, I can find a way to make myself happy...you with all your hate...are you happy John? I know the drama queen isn't...

[John Vulich]

I don't even play guitar or use amps. I'm just having a little "spirited" fun. Some people seem to like picking and choosing certain comments around here and then take them way too seriously, when they obviously weren't intended that way, just to reiterate their own biases.

[ross g]

I don't even play guitar or use amps. I'm just having a little "spirited" fun. Some people seem to like picking and choosing certain comments around here and then take them way too seriously, when they obviously weren't intended that way, just to reiterate their own biases.

just show them your online resume and tell them to back the f**k off...