Your next guitar?

[susiwong]

since i have plenty of heads already im more looking at pre-amps to jack into the power-amps

Such as:

- depending on price!
- more likely


(Mk II Version)
these bad boys go for peanuts and also are very easy to mod - so definately
and a few of the usual suspects like JMP-1 which we both already enjoy alot, a Boogie Formula pre (which i sold ages ago but am missing it these days or even the studio pre if its at the right price)...etc.

Wow, that BadCat looks awesome !
Any idea about price ?
Of the others, I'd probably prefer the Engl or Mesa Formula in your situation if they do what you want tonally, the ADAs are getting old and how long can you still get replacement for the digital parts ?
I've had two programmable Rocktron units die on me, replacement of the digital board would've been much too expensive.
Regular tube pres like the Engl (look in Germany to buy) are cheap to maintain in comparison and will probably be going strong 20 years from now ...
That said, you know how much I dig the JMP-1 - though it probably is much too wimpy for you without distortion pedals.
Ymmv,
susiwong

[DHR53]

Er, I'm liking that new Swampash Special with the 3 narrowfield pickups! Wow... That was making me go Sadly, my GE Smith telecaster is pretty much the perfect guitar for me. Ha!

(nice to look occasionally)

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SwampNFSSB/

[Dean Aka Nekro]

Wow, that BadCat looks awesome !
Any idea about price ?
Of the others, I'd probably prefer the Engl or Mesa Formula in your situation if they do what you want tonally, the ADAs are getting old and how long can you still get replacement for the digital parts ?
I've had two programmable Rocktron units die on me, replacement of the digital board would've been much too expensive.
Regular tube pres like the Engl (look in Germany to buy) are cheap to maintain in comparison and will probably be going strong 20 years from now ...
That said, you know how much I dig the JMP-1 - though it probably is much too wimpy for you without distortion pedals.
Ymmv,
susiwong

No idea of the price on the BadCat pre-amp mate and yeah it does look awesome >insert drool emoticon here<
The ADA's i would investigate before going for one and as for reasons you say man i would take the ENGL anyday for sure
Rocktron gear i don't touch, well amp wise anyway - i had a 'Gainiac II' and it was awful, just rubbish and it could of been good. The noisiest and most microphonic thing i have ever heard/used no matter which plate-starved valve i put in it and had a friend check the components and boards. Cheap and nasty junk that thing. I know you are a 'Hush' man yourself and for effects and noise problems i think there stuff is good and a few of their pedals are ok but nothing stunning/essential. For noise i tried everything and settled on the humble Boss NS-2 which works perfectly for me (actually i have a few of them i like them that much)
The JMP-1 - i think you would be surprised at the amount of gain i actually use, it sounds like more than it actually is if that makes any sense? Amp/Pre-Amp tones i use/dial in sound rather dull (for example say on my marshall: Bass - Full, Middle - Full, Treble - 2/3, Presence - 4/5 and 'deep' switch engaged, on overdrive 1 channel (never need the overdrive 2 amount of gain and never touch the 'mid-shift' switch or scoop which is what it does. Gain is full and volume depends on place after around 6 it doesn't get louder but just adds more power-amp saturation). Its akin to a sort of classic doom sound then kick in an overdrive pedal of choice (volume up full and actual drive/gain on around 1/2/3 depending on pedal + tone to taste) hitting the front-end is the key and brings it alive. JMP-1 is no exeption, i guess its a trick of the ear as to the sound as its not ultra high-gain and when i had the recto i never used the red-channel as it is just too much for me, plus down-tuned it needs to be quite clear otherwise it just sounds like mush and flabby if you know what i am saying? So its a balance and i think the lack of mid-range 'scooping' makes it sound more 'high-gain' than it actually is. Also i use as you already know active humbuckers (EMG85, SD Blackout) which helps push the front end harder and handles the heavier gauge strings also alot better than most of the passive types i have used. So the JMP-1 is just fine

Cheers and all the best

Dean

[susiwong]

Sadly, my GE Smith telecaster is pretty much the perfect guitar for me. Ha!

I feel your pain ...

[susiwong]

@ Dean,
thanks for the detailed explanation !
I know nothing about these sounds.
Your tones really are exceptional, so that's how it's done, folks !
Makes sense from another angle, too, considering how problematic even classic rock / blues lead tones can be from a noise point of view, so simply increasing the gain just can't be a realistic option.
Nothing wrong with the Rocktron 19" stuff basically, but I'll stay away from their digital devices from now on, though that Pro Hush sure was great in a live situation.
Ymmv,
susiwong

[Dean Aka Nekro]

susiwong - Thanks man and i am extremely humbled. Anytime i am happy to help out if possible, more so since you have switched me onto tones/players whom i wouldn't of found otherwise and there great listening mate as a fan of music. I hear you on the blues/rock lead thing and imagine that it is the same principle but with different pickups, guitars and string gauges plus amps/tonestacks.

IMHO it was that horrible 'Nu-Metal' thing really had a big impact on scooping plus Pantera/Dimebag's sound on their 'Far Beyond Driven' album which was massively scooped out and that still lingers around i think, alot of people wanting to achieve high-gain sounds simply aim for similar-type stuff but its not as simple as playing an 'album sound' with a starter kit with a little amp and cable, then they buy a really high-gain distortion pedal...etc. then wonder why it doesn't sound like the records they are attempting to replicate and out of impatience/frustration just give up or continue with a murky, noisey and unpotted cheapo pickup 'sound' and post youtube videos or still have great gear but no noise gate/suppresor, awful technique and a webcam microphone they would be better off buying guitar hero. Don't get me wrong 'Scooping' is fine when playing at home as it gives the feel of a louder/cranked amp but it just doesn't work so well at rehersal/live volumes (well for me at least) and there are alot of these types out thier as i know many myself and youtube 'insert song hear' guitar cover and bang 100's of the things appear (heck even come up when attempting to find a song)

(a track of the record mentioned)

And i know you know more about the high-gain solo sound than you say my friend and how to dial it in

[Uncle E]

Its not so much the tone of any of the videos which i am after Eric, more just the variety of pre-amps on second-hand prices/used/ex-demo..etc. I can't help myself...i do not need any of them but i would certainly like to have some of them, you know?

Sure, understood loud and clear! I think that's the reason pedals are so ridiculously popular these days, because they provide an easy, cheap, and noncommittal way to add some variety to your rig. Jet City is going to be re-releasing the Soldano Supercharger GTO pedal for a nice price, you might want to check that out since it's very much a preamp in a pedal, thereby giving you the best of both worlds. It sounds totally different from a distortion pedal and responds completely amp-like. The Bad Cat 2-Tone is great for the same reasons, though with a completely different vibe.

Edit: The Knucklehead KR7 is a different beast than the regular Knukleheads as it has alot more options if you checkout the video

Gotcha! Yes, that seems like a big improvement and, at least in these videos, sounds a whole lot better than the Kerry King.

the price of Rivera amps over here are ultra expensive...The other two are a Soldano Hotrod 50 and a VHT/Fryette Pitbull Ultralead

Feel free to talk to me about shipping over any of these.

[Uncle E]

Er, I'm liking that new Swampash Special with the 3 narrowfield pickups!

Weird! Do those pickups have rod or bar magnets? I'm just wondering if they're more like a pair of single coils or more like mini humbuckers. Maybe it's time for mini humbuckers to have a renaissance.

my GE Smith telecaster is pretty much the perfect guitar for me.

One design I've been toying lately is putting telecaster pickups in a strat. It's nothing revolutionary, I know, but it just seems logical to mount the actual tele pickups in there instead of compromising with a base plate, a la Suhr, Fralin, etc.

[Dean Aka Nekro]

Oh if i can drum up the cash ever i will do Eric and thanks for the tip on that Jet City/Soldano pedal nice one

Dean

[Uncle E]

You might also want to check out the Soldano Hot Mod or Kasha Quick Mod:

http://www.mo-toyz.com/shm/
http://www.kashaamplifiers.com/images/Q ... -large.jpg

[Dean Aka Nekro]

You might also want to check out the Soldano Hot Mod or Kasha Quick Mod:

http://www.mo-toyz.com/shm/
http://www.kashaamplifiers.com/images/Q ... -large.jpg

Again thanks Eric man, it is appreciated. Maybe we should all start a pedal thread

I like that hot mod, i could pickup a laney VH50L s/h cheap or similar (even an 800, drop in a trio of JJ Tesla golds, purchase the mod, pop in and sweet. It would be good to go The Kerry King 800 does sound better than the video does it justice and even King himself tbh but knowing about that hot-mod is a far better way of beefing up an 800 i think

Forgot to mention and thinking out loud sort of:

Mesa/Boogie V-Twin Pedal/Preamp box (missed one s/h for £120 a year odd ago)
Some of the Damage Control pre's (i have used one of them and it was good but for what they are IMO they are too pricey, so unless i see one used)
For Mesa recto-alike tones a Whampler Triple-Wreck (which would be feeding a clean amp in this case as it is a high-gain box) would be the cheapest way of nailing the recto raw/orange channel or maybe a Tech21 US Steel

Cheers and all the best

Dean

[susiwong]

Talking of pedals, next might be something along these lines, and I'm not talking about the paint job.
(Pt.1 of 3)
Completely in love with a friend's Sweet Honey, but I think it'll be a Honey Bee for me.
One thing no clip can show however is the dynamic reaction of these pedals - you have to feel it while you're actually playing.
Unlike anything else, closest probably being the Zendrive.
Ymmv,
susiwong

[Dean Aka Nekro]

Talking of pedals, next might be something along these lines, and I'm not talking about the paint job.
(Pt.1 of 3)
Completely in love with a friend's Sweet Honey, but I think it'll be a Honey Bee for me.
One thing no clip can show however is the dynamic reaction of these pedals - you have to feel it while you're actually playing.
Unlike anything else, closest probably being the Zendrive.
Ymmv,
susiwong

When are we never talking of pedals Thats a nice/sweet drive sound there seems to work with Les Pauls well also and therefore perfect for your DGT too and i do agree with his claim that reverb sucks (i know it works for some well and it all depends on style/preference for sure) hence the reason my DSL 50 looks like this:



Plus no one would attempt to steal mine as when doing live gigs loading a stock looking marshall head well some rat sneak could easily switch it for a cheapo fet variant and at a distance in a busy venue you wouldn't know the difference = solved that problem

[susiwong]

The "reverb sucks" comment as well as the complete clip actually refer to this previous comparison of the two, half jokingly, half pointing out a few flaws :

Man, but making a meaningful comparison of ODs is so hard, still struggling atm, not with sounds, but with bringing out the differences.
Big to these guys who actually published something useful !
And re your nekrotized Marshall, is that how Orange amps came about ?
Not to be mistaken for a Marshall ?
Lol,
susiwong

[Dean Aka Nekro]

The PRS narrowfield pickups - hm, i am not sure on that one either. If it were single coils then it would be similar to the 513 idea and he don't tend to repeat himself that quickly so my money would be on mini-buckers with coil-taps aslo or a similar type thing to thin them out when/if needed from what i have heard/seen. Not plugged in a model though fitted with the narrowfields myself. Will have a look next time im at my local store as im curious now. susiwong's DGT buckers had a bit of mystery to them but IIRC it turned out to be simpler than first suspected and they just sound great.

One guy asked "So will you be making the DGT pickups available for sale as retro-fits?" PRS said "No, but we will sell you the pickups with a nice guitar as an extra" or something along those lines