Nothing wrong with active pick-ups..hink wrote: Now comes the part where all the purists will tell me everything that's wrong with active pickups...
..if you don't mind a sterile sound and spending a fortune on 9v batteries
Incredible Guitar Tube Drives
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- KVRAF
- 6740 posts since 25 Mar, 2002 from sheffield, england
..if you don't mind a sterile sound and spending a fortune on 9v batteries
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
they don't wear out very fast, I change my batteries once a year and they still pass the tongue test...sterile...hmmm ...Gilmore is a major EMG user and somehow I don't see him as sounding sterile.....if you don't mind a sterile sound and spending a fortune on 9v batteries
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- KVRAF
- 6740 posts since 25 Mar, 2002 from sheffield, england
Im joking now of course! (My personal faves happen to be passives, but EMGs are very good pickups)
The battery comment comes from my FOH engineering more than my guitar playing.. if I had a pound for every soundcheck that ground to a halt while someone went to find a 24-hour garage etc etc...
The battery comment comes from my FOH engineering more than my guitar playing.. if I had a pound for every soundcheck that ground to a halt while someone went to find a 24-hour garage etc etc...
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
I'm funny about batteries, when I had no pwer adapter for my turbo overdrive and super chorus I would give my father the batteries after a bit because they only maintain peak performance levels for just so long. They'll run for along time on slightly below peak, but when I would hear my high end drop I'd swap the battery. So my father would put them in a AM radio that he uaually falls asleep listening too.platinumears wrote:Im joking now of course! (My personal faves happen to be passives, but EMGs are very good pickups)
The battery comment comes from my FOH engineering more than my guitar playing.. if I had a pound for every soundcheck that ground to a halt while someone went to find a 24-hour garage etc etc...
FWIW I think (at least to mysel) I proved that duracell beats energizer in this aspect. I think energizers last longer, but their peak performance lasts less then that of duracells. The funny thig if I unplugg my guitar the batteries last longer...but ususally one guitar is plugged in...I have never had a battery crap out.
I do have one question though...what kind of guitarist books studio time (costly time I'm sure) and doesn't have backup batteries, strings and such?...I guess he was never a boy scout..
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- KVRAF
- 6740 posts since 25 Mar, 2002 from sheffield, england
If I thought EMGs sounded better than anything else, I would put up with the battery blues.. fortunately I don't!
Personally, I think anything that requires power on a stage should use 48v phantom.
Actually, I've still got the stock Gibson pickups in my guitar at the moment.. I customised my last Les Paul with a Jeff Beck in the bridge, and a mystery DiMarzio in the neck (Picked it up <groan> second hand for a tenner.. no idea what it was, but it sounded sweet!) but unfortunately that guitar was stolen, along with my entire amp rack.
When I replaced everything I got the Boogie PA (and a nicer Les Paul too!) and the sound has been so fantastic since, I just stuck with it!
Personally, I think anything that requires power on a stage should use 48v phantom.
Actually, I've still got the stock Gibson pickups in my guitar at the moment.. I customised my last Les Paul with a Jeff Beck in the bridge, and a mystery DiMarzio in the neck (Picked it up <groan> second hand for a tenner.. no idea what it was, but it sounded sweet!) but unfortunately that guitar was stolen, along with my entire amp rack.
When I replaced everything I got the Boogie PA (and a nicer Les Paul too!) and the sound has been so fantastic since, I just stuck with it!
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- KVRAF
- 13444 posts since 14 Nov, 2000 from Hannover / Germany
That's just normal for electronic bypass circuits. the input signal is permanently buffered, thus using up battery power.hink wrote: The funny thig if I unplugg my guitar the batteries last longer
Only with mechanical bypasses this is different.
There are 3 kinds of people:
Those who can do maths and those who can't.
Those who can do maths and those who can't.
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- KVRist
- 138 posts since 1 Oct, 2004 from Atlanta, GA
in my opinion, the circuits that load the output stages of a tube amp also play an important factor if not the most important factor in how the overall sound comes across,..the tubes provide the signal and harmonic content but probably the most important factor of the sound quality also comes from the type of output transformer and how it is loaded such as type of speaker etc.
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- KVRist
- 323 posts since 2 Oct, 2002 from Finland, Europe
Nah, It's all in the wrist...
heheh.. actually it mostly is.. ask any engineer... some guitarist sound good trough any amp with any guitar.
But here's how I think you get a nice 'rock' guitar tone:
Good player > Les Paul > Nickel cadmium strings .010 set > Seymour Duncan mics > Original Tube Screamer > Set o matched 12AX pre's > cranked EL's > Powersoak > Greenback 12" Speakers or Jensens > Shure SM57 in right position > good pre on the board > slighlty Overbiased 3M 996 tape = best guitar tone you ever heard.
Also it is important to have 'good current' from the wall when using tube amps.
heheh.. actually it mostly is.. ask any engineer... some guitarist sound good trough any amp with any guitar.
But here's how I think you get a nice 'rock' guitar tone:
Good player > Les Paul > Nickel cadmium strings .010 set > Seymour Duncan mics > Original Tube Screamer > Set o matched 12AX pre's > cranked EL's > Powersoak > Greenback 12" Speakers or Jensens > Shure SM57 in right position > good pre on the board > slighlty Overbiased 3M 996 tape = best guitar tone you ever heard.
Also it is important to have 'good current' from the wall when using tube amps.
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
well of course I know thatSascha Franck wrote:That's just normal for electronic bypass circuits. the input signal is permanently buffered, thus using up battery power.hink wrote: The funny thig if I unplugg my guitar the batteries last longer
Only with mechanical bypasses this is different.
the point I was making is even though it's suppose to last longer (and I'm sure it does) even with it plugged in a lot I have never had a battery died.FWIW sascha you seem to talk too me sometimes like I have no clue and it's beginning to annoy me...I know we aren't all as great as you but it gives up something to strive for.
I have built atleast a dozen guitars, I have rewrapped pick-ups, done fret jobs I even own a complete set of fret files, I worked as a luthier in one store I work...please leave you eletist attitude for someone who cares.
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
That would be how I am, a lot of the guys I worked with at Mars still get together and we have jam parties...I only bring my sansamp and I bet 15 people have purchased one as a result. Most people prefer to plug into that ( and if you've tried one you know what I mean) My rig is nice but it did give a hernia (the power amp only), 4x12's are just so overkill mthese days, the Marshall tube amp rocks but I have to run it on the rhythm channel because the lead channel (2 drives, a voice and master controls) is way too much for anyone imo. Though I will admit the 5 band active eq is sweet. Also it does have three 12ax7's so it gets the true tube sound and then some...heheh.. actually it mostly is.. ask any engineer... some guitarist sound good trough any amp with any guitar. heheh.. actually it mostly is.. ask any engineer... some guitarist sound good trough any amp with any guitar.
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.