Let's have a tone off

[rhodesholar]

I have been reading about the Marshall amps and the debate as to which ones sound best. I know this will be subjective and open to interpretation but I would be interested to hear different players sound. So if possible post a clip of your sound, and what amp your using so we can hear how the different gear sounds.

I will go first. This is my JCM 800 2210

The March to Victory, created by John Weglarz and presented through ACIDplanet.com

[AnthonySpinali]

Wow very cool...

I'm not a soloist but you can visit Missile Silo Suite on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos
to hear my old band's stuff. I recommend "Both Feet" to hear tone! The right speaker is all JCM 800 2210 (Thurston), and the left speaker is all JMP 2203 (me). The solo is all 2210 by my friend Adam Thurston.

[rhodesholar]

Good stuff by the way Anthony.

I can totally hear the difference between the two amps. The JCM 800 (to me) cuts through the mix a little better. Again that is me and I said this would be subjective. Yours fills in the bottom end, together making a nice fat sound. Can you tell me what valves you guys are running in each amp?

[AnthonySpinali]

It's been so long... I think I use Svetlana 6550s and he uses Groove tubes El34s. I've always used the same thing and it's what my tech likes so I just get "the usual." Maybe I should pay more attention.

I can achieve a much brighter tone but in that band it was important for us to sound different from one another. I will say the 2210 is way hotter and more hot rodded than my early 2203. It sounds more 80's hard rock where the 2203 sounds more Aerosmith/AC/DC classic rock.

Your tone is hot with lots of reverb where mine is dark and dry. I like to think of it as pure balls... But that just goes to show how versatile these Marshalls really are!

[rhodesholar]

Yes I have way to much verb on the guitar.

In my JCM 800 I am running Svetlanas in the power section and the original pre's from the factory.

I tried a set of groove tubes and they made the amp way to harsh and midrangey. I find the Svetlanas to be cleaner, more compressed and less harsh. Again, that is what I hear. Others results may very. I have heard good things about the Winged C valve. Have not tried them yet.

[joeydego]

I can offer up this as far as tone goes, although a far cry from the "big rock" sound, I like it.
SoundClick artist: joeydego - Instrumental guitar progressive at times rock.
and if it MUST be rock
SoundClick artist: joeydego - Instrumental guitar progressive at times rock.

[rhodesholar]

Originally Posted by joeydego

I can offer up this as far as tone goes, although a far cry from the "big rock" sound, I like it.

Thanks for posting and letting me hear your tone. Your a good player dude.

These amps really are versatile because your sound, is different from my sound, which is different from Anthonys (at least to my ear). I really liked your jazz tone. That had to take some work to aquire.

What model amp are you using and what valves if you know?

Thanks again.

By the way I started this thread not bash any ones sound or say mine is better or anything like that. I am just interested in hearing the sounds the different amps have and how the players manipulate it.

[keiffer]

Here's a couple over backing tracks

Mako Dorado

Mesa Mark III

[Unclenny]

Just tracked my old SG through an old Carvin tube combo and a newer Peavey C30.

The search for tone is an infinite endeavor.

Breathing Again

[rhodesholar]

Sonixx,

Good stuff man.

I really like the tone of your amp. I can totally hear the difference between the Boogie and the Marshalls. I am not saying one is better then the other just that I hear the difference. I will say I like your tone better then mine, much better.

I wish some other people would chime in hear and offer their opinion. Everyone has provided some really great examples thanks guys, keep them coming.

[AnthonySpinali]

Originally Posted by sonixx

Here's a couple over backing tracks

Mako Dorado

Mesa Mark III

I loved the Mako Dorado... Real sweet very full... Not really something I would use but incredible for you, really! The Mesa sounds a bit more predictable but certainly better than the spongy dual recs in my opinion. I liked it enough to check one out next time I'm out foolin' around. Impressive stuff; I wish, sometimes, I had the bug to be a soloist. It's just never been my strength.

[AnthonySpinali]

Originally Posted by Unclenny

Just tracked my old SG through an old Carvin tube combo and a newer Peavey C30.

The search for tone is an infinite endeavor.

Breathing Again

Cool tone. Very dry! I love that... It's almost ery it's so dry. I have this belief that the less pedals you use the more honest you're being. Not that being honest is good or bad... Just sincerity.... Very cool. I like the voice too. Reminds me of Catherine Wheel a bit.

[Croaker]

Originally Posted by Unclenny

Just tracked my old SG through an old Carvin tube combo and a newer Peavey C30.

The search for tone is an infinite endeavor.

Breathing Again

cool song lennythumbsup

[keiffer]

rhodesholar - your tones seem a bit distant, but very nice. I had a JCM800, that I never bonded with. I believe it had the Diode Clipping though. Nice chops.


AnthonySpinali - nice rhythm tones. what speakers?


joeydego - hum, I don't know how to comment on yours. I don't listen much to this genre, but it's awesome. I could never dial that. I always end up with way more gain. I'd like to hear one with more bite.


Unclenny - very nice. sort of an acoustic ambient type jive.


thanks for the the comments. I move speakers around often and I had just put the Texas Heat speaker in the Mesa 2x12. It's a somewhat dark speaker and the mesa cab is a bit bright. I'm liking it some.

[Unclenny]

Good thread.

Love hearing what you guys have achieved. Let's get some more entries!!

Originally Posted by AnthonySpinali

I have this belief that the less pedals you use the more honest you're being.

Oh man, Anthony. I'm totally busted.

While I work a lot of my stuff out going right into my Blues Jr. this time I was looking for that dry humbucker thing....so I went all out with the pedal board....

Dynacomp...GE-7 (slight upper mid scoop)...Maxon SD-9 (hardly any distortion)....SparkleDrive (plenty o' gain).

Set the amps up hot with the volume pedal set so that when I took my fingers off the strings the SG started singing.

C'mon boys......fess up to those pedals.

[rhodesholar]

Man that is some dry sound. Pretty cool effect, or lack there of (lol) Nice tone. Good tune to.

To fess up to pedals the only thing I use is a DOD overdrive pre-amp and an old Alesis quadraverb. There's my confession.

I would be interested to hear what you guys do to achieve your tone. A friend of mine actually put his marshall cab face down in the bathtub and mic'd it from the back to get a particular tone he was going for on a tune. Imagine that.

[rhodesholar]

Originally Posted by sonixx

rhodesholar - your tones seem a bit distant, but very nice. I had a JCM800, that I never bonded with. I believe it had the Diode Clipping though. Nice chops.

Good call. Way to much verb on guitar. Was one take straight to CD so I couldn't fix it.

I have heard that about the 800s some are really great and some just don't cut it. I have found that the valves are the key. You hear my tone on the tune I posted right? I tried re-valving with Groove tubes and my tone just sucked (worse if you didn't like my tone before (lol). Like you said I totally lost the bond with my amp with those valves. I ended up sticking the old ones back in until I got my hands on some Svetlanas which Marshall told me that amp ships with (in the power section anyway) and voila! My amp came back to me.

By the way I am using a Marshall 1960a cabinet at 16 ohms if anyone is interested.

[keiffer]

Pedals...

Mark III - OD808

Dorado - No Pedal. The Dorado I find does not like any sort of OD up front

[AnthonySpinali]

When I said pedals I probably should have said effects...

I use a normal straight out of the box Crybaby Wah, TS9 Tube Screamer, and a Boss Noise Suppressor (and a pedal tuner so sue me). I don't count overdrives or comps as effects really.... When I think of effects I'm usually talking about chorus, phasers, flangers, reverbs, envelope filters, and delays but I guess that's just me. To me more gain must always be an option! Comps and gates don't really count to me because so much recorded music is buried in them. I don't typically like a comp on my guitar but I've never owned a cool one.

I believe my cabinet has Celestion G12T75s which came standard in 1960A cabs. I never really dug the Mesa cabs with Vintage 30s... Honestly I just don't get it. I've tried some other cabs but never liked any other than mine (with my Marshall head of course). Never tried Texas Heat but I gotta say it sounded great and I'd like to know more!

[lfranz5451]

unfortunately i dont have a better place to show my tone but if you hit up a band called from autumn to ashes on myspace or on itunes check out a song called "The After Dinner Payback"...only people really interested in guitar tones will go this far but what youll be hearing is 16 guitar tones on a blend...4 guitars...2 les pauls..a prs...and a 69 sg custom....2 dual rectifiers...2 marshall jcm 2000's, 2 marshall jcm 800's, 1 hiwatt, 1 soldano, 1 sovtek, 1 orange, 1 bogner uberschall....and then some software and dry signals....this came out INCREDIBLY heavy and INCREDIBLY clean, done by the famous gggarth Richardson in Vancouver.....so if you're really into guitar tone....you might want to throw your ears on this.


lfranz5451

[socalstyleonline]

good hell! while I will say it is a great tone, how could all of that possibly be necessary to achieve it? so was the guitarist playing the same part 4 times then, essentially it was being quadrupled? was there some method to the madness such as eqing the inner/outer tracks brighter or darker?

Originally Posted by lfranz5451

unfortunately i dont have a better place to show my tone but if you hit up a band called from autumn to ashes on myspace or on itunes check out a song called "The After Dinner Payback"...only people really interested in guitar tones will go this far but what youll be hearing is 16 guitar tones on a blend...4 guitars...2 les pauls..a prs...and a 69 sg custom....2 dual rectifiers...2 marshall jcm 2000's, 2 marshall jcm 800's, 1 hiwatt, 1 soldano, 1 sovtek, 1 orange, 1 bogner uberschall....and then some software and dry signals....this came out INCREDIBLY heavy and INCREDIBLY clean, done by the famous gggarth Richardson in Vancouver.....so if you're really into guitar tone....you might want to throw your ears on this.


lfranz5451

[rhodesholar]

I haven't been able to find the tune. Can some one provide a link.

Thanks

[lfranz5451]

it was just creating a tight tight tight wall of sound...a lot of the signals were split so multiple amps were recorded at the same time so i didnt have to playthe parts 32 times.....but like i said, if you take the time to list to it...its pretty much an unstoppable and un-copieable gtr sound.....i failed to mention each guitar playing using a combination of 8 cabinets...2 mics per cabinets..into an ssl 4000g....right onto tape for warmth then into pro tools...cabinets included boogie, marshalls, ornge, bogner, some vintage blue and red marshalls....


lfranz5451

[socalstyleonline]

Originally Posted by lfranz5451

it was just creating a tight tight tight wall of sound...a lot of the signals were split so multiple amps were recorded at the same time so i didnt have to playthe parts 32 times.....but like i said, if you take the time to list to it...its pretty much an unstoppable and un-copieable gtr sound.....i failed to mention each guitar playing using a combination of 8 cabinets...2 mics per cabinets..into an ssl 4000g....right onto tape for warmth then into pro tools...cabinets included boogie, marshalls, ornge, bogner, some vintage blue and red marshalls....


lfranz5451

Pretty interesting, Ive tried that concept super scaled down, I have only a marshall DSL2k with a 4x12, and a orange tiny terror with a 2x12 orange

Actually I remember loving the tone I had at the time but I got frustrated with noise issues, and I have since bought a signal splitter to try to split the signal the correct way to fix the noise issues (I was doing it from a spare pedal), can you share what you use to split the signal? Also do you know how many times the actual guitar part was being played? (sounds like you were there for the recording and or the FATA guitarist?)

[lfranz5451]

yeah...i am, or was more acurately, the guitarist for FATA, so its all first hand knowledge...we each tracked our rhythm parts 4 times...so 16 amps...its simple math...it was a truly brilliant recording...gggarth is known for those types of sounds.


lfranz5451