Is it possible to get a Neil Young Deluxe tone at bedroom levels?

[enroper]

I'm a recent convert to the Church Of Neil, and so obviously I want to be completely unoriginal and try to hunt his tone. Of course, adapting it to my own genre.

But from what I gather, if I try to crank a Deluxe clone in my apartment, I will be getting the cops called on me in short order.

Do any smaller amps pull off the sound, at least somewhat? I've got a Blues Jr. but that doesnt come anywhere near it I don't think.

is the super champ xd any good? or what about an older silver faced champ?

[DannyMac]

you need a powersoak. It will alow you to crank the gain of the amp and set the room volume low.

[enroper]

Originally Posted by DannyMac

you need a powersoak. It will alow you to crank the gain of the amp and set the room volume low.

But I wonder how much of the sound out of an old amp like that is in the speaker too. I imagine Leo didn't expect it to be cranked that high..

[jddrews]

A mix of the classic mxr distortion pedal (or tube screamer) and the "vintage" rat (for boost) along with your deluxe will get you pretty darn close. You can get plenty of feedback without a ton of volume, but you might want to try it while your neighbors are at work. A lot depends on the guitar you're using as well. It's a good feeling when the whole thing starts howling.

[Jim Williams]

I hung out with those guys back in the 70's, as Frank San Pedro was my neighbor in Granada Hills, CA. They took 2 blond Fender Bassman heads, plugged the speaker output of one into the input of the second. That created the trashy "Neil Young sound". It's one I personally never liked, but to each his own. It still was too loud for an apt.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[vernier]

Most the little amps these days with master volume can get that over-saturated Neil Young sound.

Fender Frontman 15

or

Radio Shack Burswood G-10 .. $29.00
'

[DQA123]

i love neil young's guitar playing and his sound is deceptively simple. he did go through a couple different style periods - most notably buffalo springfield and crazy horse. for the crazy horse sound check this out:

YouTube - Durham Electronics Crazy Horse Fuzz Distortion Pedal

it was pretty impressive and you can make that work at very low volumes.

but, if you REALLY want that sound, without compromises, you have to use the falcon or black beauty and the deluxe.

[reallyjake]

You want a fender deluxe (either vintage or a good remake) for starters. It is a very unique tone and one of the most recorded amplifiers ever. I recommend a larger cabinet so the speaker isn't boxed in. And trust me, I've built a lot of these things over the years and there's a huge difference.

You don't have to crank it. Pretty much any overdrive added to it will produce those tones at bedroom level.

[richiepalooza]

You could do it with a Black or Silverface Princeton or Princeton Reverb. If I was going to buy a small amp right now I'd probably look for a Brown Deluxe or Princeton.

You don't hear alot about the Browns. Everyone wants a Blackface. A good Brown Fender is prettier and more complex than a Blackface but still retains that mid range honkiness and twang of a nice tweed. I have all four (tweed, brown, black and silverface). The differences are very cool and easy to hear.

Other good options include Supro, Ampeg Reverberocket and Musicman 110.

[seaneldon]

How 'bout a guitar with a built-in Pignose?

[vernier]

Deluxe and Champ are too loud for an apartment. Something with a master volume ..your Blues Jr. should do it.
'

[dick swifter]

You can also use an Iso Cabinet. Randall makes a nice one.

[allencollins]

just turn the distortion up all the way.That sound is not at all about volume but more about overtones, distortion
and really, really, really super sloppy guitar playing.

Also you maybe don't want to change your strings for a month or so. Maybe even play slightly out of tune or pick really really hard to pull the strings out of tune ever so slightly.

that my friends is the Neil young tone. His vocals are much like that too. A little out of tune and a little sloppy
but it works great and it's original.

I always loved that song 'after the gold rush' and that tune 'helpless'. Good stuff

[Ollie]

Put your amp in the crate with a mic and do it that way if volume is the issue and you are not getting the tone you want from other amps.

[vernier]

just turn the distortion up all the way.That sound is not at all about volume but more about overtones, distortion
and really, really, really super sloppy guitar playing.

Not sloppy. Neil Young puts every note and nuance exactly where he wants it.
'

[cjmask]

Originally Posted by vernier

Not sloppy. Neil Young puts every note and nuance exactly where he wants it.
'

ehhh. . . a lil sloppy

[blim]

Originally Posted by vernier

Not sloppy. Neil Young puts every note and nuance exactly where he wants it.
'

His "classic" sound -- the stuff from the 70s -- has a lot to do with his overindulgence in cocaine and booze. I'm not sure that even a sober Neil could have put every note and nuance where he wanted it, but a wasted Neil didn't stand a chance. His electric playing from that period is sloppy. And thank God for it. I'd rather listen to a near-comatose Neil struggle through an electric guitar solo than be forced to endure a display of immaculate precision and speed from some prissy little Berklee grad or clueless metalhead. Neil's playing would have soul, the other wouldn't.

[themaidsroom]

Emery Sound Vintage style all tube guitar amps

microbaby
superbaby

[jddrews]

Originally Posted by blim

His "classic" sound -- the stuff from the 70s -- has a lot to do with his overindulgence in cocaine and booze. I'm not sure that even a sober Neil could have put every note and nuance where he wanted it, but a wasted Neil didn't stand a chance. His electric playing from that period is sloppy. And thank God for it. I'd rather listen to a near-comatose Neil struggle through an electric guitar solo than be forced to endure a display of immaculate precision and speed from some prissy little Berklee grad or clueless metalhead. Neil's playing would have soul, the other wouldn't.

Bless you, son.

[vernier]

He's always played what he feels. And for anyone that wants to hear "Neil Young, perfect studio musician", then study his first solo album. It's perfect in every way, and also great.


'

[Dead Horse]

Originally Posted by DQA123

i love neil young's guitar playing and his sound is deceptively simple. he did go through a couple different style periods - most notably buffalo springfield and crazy horse. for the crazy horse sound check this out:

YouTube - Durham Electronics Crazy Horse Fuzz Distortion Pedal

it was pretty impressive and you can make that work at very low volumes.

but, if you REALLY want that sound, without compromises, you have to use the falcon or black beauty and the deluxe.

Thanks for this link, I really like it. Buy one just now.
Just have to wait for the postman now.
Cool

[cyork]

Reminds me of a great line from the making of "Tears are not enough" documentary.

David Foster is producing the session. Neil Young is singing his solo lines in the booth. After a classic and expressive "Neil" vocal delivery Foster says something like

"great take...just the pitch is a bit wavery at the end of the phrase"

Without missing a beat, Neil responds "that's my style"

=)

I sort of look at his guitar playing the same way...if you only hear one thing from it, it's his passion and commitment to the song.

Couldn't find a sample of that scene, but the line is in the final recording of the track here:

YouTube - Tears Are Not Enough - Northern Lights

Cheers,
Chad

[blim]

Originally Posted by vernier

He's always played what he feels. And for anyone that wants to hear "Neil Young, perfect studio musician", then study his first solo album. It's perfect in every way, and also great.


'

I love that album. Along with On the Beach, it's probably my favorite Neil Young album. But, Neil himself has said that it was a mistake for him to have played so many of the instruments on it, and that the album lacked feel and spontaneity. In interviews he did in the late-seventies, he was very clear that it was, in his mind, his least successful effort.

[cyork]

Maybe a better quote from the man himself at around 6m30sec of this clip:

YouTube - Neil Young - Interview - BBC 2 - 13 Oct 2007


"Some of my records are not that polished....I'm not going for that...I'm going for the essence of the song, ...I'm not a record crafter, that's not my job."

=)

[Alex Wyler]

You'd be doing yourself a big favor by considering this:

Fractal Audio Systems

[vernier]

I love that album. Along with On the Beach, it's probably my favorite Neil Young album. But, Neil himself has said that it was a mistake for him to have played so many of the instruments on it, and that the album lacked feel and spontaneity. In interviews he did in the late-seventies, he was very clear that it was, in his mind, his least successful effort.

I don't don't agree with alot of things he says, but did like his comment regarding Buffalo Springfield "We were good, even great".
'

[themaidsroom]

on the beach side two - that's my favorite neil - those three songs

[allencollins]

Neil was on a different level in the sense that he could take this
really beautiful melody and deliver so raw you wouldn't think he was
a sellout or trying to chart or be pop or something.

You could make an argument he was the first alternative rocker.
I know that got worn out in the 'grunge' era but the one thing thats separates
neil from the seattle folks is he had huge melody and great lyrics.
Those guys didn't

[KingDaddyO]

Originally Posted by blim

I'd rather listen to a near-comatose Neil struggle through an electric guitar solo than be forced to endure a display of immaculate precision and speed from some prissy little Berklee grad or clueless metalhead. Neil's playing would have soul, the other wouldn't.

+1 all day long

[Bob Olhsson]

Besides his fingers, Neil Young is deep into different tunings and has at least one guitar that has been custom fretted for each. Many can't even be tuned normally.

It sounds really cool but it's a lot more than just a Deluxe and a lot more money than most people realize.