BFS's soul / funk guitar rig

[Big Fat Sammy]

Originally posted by Nitro Express

To me, electric guitar is pushing a box full of valve tubes into distortion and using old transistor or tube technology in the effects chain.

Well said.

5 Stars!

Thats the reason I use only a 40 watt amp. And I may get the 15 watt version of that amp too, for smaller gigs....so I can turn the volume knob ALL THE WAY UP!

With smaller wattages...you can get that TONE at reasonable volumes.

[zeronumber]

Meh, with 15 watts, you can't even hear yourself play with a drummer around.

It's great for practice and back stage, last minute rehearsals though.

Frankly, I settle for nothing lower than 30watts, and noting louder than 75....

Not like 75 is that much louder than a 30, but you get my idea.

[Big Fat Sammy]

It depends on the amp, I think.

I've heard the Traynor 15w amps are a very loud 15w.

Have a 65 watt Marshall that was perfect, then a 60w Fender Hot Rod Deville.

The Deville was WAY TOO LOUD. Couldn't get it past 2 1/2.

It was so sensitive.....I would have to put one finger on top of the volume knob, holding it down, and lightly tap it from the side with another finger to adjust the volume....for both channels, during songs.

Needless to say I ditched it after about 6 or 7 gigs.

[zeronumber]

Meh, it has more to do with how much your drummer wants to let his kit resinate,a nd how big the room is.

If it's a small room, and you drummer plays with lids, you can easily get by with a 15 watt amp.

If your drummer plays with out it, and really bangs the living shit out his/her(got to be pc) drum, and you're playing a venue bigger than your garden variety Bar, than you'll need 50 or louder.

Marshalls are awesome though, but if you want loud, get a messaboogie...

There are tube amps...then there is boogie...
Though, those shits break easily.

[Big Fat Sammy]

I don't play with drummers who bang the shit out of it.

Well, sometimes on a sub gig they will be bashing a bit, but I won't compete with them...I won't turn up that loud. They can mic it, and mix it in the front if they want....but I'm not having a blaring amp right behind me, especially if I'm singing.

It's their show not mine, so it's their responsibility to get a good mix. My job is to shut the fuck up and play.

The larger outdoor venues and festivals tend to have really good sound equipment and people who know how to run it. So they just mic the cab, and it's good to go. I can't see needing more than 40w anywhere....and with a GREAT PA and soundguy, and time to get a proper stage mix...you could play though alot less. But there usually isn't alot of time to get it right.



Never played Mesa, the ones I've heard sound geat though. From my experience, Marshalls break easy too. They break way too easy for how expensive they are.

I would probably still be playing through the Marshall, had the circut board not cracked. But it was starting to get thinner sounding, and noiser over the years anyway. Even after it had been serviced, ALOT.

[zeronumber]

Meh, 50 is already pretty damn loud. The only thing considerably louder is a row of stacks...

[Big Fat Sammy]

I LOVE LOUD...don't get me wrong. It's gotta be a good tone, not shrill high end treble. I don't like ringing ears. LOL

The drummer I'm playing with tomorrow night has this thing, this bell, ya know, like on a huge heavy ride cymbal? But there is no cymbal part, its just the dome shaped bell.

I try to stay as FAR AWAY from that thing as possible, cause when he hits it, it goes "CLAAAAAAAAANNNNNGGG!!"

I'm thinking of stealing it when he isn't looking...that damn thing is hell if your anywhere near it.

[zeronumber]

I think they should label knobs better to get desired sound more easily

-Library
-Coffee shop
-Jazz
-Rock Band
-MotorHead

[Big Fat Sammy]

LOL That would be cool.

[Nitro Express]

My main squeeze is a 50 watt Marshall 1987 reissue. If you look at the actual decibel levels, 100 watts isn't much louder. 50 watts cranked through a 4x12 is loud and they tend to break up earlier than 100 watt amps. You have half the power tubes to replace.

Who's using stacks amymore? Most people just use the bottom cab. With modern PA's you don't need a row of stacks. They look cool as hell but you don't need them.

To my ears, I like the sound of the 50 watt amps a little better. They are a little warmer.

I rarely use practice amps. I just plug my Marshall into a 1x12 cabinet and push it with some good peddles. I use a good old DOD 250 overdrive for several things. It boosts my vintage Strat pickups enough to where it's hotter but still sounds good. It smooths out my Fuzzface. It still gives good dirt through an uncranked amp for practice. Sometimes I use an Electroharmonix Double Muff, but this peddle only sounds good with PAF pickups. My Wolfgang sounds like shit through that peddle. It works for a Les Paul and SG to where I'm getting a great early Zeppelin sound.

The right peddles can be the key to getting good tone at low volumes. The right combination of fuzz and overdrive peddles can make you sound like you are blazing through a cranked Marshall with the speakers about ready to blow at low practice levels. Plus the right peddles can behave just like a cranked amp by cleaning up with the volume knob.

So I use the same rig for playing gigs or practice. I just use my peddles a little different and use a smaller or bigger cab.

I have found Marshall cabs sound the best, whether you are using a 4x12 or 1x12. They are more expensive but worth every penny.

I can't emphasize enough about having the right speaker cabinet. I have a homemade 1x12 and it sounds great with a high gain amp like a Soldano but sounds like shit with the Marshall. So I highly recommend Marshal speakers cabinets in the size needed for the job.

I don't think getting a good sound is easy. Everything has to work right together: pickups, peddles, amps, and speakers. The unaware assume you just match things up based on their function, wattage, or size. It's not that easy. Everything has it's little quirks. Like if I played my Wolfgang through a Double Muff, the Marshall, and my homemade 1x12 speaker. Oh God does that sound like shit!

I don't know if there is a way of sculpturing your sound without wasting some money buying and trying things out. We've all bought peddles and amps we ended up hating. I think the answer is electric guitar is an instument that is good at eating your money. Sometimes I wish I would have just stuck with the saxaphone. A lot less shit to buy for that instument. LOL

[Big Fat Sammy]

Yeah it takes trial and error to get it right.

Last night I was surprised to hear a borrowed guitar (broke a string) that used to sound like shit through the Marshall, kill through the Traynor.

I use single coils always, but this humbucker guitar sounded like the tele to me, just a little louder w/ more bass. It was an Electra.

On a side note.......last night someone finally mentioned the EVH paint job on the pedal board. After the show, this chick asked me if the paint job had "anything to do with Sammy?"

Said "Hell no!" "Dave all the way."