Metropoulos Forum

Previously, I was mildly obsessed with getting THAT tone with just the amp, straight in. I have found that using an EQ, MXR primarily, but also now the GE-7, is much more for sustain than for gain. I find that the decay of the notes/chords are much quicker with nothing in line with the guitar. When using the EQs, the note seem to bloom more just like what I hear in those RWTD clips.

I even use it, albeit much less of a bump in the sliders, with the MM1300 even. Granted this is at above bedroom level. When I get the opportunity to run the amp unattenuated, well, that's a completely different animal.

Just my rainy Saturday morning musings.

That's the only way I can get that bit extra when using a paf.

You're definitely correct about the sustain though! My plexi sustains well, but the MXR just adds that bit more that encourages you to hold the notes more.

Well then, now we have a amp question..." how do we add sustain to the plexi circuit?" We aren't necessarily just adding gain, but sustain. Are they independent of each other? Do transformers play a role?

Do you play in front of the amp full tilt? Anytime I record, I play right in front of the cab(s) or in the same room to get the amp and the guitar reacting and resonating back and forth with each other. That does make a big difference in sustain. And that includes clean tones as well as distorted. Whenever I have tracked in the safety and comfort of the control room or put the amp in an iso booth, that's exactly what it ended up sounding like, safe and comfortable.

IMHO, the MXR (or Boss EQ/micro-amp/whatever flavor boost) is really only needed or used on some of the VHI songs. RWTD, Ain't Talkin, I'm the One, Atomic Punk, etc. The hot and hairy stuff. FYLT, Jamie, Dreamer, all sound like just echo-plex only with a great amp. I don't think all the songs are the same drive with only guitar changes.

I would say transformers do have a part in it.

The most notable increase of sustain after a tweak that I noticed, was the reduction of the screens filtering and messing with the nfb value.

The other large contributer is definitely the eq also. I have a number of different EQs, but never pitted them against each other to see the differences.