Any Nuggets in Here?

[Tone Slinger]

'Sorry, I ain't diggin' that tone at all. Don't care for the floppy low-end that he has dialed in with the Resonance control. His playing is great as always though. The old ("brown") tone was so much better. That amp has some really nice features, but "more gain"?? Really??! It already had more gain than is usable. Gain from Hell. And now more? Why??

My feelings exactly

[Strat78]

Interesting that this amp is in a way giving a nod to the DIY crowed at least with the external bias terminals. Now people like garbeaj can bias their own amp instead of sending it to a tech! Sorry Allen you know we have your back!
I kind of cringed when Ed launched into Unchained, it's like he kicked in the Kirk Hammett channel. That stealth guitar is very sterile and inorganic sounding. That's the price you pay when you take out all the bugs and are left with a completely stable and reliable instrument. This "tone chaser" line just rings hollow, I would say he is more of a problem solver, trying to create the perfect functional plug and play product. My hope is in the next generation of rock musicians rebells against this wax museum tone.

[Tone Slinger]

What ever happened to Ed that said he didn't want more gain/distortion but more sustain. It's amazing that he is doing so many things these days that he was so opposed to in the early years. But people change, I get that... But he had such a good thing going with that Marshall of his.

True. Ed had such a good thing going earlier on. The sustain and dynamic response from the output stage of a tube Marshall is tops. Granted, depending on the specific circuit (era) or the guitar being used or speakers, etc, the distortion/clipping (level) may not be where many would want (like say where NITRO would want for ex.). I feel it is not for everyone to hear or understand the difference between Ed's early tone as oppossed to a hi gain amp. If people cant hear THAT difference (Nitro/Pittbull same person ), then the first step of the Journey (to BROWNSOUNDville) will never happen. The thing is the sustain, like mentioned. Its a natural sound that is inherently more DYNAMIC than the FLAT response of several cascaded stages of preamp gain. Ed was able to introduce more NUANCE and DETAIL into his earlier tone/playing. The two go hand in hand (amp/playing).

Thats why its very important to get a 1987/1959 amp that is stock circuit and sounds good CRANKED. Its then when you realize the importance of the transformers being used (and other components to a lesser degree). The old originals (Dagnalls) were the SHIT . Running additional cascaded gain stages in a 1987/1959 'hide' what the amp would sound like cranked, so in that application, ANY transformers within reason, would do the job. Straight up ran hard is when a 4 holer stands or falls.

[fivecoyote]

That's the price you pay when you take out all the bugs and are left with a completely stable and reliable instrument.

100% agree...and had no idea there was such an instrument -- never owned one! Can apply to the amp/speakers too.

[rdodson]

The current tone is reminiscent of the Steinberger, a completely stable and reliable instrument with (as anyone who owned one can attest) ZERO warmth or reactance to what the strings were doing.

[Rich_D]

That's the price you pay when you take out all the bugs and are left with a completely stable and reliable instrument.

+1 Same thing with the amp. Perfectly stable, even, smooth sustain which all sound like good descriptives but it's not distinctive. I'd love to have one of these amps though, preferably a 50w head with all those features.
I think Blackmore said he likes Strats instead of Les Pauls because an LP is just too easy to play and everyone comes out sounding the same. The fight is what brings out the nuances.
I have 1 ebony fretboard guitar and it doesn't have the same acoustic pop that maple has. Maybe a maple neck twang would put more interest into the amp tone.

[Bannny]

Interesting that this amp is in a way giving a nod to the DIY crowed at least with the external bias terminals. Now people like garbeaj can bias their own amp instead of sending it to a tech! Sorry Allen you know we have your back!
I kind of cringed when Ed launched into Unchained, it's like he kicked in the Kirk Hammett channel.'
That stealth guitar is very sterile and inorganic sounding.
That's the price you pay when you take out all the bugs and are left with a completely stable and reliable instrument. This "tone chaser" line just rings hollow, I would say he is more of a problem solver, trying to create the perfect functional plug and play product. My hope is in the next generation of rock musicians rebells against this wax museum tone.

Just found this, and I agree completely.

I'm as into EVH as anyone, but trying to mimic him contradicts his real message, which is strive to be original, develop your own character, do your own thing.

[Tone Slinger]

+1

[fivecoyote]

Fwiw I think ear's Ed's ears were superhuman. The tinny-ness I personally hear in his newer/Fender 5153 amps (more than his newer guitars/pickups) I think might have been him relying on his tinnitus ears...which were still probably better than 99.9999% of everyone else's. His ears and the products they resulted in helped a lot of folks find their own tone, which is pretty great.

[rdodson]

Yeah, I have a Charvel that almost plays itself. It is completely stable, has the perfect action, has everything. I can almost play like Holdsworth on it...but honestly it is quite sterile.

My Gibson Historic SG is still on the easy side to play, but has such a woody character, that I gravitate towards it.