YRGM clip - going for studio sound

[rgorke]

I want my tubes back!!!!!!!! Just kidding, sort of.

Sounds awesome!!! The code has been cracked.

Tis is fun, Van Halen distortion pedals for everyone!!!

[stef]

Each amp is its own beast.

This is the most important thing I've learned here! Specs are not the exact or universal formulas - they are just guidelines

I'd still like to know
1. 6CA7 (RCA) tubes?
2. 500k volume pot, no tone pot, no resonance pot? (guitar) Right?

[somethin'else]

All these petty questions. I know what you really want to know. The answer is no, I did not and am not taking performance enhancing drugs...

Most of the answers to your questions now have been posted in various places throughout the forum. Have fun digging

Df was right though, there is no formula so it doesn't really matter if he shared eds specs. Each amp is its own beast. The cool thing is we've learned what most haven't, and that's what components affect tone and how. Without that, you're hosed.

Damn if you haven't earned every right to say that, and well said!

[Tone Slinger]

No gut shots ? So this amp of Kev's is tuned to work in a slaving scenario (slaving definately changes the feel in your hands imo) ? You start running this into that and that into this too much, then you really arent playing a 12xxx half stack anymore, ya know. Still, awesome clip bro

[julkke]

The info is in the cellar... You guys should go there more often.

[efraser68]

Kevin is luring us back into the jungle and sadly our families will suffer the most. I think this clip is good because it has that nice crackling crustiness and openness vs. too much chewiness like in this clip (see clip below, I think this was the sister amp I put together to mimic Ben's amp, with a super70/destroyer). I spent much of the time trying to tune in the low E string on Ben's amp and got it pretty good, but then went on to loose it later on. Maybe the 1000pf mix cap makes the fat cap less flubby, though at the beginning of Kevin's clip that little muddy E string thing through me off to the tone that followed. The tone is clear, bright yet fat with everything between falling into place. Is it more of a scooped tone than excessive mids? -or a frown curve with a smile curve over it? The jungle is closing in, I'll see you guys down in the basement here.

I hear what you mean about the mids. What a great clip too, it's all nuance at this point which can also be how these clips are mic'ed. That sister amp clip is just going through the PB 100?

[efraser68]

No gut shots ? So this amp of Kev's is tuned to work in a slaving scenario (slaving definately changes the feel in your hands imo) ? You start running this into that and that into this too much, then you really arent playing a 12xxx half stack anymore, ya know. Still, awesome clip bro

TS ~ make no mistake...Kevin's rig going straight into the HP sounds pretty damn close to the Black Page Production RWTD Celestion clip. The slaving thing, I think, is more about not wanting to f up the amp with an effects loop and getting great verb.

[vanhalen5150]

$20 says he's on Oprah by spring.

[YMI5150?]

So this amp of Kev's is tuned to work in a slaving scenario (slaving definately changes the feel in your hands imo) ? You start running this into that and that into this too much, then you really arent playing a 12xxx half stack anymore, ya know. Still, awesome clip bro

I'm not sure playing a raw 12 series dimed is a requirement to achieve the goal for the studio sound. Eric's right and we can throw a clip up showing what this sounds like attenuated dry. it just toggles from record tone to club days tone. i think there's a misconception that slaving has a significant impact on tone. adding reverb affects tone far more than the power amp.

after you play the rig slaved with the reverb dialed in (which by the way is no simple feat), you never even think of playing it any other way unless you have to.

[Tone Slinger]

My 2 cents, is that the Powerbrake isnt the best attenuator for getting the purist tone out of a Marshall. I think Ralle's use of one (and then Mark, and strat78, etc) got people on to the bandwagon. The powerbrake seems to add a girth or middiness that is very noticable, and is a divergence from the amps core sound.
The hotplate (it was efraser's 12xxx clips) has really impressed me as of late. This clip of Kev's also uses a hotplate. Vanhalen5150's Oct. clips 'Blue Yeti' are also super bad assed. I think that was an Alex's attenuator ? One thing is for sure, I'm gonna be needing one (attenuator) before too long.

I see the point about the reverb. I was TOTALLy trying to find a 'in front' reverb pedal to get at that. There really isnt one that comes close to what you got there on that clip bro. Again Great job

[mapat]

You're probably going to get slammed with requests, Kevin, but if you have a chance, could you post a clip of straight attenuation with reverb?

I would agree that, in terms of trying for the *first record* sound, the reverb the way you have it set up would be the most crucial factor. I'm wondering how much the slaving and variac-ing play into getting this unreal tone that you've got on your hands. Honestly, I can't even imagine how it must sound like to be in the room and when you play, you've got the first record coming out of your cabs! It must feel like you've died and gone to tone heaven!

[somethin'else]

Kevin, can you just play VHI snippets (couple min. ea.) of all of the songs . . . for me? Please? With setup as you posted, and then another day, just attenuated? Then build the VHII amp and do the same, but don't forget the right guitar/pup combo! I can wait for WCAF, 'cause I know it's a lotta work, but hey, the kids won't mind!

[YMI5150?]

Kevin, can you just play VHI snippets (couple min. ea.) of all of the songs . . . for me? Please? With setup as you posted, and then another day, just attenuated? Then build the VHII amp and do the same, but don't forget the right guitar/pup combo! I can wait for WCAF, 'cause I know it's a lotta work, but hey, the kids won't mind!

hate to say it but it's gonna be a couple weeks probably.

i'm fairly certain i can get all 4-5 albums with this rig and a few guitars i have. stay tuned.

[vanhalen5150]

Can you build a little guitar and do "little guitars" for me. I'm not convinced until I hear that one.

[stef]

There's one more thing in Kevin's VHI tone chain - Vintage30 speakers! As far as I remember not a single
12000 M(25w)/V30 clip posted so far (maybe Kevin had one or two clips posted prior to this, testing his reverb etc..)
Dave F said more than once that JBL's are the missing link for VHI sound. Strat78 had good results with H's if I remember corectly