Overdriving 122 at low volume

[Gary75]

I'm hoping some of you guys have had a similar situation.

 

I need to record the a100 122 setup at home but I also need to achieve a bit of growl at low volume due to my neighbours being very old.

 

Is there a temp mod I can do to achieve this?

 

It usually has to be up around 7 on the 122 and flattening the swell pedal. I'm hoping I can achieve this on about a setting of 3 on the 122 amp.

[Jon May]

Just thinking of what our guitar bretheren might do (if sorely pushed), and use a power soak? Although some of them complain that they mess with their tone

[dazzjazz]

Let me know if you have any success - i need to do the same thing!!

[bourniplus]

You could try a power attenuator. When I researched this, I found the Tube Juice and emailed the guy who makes them, he told me it would work in a leslie. Of course you would need the correct impedance. Haven't bought one yet.

 

You could also try the zener overdrive trick in your A100, connect around 6 3.3v zener diodes back-to-back between the GG output. Less diodes=more overdrive. Not as authentic as real tube overdrive, but still impressive for such a cheap solution. You can do it temporarily with alligator clips to see if you like it.

[Gary75]

Dad just suggested experimenting with a bulb across the speakers, might give it a go. I just assumed there was a tried and tested method. The amount of us who have organs and live in residential areas, it would be cool to have a method of recording at lower volume whilst retaining tone of higher volume.

 

Damn, you think I should go over to the geetar forum? It's risky, no telling what I may receive.

[JMcS]

Why not just buy your neighbours a pair of tickets to a dinner theater or something else that would take up an afternoon and let 'er rip.

[Analogaddict]

I have a Speakeasy 122 AMA - I really feel that it captures the 122 amp growl at any volume level. It may be a bit pricey, but if you need that sound at home I can't think of a better way to do it.

[Tonysounds]

+1 on the AMA. I used to throw a TOA mixer amp (wish I still had that!) in front of my first 122 when I was a late teen to get it to scream at low volume.

[CEB]

Here is a long shot.

 

Ask around with some older guitar and organ players who would have been active in the 60's or early 70's. See if they know anyone who may have an Ice Cube they would want to part with. The ice cube was a box that plugged in your reverb in and out jacks. The ice cube was sold as a overdrive/sustainer thing for Fender guitar amp. As a guitar unit it sort of sucked. Any fuzz box made in the 70's or later would blow it away but it was a non evasive way to give Hammonds distorion.

 

I would not pay very much for one. I am not sure if it is really a good 'quiet' option. I never played one in a living room. A freind of mine used one on his C3 and liked it. Maybe some of the other older guys can advise on this option.

 

I only mention this because it is simple and non-evasive.

[Musicale]

I believe there is a pot to control the output of the A100, somewhere. You should be able to crak that up and overdrive the input of the 122.

 

Look at the schematic of the A100 amp and preamp and you should be able to find it.

 

Regards,

[Gary75]

Hmm I suppose I should try adjusting the capacitor in the swell box, see if that gets close. My A100 is ran off the preamp same as the B/C I find the main and reverb amps a pile of junk, the lower section is empty now apart from the preamp and swell pedal. . I had thought of installing a high power amp/speaker in there, but that's a different topic.

[mate stubb]

Load resistor box is the only way. Any attempt to play with the preamp gain vs the amp gain is not going to help.

 

In order to get the tone, you have to crank the amp. And if you crank the amp without a load box, it will be loud.

 

The other way to go is to construct an acoustic isolation box around the leslie and mic inside the box. If you are in an apartment though, it could get quite involved.

[Steve Nathan]

Temporarily replace the 12AU7s with 12AX7s.

It will growl at lower volume. At high volume, your Leslie will "walk" across the room.

[Gary75]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I may have some AX7s lying around. The load resistor sounds good too. I'll get back to you on it once iv tried em.

[Jim Alfredson]

I never liked the tone of a 12AX7 in a 122, though yes it does get into overdrive territory a lot faster.

 

A load of some kind is probably your best bet. It won't harm the amp and you can crank it as high as you want.

 

On a related note: This is one reason I love the 3300 so much. You can dial in all the grunge you want and still play at a low volume due to the master volume knob.

[JpScoey]

...I also need to achieve a bit of growl at low volume due to my neighbours being very old...

 

Surely this would mean you could play as loud as you like??? -

 

& they'd probably just think there was a problem with the plumbing, or something!

[Outkaster]

I never liked the tone of a 12AX7 in a 122, though yes it does get into overdrive territory a lot faster.

 

A load of some kind is probably your best bet. It won't harm the amp and you can crank it as high as you want.

 

On a related note: This is one reason I love the 3300 so much. You can dial in all the grunge you want and still play at a low volume due to the master volume knob.

 

I am consider getting one from a buddy.