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Dammit. One is never enough, is it?


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That is spectacular, Marshall! I'm way jealous. I'm sure you'll enjoy that... :rocker:

Fortunately, my wife gives full approval because she loves the color! :duck:

 

Wood like that top is just too beautiful to be hatin' on it!!!!

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Now it"s time to start buying amps. ð

 

Them's fightin" words!!!!! :laugh:

 

A good few guitars have found homes here, amps have come and gone for the most part. I would have done well to keep all the vintage stuff but the quest for something "better" has caused an amp cycle around these parts.

 

My tastes and needs have changed in 40+ years of gigging, so has what's on offer. It''s an evolutionary process. Some obvious things have been sussed out, others remain nebulous.

 

I am down to 9 now and am slowly processing the idea of having two different modern solid state amps with multiple effects for stereo guitar.

 

There are at least 3 amps that need new homes - two of those are vintage tube "clones." I keep them so I can use them to test a considerable stash of vintage tubes first - that is a long process.

 

I'd like one of the modern, small, light, loud and amazing sounding bass amps but my bassist will let me borrow one if I have a gig. Bass gigs are not that common so I'll probably just borrow.

 

My conclusion: amps are bad, very bad.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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I have too many amps and I"m getting an itch to build a 5E3 with a Celestion Blue. Priced speakers today. I sure didn"t realize that was a $280 driver.

 

Right now I"m not using an amp to gig with. Playing through a Helix direct to the desk.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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I have too many amps and I"m getting an itch to build a 5E3 with a Celestion Blue. Priced speakers today. I sure didn"t realize that was a $280 driver.

 

Long ago and far away, I had a couple of those. My brother bought one that had been spray painted black at a garage sale for $20.

I bought a TV front Deluxe at the swap meet once for $15, then the cats used it as a scratching post.

 

I also had a late 50's Harvard, sort of a Deluxe with 1-10 or a Princeton thingie. It sounded great dimed!!!!

 

Tons of overpriced and overrated (IMHO) speakers out there and Celestion is flogging their name. Eminence offers better value, just for one. I've never tried their speaker with the built in attenuator but that might be nice for a Deluxe since you have to turn them pretty loud to get that tone and cranking the speaker down might get the volume to a more sensible range.

I'm also a fan of the Peavey Scorpion speaker, you can find used for less than 1/4 of what that Celestion costs and I like the sound of it better by far but it's pretty efficient.

 

JBL G125-8 is a fantastic guitar speaker, unknown and under-rated. It will make your Deluxe build so loud you can barely stand it though.

 

One of my two clones is a converted Hammond organ amp with the original transformers - a 5D3 Deluxe circuit (modded). The Hammond came with EL84 outputs but the circuit is very similar to 6V6 so the builder converted it. All true point to point hand-wired, matched vintage output tubes. The builder jumpered the two channels internally and made one of them brighter than the other. You can dial in either or both, just those two knobs and a tone knob. It's a great amp but I just don't play that loud anymore. I've thought about putting my JBL in a bass cab, it makes a great bass speaker - and using the Deluxe for a home recording bass amp. All the fat and grind you'd ever want.

 

My other clone is a converted hi-fi amp with orginal transformers. A hand wired point to point clone of the original Vox AC-15 Top Cut circuit. The tone knob does nothing, the volume and top cut both work. It has the EF86 preamp tube - double the gain of a 12ax7. It can get evil but again, louder than I want to be on stage. Very different tone with the EF86.

 

I never use either of them, my experience with tubes is that the amps can be very reliable but tubes will wet the bed sooner or later. I've had too many problems at gigs to ever use a tube amp again, I just want reliable.

 

Current main gigger is the Boss Katana 100 Combo set for 1/2 watt. That allows the output section to run hard enough to start sounding really good. It isn't "just like tubes" but it isn't the cliched "solid state, thin yet harsh" tone either. I really like it and the speaker simulated line out run through a Whirlwind IMP2 sounds just like the amp speaker coming through the PA. It's more than good enough. Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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So, after a half a day of playing, I'm thinking this may be my favorite one yet. The feel and especially the tone of this guitar are nothing short of fabulous. Just about everything I play on it makes me grin. Dinner was a half hour late last night because I couldn't put the thing down. I was already picking on it around 7AM this morning (at low volume, of course).

...and the look of it just kills me. :love::rocker:

 

CFXN9ep.jpg

 

dB

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

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It was inevitable, at some point all of us find our happy place. You can play anything on that guitar, now it's all right there in your hands.

 

I've always had at least one Tele laying around, always with a fat neck. I play and enjoy other electric guitars and my Tele is massivly boogered to my tastes but it's still a Tele and I still favor it.

I sorta feel bad flogging a Strat lately...

1145.thumb.jpg.785d61cfa284fe8f3645e42689e6af12.jpg

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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So, after a half a day of playing, I'm thinking this may be my favorite one yet. The feel and especially the tone of this guitar are nothing short of fabulous. Just about everything I play on it makes me grin. Dinner was a half hour late last night because I couldn't put the thing down. I was already picking on it around 7AM this morning (at low volume, of course).

...and the look of it just kills me. :love::rocker:

dB

I am not of fan of Gibson guitars, but if I had to choose one it would be an SG without question. The TA Cobra I just purchased fits nicely into that tonal slot for me.
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Now it"s time to start buying amps. ð
Kemper Profiler!

 

My wife works from home (for the past 15 years, not just recently) so I have to be quiet around the house, especially when she is on deadline. I have owned several Mesa Boogie amps in the past, most recently a Lonestar 2x12 combo, then an Electrodyne 1x12. Even in low power mode, those things were so EFFING LOUD that even with the volume at 0.5, just enough to push it through to the power amp, it was just too much. I tried various "headphone" solutions including a Line 6 Pod and an Apogee Jam into Garage Band or Guitar Pro, and it just didn't do it for me. The Kemper Profiler sounds amazing (especially the clean tones) even through headphones, makes it easy to record, you can get a powered version with cab if you play out, and best of all can sound like almost any amp, to the point where you can decide what actual tube amp you would like based on the profiles. Christoph Kemper has been continually introducing firmware updates, the next major addition will be an acoustic guitar simulation, to make your electric sound like an acoustic. Uncanny...

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Now it"s time to start buying amps. ð
Kemper Profiler!

 

My wife works from home (for the past 15 years, not just recently) so I have to be quiet around the house, especially when she is on deadline. I have owned several Mesa Boogie amps in the past, most recently a Lonestar 2x12 combo, then an Electrodyne 1x12. Even in low power mode, those things were so EFFING LOUD that even with the volume at 0.5, just enough to push it through to the power amp, it was just too much. I tried various "headphone" solutions including a Line 6 Pod and an Apogee Jam into Garage Band or Guitar Pro, and it just didn't do it for me. The Kemper Profiler sounds amazing (especially the clean tones) even through headphones, makes it easy to record, you can get a powered version with cab if you play out, and best of all can sound like almost any amp, to the point where you can decide what actual tube amp you would like based on the profiles. Christoph Kemper has been continually introducing firmware updates, the next major addition will be an acoustic guitar simulation, to make your electric sound like an acoustic. Uncanny...

 

I want a Kemper!!!! I watched the Doug and Pat Show on YouTube where they had a friend with a Kemper come in and model their beloved Vox AC10 and it blew their minds.

 

I've had 9 Mesa amps, even the 5:25 Express with 1-10 set to the 5 watt single-ended position was too loud for doodling in my multi-unit condo complex. My current favorite home amps are Peavey Vypyr VIP - 1 and 3. I LOVE TransTube, I think it is Hartley Peavey's greatest contribution, it's been 25 years since the first TransTube amps and they've really got it down - analog solid state emulating tubes. All the fun effects are built in, you can dial up just about anythnig and play at low volumes with a convincing tone. The VIP 1 needed a good 10" speaker - Weber Neo-Mag, now it sounds great. Just gotta figure out the Sanpera thing and I may just mic it up and gig with it.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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On the amp front, I have a Fender HRD and an Orange TH30. I bought the Orange to handle metal tones the Fender couldn"t touch. But because of real-world complications, I haven"t been able to actual PLAY the damn thing since I brought it home for Christmas...2017. It got played in the store, so I know it works. But...

 

I say that to say this: I have a short list of amps I"d love to own- from makers like Quilter, Mesa, Supro, Peavey, Carvin, etc.- but I promised myself I wouldn"t buy ANY until the Orange gets some love.

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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I have too many amps and I"m getting an itch to build a 5E3 with a Celestion Blue. Priced speakers today. I sure didn"t realize that was a $280 driver.

 

Well worth the price. I have a repro Vox 2x12 cabinet from NorthCoastMusic.com with a set of Celestion Blues. The Weber alnico speakers sound great and are cheaper, that's what I use in my tweed 5F10 Harvard.

 

Right now I"m not using an amp to gig with.

 

Modelers aren't completely reliable either. My Vox Valvetronix failed at a gig. Effects Insert jacks went bad. They are poor quality jacks - since I never use them, I just opened it up and hard wired them from send to return.

 

Playing through a Helix direct to the desk.

 

Currently gigging my Valvetronix head (not combo) into a vintage Groove Tubes Speaker Emulator, direct into FOH. Great sounding box. No guitar cabinet needed.

 

I also had a late 50's Harvard, sort of a Deluxe with 1-10 or a Princeton thingie. It sounded great dimed!!!!

 

Deluxe has a tone recovery tube, 5F10 Harvard doesn't. Different plate voltage too. Different sound but both sound great.

 

But those 5F10 Harvards sound louder than ten watts!!! My amp is here, found a fixer-upper for a good price.

 

Harvard used a single triode 6AT6 in the preamp stage, basically 1/2 a 12AU7. No other Fender amp used that tube. I landed a pile of NOS 6AT6 tubes (various OEMs Sylvania, GE, etc) including some 6AV6 with higher gain. But if you have too much gain (like 6AV6 with a hot 12AX7 in the PI), the Harvard flubs out and it doesn't sound pretty. DON'T use a 6AU6, that is a pentode not a triode and is not compatible.

 

Changing tubes in the phase inverter can alter the tone. Cathodyne phase inverters in the tweed amps were more sensitive to tubes than the long tailed phase inverter in the bigger Bassman and Twin amps. The cathodyne PI introduces distortion of its own, you can hear it when changing tubes. Almost nobody experiments with that tube. I settled with a GE 5751 in the PI, that tube is selected for "matched" triodes which makes the amp sound fuller.

 

Tons of overpriced and overrated (IMHO) speakers out there and Celestion is flogging their name.

 

My Harvard was missing the original driver, it came with a 60s Jensen ceramic speaker which is not period accurate. I replaced it with a Weber alnico 20w speaker and it sounds great.

 

Current main gigger is the Boss Katana 100 Combo set for 1/2 watt. That allows the output section to run hard enough to start sounding really good. It isn't "just like tubes" but it isn't the cliched "solid state, thin yet harsh" tone either. I really like it and the speaker simulated line out run through a Whirlwind IMP2 sounds just like the amp speaker coming through the PA. It's more than good enough. Cheers, Kuru

 

My Valvetronix amp - the 1st version "blue face" - has a tube in the power amp section. I can hear the tone improvement with the master volume above 7, the power amp started crunching and sounds fuller. Power tube distortion is often overlooked in amp modelers. I don't use a guitar cabinet onstage, I go direct into FOH using a Groove Tubes Speaker Emulator. I have a Red Box and that sounds great but is missing the inductive load of the GT.

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[q

Deluxe has a tone recovery tube, 5F10 Harvard doesn't. Different plate voltage too. Different sound but both sound great.

 

But those 5F10 Harvards sound louder than ten watts!!! My amp is here, found a fixer-upper for a good price.

 

Harvard used a single triode 6AT6 in the preamp stage, basically 1/2 a 12AU7. No other Fender amp used that tube. I landed a pile of NOS 6AT6 tubes (various OEMs Sylvania, GE, etc) including some 6AV6 with higher gain. But if you have too much gain (like 6AV6 with a hot 12AX7 in the PI), the Harvard flubs out and it doesn't sound pretty. DON'T use a 6AU6, that is a pentode not a triode and is not compatible.

 

Changing tubes in the phase inverter can alter the tone. Cathodyne phase inverters in the tweed amps were more sensitive to tubes than the long tailed phase inverter in the bigger Bassman and Twin amps. The cathodyne PI introduces distortion of its own, you can hear it when changing tubes. Almost nobody experiments with that tube. I settled with a GE 5751 in the PI, that tube is selected for "matched" triodes which makes the amp sound fuller.

 

Tons of overpriced and overrated (IMHO) speakers out there and Celestion is flogging their name.

 

My Harvard was missing the original driver, it came with a 60s Jensen ceramic speaker which is not period accurate. I replaced it with a Weber alnico 20w speaker and it sounds great.

 

Current main gigger is the Boss Katana 100 Combo set for 1/2 watt. That allows the output section to run hard enough to start sounding really good. It isn't "just like tubes" but it isn't the cliched "solid state, thin yet harsh" tone either. I really like it and the speaker simulated line out run through a Whirlwind IMP2 sounds just like the amp speaker coming through the PA. It's more than good enough. Cheers, Kuru

 

My Valvetronix amp - the 1st version "blue face" - has a tube in the power amp section. I can hear the tone improvement with the master volume above 7, the power amp started crunching and sounds fuller. Power tube distortion is often overlooked in amp modelers. I don't use a guitar cabinet onstage, I go direct into FOH using a Groove Tubes Speaker Emulator. I have a Red Box and that sounds great but is missing the inductive load of the GT.

 

 

My Harvard is long since gone.

I agree on the PI tube, it is overlooked and important. I have a nice stash of vintage tubes.

12AT7 can also be a good sounding PI. Pretty safe swap, has never given me problems.

 

The Vox circuit is unique, I've owned a couple of Vox amps and found the overall build quality and access to the tube when it failed (which it did) to be cautionary and now somebody else's problem.

I did like the AC 15 modelling, it was a good sound.

 

Our PA system is simple so an onstage speaker is a must. The Katana is by far the biggest and heaviest combo I use now - 31 pounds is doable. Lately I've been playing a Roland Cube 40gx - 40 watts and 1-10" speaker. That is more than enough. It shuts the speaker off to use the speaker sim line out so I mic it or we are playing a small place as a duo and the speaker is more than enough for the room.

The Katana line out sounds fantastic and there the same switch that has 100-50-1/2 watts also has bypass for silent stage.

My Peavey Envoy 110 also has a great sounding speaker sim DI, that's 40 watts and 1-10 and TransTube, which is my favorte modeling so far. The Tech 21 stuff is excellent too. Both Peavey and Tech 21 use analog circuits for amp models, it feels better to me than the Katana.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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In the amp department: Fender 410 Hot Rod Deville, Fender 112 Hot Rod Deluxe, ZT Club 12, Roland Street Cube EX, Fender 112 Deluxe Tone Master...Fender Floor Pedal Direct to my Carvin PA (s), Fishman Solo Amp.

All I really need to hang on to is my Deluxe Tone Master and my Roland Cube. :cool:

Take care, Larryz
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So...how am I doing? :rocker:

Can't seem to get away from black and blue finishes... :idk:

I am kinda envious that you can keep your guitars out like that. Here in the desert, where current relative humidity is literally 8%, they have to stay in their cases with humidifiers.
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Black and blue are good colors. For me it depends on what colors i tend to wear. Mostly I favor darker hues so lighter and brigher guitars stand out more.

 

Was on a red kick for a while there, still have red basses. Yesterday an Epi ES335 Pro came up on craigslist for $300 with HSC. I want it but the timing is wrong. Plus, it will need a fat neck, like my Studio model.

 

Looked nice though and I would not hesitate to gig with it.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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We had a lighting director who dislike dark colors. He hated black drums. I would usually wear white slacks, white fedora but a black shirt because I was fat. He loved reflective color.

 

The best light guys smoke weed. ð

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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We had a lighting director who dislike dark colors. He hated black drums. I would usually wear white slacks, white fedora but a black shirt because I was fat. He loved reflective color.

 

The best light guys smoke weed. ð

 

Maybe I should consider a second career . . .

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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I don"t know... it"s just been my experience that the really good ones smoked a lot of weed. Maybe it helps establish a good frame of mind for visualizing and programming all those scenes.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
So, after a half a day of playing, I'm thinking this may be my favorite one yet. The feel and especially the tone of this guitar are nothing short of fabulous. Just about everything I play on it makes me grin. Dinner was a half hour late last night because I couldn't put the thing down. I was already picking on it around 7AM this morning (at low volume, of course).

...and the look of it just kills me. :love::rocker:

 

CFXN9ep.jpg

 

dB

 

That's a beauty!!!

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I promised myself - and the wife - that I wouldn't buy any more guitars... because I have all the bases covered and some redundancies...

 

but a couple of days ago the G.A.S. hit and I bought one of the Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI things when offered at a decent (cheap) price.

 

Hey, it's not a "guitar!"

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I hemmed and hawed for a long time over Bass VI choices, and one of the ones I was interested in got discontinued. I ended up taking a risk on the latest version (third rev!) of Schecter's Hellcat VI and am quite pleased. Great pickups, good feel and sound, and excellent workmanship.

 

The Squier was my backup choice if it didn't work out; the most recent Fender model didn't hit all the right buttons for me.

 

I think of the Bass VI a more of a low-tuned Baritone Guitar than as a traditional Bass Guitar role.

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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I forget what year my Les Paul Gold Top Custom Shop model is, as I bought it barely-used in 2013, and am too busy to let myself go down any rabbit holes so am not going to try to research it now, but the S/N is #711681. My recollection is that Custom Shop serial numbers follow a different pattern and have to be looked up differently than standard models. Best LP I've ever played!

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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