Small Amp Rant

[corpse]

We auditioned a guy for our rock band who was a bored metal player. He showed up with a Peavy Chorus tiny thing with an 8"- he knew any metal song i had ever heard. Killah.
Didn't know any SRV or STP even for that matter... Great player though- for his genre.

 

[Any Name You Wish]

We auditioned a guy for our rock band who was a bored metal player. He showed up with a Peavy Chorus tiny thing with an 8"- he knew any metal song i had ever heard. Killah.
Didn't know any SRV or STP even for that matter... Great player though- for his genre.

I would have walked over and put my boot through that Peavy.

 

[GreenBurst]

I would have walked over and put my boot through that Peavy.

But another guy owned it! ??

 

[NickiC]

I wouldn't use SRV or STP as a benchmark to judge a players musical competence. SRV is legendary, SFW.

 

[Any Name You Wish]

But another guy owned it! ??

I would put my boot through him too for bringing it.

 

[GreenBurst]

I would put my boot through him too for bringing it.

Wouldn't that be a crime?

 

[Any Name You Wish]

Wouldn't that be a crime?

If he were as bad as the last guitarist I had to deal with, then people would buy me beer.

 

[darkwave]

Thought I described it but above in terms of the time signature, but for those that can't read music:

A triplet is a single beat divided into thirds. It will be notated as three "beamed" eight notes BUT there will be a numeral "3" over the beam to designate it as a triplet and not 3 eight notes beamed. If you look at a 6/8 Walz, you commonly see the beamed eight notes are in threes so there will be two beamed eight note triples. Not the same. A triplet is one beat, but in 6/8 each of the eighth notes is a beat, so you would count the first beam one two three, and the second beam 4,5,6. To a listener however, they may interpret it as 123, 223, or just 123,123,123, which is fine, but what you hear and what the musician sees telling him or her where to place the notes is different.

In the case of a waltz, there is usually little to no syncopation involved off the straight beats (this is historical in origin to the Romantic period of music and based upon a German style from Vienna in case you ever wanted to know ) such that how the listener counts doesn't matter too much. It was the 18th century version of, "Dick, it's got a good beat and it's easy to dance to and so I give it a six". So the waltz can be counted in three or even two as long as the king's courtly gentlemen and ladies were happy.

But now, let's move 6/8 forward 200 years and see what the Allman Brothers did with it. Lot's of syncopation and swampy groove. You ain't scoring Whipping Post or In Memory of Elizabeth Reed in two. No way, no how. And it matters to pro musicians because it's the sheet music that gets copywritten.

This stuff may be foreign if you haven't had structured education, but you can learn it. We teach this stuff to fourth graders. You just need to push the tabs - that are rarely correct - away and decide to learn to read, learn theory and ear training. You CAN do it, I promise.

Chuck

I remember orchestra directors directing 6/8 songs in 2 (motions of the baton) - two groupings of three notes fit the feel that I remember and hear in every 6/8 song I'm aware of. I don't think I've ever seen anyone try and break it into 3, regardless of it being quarter or eighth notes?

- Douglas C.

AND... sorry for the diversion from the main topic. To make amends:
I like the mids that my small 12w 1x10 amp has, and it honestly can cover a lot in a band situation. Problem is, I play baritone quite a bit and that small combo completely lacks the bass needed for that. My bigger amp (100w, two 1x12 cabs) has the bass and treble, but the mids seem too scooped (it has a DEEP mod I think I need to tame down). My happy space is to run both, but that's not happy for my back or load-in time.

- Douglas C.

 

[GreenBurst]

If he were as bad as the last guitarist I had to deal with, then people would buy me beer.

It's best to tone down violence in Internet posts. Online optics get distorted.

 

[J T]

Moving ceiling tiles and rattling windows is fun sometimes.

 

[Athos]

Nice! Is that a Plexi-based circuit?

 

[HDA71]

Thin walls in that Roccaforte cab.?

 

[J T]

Nice! Is that a Plexi-based circuit?

Marshall Plexi based EL34. Very loud but very usable. Has a Master to keep it under control. This can cut through anything and move air.

 

[J T]

Thin walls in that Roccaforte cab.?

Yeah Doug built that for me for this amp. Eminence 4x12s

 

[calcheyup]

'59 Bassman RI for everything, that's what I say!

BTW JB, Dominos is not my favorite sound. Playing was great, sound not so much.

A little OT but I've gotta agree with you on that one. Playing was righteous, but to me the tone was just okay. And this will be blasphemy on a Les Paul forum, but my favorite Clapton tone is his contemporary one, a Strat into a Tweed Twin. Absolutely fantastic sound. Woman tone a close second.

I won't editorialize on the gist of this thread (song strong opinions here, and from guys with way, way more experience than I have), other than to say, I just really enjoy the way I can feel the air moving from the 2x12 or 4x10, even at lower volume. Just something about it that I've never got out of a Princeton or DR.

Should have watched the Class 5 Marshall video that was posted. Seems to be an endorsement thing from years ago and not something he actually uses. Apart from those excellent high powered tweed twins he seems to be using a 100 watt Fuchs ODS now. Those are amazing amps. Might have to look at a few more of his videos.

I was under the impression Joe's current rig was 2 x High Power Tweed Twin PLUS 2 x Tweed Bassman, surrounded by shielding such as to avoid any onstage fatalities.

 

[Offshore Angler]

If he were as bad as the last guitarist I had to deal with, then people would buy me beer.

Wow, that's harsh.

Remember, in the beginning that's what people said about you, me and all of us.

If you want to be a pro you need to learn to work with the band you've been put into and do your best to elevate everyone else. And if everyone was Tommy Tedesco or Lukather, I'd be out of work!

In my many, many years of doing this, I find the harshest critics in the band are usually the worst musicians.

Who auditioned the guy? Maybe somebody did him a disservice by sticking him in over his head. That's bad for everyone because it discourages up and coming players. We all - every one of us - sucked at first. But with the help and support of instructors, professors and especially the folks around us paying it forward we developed into journeymen.

And one thing I run into a lot is that someone who is a great musician in one context just might not be the best fit for the situation. If I'm doing Roasanna I don't want a metal drummer, I need someone who can lay it down like Purdy or Pocaro. Look at Steely Dan, they would record multiple players to get the one take they wanted.

Heck, even Gadd makes a mistake in the Aja drum solo, and that's considered a pretty good record and Steve is the best drummer I've ever seen.

I look at it like this: I committed to play my guitar for some amount of money and I will do that to the best of my ability. If the band ain't so hot it makes my job easier and the pay is the same anyway, so just smile, play and take the money. No need to badmouth anyone. That's a sure ticket to not getting more jobs. That, and the fact that usually 90% of the stuff that drives you crazy the audience is unaware of anyway.

What's the big deal as long as the gigs are steady? When all else fails just hit the one hard and follow the bouncing boobies all night, take your cash and tell them, "Thank You, if you ever need me again reach out."

Chuck

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

I only use low wattage amps, I rant at the bastids regularly.

I'm a home solo player, so my imput is limited within that context.

My favourite amp of the last 2 decades - Emery Sound MicroBaby, if I could reach to kick meself up the arse for letting it go, I most certainly would.

K910k Zq — Postimages

postimg.cc

Current.

Audio Kitchen - The Big Trees - amp/pedal. Ridiculous thing, both indispensable and brilliant.

f RIPrdx — Postimages

postimg.cc

Matchless - The Little Monster. 9 Watt. Beautiful.

Toq BNXr — Postimages

postimg.cc

 

[Any Name You Wish]

Wow, that's harsh.

Remember, in the beginning that's what people said about you, me and all of us.

If you want to be a pro you need to learn to work with the band you've been put into and do your best to elevate everyone else. And if everyone was Tommy Tedesco or Lukather, I'd be out of work!

In my many, many years of doing this, I find the harshest critics in the band are usually the worst musicians.

Who auditioned the guy? Maybe somebody did him a disservice by sticking him in over his head. That's bad for everyone because it discourages up and coming players. We all - every one of us - sucked at first. But with the help and support of instructors, professors and especially the folks around us paying it forward we developed into journeymen.

And one thing I run into a lot is that someone who is a great musician in one context just might not be the best fit for the situation. If I'm doing Roasanna I don't want a metal drummer, I need someone who can lay it down like Purdy or Pocaro. Look at Steely Dan, they would record multiple players to get the one take they wanted.

Heck, even Gadd makes a mistake in the Aja drum solo, and that's considered a pretty good record and Steve is the best drummer I've ever seen.

I look at it like this: I committed to play my guitar for some amount of money and I will do that to the best of my ability. If the band ain't so hot it makes my job easier and the pay is the same anyway, so just smile, play and take the money. No need to badmouth anyone. That's a sure ticket to not getting more jobs. That, and the fact that usually 90% of the stuff that drives you crazy the audience is unaware of anyway.

What's the big deal as long as the gigs are steady? When all else fails just hit the one hard and follow the bouncing boobies all night, take your cash and tell them, "Thank You, if you ever need me again reach out."

Chuck

You calling me harsh, that's rich there Chuck. As I said very early in this thread, "don't take what I say here too seriously."

 

[Athos]

Chuck, I think your heart is in the right place, but I feel like you make an awful lot of assumptions about people. For example, you seem to assume that everyone else also wants to be a professional musician. I’m just basing this on my observation of your posts, and how they often focus on the priorities of having steady gigs and making money.

@J T , that’s an awesome amp! I’m having a Plexi-based head built for me here at the moment, based on the 1987x (50 watts). Can’t wait to see how that sounds. I’ll pretty much always be attenuating it, but my tweed deluxe renewed my interest in non-master volume amps and how dynamic they can be.

 

[J T]

...

@J T , that’s an awesome amp! I’m having a Plexi-based head built for me here at the moment, based on the 1987x (50 watts). Can’t wait to see how that sounds. I’ll pretty much always be attenuating it, but my tweed deluxe renewed my interest in non-master volume amps and how dynamic they can be.

The story behind it was Billy Idol's Rhythm guitarist, Billy Morrison, wanted one amp to replace his two Plexi's. Doug built the Custom 80 for him.