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Question to Marshallhead and other SansAmp users

LesPaul59

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Jul 15, 2001
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I've been searching for a good way to get some modern high gain through my JCM Slash Signature (2555 Jubilee Reissue) plugged into a 1960 AV Cab with Vintage 30's. I want the classic Marshall sound from the amp, the Slash lead tone using the Boss GE-7 Equalizer pedal, and that high gain from a pedal. I want to be able to keep a Slash style EQ and yet get the crazy gain. I've been playing around with a DSL100 and I guess that's really the sound I want. The Mesa Rectifier style sound is not necessary but a plus, I have a highly tweaked Johnson Millenium 250 that gets pretty damn close (after hours and hours of tweaking and comparing) considering it's a digital amp. I might get a DSL100 later but for now I want to get everything going as much as possible through the Slash head.

Oh and by the way I also use a THD 16 Ohm Hot Plate (at -8 and -12db) and run the amp at 100W with the Master Vol. at 6-7.

I've tried a Marshall JackHammer pedal and while it has some massive gain, the low end seems to be definitely lacking. I can tweak the Slash head to have much more low end but then I end up screwing up the sound that I got it for in the first place.

I've been reading up a lot on all the alternatives and I've noticed that quite a few of the Forum Members like the SansAmp pedals. A few people on other sites/discussion groups have said that the SansAmp pedals don't sound good through a tube amp (???) and that you should only be running one through a solid state amp or straight into a mixing board/PA. Is that true? I own a TradeMark 10 and love it to death. I am actually going to plug it into the Slash head to get an approximation of what the GT2 sounds like... I am however trying to find out whether the thick, low endy Marshall tones would sound better on the SansAmp Classic or the GT2, plus if I could get a Mesa style sound it'd be cool to complement the Johnson's (I am going to be running the amps using a Framptone Amp Switcher).

I am using a 1995 R9, a 1992 '60 Reissue, a Washburn Les Paul '60 Prototype and a Fernandes Rubber Jig (looks like a '57 Goldtop that went into Alice in Wonderland... half Les Paul half Mockingbird/Iceman with a '57 style huge neck, '01 style frets and a long neck tenon - I will post pictures of the tenon and all later), all loaded with Tom Holmes pickups with the exception of a Tony Iommi Signature at the bridge of the Fernandes.

I thank you in advance for all your help.
 

Ed Rafalko

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Jul 15, 2001
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The Trademark Ten is, esentially, the GT2 with a speaker and ten-watt power amp attached. It's almost dead-spot-on with what you'd get going direct with a GT2 into a board.

I dig the Sansamp/Tech @1 stuff, but just like most every other non-tube circuit, the dynamics can be flat. But I've got a Trademark Ten on teh way, shoudl be here Wednesday, and I'm looking forward to it- I need ot play at low volume.
My next amp purchase will probably be an Orange AD15/12. Just so you know.;)
 

Dave Paetow

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Jul 15, 2001
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I have a Sansamp thingy for recording, but the overdrive sounds kind of buzzy to me for direct recording. It may work better as a distortion pedal?
 

LesPaul59

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Jul 15, 2001
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Ed, thanks for the quick reply! I'll be trying the TM10 into the Slash head tomorrow.

I hear ya about the AD15/12... Vintage 30, Class A... yup that's the shit right there... Plug in your R9 and cry!

I'm considering getting a Univalve for bedroom applications...
 

LesPaul59

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Dave, thanks for your reply. Have you tried your SansAmp in front of your SLO 100 or any other amp?
 

Ed Rafalko

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I want to play with teh AD15/21, the active tone controls sond interesting. Turn them all down all the wya and you get no sound.
 

Dave Paetow

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No, my SLO has way more gain than I need, so I don't need a pedal with that. Haven't tried it through any other amps yet, either. I bought it for recording, and was pretty disappointed with the buzzsaw distortion.
 

LesPaul59

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Jul 15, 2001
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Ed, check out this review of the AD15/12:
http://www.guitarist.co.uk/gear/gear_page.asp?ID=409

Harmony Central reviews:
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data/Orange/AD_15_12-01.html

Dave, I realize how much gain the SLO has... (LOL - no shit!!!) that's another amp on my list, along with a Bogner Uberschall (GAS, GAS, GAS!!!) - I was just hoping that you'd tried the pedal with one of your amps.

Has anybody got any suggestions on a pedal other than the SansAmps that would give me a good crunch? Or am I just going to have to break down and buy a DSL (not good - wife will kill me!)?
 

Ed Rafalko

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Jul 15, 2001
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Already read them, thanks. Teh Orange home page links to the Guitarist review and the harmony Central is the second place I went to.
 

Dave Paetow

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I always liked the old Marshall Guvnor pedals for crunchy sounds.
 

LesPaul59

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Ed, if you get one, let me know how you like it after you get it.

Isn't that what Gary Moore used? A Guv'nor plugged into an SLO? I can borrow a Guv'nor Plus... I wonder if it would be as good as the old one.

There's something else I didn't consider, which is changing the preamp tubes... still running the stock ones (I got the amp New Old Stock 2 months ago!) I know Slash uses the Groove Tubes 12AX7A's but I've heard some bad things about Groove Tubes... I'll be keeping the stock Svetlana EL34's for now. Any suggestions besides buying Mullards and crazy priced NOS tubes?
 

Marshallhead

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Jul 19, 2001
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hey there

sorry for the long wait----the gt2 in front of a tube amp sounds NOTHING like the tm10. (I have the tm10 and I love it)It will give you the heavy heavy gain you desire BUT you really should use the head set clean---do not worry about the dynamics ,it will have plenty---this thing is massive distortion at its finest with a tube amp-warm ,fat and sweet-blows the boogie dual and triple out of teh water(i had both-3 channel units). IMO with a hot plate you are killing your tone a bit,if you use the head set clean and the pedal for dirt it wont be so loud so you can probably get rid of the hot plate AND KEEP THOSE DYNAMICS. If you get the gt2(which is great live because its easy to tweak) let me know and i 'll send you some settings:dude-anymore questions just let me know---by the way if you want pummeling metal tones from the slash-set as follows bass 9 mid 0 treble 8 output master 6,input gain 6 and lead master six-huge metal-dont let anyone tell you scooped mids dont cut it on stage either-the marshall output stage makes up for that at higher volumes;)
 

Marshallhead

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yeah I love the original guv'nor,IMO the sansamp is the only thing ive run across that will do that tone reasonably well
 

Phil M

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LesPaul59, I used to use my SansAmp GT-2 in front of my JCM 900 (when I had that). I loved it for that. I set the amp to dirty and then used the GT-2 to push it into higher gain territory. I didn't set the GT-2 to be that dirty though, just a mild grind. That coupled with the amp's distortion made it pretty intense. If you get one, let me know and I'll let you know how I set it.
 

blueswoman

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Jul 28, 2001
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JCM/GT-2

I have a JCM 800 single channel combo which I love. I also have the GT-1.

Phil, I'm curious, what are your settings to make it work with the Marshall?

For those of us with the Single channel Marshalls, how do you set your amp and GT-2 for best results?
 

Phil M

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BW, I set the GT-2 fairly clean because the amp was so dirty that it was just too noisy and and there was too much feedback at high volumes. The gain on my JCM 900's lead channel was cranked almost all the way up for hard rock rhythm and leads. I set the GT-2 for a slight volume and EQ boost and I think the gain was set anywhere from 9:00 to 12:00 depending on how much gain I wanted that day. I set the switches to classic, clean and California. British would work fine too but I thought the California setting sounded smoother on the pedal. The 'classic' and 'clean' seemed really important to getting the sounds I liked with my amp already so distorted. Even set 'clean', the 'Cali' setting had some grind to it. This sound worked real well for leads by adding gain and bottom end (I guess a little top end too). It made everything smooth out and getting good pinch harmonics was a breeze.

Keep in mind that my Marshall was a 2x12 open-back combo.
 

LesPaul59

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Marshallhead that's almost the exact same settings I tried on the amp, except I had the mids set at 1! I guess I'll get a GT2 and see what comes out of it. I'm sure I'll get some great sounds with you guys helping me out!

I tried the Guv'Nor Plus today, along with a BluesBreaker II and a JackHammer and while the Guv'Nor Plus sounded better than the other two, it still didn't have the balls of the amp itself...

What would you recommend as far as for preamp tubes for my Slash head?
 

Marshallhead

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I use jj/tesla preamp tubes,they have a sort of "flat eq" so they work real well in brighter amps. also, I use svetlana el34 tubes in the power stage---BTW the sansamp will allow that mammoth punch you get when the amp is cranked by itself-however,you must run it clean(pre low-output high)I think if you try to add to the maximum gain setting you have on the amp it may mush out with any pedal. Even if you dont like the sansamp(i think youll love it) it could be a gig saver if your amp goes down;) :dude
 
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