The Tone Thread

[Bubba]

I haven't added anything to the tone thread in a while, but seeing as I've just done a proper bit of recording with Son of Gobshite and the Bare Knuckle, I thought I'd post a sample here.

I've been playing about with another Pixies cover that Frank left me the drums for. I did the lead guitar using Son of Gobshite. There are no vocals on it, as yet.

Bridge pickup, Bare-knuckle Riff-Raff (Humbucker mode); tone and volume up full.

Amp: Marshall JVM, Crunch channel, Red Mode, gain 10, channel volume 5, Master vol 5, Resonance 0, presence 5. All other tone controls straight up. Standard SM57 micing that I always use.

There are two lead tracks playing exactly the same thing with exactly the same settings.

Bone Machine.mp3

Sounds pretty damn good Bubba, not just the guitars either dude, IMO those drums sound great too...

Thanks, Miner.

The drums are my further exploration of the Steve Albini drum sound. He used various techniques like boundary mics, heavy room compression and anything he could find to enhance the realism and power of the drum set on those recordings. I don't have any of that, but "Is it possible to generate a convincing approximation?" Is the question I keep asking myself.

[Greg_L]

I haven't added anything to the tone thread in a while, but seeing as I've just done a proper bit of recording with Son of Gobshite and the Bare Knuckle, I thought I'd post a sample here.

I've been playing about with another Pixies cover that Frank left me the drums for. I did the lead guitar using Son of Gobshite. There are no vocals on it, as yet.

Bridge pickup, Bare-knuckle Riff-Raff (Humbucker mode); tone and volume up full.

Amp: Marshall JVM, Crunch channel, Red Mode, gain 10, channel volume 5, Master vol 5, Resonance 0, presence 5. All other tone controls straight up. Standard SM57 micing that I always use.

There are two lead tracks playing exactly the same thing with exactly the same settings.

Bone Machine.mp3

That's really good Bubba. Really good. I'm listening on cans because my room aint set up right now, but I trust these cans about 85% and you did a great job of being pretty damn authentic to the original.

Good tones too. Your JVM Crunch Red seems to sound much better than mine.

[Bubba]

That's really good Bubba. Really good. I'm listening on cans because my room aint set up right now, but I trust these cans about 85% and you did a great job of being pretty damn authentic to the original.

Good tones too. Your JVM Crunch Red seems to sound much better than mine.

Thanks, Greg. I don't know why the red crunch on mine would be different, unless either one of our amps has been modded. That said, it never sounded as good as this with the Yamaha pups. When recording it I thought I might be overcooking the gain by maxing it out, but on playback it still sounds clear and full of definition. Maybe I just made a good guitar!!! LOL

[Greg_L]

Thanks, Greg. I don't know why the red crunch on mine would be different, unless either one of our amps has been modded. That said, it never sounded as good as this with the Yamaha pups. When recording it I thought I might be overcooking the gain by maxing it out, but on playback it still sounds clear and full of definition. Maybe I just made a good guitar!!! LOL

Your crunch channel tones sounded good with the other guitar too. My JVM is modded, but not in a way that would affect Crunch Red. I just added an adjustable negative feedback pot...and it's off 99.99999% of the time. What kind of mic placement are you using?

[Bubba]

Thanks, Greg. I don't know why the red crunch on mine would be different, unless either one of our amps has been modded. That said, it never sounded as good as this with the Yamaha pups. When recording it I thought I might be overcooking the gain by maxing it out, but on playback it still sounds clear and full of definition. Maybe I just made a good guitar!!! LOL

Your crunch channel tones sounded good with the other guitar too. My JVM is modded, but not in a way that would affect Crunch Red. I just added an adjustable negative feedback pot...and it's off 99.99999% of the time. What kind of mic placement are you using?

Just about an inch off the grille cloth at 90deg and halfway between the edge and the dustcap. To be honest I don't use any other mic placements.

I don't think mine can have been tinkered with because the first job on my list would be to sort out the dreadfully noisy OD channels!

[Greg_L]

Just about an inch off the grille cloth at 90deg and halfway between the edge and the dustcap. To be honest I don't use any other mic placements.

I don't think mine can have been tinkered with because the first job on my list would be to sort out the dreadfully noisy OD channels!

They are noisy for sure, but that's just the nature of the beast with high gain amps.

[Greg_L]

Okay, most anticlimactic post ever.

Some of you have been following my excessive amp mod thread. Here are some basic clips.

This is an A/B between the amp in stock form and in cascade gain modded form.

Gibson LP Custom - Bare Knuckles Riff Raff bridge position
Marshall 1987x - 50w Plexi reissue
Presence - 0
Bass - 3
Mid - 6
Treb - 2
Marshall 1960A 4x12 - Celestion Greenbacks
Shure SM57 on axis, on grill, dead center dustcap + Shure SM57 ~30 deg off axis, on grill, immediately to the right of the center mic...so still pretty centered
Both mic blend 50/50.
PPIMV engaged about 70% volume
No EQ or FX in DAW

Stock mode. Bright channel only, high input. Vol 4.

LPC 1987 GB 57s stock.mp3

Now the gain engaged. The way this works is plug into the Normal Channel input, and pull out the Normal Channel vol knob to engage max gain. Vol 2 now becomes cascaded gain, and you can mix in Vol 1 for added grunt.
Cascade gain engaged. Normal channel, high input. Vol 1 - 4, Vol 2 - 10.

LPC 1987 GB 57s cascade.mp3

So that's about where it's at now. See what you think.

[Tadpui]

Greg
I actually like that modded sound a lot. I can see why it's a popular mod, since it gives a lot more saturation and sensitivity to that classic Plexi sound. Heck, I'd use that tone any day. It's still got that Plexi attack and low-mid heft. But it's just more saturated. I'm sure that mod would make thousands of Plexi owners really happy. I don't think that it sounds hair-metal at all, it's just a sweet and dirty Marshall tone. I have to say, job well done.

[Greg_L]

Greg
I actually like that modded sound a lot. I can see why it's a popular mod, since it gives a lot more saturation and sensitivity to that classic Plexi sound. Heck, I'd use that tone any day. It's still got that Plexi attack and low-mid heft. But it's just more saturated. I'm sure that mod would make thousands of Plexi owners really happy. I don't think that it sounds hair-metal at all, it's just a sweet and dirty Marshall tone. I have to say, job well done.

Thanks Tad. I'm still trying to find the just right settings for it, but it's not too bad. It's less hair-metal with the push/pull than it was as a straight one-wire mod and I think that has to do with the 150k input resistor across the pot taming it down a bit. It was a lot more EVH "brown sound" with the straight one-wire mod, but this version to me is more usable for my kind of style. I'm okay with high-gain Plexi, I got no use for anything more than that. I'm really just glad it works and doesn't sound terrible.

[rayc]

Greg,
I'd run with the devil of the stock one but the cascade wasn't embarrassing or anything If I achieved that sound I'd call it a gun.
Bubba,
That really is Pixie tone - well done.

[Greg_L]

Greg,
I'd run with the devil of the stock one but the cascade wasn't embarrassing or anything If I achieved that sound I'd call it a gun.
Bubba,
That really is Pixie tone - well done.

Thanks Ray. I think I could work with it, but I still may tweak it a little.

[Bubba]

Both of them sound great. The cascade gain was in RATM territory! More gain than I'd ever use for a rhythm tone but I thought it was a pretty perfect lead tone.

[Greg_L]

Both of them sound great. The cascade gain was in RATM territory! More gain than I'd ever use for a rhythm tone but I thought it was a pretty perfect lead tone.

Thanks Bubba. I agree with you that it's a better lead tone than rhythm tone.

[Minerman]

Okay, most anticlimactic post ever.

Some of you have been following my excessive amp mod thread. Here are some basic clips.

This is an A/B between the amp in stock form and in cascade gain modded form.

Gibson LP Custom - Bare Knuckles Riff Raff bridge position
Marshall 1987x - 50w Plexi reissue
Presence - 0
Bass - 3
Mid - 6
Treb - 2
Marshall 1960A 4x12 - Celestion Greenbacks
Shure SM57 on axis, on grill, dead center dustcap + Shure SM57 ~30 deg off axis, on grill, immediately to the right of the center mic...so still pretty centered
Both mic blend 50/50.
PPIMV engaged about 70% volume
No EQ or FX in DAW

Stock mode. Bright channel only, high input. Vol 4.LPC 1987 GB 57s stock.mp3



Now the gain engaged. The way this works is plug into the Normal Channel input, and pull out the Normal Channel vol knob to engage max gain. Vol 2 now becomes cascaded gain, and you can mix in Vol 1 for added grunt.
Cascade gain engaged. Normal channel, high input. Vol 1 - 4, Vol 2 - 10.
LPC 1987 GB 57s cascade.mp3


So that's about where it's at now. See what you think.

Nice Greg, well done!!! I really like both clips, but as you probably already know, the gain-y clip is my favorite...There is a hint of fizz on it, but it's not anything to worry about at all dude...

You even used my favorite speaker, the Greenback....Since I got the EVH cab last year, I've pretty much used it for all my guitar tracks, not sure why, but the EVH version sounds better than the single Greenback in the bastard cab...

Well done!!!

[ocnor]

That mod seems to have worked out really well. Good job!

[JD01]

Mutt-Pup all in place, tone review in the Mutt-Pup thread:
http://www.therecordingrebels.com/viewt ... 0&start=20

[Greg_L]

WTF you bitches...no tones?


Okay here's one of my new speakers. Celestion G12H30. This is the second time I've ever stuck mics on it....the very first time went straight to tape for a song I'm just finishing. For real. How's that for a trial by fire? The first time I ever mic'd it, bam, keeper track. Anyway, here's my new-to-me Celestion G12H30s.

I went full 70s tribute on this piece of crap. Meaning, I hacked my way through a few bad 70s songs with good riffs.

1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom - Bare Knuckles Riff Raff bridge p/u
1979 Marshall JMP 2204
Presence - 4
Bass - 6
Mid - 7
Treb - 4
Preamp gain - 7
Master vol - 5
Marshall 1960B 4x12 - Celestion G12H30
Shure SM57 on axis, on grill, dead center dustcap - SM57 ~30 deg off axis, on grill, right next to the other one
50/50 mic blend
No FX or EQ in DAW

LPC 2204 G12H30.mp3

[rayc]

Reaper is the only track on that album I can listen to without laughing.
Cool riff and nicely done - LOVE the tone.
More Than A Feeling cool riff and horrid song but THAT riff - a mutation of another - sounds great with the speaker.
Double mic'ing - 50/50 blend?
Is this in you new cab?

[Greg_L]

Reaper is the only track on that album I can listen to without laughing.
Cool riff and nicely done - LOVE the tone.
More Than A Feeling cool riff and horrid song but THAT riff - a mutation of another - sounds great with the speaker.
Double mic'ing - 50/50 blend?
Is this in you new cab?

Thanks Ray.

Yes, I usually double-mic a speaker. Not so much for tone thread clips, but for real keeper tracks I almost always double-mic. I say 50/50 blend, meaning both mics are blended equally. Half and half. I don't know how else to put it. 50/50 seems good to me.

No this is not the new cab. That thing is still sitting empty and ugly. Lol. These new speakers went into one of my B cabs. It's the new G12H30s and my old Vintage 30s in an x-pattern. I love the combination. So tight and punchy. Lotta mids.

[Minerman]

WTF you bitches...no tones?

Being one of the original Tone Tards, honestly I feel a bit guilty about this dude...The excuse I'm giving is I've went bat-shit crazy with learning to play the e-drums, I've dove into 'em like I did on the tone chase...Sorry everyone, I'll make a point to post some tones before too long...