[B]Calling All Marshall Players![/B]

[guido #2]

I've played Fenders and small wattage tube amps all my life. When I wanted good tone and sweet singing sustain, I just cranked 'em up! There. Just what I wanted to hear

Aahh... But recently, I have inherited a late 70s Marshal Super Lead.
Sweet Mother of all that is Holy, that thing is F#$%ing LOUD.
Cats run. Windows vibrate. Wife screams. Ears stop working.
How do YOU guys get good tone and sweet singing sustain without going to jail?
I've tried a big muff and a compressor. Yuk and yukier.
I can tell this thing wants to run at 150dB SPL, but thats just not feasable.
I am suspicious of my cabinet, I must say. It's a same vintage Ampeg 4x12...
but that can't be the WHOLE answer.
Any ideas?

 

[Outlaws]

I've played Fenders and small wattage tube amps all my life. When I wanted good tone and sweet singing sustain, I just cranked 'em up! There. Just what I wanted to hear

Aahh... But recently, I have inherited a late 70s Marshal Super Lead.
Sweet Mother of all that is Holy, that thing is F#$%ing LOUD.
Cats run. Windows vibrate. Wife screams. Ears stop working.
How do YOU guys get good tone and sweet singing sustain without going to jail?
I've tried a big muff and a compressor. Yuk and yukier.
I can tell this thing wants to run at 150dB SPL, but thats just not feasable.
I am suspicious of my cabinet, I must say. It's a same vintage Ampeg 4x12...
but that can't be the WHOLE answer.
Any ideas?

This amp wasn't designed with you in mind. This amp was made for musicians playing gigs where volume was needed. There isn't a single thing you can do about it.

 

[goldtopchas]

It's sacriledge to put a dist. pedal in front of an amp like that, but... a tube screamer or something similar might work. I personally have sworn off pedals for distortion years ago. They just don't have the dynamics of real tube distortion (even the ones that have "tubes" in them. )
If it were me, I'd get a master volume installed in it by a good amp tech. Even a master' would sound better than any pedal with that amp. The preamp tubes overdriving into the clean power amp stage can still sound sweet with the right tubes, and a few tweaks by the right tech..
I just remembered something...you can remove 2 tubes from that rascal to castrate it a little. Pull the 2 outer ones or the 2 inner ones. Frankly, even at 50 watts it's still gonna peel your scalp back if you crank it.

 

[guido #2]

It's sacriledge to put a dist. pedal in front of an amp like that, but... a tube screamer or something similar might work. I personally have sworn off pedals for distortion years ago. They just don't have the dynamics of real tube distortion (even the ones that have "tubes" in them. )
If it were me, I'd get a master volume installed in it by a good amp tech. Even a master' would sound better than any pedal with that amp. The preamp tubes overdriving into the clean power amp stage can still sound sweet with the right tubes, and a few tweaks by the right tech..

I am with you on so many levels.
So you think the master volume mod would give me the OD/dist I am looking for? I think Im leaning that way. I sure dont need to decide anything by tomorrow, and Ive only had the amp two days...
I just want opinions ....

 

[goldtopchas]

Yeah,it's the way to go with those. My friend had one and it sounded great.
It's a real simple mod that won't ruin the re-sale at all. Completly reversable if you don't like it. Most people who try to gig with them do this. Unless it's in front of 50,000 screaming fans.

 

[goldtopchas]

Sorry ...re-posted before I saw yours. Scroll up for more info.

 

[guido #2]

Yeah, im gonna check into that master volume thing.

Hers some stuff that I found
http://www.legendarytones.com/tone_tips_and_tricks_for_the_marshall_super_lead.htm

 

[ocnor]

A THD Hotplate would also be a good option.http://www.thdelectronics.com/products/hotplate.htm

 

[guido #2]

A THD Hotplate would also be a good option.http://www.thdelectronics.com/products/hotplate.htm

Oooohhh. Yeah. I thought about something like that0Power soak etc...) they just kinda scare me. You guys ever use one?
Right now Im running on 2 outta 4 pwr tubes and playing with different stomp boxes on the front end. I LOVE the way you can kick up the bottom end by jumping channel 1 into chnl 2.

So how 'bout it powersoakers? What are they like?

Also, dont forget the cab I am using.. Ampeg 4x12.
As I drink more beer and try different things , I am getting better results: next up, vint. MXR dist plus
Muuuhahahahaha!!!!

 

[Superhuman]

Check out the Palmer PDI-03 rack unit. You can crank your amp up then send the line out direct to the loadbox where you can use headphones/monitors with an independent volume control if you want. I just picked one up for 350 euros from a German website, they can be a lot pricier though. I have a MArshall DFX100 and I always thought it was good but not amazing... untill I brought it to a xstudio and craked it up, man that amp has a beautifull lead tone... from about 75 Watts up. Solution was the Palmer PDI-03, I can preserve the same tone without driving the wife insane.

 

[jonnyc]

This amp wasn't designed with you in mind. This amp was made for musicians playing gigs where volume was needed. There isn't a single thing you can do about it.

So you can't use a powerbrake or hotplate? I thought thats exaclty what those were for.

 

[Tadpui]

What about YellowJackets as well? I've never used them but I think they have the same effect as a hotplate.

 

[guido #2]

So you can't use a powerbrake or hotplate? I thought thats exaclty what those were for.

That IS what they are for. They just kinda worry me, thats all. Still might look it them though...

 

[Outlaws]

So you can't use a powerbrake or hotplate? I thought thats exaclty what those were for.

I have a hotplate built into my amp. That is what they are for, but it still doesn't sound like thunder until the amp is loud as hell.

Its hard to explain. It sounds better than almost any solidstate stuff, but still lacks the magic of full volume. That is because the speaker is flexing. Until that flexes, you are only using half of the equation.

 

[Outlaws]

That IS what they are for. They just kinda worry me, thats all. Still might look it them though...

Nothing to worry about, just get the right one.

But read my last post about why it still won't be 100% right.

 

[Outlaws]

What about YellowJackets as well? I've never used them but I think they have the same effect as a hotplate.

Nothing a like. Yellow Jackets allow you to use EL84 tubes in a variety of amps. That won't help a shit load.

Hot plates let you still play at a bedroom volume with full powertube saturation. Yellow jackets will still require the amp be very very loud.

 

[Tadpui]

Well, they drop the output power of the amp, which is certainly something like what a hotplate does. Different approach, but similar results. I read that in a 50-watt marshall, they can drop the output to about 20 watts. In a 100-watt amp, using 2 of them drops the power to 20 watts, 4 of them drop the power to 40 watts (which sounds backwards to me).

I didn't realize that they were only for EL84s tho. But, he's asking for ideas, and I gave one.

 

[ggunn]

Well, they drop the output power of the amp, which is certainly something like what a hotplate does. Different approach, but similar results. I read that in a 50-watt marshall, they can drop the output to about 20 watts. In a 100-watt amp, using 2 of them drops the power to 20 watts, 4 of them drop the power to 40 watts (which sounds backwards to me).

I didn't realize that they were only for EL84s tho. But, he's asking for ideas, and I gave one.

Yellowjackets are canisters with an octal pinout on the bottom and a socket for an EL84 on top; the canisters contain the circuitry that adjust the bias from what the stock tubes take to what the EL84's need. The EL84's come with them, and installing them is as easy as replacing a tube.

The reason it sounds backwards is that when you use 2 of them in a 4 (power) tube amp, the other two sockets are empty. Two EL84's gives you 20 watts, four gives you 40.

I recently installed a pair in my 50 watt Marshall, and they reduce the balls-out volume very significantly. I haven't played it enough since I installed the YJ's to study their effect on tone.

 

[rory]

I am in the same boat as you! I've had mine for about 8 years now and gigged a lot with it when I was younger. This is what I did:

Pull out either the two outter tubes or the two inner tubes, this will drop the wattage.

The second thing is get the hotplate! Its the only way I could gig and really even practice with the thing. I love mine and use it on most all of my amps. They're great amps, but ungodly loud.

Also... I used mine exclusively with a mid 70s big muff for some really good tones (to my ears... it sounded like the world was going to end!).
Rory