My new Twin Reverb.

  • Thread starter Thread starter elenore19
  • Start date Start date
elenore19

elenore19

Slowing becoming un-noob.
So after fixing the reverb tank for a couple days and getting everything rockin', I've been trying to get some good tones...
My issues....
I find an AWESOME clean, sounds Amazing and the reverb makes it perfect, but then I run my fuzz and it sounds tinny and the highs just literally rape your ears.

So then I'm left with turning down the highs on the amp, boosting the mids a little to get some clarity in there, and keep the bass at about 7 1/2.
This makes the fuzz/distortion sound pretty good, and the clean sounds slightly muffled.

[size=+1]So my question is this:[/size]
1st: What do you guys think? Should I have my cleans sound amazing and my fuzz sound awful? Or have them both sound slightly less than amazing.

2nd:
At a concert where my amp is cranked (meaning about 3 1/2 on my Twin :)) The muffled cleans wouldn't be as bad due to the loud volume...Right?
I always found that at high volumes the highs and lows sort of get more clarity and don't fight with each other as much. If that makes any sense. I've tried this out of course by myself but I really don't trust messing with my tones with earplugs in.Then again, without earplugs I'd definitely experience some serious hearing loss at that volume.

I'm curious what you guys think. This amp is Strictly my live amp due to its power, and I need to find a balance so that people don't grimace at my guitar tone.

Thanks,

-Elliot
 
I think what you are experiencing is that the Twin is a big amp for around the house - real big. For recording I like amps in the 1/2 to 4W range!

Maybe you could get some sort of power soak to emulate what it's like when you're cranked, I'm not familiar with them - I play drums and keys. But I think the problem would be resolvable with something like that.

Me, with my thinking, would want to put a switch that would add a resistor to the speaker and I'm sure that's a stupid idea... but I think there's stuff out there that does basically that in an educated way.
 
It's true that the amp will sound different at high volumes, but that's because of how your ears perceive different frequencies at different volumes.

The solution that I'd recommend is that you find a fuzz (or distortion or overdrive, whatever you're using) box that has enough tonal control for you to be able to set the clean tones the way you like them, and be able to adjust the fuzz box to get the distorted sound you want.
 
Zaphod B said:
The solution that I'd recommend is that you find a fuzz (or distortion or overdrive, whatever you're using) box that has enough tonal control for you to be able to set the clean tones the way you like them, and be able to adjust the fuzz box to get the distorted sound you want.
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Bingo. There's no reason you can't use a large amp around the house - my main rig is a 50/100 watt Mesa Dual Rec Roadster - provided you're not trying to really drive the poweramp hard, and you're after a preamp gain sound. If you're using a fuzz, then pretty much by definition you are. It just sounds like the particular fuzz you're using doesn't mate well with the Twin.

A "traditional" match would be an Ibanez Tube Screamer - not really a fuzz, but it'll give you a nice alternative, and it's a great, smooth, thick OD. Otherwise, bring your rig to a guitar shop and demo a few other fuzzes, until you find something that you like with your clean settings.
 
You won't know for sure until you play it live and get it settled in the mix.
 
Zaphod B said:
...The solution that I'd recommend is that you find a fuzz...
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DrewPeterson7 said:
Bingo. There's no reason you can't use a large amp around the house - my main rig is a 50/100 watt Mesa Dual Rec Roadster - provided you're not trying to really drive the poweramp hard, and you're after a preamp gain sound. If you're using a fuzz, then pretty much by definition you are. It just sounds like the particular fuzz you're using doesn't mate well with the Twin.

A "traditional" match would be an Ibanez Tube Screamer - not really a fuzz, but it'll give you a nice alternative, and it's a great, smooth, thick OD. Otherwise, bring your rig to a guitar shop and demo a few other fuzzes, until you find something that you like with your clean settings.
Click to expand...
I would look into getting a new fuzz but...I dropped 180 on my current fuzz so unless somehow I can sell it for at least 150, it'd be tough for me to really get rid of my current one. But I'll look into it, along with the tube screamer, smooth and thick sound great to me. Any suggestions on fuzz pedals?
c7sus said:
http://www.tedweber.com/atten.htm

http://www.klon-siberia.com/swf/frameset.php?width=1280
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I don't need to crank the tubes. I think that's another thing I could get sometime. Thanks for the advice though. And if that overdrive pedal is really as much as I found prices on it, no way. WAY out of budget.
Milnoque said:
+1 on the Weber attenuator.
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don't bother even trying to distort the twin!!

you'll be searching forever for a pedal to create distortion on a twin & won't be successful imo. the twin is designed for clean sounds & slightly dirty when overdriven - it's a classic clean amp & not build for distortion so don't use something for what it's not for especially when there's plenty of other options out there - an amp tailored for distortion. i use an old twin for clean sounds when i'm recording clean in earnest. for anything else i use a mesa amp. i do like the distortion on mesa amps - some don't though, it's a matter of taste. the clean sound on a mesa amp is surprisingly good & pretty close (though a little more sterile) to the twin so that amp get's th most use - i aint lunking the big fender amp about anymore! :D
 
_brian_ said:
you'll be searching forever for a pedal to create distortion on a twin & won't be successful imo. the twin is designed for clean sounds & slightly dirty when overdriven - it's a classic clean amp & not build for distortion so don't use something for what it's not for especially when there's plenty of other options out there - an amp tailored for distortion. i use an old twin for clean sounds when i'm recording clean in earnest. for anything else i use a mesa amp. i do like the distortion on mesa amps - some don't though, it's a matter of taste. the clean sound on a mesa amp is surprisingly good & pretty close (though a little more sterile) to the twin so that amp get's th most use - i aint lunking the big fender amp about anymore! :D
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I don't have the funds to buy a new amp. And I'll keep messing til I find something that works. I think I found a pedal already that I'm looking into.
 
_brian_ said:
you'll be searching forever for a pedal to create distortion on a twin & won't be successful imo.
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This is just plain wrong. There are many overdrive, distortion, and fuzz pedals that can provide excellent distorted tones on a perfectly clean amp.
 
Yeah I agree a Twin Reverb can sound amazing with any good distortion or overdrive pedal. The last one I had I cut down to a head and ran it through a 4x12cab in stereo, one side cabinet was the Twin the other side a Marshall, sounded amazing but really really loud.
Try a Beam Blocker if the highs are too bright they work well.
 
elenore19 said:
I would look into getting a new fuzz but...I dropped 180 on my current fuzz so unless somehow I can sell it for at least 150, it'd be tough for me to really get rid of my current one. But I'll look into it, along with the tube screamer, smooth and thick sound great to me. Any suggestions on fuzz pedals?
Click to expand...

I'd keep your current fuzz, if at all possible - from the sound of it, your Twin isn't your only rig, and the fuzz works well with another one, right? Also, for better or worse, sometimes a really trashy, fizzy, "bad" distortion sound works in ways a good one can't. My rig sounds gorgeous, but try as I might I just can't do Tom Waits covers on it. My roommate has this shitty old Laney solid state combo from the 70's sitting out in our hallway, however, which does NOT sound gorgeous, but I can't tell you the number of drunken covers of "Cold Water" we've done through the thing. It's just perfect. :p

Tube screamers are pretty cheap, especially used. Also, evidently the TS7 "tone lok" pedal (a cheaper version of the TS9) is pretty damned good, and with a couple mods is very easy to bring to TS808 specs.
 
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