Rayc's Troubled Tone Thread Mach II

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rayc

rayc

retroreprobate


Part 2 indeed. I took heed of suggestions & re-recorded my guitar-amp-cab combo with the volume on 9.
The chain - Bruno Royal Artist semi acoustic bridge pickup & fang plectrum -> Marshall Superbass MkII -> Marshall 4 x 12 -> Shure 57 -> Focusrite Scarlette 8i6o ->Reaper and a little normalization across the whole file after the fact.
I boosted the signal ITB for the short bits where I announce the set up.
Sequence:
1. Top Left centre, T L pointed front on at the edge of the cone, T L 30cm back from centre
2. Bottom Left centre, B L edge, B L 30cm back
3. Top Right cente, T R edge, T R 30cm
4. Bottom Right centre, B R edge, B R 30cm
5. Bottom right centre of cone mic turned to the side - "off axis"
6. B L off axis
7. T L off axis
8. T R off axis
9. Straight on pointed at centre of the cab 1m back
I played a progression that had full open chords and simple 5ths
Which ones sound best for my style of playing/writing/recording?
It doesn't sound too loud but I had to wear ear protectors in the room.
 
Had to listen through headphones (which I trust for sound).

I like the bottom left edge and off-axis.

It's very clean. No breakup at all. What are the amp settings? I've never played one of those heads.
 
Everything is at 12 o'clock Greg: Treb, Presence, Mid & Bass - though the vol is at 5 o'clock - or 9/10. That's the prob with this head - it's REALLY hard to get any break up. It was built for loud, clean tone for a bass I guess.
I could go through a hard pressed "tube" preamp into the head I guess or just use the Boss SD1 overdrive pedal but I've a big fat Marshall amp & I want to get something real.
 
rayc said:
Everything is at 12 o'clock Greg: Treb, Presence, Mid & Bass - though the vol is at 5 o'clock - or 9/10. That's the prob with this head - it's REALLY hard to get any break up. It was built for loud, clean tone for a bass I guess.
I could go through a hard pressed "tube" preamp into the head I guess or just use the Boss SD1 overdrive pedal but I've a big fat Marshall amp & I want to get something real.
Click to expand...

Yeah from what I know those old superbass heads don't get much, if any, breakup. The later versions do. That's just what I've read and heard about. I haven't used one. A lot of people mod them into guitar versions. You have the 4 input, right? Have you tried bridging the inputs and cranking both volumes? Plug the guitar into the top left input, run a jumper from the bottom left to the top right, and then crank both volumes.
 
Hello Greg,
I've done that a few times way back. I stopped doing it when my amp started playing up, (around the same time I started using an attenuator). Having had the amp significantly repaired and not using the attenuator I'll give it another go. Thanks.
 
Hmmm.... Good for cleans/bass but not much crunch. I'll google and see what's out there for pre's....
 

I've tried again.
I have the amp set up with the two channels linked as Greg suggested.
All dials at 12 o'clock except for volume which is a full.
1. the newest set up with nothing in front
2. as above (as with all in this sample actually) but with bass & mids turned all the way up.
3. as in 1 with a BDI21 set up with full level & full "blend"
4. with a Boss SD1 level & tone at 12 no drive
5. as above with drive at 9 o'clock
6. as above but Behri Blues O'drive L & T # 10 o'clock no drive
7. as above with D @ 9 o'clock
8. as above D @ 10
9. as above D @ 12 o'clock
10 BDI21 with previous settings & D @ 12
Sorry about the squeals. It's a semi acoustic single coil guitar & it gets lively near an amp.
 
Yeah, that aint better. That's not a pleasing kind of crunch. That sounds like speakers about to melt. Lol. I suspect yours is one of the superbasses that won't naturally break up. I don't know enough about them to even get into it. They were made for bass, after all. Anyway, Not a big deal. If you wanna get dirtier sounds, you're probably gonna need a pedal or mod the amp to have a more active preamp section. An overdrive pedal is different from a distortion pedal. Overdrives are great if you're already getting some tube breakup. Since yours doesn't seem to be going there, a pedal with built-in-tone might be an option. I've read that modding a Superbass into a Plexi style gain circuit for guitar is simple and common. But again, I don't know for sure. I also don't think a mod like that will hurt the resale value because just about everyone would rather have a Plexi/JMP than a Superbass. But it's up to you dude. Find a nice sounding pedal or mod it, or just roll with it as is. It has a nice clean sound and you won't have to crank it because it won't break up anyway. :D
 
Greg,
You're right.
None of the passes I recorded with the amp channel linked and maxed were pleasant at all.
Some were downright ugly sounds.
I'll have to talk to the techie and suss out a few pedals etc.
It's not as if I was after anything massive - just a little break up.
Ah well; I do know I have a fantastic bass amp anyway.
They changed tube types a bit before they made my model - the MkIIs have EL3 or something and added the rocker switches as well as a change in the circuit for the EQ section.
I've lived without tube breakup until now so I suppose I can continue looking without any urgency.
AT LEAST I've sorted out a micing technique that produces the best clean sound - thank for your help with that.
Ido,
Did you come up with anything interesting?
 
I think LT Bob has tried probably every pedal ever made. Ask him for some suggestions.
 
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