The New Tone Thread

[minerman]

Ok, here's how I ended up where I'm at recording-wise, it's pretty long, so if you don't wanna read it all, it's cool....

I bought the blue strat I have now, & a Line 6 Spider Valve 2x12 combo..Started recording with a Zoom HD8, that came with a Samson condenser (which I still have), a mic stand, & a copy of Cubase LE4...

Ended up trading the SV for the POD X3Live, a Guitarport interface & some $$$...Bought a Tascam US-122 interface & went to the computer, with all the ampsims & drum samples I could buy...lol...I still have all of them, & have so many it'd take up a whole page just listing all the shit I've bought up over the years...

Finally realized after a few years that the guitar sound I was after was a real amp, speaker, & mic, so, the Blackstar HT-5 comes, but that wasn't what I really wanted, I wanted one of the 1 watt Marshalls that had just been released...Bought a 1x12 (Randall, with a Greenback), then not long after that, bought the Tweaker...Ended up buying a Marshall Micro-Stack, but the gear I had just didn't give me what I was after...Ended up trading the micro-stack & a set of M-Audio 5" monitors for the Orange V30 1x12...

Bought the DSL-1H, & built the ISO cab...I do have to say that setup got me closer to what I was after than anything I'd had or tried before...

Wanted to have some good gear instead of just getting what I could afford, so I bought my Lester, which turned out to be one of the best things I've ever done, gear-wise, I bought that thing blind, without even playing it, & it turns out to be great...I was scared to death I'd just dropped a grand on a guitar that was gonna be shit, but it turned out to be great...Guess I got lucky, because I've heard all kinds of shit about Gibson guitars' quality varying from one guitar to the next...

Then the shit hit the fan last spring, seperated/divorced, & said to myself "Fuck it, I bust my ass all day everyday, I'm gonna have & do what the fuck I wanna...If I wanna be a loud-ass motherfucker, then I'm gonna be a loud-ass motherfucker, & nobody is gonna tell me I can't...If they try that shit, they'll be kicking rocks as they head down the road..."....So, I bought the DSL100H, a used 1960A, & the Bogner pedal all at one time...Waited a few more months & bought the Ceriatone amp...Couple more months & bought a couple speakers, which in all honesty, is probably the best move I've made. While it doesn't sound great in the room (it's not terrible either), where the speakers aren't matched, with the 2 amps & 4 different speakers I have, I've got a pretty wide selection of tones...I'll probably end up getting another cab or two eventually, but for now, the amps I have, with the "bastard" 4x12 are the best recording setup I've ever had...

 

[Greg_L]

Your isocab was pretty cool!

The only things that even tickle my otherwise dormant GAS right now are building my own Plexi clone and maybe one day picking up a LP Custom.

 

[jonny deep]

Your isocab was pretty cool!

The only things that even tickle my otherwise dormant GAS right now are building my own Plexi clone and maybe one day picking up a LP Custom.

I saw a left handed LP Custom in wine red in a shop on Denmark Street (famous London guitar shop street). It was £2,000, which I didn't realise was actually a very decent price for a custom, and the most beautiful guitar I ever saw. I was looking at it and refused to try it because I knew I'd buy it. I still wish I'd bought it and I haven't seen a nicer looking guitar since.

 

[minerman]

Your isocab was pretty cool!

Yeah man I have to admit, I miss that big 'ol thing...The Randall ISO-shit-cab I have now doesn't even come close to the one I built for my recorded tones, & just guessing, it's about 1/3 noisy-er than the home-made one, but it does look a lot better, & is much smaller..... I still mess with it late at night, & while the tones I get with it could probably be used in a mix, they just don't compare to my 4x12 at all....

The only things that even tickle my otherwise dormant GAS right now are building my own Plexi clone and maybe one day picking up a LP Custom.

Dude, there's a lot of things I want, but really nothing right now that I need...

I would like to have another guitar or three, but with what I have right now, I've pretty much got all the bases covered...

I'd like to have an SG & another pointy guitar, but really, I've got those sounds covered with the Lester & Ibanez...


Jonny: Don't you hate that shit man??? That's a lot of coin for a guitar, but it was a Custom, right??? Just the tag "Custom" adds a lot to the price usually...How's the JCM800 doing dude???

 

[Greg_L]

The Custom is probably the most asinine regular production Les Paul model they make. It's completely pointless and stupid and doesn't sound any different than any other Les Paul. But goddamn they look sweet as shit. I love the double body binding and the headstock is the best there is. My favorite is the Silverburst.

 

[minerman]

Yeah man, that's a great looking guitar...But I bet it's twice the price I paid for my Lester last year, & probably isn't that much different other than the look...

 

[ShanPeyton]

Forgive my ignorance but wtf is GAS.

That is a sweet guitar.

@JohnnyDeep That guitar you found would probably be my dream Gibson. Back when i had a dream Gibson. Wine Red. Beauty.

 

[Greg_L]

Forgive my ignorance but wtf is GAS.

Gear Acquisition Syndrome

It's a disease in which the symptoms present themselves as not being satisfied with what you have, and an overwhelming urge to focus on and obsess over what you want next.

 

[ShanPeyton]

Gear Acquisition Syndrome

It's a disease in which the symptoms present themselves as not being satisfied with what you have, and an overwhelming urge to focus on and obsess over what you want next.

Oh that!!!!

My wife has a different word for that.

 

[minerman]

Gear Acquisition Syndrome

It's a disease in which the symptoms present themselves as not being satisfied with what you have, and an overwhelming urge to focus on and obsess over what you want next.

Yeah, and it's a bitch......trust me, I know.....

And my GAS is all Greg's fault too....

 

[Lt. Bob]

I had a wine-red Custom once ...... not your typical guitar though as it had floated around in a flood before I got it.
It was coming apart and I had to literally take it apart at every joint. The neck was four pieces, the fret board and 3 lengthwise pieces plus 2 more at the headstock where it was wider than the neck .... top was 3 pieces too I think ...... back didn't need to come apart.
Anyways .... took it all apart ..... glued it back together .... it was fine with one of the oddest finishes you ever saw ..... the finish had peeled off but left splotchy red stains on the top ..... it was pretty cool.
I sold it to someone ...... probably to buy coke. Man I snorted up some gear!!

 

[Greg_L]

Oh that!!!!

My wife has a different word for that.

Ha, my wife is been extraordinarily supportive of my GAS. Not farts. Gear GAS. She's known all along that I'm a sucker for Marshalls, and before this little mid-life crisis, I lived strictly on the cheap. And really, it's her fault. I blame her all the time. I was content just banging around on my red Strat and SS amp in the bedroom. I'd told her stories about the one time I recorded digitally a long time ago and how cool I thought it was compared to tape. Then one Christmas she bought me a recording interface, set it up, showed me how to work it, and here I am. That opened the door to all of this. The first track I ever recorded on my own had me hooked permanently.

Yeah, and it's a bitch......trust me, I know.....

And my GAS is all Greg's fault too....

Lol. What? How? I accept no responsibility!

 

[Lt. Bob]

. I always knew that loud Marshall is my kind of sound.

There's only a few amps that get that exact sound in my experience.
Marshall, of course ....... but HiWatt too although you don't see them so much in the states.
Also Sound City amps had that sound and actually .... if you set them right you could coax a close facsimile outta the Ampeg V series amps. You had to know how to set the tone controls though and you had to be happy with stupid loud.

 

[ShanPeyton]

Ha, my wife is been extraordinarily supportive of my GAS. Not farts. Gear GAS. She's known all along that I'm a sucker for Marshalls, and before this little mid-life crisis, I lived strictly on the cheap. And really, it's her fault. I blame her all the time. I was content just banging around on my red Strat and SS amp in the bedroom. I'd told her stories about the one time I recorded digitally a long time ago and how cool I thought it was compared to tape. Then one Christmas she bought me a recording interface, set it up, showed me how to work it, and here I am. That opened the door to all of this. The first track I ever recorded on my own had me hooked permanently.

HaHa! thats awesome! A life altering christmas gift from the wife is pretty awesome. It helps when the are encouraging. It took my wife a while to "get it" but we hammered it all out very early on in our lives. "WHY DO YOU NEED MORE THAN ONE GUITAR??? YOU CAN ONLY PLAY ONE AT TIME I DON'T GET IT" to which i replied, "why do you need more than one pair of heels?"

Things have been cool ever since. I Just had to learn to speak Estrogen. Amp shopping should be fun when i get to it.

I was hooked too. Digital Recording at home i think was the best invention ever in my books. So therapeutic and rewarding.

 

[ShanPeyton]

There's only a few amps that get that exact sound in my experience.
Marshall, of course ....... but HiWatt

Yes. Hiwatt. I have yet to hear a hiwatt i don't like. Sadly the shops up here never ever bring one in for me to play with

 

[minerman]

I had a wine-red Custom once ...... not your typical guitar though as it had floated around in a flood before I got it.
It was coming apart and I had to literally take it apart at every joint. The neck was four pieces, the fret board and 3 lengthwise pieces plus 2 more at the headstock where it was wider than the neck .... top was 3 pieces too I think ...... back didn't need to come apart.
Anyways .... took it all apart ..... glued it back together .... it was fine with one of the oddest finishes you ever saw ..... the finish had peeled off but left splotchy red stains on the top ..... it was pretty cool.
I sold it to someone ...... probably to buy coke. Man I snorted up some gear!!

That's funny Bob... the guitar coming apart & you glued it back together....

 

[minerman]

Ha, my wife is been extraordinarily supportive of my GAS. Not farts. Gear GAS. She's known all along that I'm a sucker for Marshalls, and before this little mid-life crisis, I lived strictly on the cheap. And really, it's her fault. I blame her all the time. I was content just banging around on my red Strat and SS amp in the bedroom. I'd told her stories about the one time I recorded digitally a long time ago and how cool I thought it was compared to tape. Then one Christmas she bought me a recording interface, set it up, showed me how to work it, and here I am. That opened the door to all of this. The first track I ever recorded on my own had me hooked permanently.

Dude, that is so cool, bought you an interface, set it up, & showed you how to use it??? Wow man, that's beyond cool man!!!

Lol. What? How? I accept no responsibility!

Yep, I blame the Gerg for my Marshall-mainiac syndrome......Nah dude, you didn't do anything, but you posting pics of your amps, & great sounding clips didn't help much....I was well on my way anyway with these amps...It just took me awhile to get past the "little amp syndrome" & realize what I was after wasn't trying to make a little amp sound like a big amp.....

 

[Greg_L]

I had a wine-red Custom once ...... not your typical guitar though as it had floated around in a flood before I got it.
It was coming apart and I had to literally take it apart at every joint. The neck was four pieces, the fret board and 3 lengthwise pieces plus 2 more at the headstock where it was wider than the neck .... top was 3 pieces too I think ...... back didn't need to come apart.
Anyways .... took it all apart ..... glued it back together .... it was fine with one of the oddest finishes you ever saw ..... the finish had peeled off but left splotchy red stains on the top ..... it was pretty cool.
I sold it to someone ...... probably to buy coke. Man I snorted up some gear!!

Lol. Was that a "Norlin era" guitar by any chance? I've heard that those guitars were made from pieces like that. I think they called them "pancake" guitars?

 

[Lt. Bob]

Lol. Was that a "Norlin era" guitar by any chance? I've heard that those guitars were made from pieces like that. I think they called them "pancake" guitars?

I dunno ..... it could have been ..... seems about the right era.
The term 'pancake guitar' doesn't ring any bells.
I do remember that neck was maple ..... Pauls are usually mahogany I believe. It was a decent guitar once I finished with it although you could see where all the laminates were.

MAN I wish I had ever guitar I ever had back!
I get Premier Guitar mag and they have a 'Vintage Vault' centerfold with a vintage guitar and usually an amp.
Just about every one I've had .. lol.
I'd say 90% of them I go tell the wife, "I had that!"

They just had a big article about the Custom line of Pauls which started with the black 'Fretless Wonder' ..... a huge article showing one of the pre-production proto-types which started a big argument among readers and collectors over what p'ups were on it .... when it came out etc.
Anyways ...... I had one ...... didn't like the tiny frets so I traded it for a Hagstrom Swede and a bag of white cross!

 

[Greg_L]

I dunno ..... it could have been ..... seems about the right era.
The term 'pancake guitar' doesn't ring any bells.
I do remember that neck was maple ..... Pauls are usually mahogany I believe. It was a decent guitar once I finished with it although you could see where all the laminates were.

MAN I wish I had ever guitar I ever had back!
I get Premier Guitar mag and they have a 'Vintage Vault' centerfold with a vintage guitar and usually an amp.
Just about every one I've had .. lol.
I'd say 90% of them I go tell the wife, "I had that!"

They just had a big article about the Custom line of Pauls which started with the black 'Fretless Wonder' ..... a huge article showing one of the pre-production proto-types which started a big argument among readers and collectors over what p'ups were on it .... when it came out etc.
Anyways ...... I had one ...... didn't like the tiny frets so I traded it for a Hagstrom Swede and a bag of white cross!

Lol. Awesome.

I've heard and read those Norlin 70s LPs referred to as pancake bodies. You can see it in pics. It's like two slabs of mahogany with a thin layer of mahogany or maple in the middle. Necks were made of whatever they had laying around. Don't ask me why they did it like that. They also had a volute on the back of the headstock. Purists hate those guitars, but tons of legendary players played those things. Ace, Randy Rhoads, Jimmy Page, they all had Norlin era Les Pauls.