The New Tone Thread

[RFR]

I have a generic 80s era wah that I like a lot and an Area51 modified wah that is awesome. But only one problem. ..they did the mod to an original Thomas Organ wah pedal. Good grief! When area51 does their thing, all the original guts are pulled. A new board and everything is installed. All thats left of the original wah is the case.
As much as I dig the wah, I'd rather have it bone stock. Eh, I got it that way, I'm not to blame.

On my 80's wah, I did mod that though. I installed a true bypass and an LED, and painted it metallic hot rod purple. It's baddass!

 

[JDOD]

I have a GCB95 wah but I mess about with the wiring in it when installing a new switch, doing a true bypass mod. Seems to have altered the voicing a bit.

 

[Greg_L]

I have a GCB95 wah but I mess about with the wiring in it when installing a new switch, doing a true bypass mod. Seems to have altered the voicing a bit.

Sometimes when working on a wah you can cause them to go "off a tooth". That's what I always call it anyway, using my car engine lingo for cam timing. The pot has a little gear on it, and the footboard has like a sawblade looking thing that engages the pot's cog. They need to be synced up. If you jump a tooth the whole sweep range and tone characteristic changes.

 

[JDOD]

Its not a change or anything - its just a different sound - seems like it has a wider range now but that can't be true - maybe it just backs off more than it used to and doesn't go as high or something. I haven't posted many clips of me using a wah wah, but I'll probably have some wah wah coming up at some point soon.

 

[jimistone]

like Greg said it's probably "jumped time"
it's an easy fix...loosen the pot, press the pedal all the way down, turn the pot all the way to the left, and put it back together.

 

[minerman]

I'll have a wah pedal to play with in a couple weeks, thanks to Bill L, he's gonna sell me a CryBaby wah, so I'll officially have a real wah before long...

It should sound way better than the vst's I've been using, & will be a lot more liberating compared to drawing automation curves in the daw for it...

 

[JDOD]

I'll have a wah pedal to play with in a couple weeks, thanks to Bill L, he's gonna sell me a CryBaby wah, so I'll officially have a real wah before long...

It should sound way better than the vst's I've been using, & will be a lot more liberating compared to drawing automation curves in the daw for it...

Holy fuck! You actually did that. That must make clicking on a MIDI strip for drums feel like fun!

 

[minerman]

Holy fuck! You actually did that. That must make clicking on a MIDI strip for drums feel like fun!

Yes Jdude, I've done that for my wah effects on my guitars dude. More work & aggravation than you could imagine, but it was the only thing I had you know??? I do a lot of automation on my effects in the daw, not just on/off, but moving the parameters of the effects themselves can add some pretty cool sounds, but you have to experiment...

I'll be pretty tickled when I get the wah pedal, I won't know how to act being able to actually use a pedal, instead of drawing curves/shapes in a fuckin' automation lane...

Oh yeah, drum programming is pretty simple compared to doing that....

 

[JDOD]

Yes Jdude, I've done that for my wah effects on my guitars dude. More work & aggravation than you could imagine, but it was the only thing I had you know??? I do a lot of automation on my effects in the daw, not just on/off, but moving the parameters of the effects themselves can add some pretty cool sounds, but you have to experiment...

I'll be pretty tickled when I get the wah pedal, I won't know how to act being able to actually use a pedal, instead of drawing curves/shapes in a fuckin' automation lane...

Oh yeah, drum programming is pretty simple compared to doing that....

haha, I bet you'll just spend ages doing that Whacka, Whacka intro to Voodoo Chile and grin like a kid!

 

[Greg_L]

It's copycat time again.

I'm once again, just for kicks, exploring the nearly impossible task of mimicking a believable Ramones tone. I'm also sort of using this as a bench test. I'm thinking of swapping my custom made Hallmark "Fat Pig" pickup back into my Hallmark Mosrite clone. The P-Rails has been great, but I'm ready to go back to the original Mosrite-style pickup, or go back to my "Fat Pig". So here's the guitar in it's current configuration with the P-Rails. I think I'll do some clips before and after the swap.

Hallmark 60 Custom - SD P-Rails bridge - P90 mode
Marshall JVM410H - OD1 Orange mode
Resonance - 0
Presence - 4
Bass - 6
Mid - 10
Treb - 2
Gain - 1.5
Ch vol - 5
Master vol - 5
Marshall 1960A 4x12 - Greenbacks
Senn e609 on axis, on grill, halfway to edge
No EQ or FX

Road to Poop

And here's what it's supposed to sound like.

 

[minerman]

haha, I bet you'll just spend ages doing that Whacka, Whacka intro to Voodoo Chile and grin like a kid!

Lol....actually I did man.....listen to the first song in my sig link & you'll hear some fake wah wah Jdod...All those songs were done with ampsims, so be warned....

 

[minerman]

It's copycat time again.

I'm once again, just for kicks, exploring the nearly impossible task of mimicking a believable Ramones tone. I'm also sort of using this as a bench test. I'm thinking of swapping my custom made Hallmark "Fat Pig" pickup back into my Hallmark Mosrite clone. The P-Rails has been great, but I'm ready to go back to the original Mosrite-style pickup, or go back to my "Fat Pig". So here's the guitar in it's current configuration with the P-Rails. I think I'll do some clips before and after the swap.

Hallmark 60 Custom - SD P-Rails bridge - P90 mode
Marshall JVM410H - OD1 Orange mode
Resonance - 0
Presence - 4
Bass - 6
Mid - 10
Treb - 2
Gain - 1.5
Ch vol - 5
Master vol - 5
Marshall 1960A 4x12 - Greenbacks
Senn e609 on axis, on grill, halfway to edge
No EQ or FX

Road to Poop

And here's what it's supposed to sound like.

I think it's pretty close already Greg, your clip might be a little bright, but in a mix & double-tracked it may be even closer...I have a hard time judging things like that on their own...But you've definitely got their style down dude, not only on the guitar, but the drums too. As soon as the song kicked in, I heard you behind the kit...

 

[Greg_L]

Ha thanks. Yeah I could drum that in my sleep. Not because I'm good or it's easy, but because that's what I learned to play drums from - Ramones albums. And that drummer in particular, Marky Ramone. If I had to name my one dominant drum influence, it'd be him.

But anyway, the tone. I'm not crazy about what I got for that type era of Ramones tone. It's okay. I think the feel and all that shit is there, but that's the wrong amp to try it with. I just gave it a shot because that channel on that amp with the gain way down low is somewhat cranked Plexi-ish, but it's too compressed. Even with the mids dimed it's too modern and smooth. It doesn't have that midrange crunch the original version has. But Johnny's guitars are also triple tracked on that record, so I'm fighting a losing battle. I'm just trying to get close for shits and grins. The original Hallmark pickup might do it better. It's probably closer in spec to Johnny's from that time period. Those original Mosrite pickups were hot fat single coils. That's what the Hallmark pickup is too. I think I'll put it back in tomorrow.

 

[minerman]

Well dude, before you go swapping p'ups, why not try another amp??? It's not like you've got a limited inventory over there....I'm sure you know what amps he used, & I'm pretty sure you've got a damn close approximation, if not the same thing...

I'd try another amp, maybe cab/mic before swapping the p'up back...I know a p'up swap is easy, but it's even easier to plug into another amp....

 

[Greg_L]

Well yeah, but I was gonna swap em back anyway. I know what the P-Rails will do, but it was already in the guutar before I got some of these other amps. I wanna give the Hallmark pickups another shot.

I'm not gonna move anything on the amp or mic. I'll do a swap and try it again through the same settings just for continuity.

 

[minerman]

Well yeah, but I was gonna swap em back anyway. I know what the P-Rails will do, but it was already in the guutar before I got some of these other amps. I wanna give the Hallmark pickups another shot.

I'm not gonna move anything on the amp or mic. I'll do a swap and try it again through the same settings just for continuity.

That's cool dude, you definitely know what you're doing, & where you wanna go...Something you told me a long time ago is using the gear you have, & manipulating it to get the sound(s) you're after...That's always stuck with me...

Back to the clip you posted, compared to the vid, it does seem just a little bright to me, but once it's in the mix & double-tracked, the other instruments will take away a little of the high end, cymbals/hats in particular...

Myself, I've been concentrating on learning the new amp/cab as much as possible the last little while. I think it's a great sounding little amp, & I'm learning more about it every time I plug into it...While it does sound good through my bastard cab, the amp really was made for using the matching cab IMO...

 

[Lt. Bob]

It's copycat time again.

I'm once again, just for kicks, exploring the nearly impossible task of mimicking a believable Ramones tone. I'm also sort of using this as a bench test. I'm thinking of swapping my custom made Hallmark "Fat Pig" pickup back into my Hallmark Mosrite clone. The P-Rails has been great, but I'm ready to go back to the original Mosrite-style pickup, or go back to my "Fat Pig". So here's the guitar in it's current configuration with the P-Rails. I think I'll do some clips before and after the swap.

seems thin compared to what I usually hear from you .... I'm not talking about the brightness , which you need for that sound , but there's no body to the guitar at all to my ears.

 

[Greg_L]

That's cool dude, you definitely know what you're doing, & where you wanna go...Something you told me a long time ago is using the gear you have, & manipulating it to get the sound(s) you're after...That's always stuck with me...

Yup. Unless you're completely trying copy and nail someone else's sound, just use what you got and do what you do. I don't ever seriously try to copy Johnny Ramone's sound. It's just a fun exercise for me because it's so damn hard.

Myself, I've been concentrating on learning the new amp/cab as much as possible the last little while. I think it's a great sounding little amp, & I'm learning more about it every time I plug into it...While it does sound good through my bastard cab, the amp really was made for using the matching cab IMO...

That's probably true. Amps are voiced for a specific speaker pretty often.

seems thin compared to what I usually hear from you .... I'm not talking about the brightness , which you need for that sound , but there's no body to the guitar at all to my ears.

Totally agree. You're right, that's what it is. Not enough body. It sounds scooped even though the mids are dimed. I think that's probably having the gain so low on a high gain channel. It works with a humbucker, but maybe this pickup doesn't have enough oomph to drive it that way.

 

[minerman]

Yup. Unless you're completely trying copy and nail someone else's sound, just use what you got and do what you do. I don't ever seriously try to copy Johnny Ramone's sound. It's just a fun exercise for me because it's so damn hard.

The only time I've ever tried to cop anyone's sound half-assed seriously was the VH tone, & the Slash thing we did comparing our amps. I did get a ballpark Angus tone with the DSL right before I sold it, but wasn't trying to nail it at all...Other than that, I already know I'm not gonna sound like anyone else anyway, so it's really a bit pointless for me. If I had the chops some of those guys do, it'd be different, but I don't...

That's probably true. Amps are voiced for a specific speaker pretty often.

I swear man, the little amp sounds good through the bastard cab, & I've got some good tonal options with the different speakers, but it's just a different animal through the matching cab. Even though he's lied about everything even remotely referring to his tone(s), EVH & his team must've done their homework with his gear. I'm really impressed with it, even after the "new" has worn off some...

Totally agree. You're right, that's what it is. Not enough body. It sounds scooped even though the mids are dimed. I think that's probably having the gain so low on a high gain channel. It works with a humbucker, but maybe this pickup doesn't have enough oomph to drive it that way.

You & Bob both are a lot better at describing sounds than I am...'Ol Bob popped in & immediately pointed out what you need...

 

[Greg_L]

I swear man, the little amp sounds good through the bastard cab, & I've got some good tonal options with the different speakers, but it's just a different animal through the matching cab. Even though he's lied about everything even remotely referring to his tone(s), EVH & his team must've done their homework with his gear. I'm really impressed with it, even after the "new" has worn off some...

I don't think that amp is supposed to be "EVH tone". It was never about that. I think it's just a regular high gain rock amp that he may or may not actually have had anything to do with. So his lies and tall tales don't really have any bearing on the 5150/6505/EVH amps. He still sounds like himself, but he hasn't had that "brown sound" in over 40 years. They're great amps, I just have always thought it was misleading to have "EVH" plastered all over them.