
Tom Hicks
Well-known member
for tone?class a tube amp
Pod and the like are ok if it is really late at night and you can't make any noise for fear of angering the neighbors.But not for everyday tracking.Only glowing glass will produce the sweet,rounded distortion heard on 90% + of ALL recorded guitar tones.Its simple physics.The "clipping " distortion produced by ICs and transistors on a scope doesn't even look like tube distortion and sure doesn't sound like it.Also the harmonics are wrong.Tubes generate even harmonics and solid state units emphasize the odd overtones.The real secret of guitar recording is how many famous "monster" guitar sounds were generated by small tube amps (example of Page using a tele and Vox AC30 top boost on Zep I).
Look at your tone-heros.Is it Clapton?Stevie Ray?Hendrix?Read Mix mag and see what the studio guys track with.A small Champ,Princeton can be had for less than the price of the pod.But maybe you like chainsaw fuzz ala Dimebag Daryl.Go for it.I an tracking mainly with a '58 Gibson GA6 18 watt amp rebuilt with milspec components to the scematic of a mid-50s Deluxe.SWEET!It all depends on what your ears are hearing cause you have to satisfy yourself in the final analysis.But the standard is there.
regards
Tom
Pod and the like are ok if it is really late at night and you can't make any noise for fear of angering the neighbors.But not for everyday tracking.Only glowing glass will produce the sweet,rounded distortion heard on 90% + of ALL recorded guitar tones.Its simple physics.The "clipping " distortion produced by ICs and transistors on a scope doesn't even look like tube distortion and sure doesn't sound like it.Also the harmonics are wrong.Tubes generate even harmonics and solid state units emphasize the odd overtones.The real secret of guitar recording is how many famous "monster" guitar sounds were generated by small tube amps (example of Page using a tele and Vox AC30 top boost on Zep I).
Look at your tone-heros.Is it Clapton?Stevie Ray?Hendrix?Read Mix mag and see what the studio guys track with.A small Champ,Princeton can be had for less than the price of the pod.But maybe you like chainsaw fuzz ala Dimebag Daryl.Go for it.I an tracking mainly with a '58 Gibson GA6 18 watt amp rebuilt with milspec components to the scematic of a mid-50s Deluxe.SWEET!It all depends on what your ears are hearing cause you have to satisfy yourself in the final analysis.But the standard is there.
regards
Tom