Classic rock tones

[srf399]

Nice looking strat! The neck looks maple ... I was thinking of getting a Mahogany neck for mine... I wanted a higher radius than the stock 82 fender neck.

 

[greycap]

Stiletto Series 1 w/ Hollywood mod. For Classic Rock tones (AC/DC, Zep, ZZ Top, etc) ya gotta get more signal into the output tubes IMHO. I mainly run Crunch on both channels (sometimes Tite Gain on CH2 for leads), Loop Out, Masters as required but always over 2 o'clock (& often dimed), Gains set as required for tone, and out through a THD Hotplate or Ultimate Attenuator (to set volume) into a Genz Benz 2x12 w/ V30 or a Marshall 1936 w/ Greenbacks. Set Ch1 for edgy/crunchy rhythm (and add a FD Fat Boost to punch it up a notch) & set Ch2 for leads. Set rectifiers to SS/Tube as required & use the Bold/Spongy (I prefer Spongy) & 50/100W switches to change feel & texture. One cool way to set the amp for rhythm/solo is to set Ch1 for 50W w/Tube recto for rhythm & CH2 for 100W w/SS recto setup for lead. Gives a nice boost when switching from Ch1 to Ch2 and doesn't force a change in channel master settings.

 

[stephen sawall]

I also use a Hot Plate with this head and the rest of them 98% of the time.

 

[Vigo1999]

Thanks Jab!

actually the first time i saw'em was exactly at MF. i really dig mahogany gtrs and the appealling strat shape looks they made a wonderfull combo.

 

[Anonymous]

Uh-oh, I feel a rant coming...

The fact that people buy high-powered Mesas for bedroom use has always baffled me. Hell, even having amps with like 100-150(!) watts on a stage is ridiculous if you're going for high-gain tones and don't need the clean headroom. It's like buying a Formula 1 race car but only having a driveway to use it in. There are plenty of little booteek 1-15 watt amps that can give you a sick power tube crunch at more reasonable volume levels. Far too few few people understand that power tube saturation is what gives that "holy tone," not buzzy little 12AX7s or transistor dirt boxes (although they're getting better and better over the years).

Sorry, but I get this way every time I see "Mesa" and "bedroom" in the same sentence! :lol:

That's very true for a classic rock type tone, where you really need the power tube saturation to get the sound you're going for. But at the same time, you'll get no closer with a 1 - 15 amp because of the speaker configuration. A 1 - 15 watt amp won't be pushing a 4x12 very far, and thus won't get you a tone you're looking for. On top of that, no other cab configuration will sound like a 4x12, so it's a compromise no matter what.

I would argue that it's like having a Formula 1 car and keeping it under 40mph. You can still have tons of fun accelerating, braking, turning, and doing any kind of trick you might wish, and it will be very satisfying. It might not be as good as if you could rev it up and do 180, but it'll still be worth owning.

I use my TR mostly at lower levels, since I only have band practice once a week and don't record all the time. It sounds fantastic! The other thing is, nothing else - no other type of amp - sounds like my TR, so it would be stupid for me to get a "proper" bedroom amp. Sure, it sounds better when turned up, but it's very, very easy for me to justify owning even when I do use it at a bedroom level.

Maybe that helps?