Hendrix Tones from ED?

[elvis]

I checked out the vids on the Mesa site, and one of the things that sold me on the ED were the "Hendrix tone" clips. However, in the store I get tone that is much more vanilla on either LO or HI. I seem to be able to match the tones in the other clips pretty well. I used a strat and a Jem. Clearly you can hear the tele dominating the tone in the clip, but has anybody been able to get a similar tone with a non-tele? Even with the exact same settings as in the video, with the strat's single coils, I got a lot more dirt than in the video. I got closer on the clean mode than LO.

 

[YellowJacket]

I checked out the vids on the Mesa site, and one of the things that sold me on the ED were the "Hendrix tone" clips. However, in the store I get tone that is much more vanilla on either LO or HI. I seem to be able to match the tones in the other clips pretty well. I used a strat and a Jem. Clearly you can hear the tele dominating the tone in the clip, but has anybody been able to get a similar tone with a non-tele? Even with the exact same settings as in the video, with the strat's single coils, I got a lot more dirt than in the video. I got closer on the clean mode than LO.

Run the ED with a cab loaded with Celestion G12H 30s and you'll get much closer to the Hendrix tone. Also consider what pickups you put in a strat. This amp is super sensitive. What you put in is what you get out!!!

As for 'vanilla', the Electra Dyne uses simul-class power so you get a much 'sweeter' and more polite tone than you'd get with a Plexi. If you want a plexi, get one (and an attenuator).

 

[elvis]

Thanks for the comment, YJ.

Actually, I was not looking for vanilla. What I was trying to say was that I had expected to get some extraordinary tones. In some cases I did, but in others (like the Hendrix-y settings) I got a vanilla tone that was not nearly what I had hoped for. I'm looking for any advice that more experienced users can offer for getting the best out of this amp.

I was actually very impressed with the amp, but there are some tones I've just never seemed to nail.

 

[screamingdaisy]

It's possible that the dude in the video didn't have his guitar's volume/tone on 10, or that his Tele has lower output pickups than what was on the Strat you used.

 

[elvis]

Yeah, I tried that, but it lost high end fast with even moderate volume drop. Next time I will try a tele instead of a strat - I've always hated strats.

 

[YellowJacket]

I was actually very impressed with the amp, but there are some tones I've just never seemed to nail.

Amps do a lot but you have to consider other parts of the signal chain as well. It is a well known fact that Hendrix played plexi heads into 4 x 12s loaded with Celestion G12H 30s. Now, I'm not sure if they were the 55HZ or the 75HZ model of that speaker but I'm sure you can look it up. The speaker does A LOT for tone and its tone shaping power cannot be ignored. It could be that the extra spice you need to make the 'vanilla' sound interesting is somewhere else in the signal chain besides the amp itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6y0KMBxCoA (This should clear up my point quite nicely)

So basically, pick your speakers / cab you want. JeffP is currently running G12 65 Heritage speakers with his. Some other guys run G12T 75s. Some run v30s. I run a v30 and a c90 in an oversized 2 x 12 box. Birdy runs a greenback Marshall 4 x 12 for his crunch tone.....

This amp is EXCEPTIONALLY sensitive to guitars / pickups. This can be both a good and a bad thing. I personally like it with Gibson Les Pauls and don't fancy strats much. That's just my OPINION. Gotta get the right axe and pickups to maximize the potential of the amp.

Another thought, you might want to swap the stock 6L6 tubes for EL-34s. This will take a bit away from the clean channel but will in turn, give great crunch tone on vintage lo and hi.

As for dialing in the Electra Dyne, it will do what it does. I find it hits the sweet spot in several places. You get skinny cleans with the volume set lower so I tend to set it higher to get a thicker and more rich clean. The gain trim allows me to fine tune the volume knob (gain) for vintage lo and hi which can give me some great tones that cover many styles. Experiment with the volume first and run the EQ string flat until you start getting into the territory you want. I find lower volume settings really give those classic old school tones on vintage lo and hi but you gotta crank the beast (Master) a bit to really get it working. Some hot tips from the manual:

Volume: This is the gain knob. Turning the gain up gives more gain but it also fattens up the lows and low mids. As you turn the volume up, you have to turn the bass down to maintain a balanced tone.

Treble: Increasing treble cuts lows and mids as well as boosting the treble frequency. It changes the frequencies fed to the next pots.

Mids: Global control. Adds both midrange and 'low treble' frequencies to the amp's tone. Consider this the 'crunch knob'. It affects all channels equally.

Bass: This is the Flub Control. If your amp flubs, turn to the left. If it still flubs, turn it father to the left.
Presence: A global control. Turning up the presence adds more aggression / extremely high frequences / bite / sizzle to the tone. It affects all channels equally.

Master: As this goes up, the amp gets louder and sounds better and better. The Electra Dyne gets BASS HEAVY as it turns up so gotta turn down the bass etc. to compensate.

To reiterate my point from earlier, if you like what the Electra Dyne does, get it. If you want Hendrix's sound, Strat + Plexi + Attenuator + Marshall 120watt cab with G12H 30s + Attenuator is probably a more authentic option. Oh, and you need his fingers as well... A lot of tone is also in the player.

As for the Electra Dyne, cranking it up will probably get you much closer to those vintage tones. Did you have a chance to unleash the monster in the music store? People have commented at length on how the tone of the 'Dyne transitions into something different as one reaches gig volumes. It sounds more like a Crunchy Mark I at bedroom volumes and then it morphs into full on pissed off plexi crunch as you approach drummer levels. (I get a stupid assed sex grin on my face when I gig my 'Dyne. It's just THAT good) To start to get those vintage tones, you have to coax the power section into a bit of soft clip which requires volume to do so. You might want to look into an attenuator to make the amp more versatile, volume wise. (should you decide to get one) Birdy has one that he uses with his Marshall 100watt cab. (He uses greenbacks instead of G12H 30s)
I'd imagine the 'Hendrix clip' you heard on Mesa's website had the amp cranked up substantially more than you could manage in the music store. That's my hypothesis, anyway.

Hope this helps...

 

[elvis]

Thanks for the lengthy reply!

I agree with your points about amps, speakers, etc, but was just trying to recreate what I heard that amp do. I think you probably nailed it with your comments about sensitivity to the specific guitar and master vol setting. And my fingers are pretty good, but the guy in the demo is at a level I will never reach.

After reading the manual, it seems that Mesa went WAY out of their way to try to make the 3 channels coexist in a switchable way. At this point I think I'll have to buy it and see. I'll either keep it or not. The power soak is a good idea, as I have heard that this amp is unbelievably loud.

 

[elvis]

Played it again at lunch today. This time I used a tele, and that really did the trick. Then I worked backwards trying to get a similar tone with my Jem, and got pretty close.

Then I turned up the master. OW!

 

[YellowJacket]

HAHAHA ya. The amp has an incredible amount of horsepower on tap. I turn the mids down for bedroom playing. It mitigates the assault somewhat. I think I've had it as loud as about 8:30 on the master and that was keeping up fine with a live drummer!!!!

I gotcha. If memory serves, I think they have the exact settings on the demo clips. You could write them down and give them a try.

I'll harp on the speakers one more time. Depending on what style of music you play, the speakers are really the final icing on the cake. For an all purpose flexible setup I'd suggest either v30s or a mix of v30s and c90s. For the oldschool stuff, Greenbacks, G12 65s, or G12H 30s will get you much closer to those tones. The v30s and c90s are great for more modern tones but I think it is the G12K 100s are even more aggressive yet again. I've heard v30 + g12T 75 is also good for added aggression. **MY** personal favourite speaker box is the Mesa Stiletto 4 x 12 hands down. It really is 'perfect' for what I want. That being said, it is too loud!!! So ya, I run 2 x 12s and deal with it because the amp is awesome.

Getting you are going to get a head?? They have an Electra Dyne cabinet. Getting the 90watt 1 x 12 would be more than adequate for small to medium stuff. For big stuff either a 2 x 12 or a 4 x 12 is awesome!!

 

[elvis]

Yeah, I went into the store with the settings written down. That helped a lot.

I will use a 1x12 recto because I happen to have a couple already. I will probably use both, actually. I like them a lot, and also play my Triaxis/2:90 through them. I may get a 2x12 recto cab to go with the ED head as well.

 

[YellowJacket]

By all accounts, the 2 x 12 rectocab is great. Are you aware that there is a 2 x 12 ED cab available too? The Cab will give you a more similar tone to the combo.

 

[elvis]

No, I didn't know there was a 2x12 ED cab. However, I really like the rectos, and found the ED to be awfully bright with its native speaker.

Either way, the thing is so scratchy and punchy. Like a Hiwatt, but with lots of gain. I like it. I'll probably go deaf because of it, but it'll be a good ride while it lasts...