New Roadster: Positive Jamming Experience

[123thefirst]

Its amusing how people cite Ch3/vintage as the roadster's "sound" for lead tones. I picked up on this right away and agree 100%.

Well, that depends actually. I'm kind of addicted to Vintage too overall, but Raw with the treble high can give you a really nice mid
gain solo sound such as you'd use to cover Allman Brothers, Eagles, Led Zeppelin, etc.,

Clean and Brit (and Tweed I'm sure) are fantastic with good cables for jazz and vintage progressive rock (Steve Howe/Robert Fripp)
type solos. But maybe you need an open back cabinet to really bring those sounds alive. And appropriate pickups and setup.

It takes an effort when using the equipment to help write songs to avoid leaning too heavily on high gain sounds too often. Variety is
the spice of life...

 

[noodles]

never doubted that the roadster couldn't produce a good lead channel...it was CH3/vintage mode that sold me on the amp on top of the tweed and Brit voicings of CH1/2. CH4 I just haven't really had the chance to dive into...yet. So far it seems similar to 3 but I know the presence control acts way different on this channel. I think I can find the sustain the next opportunity I get to turn up...this pup is no bedroom amp for sure.

I think all of the Rectos sound like crap at bedroom volumes, as do tube amps in general. At home, I use a THD Hot Plate, just to get the power section moving. Otherwise, the amp is thin, lifeless, and devoid of sustain.

What settings are you using on Ch3? I'm not in front of my amp right now, but I want to say I'm Presence 5, Bass 6, Mid 5, Treble 6, Gain 6, in 100w mode with the tube rectifier. I've found that the best way to dial in a Recto is to start with the EQ knobs dead center and tweak from there.

Btw, what kind of guitar are you playing?

KxK V7, maple neckthru, ebony fretboard, mahogany wings, Duncan Custom5/Jazz set.

 

[noodles]

What did you mean by "V1"? Is that the first pre-amp stage tube? And you find drastically better tone just by replacing that one preamp tube? interesting.

It has the most overall effect on your tone. If you really want to try some different options, preamp tubes are cheap. Just drop $30-$40 and pick up a handful of different 12AX7/ECC83 tubes to swap in and out of V1 and see what you like best...Tung Sol, high gain JJ, etc.

What Jack said. V1 is the first preamp tube and accounts for 75-80% of your tone. It is always on, and V2 and V3 are only used for additional gain stages. I went with the Tung Sol because it has the smoothest, warmest response, but at $10-15 a piece, 12AX7's are cheap enough to do what Jack suggested. Buy a bunch and let your ears be the guide. Anything anyone has to say on the subject is purely personal opinion.

 

[noodles]

Believe me, there are also great lead tones in channel 4 as well (Vintage or Modern). I run a GT8 via 4CM, and front end my lead channel w/ a tube screamer sim. Adds a touch of gain without too much additional level, tightens it up, and isn't noisy.

Most guys use Ch3 for lead because the presence knob isn't so sensitive. It really doesn't matter to me either way, but Ch3 is easier to dial in for leads if all my knobs get scrambled on the way to a gig.

When "dropping" in a diferent variety of preamp tube, is it really as simple as removing and replacing the tube? Where can I get a tube diagram of the Roadster?

Inside of the amp, next to the power plug, is the tube diagram.