Tonal rediscovery...

[SonicProvocateur]

So I think since the week I bought my non-EQ Mark III, I started running an MXR EQ in the loop to get my tone. Yes, it is super brutal and awesome, also very versatile, but a few days ago, I decided to retweak the amp without it. I had turned it off plenty of times, but I suppose the loss of all that woofy bass made me not notice that the EQ was in fact draining harmonic clarity.

I made this (crappy) video to roughly demonstrate the tone. To me it seems so much more pure with much more clarity and cut, and to get that heavy bass, I can always just add more Master. Btw, sorry about the hum, the grounding in my room isnt as good as in the studio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1-ZAD0Ervw&feature=channel_video_title

Thoughts on the "tone suck"? Opinions?

 

[topcat0399]

So I think since the week I bought my non-EQ Mark III, I started running an MXR EQ in the loop to get my tone. Yes, it is super brutal and awesome, also very versatile, but a few days ago, I decided to retweak the amp without it. I had turned it off plenty of times, but I suppose the loss of all that woofy bass made me not notice that the EQ was in fact draining harmonic clarity.

I made this (crappy) video to roughly demonstrate the tone. To me it seems so much more pure with much more clarity and cut, and to get that heavy bass, I can always just add more Master. Btw, sorry about the hum, the grounding in my room isnt as good as in the studio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1-ZAD0Ervw&feature=channel_video_title

Thoughts on the "tone suck"? Opinions?

I am a disciple of the "straight into the amp" club. Got a pile of outboard gear that I just won't use anymore. Since I did that I've actually learned to play because the amp hides NOTHING.

ymmv

 

[JOEY B.]

You are coming of age , young Boogieman. I think that ANYTHING in the loop of the early Boogie amps will degrade the tone somewhat. The factory GEQ will NOT suck tone if used sparingly to account for the room or slight guitar differences. However, when used to the extremes(read super scooped 750 Hz), it can destroy the guitars' natural resonant frequency. Much like severely detuning a standard scale length guitar. That is the whole reason behind the Baritone guitar. I'm glad to see that you have had an "awakening". 8)

 

[zodiac272]

I thought it sounded awesome... When you first plugged in and played a couple chords... big, killer juicy f'n rhythm tone. I'm trying to ween myself from always wanting GEQ on, and one time with my coliseum GEQ was off but I thought i had it on, sounded great too.

thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed that. BTW how do you like your PRS?

thanks
scott

 

[SonicProvocateur]

I'm really loving my PRS again. For the longest time I had turned to my Ibanezes because they had the most cut in the mix, but with the new settings and tonal rediscovery, I may not need to. I bought the PRS because it had such whomping sweet midranging and a singing topend that wasnt brittle, but the more gain on Vol 1 or Lead Drive I add on any mahogany guitar it seems to just turn into pure fuzz. My Mark III has so much gain in fact I could go into recto territory at times, or roll off the tone and play Mastodon or Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream album (I was getting worried it needed a recap because of its tone)...but that's not what I wanted...I'm always chasing that IIC+ tone!

Funny that Joey mentioned natural resonant frequency! My clean tones (now more beautifully ever supplied by the Sylvanias!) sound amazing not being chopped up by the EQ in the loop. The neck position doesn't sound as jazzy, but thats what the tone knob is for. Everything is so much cleaner and more transparent again. It really is just an awakening. 8) And thanks for the compliments guys.

Edit: Scott, your Coli has 3 times as much power as my amp...why am I not surprised you didn't know it was off at first :lol: I'm reminded of that song Little Nash Rambler... "Hey buddy, how do I get this car out of second gear?!"

 

[SonicProvocateur]

In the video i'm using the Lead channel, I had the gain rolled back for better pick attack. The R2 sounds very close to it, only just slightly less gain, very Marshallesque. I was going to switch to it on the video, but the camera kept falling over lol.

 

[zodiac272]

Edit: Scott, your Coli has 3 times as much power as my amp...why am I not surprised you didn't know it was off at first :lol: I'm reminded of that song Little Nash Rambler... "Hey buddy, how do I get this car out of second gear?!"

Hey,

I pulled the chassis, and it was upside down to plug and play with some tubes and I didn't notice the GEQ was off. At the time I just got it, and was just checking everything out. I was just trying to say I was playing it without the preconception that I would like GEQ out less than GEQ on... like a blind test.

It's at mesa now and Mike B. called today to talk about it... he said it's about 120 watts full power (simul) and about 80 watts "half power". Also, he said that the IIC+ coliseum on half power still uses all 6 output tubes... the switch just kicks in a screen resistor to drop the power. It's powerful, but definitely not 3X .

keep more clips coming! (not to be demanding, hehe)

thanks
scott

 

[kdorsey]

Dude, your fly was wide open the entire time!!! :lol:

That did have good definition, even with camcorder audio. Though the graphic EQ makes dialing in a particular sound easier, it's not impossible without it. The rest is in your hands.

You proved again that this is a certified bad-assed amp and did your MkIII brethren proud. :mrgreen:

Oh, and your mother called and said, "clean up your room dammit!!" :wink: