Why's my tele sound really thin on my T-Verb combo?

[tele_jas]

Ok, it's not really a Tele, it's a G&L ASAT tele style guitar..

When I play it through my old Fender Deluxe, it sounds full..... You would think that playing it through a 2x12 Tremoverb combo it would sound fuller, but it sounds thin and brittle. My Wolfgang sounds fine through it, but it's a dual humbucker guitar. I tried the 6L6's and EL34's and it's not that different. I even turned the bass all the way up and had the mids, highs and presence all set to about 1. It doesn't seem that band with my T-verb head and Genz Benz 2x12 setup.... Could it just be the open back of the combo? Well, my Deluxe is open back too...... Hum, maybe the cleans aren't supposed to have alot of lows or it wasn't designed to be played with a single coil?

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[ibegyourpardon]

because its a tele. the're made for country dude

 

[tele_jas]

because its a tele. the're made for country dude

Tell that to SlipKnot :wink: .

No no no..... I played hard rock with my tele for 3 years before I got a humbucker guitar. I chose tele's over strats because the tele sounded beefier over the strat any day. Plus the G&L pickups are hotter than a standard tele pickups, still single coils but beefier.

Even if it was becasue it's a tele,, it sounds fine in my Deluxe (1x12 amp) and sounded fine in every other amp I've had for the last couple of years on a clean setting. I'm just wondering if it's because it's designed with less bass than, lets say, a Fender Twin? Same design - 2x12 open back but the twin rattles the walls from the lows my tele/twin combo made. I just figured the T-verb would do the same.

Anyone else notice this, or just me?

 

[Ducky]

Hi Tele_jas

I don't have a T-verb, but i have a LSS. I find my asat sounds 100x better than my paul thru the LSS.

 

[boogieslide]

Have you tried unplugging the combo speakers and using the Gflex 2x12 cab instead? I would be curious if it sounds the same as the head into the Gflex that way. Might tell you if something is different between the amps or if it is more something to do with the open combo speakers.

 

[tele_jas]

Huh.... can't believe I haven't tried that yet?? I'll try that and let you know what I find... I'll also try my combo speakers plugged in to the head. Good suggestion.

 

[TheRazMeister]

Tele....are you tryng tp re-create tne control settings that you use on the Fender? Remember that Mesa's have active controls, meaning that they affect each other with a gain stage, where as the Fender cuts frequencies when backing off from 10. What I'm trying to say is back off the treble and mid a bit and give it more low bass and volume.

Huh.... can't believe I haven't tried that yet?? I'll try that and let you know what I find... I'll also try my combo speakers plugged in to the head. Good suggestion.

 

[boogieslide]

Huh.... can't believe I haven't tried that yet?? I'll try that and let you know what I find... I'll also try my combo speakers plugged in to the head. Good suggestion.

And then run one of the amps into both the combo speakers and the Gflex and let me know what you get. Thinking of a 3/4 open cab to go with my Gflex so that would be similar. You can do my taste test :lol:

Have fun with it. You got some cool gear to play with.

 

[tele_jas]

Well, I didn't have a chance to mess with it last night so after the kids left for shcool and my wife left for work... I called work and said I was running late and then I dug it all out and messed around with it for about an hour. It is the open back that makes it sound thin compared to what I was used to hearing through my Genz Benz G-Flex 2x12. I unplugged the combo speakers and went directly to the G-flex and it sounded thick and what I wanted to hear. Then, just for S-n-G's, I tried my head in to the combo speakers and it sounded just as thin with my G&L ASAT (tele).... So I'm ok now!

I did notice one thing though, my combo has just a tad more gain than my head does... I did my check with both amps running 6L6's, but the only difference was the rectifier tube. The combo has one of the smaller GZB (?) tubes and the head had the big 5ua4 (?) tubes - (not sure on those tube numbers). The combo acutally sounded tighter too.

And for you Boogieslide, I ran my combo wih my G-Flex, so both the combo and g-flex were going) and at first I didn't think it sounded too much better, so I adjusted it a bit and got it sound good and played with it a few minutes and then I unhooked the G-flex and noticed a big difference!! So I plugged the G-flex back in and unhooked the combo and same thing, there was a big difference. With the closed back and open back setup, it sounds fuller and everything is a little more balanced (to my ears). The open back cab was louder, but the g-flex definately added to the sound. If you like lots of low end, this wouldn't be the route to go but if you're just looking for a good sound that's it!! I was highly impressed with what I heard. I also plugged in my head to the 2 cabs to see if it sounded any different and it was about the same.

Here's what was in front of me this morning at 8am, not a bad way to start your day :wink:

 

[boogieslide]

Friggin Sweet!!!!

Low end is for the bass player. I have a hard time believing I wouldn't have enough. Now I definitely want a 3/4 open 2x12.

Thanks!

 

[RR]

Ok, it's not really a Tele, it's a G&L ASAT tele style guitar..

When I play it through my old Fender Deluxe, it sounds full.....
Anyone have any ideas?

Yeah, crank up the T-Verb and make those 6L6s or EL34s start to warm up and hit the sweet spot => power stage tube distortion. You'll probably go deaf first but ...

The reason you claimed you are getting a "fat" sound from your G&L ASAT tele style guitar its because you are probably cranking the master volume of Deluxe and hit the "sweet spots" from the power stage tubes (pair of 6V6s? or 6L6s?).

That's why alot of guitarists like smaller amp. They get to crank the master volumes and make the power stage tubes do it work.

If you are into Blues, Classic Rock, you want the power stage tubes' overtones.

Now if you play metal and what have you and rely on the preamp distortion then it does not matter.

 

[tele_jas]

you are probably cranking the master volume of Deluxe and hit the "sweet spots" from the power stage tubes

Actually I'm not.... I don't think I've ever turned my Deluxe up much past 2 or 3 in the past 10 years, except for one time to see where the break up starts (which is about 5-6). I usually just use the Deluxe in it's cleanest - purest state with no power tube break up. I think it's just becuase I'm expecting a Fender tone to come from a Mesa Boogie, which the only amp that can get that is a Fender. After I've messed around with it a bit and tried a different cab, I know my amp is fine and thats just the way it is. I'm not un-happy with it, but if I do a more "clean" gig, I'll either use my G-flex cab or my Deluxe (depending on how much volume I'll need).....no big deal.

Maybe after I play with my t-verb/tele setup for a while, I'll find a sound something close to what I'm looking for. I've mainly been just using it for rock and the occasional clean tone, but I think I'm getting ready to venture in to an area where I need more clean settings. I just neet to play with it a bit more...