Guitar Megathread II: Unleash the picking fury!!!

[rollerball]

paul gilbert is dat u

well wtf gauge do you use stevie ray

[7empest]

well wtf gauge do you use stevie ray

either clapton or brian may use 6's , crazy

[rollerball]

either clapton or brian may use 6's , crazy

clapton is so overrated imo.

may has great, tangy tone.

[7empest]

clapton is so overrated imo.

may has great, tangy tone.

he looked mad when ginger baker got a big applause recently at a show

[Dominik]

I can't believe I use to play 12-53 gauges with standard tuning during my band days.

I am really enjoying the 9-42 gauges.

Play what feels right. Used to play 9-42 and went the other way.

One of my favorite players, Brett Garsed, plays 11-52.

[bignpisst]

Cool vid to me

https://youtu.be/jsCeSHAFoh4?si=hgGz8I5pstfhJDfG

[7empest]

whose tried a Tom Anderson, what are they like compared to Suhr?

[rollerball]

I'm considering getting this.

https://www.toneking.com/shop/amps/gremlin/#blackfront

[Dominik]

[Dominik]

[rollerball]

What are these new devices?

[Dominik]

What are these new devices?

Fender: Obviously looking to cash in on the Quad Cortex/Helix/Fractal FM3 thing. The rumoured price is comical.

Friedman: Two channel tube preamp + boost with power amp simulation and an IR loader built in.

You might say why not use a Tonex? Nothing wrong with that but why not use as much of the real thing as possible? There are a couple of 12AX7s in there running at what I'll assume is similar plate voltage to an amp.

[rollerball]

Fender: Obviously looking to cash in on the Quad Cortex/Helix/Fractal FM3 thing. The rumoured price is comical.

Friedman: Two channel tube preamp + boost with power amp simulation and an IR loader built in.

You might say why not use a Tonex? Nothing wrong with that but why not use as much of the real thing as possible? There are a couple of 12AX7s in there running at what I'll assume is similar plate voltage to an amp.

If I'm going to be honest I've never really jelled with the Fender amps in pretty much every modeler I've tried. I've never been able to capture the clean that a real Twin Reverb can produce - like not even close for some reason.

Maybe the Fender Modeler will actually be able to successfully model a Fender amp lol.

I'm not fully bought into the Tonex tbh. These days I've been looking at tube amps more and more, those Tone King amps stand out to me currently.

[Dominik]

If I'm going to be honest I've never really jelled with the Fender amps in pretty much every modeler I've tried. I've never been able to capture the clean that a real Twin Reverb can produce - like not even close for some reason.

Maybe the Fender Modeler will actually be able to successfully model a Fender amp lol.

I'm not fully bought into the Tonex tbh. These days I've been looking at tube amps more and more, those Tone King amps stand out to me currently.

That's because the Fender sound people get wood over comes from a loud amp. At lower volumes modeling does a capable job to my ears.

Tone King is built in the same warehouse as Friedman and Morgan (Boutique Amps Distribution). If I'm paying that kind of money for a Fender circuit I'd just find someone who builds a great clone.

[rollerball]

That's because the Fender sound people get wood over comes from a loud amp. At lower volumes modeling does a capable job to my ears.

Tone King is built in the same warehouse as Friedman and Morgan (Boutique Amps Distribution). If I'm paying that kind of money for a Fender circuit I'd just find someone who builds a great clone.

Actually I remember getting amazing tones with my old Twin Reverb even at normal volumes, the clean was just so sick.

[rollerball]

Hmmmm to be honest, I might actually get that new Friedman pedal lol.

[Dominik]

Actually I remember getting amazing tones with my old Twin Reverb even at normal volumes, the clean was just so sick.

Of course you can but I don't think anything is happening at low volume that can't be duplicated by a pedal that uses a similar tone stack (ideally with tubes) or modeling. The real magic is what happens when those circuits are pushed.

It's like when some Youtuber shill says their Fractal or some pedal does AC/DC. You're not getting anywhere near that early AC/DC sound with anything other than really loud 60s/70s Marshalls. You might think you're close but it's all in your head. I cringe every time someone says AC/DC is easy to play or that a band sounds like them. Show me a band who comes anywhere near this. People now pay to watch expensive karaoke at stage volumes where the audience could hear a stray fart. Sadly this kind of live performance will never happen again.

[rollerball]

Of course you can but I don't think anything is happening at low volume that can't be duplicated by a pedal that uses a similar tone stack (ideally with tubes) or modeling. The real magic is what happens when those circuits are pushed.

It's like when some Youtuber shill says their Fractal or some pedal does AC/DC. You're not getting anywhere near that early AC/DC sound with anything other than really loud 60s/70s Marshalls. You might think you're close but it's all in your head. I cringe every time someone says AC/DC is easy to play or that a band sounds like them. Show me a band who comes anywhere near this. People now pay to watch expensive karaoke at stage volumes where the audience could hear a stray fart. Sadly this kind of live performance will never happen again.

[youtube]s3nEAmt5AZ8[youtube]

I dunno, there was sound to my Twin Reverb that I've never been able to duplicate since that Twin Reverb and it was just a standard reissue. Modelers never seem to come close for some reason, but maybe nostalgia or something is gilding my memories or some chit.

I definitely get you about the loud tube amps. I toured with 100W tube heads played out volumes that still affect me to this day lol (eeeeeeee). Also when I worked at Guitar Center I futzed with a lot of awesome tube amps - modelers don't do that chit without some awesome power amp volume and good speakers. Even then I'm not even sure if modelers re-create those type of high volume harmonics without a tube power amp section?

But that's really at the more extreme end of volume playing that is completely unrealistic for any home setting unless you're a lucky bastardo with some sound-proofed room or basement where you can let rip.

I haven't really gotten much time with my Seymour Duncan PS170 power amp pedal, I would like to possibly get that Friedman pedal as the preamp since I sold my HX Stomp.

[Dominik]

I haven't really gotten much time with my Seymour Duncan PS170 power amp pedal, I would like to possibly get that Friedman pedal as the preamp since I sold my HX Stomp.

You could build a nice little pedalboard around that with maybe a Boss DD-3 for some delay.

[rollerball]

You could build a nice little pedalboard around that with maybe a Boss DD-3 for some delay.

So I was one of the boneheads that got all caught up in the whole "True Bypass" thing due to fukking Mike Fulltone's endless pedal propaganda.

Does the Boss DD-3 do any type of "tone suck"?

Also I feel like I would have a pretty state of the art quick jam rig with that Friedman Pedal, the SD PS170 power amp, and that DV Mark 2x12 that weighs 27lbs.

And maybe some kind of delay/reverb if the DD-3 really is the vampire tone sucker that I thought it would be.

[Dominik]

So I was one of the boneheads that got all caught up in the whole "True Bypass" thing due to fukking Mike Fulltone's endless pedal propaganda.

Does the Boss DD-3 do any type of "tone suck"?

Also I feel like I would have a pretty state of the art quick jam rig with that Friedman Pedal, the SD PS170 power amp, and that DV Mark 2x12 that weighs 27lbs.

And maybe some kind of delay/reverb if the DD-3 really is the vampire tone sucker that I thought it would be.

Going into the amp is one thing, I'd rather avoid a buffer there, but running it after a preamp like that wouldn't concern me at all. Most of the newer Boss pedals have decent buffers in them. I have a Boss RV-6 at the end of my chain.

I'm using two delays on my board. One is analog with tap tempo, modulation, and presets that is there to thicken the sound with one repeat, and the other is a Strymon DIG. I've got two of those but I'm going to use one in kill dry to drive the wet side of a w/d/w rig and the other one will stay on my board for when I'm just playing through a 1x12. The DIG only has one downside — no presets (you can have one but you need the footswitch jack to select it which means no expression pedal). But the sound of it is so good I'll always use it. I don't think there is a better digital delay outside of old Lexicon and Korg rack gear.

[rollerball]

Going into the amp is one thing, I'd rather avoid a buffer there, but running it after a preamp like that wouldn't concern me at all. Most of the newer Boss pedals have decent buffers in them. I have a Boss RV-6 at the end of my chain.

I'm using two delays on my board. One is analog with tap tempo, modulation, and presets that is there to thicken the sound with one repeat, and the other is a Strymon DIG. I've got two of those but I'm going to use one in kill dry to drive the wet side of a w/d/w rig and the other one will stay on my board for when I'm just playing through a 1x12. The DIG only has one downside — no presets (you can have one but you need the footswitch jack to select it which means no expression pedal). But the sound of it is so good I'll always use it. I don't think there is a better digital delay outside of old Lexicon and Korg rack gear.

Strymon.... oh. You're one of those guys.

Lol. The only good pedal delay I've had experience with was, I believe, a T-Rex Replifex which I remember having great warmth or something.

So do you mean just running the Boss pedal into the effects loop of the IR X pedal would eliminate the Edward from Twilight effect on the tone?

[Dominik]

Strymon.... oh. You're one of those guys.

Never understood the Strymon hate. A lot of pros use them.

The Andy Timmons Halo pedal by Keeley is another one worth considering. He used a Strymon Timeline for 10 years and basically captured his delay sound from that and took it up a notch.

Lol. The only good pedal delay I've had experience with was, I believe, a T-Rex Replifex which I remember having great warmth or something.

So do you mean just running the Boss pedal into the effects loop of the IR X pedal would eliminate the Edward from Twilight effect on the tone?

Running it in the loop or after the pedal before it goes into the power amp and cabinet. Honestly I'm not hearing anyone complain about "tone suck" with those pedals. Where it can be an issue is an the start of the chain. There is no reason to put it before a preamp or drive pedal anyway.

[rollerball]

Never understood the Strymon hate. A lot of pros use them.

The Andy Timmons Halo pedal by Keeley is another one worth considering. He used a Strymon Timeline for 10 years and basically captured his delay sound from that and took it up a notch.

Running it in the loop or after the pedal before it goes into the power amp and cabinet. Honestly I'm not hearing anyone complain about "tone suck" with those pedals. Where it can be an issue is an the start of the chain. There is no reason to put it before a preamp or drive pedal anyway.

Lol I just remember some thread a long time on some other forum talking about people who prefer Strymons as being insufferable cork-sniffers or some chit. I appreciate the build quality of the Strymon's - I like the brushed metal look with the bright, vivid colors. They are a tad expensive.

I'm wholly satisfied by the FM3 and it's convenient ability to produce great, reactive tones with great variety but I notice that I'm leaning more towards analog-y/tube-y type gear. I just like experiencing real versions of what modelers are simulating lately.

The ENGL Ironball SE satisfies the super tight, metal riffing and shredding thing for me. I want a Marshall-esque tube amp which is why I'm leaning towards getting the Friedman pedal and a Fender-esque tube amp which is why I've been looking at those Tone King amps with the built in high quality attenuators.

I also considered those Kingsley pedals but that's like taking Strymon and squaring it for cork sniffery I think.

Also I recently sold my Fulltone OCD for almost $300 recently and will be using that towards the IR X. But I need I new, different OD/Boost. What are is your OD/Boost preference and what is your amp again?

[Bodhy]

Going into the amp is one thing, I'd rather avoid a buffer there, but running it after a preamp like that wouldn't concern me at all. Most of the newer Boss pedals have decent buffers in them. I have a Boss RV-6 at the end of my chain.

I'm using two delays on my board. One is analog with tap tempo, modulation, and presets that is there to thicken the sound with one repeat, and the other is a Strymon DIG. I've got two of those but I'm going to use one in kill dry to drive the wet side of a w/d/w rig and the other one will stay on my board for when I'm just playing through a 1x12. The DIG only has one downside — no presets (you can have one but you need the footswitch jack to select it which means no expression pedal). But the sound of it is so good I'll always use it. I don't think there is a better digital delay outside of old Lexicon and Korg rack gear.

I appreciate your audiophilia, so what is your humble opinion on pedals V digital? Last time I actually owned some wood digital was fledgling technology. I follow Leon Todd too and am definitely impressed by his stuff on Axe Fx.


As it stands now, for me, digital has a wealth of pros such as the amazing sound and feel, both in the amp sims and effects. The reverb and delay etc. are in the same league as some of the best pedals. There's a good range that it can emulate. Routing and presets are phenomenal compared to what a pedalboard can do. Great for home recording.

Plus, the extreme and even autistic degrees of nuance WRT to tweakability.


The downside I see is that the pedals may not be your pedals. If you want a particular pedal or tone and it ain't there, you're basically SOL.

[Dominik]

I appreciate your audiophilia, so what is your humble opinion on pedals V digital? Last time I actually owned some wood digital was fledgling technology. I follow Leon Todd too and am definitely impressed by his stuff on Axe Fx.

As it stands now, for me, digital has a wealth of pros such as the amazing sound and feel, both in the amp sims and effects. The reverb and delay etc. are in the same league as some of the best pedals. There's a good range that it can emulate. Routing and presets are phenomenal compared to what a pedalboard can do. Great for home recording.

Plus, the extreme and even autistic degrees of nuance WRT to tweakability.

The downside I see is that the pedals may not be your pedals. If you want a particular pedal or tone and it ain't there, you're basically SOL.

Each has its pros and cons which is why I use a combination of the two. If you're starting from scratch and want bang for your buck, go digital. Look at all those Youtubers in their bedrooms with fruity lighting shredding it up in their shorts with album quality tones. Presets are like a giant circle jerk so they all sound the same. I mean 20 years ago with a can of bees Peavey practice amp no one might have cared for their opinion on anything. Digital makes a huge difference there.

I'm still a bit old school with this stuff. I like tweaking analog gear and trying various combinations until I find the sound I like but it's definitely the least cost effective route.

I also considered those Kingsley pedals but that's like taking Strymon and squaring it for cork sniffery I think.

I bought something similar to a Kingsley over 8 years ago. There was no wait list back then. How times have changed. I wanted a clean Fender style preamp pedal (Maiden) a couple of years ago and the prices were too stupid even for a cork sniffer. Ended up getting a Walrus ACS1 modeling pedal. No regrets. It can do some handy stereo stuff.

Also I recently sold my Fulltone OCD for almost $300 recently and will be using that towards the IR X. But I need I new, different OD/Boost. What are is your OD/Boost preference and what is your amp again?

No "amp" these days. Tube preamp > Delays > ACS1 (Fender Deluxe Reverb) > Small power amp > Fender 1x12 cabinet. The only recent change this past year is I added a loop switcher so I can switch between two different preamp pedals. I'm also going to bring back my wet/dry/wet setup with some rack gear which I'll blend in Petrucci style when I want the heavens to open in stereo with majestic sounding delay on tap.

That Friedman pedal has a boost built in. For just a simple clean boost pedal I like the Xotic RC Booster. My main boost which is always on is a Metropoulos Supa Boost. I love that thing.

[Dominik]

The reverb and delay etc. are in the same league as some of the best pedals.

This is true but it's nice to be able to tweak a couple of knobs to dial in your sound in a few seconds vs. deep diving through menus.

I could have saved a lot of time and money buying an Axe FX and a friend reminds me of that all the time. Would it be more enjoyable? Not sure.

[rollerball]

That Friedman pedal has a boost built in. For just a simple clean boost pedal I like the Xotic RC Booster. My main boost which is always on is a Metropoulos Supa Boost. I love that thing.

Metropoulos, that sounds familiar like an amp builder who likes to make plexi clones or something.

[Dominik]

Metropoulos, that sounds familiar like an amp builder who likes to make plexi clones or something.

George Metropoulos. He started out selling replicas and kits for building accurate clones of old Marshalls and then concentrated on his own models — Metro-plex, Super-plex, and DVL-1. If I ever get around to buying a 100W amp it will be one of his.

He used to make a boost pedal with the circuit from his Metro-plex amp. I got one 4 years ago.

[Dominik]

Al Di Meola suffered a heart attack on stage in Romania. His wife said it was a close call because he was supposed to fly to the US the same day and if it happened on the plane... who knows.

Get well soon Al.