| Author | Message | ||
| 7string_thing
Junior Username: 7string_thing Post Number: 13 Registered: 11-2005 |
hey guys im a soon to be father of an alembic, and i was wondering what amps you guys are using your alembics through. anyone using a Two Rock,Koch,Allesandro, or Acoustic Image? tell me whats the best with your alembics? | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 827 Registered: 7-2004 |
Welcome to the joys of playing an Alembic! I play through a Mesa Boogie Mark III with a Theile bottom. I love it! Bill, the guitar one | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1531 Registered: 9-2003 |
Pat: There are a few threads here on that very subject...I started a fairly lengthy one myself. Do a search. Personally, while I currently have two Alembic basses, I haven't taken the plunge for an Alembic guitar. Having said that, I am a guitarist that dabbles in bass, so I have a bunch of (no-Alembic) guitars and some amps. You'll find it's the same relative answer as if you asked which amp goes with your Alembic bass: whichever one you like the sound of! FWIW, for "dirty" I have a custom, hand-made, hard-wired Straub Cantus 50W all-tube hot-rodded "Plexi"-style head with a matching 2X12 Cab with 25W Celestion "Greenbacks" (both in Sappelle/Mahogany with flame maple fronts) and for "clean" I use a "modded" Fender "Silverface" 135W Twin Reverb in a custom Mahogany/Maple cab with new Weber VST "JBL D-120" clones in it. While I haven't played one, Two Rock's are great amps, but very pricey. Acoustic Image's are great clean amps and go great with Raezor's Edge cabs...the jazzer's choice and highly portable. Two completely different amps with two entirely different sounds. Ultimately, whatever you choose to go with , remember this: You can make a clean amp play dirty, but you can't make a dirty amp play clean. Cheers, Kevin | ||
| tom_z
Advanced Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 251 Registered: 7-2004 |
Pat - I play my Skylark through a Mesa Boogie Lonestar. It sounds super clean (Fender twin-like) with incredible headroom on the clean channel - and I can get a great saturated grind on the overdrive channel. I play it with 6L6s, but with EL34s it has a bit more of that British flavor and it overdrives a bit easier. I prefer it CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN - and in combination with my Alembic it is extremely touch-sensitive. It's a really fine mate for the Alembic. I've also played the Alembic through a friend's Two Rock and it sounds amazing. It’s also exceedingly clean and touch-sensitive. If I could afford a Two Rock Custom Reverb Signature and a cab with a pair of Tone Tubbys I'd be in tone heaven. But with a custom Further under construction the Two Rock will have to wait. I've been watching the development of your 7-string Balance K in the FTC - looks like a great project. Very nice cocobolo. My guitar is also fairly bright reddish-orange. What electronics are you getting? Tom | ||
| jalevinemd
Advanced Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 274 Registered: 12-2003 |
I'm playing mostly 70's AOR and some more modern non-heavy metal stuff. Run my Alembics through a Marshall DSL 100 with a 2x12 cab and love the sounds I can get. From squeaky clean to captain crunch, the Alembics can do it all! Welcome. Jonathan | ||
| 7string_thing
Junior Username: 7string_thing Post Number: 14 Registered: 11-2005 |
im gettin the spectrum electronics with different switches, its going to have 3 on/off toggles for the 2 singles and the hum, and a q switch, then one volume and one tone. i am really interested in buying a two rock, im looking for the ultimate chimey open clean with tons of headroom. i want it to be sensitive to touch, but not break up even at extreme levels. ive thought about a fender blackface, and ive played through a friends silverface, but i think its too bright and overly loud, almost rude. i think those are good blues amps and thats about that. ive played a koch multitone, and it stays clean on the first channel no matter what volume. the amp is amazing from super jazz to massive gain, but i like the 2 rocks dumble sounds and slightly john mayerish tone. i would buy an acoustic image focus 2R and a raezerz edge extended range 12 inch cab. but im hasty about the solid state tone, although it is purely a straight ahead jazz amp and could be a damn good PA system! I also saw the Allesandro Italian Bulldog, but i dont know if that would be a good match for my style. I like to play funk jazz with some cool rock tones in it. I also do alot of blues. Lets not forget the metal man in me also. Im in a bind, i think i need to but one of each and have some fun. right now i play through a mesa maverick class A with a 4x10 jensen filled cab, and a custom made 1X12 oak pyramid cab i made with a celestion neo. im starting to think my amp sucks because when i crank it up clean, it plays fairly clean but when i get into the bass notes, it just farts out and becomes so muddy. i know its not the celestion because its an 80 watt speaker on a 35 watt amp. what to do, what to do? | ||
| jalevinemd
Advanced Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 276 Registered: 12-2003 |
Pat, If you like the Dumble sound, but are less than thrilled with the sticker price on a Two Rock, have you considered the Fuchs Overdrive Supreme? Great amp with, perhaps, the exact tones you're looking for. Quite Dumbly, so to speak. Regards, Jonathan | ||
| 7string_thing
Junior Username: 7string_thing Post Number: 15 Registered: 11-2005 |
ive played them, there clean is seriously lacking, it kinda farts out really fast, im looking for a chameleon with the ultimate tone. i sometimes think that the perfect tone just isnt out there, its the player, not the gear. Its hard to get too much guitar advice when everyone around here is focused on bass! rightfully so i suppose. i dont care about the price, as long as it does what i want it to do. Super Clean - Jazzy joe pass to super clean chickin pickin Bluesy Crunch - john mayerish tone on the album TRY! and the song Wheel on the album heavier things/ dumble /srv tone Mid-High Gain - Ranging from a cranked Plexi type sound to a Recto sound I think im going to have to build the amp myself. Good thing i got an electrical engineer in the family! | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1544 Registered: 9-2003 |
Pat: I too am a picky PITA when it comes to tone. I'm never quite satisfied with anything. As such, I've found there is no such thing as something that can do multiple tasks equally as exceptional (try using a Leatherman or Swiss Army Knife to get my drift, LOL!). Amps are no different. I use multiple amps because I can't get everything I want in one amp. Having said that, you would be surprised at how versatile my Straub amp is. Ever hear a plexi or plexi-style amp play clean and with headroom? My Straub does! Then you crank up the gain and look out...it's Angus without the additional stage in the circuit and EvH with the boost knob pulled! In a pinch, I could get by with just this amp...it's that good and that versatile. Harry Straub knows his stuff and is anal about tube tone. The clean minimalist design, coupled with meticulous attention to detail and high-tolerance premium parts has resulted in a winner, IMHO...and all for the price of a mass-market GC head!!! Even still, I have my Twin for the clean stuff. BTW, don't sell Fender's short...they need a little tweaking to sound good. You'd be surprised what a good cab and speakers will do for an overly brite, tinny Silverface twin. Remember, Garcia used a Silverface as his pre-amp, and actually preferred it to his back-up blackface twin. Of course, he used a Mac S/S power amp and a trio of JBL D-120's to clean-up the sound, as it were. He took the same approach as Gilmour, just using different equipment: clean amp with hi-headroom and get your dirt using effects. He happened to use Hiwatts with Fanes, but he had an Alembic F-2B (moddded Fender Showman tube circuit)as a pre-amp. Oh yeah...and those Pete Cornish custom pedalboards he uses (TENS of thousands each!) contributed a little too, LOL! Regardless, I write too much, LOL! The moral of the story: Play EVERYTHING and make up your own mind! You may find one amp that is a good compromise for you. But if you're anal about tone, you may have to resign yourself to having to use multiple amps to get what you want. Just my $0.02 Cheers, Kevin BTW, SRV used multiple amps plus effects plus endless guitar tweaks and, oh yeah, he was a one-of-a-kind player with little, if any, equal. Also, ck out dozin.com for Jerry's rig and gilmourish.com for David's rig...you'll find they spent a LOT of time and money finding the MOUNTAINS of equipment it took to get their respective tones. (Message edited by kmh364 on December 27, 2005) | ||
| 7string_thing
Junior Username: 7string_thing Post Number: 16 Registered: 11-2005 |
tried the two rock custom reverb signature, and i hated it, i think it was broken actually, so i kind of lost some faith in the amp. But i tried the artist version that happens to be 2 grand less and i loved it. it was super clean in the bass range on the clean channel. it did an awsome jazz tone and an great blues/rock tone. would be great with my fulltone pedals. i think i might get an artist in the 1x12 combo, nice and portable. the koch does those sounds too though and its 100 watts with a heavy channel too. i still have to try the acoustic image focus 2R with a raezer's edge cab all is well though, i just want a picture of my alembic being built, IM TOO EXCITED! i think ill be waitin a while considering is a 7 string, and from what i heard you can count on your hands how many 7 strings were made! im hyped! | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1568 Registered: 9-2003 |
FWIW, Many years ago, Ted Nugent recounted a story (I think in Guitar Player Mag) where Van Halen and himself were on a bill together and he got a chance to try EVH's massive Bob Bradshaw-built guitar rig during the soundcheck. He figured that anyone could sound like EVH with all those electronics and speaker cabs (it MUST be the rig, right?) so he plugged in and started to wail....and sounded just like Ted Nugent! Just some "food for thought". Cheers, Kevin | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2936 Registered: 5-2002 |
LOL!! | ||
| jalevinemd
Advanced Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 288 Registered: 12-2003 |
Along those same lines, here's a quote from Steve Lukather - truly one of the best out there: Lukather (June 2001): "I'm afraid with any gear you won't sound like me, really even if you DID have the exact gear you wouldn't. People think it's the amp and guitar that get the sound... Well, it is not. It HELPS to have great gear but we all sound the same thru any gear. I have played thru EVH's amps, I played Jeff Becks Strats... I still sound like me playing thru their gear! Hahaha, that's the way it is. Just groove and sound like yourself and have FUN!!!" | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1575 Registered: 9-2003 |
Ed Zachary, er, um Exactly! LOL! | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1576 Registered: 9-2003 |
Jon: BTW, there's a relatively new DVD out with Luke and Larry Carlton live from the New Morning in gay Paree that's worth ck'ing out. Good jamming and decent interviews with both. I've never been a huge Luke fan, but I respect his playing...he comes from that magical group of 70's LA Sessions guys that are one better than the other (LC is the cream of the crop, IMHO): http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=MVD045379 Enjoy, Kevin | ||
| jerico
Junior Username: jerico Post Number: 38 Registered: 7-2005 |
Like Tom Z, I play through a Mesa Lonestar. I'm still waiting for my Further to be completed, but for now I'm using a Lace-sensored Strat and it's never sounded better clean or distorted. I even ditched my effects unit (except for my trusty Discombobulator wah) because I can't get over how nice this amp makes the guitar voice straight through. I even get a killer growly overdrive (which, in my experience, Strats never quite get right, especially this simply). I can't wait to hear my Further through it, although I'm sure it's going to take me a month to figure out the sweet-spot settings (the Strat took about 2 weeks, I didn't even bother with my Les Paul!). Good luck - Justin | ||
| strangerones
Junior Username: strangerones Post Number: 20 Registered: 11-2004 |
I'm using a Skylark through a Fender Bassman 4x10. I use it with a Line 6 PODxt Live, for better or for worse. Ultimately I'd like an S-F2, an Alembic Preamp, a couple of hardwood 2x12 cabs made by Sultone, and a 50/50 Mesa power amp. With tax time drawing near my dream could become a reality...  | ||
| laytonco
Junior Username: laytonco Post Number: 39 Registered: 3-2005 |
I found an interesting amp back in October that instantly became my main deal. It's a 45 watt, 2x12, Heritage Patriot. I was at Guitar X on Broadway in Denver and saw this amp, never having heard of Heritage. Turns out, Heritage Guitar Company brought in some amp makers from various other companies and started making these things. Their all hand wired, point to point with vintage celestions in them. For my style, think Bob Weir mid 70's, this amp is perfect. Those super bright glassy tones just pour from this thing. It's quiet enough for smaller venues and mikes well for the auditoriums. I'm really pleased. Check out Heritage.com. Also, not to start another thread, but I am interested to know if anyone has used Tone Tubby speakers? Weir uses them and I'm considering them for my Twin Reverb. They are hempcone speakers made by a Brown Soun (properly spelled) in San Rafael. | ||
| george_wright
Junior Username: george_wright Post Number: 49 Registered: 3-2005 |
Gil, I tried heritage.com and found a newspaper. I think you must have meant heritageamplifiers.com. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3006 Registered: 5-2002 |
In this thread a club member reports that "Two Rock amps match very nicely with Tone Tubby speakers". This is the only instance I can find of a club member stating an opinion about the speakers. Several members had heard of them, and one said he hoped to try them out. | ||
| jazzyvee
Advanced Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 324 Registered: 6-2002 |
I use a fender twin but as this is a guitar not bass thread. Can you help please. What overdrive/effects pedal do you recommend for an alembic orion. I am considering taking my new orion on the road with me this year and unless i can get a pedal that dirties up in the right way I will have to leave her at home and take my usual strat. Any advice please but only for alembic guitars and not amplifiers as the back line can be anything from a JC120 to a Boogie. I just need a pedal that I can put in my pedalboard and get the tone I want out of any amp. I can do that with my strat and Pro-com rat but I really wanna get the alembic out there with me. Any help would be great. Jazzyvee | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 888 Registered: 7-2004 |
Jazzy: Here's two suggestions. For a basic pedal, I use an Ibanez Tube Screamer TS-9 that has been modified to "silver" specs by Analogman http://analogman.com/ For a little more versatility, I recently got a Tech21 Sansamp GT2 modeling pedal. You can set it for Fender, Marshall, or Boogie tone and then tweak mic placement and the gain levels. So far I like it. http://www.tech21nyc.com/gt2.html Bill, tgo | ||
| laytonco
Junior Username: laytonco Post Number: 40 Registered: 3-2005 |
Dave, thanks for the website correction and the Tone Tubby thread! Jazzyvee, I use an Ibanez TS-808 with my tribute and the overdrive is perfect for it. | ||
| tom_z
Advanced Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 268 Registered: 7-2004 |
Gil - you've probably already checked out the Tone Tubby board, but just in case you haven't: http://www.online-discussion.com/ToneTubby/ Also check out The Steve Kimock board. Steve uses them and you'll find some fairly interesting threads about Tubbys. http://www.online-discussion.com/SteveKimock/ Tom | ||
| jalevinemd
Advanced Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 307 Registered: 12-2003 |
JazzyVee, I have an Orion as well and love the overdriven tone I get with my Fulltone OCD pedal. Jonathan | ||
| 7string_thing
Junior Username: 7string_thing Post Number: 26 Registered: 11-2005 |
I have an ocd, its great if you want an amp to really show what it has naturally, its pretty much the closest thing to a real tube amp type break up etc. the super touch sensitivity is remarkable. i have the full drive 2 also but that is more tubescreamer esque since it gets its distortion from diode clipping instead of a tube like circuit. check out the fatboost also if you wanna drive your amp, it really makes an amp without it sound like it dosnt exist. i have 5 fulltone pedals, and i wouldent get rid of them for the world, the choralflange and clude delux are also pedals with no match! | ||
| jalevinemd
Advanced Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 308 Registered: 12-2003 |
Pat, I completely agree with your views on the OCD and Fulltone in general. I have to admit, though, that I bought a Distortion Pro without fully testing it out and was less than impressed. It seems quite tempremental and I had a lot of trouble getting the exact sounds I was looking for. I shelved it after a week. Any experience with it? Jonathan | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 906 Registered: 7-2004 |
Jonathan & Pat: Sorry to hear about the two of you having OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). LOL Ever watch Monk, the OCD detective? Great show! Bill, tgo | ||
| 7string_thing
Junior Username: 7string_thing Post Number: 29 Registered: 11-2005 |
Yeah having OCD is a habbit, it usualy always has to be on! <--- IBpesq Jalevinemd ---> Fulltone makes great stuff, ive been yearning for a TTE, a Supa Trem, and a Stereo Deja 2, although there coming out with a new rackmount unit with a chorus,vibe,tremolo in it and its true stereo in's and out's, check there custom shop link. I do have to say that im also not a huge fan of the distortion pro. Being a hardcore fan of fulltone, i would say that the Full Drive 2 is a better pedal. I think the problem is that it dosnt saturate as much as it should and it dosnt hold up to other distortion units like the Maxon Sonic Distortion, or the Emma Reezafratzitz. My only complaint with Fulltone is that if you run a few of thier pedals on in the chain, it could get alot of feedback in the mix. Once i get all the pedals in thier line that i want, im going to hard wire them together instead of using patch cables, so i get better results. Im going to put all the guts of each pedal in one larger sheetmetal box. Kind of like an all analog pedalboard fx unit. Think of it as a dream Line 6 had when they made the POD XT Live! accept, its the real thing! Once i get all my great stuff, ill have the dream setup----> Alembic 7 String (and eventually a series II)along with my other guitars, (Parker Fly Mojo Flametop, PRS CE 24 slightly customized, Breedlove Custom Acoustic, Strat.) Custom Built Two Rock with a 2x12 Stereo Cab made of Mahogany My custom analog pedalboard! | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 911 Registered: 7-2004 |
Pat: Once you finish that pedal board, you can change your name to Cornish and sell it for $10,000! I also have a PRS CE24. What kind of mods have you done to yours? (I'm guessing getting rid of the 5-way rotary maybe?) Bill, tgo |
