Then And Now

[Justadennis]

Many of us are in love with that vintage sound, but we live at present so could you share experience in obtaining the ONE with modern methods and accessories. Thank You in advance!

 

Yesterday I bought Epi Les Paul St. Plain Top in honey burst. Every time I take this beauty in my arms I feel that it is me who is taken.

 

[Cruznolfart1281734103]

I can't afford to indulge all my vintage-tone fantasies so I try to be creative. For those occasions when I have musical guests willing to share some time and talent, I keep my little shop wired for variety. For guitar I have an old Line6 Duo and a M-Audio Black Box Reloaded, both of which offer multiple amp and cabinet modeling as well as built in effects. For bass, I have a Fender Bassman 250.

 

 

All of these amps and effects are DI'd into my mixer, which is also set up with a Digitech JamMan looping pedal. This gives us something like 40 or 50 amp/cab possibilities, effects and 600 watts to play with. 'Course there are also the various pedals that show up at these things...just another case of GAS.

 

 

[z-clay]

Nice choice justadennis. I like those plain tops but I need to save some money before I can get one. How about posting some pics of yours?

 

Vintage tone can be had with modern amps. I tend to use my gain channel sparingly and a lot more reverb on my vintage tones. Modern amps are more flexible than ever for getting desired tones. I play a very cheap 30 watt solid state Marshall and when I mic it thru the PA it has the balls/flexibility of a vintage stack.

[Bender 4 Life]

I get some respectably accurate "vintage tones" out of my Vox Valvetronix amp.

when combining some of the vintage amp models (Bassman, Twin Reverb, Marshall 100, Dumble o/d special)

with just about ANY guitar, it sounds really good.........I've just gotten a '56 Re-issue GoldTop LP with

P-90 soapbar p'ups, that add sooooooo much to the vintage sound, that the 2 (amp & guitar)

combined, are just incredible !!!!!!!

[charlie brown]

There's an interesting topic on the Gibson website, about "10 Huge sounds, recorded with smaller amps,"

which is how a LOT of "vintage" recordings were done. We get caught up, in trying to replicate those tones, by what

we've seen our favoites use "on stage!" BUT, more often than not, that rig is NOT what was used to get their "tone"

on record, or CD. The little Fender Champ amp (tweed or blackface), was...very often, the unsung hero, of many vintage recordings, that sound like "Marshall Stacks" on "11!" LOL! So, get a good tube amp, sized to meet your "real" requirements, be it bedroom, or larger, and if you're after a special player's tone, a guitar that's as close to their's, as possible...knowing full well, you can only get SO close, as you are not THEM. Their personal touch/technique, is a very large part of their tone, too...as yoiu probably already know.

 

The '60's and early '70's, amp wise, was Fender, Vox, Marshall...mostly. Some Apeg, Acoustic, and HiWatt, too. And, most guitars were "stock," pickup wise. Sure, some might have had those "rewound" hotter, or whatever...but, there didn't exist, all the aftermarket stuff you have now. So, Gibson was Humbuckers (PAF's, mostly), or P-90's. Fender

had either stock '50's pickups, or '60's versions. Ric's had the "toasters." I remember one funny thing, a lot of people tried, was to use a (tape recorder) Head Demagnatizer, to "remove" some magnetic "charge" from the humbuckers, to get that "Clapton" tone...because we read someplace that's what he had done, along with uncovering the pickups, too....LOL!!!

I've always felt (personally) the the AMP was (more) the critical "gear" piece. But, maybe, that's just me?

 

Cheers,

CB

[bluesman345]

I get some respectably accurate "vintage tones" out of my Vox Valvetronix amp.

when combining some of the vintage amp models (Bassman' date=' Twin Reverb, Marshall 100, Dumble o/d special)

with just about ANY guitar, it sounds really good.........I've just gotten a '56 Re-issue GoldTop LP with

P-90 soapbar p'ups, that add sooooooo much to the vintage sound, that the 2 (amp & guitar)

combined, are just incredible !!!!!!![/quote']

 

Now THAT'S my kind of rig!!! :-

[charlie brown]

Also....remember, recordings have studio techniques, tricks, modulations, etc. "Revolution" (The Beatles) single version, John's distortion was done in the board...not by a pedal, or amp overdrive (more than normal). The Byrds tone, with McGuinn's Ric 12-string was heavily Compressed...through 2 studio compressors, to get that sound. I chased that particular tone, for years, before I finally found out, HOW he got it. Bought a compressor pedal, and "bingo!" Just 2 examples, of elusive tone, done in the studio.

 

OK...I'll shut up, now. ;>)

 

CB

[bluesman345]

I did a bit of McGuinn the other day. I plugged my acoustic 12 string into a clean amp model on my Valvetronix with the compressor on, and the Boss EQ with the bass flat and the treble cranked. The guitar has an under-saddle pickup (which I used) and an under-soundboard pickup (which I didn't use). Although the sound needed a bit more tweaking (especially the ceramic bridge pup "quack"), and I don't have a Ricky, or Roger's hybrid picking technique, I was still able to propel myself into the 5D and played like a rock'n'roll star - I felt like I was 8 miles high!

[charlie brown]

Yeah, Bluesman...I don't have Roger's technique either. ;>( But, at least I have a reasonable resemblence

of his old "Bryds" guitar tone. Hybrid picking, I haven't mastered yet, to say the least! LOL! I TRY, I really DO...

but, I must not be holding my mouth right, or some such? ;>) They say, it's reasonably easy, I guess(?) if you've

played banjo, especially. Roger is one of the masters, IMHO. Like most, he makes it look so easy/effortless,

like "breathing!"

 

CB

[Justadennis]

Nice choice justadennis. I like those plain tops but I need to save some money before I can get one. How about posting some pics of yours?

 

Vintage tone can be had with modern amps. I tend to use my gain channel sparingly and a lot more reverb on my vintage tones. Modern amps are more flexible than ever for getting desired tones. I play a very cheap 30 watt solid state Marshall and when I mic it thru the PA it has the balls/flexibility of a vintage stack.

 

Haven't got no pics yet' date=' they are to come soon. But I've got some of my first Epi.

[img']http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/989/myepispesialii1.jpg[/img]

 

This guy charged with Gibson P94 in the brige and Seymour's Seth Lover in the neck.

[Swoop]

^That's gotta be the nicest looking LP Special I've ever seen. It's cool turning a pretty humble guitar into something cool, even if it's often less expensive to just get the next model up. That said, I have no regrets about trading in my G-310 for a G400. Even so, my setup is still pretty humble and simple, just me, my guitar and my amp. Even my amp isn't anything special. But I was playing the G400 through the little Frontman tonight, and I dunno what I did, I tweaked the controls ever so slightly, and must've found some kind of sweet spot or some other kind of amp holy grail, because boy it sounded pretty darn good to me. I've tried a few effects in the past, wah, fuzz, drive, but I still draw the same conclusion, which is that I simply prefer the sound of the guitar straight into the amp. The amp and guitar have plenty of controls for me. Tonight I had both pickups selected, but wound off about 25% of the neck volume, and about 5% of the tone. It was still ballsy, but with a hot, pingy edge, and almost had a British Hard Rock kind of sound to it, which was something a bit out of the ordinary for me, and something I didn't mind. It was great fun. That guitar is absolutely fantastic, and it's totally stock. The action is fantastic, the pickup height is perfect, the neck is gorgeous, slim, and fast. It sounds crunchy and percussive, yet it's not muddy. I simply cannot say enough good things about it. And that little amp is sooo good for such a cheap little solid stater. That said, I think I'm going to invest in a tube amp sometime in the near future, once I save some pennies. I am happy with my guitars, and my amp too, like I've been saying, they sound great, but a tube amp is just going to open up a whole new world of loud! I can't decide between Fender and Epiphone though. Kinda leaning towards Fender.

[Justadennis]

^That's gotta be the nicest looking LP Special I've ever seen. It's cool turning a pretty humble guitar into something cool' date=' even if it's often less expensive to just get the next model up. That said, I have no regrets about trading in my G-310 for a G400. Even so, my setup is still pretty humble and simple, just me, my guitar and my amp. Even my amp isn't anything special. But I was playing the G400 through the little Frontman tonight, and I dunno what I did, I tweaked the controls ever so slightly, and must've found some kind of sweet spot or some other kind of amp holy grail, because boy it sounded pretty darn good to me. I've tried a few effects in the past, wah, fuzz, drive, but I still draw the same conclusion, which is that I simply prefer the sound of the guitar straight into the amp. The amp and guitar have plenty of controls for me. Tonight I had both pickups selected, but wound off about 25% of the neck volume, and about 5% of the tone. It was still ballsy, but with a hot, pingy edge, and almost had a British Hard Rock kind of sound to it, which was something a bit out of the ordinary for me, and something I didn't mind. It was great fun. That guitar is absolutely fantastic, and it's totally stock. The action is fantastic, the pickup height is perfect, the neck is gorgeous, slim, and fast. It sounds crunchy and percussive, yet it's not muddy. I simply cannot say enough good things about it. And that little amp is sooo good for such a cheap little solid stater. That said, I think I'm going to invest in a tube amp sometime in the near future, once I save some pennies. I am happy with my guitars, and my amp too, like I've been saying, they sound great, but a tube amp is just going to open up a whole new world of loud! I can't decide between Fender and Epiphone though. Kinda leaning towards Fender.[/quote']

 

I also prefer simple gear, wanna develop my feelings and capacities. Minimal rig is the best for it. (IMHO)

[HarpBoy]

I get that vintage tone by playing through my all original 1956 Magnatone Varsity Deluxe 8 massive watts of power into an 8" Jensen. All point to point wiring, 6V6, 12ax7 and a 5Y3 rectifier. Simple elegance.

 

I also use a JangleBox compressor, which is now Roger McGuinn's compressor of choice. If I need some reverb, I engage my VanAmps Sole-mate spring reverb. My Valensi Riviera sounds magical through this set up, but only to those who like that classic, vintage tone.

 

I know this isn't a very useful post; I was just kinda gloating :- But seriously; sweet old vintage low power tube amps can often be found on eBay for around $300. These are the ones that the $1500 low-wattage boutique amps are copying anyway. They're just old, and often the brands aren't familiar, so people stay away.

[bluelake07]

Like HarpBoy, I get the vintage tone through small vintage tube amps. My late 60's Kalamazoo Model 1 has been considerably modified by me thanks to an excellent website created by Miles O'Neal for these amps. It now has a Jensen P10R speaker, Heyboer output transformer and wiring modifications. My other little old amp, a '67 Fender Vibro Champ, is also fun.