What amp for Ac/dc ?

[Hamish]

Hi , im not sure if i already made a post of this but does anybody know what amp would be good for ac/dc (stacks of course but which :D)

 

btw please try and keep it on "reality" as in i wont be saving for a couple of years for it :D

 

Edit: I found this that i could probably buy in a month or 2 :

 

http://www.thomann.de/fr/marshall_mg100hdfxmg412a_vintage_set.htm

 

But will it give me the sound i want :D

[mrjones200x]

To get a good acdc tone you need a small tube amp not an marshall mg there crap imo.

 

The epi VJ does that sound well and ive found my new orange tiny terror amp does too.

 

If your looking for something really loud then i cant help but id say tube amps for there crunch. Ive owned a few solid state amps and a few preamp hybrid amps which are a lot better but cant do the distortion like acdc.

[m-theory]

A JTM45 isn't a "small tube amp."

 

The epi VJ does that sound well

Sorry, but I strongly disagree. It's far too dark, far too mushy. and far too distorted and inarticulate.

 

What the stock Vjr excels at is sounding exactly like a stock vjr...mushy, dark, inarticulate, and dull. Just about as far from AC/DC tone as one could get, imo.

[BluezOldy]

Why do we spend so much time arguing about the best guitar/amp to use to sound like our favourite band/musician (which is almost impossible) when the real answer lies in our playing ability and experience?

[RSDx]

What the stock Vjr excels at is sounding exactly like a stock vjr...mushy' date=' dark, inarticulate, and dull. Just about as far from AC/DC tone as one could get, imo. [/quote'] Stock VJrs play well with pedals/fx, imo ...... obviously not "loud" but you can get great tones from a stock VJr with pedals/fx .... and loud enough for casual playing, which is what many do, realistically.

I agree that stock and on it's own, it's kinda dark, etc..... but it's a great one trick pony anyways !!! :-/

[scott58]

What the stock Vjr excels at is sounding exactly like a stock vjr...mushy' date=' dark, inarticulate, and dull. Just about as far from AC/DC tone as one could get, imo. [/quote']

 

Man I swear you got hold of a bad Vj. With the JTM 45 amp model in my POD the Vj sounds almost

sparkly. Other brighter sounds i'm able to get are with the AC15/30 amp models with my Variax

on Rickenbacker 360. Dark is the last word i'd use to describe it.

 

edit: I should add I also have an mxr 10 band plugged into it, plus a few boutique pedals, but

I don't think i've ever been more impressed with $140 head.

[bro blue]

The MG series Marshalls are not known for tone. The ones I have played on have been from meh to terrible, although a lot of that probably has to do more with the speakers than the amp.

 

To get as close as possible you are going to need a tube amp using either EL34s or EL84s. Then you are going to have to play at volumes that will not endear you to those around you. The EL84 will break up earlier, but you still need volume.

 

A good compromise would be a lower wattage two channel tube amp using a pedal for your overdrive. Even a 15 watt amp is going to be quite loud if you want power tube distortion.

 

You can always get a modeling amp. But don't tell anyone I said so - I've got a rep to protect.

[Steven Lister]

One problem guitarists have in trying to match-up tones recorded by XXXXX is that often the cd has this massive sound so they assume it is a big amp. Then they go to a live show and see a wall of stacks and then they are sure that XXXXX uses hugemonstrous amps for that sound.

 

Reality is a different story. Some of the biggest, baddest, meanest, dirtiest tones ever recorded were laid down using very small wattage amps -- Fender Champ is king of the bad boys -- and add effects to drive those amps into rock-n-roll tone heaven. Take a look at this little article from Gibson lifestyle ---> small amps = huge tone

Now if Gibson is willing to promote Fender amps on Gibson's own site, you can be rather sure they are not just blowin' smoke.

 

AC/DC? I'm familiar with their music but not their studio equipment so I won't guess. But, what I do know is that with an LP into a cranked VJr. and good compressor and overdrive pedals pushing a 4x12, I can lay down You Shook Me All Night Long riffs that aren't exact, but sound real close..., and so damn good you'll forget all about trying to match AC/DCs exact setup.

 

I'm in agreement with BluezOldy..., it's technique that makes the amp/rig seem huge -- not the other way around.

 

Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-"

[mrjones200x]

My VJ3 is bitmo modded so its not stock so shouldnt of said thats sorry. Cant remember its stock sound now. I like it modded adds more tone flexibility.

[Hamish]

K well i've had a look at the posts and i think im gonna get Epiphone Valve Junior with a Boss distortion OS2 mayby?

 

Not good with pedals .... talking about it im not that good with amps either at the moment im using an amp that came with a beginner set its the -Jim Harley Reverb 15 (i think its a french make :S)

 

Edit: had a look at a vid and he was using a stack : marshall (dont know which) and epiphone valve junior and an sg :- (which is what im gonna use).

 

I think it sounds really nice here is vid:

 

Also noticed this small thing above it but dont no what it is

[m-theory]

Why do we spend so much time arguing about the best guitar/amp to use to sound like our favourite band/musician (which is almost impossible) when the real answer lies in our playing ability and experience?

Because, those tones are generally what inspires people to play the guitar in the first place. When I started playing, I worshipped Page, and was continually frustrated over trying to make my stock Electra plugged into a 20 watt SS Ampeg sound like his guitar. We all have a favorite tone that inspires us, right?

 

Man I swear you got hold of a bad Vj.

Actually, the amp isn't very well designed. They're designed to be dark and mushy. They can be fixed, but in stock form, they're definitely NOT JTM45 tone.

 

Don't get me wrong...I'm not suggesting that the Vjr is unworthy of anyone's consideration. I think it's a fantastic opportunity for young players and those on a limited budget to get into a tube amp, and it's also an outstanding foundation for modding into truly incredible amps.

 

I just happen to find it a bit misleading for people to make claims about the amp that simply aren't true. Read through some of the comments on this and other forums, and you'd swear that it does everything but cook your dinner.

 

With the JTM 45 amp model in my POD the Vj sounds almost sparkly. Other brighter sounds i'm able to get are with the AC15/30 amp models with my Variax on Rickenbacker 360. Dark is the last word i'd use to describe it.

Yes, digital modelers can approximate tones from other amps. The stock Vjr on its own, however, cannot.

 

You'd definitely get much closer to JTM45 tone with a modeler alone than with a Vjr alone.

 

One thing that I've noticed over the years, with regard to people trying to get the AC/DC tone, is that they always seem to heavily overestimate the amount of distortion. If you really listen carefully to the guitar tones, you'll hear that there's really not much in terms of front end distortion in that tone. It's really more about large bottle power tubes being overdriven.

 

It's actually a very "bluesy" tone. If he was playing softly, the notes would come out essentially clean. Yet, the tendancy seems to be to go for massive front end distortion, when trying to cop that tone. You'd come closer to that tone with a Twin Reverb on 6 or so than with a stock Vjr.

[Hamish]

Because' date=' those tones are generally what inspires people to play the guitar in the first place. When I started playing, I worshipped Page, and was continually frustrated over trying to make my stock Electra plugged into a 20 watt SS Ampeg sound like his guitar. We all have a favorite tone that inspires us, right?

 

 

Actually, the amp isn't very well designed. They're designed to be dark and mushy. They can be fixed, but in stock form, they're definitely NOT JTM45 tone.

 

Don't get me wrong...I'm not suggesting that the Vjr is unworthy of anyone's consideration. I think it's a fantastic opportunity for young players and those on a limited budget to get into a tube amp, and it's also an outstanding foundation for modding into truly incredible amps.

 

I just happen to find it a bit misleading for people to make claims about the amp that simply aren't true. Read through some of the comments on this and other forums, and you'd swear that it does everything but cook your dinner.

 

 

Yes, digital modelers can approximate tones from other amps. The stock Vjr on its own, however, cannot.

 

You'd definitely get much closer to JTM45 tone with a modeler alone than with a Vjr alone.

 

One thing that I've noticed over the years, with regard to people trying to get the AC/DC tone, is that they always seem to heavily overestimate the amount of distortion. If you really listen carefully to the guitar tones, you'll hear that there's really not much in terms of front end distortion in that tone. It's really more about large bottle power tubes being overdriven.

 

It's actually a very "bluesy" tone. If he was playing softly, the notes would come out essentially clean. Yet, the tendancy seems to be to go for massive front end distortion, when trying to cop that tone. You'd come closer to that tone with a Twin Reverb on 6 or so than with a stock Vjr. [/quote']

 

Very helpfull ty :) btw to play ac/dc i do it the old way 0 distortion mostly i just crank volume up to give that natural distortion effect

 

Also if i gte the VJ should i get it in stack or combo? my guess is stack

[scott58]

To be honest I can't remember the last time I tried the Vj on it's own. I can remember thinking

how much bolder the combo sounded that I bought for my G/F over The SS's I had at the time

(Vox DA20 & Peavey transtube 110 efx). So I off handedly plugged my POD XT Live into it.

Seriously it was all over but the crying for those SS amps. Within 20 minutes I was on the

internet ordering the head/cab for me. It was that huge an improvement. I never really cared

for the OD/Distortion/fuzz in the POD so i replaced those with boutique pedals that I really liked

and never looked back. I've plugged into alot of modelers (vypers,SCXD, Valvetronix, etc.)since

that time and can still find nothing that compares for the range of tones and quality of sound.

The only other thing i'm looking at is the Rebel 20, but that is only because of the ability to add

6V6's to my mix in one package and still keep it under a grand. Other then that a Vj and a POD

can certainly stand against any other practice rig out there. Vj loves pedals and it loves modelers.

From Buck Owens to Metalica i'm real happy with this setup.

[Ron G]

Why do we spend so much time arguing about the best guitar/amp to use to sound like our favourite band/musician (which is almost impossible) when the real answer lies in our playing ability and experience?

Apparently because a lot of players don't understand that concept. Can you imagine how much

stuff one would need if they had 5 or 10 favorite bands they were trying to emulate?

 

Ron