RANDOM THOUGHTS

spauldingrules

Hero Member
Messages
722
Topics on my mind...

1.  Dimarzio Area 58s and 61 - Best "single coils" ever.  No noise.  True vintage tone.  In my experience, any possible lack of "vintage-ness" due to the noise canceling design is FAR outweighed by the peculiaties of one's amplifier.  Mine sound fantastic in my alder warmoth strat and I love them.

2.  Dimarzo Super Distortion - I have to admit, I was a bit under-whelmed when I first installed this.  However, the first time I played it with my band I realized how fantastic it is.  Works perfectly in a hard rock setting - really cuts through the mix for chunky rhythms and leads without having to crank the treble to ear-piercing levels.  It sounds flat and mid-rangy in the basement with no drums and bass, but if you play with a band it is awesome.  Much better than the Tone Zone (which may be great if you are EVH and can drown everyone else out with your ridiculous stereo harmonizer and chorus which ruined your tone and individuality after 1985, but that's another matter) for a hard rock band setting.  Maybe not for metal, though.

3.  Behringer V-AMP, POD, etc. - This is a tricky one for me.  NOTHING sounds better than a tube amp cranked, plugged right in.  We mostly agree on that, I believe.  However, the difficulty is getting that tone to tape/hard drive.  I have tried the Shure 57 and 58s, etc., and I can't get a sound half as good as through a modelling device.  These are great tools for recording.  I wish I could just mic my amp and crank it, but I simply don't have the time and resources to get it right.  I have a $99 V-AMP 2 which sounds really good recorded in mono.  Much better in a mix than my amp miced.  So much seems to get cancelled, out of phase, etc., when I try to use my miced signal that I have given up.  I love my tube amps, but when it's time to record I use the V-AMP.  Plus, I can go in and get the EXACT tone later, which is nice because with job, wife, and 2 kids I only have so much time to play and cannot get all my parts done in one sitting.  I have tried the POD X3 and can't wait to get one (for father's day, hopefully!!).  Unless someone can recommend a Digitech/Boss or other brand.

4.  Warmoth generally - I can't say enough about how nice my guitars are.  Even without a "pro" setup, mine play better than anything I play at any music store.  I always buy the cheapest Warmoth parts, since I don't care about birdseye / quilted top etc.  For $600 I have a strat that will just destroy any off the shelf guitar that I have played.  Some of the $3000 prs play nice, and I like the Music Man Axis, but I still would rather play my warmoth any day of the week.  I love going into guitar center and playing the high dollar stuff and realizing that for 20 percent of the price my stuff is so much better.

5.  Warmoth specifically - put some painted Mustangs in the showcase.  Now.
 
spauldingrules said:
3.  Behringer V-AMP, POD, etc. - This is a tricky one for me.  NOTHING sounds better than a tube amp cranked, plugged right in.  We mostly agree on that, I believe.  However, the difficulty is getting that tone to tape/hard drive.  I have tried the Shure 57 and 58s, etc., and I can't get a sound half as good as through a modelling device.  These are great tools for recording.  I wish I could just mic my amp and crank it, but I simply don't have the time and resources to get it right.  I have a $99 V-AMP 2 which sounds really good recorded in mono.  Much better in a mix than my amp miced.  So much seems to get cancelled, out of phase, etc., when I try to use my miced signal that I have given up.  I love my tube amps, but when it's time to record I use the V-AMP.  Plus, I can go in and get the EXACT tone later, which is nice because with job, wife, and 2 kids I only have so much time to play and cannot get all my parts done in one sitting.  I have tried the POD X3 and can't wait to get one (for father's day, hopefully!!).  Unless someone can recommend a Digitech/Boss or other brand.

Speaking of Modellers/Effects/DesktopThingy/Interfaces...
Has anybody tried the Tonelab (the desktop version)? I always wanted one, and now I see them pop up on Ebay and Craigslist for nice used prices, so I think I am going to give it a try.
I have a V-AMP too... somewhere.. wasn't too impressed, but nice toy for the money.
 
Here ya go...

http://www.smproaudio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=76

630_v-rack1.jpg
 
I have monkeyed around with the tonelab SE and LE (the floor ones) and they absolutely rock. They're not nearly as flexible as a Boss GT-8 or whatever, but they produce plenty of great sounds, are super easy to set up and seem to be made well (like a good floor pedal should be). Im probably going to buy an LE version once I stop buying so many guitars.

And you know, I was monkeying around the other day, comparing the tone of my toneport (it's a pod) versus micing my vox valvetronix amp, both of them emulating an old bassman but with very different technology. There's no question that the vox sounds much much better to listen to and play through, but on the recording it didn't sound better really, just different. I use a cheap tube mic (large-diagphragm condenser) which is great for vocals.
 
spauldingrules said:
2.  Dimarzo Super Distortion - I have to admit, I was a bit under-whelmed when I first installed this.  However, the first time I played it with my band I realized how fantastic it is.  Works perfectly in a hard rock setting - really cuts through the mix for chunky rhythms and leads without having to crank the treble to ear-piercing levels.  It sounds flat and mid-rangy in the basement with no drums and bass, but if you play with a band it is awesome.  Much better than the Tone Zone (which may be great if you are EVH and can drown everyone else out with your ridiculous stereo harmonizer and chorus which ruined your tone and individuality after 1985, but that's another matter) for a hard rock band setting.  Maybe not for metal, though.

I feel the same way about my SD Custom 5.  Not smooth or interesting enough for me at first, but with a band, it sounds great.
 
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