Musical wankers' gear thread

[DJ Bob Hoskins]

I just skimmed this thread to see if I posted images of my Pacifica where someone had glued in a Kent Armstrong humbucker on top of a pile of beer mats and bongo mags.

Are you sure this was an after-market upgrade? They may be factory-issue bongo mags. Are any of the clippings date-stamped? Post the pics here so we can all help you authenticate it.

[drummersaredeaf]

Are you sure this was an after-market upgrade? They may be factory-issue bongo mags. Are any of the clippings date-stamped? Post the pics here so we can all help you authenticate it.

Do I need to source Taiwanese bongo from 1997 to keep it period authentic?

[Terence Bowl]

These $2k ones

made in Mexico

Fuck off any Fender executives reading this.

[DJ Bob Hoskins]

Do I need to source Taiwanese bongo from 1997 to keep it period authentic?

Probably. Make sure to clip the legs off, too.

[drummersaredeaf]

T&A tone

Probably. Make sure to clip the legs off, too.

T&A for tone.

[drummersaredeaf]

My mate's just sent me this with a view to bidding on it, the sausage.

Needs dropping on its headstock.

https://www.guitar-auctions.co.uk/sale/177/6/1973-Gibson-Les-Paul-Recording-electric-guitar-made-in-USA-ser-no-2xxxx1

[DJ Bob Hoskins]

Fuck off any Fender executives reading this.

Quite. For €2,000 (which, at the time of writing is equal to US$2,000) you can literally buy 2 brand new Mexican Strats of similar quality, and still have about €600 left over to spend on daubing them in day-glo paint and glittery nail polish.

[Terence Bowl]

My mate's just sent me this with a view to bidding on it, the sausage.

Needs dropping on its headstock.

https://www.guitar-auctions.co.uk/sale/177/6/1973-Gibson-Les-Paul-Recording-electric-guitar-made-in-USA-ser-no-2xxxx1

Did you mention to him that you were needing a new anchor for your boat?

I wouldn't buy anything off that lot, there's a 26% 'buyers premium' added on to the hammer price and I'm pretty sure they take around the same amount off the seller in commision as well (makes ebay's fees seem positively generous).
Also they have a clause that says that you don't own the item until you've paid every penny due but if the item is stolen or damaged between the auction ending and you paying you still owe them the full amount.

[Terence Bowl]

One has just popped up on UK ebay with a starting bid of £2,999.
Hope he gets scammed.

[Ferris]

Love those Les Paul recording models. They reissued them about 10 years ago but still rarer than hens teeth.

[Spiteface]

I think my Marshall DSL5C is dying. Volume knob playing up. Could probably get it fixed, but am considering a new amp while my Orange Tiny Terror fills in (not a bad sound, but seems thin compared to  the Marshall).

So, I could get a DSL5CR (an upgraded version with added reverb) or look into other similar low-wattage valve combos for playing in the house.

Some candidates I'm thinking about are:

Blackstar HT-5R (similar spec, a 5-watt combo switchable down to a lower wattage)

Vox AC10 C1 (a few bands I like use Vox, might be lower gain than I've been used to, but a good drive pedal might boost it enough)

Vox AC4 (I don't think these are made anymore, so would be 2nd hand. Could be more suited to home use being only 4 watts)

Opinions/thoughts on these much appreciated, or indeed others I should look at.

Or should I just admit defeat and go digital?
 
Any others I should consider

[badaids]

Someone has offered me al Eleven Rack for £180 quid - is that a good price and are they any good?  Can anyone do a Forest Macneil for me?

[Ferris]

I'm a big fan of the Orange Tiny Terror, had one years ago and it was brilliant. Just get a bigger cab for it!

Thought of this thread the other day actually - I was moving the spare room around because we had friends staying so had to shift all my gear and at one point I had an electric mandolin and Boss DD3 delay pedal leaning against my Vox AC30 and I thought it looked like the wankiest fuckin setup of all time.

I nearly took a picture and posted it in here but I was worried people would think I did it intentionally.

[Spiteface]

I'm a big fan of the Orange Tiny Terror, had one years ago and it was brilliant. Just get a bigger cab for it!

The 1x12 cab I've had for it since I bought it in 2008-ish is plenty. The week I spent running a Marshall SC20H (A 20-watt JCM800) told me that - ended up sending that one back.

[DJ Bob Hoskins]

Vox AC10 C1 (a few bands I like use Vox, might be lower gain than I've been used to, but a good drive pedal might boost it enough)

Or should I just admit defeat and go digital?

For what it's worth: When I finally decided to replace my shitty 25 year old 10W Park practice amp, I ummed & ahhed for ages over whether to get a hybrid tube/digital modelling thing like the Vox Valvetronix, (or indeed a solid state / digital one such as the Boss Katana, Fender Mustang etc.) or whether to just go with a real tube amp. In the end I figured I'd rather have something that does one thing really really well rather than something that tries to replicate several other things. So I held out and found a bargain on a Vox AC10C1 and I am very glad I did.

If you are a fan of that classic Vox sound, it absolutely nails it. I live in a small apartment and the amp is surprisingly loud, so I never set the master volume higher than about 1 - 2. I have the gain set fairly low for a clean jangly sound, and when I want dirt I run a Tube Screamer Mini or Boss Combo Drive into it. Either one makes the amp sound just like it would if you cranked it up, but at a volume which is low enough not to drive the neighbours up the wall.

[DJ Bob Hoskins]

Vox AC4 (I don't think these are made anymore, so would be 2nd hand. Could be more suited to home use being only 4 watts)

Just a side note on the home playing / loudness topic: I can't remember where I heard this but someone told me that tube amps are by default louder than solid state by a factor of 3x, meaning that a 10w tube amp is as loud as a 30w solid state amp. I understand virtually nothing about electronic engineering so I have no idea why this would be the case, or even if it's correct, but I can tell you that my 10w Vox tube amp is at least 3 times louder than my 10w solid state Park.

I always understood watts to be a measure of the power of the output so again, the above doesn't make any sense to me therefore please take it with a fistful of salt.


EDIT: I figured I should ask Google if tube amps are louder and apparently they are and yet they aren't:

https://spinditty.com/instruments-gear/Are-Tube-Amps-Louder-Than-Solid-State-Guitar-Amps

[Ferris]

I like solid state amps because by the time the signal's gone through all my pedals it's pretty much incomprehensible anyway. No amount of tube is gonna fix that.

[DJ Bob Hoskins]

I like solid state amps because by the time the signal's gone through all my pedals it's pretty much incomprehensible anyway. No amount of tube is gonna fix that.

I get that. I generally don't really care whether an amp is tube or solid state or digital as long as it sounds good. I use a shedload of pedals too but I am a big believer in getting a good clean amp sound as a basis, and using pedals to shape the sound from there. In my case I've always loved that classic AC30 sound which is why I went for the AC10 (that and the fact that I found a 2nd hand one in perfect condition at a seriously knockdown price).

What I will add, though, is that I've been playing through a fancy Fender Mustang modelling amp at the local rehearsal studio for a couple of years now, and it annoys me to have to navigate and edit presets in order to get a tone that I like. Rather than spend a couple of minutes tweaking it to make it sound like a close approximation of a Fender / Marshall / Vox amp, I'd much rather just plug into a decent Marshall or whatever and have a really great 'base' sound straight off the bat.

[Ferris]

I used to tour with a fender frontman 212r - massive loud 2x12 fender blackface amp with a nice clean sound and I never bothered with the distortion. Bonus it cost me 200 quid so I used it to sneak booze out of venues and didn't give a shit if it got knocked around.

Cf. the fender vibro champ I recorded with that was a mare because it would have different volumes at different temperatures (I usually recorded in shitholes with no AC) and was really expensive and tbh the difference not noticeable at all (to my ears, anyway).

I'd love a little 1x12 fender tube practice amp (or even another orange micro terror) one day but I've been entirely unable to justify it.

[drummersaredeaf]

I have a couple of great tube amps, but if I were starting over I'd be tempted by a decent quality floor modelling unit and a monitoring cab for trouser flapping purposes. Looks like a Line 6 Helix is decent value and solves a load of recording and performance problems.

[Spiteface]

I get that. I generally don't really care whether an amp is tube or solid state or digital as long as it sounds good. I use a shedload of pedals too but I am a big believer in getting a good clean amp sound as a basis, and using pedals to shape the sound from there. In my case I've always loved that classic AC30 sound which is why I went for the AC10 (that and the fact that I found a 2nd hand one in perfect condition at a seriously knockdown price).

What I will add, though, is that I've been playing through a fancy Fender Mustang modelling amp at the local rehearsal studio for a couple of years now, and it annoys me to have to navigate and edit presets in order to get a tone that I like. Rather than spend a couple of minutes tweaking it to make it sound like a close approximation of a Fender / Marshall / Vox amp, I'd much rather just plug into a decent Marshall or whatever and have a really great 'base' sound straight off the bat.

This has been my mindset for a long time.

While I have considered modelling amps etc, I worry I'd end up spending more time tinkering than just playing.

One option I've considered is those Victory V4 preamp pedals, that if you have an effects loop on your amp, will allow you to bypass the amp's preamp section and make it sound like whichever amp pedal you get. It effectively adds 2 channels to your amp.

If I just decide to buy another 5-watt Marshall, I could just get the Victory V4 Copper preamp for 2 channels of Vox-flavoured tones...

That said, I'm not that arsed about the lack of a loop on the AC10 - whenever I do use a pedal, it's usually during a Smashing Pumpkins/Dinosaur Jr phase and I'm using  big muff, so I set the amp clean for that anyway.

Also, there's a really nice limited run of AC10s in blue that look really nice


I'm thinking I might just order one online from somewhere with a decent returns policy. See what happens.

[DJ Bob Hoskins]

Amp-in-a-box type pedals do seem to have gotten pretty great over the past decade or so.

Even if you buy an amp without an FX loop, you have endless choices . My Boss Combo Drive can make pretty much anything sound like a Vox amp. Likewise from the demos I've seen of its sister pedal (Power Stack) you can make pretty much anything sound like a Marshall with it.

I like Boss stuff as you can probably tell, but these days there's everything from cheap Joyo pedals (which sound great) to your high-end Kempers etc, so even if you buy a 'vanilla' amp with no loop you're spoiled for tonal choice even on a tight budget.

All of that said: if you like the Vox sound you should absolutely get an AC10. I am completely in love with mine. Not in a sad way, obviously. [shifty eyes]

[famethrowa]

I was watching the interview with mentally troubled grunger Daniel Johns, and he's sat his lady interviewer in front of his home studio, all neatly set out with nice expensive wanky gear, not a stray lead to be seen:



still, fun to see the Soldano... none more 1990, I remember Knopfler started using one, about the same time his guitar tone turned to absolute shit

[Ferris]

New cheapo reverb pedal, love it. You can do rhythm and keep it around medium so it's there but if you cane the strings the sound goes all loud and sparkly.

Nice.

[buzby]

Just a side note on the home playing / loudness topic: I can't remember where I heard this but someone told me that tube amps are by default louder than solid state by a factor of 3x, meaning that a 10w tube amp is as loud as a 30w solid state amp. I understand virtually nothing about electronic engineering so I have no idea why this would be the case, or even if it's correct, but I can tell you that my 10w Vox tube amp is at least 3 times louder than my 10w solid state Park.

I always understood watts to be a measure of the power of the output so again, the above doesn't make any sense to me therefore please take it with a fistful of salt.


EDIT: I figured I should ask Google if tube amps are louder and apparently they are and yet they aren't:

https://spinditty.com/instruments-gear/Are-Tube-Amps-Louder-Than-Solid-State-Guitar-Amps

As a qualified electronic engineer I'd like to say that article is bollocks. A tube amp will distort/go into 'overdrive' earlier and in a way that's probably more pleasing to the ear, but the actual sound pressure level produced if both amps have the same wattage rating (and are operated within that rating*), are the same class/design, have the same input signal and speaker won't be any higher. People equate the increase in distortion to sounding 'louder'.

Solid state amplifier designs pushed out tubes from the early 60s because they were cheaper, more reliable and most importantly suffered from far less distortion as output levels increased. However, it turned out people really liked that distortion, so tube amps held on in the guitar world and eventually came back in the audiophile world too.

*This is an important point. Because tube amps start distort earlier, they typically have a 'clean' watt rating that is lower than a solid state amp. However, because that distortion is more acceptable to the ear than the clipping of a solid state amp, and due to a tube amp's tendency to compress the signal as distortion increases, they can be operated past their rated clipping point if distortion is what you are after.

[DJ Bob Hoskins]

I knew @buzby would have the answers. I should have just asked instead of trusting a quick Google search.

have the same input signal and speaker

I've just remembered that my old solid state Park amp had an 8" speaker with an open-back cabinet and the Vox has a 10" speaker with a closed cabinet. Is it correct to assume that the latter arrangement will provide more bass response and therefore seem louder even at the same output level?

Bear in mind that this query is a bit like a chimpanzee asking Gary Kasparov to teach them about the finer points of chess.

[Spiteface]

I'm still going back and forth on what my new amp will be. Think I've decided, then something else throws that up in the air.

I've just remembered these:

 

The Victory V4 preamps I mentioned earlier? Imagine those, only expanded into full-fledged amplifiers by adding a solid state power section, effects loop and other goodies? That's what these are. Cheapest "proper" amps they make, too, at just shy of 800 quid. Their lunchbox heads (with the exception of the now-discontinued RD1 Rob Chapman sig head) were about a grand.


There's 5 flavours they come in, basically covering most of the existing models.

Duchess - clean Fender-y amp. Popular as a pedal platform in it's own right.

Kraken - High Gain "Metal" amp designed by Rabea Massad.

Jack - formerly the Countess, designed by Guthrie Govan. As the name suggests, a "Jack of All Trades" all-rounder thing.

Sheriff - Marshall-inspired amp. Plexi and JCM800 sounds.

Copper - the newest Victory design. A take on Vox and Vox-flavoured amps like Matchless and such. Obviously with my interest in the AC10 of late this one has my attention.

While these have a Class D solid state power amp at a whopping 180 watts (into a 4-ohm cab, 90 into 8 ohms, 45 into 16), there's also the abilty to use headphones with speaker emulation.

The most expensive of the things I'm looking at, but might be the most practical.

[Neomod]

I'm ordering one of these having only used Fender Jazz/precisions in past.

Reviews are favourable and it's cheap as chips but am I buying a lemon?



https://www.gak.co.uk/en/hofner-ignition-violin-bass-sunburst/83408?gclid=Cj0KCQjw852XBhC6ARIsAJsFPN2lBAaMqf6ISJtdcRFu-2fS9_f6qeTa4YSwNFAVyxif-xmhpurdtTMaAlGIEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

£300

[Dr Trouser]

it's cheap as chips but am I buying a lemon?

Nah, I'm pretty sure that's a McCartney

[Pauline Walnuts]

They're great, I had mine defretted, very light and the short scale (30") means it plays like buttah easily. Thumpy sound but you knew that right?

But I would recommend flat wounds. Just seem to work better, for this bass.