Vox AC30 with ???

[Tawm!]

Hey everyone,

I haven't been on here in ages! My band has been recording our first full length album and I've run into a snag with my amps and am considering replacing it. Currently, I use two Peavey Classic 30s in a stereo set up, but Im finding that the distortion just breaks up in a way that sounds very garbagy and rusty in comparison to my rhythm player's Vox AC30/Fender tele thinline. I'm the lead player so my tone needs to punch through, but it just doesn't (my primary guitar for the album/live playing is a parker p-36).

I have been thinking about tones and amps and have come up with a few ideas but thought I'd check it out with you more experienced guys first... www.myspace.com/pilgrimtheband the first song, simon says, is being rerecorded and put on the album. That is kind of the mix we have currently in our song writing... At times is guitar driven, thick, full... Everything any guitarist wants I suppose. We aren't a high gain band by any means, if anything, we prefer classic sounds/drive. Bassist plays a custom built bass and amp which sounds almost identical to John Entwistle's tone from the Who - tons of distortion, really really beefy. Drummer is playing a Gretsch Renown maple kit... Absolutely huge sounding kit... Very very loud, very very classic sounding.

I like the tones of Marshall DSL401s particularily the mid's lushness. I wish the highs would seperate a little more like a driven fender twin... But the Fender Twins can sound very garbagy, maybe I just don't know how to set them up.

Anything you could recommend would be greatly appreciated. Bare in mind that it would have to a 1x12 combo with an effects loop as I am an FX nut. Maybe you know of a 1x12 combo that pairs off nicely with an AC30 and can punch above nicely?

Cheers!

[Hamm Guitars]

A pair of AC30s?

If you are bent on stereo, but could get buy without the FX loop, a pair of Fender Blues Jr's might be worth a look. There are some mods for these amps that make them move Vox-ish. I'm not sure if an FX loop mod would be feasable or not. I see these going for $225 quite often.

For that matter, you might be able to get someone to do something with your existing amps.

[Budda]

might i ask what EQ you're running?

[FrogRick12]

Nothing beats a pair of AC 30's....

[suttree]

pair of ac-15s would be a great option. try orange, too.

[Tawm!]

Thanks guys - Budda, eq is set like this... treb - 6, mid - 5, bass - 1.5

A paif of ac30s would be sick... But I already said two 1x12s, not one 2x12...

[Tawm!]

P.S. I am bent on stereo effects

[Budda]

try mids and treble at 7 and bass at 5.

its kinda hard to have punch when you've taken the low end out of your sound ;)

ever considered a mesa F-30 or DC-3/DC-5, or Studio .22? all discontinued.

[voxworld]

I find sometimes that effects, especially time based effects, can make your sound wash out. They seem to take a lot of the definition out of your tone, especially if your using distorted sounds.

[sysexguy]

You may want to keep your Peavey's for the wet signal and get a tone machine (man, there's a lot of choices these days) as your preamp/dry amp.

At the SIMMM show at the Montreal Jazz Fest, the Wizard gang had a WDW rig that was just insane.

Run your new amp as normal, add something like this http://www.suhrguitars.com/tonetools.aspx scroll to ISO line out, add your F/x and run into either the FX returns of the peaveys or the front end with those amps clean.

Andy

[Tawm!]

Thanks very much for the ideas - that Suhr gizmo sounds really interesting. Problem is, as I stated in my first post, the Peavey's are too ratty sounding... So I think blending them in a WDW set up (as you proposed) would not do it for me. I need new amps altogether.... Do you think you could show me some pics of this rig you saw in Montreal or something similar to it? It sounds super interesting... Perhaps something I could do when I get some money

[bolero]

I have an AC30CC1 ( 1x12 combo ) I'll be selling soon fwiw

I used an AC30 along with a marshall 1x12 combo once & it sounded great.....was a JM8000 era 50w marshall if I remember correct....anyway the verb & trem on the AC30 was a good foil to the dry heavy marshall sound, in stereo

[sysexguy]

Tawm remember the entire tone comes from the Dry amp, right through to the power tubes. All the compression, EQ and distortion, channel switching etc. comes from the dry amp. Some guys even use MOSFet power for the wet amps (EVH for instance) so keeping the Peaveys is really the most economical way to get into a wet dry wet rig. Once you found the best dry amp, you may want to make an upgrade on the wet side.

I'd go over to Huge Racks Inc forum and do some research.

Wizard was flying in style, their line out box was something of their own design afaik and they were using a fancy TC guitar processor for the wet signals. I'm sure they'd be happy to share the setup if you contact them.

Andy

[sadowsky13]

Hey everyone,

I haven't been on here in ages! My band has been recording our first full length album and I've run into a snag with my amps and am considering replacing it. Currently, I use two Peavey Classic 30s in a stereo set up, but Im finding that the distortion just breaks up in a way that sounds very garbagy and rusty in comparison to my rhythm player's Vox AC30/Fender tele thinline. I'm the lead player so my tone needs to punch through, but it just doesn't (my primary guitar for the album/live playing is a parker p-36).

I have been thinking about tones and amps and have come up with a few ideas but thought I'd check it out with you more experienced guys first... www.myspace.com/pilgrimtheband the first song, simon says, is being rerecorded and put on the album. That is kind of the mix we have currently in our song writing... At times is guitar driven, thick, full... Everything any guitarist wants I suppose. We aren't a high gain band by any means, if anything, we prefer classic sounds/drive. Bassist plays a custom built bass and amp which sounds almost identical to John Entwistle's tone from the Who - tons of distortion, really really beefy. Drummer is playing a Gretsch Renown maple kit... Absolutely huge sounding kit... Very very loud, very very classic sounding.

I like the tones of Marshall DSL401s particularily the mid's lushness. I wish the highs would seperate a little more like a driven fender twin... But the Fender Twins can sound very garbagy, maybe I just don't know how to set them up.

Anything you could recommend would be greatly appreciated. Bare in mind that it would have to a 1x12 combo with an effects loop as I am an FX nut. Maybe you know of a 1x12 combo that pairs off nicely with an AC30 and can punch above nicely?

Cheers!

What have you been looking at and what price range? There are so many great amps out there. Too bad I already sold my TopHat Club Royale, it is a small 20 watt tube amp based on a vox AC30. I used it in our band with the second guitar player who has an AC30 and the mix between the two amps was great. If you can find one used they are great amps! Cranked the overdrive was really nice and for the heavier stuff I added an OCD.

Currently I am using a Mesa Boogie Roadster to mix with his AC30. The Roadster is pricey but has a great variety of tones in it but may be overkill for you. For my purposes of playing in a cover band it suits my needs perfectly. The tone on Icarian Flight sounds good what are you using there??