jimmarchi1's forum posts 8022

I gotta tell ya, for that money I would probably be looking for a used JCM800 50 watt, the 2204. It'll be up at the top end of your price range but it'll probably never break down. For a little less a 90s laney GH50L is a great alternative. If you're slick you can get an ac30 HW for that too. There are still some silverfaced fenders in that pricerange but that's not the golden age of fender. You really need to know what you're looking for. For instance, JCM800 need vertical inputs. Horizontal inputs are board mounted and prone to breaking. In your price range there aren't a lot of new amps worth buying anymore if you're a gigging musician. reliability is down.

More features is generally more failure points.... in this day and age the build quality doesn't support them at this price point. Markup is crazy. Everything is made flimsily in china and nothing is off-board anymore which is bad in an amp that gets hot and then gets jostled in a van or trunk before and after shows.

If you're not going to gig much, go with whatever though. Use your ears. Alternative is really broad.

EDIT: in modern amps I'm rather impressed with the new roland/boss solid state stuff that tries to sound like a tube amp. Fender is doing soemthing similar.... and frankly I love my little quilter pedalboard amp. It really doesn't sound like a bunch of transistors. They make bigger, better ones. Am I selling my ac30s to go quilter? no. But these new generation solid state amps are voiced very nicely, love pedals and are insanely reliable and maintenance free.

I used to use a L.R. Baggs M1 during my short adult contemporary/country sideman phase. I really am not into acoustic pickups but needs must when you're hired to play for someone else. It wasn't EXACTLY non-destructive. If your guitar isn't electrimified already odds are to fit the jack you will have to expand the strap button hole. I went with a used guitar that already had a piezo. I hate piezos. It had the strap button jack already so I just removed that, put in the baggs one, removed the saddle and piezo and put in a regular saddle. I also sold the guitar in question with the LR baggs pickup for more than I paid if I recall correctly. The pickup just clamped onto the soundhole. It sounds VERY VERY good. tried it because Keef uses it live.

those 2 amps aren't remotely similar.... I would stay away from the chinese voxes with PCB mounted power tubes. Depending on the generation of the hot rod amp you're buying they vary a lot. Every version features improvements to sound quality but also cost-cutting measures that reduce build quality...

see, you need to remember that drunk posts can only be reread after drinking more

oh man, you sound so evolved!

okay, I was drinking and I think that I came off meaner than I meant too, it was meant more in jest, hence the dumber than a box of hammers line from O Brother Where Art Thou... but it should take 5 seconds to plug straight in and see if the signal gets to the amp from the bass directly... make sure to test both the cable going TO the pedals and the one coming FROM the pedals. Eliminate those variables. Also try another lead, like your backup cable for shows? make sure that works. Make sure to jiggle 'em around a lot to see if they're intermittent. Then change speaker cables... then reintroduce the pedal chain a pedal at a time with brand new jumper cables if you can... if you stillc an't locate the problem take a sledgehammer and start smashing stuff.

To show how much I.Q. I have in real life... no.

And for posterity? Yes. You're dumber than a box of hammers. The route to the solution is obviously to remove all variables and reintroduce them 1 at a time. I'm not trying to be mean but you didn't do any thinking prior to posting for help.

Minus 10 masterclass soldering iron points... your issue is easily solved without a masters degree

Also active pickups have a preamp that sends a low impedance signal to a high impedance (1mohm nominal impedance) amp input sooooo... but I expect a bad jumper cable that operates more consistently with high impedance and low voltage passive pickups. Although that's odd.

I worked as a recording engineer for a decade. Remove variables quickly. Target the problem area through logic. Identify the issue. Get back on the clock and get rent money.

Edit: I still work as a tech and custom gear designer/builder as a sideline. Eliminating variables is key.

did you plug straight into the amp? bass-> cable-> amp.

I don't know anyone that was able to keep a groupie in a van for 2 weeks or more. I don't think that's physically possible. The metrics of your premise are flawed! :D

fear will keep the local musicians in line....

youdon't want to go uber budget level on the guitar but you can get a good student instrument these days for under $300... I would spend more on amplification/headphones/whatever. Helix may be over the top for you but a used line 6 PODHD comes close to their flagship and can be had very cheap and you can practice all day on headphones (not earbuds, shit will destroy your hearing) without offending anyone. If you wanna move air tubes are best but pricey for anything worth having. In solid state amps for heavy rock to metal look at orange's crush line or even better tha boss kitana line. Going cheaper than any of these suggestions will NOT be encouraging. Especially given kiss and SOAD rely heavily on their amps to do the ehavy tonal lifting, the entire style relies on cranked up marshalls or similar to deliver a muscular guitar tone. That said, amrshall doesn't make a bedroom amp that'll do what you want anymore, and eve when they did in the 80s is was expensive.

we suffer from a lot of this and its discussed extensively behind the scenes by admins and mods...

these kids start pro pages for their first bands, we're littered with thm. No humility. You're not a real band if you've never slept in a van for 2 weeks or more.

@carbinax... so which VST would you keep?

Honestly, since VSTs need a host/sequencer, and most DAWs include more than enough to make anything you want right out of the box, maybe the question is which DAW would you want to be stuck with if you could only use the internal/packaged sounds?

that's a good question...

never got that far

if you're starting cold I would get a serviceable guitar and then focus on making sure I had a small amplifier of good quality.or get somehing headphone friendly like a helix or whatnot. Its encouraging to sound good even when you play badly.

that's a thought.... a few years ago I had this idea for a post-hamilton techno musical...

👍🏼 Are you guys able to get BBC Sounds where you are - loads of great programs for every taste

yup!

https://equipboard.com/items/sunn-concert-lead

this sunn concert lead has a picture of a guytron tube amp....I tried to put up a picture of a concert lead and it saved, said it was successful and is stillshowing the wrong amp.

I have noticed this... I feel like 2018 was last time I was able to put it on in the background while I work... but, it's kinda worth paying for and/or owning too.

the last time I remember it being on netflix was right after my son was born so like 2014.... but it probably was on other streaming services and I just was too distracted by a screaming wife and baby

ever notice THX is never available to stream for free anymore? I think the thought police have it locked up so I can't explain it to younger people

no no, I meant ALL HE DID WAY FINGER DRU ON THE 909, like the amount of dedication to get that good at it is compeltely awe inspiring and this is from a guy who devoted 30 years to guitar.

yeah but.... but.... I swear that all that guy did was finger drum on the 909 for the last 30 years!

per haps 909 refers to the pain and suffering caused by the lousy sampled hihats

so lets say I have multiples of some items, because, well... I do. Can we have a feature to show the number of instruments/units you own of something. 1 would be default but if you own 3 neutrons for instance (I'm grinning sheepishly) you could click it up for each one you own... I mean, this shit isn't hypothetical. Someone might have multiples of a preamp/channels strip etc. I have multiples of some processors for sure. I've been giving serious thought to buying a 2nd polysix, there's one at a guitar center near me just sitting because people are broke in the pandemic. More gear = more good, right?

just a thought

I don't know. Point is, I'm just not crazy about his tone. Like, I dig AC/DC, but can't stand Angus Young's tone. I dig Van Halen, but I'm not crazy for Eddie's tone.

You don't like non-master marshalls then. That's all it is. Early EVH and all ACDC ahs that one element in common.

whoa... but 9's unlucky and roland made the 909

Roland are a Japanese company - the Japanese don't like the number four.

is that true or are you just fucking with us? No one japanese I've known has ever mentioned that.

That's so cool. I love how the 808 and 303 are illustrated.

You guys see Equipboard's very own custom TR-404 Not Found? 😆

HA! can't find something Roland never made, can ya?

EDIT: I wonder why they never used the number 404 anyway? the low numbers are synths but there's no 404, is there? It goes SH101, MC202, TB303 and then isn't it straight to TR606 and straight up to 909 including the latin 727 verion of the 707?

furloughed, on the dole, homeschooling a 1st grader, enjoying the apocalypse from the comfort of home... the usual

you?

you could make one, I'm sure to get THE sound its very sensitive to transistor HFE, material etc but otherwise?

https://808303.studio

I was playing with that on my phone while I was in the bathroom yesterday...

as I recall its in the fuzz face family

but with a big muff tone knob... its been awhile

That's great - a great opportunity to declutter the alternatives? 😲

what the heck? You mean abandon a midi-ed polysix and a prophet600? I wouldn't be able to do it... although my mks30 and 50 are feeling distinctly less cool but they're rack units. and are nestled ina closet right now

Yeah, my solution has been to put stuff I covet onto wishlists and wait for the deal to come round again as they nearly always do. By which time the urge to buy it has often subsided - Tantric shopping!

LOL, sting is approving! but how do you seek out a juno6 for years and years and finally get offered a mint one after buying a pile of alternatives.... like a month after buying a polysix.... how could I say no! HOW?! I bought it and I've been playing it and snuggling it before bed and... and... this is getting gross, sorry.

I have nothing to compare it to but the keystrokes to me feel pretty logical and intuitive for the most part. I guess it helps that I've long preferred keyboard shortcuts to point and click with a mouse. Once they're familiar it can be really speedy.

ditto I get that... there's a lot of shift jackassery on my mopho x4 but I know it now and I'm hyper fast from a single saw into soundscape.... its not fun like a juno but its far more powerful

my current solution is to stop buying stuff even if I get offered a helluva deal... unless its a bucket list item. I did make music yesterday although its not really 'good' music...

https://soundcloud.com/user-498492965/jam10082020/s-V6j8mt53LKx

there's like a nugget of a piece here conceptually if I can lay off the wheels and joysticks a bit

the cool bits of this are never happening without big powerful synths

I got in the right mood and have been drinking beer and watching Jarre tonight. Does he have every EMS synth they made???

the multifunction buttons are defintiely the reason they serve up the koolaid

is there a way we could have more filters for the feed, like a way to just show artists and users we're following for instance? for when I'm not moderating and just want to find my favorite stuff?