michael_carter's Reviews
16 reviews Back to michael_carter's Equipboard
179
Voodoo labs power supplies work as described. No issues. Clean power.
This one has been outgrown. It's for sale. Power supply brick only, no cords.
179
A very nice "always on" pedal.
This was suggested to me by someone at Chicago Music Exchange. I tried it and it's a very versatile pedal that I can dial to such a tone that it's there but it's not overly noticeable. It's an always on pedal that I plan to move from the pedal board (which only has what I turn on/off) to the amp. This is a very good pedal.
179
A very nice "always on" pedal.
This was suggested to me by someone at Chicago Music Exchange. I tried it and it's a very versatile pedal that I can dial to such a tone that it's there but it's not overly noticeable. It's an always on pedal that I plan to move from the pedal board (which only has what I turn on/off) to the amp. This is a very good pedal.
179
A very nice "always on" pedal.
This was suggested to me by someone at Chicago Music Exchange. I tried it and it's a very versatile pedal that I can dial to such a tone that it's there but it's not overly noticeable. It's an always on pedal that I plan to move from the pedal board (which only has what I turn on/off) to the amp. This is a very good pedal.
179
Amazing Fender amp with old school Marshall tones.
This is a great amp. Fender's best. All hand wired. It's loud. It's warm. It's distinctive. It cuts through a mix well. The active EQ takes some getting used to. It's a heavy amp. After back surgery I cannot justify trying to move it. I'm using a head and 2 12. So this one, Blonde VK and extension cab are for sale.
179
Amazing Fender amp with old school Marshall tones.
This is a great amp. Fender's best. All hand wired. It's loud. It's warm. It's distinctive. It cuts through a mix well. The active EQ takes some getting used to. It's a heavy amp. After back surgery I cannot justify trying to move it. I'm using a head and 2 12. So this one, Blonde VK and extension cab are for sale.
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179
Very nice amp but extremely loud.
This amp was on my "want" list not my "need" list. I love the headroom it has and the sweet sound it has. It's the 2005 hand wired head so it's sweeter than a normal 1959. It's a basic no frills amp. Like my 2061, I jump the channels together now so I can adjust out the sometimes piercing shrillness of the stratocaster. This amp is loud. This amp makes the vibro king seem normal, and that's a loud amp. Seriously, without some attenuation it would be very difficult to use this anywhere but outside and stadiums. It's playable at lower levels but it's not warm until you get the volume up to around 4. At at that volume it's unbearable in a confined space. I'm going to try putting the cabinet on it's back to see if that works so the sound it's jetting forward in a deafening way. I'm only running it through a Marshall 2 12 cabinet. I can't imagine a 4 12. Don't get me wrong I love this amp and I'll keep it for life. But if you are pondering one and trying to justify how you will use it in your rig playing small venues, borrow one before you buy. Still, it's the real thing everyone lusts after. Dynamic, responsive, warm and loud, really, really loud.
179
Wow. I think it would be very difficult to have a balanced stage sound. This thing is just so loud. I'll let you know how it works when I try it out. I'm glad you've been able to do it, that means there's hope. Have you tried the palmer Banamassa Speaker Simulator with it (the -25db feature)? I've lost enough hearing already so I'm sensitive to overall volume levels.
41034
no, when I had a plexi, showman and a JMP I played through stacks of cabs and just used a little hotplate attenuation for small venues, never more than -4dB
its not that loud
41034
I mean yeah its loud, but if you have a heavy hitting drummer and a bass player with a VST and a pair of balls you kinda need the reserve power.... the main thig is being intelligent with cabinet positioning as 4x12s are beamy (other than hiwatts) and you will sound louder depending on where the thing is pointing in relationship to the soundman and certain members of the audience... using my big rig I was told to turn down or turn up in disparate venues and there was little consistency from stage to stage... also, don't put yourself in your floor wedge, just get kick, snare and bass
179
I've experimented and I see what you mean. It's still very loud, but workable. This amp doesn't sound like I desire until 4-6 which is very loud, but I can put a 2-12 cab firing up. Thanks for you advice and recommendations.
179
A great fuzz pedal in compact form.
This pedal can make single coils sound heavy. It's a great thick sound. With this nearly maxed and your guitar's volume up it's that rich Foxy Lady sound. When you back off the volume it cleans up nicely with a bluesy tone. Fuzz isn't for everyone, but this pedal does it very well.
179
A unique pedal, not for everyone's rig, that nails the Hendrix vibe.
I primarily use this with a clean setting. It makes regular chord strumming interesting. I've played with it some on a dirty, fuzz, setting, but I prefer what it does to a cleanish tone.
179
A great pro level compressor.
I have a love hate relationship with compressors. This one is very good and offers functions most compressors don't. You can tweak the input and output levels to drive an amp if you desire. I have used it to reduce the input level going to the amp. I've never liked using compressors but this one is as close to invisible as any I've ever used. Still I prefer to not have it on the board. It has a slight "lag" when clicking it on or off and that's the reason it's not a 5 star product.
179
A nice way to get that echoplex tone.
I set this to no gain and vintage with the DIP switches. It does something great to the tone of fender amps. I like it with the marshalls too but it doesn't sound as good with a marshall clean. This is a very nice pedal in front of any Fender tweed style tube amp. It actually makes them warmer.
41034
who the hell plays their non-master marshall below noon though? try the marshall at about noon or higher, no bass, full mid and treble, low-to-no presence and then whack the EP into the fornt end with a gentle gain lift for a Gibson or a hefty one for a Fender... control it with your volume knobs and enjoy the rich 70s goodness
179
A great delay.
A nice analog delay that doesn't color the tone. It's easy to use and it works great.
179
A great pedal with one issue.
Setting 1 is the beloved Ibanez tube screamer setting. It replicates a JTM45 sound pretty well. I really like using this for rhythm work. The JCM800 channel is thick and has a ton of presence. It can make single coils sound huge. Those are the two channels I like. The only issue with this pedal is that you can't go from one to the other while playing. That said, when it's on my pedal board it's there for the JCM800 lead sound which makes a strat sound thick. The ability to blend in the clean sound is quite interesting, but I haven't used that. It has two other setting for modern metal. I don''t use that.
179
Great amp for certain styles of music.
I've owned this amp for almost ten years. The negative is it's heavy. And it only does certain sounds well. And it's really loud. The positive is it gives you the feedback only a hand wired custom tube amp can. I like a warm, toasty clean and no other amp I've tried does it better than the vibro king. Some bassman's are just as good. This is a warm, responsive amp that highlights your playing and your attack. If you are mere mortal like me, be forewarned this amp highlights every mistake. Nothing is hidden. I never have found a distorted sound I really liked. With pedals it's pretty good, but not quite good enough. For clean and warm sound it's amazing. Additionally, the active EQ is something most guitarists are unfamiliar with. I suspect anyone who has ever had a less than favorable sound from these amps didn't understand the EQ. One last thing, the reverb is simply amazing. It's a Fender Custom Shop gem.
179
A great amplifier.
I love my vibro king, but have been wanting to build a small and large Hendrix rig. I chose this amp for the small rig. I join the two channels. I run the volumes around 2-4 for home practice and 4-6 out. It's a loud 20 watts. I run it into a 2-12 with either Cessation vintage 30s or G12ms. It's not as warm as the fender sound and I'd like to use and A/B box to run both. But, this amp is great for emulating Hendrix. It's a small very portable amp head. I run in pretty clean, but warm and toasty. I use either an Hendrix 70th Fuzz or a J. Rockett Archer to get the dirt. This amp is a great pedal platform. It really doesn't have any negatives. It's simple but it works.
41034
if you can keep an 18 or 20 watter pretty clean and still hear yourself over a drummer through a 2x12 then god bless you! not that I am criticizing these circuits, big fan actually
179
Amazing guitar.
I have the heavy relic version. It has a U neck profile with 9.5" radius fretboard. It plays great and sounds amazing. I restrung it with Jimi's gauge strings. It takes a while to get used to the low E being so light. I own several guitars and still own a showcase edition les paul and several incarnations of the wolfgang along with a tele. This start is my favorite, period. There are certainly easier guitars to play, but none so rewarding.