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Post by jimbax on Jan 6, 2006 9:44:28 GMT -5
look, Splawn is a HIGH GAIN amp you don't buy the thing and run the gain @10 o'clock...that's an insult.... Respectfully, I couldn't disagree more. I can't speak for anyone else, but even a high gain amp can have tons to offer at less than extreme settings. Even at 10:00 the QR's plenty and l like to get those power tubes working. Plus I like that rhythm clarity it gets at that setting. It's easy to fool yourself with gain, it can be a crutch, so I like to use "enough" but no more than that, as little as I can get away with and still have that crunchy, sustaining yet clear tone. Hard to describe but easy to hear (like the opening chords to DOA). Even with an awesome articulate amp like the QR, at some point with more and more preamp it becomes a more dominant factor in the tone equation and can obscure the other factors. There's a balance there. So it's that mixture that's important to me, but I'm weird that way. Now that i think about it, all my favorite tones are from players that make it sound heavy but if you really disect just the guitar tone itself (less the 'touch factor") it's really not got alot of gain. Anyway, there's no blasphemy in running an amp at a less than extreme setting. Shoot, Scott designed the thing and even he uses the gain at about noon. I hear ya....so, your Porsche has white wall tires? (hehehe)...anyways....it's true I admit that the extra gain covers up my sorry playing, it's like a warm blanket I can fudge around in....my point is: the ONLY reason I picked a Splawn is because of the FAT extra crunch and gain over a Marshall....if you are playing medium gain why not save a few hundred (maybe a thousand...) and just go with a used Marshall JCM900? (I don't want to take away sales for Splawn)...but, for me the WHOLE reason to play Splawn is...throng....
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Post by jimbax on Jan 6, 2006 9:56:43 GMT -5
look, Splawn is a HIGH GAIN amp you don't buy the thing and run the gain @10 o'clock...that's an insult.... Shoot, Scott designed the thing and even he uses the gain at about noon. Because of the pot taper, there isn't alot of difference between 12 noon and dimed for the gain...might as well open er' up!
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Post by morecowbell on Jan 6, 2006 10:09:37 GMT -5
[quote author=jimbax board=quick thread=1136471786 post=1136558668.[/quote]
....if you are playing medium gain why not save a few hundred (maybe a thousand...) and just go with a used Marshall JCM900? (I don't want to take away sales for Splawn)....................[/quote]
Oh man don't say that, the QR at ANY setting sounds worlds different than a JCM900. In fact I have a JCM800 and a Splawn Marshall 1987x and just sold my Mesa. There's a hundred reasons why I go with the QR, none of which are centered around max gain. I'd rather have more gain than I need rather than not enough anyway. Shoot, there's lots of amps with more gain than the QR, by the logic you mentioned you'd be choosing one of those amps and dumping your QR. But I bet you're digging your QR for lots of reasons other than gain. Same applies to me.
Trust me, there ain't NOBODY telling me my tone with the QR is some wimped out version of what it outta sound like. I'd be out of business if it was, my band is all 80's type metal and I'm the only guitar player, so there's no room to hide wimpy tone.
To use your car analogy, the motor alone ain't gonna get it, there's a control thing that's pretty important too.
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Post by shreder75 on Jan 6, 2006 10:29:15 GMT -5
the thing I like about the quick rod is that even with the gain dimed, it's still USEABLE...you CAN dime it and still get a good sound that's not mushy or fizzy....which is something most amps claim but fail to deliver on...
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Post by Dirrty Craig on Jan 6, 2006 10:35:29 GMT -5
I agree with cowbell AND Shreder.. it retains its definition with the gain dimed, which is something I've NEVER found in another amp. I also agree with Jibax.. dude after 20 beers and 6 shots of Patron, I need the warm gain blanket to hide my slop. And lets face it I like to play fast! Sorry, call me a wank-off shredder guy I could care less, I like it. I also like to play SRV type stuff too.. whatever.. its all good. ut back to cowbells comment,, 1st gear with the gain on 10-12 oclock sound fantastic and tons of clarity and that touch factor expecially when LOUD. I still say you can't get a bad sound out of this amp. So technically your all right.
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Post by Dirrty Craig on Jan 6, 2006 10:36:38 GMT -5
Jimbax, please edit your post and remove the nnnnnnnnnnn, its strethcing the page out and annoying as h3ll,, LMAO.
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Post by shreder75 on Jan 6, 2006 10:42:59 GMT -5
I agree with cowbell AND Shreder.. it retains its definition with the gain dimed, which is something I've NEVER found in another amp. I also agree with Jibax.. dude after 20 beers and 6 shots of Patron, I need the warm gain blanket to hide my slop. And lets face it I like to play fast! Sorry, call me a wank-off shredder guy I could care less, I like it. I also like to play SRV type stuff too.. whatever.. its all good. ut back to cowbells comment,, 1st gear with the gain on 10-12 oclock sound fantastic and tons of clarity and that touch factor expecially when LOUD. I still say you can't get a bad sound out of this amp. So technically your all right. guys, I think we need to organize and intervention for craig...20 beers and 6 shots?? LOL....craig, my friend..you have a problem..we're here to help but seriously.....everyone here's 'right' in their own way...it boils down to preference, but different gears, OD's and gain settings gets you all types of sounds...I can't make up my mind if I want dimed gain on gear 1 on OD2 or gain around noonish on OD1 in gear three...lol
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Post by Dirrty Craig on Jan 6, 2006 10:47:37 GMT -5
I'll tell you 1st gear, gain dimed on the front Texas Special Rio Grande, split coiled,, is a fantastic and amazing cutting strat-like tone. I been using this alot. I gots to make a clip of this sound, its like if SRV and Yngwie had a love child with extra gain,, LMAO.. Its an awesome tone.
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Post by shreder75 on Jan 6, 2006 11:04:46 GMT -5
I'll tell you 1st gear, gain dimed on the front Texas Special Rio Grande, split coiled,, is a fantastic and amazing cutting strat-like tone. I been using this alot. I gots to make a clip of this sound, its like if SRV and Yngwie had a love child with extra gain,, LMAO.. Its an awesome tone. LMAO!!! speaking of rio grandes, after my gig on saturday, my guitar tech (the other guy in my band..lol) is gonna put those puppies in my petrucci I got a four conductor texas so I can do just that...split the coil in the center position on the switch...
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Post by jimbax on Jan 6, 2006 11:37:40 GMT -5
I agree with cowbell AND Shreder.. it retains its definition with the gain dimed, which is something I've NEVER found in another amp. I also agree with Jibax.. dude after 20 beers and 6 shots of Patron, I need the warm gain blanket to hide my slop. And lets face it I like to play fast! Sorry, call me a wank-off shredder guy I could care less, I like it. I also like to play SRV type stuff too.. whatever.. its all good. ut back to cowbells comment,, 1st gear with the gain on 10-12 oclock sound fantastic and tons of clarity and that touch factor expecially when LOUD. I still say you can't get a bad sound out of this amp. So technically your all right. let's face it...after NO beers and NO shots of Patron...I need the WARM GAIN BLANKET! ... I can't stand an amp that 'barks, belches and farts' I want GAIN...clarity is still there with the Splawn and gain dimed...what is so hard...a no brainer. GAIN
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Post by morecowbell on Jan 6, 2006 12:12:18 GMT -5
[quote author=shreder75 board=quick thread=1136471786 post=1136563486 speaking of rio grandes, after my gig on saturday, my guitar tech (the other guy in my band..lol) is gonna put those puppies in my petrucci I got a four conductor texas so I can do just that...split the coil in the center position on the switch...[/quote] Did you get the whole set, BBQ bridge/texas neck? I have the BBQ in the bridge of my old '86 Jackson (my #1) and that pickup is just awesome, it's got it all. I love it, which I'm sure means you'll probably hate it. haha I use a Dimarzio Humbucker from hell in the bridge.
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Post by shreder75 on Jan 6, 2006 13:01:47 GMT -5
[quote author=shreder75 board=quick thread=1136471786 post=1136563486 speaking of rio grandes, after my gig on saturday, my guitar tech (the other guy in my band..lol) is gonna put those puppies in my petrucci I got a four conductor texas so I can do just that...split the coil in the center position on the switch... Did you get the whole set, BBQ bridge/texas neck? I have the BBQ in the bridge of my old '86 Jackson (my #1) and that pickup is just awesome, it's got it all. I love it, which I'm sure means you'll probably hate it. haha I use a Dimarzio Humbucker from hell in the bridge. [/quote] now, why would that mean I'd hate it =) yeah, I got the set...four conductor on teh texas, two on the bbq
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Post by guitargoyle on Jan 7, 2006 4:29:12 GMT -5
This is some interesting reading, seeing where everybody stands on "gain". It'll probably be a couple more months before I pull the trigger on a Splawn. I thought I had made up my mind to shell out the bucks for a QR, but now I'm not so sure that the Competition wouldn't work just as well for me. I sure as hell don't need 100 watts and I hardly EVER play clean....just don't know if I can live without 3rd gear. I know what jimbax and shredder would say. What about you other guys? Can I live without 3rd gear?
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Post by guitargoyle on Jan 7, 2006 4:34:25 GMT -5
[quote author=shreder75 board=quick thread=1136471786 post=1136563486 speaking of rio grandes, after my gig on saturday, my guitar tech (the other guy in my band..lol) is gonna put those puppies in my petrucci I got a four conductor texas so I can do just that...split the coil in the center position on the switch... Did you get the whole set, BBQ bridge/texas neck? I have the BBQ in the bridge of my old '86 Jackson (my #1) and that pickup is just awesome, it's got it all. I love it, which I'm sure means you'll probably hate it. haha I use a Dimarzio Humbucker from hell in the bridge. [/quote] +1 on the humbucker from hell. That's a great neck pickup.
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Post by Dirrty Craig on Jan 7, 2006 13:33:19 GMT -5
What about you other guys? Can I live without 3rd gear? I lived without 3rd for a year,, and was and still am loving the old Splawn. Its a preference thing, but I think the new head is more versatile for sure.
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