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Post by stompboxfreak1972 on Feb 1, 2009 12:28:52 GMT -5
Recap..... I played a Mesa DR for 7 years and never really liked it but continued to use it anyway. I bought the Splawn Nitro blind based on youtube clips. I plugged my DR in this week for the first time in 4 months and man was it enlightening. The Nitro is an absolute huge improvement for me and my playing style. The DR is on the selling block.
Things I still need to work out with the Nitro :
1. Saturation/OD : I find that OD pedals with the Nitro tend to be difficult for me to use. An OCD adds too much drive even at low settings and I have tried multiple other pedals and not been blown away by any of them for long. I am so used to having to use an OD pedal with the DR that I am having a hard time kicking the habit. I think I need to turn up the gain to 3 oclock on the Nitro and dump the OD.
2. OD2: This mode I truly struggle with. I don't feel that it really adds much change and I always feel that the volume drops when I engage it. It's probably in my head but I could live without this feature. Of course, maybe this is why I feel the need for OD pedals to get saturation.... I have not given OD2 enough chance yet.
3. Clean sound : I play with the treble completely turned off. It sounds good to my ears but not to my eyes.
Of course, I now need to sell the DR and buy a backup amp to the Nitro. i am considering a QR, Nitro with KT88's or maybe another brand of amp all together. One thing is for sure....... Im not going back to a DR.
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Post by supercharged350 on Feb 1, 2009 13:26:38 GMT -5
Cool post-honeymoon review.
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Post by shawnfate on Feb 1, 2009 13:52:05 GMT -5
try out a QR, I miss mine dearly.
From what I have read you are wanting in the nitro I think the QR suits you better.
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Post by stompboxfreak1972 on Feb 1, 2009 14:30:37 GMT -5
I think you might be on to something. I am seriously thinking about ordering a QR. I am going to sit on it for a few days but I think I want a QR regardless of my Nitro.
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Post by kormann69 on Feb 1, 2009 15:52:40 GMT -5
Didn't like a DR either.
If the clean is not to your liking why not consider a super comp or a competition ?
And why don't you try to contact another forum member near to you ? Maybe you could test drive another one's QR ?
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Post by firebird on Feb 1, 2009 16:16:40 GMT -5
I just got my Nitro (el34b tubes) and I have an older Pro Mod. The Pro Mod has KT88's. I love both. The Nitro has more gain but there is a more noticable jump in the od1/od2 on the Pro Mod. The cleans on the Pro Mod are sweet. I might do the KT88's in the Nitro since I have a new set sitting around to hear what the differences are. I am really happy with the Nitro but as I said I just got it so time will tell....
Can anyone tell me if there is a bigger jump in tone between the od1 and od2 on the Nitro with KT88's in it?
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Edward
Member
When all was right with the world
Posts: 241
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Post by Edward on Feb 2, 2009 12:35:26 GMT -5
I had a DR, the rackmount version. I liked it for what it was. Then again, I used a Triaxis along with it to get all the tones that I wanted. It is a totally different beast than the QR I have now.
I tried a few OD pedals with the QR, but never really liked the results. I just turn the gain up to around 3 o'clock and love what I hear with the QR alone.
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Post by firebird on Feb 2, 2009 18:23:29 GMT -5
I have had 2 Rack SLO's, Dual recs, Racktifiers, Rectoverbs, 5150's, too many Marshalls to list, Riveras, Framus, lee jackson, Ampeg, Crate, other Peaveys.... and many rack preamp/ poweramp setups but the 2 Splawns I have are the tone I have been chasing forever and could not get with anything else. That is not to say that any of the others did not get some great tones, just not the one that I had been hearing in my head when I went to sleep at night...  |
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Post by TJ on Feb 3, 2009 10:32:59 GMT -5
I have had 2 Rack SLO's, Dual recs, Racktifiers, Rectoverbs, 5150's, too many Marshalls to list, Riveras, Framus, lee jackson, Ampeg, Crate, other Peaveys.... and many rack preamp/ poweramp setups but the 2 Splawns I have are the tone I have been chasing forever and could not get with anything else. That is not to say that any of the others did not get some great tones, just not the one that I had been hearing in my head when I went to sleep at night... Agreed. I've owned so many amps chasing that tone that I heard in my head and none of them ever delivered that "Sound" until I bought my Splawn. ;D |
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Post by fastredponycar on Feb 3, 2009 10:59:03 GMT -5
hhaha same here. the first big chord I hit when I turned on my nitro I litereally yelled "THAT'S IT!!!!! I FOUND IT!!!!!"
It had THAT marshall tone that I always heard in my head but never could get out of any marshall.
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Post by firebird on Feb 4, 2009 19:40:12 GMT -5
That is funny. I said the same thing with my Pro Mod and Nitro... lol. I wonder how many people plug into a splawn and yell "Thats it! I found it!"?
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Post by porkchops on Feb 4, 2009 19:55:22 GMT -5
Hey stompbox,
You need to drop those OD pedals and use the gain controll to bring the goods. The Nitro has the best high gain tone of any amp I have played. I have heard of many guys suffering a tone loss when using the loop. Forget the loop and use any effects through the front of the amp. Problem is with Splawns that they are so naturally toneful and organic and musical on their own that when you add something to it you begin to deminish it's natural sound. Why one would need an OD with a Nitro is beyond my comprehension. Bias those tubes properly, crank it to just above 9 o'clock on OD2 and tweak your other controlls until you hear what you like.
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Post by stompboxfreak1972 on Feb 4, 2009 21:38:52 GMT -5
Hmmmppppphhhhh...... I have a few thoughts. My cab is a Mesa Boogie with SB25's in it. My senses tell me that I need to order a Splawn cab and maybe call the shop and look into some different speakers just for variety sake. I also have trouble getting the volume at decent levels at gigs. Furthermore..... I love delay and Im not sure I can take that out of the loop !
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Post by stompboxfreak1972 on Feb 5, 2009 13:05:53 GMT -5
Update...... I have posted and mentioned in the past that my delay pedal in the loop was causing a problem. Why I did not take my own advice is beyond me. Anyway, the Tc Electronics Vintage delay makes a big, muddy mess. The delay mix and delay output knobs can actually boost or decrease the volume of the amp. It's like having the master volume trick using a delay pedal. The results are not good though.
So I have gone back to the drawing board and picked up another MXR carbon copy delay pedal. It's simple and easy and most importantly stays at unity gain in the fx loop. No " master volume" effect with the MXR. Sure enough...as soon as I picked up another one of these at GC this morning and plugged it in....many problems solved.
As for boosting the amp.... I have spent a fortune on boosts and currently own at least 9 of them. So staying on the MXR theme.... I put my Zakk Wylde OD in front and added a Boss NS-2 and to my surprise I am really liking the results. The ZW pedal has been no more than a paper weight for me in the last 3 years.
I'll try the ZW and the Carbon copy at a gig this weekend and see how I like them in context. The CC seems like a no brainer already.
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Post by TJ on Feb 5, 2009 13:48:40 GMT -5
Do yourself a favor and buy a Flying dragon from lizardlegeffects. It's quite possibly the best transparent boost I've ever used. Does not change your tone at all.
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