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Post by purposetomelody on Jul 24, 2010 14:17:54 GMT -5
Hey, well. I've been wanting a Splawn for a very long time and I finally have the chance to get one as my band is starting to go places and get stuff now.
So. I'm the only guitarist. so I need BIG sound. I've been looking at either the Super Comp or the Competition. I'm not sure which I would like more. I wand "woody" sounding mids (no other way to describe it really) a little bit on the dark side. and just flat out HUGE sounding. it has to fill up a mix. I'm really looking at the competition with KT88's to make it a little more modern voiced than the EL34B's.
Some of the tones I really like are:
Brad Noah (Rhythm tones off Southern Hospitality) Hey Monday (Rhythm tones on Homecoming) Boston (Rhythm tones on More than a Feeling) Lincoln Brewster (Lead Tones on Today is the day and Rhythm of Let Your Glory Shine) Skillet (Rhythm stuff of comatose. I'm pretty sure that Ben uses a Dual Recto so I don't expect it to do this kind of tone great) Joe Bonamassa (Lead tones of off Sloe Gin and Black Rock) The Showdown (Leads off of Temptation Come my Way)
will it do any of this reasonably well. the genre of my band I would classify is Pop/Rock or Pop with a punk edge. but definitely on the rock side.
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Post by Ayton(e) on Jul 24, 2010 21:54:45 GMT -5
I'm thinking the Competition might be more tight, bright and aggressive than you're expecting? But then I only know what two of those acts sound like! It is uncommonly, planet crackingly huge though, so you've got that covered at least. It will darken and loosen in Triode mode, get syrupy, but that's also a lot more compressed so not such an incontinence triggering giant in tone terms.
Maybe the less angry Quick Rod or Street Rod might be the thing?
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Post by purposetomelody on Jul 24, 2010 23:45:41 GMT -5
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Post by Ayton(e) on Jul 25, 2010 12:20:56 GMT -5
Well, huge is definitely the sound I'm wanting. I'm also definitely ok with "angry". I just don't want overly bright. which of the two acts do you know? I knew Boston (that song was on a beer commercial in the UK for what seemed like forever!) and Brewster. I thought the Competition is just the OD channel of the QR? I don't need the clean channel of the QR. Everything is interactive in Splawns. As such, we've discovered over time that removing the clean channel from the circuit changes the OD channel. More teeth. It is upset, and getting it to calm down can be tricky. These were fun to go through! Immediately I'd say what you'll get with a Compy is closest to Noah (particularly his rhythm tone there) and the Bonamassa clip (though it's tricky as I don't play slide much). Skillet sounds so processed I can't tell what the original tone would be, but it sounds low-middy, i.e. Nitro/SuperComp territory, though I think they'd need to be hammered in Pro Tools. Showdown I think is within reach of both types (Comp and SuperComp), being modern but not scooped or squished. Brewster: Competition on Triode for that sort of warm saturated reduced-dynamics thing. Hey Monday: I don't think anyone really wants that generic radio vanilla tone so you can just go to your room until you come to your senses. ;D I'm no authority, btw, any number of people could disagree with me, especially LooseCannon, who just disagrees with me by default; these are just my impressions.
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Post by purposetomelody on Jul 25, 2010 12:45:48 GMT -5
Thank you for all the help man! Brad uses a QR from what I remember so that would explain why you picked that one out. that is also pretty much the exact rhythm tone I want. the Joe B clip is a Marshall Silver Jube and something else mixed together. I just know that his tone is MEAN haha. Skillet i'm 99% sure is a Dual Rec. and 'im not a giant fan of the tone but it's something I'm going for heavy wise. The Showdown is something I just kind of want to mess with not my main tone really. I love Brewster's tone and if the comp will do that awesome. I lol'd at your Hey Monday comment.....for the record. I was talking to Dal, he said their guitarist just bought a Pro Mod :. once again it's not my favorite tone by any means but it's kind of the style of music I play. albeit I use more gain and it's not whiney lol.
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Post by Jammermatt on Jul 25, 2010 17:37:31 GMT -5
The Compy is brighter and angrier than the QR.
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Post by Ayton(e) on Jul 25, 2010 19:46:39 GMT -5
Oh, it's cool that Brad uses a QR! I'm now very glad I picked that out as the closest tone, or I'd look a bit silly. ;D I just switched on my gear without moving any controls and played (a slightly wonky version of) that riff; thought you might want to hear how it sounded: Click me. One track first, then two panned like the record seems to be.
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Post by purposetomelody on Jul 25, 2010 22:12:44 GMT -5
Ayton. that's pretty much amazing. maybe a little bright and I'd use a tad more gain. but it's pretty much perfect. Competition here I come.
what year is your Comp? also EL34B's or KT88's?
what cab are you using and how did you record that?
You're a great player btw!
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Post by Ayton(e) on Jul 25, 2010 23:18:15 GMT -5
Cheers, PTM. My Comp is an '07. All Splawns shipped with Mullard EL34s back then and that's what I still put in it today. JJ preamp tubes, too. They now come with Tung Sols, or something. Cab is a humble Avatar 2x12 open-back that I have very professionally modded to closed-back using a memory foam pillow and big bit of cardboard torn off a box.* Early 90s English Celestion Greenbacks. Single mic running into an M-Audio audio interface, into Garageband. No funny filters or plugins or things (I'd never get anything done.) * I can perform this mod for anyone for $600 if they get on my three year waiting list. No returns.
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Post by Jammermatt on Jul 26, 2010 0:10:57 GMT -5
5 ply memory foam I assume? None of that Chinese crap.
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Post by purposetomelody on Jul 26, 2010 1:21:13 GMT -5
Cheers, PTM. My Comp is an '07. All Splawns shipped with Mullard EL34s back then and that's what I still put in it today. JJ preamp tubes, too. They now come with Tung Sols, or something. Cab is a humble Avatar 2x12 open-back that I have very professionally modded to closed-back using a memory foam pillow and big bit of cardboard torn off a box.* Early 90s English Celestion Greenbacks. Single mic running into an M-Audio audio interface, into Garageband. No funny filters or plugins or things (I'd never get anything done.) * I can perform this mod for anyone for $600 if they get on my three year waiting list. No returns. I'm a JJ fan so I'd probably replace the pre's with them JJ's are a little darker also. which might be nice in the Comp. have you tried one with KT88s? is it a little more modern voiced? or what is the difference? I love the cab set up 600? I'll send mine your way soon .
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Post by Ayton(e) on Jul 27, 2010 0:29:26 GMT -5
Never played the 88s, but from what I recall they're meant to be more modern, yeah. Might be just what you need since you're looking for something in between hot-rodded Marshall and modern. I'm all about the chewy midz. ;D
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Post by bubbastain on Jul 27, 2010 22:46:32 GMT -5
The Competition is a bad ass amp. I love it. I modded mine to accept either KT77s(or EL34s) or KT88s. In person the 88's sounded a little bigger/ maybe a bit more clear. I prefer the 77s. They seem to be a bit smoother. At least that's what I thought I heard. I recorded clips with the exact settings and could not tell the difference on the recordings. So who knows? I can always pop the 88's in there one of these days and try again. BTW, I'm using JJ's all around with their "high gain" preamp tubes. Love everything.
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Post by purposetomelody on Jul 27, 2010 23:16:08 GMT -5
Ayton: Yeah, i'm still deciding on the 88's or EL34's I'm really torn here.
bubbastain. if you have any clips I'd love to hear em'!
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Post by Ayton(e) on Jul 28, 2010 12:22:51 GMT -5
Bubba did some speaker comparison clips with his Comp running KT77s. At least you can hear those. Clicky
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