Post by rickshapiro on Oct 22, 2012 9:00:50 GMT -5
I've been playing guitar for longer then many have you have been alive I would guess. I've always been kind of a technologist and have always had gas for new high-tech stuff. I play both keyboard and guitar have tried to keep my gear up to date. For guitar, other then my first Peavey classic amp in the 80s, all my amps have been solid state or for the last decade forms of modelers and solid state effects. My last purchase was a POD HD500 and a TC Electronics Nova. I've been playing those through a Tech 21 Power Engine or directly into high-end on stage monitors and then a feed to the house.
I purchased a Street Rod a few months ago. Kind of on a whim, I had been to GC playing around with some Boogies and Marshall JVMs. A fellow player in my band was using a Bogner Shiva. As I was demoing these amps I really started to understand the "feel" of what a tube amp can provide. That kind of bite and dynamic range that others have talked about. I saw someone selling a used Street Rod on CL, I actually did not do to much research on Splawn, just kind of heard it had as Marshall plexi type sound. The price and condition was right, I picked it up and brought "Barney" home. Yes the amp is purple. The gentlemen that sold me the amp bought a Mark V stating the he wanted the gain and sound of the boogie. I've had some growing pains with the amp which you can read in some of my previous threads.
Recently I've had a revelation with this amp, one that I am almost embarrassed to admit after all these years of playing. I've missed a whole universe of sound! I've always had my cleans "clean" and my gain "high gain". Almost always using my guitar volume fully up with the bridge pickup for distorted lead and rhythm playing. For clean it was usually my neck pickup or neck and middle out-of-phase for clean on my single coils. So what have I learned? Well there is a world of sounds between zero volume and full volume (guitar volume) when using my Splawn. I'm finding all sorts of pickup combinations and volume combinations that are leading to some of the most musical tones I've ever experienced. The Splawns breakup is just magical. I've got great blues, classic rock, modern, indi sounds, without touching the amp, only by changing the guitar volume and pickup combinations. A lot of the videos I've seen for Splawn amps have been to towards the high-gain metal or hard rock sounds. I am telling you there is a world of other great tones to be had.
I've also ditched my all in one effect boxes for pedals. I am using a number of the TC Electronics Tone Print pedals. The only type of pedal I feel there is no need for is a distortion, fuzz or any other gain pedal. That is all covered by the amp. I am even finding my fulltone boost pedal does not really add much.
I've been so inspired that my playing, sense of musicianship (tone, voicing, melody) has improved.
At this point the only thing I would like to add is a second 1X12 cab.
Okay enough gushing for one thread.
I purchased a Street Rod a few months ago. Kind of on a whim, I had been to GC playing around with some Boogies and Marshall JVMs. A fellow player in my band was using a Bogner Shiva. As I was demoing these amps I really started to understand the "feel" of what a tube amp can provide. That kind of bite and dynamic range that others have talked about. I saw someone selling a used Street Rod on CL, I actually did not do to much research on Splawn, just kind of heard it had as Marshall plexi type sound. The price and condition was right, I picked it up and brought "Barney" home. Yes the amp is purple. The gentlemen that sold me the amp bought a Mark V stating the he wanted the gain and sound of the boogie. I've had some growing pains with the amp which you can read in some of my previous threads.
Recently I've had a revelation with this amp, one that I am almost embarrassed to admit after all these years of playing. I've missed a whole universe of sound! I've always had my cleans "clean" and my gain "high gain". Almost always using my guitar volume fully up with the bridge pickup for distorted lead and rhythm playing. For clean it was usually my neck pickup or neck and middle out-of-phase for clean on my single coils. So what have I learned? Well there is a world of sounds between zero volume and full volume (guitar volume) when using my Splawn. I'm finding all sorts of pickup combinations and volume combinations that are leading to some of the most musical tones I've ever experienced. The Splawns breakup is just magical. I've got great blues, classic rock, modern, indi sounds, without touching the amp, only by changing the guitar volume and pickup combinations. A lot of the videos I've seen for Splawn amps have been to towards the high-gain metal or hard rock sounds. I am telling you there is a world of other great tones to be had.
I've also ditched my all in one effect boxes for pedals. I am using a number of the TC Electronics Tone Print pedals. The only type of pedal I feel there is no need for is a distortion, fuzz or any other gain pedal. That is all covered by the amp. I am even finding my fulltone boost pedal does not really add much.
I've been so inspired that my playing, sense of musicianship (tone, voicing, melody) has improved.
At this point the only thing I would like to add is a second 1X12 cab.
Okay enough gushing for one thread.
