Punk and solidstate

[dr_love6977]

So I had two punk bands ask me to record them today. I went and checked out both of the band's myspaces today and noticed that both bands use solid state marshalls. Are ss amps good for the whole punk sound? The bands are real punk too, not New Found Glory bull{censored}. The one really sounds like old Suicide Machines, and the other is thrash punk. I was just wondering if I should bring a couple amps to the studio for them to check out or not.

[Sardocasm]

As obvious as it sounds, it depends on how they make it work for their sound.

[dr_love6977]

 

As obvious as it sounds, it depends on how they make it work for their sound.

 

 

That's what I was thinking. I'm gonna bring a couple of Marshall's and my Mesa just to let them try out. But if they feel those ss amps are "their" sound, then I'll record that.

[the_bleeding]

pshhh its punk. Get something cheap and loud and you're in business.

[The*Ataris]

 

So I had two punk bands ask me to record them today. I went and checked out both of the band's myspaces today and noticed that both bands use solid state marshalls. Are ss amps good for the whole punk sound? The bands are real punk too, not New Found Glory bull{censored}. The one really sounds like old Suicide Machines, and the other is thrash punk. I was just wondering if I should bring a couple amps to the studio for them to check out or not.

 

 

The staple of the Suicide Machines' sound was a two channel JCM900, like a lot of bands from that era.

 

The only guy I can think that was famous for using solid state amps is Bob Mould (Husker Du/Sugar)

 

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

 

But that's a little different deal. It was more of a fuzz/stereo chorus sound...

[Tommy Horrible]

 

So I had two punk bands ask me to record them today. I went and checked out both of the band's myspaces today and noticed that both bands use solid state marshalls. Are ss amps good for the whole punk sound? The bands are real punk too, not New Found Glory bull{censored}. The one really sounds like old Suicide Machines, and the other is thrash punk. I was just wondering if I should bring a couple amps to the studio for them to check out or not.

 

 

 

I play in punk band and know quite a bit about punk rock tone. No SS is not definitive of punk tone. If anything I would JCM 800's and plexi's are definitive of punk rock tone.

 

I'll run down a list of punk bands and what they use.

Dead Boys = Cranked Plexi's and P90's

Drop kick Murphy's = JCM 800's humbuckers

Pennywise= Recto's and EMG81's

AFI= Recto's and humbuckers

Bad Brains= Recto's and humbuckers

Ramones= Plexi's and mosrites

Sex Pistols = Fender Twin and humbuckers

Black Flag = SS Pa head and and $100 pawnshop plastic guitar

Turbo Negro = JCM 800's and humbuckers

Clash= any combination of fender,gibson and Marshall you can imagine

Dead Kennedy's = Plexi and Tele

 

I'm assuming your "Thrashy" band would probally really dig any Slayer or early Metallica sounding tone you could dig up for them.

 

I bet your "Suicide Machines" band would probally love the sound of a Twin with some stomp boxes

[wanky]

 

So I had two punk bands ask me to record them today. I went and checked out both of the band's myspaces today and noticed that both bands use solid state marshalls. Are ss amps good for the whole punk sound? The bands are real punk too, not New Found Glory bull{censored}. The one really sounds like old Suicide Machines, and the other is thrash punk. I was just wondering if I should bring a couple amps to the studio for them to check out or not.

 

 

here in santa cruz countythe good old punk band use all tube marshalls. Jcm800 2203s, jcm900s, DSLs, and a few bands starting to catch on with the JVM. I iwshed the 5150/6505 series caught on with them, unfortunately its mostly been fake annoying matalcore scene bands that have caught on with those. Mesa have been non existant. A few 80s rockers like em strangly even though they are completely 90s tone.

 

Solid state amps are popular not becuase the guitarist like em but becuase of budget limitions, and those many of these are upper middle class, they spend it on booze istead of a tube amps and end up settling for solid state.

 

I'll lay claim to helping improving tone here locally. As soon as i put a set of JB jrs in my strat, two friends thats are guitarists of local bands whon i went to high school with followed me and they sounded much better than the single coils they had before at shows. Also ive helped find and adivised on buying decent tube amps and a few of my friends bands have dumped their solid states for tube amps upon my advice. I can actually mosh without having to listen to mush now!

 

Upon my advice in getting tube amps, one band ended getting a valveking which has been working well for em, and another got a peavey ultra which is a a slightly milder and cheapers version of my 5150II(but i got my 5150II for the same price as their ultra, 500 bucks)

[Drew5887]

Punk is not a solid state sound unless its really trying to be lo-fi and {censored}ty sounding, where you turn the solid state squire amp way up and just bash away. Otherwise its totally an old marshall.

 

Oh BTW you need an MXR distortion plus for the Sex Pistols or Husker Du stuff

[Drew5887]

 

But that's a little different deal. It was more of a fuzz/stereo chorus sound...

 

 

Hey this song is great. Thanks for posting it.

[Tommy Horrible]

 

Punk is not a solid state sound unless its really trying to be lo-fi and {censored}ty sounding, where you turn the solid state squire amp way up and just bash away. Otherwise its totally an old marshall. Oh BTW you need an MXR distortion plus for the Sex Pistols or Husker Du stuff

 

ORLY? How do you know that? I've always wondered what Steve Jones was using to get that sound out of a Twin and Les Paul.

[wanky]

 

pshhh its punk. Get something cheap and loud and you're in business.

 

 

perfect explaination for the solid state phenomenon

 

Im even surprised old school hardcore and punk made it to this forum considering how little they value tone. Im one of the few into that that does value tone alot.

 

Also alot punk teens will play solid state at shop and think its sound great while playing at low volumes, then buy it, then turning it up when they get band together, and all this compressed ear bleeding mush comes out.

 

I doubt tone will ever be important in punk compared a genre like death metal where tone is key and very specific. its synomous with alot crappy guitartists, not becuase they play mostly power chords, but becuase of how sloppy they play, and the solid state mush help em hide it. but once they get serious about tone, they'll relize the learning curve for guitar has grown exponentially.

[wanky]

i know u can use a distortion pedal into an SS practice amp and turn the distortion and tone all the way up to get a crass tone. I hate their tone but i love crass.

[dr_love6977]

 

ORLY? How do you know that? I've always wondered what Steve Jones was using to get that sound out of a Twin and Les Paul.

 

 

Hey, you guys knew Nuke and the Living Dead, right?

[Tommy Horrible]

 

Hey, you guys knew Nuke and the Living Dead, right?

 

 

Yep, played with them in place that had vintage clothing store in front somewhere in Michigan almost 2 years ago. I don't think those dudes were using solid state.

 

This good example of me using a B-52 and Les Paul to get the Mesa 6l6 type of sound.

[YOUTUBE]y_4msYrCqjU[/YOUTUBE]

 

Here a live Vid from a couple weeks ago showing me using my JVM to bring Teh rocks live. Kinda poor audio but you'll get the drift.

[YOUTUBE]BAvsBviHLDQ[/YOUTUBE]

[dr_love6977]

 

Yep, played with them in place that had vintage clothing store in front somewhere in Michigan almost 2 years ago. I don't think those dudes were using solid state.

 

 

Yeah, you probably played the Modern Exchange. It's not them I'm recording tho, rather friends of theirs; Aggro Or Die!

[Tommy Horrible]

 

Yeah, you probably played the Modern Exchange. It's not them I'm recording tho, rather friends of theirs; Aggro Or Die!

 

Aggro or Die? Never heard them but with name like that SS should be just fine. SS is Aggro.

[thesinner66]

I'd say w/ a decent cab, some of those SS Marshalls are fun. It can be exhausting w/ how harsh they can sound. But then again when I was {censored}ing around w/ it I was trying to get Ministry/Prong type sounds.

 

Being that I've been using tube amps for the past 7 years. I wouldn't mind having a SS Marshall, Randall of even a Peavey Bandit...w/ Scorpion speakers! You know...just to have around and do Dimebag and White Zombie riffs.

[Tommy Horrible]

 

I'd say w/ a decent cab, some of those SS Marshalls are fun. It can be exhausting w/ how harsh they can sound. But then again when I was {censored}ing around w/ it I was trying to get Ministry/Prong type sounds. Being that I've been using tube amps for the past 7 years. I wouldn't mind having a SS Marshall, Randall of even a Peavey Bandit...w/ Scorpion speakers! You know...just to have around and do Dimebag and White Zombie riffs.

 

 

Or play something off everthing went black.

[thesinner66]

Well......It was kind of a given that I would!

 

I managed to get a very convincing Ginn tone w/ a DSL 50 and a Rat pedal though!

[vrm]

I was just gonna say a RAT pedal, through a loud clean amp should be plenty punk.

[Fingermush]

Solid State amps are great for punk rock, many, many bands used/use them.

 

 

Danny Ash of Bauhaus, used HH SS amps

ANdy Gil of Gang of Four used Carlsboro, Roland Jc-120s & a Lab Series L5

IDK what Joy Division used but it was probably SS

 

I think that this forum seems to think that Westcoast hardcore (Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Fear, etc) is the prototypical punk sound.

[Mr Songwriter]

 

Solid State amps are great for punk rock, many, many bands used/use them. Danny Ash of Bauhaus, used HH SS amps ANdy Gil of Gang of Four used Carlsboro, Roland Jc-120s & a Lab Series L5 IDK what Joy Division used but it was probably SS I think that this forum seems to think that Westcoast hardcore (Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Fear, etc) is the prototypical punk sound.

 

 

I'm sure I've seen footage of Barney from Joy Division used a Marshall JCM, something or other.

 

Also The Clash: Mick Jones used a Boogie Mk II and Joe used an AC30, at least for the early stuff.

 

I also thought East Bay Ray used a Fender Super Head going into I don't know what cab.

[katillac]

I know this goes against the school of thought for many around here, but whatever happened to bands finding their own sound? Instead of freaking {censored} over what band used what amps, guitars, pickups, strings, picks and shoelaces, go for whatever sounds right to you.

 

There's nothing wrong with finding that perfect tone that sounds just like your favourite band/player, epecially if you are hard core into their music, but if you're doing original stuff, use what you like best. If that happens to be the same combination, settings, etc, as someone else, then so be it.

[newholland]

there IS no definitive punk tone-- it's no different than anything else-- use what sounds good, and i've known dudes in punk bands using jc120s, i've known em to use twins, crates, marshalls, mesas, silvertones.. with any number or gain settings, pickups, guitars.. i've used peaveys, laneys, and mesas with tube screamers, DOD pedals, rats, chandlers... and i've also used classic marshalls and whatever was onstage at the time.

 

the notion that 'use anything, it's all crap' is silly. but whatever fits the music works great.. providing it works. don't sweat the amp-- just get a good sound out of whatever it is and let the music do the heavy lifting.

 

bob mould, when i saw the huskers, used a 70's marshall 212 combo, for what it's worth too, and greg ginn always used ampeg dan armstrongs-- and even though they mighta been $100 plastic guits from hock shops. they're pretty badass instruments.. hell, even the stones used 'em..

[PurpleStain]

Black Flag was exclusively Solid State.