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The Be All, End All for why or why NOT YOUR Amp Cuts.


Chrisjd

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heh, makes me want to try clones of all my cabs to see if there is any variance.....

 

heck yeah.... do it man :thu:

 

In my experience...some of the smallest things have made the biggest differences in my sound.

 

Tone has a lot to do with "feel" too. Some cabs feel stiff to play through...others are nice and open. Some cabs have a precise low end that thumps as ya hit the e string. OThers are more loose. Just depends on the player. These small difference in "feel" can make a difference in tone just cuz it's more fun to play one cab over the other...which makes the guitarist play better and therefore sound better since he's having more fun.

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. These small difference in "feel" can make a difference in tone just cuz it's more fun to play one cab over the other...which makes the guitarist play better and therefore sound better since he's having more fun.

 

 

another very simple, yet often overlooked piece of the tone puzzle. You are awfull insightfull today! A+

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FIRSTLY, I BELIEVE THAT ANY AMP, ESPECIALLY TUBE, CAN CUT IF SET RIGHT.


I have been seeing so many of these threads "my amp doesn't cut, help." It is more than just coincidence that most of these amps that apparently don't cut are also the amps that sound REALLY BIG and THICK on their own.


While my opinion is in fact, only an opinion, look at my sig, I have owned and played A LOT high end, high gain amps. I have also played in a band for quite a while now, and played with many guitarists. Also, I have a VERY critical ear when it comes to live guitar tones.


Basically, it is very hard to have an amp that sounds HUGE and cuts through extremely well at the same time. About the only two amps that do it are the Cobra and 5150.


You have guys with the rectifiers and uberschalls who are always complaining about their tone being loose and not cutting. The more lowend, and low-mids your amp produces, the less it is going to cut most likely. Comparatively, the less lowend and more midrange and highs you have, the better you will cut, but the thinner you will sound. So, take all these HUGE sounding amps and guess what, they arnt going to slice through the live mix as well as we all would like them too, that's just the way it is kids.


Another "coincidence", look at all the tighter amps out there: Cobra, VHTs, Quickrod, 5150 II, Laney, ENGL, MAKO etc. These amps are all stupid tight, AND have a brighter, more mid voiced tone.


Take the Looser amps out there: Uberschall, Recto, Dragon, etc. they are voiced darker and thicker. yet they dont cut as well as the others.


Basically, to sum things up, its a trade off. its damn hard to have a super tight and cutting amp that sounds super thick at the same time. Like I said, the only amps that I have played that can combine both qualities are the Cobra and the 5150 series amps.


I just want people to know, that there is a trade-off for going too extreme in either direction.


1. A VERY bright amp will usually yield a thinner, more brittle tone.

and

2. A VERY dark amp will yield a looser tone that doesn't cut very well.


Amen.

 

 

We all have opinions and of course you are entitled to yours. In my opinion, pretty much everything you said here is partially or completely incorrect. Cutting through in a band situation is just as much or more about the other members of the band than it is about you. An amp will not cut if it's sonic space is being invaded by the other instruments. The bass, the drums, keys, and other guitars. That's the most basic rule of recording, and it applies the same way in a live situation. Huge amps can cut, thin amps can cut, high-mid voiced amps can get lost, low mid voiced amps can get lost, and every other combination you can think of. It's all about the amp fitting in with that particular band arrangement.

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We all have opinions and of course you are entitled to yours. In my opinion, pretty much everything you said here is partially or completely incorrect. Cutting through in a band situation is just as much or more about the other members of the band than it is about you. An amp will not cut if it's sonic space is being invaded by the other instruments. The bass, the drums, keys, and other guitars. That's the most basic rule of recording, and it applies the same way in a live situation. Huge amps can cut, thin amps can cut, high-mid voiced amps can get lost, low mid voiced amps can get lost, and every other combination you can think of. It's all about the amp fitting in with that particular band arrangement.

 

 

take the same drummer, bass player, singer, etc. then pair it with a guitarist who demo's a bunch of amps with this 1 particular band. Certain amps are going to do better thatn others. makes sense to me..

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Wow, talk about biting a hand that's trying to feed.....Chris, thanks for the guru advice. You've obviously been around the block, tried a good bit of flavors, and were just trying to offer some words of wisdom.


Toten, there's so a Banthammer in your future.
Thor.jpg

 

hehe, thanks for trying to understand where I am coming from!

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Most amp/combo/cab's will cut. I agree with it's in the setup that cuts.

 

Mesa/Fender/JSX/Krank/5150/ etc will all cut with proper stage volume. Eq is key here. Making sure the sound man understands correct volume. Each Instrument needs to be heard at a certain level. The singer needs to be heard. When you go see a live band, most of the time it's 2 loud. Most levels are cranked up to the point of Distortion. So setting the correct levels is key.

 

The overall tone adjustment of ones settings will also help. Mid's help, highs help, lows are needed at the right amount to get across the tone which is needed with each song etc.

 

Lad boost needs about 5 to 6 db higher then the overall volume in order for it to cut.

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