Your setup - what do you use?

[Robert]

I thought it might be interesting to hear how all of us fretters get our favorite guitar tones. What do you use? Amp, Guitar, Pedals, Cabs, etc - whatever you use to get your best tones.

Me, I use my Reverend Hellhound amp with my Tele or my '51, then into my Clyde Wah, Blues Driver or Bad Monkey, Das Fuzz, Dunlop Microamp and PB & J Delay. That's my best sound. Occasionally a Chorus and a Compressor, but not often.

My Vox is very close though, and sometimes I prefer it for certain sounds. It does heavy gain sounds much better than my Hellhound.

Tell us what you use!

 

[Guitar-Chris]

Here is my Setup:

Fender Telecaster into Boss TU-2 Tuner, Marshall Bluesbreaker II, Vox AD50VT.

Sometimes I use an Digitech Distortion-Factory 7 vor differnet overdrive and distortion settings.

And of course my other guitars.

My stage western goes direct into the mixer.

 

[Katastrophe]

My setup is real simple, consisting of my ESP (the #1 goto guitar), Digitech RP80, and the Crate 120W combo. I use a clean, non eq'ed channel, and let the Digitech do all the work for the tones. It works fairly well for me.

My favorite is my main lead tone. It's loud, crunchy, and overdriven *almost* to the point of being uncontrollable. With the bridge humbucker in the Ibanez and ESP, the sound is very thick. The Charvel has a little thinner, more "scooped" tone, IMO, almost single coilish, even though it too has a bridge 'bucker.

I also love a warm, chorusy clean sound as well for those quieter parts.R :R

 

[Tone2TheBone]

My main amph is the Marshall Jubilee 50 watt combo (2x12 @ 8ohms). I either run that by itself or run my 4x12 Marshall cab with it alone. (16ohms). I use the same tone controls on the amp for all my guitars.

I only use the Vox when I'm in the livingroom and want a quick fix.

For guitars -

Gibson Les Paul Studio with Gibson PAF in the neck and a Dimarzio Virtual PAF in the bridge. I switch out between the Dimarzio and a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates bridge pup depending on my mood. I use 9s on the Les Paul. I naturally switch between the bridge and neck pickups but am really digging the sound of both pickups on (middle switch position) while cutting back and blending both pup volumes for taste.

MIM Fender Strat (vintage sunburst) with Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials. The only mod I did to that guitar was the treble bleed on the volume pots which I don't think it really needed but did anyway...backing off on the volumes yields even more tonal character while still being shimmery. If I want full strat tone I simply turn up the volumes to max. I tend to mess with the tone knobs more on this guitar than the others too. 10's go on the Strat for rhythm stability.

Paul Reed Smith Custom SE uses stock zebra bobbin pickups and stock electronics. Same configuration as the Gibson...2 'buckers...but share same tone and volume. Again loving the sound of the middle position for vintage tones. Size 10 strings go on this one to give it more fuller sound due to it's thinner mahogany body and maple veneer.

As for pedals I have them but rarely if at all use them. Guitar, chord and amp. However once I get my revised pedal board going I will utilize the Dunlup Cry Baby wah pedal w/fasel, the Digitech Bad Monkey, Boss Blues Driver, MXR Micro Amp, Danelectro FAB Echo and hopefully a new "vibe" pedal of some kind soon. Oh and maybe a Voodoo Labs Analog Chorus pedal soon too.

And for Bass playing - Stock Fender Squire Jazz bass with stock passive pickups through an SWR Workingman's 10 combo amp.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Tell us what you use!

Okey-doke, I will! And since I don't have all that much hardware (at least by Spudlian standards!), it won't take that long....

If I'm looking to reproduce a particular sound, particularly for high gain/distortion tones or the more exaggerated effects, I'm likely to go to the AD30VT and start dialing in the various amp models and effect types. But when I'm just "playing for myself", I like a low to moderate amount of distortion--think blues/classic rock a la Beano-Allmans-SRV-Who's Next-ZZ Top. I crank up my Peavey Delta Blues, using either the Bad Monkey or Tone Driver pedals through the clean channel, or running the lead channel with the PRE up in the 7 - 10 (out of 12) range, depending upon how much dirt I want to dish out. Will also occasionally stomp on the Dunlop CryBaby and leave the pedal about 2/3's of the way down for that very pronounced nasal tone (I'm sure somebody has coined the perfect adjective for this, but I don't know what it is!). I generally leave the tone controls on the amp set fairly mid-range, with the treble a bit higher than the mid, which in turn is a bit higher than the bass.

Depending on what I'm playing, I'll use either my LP or my Strat. I really have no clear preference for either guitar tonally, though I find the LP easier to play. The LP is great for those rich, warm humbucker tones, and I particularly like to roll off the treble control for the EC "woman" tone from the neck p'up or that nice, dry ZZ Top crunch from the SD Pearly Gates bridge p'up. For my Strat, I love to set p'up selector on the bridge/mid position for that satisfying quack. To me, that's "essence of Strat" tone, so I use that pickup setting far more than any of the others. It's particularly good when used with the Bad Monkey through the DB clean channel.

OK, I'm done blathering now....

 

[Bloozcat]

Guitar to a modded Crybaby Wah, then into a Analogman Sun Face Fuzz, then into a modded Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive, then into a modded Tube Screamer, then into a Barber Tone Press, then into an A/B/Y box. From there I can switch between my '65 Band Master head with Weber C12N loaded 2X12 cab (and/or 2X12 w/Mojotone MP12RHD Alnicos), and my Crate Vintage Club 30 1X12 or with a 2X12 cab loaded with Celestion G12H30's.

Now, that's the ultimate combo that I don't seem to get to use much now. It's waayyy too much to haul around, and it's overkill for most small venues. Most of the time it's just the pedal board and the Crate or the Band Master. Even then, I play straight through the amp most often with little use of the effects. Since I play blues more than anything, the pedals aren't all that necessary. For practice I mainly use my Vintage Club 20.

Hi, my name is Bloozcat, and I'm a gear-a-holic...

 

[Spudman]

Hi, my name is Bloozcat, and I'm a gear-a-holic...

Hi Bloozcat. And welcome. How long has it been since you had your last piece of gear?
I'm not gear free myself, but someday...

 

[Bloozcat]

Hi Bloozcat. And welcome. How long has it been since you had your last piece of gear?
I'm not gear free myself, but someday...

Uh, I sort of fell off the wagon when I bought my Epi Valve Jr. head, and I'll probably fall off it again when the Epi Blues 30 combo becomes available....darn slippery wagon is hard to stay on....

 

[duhvoodooman]

I'm not gear free myself....

Candidate for "Understatement of the Year" honors....

 

[jpfeifer]

For amps I use a Vox Valvetronix AD120-VTX with the VC12 foot controller. I need to cover a wide variety of sounds for most of the gigs that I play. We play a little bit of everything, so I need to be able to cover everything from Smooth Jazz, Motown, Country, to classic rock. I plug straight into the amp with no extra effects. I use a variety of amp models and effects in the amp itself to get most of my sounds. For lead tones I like the Howard Dumble amp model with a little delay. For blues tones I use the Tweed Baseman amp model, and for clean sounds I use either the Twin Reverb model or the AC30.

I use two main guitars, a Hamer Newport or Fender Eric Clapton model. I tend to use the Hamer Newport for most gigs lately. The Newport can cover Tele and 335 kinds of tones very nicely. I use the Clapton Strat for doing more of the classic Strat tones and heavier guitar parts.

-- Jim

 

[marnold]

Fender (single humbucker)->TO800->AD30VT

I mainly use the TO800 as a way to turn the UK70s amp model up to 11 since I feel it's lacking a bit in the gain department. Otherwise I'll go straight into the Boutique CL, Tweed 4x10, or UK Modern amp models for clean, blues, and metal tones, respectively.

 

[t_ross33]

I'm pretty new at this 6-string thing. Well, as a lead player anyway. So I'm still trying to find my voice (my excuse for buying toys ). Here's where I'm at so far...

Audio-technica wireless into a Berhinger A/B stompbox to control the following:

Electric: Peavey Generation EXP - Digitech RP-80 - Vox AD30VT. Also use the Vox footswitch for CH1/2. I do like some of the classic tones (AC15/30) on the VOX better than what I get from the RP-80...maybe over-processed? RP-80 seems to sound thicker(?) if I run it through my old Yamaha 100W 2x12 combo (though it hums like a bee-otch) or through a little Peavey 4CH PA (my version of a stack for now ).

I like the portability of the VOX and it's been LOTS loud enough on stage for the smaller venues we've played so far (mic'd through the PA for front of house sound). Doing an outdoor/beertent gig July 1 (Canada Day for us Northerners R ) so may opt for the Yammy or the Peavey to punch up my stage presence.

Acoustic: Yamaha FG-160E - Behringer 7-band EQ - Chorus - DI - mixer. Looking for some options for my acoustic tone. BBE Acoustisonic, Yamaha AG-Stompbox, Zoom A2 acoustic multi-processor....(suggestions?).

Everything is buttoned down on a homemade pedal board: 3/4 ply covered in some cheap automotive fabric and velcro strips on the pedals. Gonna pick up a 1Spot or similar to finish it off.

Crusin' eBay for more gear and toys. Got GAS bad Keeps my local music store happy!!

Fakin' it 'til I'm Makin' it!

T

 

[M29]

Hey all,

Well...I am very new to this stuff as well and don't have much to talk about as far as equipment goes but here goes...
I have a Jay Turser LP copy that put Gibson tuning keys on and changed the nut. I like the guitar now but it had some bad buzzes especially when you hit an open G string. One or a few of the stock tuning keys would buzz real bad. The guitar finish is beautiful and plays quite well now.

I have a Squier Strat which I think is from an SE-100 pack. I cannot find any that looks like this one. It has a beautiful maple neck with rosewood fretboard and has a nice figure in the maple along the back with the skunk stripe. The body is full thickness and the pickguard is three layers which throws me off as most of the Squier lower end models have only a single layer. I love the way this guitar plays and sounds although I have not played it out or at a high volume.

I just picked up a Squier '51 and I am getting to like it more and more. I took the pickguard off and as an experiment I put a double layer of aluminum foil in each pickup cavity surrounding the pickups. I have heard they hum and have a little noise so while the pickguard was off I thought I would experiment. I looked all over my area for copper sheeting or tape but could not find any so aluminum foil it would be for now. I found the tuning keys were loose so I tightened them up, took the burr off the fret ends and polished the frets. New strings finished it up and she plays a lot better now. I love the different sounds you can get with this guitar.

Well the only thing left is a few cords a Bad Monkey, which I am very happy with and a Vox ad50vt amp. The amp is great, I am totaly happy with the clean sounds. I use the ac30tb the most along with the Black 2x12 and Tweed 4x10. I like the Bad Monkey for distortion so far but have not had much time to mess with the settings on the Vox although I have been happy with some of the U.S. High Gain settings with a little tweeking.

That is all for me. I have played drums for about 3/4's of my life and messed with the guitar some along the way so I know what I like for sound I just have to spend enough time trying to get it. I am really haveing fun with this and am very thankful for all your help on The Fret.Net.

M29

 

[PassIt]

Mines pretty simple.

A Marshall MG100HDFX amp head and cab. with a digitech death metal pedal.
I have the gain turned all the way up and turn the reverb knob about halfway up. It sounds pretty good for leads, lots of sustain. And occasionally I throw in a little bit of phaser to give the cool in and out kind of sound.

 

[t_ross33]

I've been poking around theFret.net for a few days now and am very impressed with the knowledge, sharing and support I've encountered so far. Just want to pose a question / make an observation along the lines of gear and setup.

Two things are very apparent in this forum:

​

a) lots of Squier fans, which I find a bit surprising. Have I been brainwashed to think Squiers were sub-par? and

​

b) I can't believe there are so many Vox AD**DT fans out there! I've had mine for a little under a year and am just starting to get to know it (oh, you can tweak the presets! )

So my question is this: for those of us without limitless budgets or an affinity for $50,000 vintage guitars, how do you balance budget vs. performance? How much (or how little) are you willing to settle for? I sometimes feel I'm not doing myself justice by "cheaping out" on equipment, however with three growing girls at home etc. etc.... I feel kinda guilty for indulging in my "hobby" sometimes, but I figure I at least get a paying gig now and again to help sustain it. Any cure for GAS ?

Just wondering (sorry for the babble).

Trev

 

[Robert]

I feel the same, I can't spend too much on high class guitars; I have three girls as well. That's why I get lotsa cheap stuff like Squiers!

The quality on most brands have improved immensely in recent years. Take my Mexico made Squier from the nineties - it is inferior to my Indonesian Squiers from 2003-04. Not even close.

However, some day I'll have to get a decent strat. I need that. Maybe a MIM Fender.

 

[Katastrophe]

So my question is this: for those of us without limitless budgets or an affinity for $50,000 vintage guitars, how do you balance budget vs. performance? How much (or how little) are you willing to settle for? I sometimes feel I'm not doing myself justice by "cheaping out" on equipment, however with three growing girls at home etc. etc.... I feel kinda guilty for indulging in my "hobby" sometimes, but I figure I at least get a paying gig now and again to help sustain it. Any cure for GAS ?

Just wondering (sorry for the babble).

Trev

Be glad that your paying music gig can offset the high cost of GAS! I used to think that I had to have the best, most state of the art equipment money can buy, and that if I didn't have that then I would be cheating myself. I've learned that if the guitar feels good in your hands, is easy to play for you, and sounds good through your rig, then it's a good guitar, no matter what the price.

For example, listen to Robert's videos. He gets the most amazing tones from a Squier '51, a Vox amp and a Bad Monkey pedal (he's got other stuff, but that's my favorite combo of his). You can find the Squier for anywhere from $99.00 to $149.00 USD, depending on the dealer and the sale. Those Vox amps must be flying off the shelf, for the quality of effects and tones they produce, and the Bad Monkey just ain't that expensive.

Today's market is incredible in that there is a wealth of good equipment out there for a reasonable outlay of cash...

And there is no cure for GAS... Just ask Spudman. One of these days Fender is gonna dedicate an entire Squier factory just for him, as he has singlehandedly inflated FMIC stock to record levels from his GAS indulgence. R :R

 

[Spudman]

I've been playing for around 13 years with a Korean Strat as my main axe. I don't have any performance issues with it. It works just like a Strat should.

Lately, with the addition of a few Chinese Strats and now and Indonesian Squier Strat, these inexpensive guitars are what I've been playing. I really like my Chinese Strats with alnico pickups. They do the job and I'm not fighting some hunk of junk. They perform as I expect. Yes I have American made guitars as well and they are nice too.

I look at it like this: if it works like I want it to - if it sounds like I want it to or I can make it that way cheaply - if I don't have to fight it (like that never happens with a Strat, you know what I mean) - and it is structurally sound then I really don't care where it was made or what I spent on it. It's just a tool! A good guitar is a good guitar. If I get one that isn't good - out it goes and I keep trying till I find a good one. The major instrument sellers are great because of their return policies and they allow you to do this.

Compare Snap On, Mac, Craftsman etc. tools. They all do the job and are essentially the same. Just like guitars or bicycles. Yes you can customize the latter two to get more performance, but they are still basically the same.

I don't think I'm even going to switch out the alnico pickups in any of the Squiers but will probably do so with a Mexican Strat. Heck even the Affinity series has a slimmer solid alder body and what about the wonderful 51? The machining has just gotten a lot better and more consistent at the factories. Sure some of the parts are not quite as durable as more expensive models yet they seem to hold up pretty well.

So far I'm only talking about my experiences with low priced Arias, Squiers, Ibanez and Peaveys. There are a lot more brands out there that seem to be every bit as good as the ones I've tried so far. Even expensive guitars have limitations. The performance, in my opinion is not that different. It is to some degree the instrument, but mostly it's the player.

For the price of a Deluxe American Strat I can buy a Squier Strat, a set neck humbucking guitar, a P90 equipped guitar and a decent amp.

So my budget works like this: I budget for one guitar (a really expensive one) then take that money and buy 5 instead. Clever huh?

ps. What Kat said too.

 

[t_ross33]

Thanks guys. Feels better knowing I'm on the right track. It's kinda like golf...if I ever get good enough that a $2000 set of clubs is going to make a difference in my game, THEN I'll invest. In the meantime I'll just keep duffing away

Sorry Spudman, I just can't look at a guitar as a tool though. I have too much of a physical/emotional connection with them. They become part of the family, even the ones I don't like so much

Anyway, I just need to crank the gain to "11" and give 'er heck! No one can tell the difference at that point anyway :R

Keep on fightin' the good fight!

Trev

 

[Spudman]

Anyway, I just need to crank the gain to "11" and give 'er heck! No one can tell the difference at that point anyway :R
Trev

I think that was my point. I tend to ramble after I've eaten too much ice cream. Sorry about missing the point.