Tube Amp Settings

Chris-Mason

Hi all
Can you suggest some good AMP settings for Blues.
Using a Tele and a JP Le Roux Soldano as well as a Marshall 1923c (Both Tube Amps.
Lets see what you guys use, dont restrict to Blues.
Looking at settings without effects pedals for a start.
Thanls
Saddle and Nut

AlanRatcliffe

Too many variables, between even just guitar, amp and speakers to have a "standard" setting.

However, Fender amps I turn the bright switch off and crank tone controls all the way up and back off the lows as needed for volume/accompaniment (low volume without a bassist, I'll leave it on full). Marshall and Vox I start with them in the middle and boost/cut as needed (cut all the way off with a Vox, unless it gets strident).

Volumes it's all the same - crank until it gives up the maximum amount of goods I need, then adjust down via the guitar's volume from there.

refuogee

That was actually pretty damn helpful Alan, thank you ?

AlanRatcliffe

Pleasure.

Just a note on the Fender thing: I'm weird that way. It comes from the sound engineer's "zeroing" all controls, where you set all tones to 0 and tweak from there. With a passive (subtractive) tonestack, it's closest to zero with all the tones up full. So I start from there. I do it with Plexi Marshalls a lot too, but there I'm almost guaranteed to end up turning them all down closer to 5. I also often used to keep Marshall presence controls at zero and try and cut the mids, but I eventually realised that they'll never be blackface Fenders and learned to enjoy them for what they are... ?

Many Fender folk use what is sometimes called "sixes" as a starting point: Treble, volume and mids on 6; Bass on 2 and reverb on 3 (2 x 3 = 6). Tweak from there...

ThomasN

Thats solid advice from Alan.
Its a good way to profile your amp, and trim it from there.
The only thing I could add, would be to use your Tele as your master volume.
For blues and Hard Rock, youre probably looking for a a break up, but not too quickly?
If it were me, Id crank everything on the Tele, follow Alan's advice with dialing in the tone youre after on the amp (try not to take too long or your neighbors will kill you). Then dial everything back down on your guitar to an acceptable volume. Let the amp do the heavy lifting, and the guitar be the boss.

Hammeron

How would you define the presence control effect in context on the Marshalls?

ThomasN

Hammeron wrote: How would you define the presence control effect in context on the Marshalls?

I may be out of context here, but I think (please feel free to correct me if Im wrong) that single coils kind of bring their own "jingle" in terms of highs and mids to the party, without the need to use it in the presence on the Marshall's. Buckers kind of need it on the amp, because of the strong lows, but SCP dont. Unless youre looking for high pitched shimmering leads I guess.

I know when I plug my Start in, I have to dial down the Presence, on mine, otherwise it tends to be too screechy, which is the exact opposite of the muddy tone everyone tends to try avoid. ?

Gearhead

Hammeron wrote: How would you define the presence control effect in context on the Marshalls?

The Presence 'sucks' highs out of the negative feedback, as a result it puts in more loose highs. The place where all this happens is after the tonestack so it is independent of the tone settings. The voicing is also different from the high control of the tonestack, so you have something else to play with.
Less high and more presence sqeals more at high drive settings, less presence and more highs gives tight highs for rhythm cleans. The rest depends on guitar, as mentioned.

Jayhell

Marshall Class 5: Volume - 12 0' clock, bass - Zero, Mids - Max, Highs - Max. Sings like a mother lover... ?

Stoffeltoo

Thanks Jay never considered turning the bass right down.

Jayhell

Stoffeltoo wrote: Thanks Jay never considered turning the bass right down.

The little amp is quite bassy to start off with, but also gets muddy in the mix. When playing at lower volumes I usually add a little bit, but when jamming with the band she cuts right through when the bass is all the way down. Also I just love that sound when being pushed with a tube screamer type overdrive in front of it.

Stoffeltoo

Practiced some riffs this evening and I am pretty impressed. Couldn't go pedal to the metal though. The missus and neighbors would have donnorred me :-[

domhatch

hi

thanks saddle and nut for the question, and the rest of y'all for awesome responses and follow-up questions. certainly tons of fodder for the next few days
dh|

BluJu

Turn it loud and don't be shy on those mids

Norman86

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Pleasure.

Just a note on the Fender thing: I'm weird that way. It comes from the sound engineer's "zeroing" all controls, where you set all tones to 0 and tweak from there. With a passive (subtractive) tonestack, it's closest to zero with all the tones up full. So I start from there. I do it with Plexi Marshalls a lot too, but there I'm almost guaranteed to end up turning them all down closer to 5. I also often used to keep Marshall presence controls at zero and try and cut the mids, but I eventually realised that they'll never be blackface Fenders and learned to enjoy them for what they are... ?

Many Fender folk use what is sometimes called "sixes" as a starting point: Treble, volume and mids on 6; Bass on 2 and reverb on 3 (2 x 3 = 6). Tweak from there...

Thanks Alan ?

Stoner-Riff

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:

Many Fender folk use what is sometimes called "sixes" as a starting point: Treble, volume and mids on 6; Bass on 2 and reverb on 3 (2 x 3 = 6). Tweak from there...

I have my own little 'magic formula' with my '66 Bassman.

Vol on 6 / Bass on 6 / Treb on 6, and ROCK ON !!!

(obviously, there is no Treb knob on these beauties)

Squonk

Stoner Riff wrote:
Alan Ratcliffe wrote:

Many Fender folk use what is sometimes called "sixes" as a starting point: Treble, volume and mids on 6; Bass on 2 and reverb on 3 (2 x 3 = 6). Tweak from there...

I have my own little 'magic formula' with my '66 Bassman.

Vol on 6 / Bass on 6 / Treb on 6, and ROCK ON !!!

(obviously, there is no Treb knob on these beauties)

666 ???

Stoner-Riff

Squonk wrote:
Stoner Riff wrote:
Alan Ratcliffe wrote:

Many Fender folk use what is sometimes called "sixes" as a starting point: Treble, volume and mids on 6; Bass on 2 and reverb on 3 (2 x 3 = 6). Tweak from there...

I have my own little 'magic formula' with my '66 Bassman.

Vol on 6 / Bass on 6 / Treb on 6, and ROCK ON !!!

(obviously, there is no Treb knob on these beauties)

666 ???

I know right . . . that tone i get is pure eVille 8)

But playing through my Greenback loaded cab, the tone is GODLY !!!

Hey, it is a vintage blackface Fender . . . what do you expect !