Unexpected decent sounds

luke · Post by **luke** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:00 pm

I played this setup today:

+

And I got an amazing tone. That's a Mexican Telecaster, through a DS-2 and then into a solid-state acoustic guitar amp by Laney. The amp was pretty decent, it had a quality chorus effect built in that was fun to play about with, but I was actually amazed at how crunchy the distortion I could get was.

What's more, I played a Telecaster properly for the first time during a practice section, and I must say I'm a fan. The neck was thin (E to E thin), but it was otherwise chunkier than my Jag-Stang neck. I'm not a big fan of satin finishes, but after playing my glossed up and sweaty Jag-Stang neck for a while my hands kinda worked as a good enough lacquer to keep my hands rolling around the fretboard. I loved the treble I was getting!

Anyway, have you guys ever plugged into what you thought might be a weird setup and got some cool sounds out of it? Ever tried a guitar that sounded better than you thought, used a pedal you thought would suck or an amp that you thought might be a bit awful and been pleasantly surprised? Share your experiences.

James · Post by **James** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:07 pm

Off topic slighty, but thats what my tele looks like. I have a pearl pickguard and a different bridge pickup, but otherwise its the same. Although, my neck isnt satin, is that a recent change? I got mine new in 2000 or 2001.

I didnt like teles before I played it, but I kept reading in guitar magazines that they were amazing. I was looking for a new guitar and thought I'd give up and try it, I put the deposit a couple of a minutes later.

luke · Post by **luke** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:23 pm

bob wrote:Off topic slighty, but thats what my tele looks like. I have a pearl pickguard and a different bridge pickup, but otherwise its the same. Although, my neck isnt satin, is that a recent change? I got mine new in 2000 or 2001.

I didnt like teles before I played it, but I kept reading in guitar magazines that they were amazing. I was looking for a new guitar and thought I'd give up and try it, I put the deposit a couple of a minutes later.

Yeah, it's a really nice guitar. The finish was so shiny, I was playing standing up for a while and I realised it was only fair to take my studded belt off, I mean it wasn't really mine to buckle rash. I need to get myself a Telecaster now. I played a Chilis riff on it and was amazed that I had Frusciante's tone.

aen · Post by **aen** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:37 pm

Telecasters RULE.

Post by **Doog** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:45 pm

Crappy Aria 335 copy > new "round dial" Big Muff > solidstate Peavey bass combo.. at a studio WK were doing some vox at.

Sounded AMAZZZZZING, I imagine the graphic EQ played a big part, I gotta gets me a EQ pedal sometime.

luke · Post by **luke** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:52 pm

Doog wrote:Crappy Aria 335 copy > new "round dial" Big Muff > solidstate Peavey bass combo.. at a studio WK were doing some vox at.

Sounded AMAZZZZZING, I imagine the graphic EQ played a big part, I gotta gets me a EQ pedal sometime.

Hmm, it seems putting guitars through non-guitar amps is pretty effective, unintentionally. I need to get that bass amp I talked about a while ago...

I kinda had a natural EQ today, I've got an ear infection or something and the inside of my left ear is swollen so it's about 50% quieter than my right ear and much more bassy. It's pretty surreal. I can tweak the EQ of it by stretching it or putting my finger in it. Shame nobody else can hear it like me.

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:58 pm

It definitely depends what you're used to, I think. Playing through a Marshall tube amp for years, then trying your same guitar+pedals through something like an acoustic or snappy bass amp is always going to be a breath of fresh air, like someones lifted the cotton wool right off the front of the amp.

kim · Post by **kim** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:42 pm

sune of raveonettes uses a turbo distortion too, RAWK

aphasiac · Post by **aphasiac** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:31 pm

Hey I just borrowed a friend's DS-2, and yes it sounds really nice. Makes a nice change from my Marshall's natural tube distortion.

As for crappy gear - why would you assume that setup would be crap? decent guitar, decent pedal - is it cos of the SS amp? I think there is a snobbish attitude in the guitar world, that tube = good, SS = bad which just isn't necessarily true. You can get good SS amps and bad tube amps, just totally depends on the amp really. Valves certainly aint the be all end all.

I used to get amazing tones out my old SS Fender Eighty Five, on both the clean and distortion channels. And obviously I'm not alone, as Johnny Greenwood uses an Eighty Five as his main gigging amp. ha, take that tube snobs!

Post by **Mike** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:33 pm

The DS-2 is not a decent pedal. I really hated mine, so don't miss it.

Would you like HONKY mids or NO mids in your distortion sound sir?

Er.. how about SOME but not FAR TOO MANY mids?

Sorry sir, this pedal is shit.

aphasiac · Post by **aphasiac** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:39 pm

well i like it - but only cos its quite fuzzy, and sounds different to all my other pedals and to my Marshall.

That said, i wouldn't buy one, but it is fun to play with.

euan · Post by **euan** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:42 pm

The 85 in J. Greenwood's setup is for heavy distortion only, most of the stuff is through his AC30 I believe. It's how he gets his honk.

Post by **Doog** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:47 pm

I think it's still laughable that one of the world's biggest distortion pedals (DS1 or 2) isn't loud enough to match a humbucker's clean tone. HAW.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:49 pm

aphasiac wrote:I used to get amazing tones out my old SS Fender Eighty Five, on both the clean and distortion channels. And obviously I'm not alone, as Johnny Greenwood uses an Eighty Five as his main gigging amp. ha, take that tube snobs!

Yeah that's pretty much incorrect. Most of his sound comes from the AC30, He only uses the 85 with an SD-1 on a couple of parts of a couple of songs, mainly for nasty sounding distortion, which is what a dirt pedal and a solid-state amp can excel at.

aphasiac · Post by **aphasiac** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:53 pm

Mike wrote: Yeah that's pretty much incorrect. Most of his sound comes from the AC30, He only uses the 85 with an SD-1 on a couple of parts of a couple of songs, mainly for nasty sounding distortion, which is what a dirt pedal and a solid-state amp can excel at.

I thought ALL his distortion is Fender 85 + Shredmaster + SD-1. AC30 is for cleans only.

But then you are the Radiohead expert. And frankly i dont care. Just making a point that SS /= sh#t.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:55 pm

I don't really think that point needed to be made. This isn't a corksniffing tube snob website.

But I know what I like and it's not solid-state amps, particularly at rehearsal and gig volumes - way too brittle and harsh.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:56 pm

And on the subject of Greenwood - when Radiohead did the Jools stuff recently playing 4 songs of 'In Rainbows' there was only AC30s to be seen behind all three guitarists.

JordanD · Post by **JordanD** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:29 pm

Mike wrote:The DS-2 is not a decent pedal. I really hated mine, so don't miss it.

Would you like HONKY mids or NO mids in your distortion sound sir?

Er.. how about SOME but not FAR TOO MANY mids?

Sorry sir, this pedal is shit.

I like the DS2, for me the "honky" sound is really nice for lead.