Decent Marshall for Frusciante tones

lank81 · Post by **lank81** » Wed May 12, 2010 2:44 am

Hi Guys,
Looking to grab up on a cheaper used Marshall amp for some Frusciante esque tones. Any suggestions? I can get a DSL401 for around 4-5 hundred. I've heard some decent demos on youtube. Let me know.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Wed May 12, 2010 3:13 am

if you want real frusciante (ie solo work), get an ac30. if you want rhcp frusciante, best get a major 200, a jubilee 25/50 and two stacks for each.

lank81 · Post by **lank81** » Wed May 12, 2010 3:28 am

Haha, yea, wish I could afford the RHCP setup. I was going the RHCP route since I have an AC30. Does he use the AC30 for the overdriven / distortion tones though say on Inside of Emptiness?

Chicago Mike · Post by **Chicago Mike** » Wed May 12, 2010 3:30 am

401's sound good man...however I believe they run pretty hot and have some issues. I remember my roommate modding his with some type of shit inside to keep it from getting too hot.

What are you looking for sound wise...anything in particular of his stuff or more general overall sound?

lank81 · Post by **lank81** » Wed May 12, 2010 3:54 am

I'd say By The Way and Californication Era. Of course that's when he the most variables pedal wise but I don't expect to nail it, just get in a similar poor mans ballpark. I think my AC30 is a passable clean and a preferable clean for my tastes but I feel the AC30 can get a bit muddy totally pushed (using stock speaker though). I'm thinking I could use the Marshall for the distortion and cover cleans with 30.

Chicago Mike · Post by **Chicago Mike** » Wed May 12, 2010 3:59 am

I duno, I just got rid of my ac30 and it had the warfedale speakers and used a MBM DLS and it got into some real deal Marshall territory. On old version switch it was JMP and new version switched it was 800'ish and beyond when pushed hard.

Might consider a decent pedal to shape the sound up through the vox. I know the DLS covered a lot of ground and I'd slam the MBM Rangemaster to get some highs back in there if things got too dark (which wasn't often).

lank81 · Post by **lank81** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:02 am

Might have to try it out. I feel the OCD and Direct Drive haven't totally given me the Marshall feel I was expecting. I love the direct drive on all other settings though. I know a lot of people love the DLS to nail the Marshall tone. I feel those two pedals give more of a GreenDay sound than Frusciante. I'll have to pony up and get a DLS...Birthday is only like 25 days away.

Chicago Mike · Post by **Chicago Mike** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:12 am

What guitar(s) are you using? Single coils or Humbuckers?

I never liked the OCD much, but never tried a DD. You can really get into Marshall territory, in face the only amp I have left (at the moment) is a silverface champ and the DLS gets some serious crunch and with the MBM version it get both models they came out with and each one sounds a lot different in my opinion with the newer version being brighter and more gain but it's nice to switch between the two b/c its variety in a good/useable way.

A pedal might be worth a try before dropping 400-500 on a second amp that would just get you mildly close to the sounds you're trying to achieve. JF used some fuzz back then too right? Just another thought....but you can never have too many amps either lol.

lank81 · Post by **lank81** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:14 am

Yea, he's had a Boss FZ-5 but mainly uses a Big Muff (got that covered). As for guitars - Strat w/ CS 69 Pups and a Classic Vibe Tele. I know he has used the Boss DS-2 from BSSM era on as well.

JJLipton · Post by **JJLipton** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:29 am

The "I could have lied" solo is still one of my favorites. You can find a used DSL50 head on ebay for 500 or so. Better off getting that.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:39 am

lank81 wrote:Does he use the AC30 for the overdriven / distortion tones though say on Inside of Emptiness?

i would assume so. it's been his goto amp for cleans in RHCP, and everything on his solo stuff that he doesn't use his silverface for, since californication (think porcelain for those cleans/trem).

lank81 · Post by **lank81** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:45 am

Yea, I wasn't sure if he used that or the Marshall Major. I know a lot of people site his Cleans as the MM and the OD as the Jube

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:47 am

i was talking about specifically for porcelain, that's all ac30. is it disputed elsewhere? i'd be interested to read the reasoning behind it. sounds like a vox to my ears, but then again, i couldn't pick out a clean jubilee sound from a crowd of one.

lank81 · Post by **lank81** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:49 am

No, on porcelain, I'm pretty sure it's stated as AC30.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Thu May 13, 2010 12:48 am

get a ceriatone jcm800. balls to the wall. check my youtube shit /sloanstewart for clip.

goldengurls · Post by **goldengurls** » Fri May 14, 2010 4:43 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exObG05it-0
the tone is the guitar, not the amp
this is evidence, he is playing through a fender, so waste money if you want on an amp or go get the real guitar and learn to wank like a frusciante riff

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri May 14, 2010 6:14 pm

Your 'evidence' isn't entirely convincing. That tone isn't particularly Fruscianteyish, imo.

The guitar is important, though. I always think Frusciante sounds quintessentially Fenderish, even when he's playing other guitars. Maybe it's the cleanish, spiky picking that does it. A large part of his sound s the way he plays, sort of muting all the strings with his left hand except the one he's playing, and striking all of them.

goldengurls · Post by **goldengurls** » Fri May 14, 2010 6:21 pm

BacchusPaul wrote:Your 'evidence' isn't entirely convincing. That tone isn't particularly Fruscianteyish, imo.

The guitar is important, though. I always think Frusciante sounds quintessentially Fenderish, even when he's playing other guitars. Maybe it's the cleanish, spiky picking that does it. A large part of his sound s the way he plays, sort of muting all the strings with his left hand except the one he's playing, and striking all of them.

well dude, i disgaree, while my video here might not be spot on, it definitely comes close to that tone that frusciante fanboys often think they are looking for and mostly it comes from the Jag pickups and a slightly overdriven amp, slightly. I can mimic it with an mij jag going into a blackface fender and I don't like his style, so I am sure others can do the same. I am pretty sure you can get any tone out of a jazzmaster as well. Marshall amps are modeled off of fenders after all.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri May 14, 2010 6:26 pm

Is that you playing? It's good. I think the playing sounds a lot like Frusciante, but the tone is maybe a bit too warm or something. I think his tone is sort of bright and dark at the same time (Jesus, I hate talking about tone, it's nigh on impossible to do).

It's like his tone is picky and bright, but with just a bit of darkness in it.

JJLipton · Post by **JJLipton** » Fri May 14, 2010 9:13 pm

goldengurls wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exObG05it-0
the tone is the guitar, not the amp
this is evidence, he is playing through a fender, so waste money if you want on an amp or go get the real guitar and learn to wank like a frusciante riff

The guy plays through a mesa boogie mark IV in his other clips, so he has some very high quality amplification. plus frusciante has played a number of guitars over the years.