Tweet
So I'm thinking I would like to gig out with my Marshall 1959RR amp. The thing is, this Marshall Randy Rhoads amp is a non-master volume amp and its lowest settings start at extremely loud and move up from there 
So I have a few different pedals and a couple attenuators to try it with it so that I can make it manageable in a bar band situation. My band does 80's covers and yesterday was the first time I played it at practice rather than just by myself. I had to turn down the channel volumes to 2 and 3 (it has the mod Randy had done at the factory where inputs 1 and 2 are jumpered together) AND used a THD Hot Plate to attenuate it -12db then hit the front end with a Retro-Sonic 808 (basically a high end version of the Tube Screamer). For a first attempt in a band situation, I have to say it sounded quite nice but damn what a loud amp!!! its a pretty basic Marshall with no effects loop, no channel switching but cleans up nice by turning the guitar volume knob down even with the Retro-Sonic 808 on 
I have more distortion pedals to try with it as well as a Ho attenuator but my initial impression is the Retro-Sonic 808 sounds good with this amp. I've also tried my Fulltone OCD and an old MXR Script logo Distortion + with this amp and I've plugged in the Ho attenuator but these were not in a band situation. The MXR was too noisy at settings I thought went well with this amp so I'm not using that. In fact, I don't know how Rhoads was able to put up with that thing except that I'm now wondering if he used his MXR 10 band EQ to bring down the noisy frequencies that caused feedback. Anyway, I still have to try out some more of my pedals but so far the Fulltone OCD and the Retro-Sonic 808 get good marks from me. Oh, and did I mention its one loud amp! 
Anyone else playing their Rhoads amp in a live band situation?
So I have a few different pedals and a couple attenuators to try it with it so that I can make it manageable in a bar band situation. My band does 80's covers and yesterday was the first time I played it at practice rather than just by myself. I had to turn down the channel volumes to 2 and 3 (it has the mod Randy had done at the factory where inputs 1 and 2 are jumpered together) AND used a THD Hot Plate to attenuate it -12db then hit the front end with a Retro-Sonic 808 (basically a high end version of the Tube Screamer). For a first attempt in a band situation, I have to say it sounded quite nice but damn what a loud amp!!! its a pretty basic Marshall with no effects loop, no channel switching but cleans up nice by turning the guitar volume knob down even with the Retro-Sonic 808 on I have more distortion pedals to try with it as well as a Ho attenuator but my initial impression is the Retro-Sonic 808 sounds good with this amp. I've also tried my Fulltone OCD and an old MXR Script logo Distortion + with this amp and I've plugged in the Ho attenuator but these were not in a band situation. The MXR was too noisy at settings I thought went well with this amp so I'm not using that. In fact, I don't know how Rhoads was able to put up with that thing except that I'm now wondering if he used his MXR 10 band EQ to bring down the noisy frequencies that caused feedback. Anyway, I still have to try out some more of my pedals but so far the Fulltone OCD and the Retro-Sonic 808 get good marks from me. Oh, and did I mention its one loud amp! Anyone else playing their Rhoads amp in a live band situation?
Comment