NAD Peavey JSX

[Devotee]

it sounds very sterile and lifeless to my ears. I don't mean that in a derogatory way. It would be well suited for black metal type of stuff the way you are running it. But for the tone you are shooting for you likely couldve got that sound out of a much less expensive package.

"Sterile and lifeless" isn't how i'd describe it; more like a swarm of angry bees. The pick attack is almost percussive, which i like but there's a lot of hair and virtually no body, which is probably because of the way you have the camera placed.

[Nimitz]

Ok I must be going deaf... when I'm practicing by myself I can crank the amp and get it loud enough to hurt my inner ear without the amp feeding back like crazy.

Well that just isn't loud enough because when my bro starts playing the drums the guitar sound is gone... So to play over the drums I need to crank this amp so loud it instantly feeds back really loud and annoying... even if my guitar volume is on zero.

I did replace the V1 and V3 preamp tubes and I think I'm going to put the originals back in.

Anyway what kind of pedal will eliminate that horrible feedback?

Just a simple noise reducer?

[Devotee]

Hmmm... It shouldn't squeal if you've got the guitar volume all the way down. Try putting the old tubes back in.

[jgcable]

Ok I must be going deaf... when I'm practicing by myself I can crank the amp and get it loud enough to hurt my inner ear without the amp feeding back like crazy.

Well that just isn't loud enough because when my bro starts playing the drums the guitar sound is gone... So to play over the drums I need to crank this amp so loud it instantly feeds back really loud and annoying... even if my guitar volume is on zero.

I did replace the V1 and V3 preamp tubes and I think I'm going to put the originals back in.

Anyway what kind of pedal will eliminate that horrible feedback?

Just a simple noise reducer?

Not that you listen to what anybody says... but.... the reason your sound vanishes when the drummer starts playing is you have no mids. The reason it is noisy and squealing is because you have WAY too much gain. The reason you need to have sooooooooo much gain is because you are scooping the mids so much you need to turn up entirely too loud in order to hear yourself with a drummer.

My other guitar player in my band has the same rig. Bone stock. He runs it through a Mesa 4 x 12 cab. It sounds amazing. No pedals, no overdrives, no tube swaps. His gain is set around 6 and we play everything from STP to AIC to Ozzy to Sabbath to Dokken to Ratt.
Personally... I hate scooped guitar tone. It just sounds like lows and highs to me with no note definition, no note clarity and that chainsaw buzzy sound that really sucks. I will give you credit for one thing though.. you were able to take a very fine sounding amp and make it sound like a SS Randall Warhead. I have to give it to you for that!

[Nimitz]

Not that you listen to what anybody says... but.... the reason your sound vanishes when the drummer starts playing is you have no mids.

I'm not retarded... I hate the thump fart palm mute sound with mids... I successfully got my scooped mid sound to cut through the drums with my 5150... why should this amp be any different. I really think one of the preamp tubes is messed or maybe Cab angle?

I don't get much time with my drummer... I'll stop asking dumb questions.

[Nimitz]

Groove Tube in the V3 slot was the culprit.

$19 bucks down the crapper.

[jgcable]

I'm not retarded... I hate the thump fart palm mute sound with mids... I successfully got my scooped mid sound to cut through the drums with my 5150... why should this amp be any different. I really think one of the preamp tubes is messed or maybe Cab angle?

I don't get much time with my drummer... I'll stop asking dumb questions.

I didn't say you were retarded. You asked the question. I answered. I have been playing live in a metal band since the late 70's so I am qualified to answer the question. If you want to know why your 5150 cuts through better with the mids cut I can answer that too because I have owned and played 5150's for years live and currently own a 5150-II. Its because the 5150 has a TON of mids and even scooping them isn't enough to make them go away. The JSX is a different animal. Its smoother with less mids and a more balanced sound.
Regarding the farty sound you get when palm muting with the mids up playing metal live.. I can answer that too.
Its all about speaker selection, cabinet selection and how much gain you have dialed in. V30's can fart when pushed to hard on the bottom end. The best speakers for a palm muted low end palm muted chunk are
Sheffields
Celestion T75's
Mesa Black Shadows (when they are in a Mesa closed back cab)


Its absolutely to have a 4 x 12 closed back cab too.
Regarding gain level... when playing live with a drummer, use as little as you can and still be able to handle guitar solos.
On the JSX, around 6 should be enough on either of the gain channels. The treble should be around 2-3 o'clock, midrange around 12 o'clock and the bass around 2-3 o'clock. Presence should be around 12 o'clock, resonance should be dialed in after you are at the volume you will be playing at.

I also own a Triple X and thats close to the levels I use for that amp too. My 5150-II is near there too. Your JSX should be dead on at those settings for metal live.

[jgcable]

I am not trying to come off like an ass. There are no dumb questions in regards to guitar tone.

When you are talking about relatively high end high gain amps like the JSX cabinet and speaker selection is really important.
I spent years perfecting choices in cabinets and settled with Peavey 5150 cabs loaded with stock Sheffields. I am also a fan of Marshall 1960B's loaded with T75's and of course I have never met a Mesa Boogie 4 x 12 closed back cabinet that I didn't love.

Live I play a Mesa Single Rectifier through a 5150 4 x 12 cab. Nothing in the loop. Wah and a chorus out in front. Thats it.
For delay I use a trace through the mixing board. It sounds REALLY friggin good. My 5150-II sounds almost as good but its a little too abrasive sounding for the band. I also have a Triple X which is very similar to the JSX. Its a great amp. My rhythm guitar player has a JSX with an oversized Mesa 4 x 12 slant cab. He uses no effects, no preamps, nothing but a tuner and a wah out in front. His amp is 100% stock. Its one of the better sounding amps I have ever heard live.
If I wasn't playing a Single Recto I would be playing a JSX. Your amp is great. Instead of spending tons of time swapping tubes and changing this and that I would suggest working with the amp and learning how to dial it in quick. Its a very versatile amp. The clean channel is just amazing.

[warlok]

Interesting to hear that jg. I definitely agree that the Ultras, XXX, and 5150 have tons of mids and cut through like a knife (my Ultra+ had way too much mids for me even on 0). I never played a JSX but always thought I heard they were more vintage sounding and had MORE mids than the others.. Good to know.

As far as the farting palm mutes, I'm having the same thing with my G12T-75 loaded very oversized 2x12. Too much loose farting.. May need to switch to something tighter. What speakers are in that Randall??

[warlok]

Just looked back, I see it's V30s. Trying to scoop the mids out of V30s could be a losing cause and making it sound sterile. You may like some T75s or Sheffields like jg said much better. Just out of curiosity, have you gone back and listened to your clips? I find most of the time when I listen to my clips I hear what I'm not hearing live and can dial in better. Honestly, I think the first 2 clips were way.... way better sounding tone and gain level than the last. The last one sounds about as compressed as I've ever heard. Now it's through a camera so quality is an issue but the last 2 clips seem to be the same recording setup and the last sounds way different. Start from the beginning with the settings jg suggested.

[Nimitz]

presence 6 resonance 4 treble 6-7 mid 0 bass 4 gain 6 - EQ Pedal mids scooped

Trying to play Holier than Thou with Crazy Train distortion just doesn't sound right... I've said it before and I'll say it again... all I'm trying to achieve is "Black" album distortion. I understand starting with a Peavey is not the correct route but I love the versatility this Amp delivers for other tones.

Thanks for all the input guys.

Also if you really want over the top full shred with this Amp you crank the presence, resonance, gain, channel volume full bore and then bring up the master volume.

[Nimitz]

The camera was lower in part 3 I'll make a new vid with the camera in the same location as part 2.

[toejam]

mid 0 EQ Pedal mids scooped

That's your main problem right there... no mids on the amp and even more scooped mids on the EQ pedal.

And "Black" album distortion has mids.

[Nimitz]

And "Black" album distortion has mids.

I know it does... but not fart mids.

I made a new video where I and scoop the mids in and out and EQ on/off...

[jgcable]

presence 6 resonance 4 treble 6-7 mid 0 bass 4 gain 6 - EQ Pedal mids scooped

Trying to play Holier than Thou with Crazy Train distortion just doesn't sound right... I've said it before and I'll say it again... all I'm trying to achieve is "Black" album distortion. I understand starting with a Peavey is not the correct route but I love the versatility this Amp delivers for other tones.

Thanks for all the input guys.

Also if you really want over the top full shred with this Amp you crank the presence, resonance, gain, channel volume full bore and then bring up the master volume.

The Black album has mids, and a surprisingly small amount of gain. The guitars are bottom heavy to my ears.
I think you can get really close to that tone with a JSX. One thing you might want to consider is putting a Parametric EQ in the loop, sit down with a 6 of suds and sweep your frequencies until you get it perfect.
I was just in the studio with my Triple X 60w 1 x 12 combo for 6 hours of recording guitar tracks. Its basically the same as the JSX to my ears. It records GREAT. Not good.. GREAT. I was in a multi-million dollar recording studio and the engineer even commented on how nice the amp records for metal and high gain stuff. I had the mids set at 11:00 o'clock , lots of bottom and a fair amount of highs.