Is this the typical Splawn sound?

[chrisolson]

[QUOTE=PowerTube;1606048]

That sounds good.

So how can I add some sponginess to the Quick Rod? I'm looking at buying used and it probably won't have the new B+ option.

You can't. That's the QR. It's a beast. Loud and unforgiving. But that's also why it's a great amp.

What is it about the QR that has you so smitten? The one thing about Splawn, is that it sounds like Splawn, and that tone can get fatiguing to some degree as well. It has a mid that you cannot dial out. Also -- while it has "3 gears", with exception to the gain levels and saturation, they all sound tonally similar. It's not a 3-channel amp in the sense that you have 3 very different tones; they are all quite similar in their basis. Some love that - I did. Some hate it though, and that's why there are so many Splawns with "low hours" for sale. I'll say this -- the JVM covers a lot more ground tonally speaking, but it is NO Splawn...

[PowerTube]

You can't. That's the QR. It's a beast. Loud and unforgiving. But that's also why it's a great amp.

What is it about the QR that has you so smitten? The one thing about Splawn, is that it sounds like Splawn, and that tone can get fatiguing to some degree as well. It has a mid that you cannot dial out. Also -- while it has "3 gears", with exception to the gain levels and saturation, they all sound tonally similar. It's not a 3-channel amp in the sense that you have 3 very different tones; they are all quite similar in their basis. Some love that - I did. Some hate it though, and that's why there are so many Splawns with "low hours" for sale. I'll say this -- the JVM covers a lot more ground tonally speaking, but it is NO Splawn...

That's the thing that's so incredibly frustrating to me right now; there isn't a JVM within a 300-mile radius of me that I can find to try out. Literally. I mean zero. I don't live in the boondocks, either. My LAME-ASSED Guitar Center has nothing but the new DSL series and the solid-state shit. I asked one guy in there about why they never have the JVM in the store anymore. He looked at me like I just dropped in from another planet and said, "Because that's a $2400.00 amp." Well, excuse the hell out of me. I guess I'm supposed to buy that $2400.00 amp, plus a cabinet for it, sight unseen and untried, then take it back for a refund if I don't like it, minus the shipping charges, if any. No thanks. That sounds like a retarded way of doing business to me.

As for Splawn, same thing. I've never plugged into one. But it's a little more understandable with them because they're not as common.

In all fairness, I might totally fall in love with the JVM if I ever get a chance to try one out. Same with the Splawn. Then again, I might totally hate them both.

The suspense is driving me crazy and I want to put this to rest by trying them both.

EDIT: Let me also add.....I'm becoming more and more interested in the Competition. I love that rhythm tone it gets and I suspect that the lead sounds are killer with the gain knob turned up a bit.

[roodyrocker]

Used Quick Rods with the B+ option do pop up for sale, its not a rarity. You're right about wanting to try both out yourself but if that is not possible then I say just get the Quick Rod

[PowerTube]

Used Quick Rods with the B+ option do pop up for sale, its not a rarity. You're right about wanting to try both out yourself but if that is not possible then I say just get the Quick Rod

That's the way I'm leaning. Since I'm apparently restricted to watching videos as my only source of information, the Quick Rod gets the nod.

[roodyrocker]

That's the way I'm leaning. Since I'm apparently restricted to watching videos as my only source of information, the Quick Rod gets the nod.

Now you're taking the first step in curing that GAS BTW, what area do you live in? If GC doesn't have anything to try out perhaps other JCFers are close enough that you can at least try one. I'm in the Warren/Youngstown Ohio area and if you're within driving distance you're more than welcome to stop by and try out the Quick Rod. I don't have a JVM.

[PowerTube]

Now you're taking the first step in curing that GAS BTW, what area do you live in? If GC doesn't have anything to try out perhaps other JCFers are close enough that you can at least try one. I'm in the Warren/Youngstown Ohio area and if you're within driving distance you're more than welcome to stop by and try out the Quick Rod. I don't have a JVM.

Thanks. I appreciate the offer but I'm two states away.

GC at least has the 30-day return policy, so if I pull the trigger on either one and don't like it, I'm only out the shipping fee.

[roodyrocker]

I didn't even realize GC carried Splawns. In that case just order both then take one back once you decide which you like better

[PowerTube]

I didn't even realize GC carried Splawns. In that case just order both then take one back once you decide which you like better

They don't carry them but they get used ones from time to time.

[roodyrocker]

They don't carry them but they get used ones from time to time.

I'm seeing used 100w JVM and Splawn Quick Rod prices aren't too far off each other. Well, the Splawn is a bit more but not a lot. New they are pretty comparable with the Splawn being a tine bit cheaper. Good luck with your search and let us know which one ends up winning out for you.

[jgcable]

I think the rhythm tone is nice, very organic and throaty. The single-line tones kind of suck. The guy playing it is sloppy, too.

But what I'm asking is, is this the Splawn stiffness everyone talks about?

The guy is a crap stiff player. Here is the thing.... 99% of the time a "stiff" sounding amp isn't what's stiff. Its the player who is stiff. I can make any amplifier sound as smooth as silk because I know how to play. That's the thing I always commented to Cyggy about (RIP). His amps were amazing. His build quality was amazing but he insisted on doing the demo's for them and they sounded stiff and almost lifeless because he was a marginal at best player which is NOT what they would sound like if a pro was demo'ing them. I offered to demo clip his amps for free anytime. I miss that guy a lot. Anyway... its not the amp bro. Its the player.

[jgcable]

I will fall back to a story that's often told about Eddy Van Halen who is one of the smoothest players of them all. The story is that Eddy was somewhere where there were no amplifiers to be had. He had his guitar but no amp. He happened to find a Gorilla Solid State amp with an 8" speaker in it somewhere that he could jam on. This is one of those $30.00 amps that has no built in distortion. Probably the stiffest lifeless sounding piece of crap you could ever play through. Anyway.. he was jamming on it and a few music industry people that were nearby said he sounded so amazing it made them want to go out and buy Gorilla amps.
It ain't the amp bro... its the player. There is NOTHING bad about a Splawn anything. They are all good. Just pick one and buy it.

[jgcable]

BTW... I heard a JVM again this weekend. It sounded extremely good. The guy playing it was a monster but that amp had some amazing tone. Especially the clean channel with a touch of onboard reverb. I still think that for true balls out high gain tone.. nothing beats a Quickrod.

[PowerTube]

I will fall back to a story that's often told about Eddy Van Halen who is one of the smoothest players of them all. The story is that Eddy was somewhere where there were no amplifiers to be had. He had his guitar but no amp. He happened to find a Gorilla Solid State amp with an 8" speaker in it somewhere that he could jam on. This is one of those $30.00 amps that has no built in distortion. Probably the stiffest lifeless sounding piece of crap you could ever play through. Anyway.. he was jamming on it and a few music industry people that were nearby said he sounded so amazing it made them want to go out and buy Gorilla amps.
It ain't the amp bro... its the player. There is NOTHING bad about a Splawn anything. They are all good. Just pick one and buy it.

That makes sense. The guy playing in the first video above wouldn't sound so great on any guitar/amp combination. I think of myself as a very precise player. Somewhere I have a short MP3 of me ripping a bit on my JCM 800, and the way I had it EQ'ed was for a pretty bold clarity. If I can find it, I'll post it up.

I'm becoming less and less "scared" of the Quick Rod lately.

[rattlehead74]

A Splawn Competition just came up for sale at GC Austin South store. $1099. I don't think shipping would be that much. If you don't like it return it.

[rattlehead74]

Guitar Center Southcenter has a JVM 410h Head for $1199.