Help me pick my next amp!

[Fragle]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

as i said, my charvel (model 3, loaded with a dimarzio steves special humbucker) is my main guitar, so i often used it live with this guitar. the jackson sounds pretty much the same, though. a little more "metal" sounding, but otherwise surprisingly close to the charvel. my marshall loves both, though.
however, my 7string esp sounds GREAT through the blackmore. the only guitar that makes it sound great. maybe because the brightness help keeping the low Bb defined. the marshall hates this guitar btw

i don`t care much about pickups. if a guitar plays good, it`s good. if it sounds like crap, i`ll stick an 81 in it, otherwise i`ll keep it stock. i had the dimarzio laying around, and decided to give it shot in the charvel, and guess what, it sounds better than the stock pickup. not that the stock pickup was worse, just different. but the difference is just too small to justify spending 100 euro on a pickup, i could save it for a new amp or a new guitar [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Fragle]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

hey, wait. could bad preamp tubes by any chance cause this excessive brightness?
i'm asking because i just played the blackmore a bit (low volume, really, bedroom volume....no louder than tv volume) and noticed that the preamp tubes seem to be microphonic, as i'm all of a sudden getting uncontrollable feedback even at this low volumes (and thats with the gain set as high or well as low as 6). i haven't played the amp since our last show where i cranked it up to like 5 one the master.

if this could be caused by the tubes i think i'm just gonna order new preamp tubes for this sucker. ATM it's equipped with ENGL tubes, bother pre and poweramp.

[jgcable]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

Yes, preamp tubes and power tubes have everything to do with tone and a bad preamp tube will certainly cause a microphonic feedback. Maybe thats your problem all along. After all, I wouldn't think that an Engl Blackmore would be on the bright side anyway. I had a microphonic tube on a Mesa amp once that would start an uncontrollable feedback at the gain set at anything above 6 regardless of what the master volume was set at.

[Fragle]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

well, but normally tubes don't have this much impact on the tone, do they? afaik one can slightly alter the voicing by using different tubes, but not significantly change it.
this is strange. it certainly didn't feedback like this before. i'm gonna try another guitar, maybe it's the guitar - although its the emg loaded jackson thats otherwise dead silent.
i also had a tubescreamer in front of the amp, but it also feedbacked with the ts switched off.

[jgcable]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

Both power am preamp tubes have everything to do with tone. Especially the power tubes. For instance, I switched one of my 5881 (6L6) equipt Carvin amps with E34L's and high gain ECC83S's and it totally changed the way the amp sounded. You should check in with Bob from Eurotubes and explain to him your situation and what you are looking for. I am sure he can give you some great recomendations.

[aldog1330]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

From what I've read the Blackmore is an extremely bright amp. Have you tried different cabs, such as a darker one? Preamp tubes do make a difference, and it does sound like one is going out to lunch on you. If you like it enough, it might be worth putzing with it a bit more to see if you can tame the high end some before getting rid of it.

[Fragle]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

i'm definitely digging it at low volume. it sounds pretty much exactly like kreator - live creation , one of my alltime favourite live sounds. it just gets all nasty and piercing at gig volume. i also like the features (contour switch, 2 master volumes)...anything i need, and more (i'm never gonna use the second channel [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] )
moreover, i tried it with loads of cabs. at home i'm using a laney 412 cab, but when gigging it regulary changes. lets see....i used two marshall 1960 cabs (sounded best), one mesa oversize rectifier cab with v30 speakers, two hiwatt cabs, and some cheapo cab i don't remember...i think it was a behringer or something.

regarding eurotubes....i don't know....as far as i've been told he's a very knowledgeable guy, but the thing is, i don't see the point in buying tubes from an US dealer if i could get the very same tubes from a local one. do you think i should ask him what he'd recommend, regardless where i'll eventually buy?

[jgcable]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

Yes..

[PoisonGodmachine]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

my blackmore didnt have any feedback at least not that i can remember....even with the gain turned way up.... side by side with the 5150 the thing was quite as a mouse....if your having feedback then definatley sounds like you have a problem..

[aldog1330]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

With my 530, settings that sound good for a reasonable bedroom practice level sound harsh once cranked. But I can get the harshness under control at band levels, so its a nonissue for me. And Bob is a good guy, I'm sure he'd take the time to help you out, even if you don't buy from him.

[Supersucker]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

I have the same problem with my ENGL Fireball.
My Fireball sounds worse and worse as I turn the volume up, the sounds looses definition, it becomes harsh and flubby.
I hate it.

[Fragle]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

okay, i just talked to a bud of mine. he'll borrow me his 5150 head for our next gig (september 9th). i'm really curious what this thing can do and what not...wonder if it lives up to it's reputation.

and NO, i'm NOT buying a sonic maximizer just for that one gig [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

i guess if the 5150 won't do it for me i'll give the blackmore another shot (talked to bob @ eurotubes. he said the brighness could very well be due to the engl tubes which are basically relabeled sovteks....however, he tried to talk me into buying both pre and poweramp tubes, something i don't quite see the reason for, as they are just too expensive to replace them when they are still running strong....imo). otherwise i'll try to grab an mark III off ebay....but i hope the 5150 does the trick for me, as i know another friend of mine who's quite unhappy with his 5150 head....he prefers playing his peavey XXL head...go figure [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] maybe i can talk him into selling his for cheap [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[PoisonGodmachine]

Re: Help me pick my next amp!

dude if your going for the haunted type sound...5150 ...is that..and a bag of chips...I hope you find what your looking for