Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: PhilKing on April 04, 2009, 10:45:58 PM
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I just got a Fulltone Robin Trower Overdrive and it is great. Not too much distortion but a nice drive to push your amp. When I tried it in the shop I used a Strat with Jim Rolph pickups (which aren't as good as BK's - we compared my Strat with Apache's to this about 6 months ago). Anyway straight away through a little Peavey amp it starts to sound just like Bridge Of Sighs! So I bought it and was palying with it a lot more today and it is great. It's a fat drive really but it keeps the note clarity even in big open chords. With the Les Paul it had me playing 'Shake Your Money Maker' and nailed that fat rhythm tone that Fleetwood Mac gave it. It woudl push the amp into lovely harmonic feedback. I really didn't tweak it much because the tone I was getting was so great!
Anyway I've added a picture - one of the red leads is a NOS original curly coil and the other is a new Vox one.
btw. I do like red!
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Sounds awsome.
Ya know what's coming next don't you? Clips! (please)
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Nice carpet/rug, you don't come across axeminster that often nowadays
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Nice carpet/rug, you don't come across axeminster that often nowadays
Its an original Indian silk rug!
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Well, we all know were silk comes from ... PDT_008.
Interesting pedal; I love the colour of the case.
How does it compare to a) the HBE Power Screamer and b) the Klon?
Was the pedal new/used?
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I do like red!
:)
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sweet...!I am a big fulltone fan-everything I have delivers the goods
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Nice rig ( and rug) Phil.
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Nice looking gear there Phil.
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Well, we all know were silk comes from ... PDT_008.
Interesting pedal; I love the colour of the case.
How does it compare to a) the HBE Power Screamer and b) the Klon?
Was the pedal new/used?
I got the pedal new (guitar bar in Hoboken is a Fulltone dealer and they gave me a great price on it). In comparision to the Power Screamer, they are totally different, the power screamer has a lot more grit and drive on it. The RTO is much more like the Klon, apart from one big thing. The Klon just makes everything louder and pushes the amp without changine your tone (or timbre of the tone), the RTO fattens up the sound a bit, so there is a bit more mid push (which of course is great with a Strat). There is an incredible sound when you run the RTO into the Klon, sustain for days, melting into harmonic feedback, and still tons of note clarity in the sound.
If you get the chance you should really try it out.
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Sounds like a description of the Lizard Legs Flying Dragon! Which didn't do it for me, by the way. Thundertomate still reigns my rig!
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Nice looking gear there Phil.
Thanks Johnny, it's my 86 darkback goldtop. I always liked the look of the 57's with the dark brown backs, and this looks the same way. I put an old set of Grover's on it (I didn't need to ream out the holes as it had Schaller Thistle machines, which have the larger hole already). I'm a big fan of the look of LP's with Grovers. Mind you, your lion really looks the business. Have you used the synth yet? I set up a PRS clone with the roland GK kit and still haven't used it because my guitar synth is in storage!
The amp is a custom Ceriatone and I really have to thank Nik for making a great job of it. It is a JTM45 power amp (JJ GZ34, Shuguang KT66 - soon to be replaced with Groove Tube Saratov's), GT 12AX7M phase inverter), mated with a Marshall 18w TMB preamp with an EF86 channel. The EF86 channel has a 6 position tone cut, and uses a NOS Sylvania EF86, which really can get that spanky clean Vox tone, the TMB channel has a master vol and uses an original GE and original Sylvania 12AX7's. They really do bring out a lot more tone than the Mullard reissue ECC83's (even though they were sounding really good originally). I have some NOS JAN Phillips 5751's that I was going to try, but these are sounding so good that I am loathe to take them out!
The Scumback M75-LDHC is in the Matamp 1x12, and now it is played in is sounding great, though yesterday with the RTO and Klon going I was getting some cone cry. I just got a new Weber Fane 12 copy and I am going to put that in the cab (that's actually because I want the Scumback to put in a 2x12 with another for my Ceriatone Dumble clone [when it get's back from Ear Candy]).
GwEm has played through the setup quite a few times, and has heard the comparison of pre-amp valves. If ever you come to New York you'd be welcome to come over and check thing out.
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Nice looking gear there Phil.
Thanks Johnny, it's my 86 darkback goldtop. I always liked the look of the 57's with the dark brown backs, and this looks the same way. I put an old set of Grover's on it (I didn't need to ream out the holes as it had Schaller Thistle machines, which have the larger hole already). I'm a big fan of the look of LP's with Grovers. Mind you, your lion really looks the business. Have you used the synth yet? I set up a PRS clone with the roland GK kit and still haven't used it because my guitar synth is in storage!
The amp is a custom Ceriatone and I really have to thank Nik for making a great job of it. It is a JTM45 power amp (JJ GZ34, Shuguang KT66 - soon to be replaced with Groove Tube Saratov's), GT 12AX7M phase inverter), mated with a Marshall 18w TMB preamp with an EF86 channel. The EF86 channel has a 6 position tone cut, and uses a NOS Sylvania EF86, which really can get that spanky clean Vox tone, the TMB channel has a master vol and uses an original GE and original Sylvania 12AX7's. They really do bring out a lot more tone than the Mullard reissue ECC83's (even though they were sounding really good originally). I have some NOS JAN Phillips 5751's that I was going to try, but these are sounding so good that I am loathe to take them out!
The Scumback M75-LDHC is in the Matamp 1x12, and now it is played in is sounding great, though yesterday with the RTO and Klon going I was getting some cone cry. I just got a new Weber Fane 12 copy and I am going to put that in the cab (that's actually because I want the Scumback to put in a 2x12 with another for my Ceriatone Dumble clone [when it get's back from Ear Candy]).
GwEm has played through the setup quite a few times, and has heard the comparison of pre-amp valves. If ever you come to New York you'd be welcome to come over and check thing out.
That amp sounds like a tone machine, I'd love to have a go! No, I still haven't got around to buying the Axon Midi Guitar processor I want. My brush with the Reaper put all my plans on pause. I'm back at work after Easter so give it a few weeks and I'll put it on my card as i can't wait any longer its driving me mad having all these ideas with no way of doing anything with it.
I did use the Feline at an open mike last week and played through a tweed Fender Twin and it sounded pretty good.
So the above set up can get some pretty good warm sounds? There was a bloke from Alaska at the pub called Son Henry, this bloke can play a lap steel so good and his tone was gorgeous! He also had a great tone with a Gibson Les Paul Gold Top, with a pair of P90's in. I think a lot of it was the amp as everyone who plugged in sounded nice, but it was a different one to the one i was using and I never got to see it as it was over the other side of the small stage.
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I'm a big P-90 fan. I don't know if you ever got to see or play the Junior that Wez made for me, but it is a brilliant guitar. All the old junior sustain and rasp. The other guitar he made me is also a P-90 guitar (the John Birch style SG). I have a gold top with P-90's and they do sound brilliant. If you listen to old Fleetwood Mac there are quite a lot of P-90 leads (especially in the live stuff), as Danny Kirwan played a P-90 Goldtop.
The only problem with the amp is that you really do have to have it cooking before it hits its tone, but then it is great! I forgot to mention that the Les Paul I was using has a set of PG Blues fitted.
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I'm a big P-90 fan. I don't know if you ever got to see or play the Junior that Wez made for me, but it is a brilliant guitar. All the old junior sustain and rasp. The other guitar he made me is also a P-90 guitar (the John Birch style SG). I have a gold top with P-90's and they do sound brilliant. If you listen to old Fleetwood Mac there are quite a lot of P-90 leads (especially in the live stuff), as Danny Kirwan played a P-90 Goldtop.
The only problem with the amp is that you really do have to have it cooking before it hits its tone, but then it is great! I forgot to mention that the Les Paul I was using has a set of PG Blues fitted.
I'm really liking the P90 sounds, just so warm and nice! I thought that amp would have to cook a bit. Whats the output? The spec reads good, is it exactly how you want it? I hope so. I remember you saying Wez made you a Junior. He was saying about lap steels in the pub last December. Its got me thinking now!
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The junior went up to the manchester meet so a few forum guys got to try it, it wasnt ready for the xmas meet and i didnt end up taking a guitar to the pub anyway - gwem got a little play on the explorer at his place.
you should try a lapsteel johnny, they are great fun... i have been playing around with designs recently and have one nearly done thats starting to look great - much more refined than my last one
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Phil's Junior is gorgeous - I tried it at the Manchester meet. Top work from Wez as always :)
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The junior went up to the manchester meet so a few forum guys got to try it, it wasnt ready for the xmas meet and i didnt end up taking a guitar to the pub anyway - gwem got a little play on the explorer at his place.
you should try a lapsteel johnny, they are great fun... i have been playing around with designs recently and have one nearly done thats starting to look great - much more refined than my last one
I really like them, they sound great. Probably hard to play though. I'd be interested in seeing your latest design Wez. Did you see the Duesenberg one in Guitarist this month? The sting bender and sliding capo looked like good ideas.
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i will get some photos up once i have tidied it up a bit. Its getting a Bigsby palm pedal which is the original version of that mutli bender used on the duesenberg. The sliding capo idea got me thinking but i havnt got a solution for that sorted yet - although a bear capo would do the same thing but not be quite as precise
(http://www.firstqualitymusic.com/product_images/1774/P_1774_S00.jpg)
usually lapsteels are 22" scale length but after seeing the duesenberg i decided to try 25.5" on the new one
but really... £900 for a lapsteel is silly money. i am doing the odd one to use up spare parts and wood that doesnt quite come up to neck grade - doesnt need to for a lapsteel!!
and i dont think they are hard to play, just hard to master. Anyone will be able to have fun on it and knock out a few tunes
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Not to take this thread too far afield, but:
Lap steel = great amounts of fun. Remembering to damp behind the steel and applying the proper pressure on the steel are the hardest parts when you're going back and forth between a guitar and lap steel; they both require very different types of pressure and are oriented in different directions (unless you're Jeff Healey). I've found that a keyboard "X" stand works great for holding a lap steel for live use. (You can plop whatever effects you're using between the legs of the stand; they are out of the way and well protected down there)
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Yes they do look good fun. Wez, I thought that 900 was OTT for what they are too. I remember chatting about them with you in the pub last Dec'. I'd be interested in one at some point, my brother showing more than a keen interest in them. What p/ups have you used in them so far?
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My first one which still has fret markers drawn on in pencil and no finish had a tele bridge and pickup. The red one got a SD mini-humbucker and the latest is getting a 10k pile driver.
I didnt get chance to tidy it up but thought i would get a photo anyway
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/lapsteel2.jpg)
this one is being built as a seperate body and 'neck' but the necks not glued in yet - still have a bit more shaping to do on the body first.
the gretsch lapsteels provided the obvious inspiration but i went my own way with it.
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Looks great Wez! :D :D
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after this one i am considering a weissenborn shaped electric similar to the stuff made by asher. You will like this clip - its a lapsteel and then he uses a looper later as well... shame about all the cr@p stuck to it
http://www.asherguitars.com/lap_steel_gary_myrick.php
probably a better video for the sound of these things!
http://www.asherguitars.com/ben_harper_series_II_demo.php
very different to my 'use what left overs are available' approach to lapsteels!! but then they do cost about $2500+
anyway, apologies to phil for dragging his thread of topic... i am sure he will let me off!!
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No problem Wez, nice to see the lap steel coming along.