Understanding Tube Amps: Effects Loops
In the 7th video of this series, I explain the difference between putting your pedals before the amp in the signal chain, and inserting them in an effects loop.
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Understanding Tube Amps: Attenuators
The 6th video in a series of lessons teaching the basics of tube amp. Played through a Fender ’64 Vibroverb Custom with a THD Hotplate attenuator. Read the rest of this entry »
Bill M. Blues Jr. Mods Review
I’ve been asked on numerous occasions what I think of the Bill M. mods for Fender Blues Junior Amps. I could never answer that question because I had not ever heard any of his modded amps.
I finally decided to get some mods done and less than $200 later, it’s like having a brand new amp. The differences are very, very noticeable. Much more bass, a lot more brightness, and far more usable tone controls with more available gain. Read the rest of this entry »
Understanding Tube Amps: Volume
In this installment, I address the relationship between volume and the different kinds of distortion you can get from your amp. Read the rest of this entry »
Understanding Tube Amps: The Distortion Chain
In the 4th video of this series, I spend some time illustrating with sound and graphics, what happens when you vary the different volume levels in your signal chain. It’s a very simple look at a 3 part signal chain: guitar -> preamp tube -> power tube, and you should understand after watching this video how those 3 things work together to create different kinds of distortion. Read the rest of this entry »
Understanding Tube Amps: Preamp and Power Tubes
The third video in this series describes the difference between preamp and power tube distortion. I give an example of the differences in sound, although every amp has it’s own voice, so this video is only one example. What you should take away from it however is that there is a very distinct difference in sound, and the characteristics of each. Read the rest of this entry »
Understanding Tube Amps: Structure
Part 2 of this video series explains the basic building blocks of tube amps and how they work together. Read the rest of this entry »
Understanding Tube Amps: Why Tube Amps?
The first video in a series of gear lessons I’ll be doing called “Understanding Tube Amps.” In this first installment, I do my best to explain why tube amps are considered by most to be better than solid state (transistor) amps. Read the rest of this entry »
Nobels ODR-1 Added To The Comparinator
Somewhere along the line I picked up a Nobels ODR-1 to see how it compared to the ODR-S, and although I still prefer the ODR-S, I’ve added the ODR-1 to the comparinator. Check it out…
VIP Jam Session – Nashville Amp Expo ’09
Stan Lassiter Website: http://www.stanlassiter.net
Jack Pearson Website: http://www.jackpearson.com
Saturday night it was time for some live music in the form of a VIP jam session (video clips below). Creation Audio Labs had brought in Stan Lassiter and Jack Pearson to kick things off. I’ve been living in a cave for the past 30 years, so I had never heard of either of them, so I didn’t know what to expect.
It didn’t take me long to figure out that Stan was a very different guitar player than what I had ever seen before. Within seconds of starting his first song, I already had a perplexed look on my face, as if to say “what the… wait… how do you do…wait…huh?”. He did things on the guitar that I’m not sure are technically possible without 7 fingers, or a third hand. And just when you thought you had seen everything, he’d do something else that was just as baffling.
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