OldToneZone.com

Understanding Tube Amps: Effects Loops

Anthony Stauffer — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:45:14 +0000

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.

Understanding Tube Amps: Attenuators

Anthony Stauffer — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:02:56 +0000

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.

Bill M. Blues Jr. Mods Review

Anthony Stauffer — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:12:14 +0000

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.

Cheaper than a set of great pickups, these mods are a slam dunk in my opinion. Details about what I had done are below the video.

My Mods:

Basic mods
Heyboer TO20 output transformer
Presence control
Cathode follower
Switchcraft input jack
Preamp revoicing
TwinStack

Understanding Tube Amps: Volume

Anthony Stauffer — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:20:57 +0000

In this installment, I address the relationship between volume and the different kinds of distortion you can get from your amp.

Understanding Tube Amps: The Distortion Chain

Anthony Stauffer — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:31:31 +0000

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.

Understanding Tube Amps: Preamp and Power Tubes

Anthony Stauffer — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:08:09 +0000

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.

Understanding Tube Amps: Structure

Anthony Stauffer — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 11:21:34 +0000

Part 2 of this video series explains the basic building blocks of tube amps and how they work together.

Understanding Tube Amps: Why Tube Amps?

Anthony Stauffer — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:21:32 +0000

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.

Nobels ODR-1 Added To The Comparinator

Anthony Stauffer — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:01:06 +0000

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

Anthony Stauffer — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:37:37 +0000

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.

Every once in a while he’d toss in a lick that everyone could play, and I’d get that feeling of “ok, now that, I understand”, but then it was right back to being confused, but in a good way. All together, a very entertaining set by an incredibly tight, responsive group of musicians.

After Stan’s set, Jack Pearson took the stage, and just killed it right from the first note. The style could not be more different than what we had just heard, but it seemed strangely appropriate to follow Stan’s mind-boggling performance with Jacks virtuosity in several styles of blues. Mixing slide guitar with regular playing that was both tasteful and powerful, Jack moved from one song to the next, never missing a beat, and holding my attention with every note.

After Jack’s set was done, it was time to jam, and two of the event attendees took the stage with their guitars, while the house drummer and bassist held down a groove. Unfortunately, it was time for my downtown Nashville tour, so I only caught a few seconds before I left, but those few seconds are at the end of the video clip.

And about the sound in the video, I know it’s awful. I was only holding my Digital SLR at this point, and while it shoots decent video, it’s microphone is horrendous, and overloads very easily. I was standing right in front of a speaker, so that explains the mushy distortion when the volume gets too loud. I’ll do better next time I promise.