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Post by edoetsch on Mar 7, 2007 12:46:47 GMT -7
I've been getting into some of the more recent ZZ Top albums later lately (Rythumeen through Mescalero) and have heard that Billy uses the Expandora and the Fuzz Factory.
My FF seems to do an OK job but it's not exactly the same running through my Route 66.
I think he also uses Marshall JMP preamps, perhaps thats the primary sound.
Anyway, if there are those in the know, lemme know.
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Post by Lefty on Mar 7, 2007 13:12:44 GMT -7
Hard to say really, BG keeps his stuff pretty quiet, especially in the studio. The EX in the "forbidden" setting gets really close but its almost uncontrollable. If you've seen the Lapdog (multiple EX in series), that's impossible, the noise would be INSANE! I'm guessing a JMP pre into a small wattage amp (tweed Deluxe) is pretty close to what he uses. Lies I tell you all Lies!!
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Post by Sam A. on Mar 7, 2007 16:37:25 GMT -7
A tweed fender Harvard modded for a 12 inch speaker CRANKED comes real close.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Mar 7, 2007 23:29:49 GMT -7
I used to have a mid '70's Princeton here, and got to fiddling with it one day. I lifted the tone stack and WHOA BABY - there was the Reverend Billy coming right out of that little amp! I swear it sounded so much like his tones I figured that his trade secret in the studio is probably an old tweed Deluxe with the tone stack lifted. Ya gotta wonder - some of the stuff he says I think to put you off the trail!
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Post by BW on Mar 8, 2007 8:56:58 GMT -7
BFG is an inveterate yarn spinner fer sure, its his profession! Last I heard he had a JMP-1 panned to one side and a 2X10 18 watt Marshall combo retrofitted w/ a 50 watt head (bought from Brent Magnano at Guitar Oasis) panned the other way for recording... And then there's the one about the 'amp cabin' where all about 10 amps were mic'd inside a bunch of baffles, and they plugged/unplugged the AC to different amps to change the tone. Inventive, literally and figuratively. 'Cause the truth makes lousy copy! I also understand he used one of those little 12 watt solid state Marshall 5005's for that bone-crushin' sound on 'My Head's in Mississippi'. Don't matter WHAT the Rev uses, still sounds just like him! A bud of mine recording at Ardent a few years ago says they got 'clearance' to use a 100 watter of Billy's that stays there in case he shows up.
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Post by T-R☼CK ♫ on Mar 8, 2007 8:59:30 GMT -7
You makin' words up now..
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Post by BW on Mar 8, 2007 9:17:00 GMT -7
Like butter...I'm on a roll!
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Post by mward on Mar 9, 2007 8:45:53 GMT -7
I used to have a mid '70's Princeton here, and got to fiddling with it one day. I lifted the tone stack and WHOA BABY - Benttop - can you describe what you mean by 'lifting the tone stack"?
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Post by BW on Mar 9, 2007 9:00:02 GMT -7
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Post by Curt on Mar 9, 2007 10:17:15 GMT -7
Bud, Where DO you find these gem's? Whatcha doin' Manana? ? Any free time for a 'nuther "lesson" at the Milsap Hideaway?
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Mar 9, 2007 13:52:05 GMT -7
I used to have a mid '70's Princeton here, and got to fiddling with it one day. I lifted the tone stack and WHOA BABY - Benttop - can you describe what you mean by 'lifting the tone stack"? In a Fender amp, the tone stack is a set of controls tied together and at the bottom of the "stack" they are grounded. Lifting the tone stack involves unsoldering that ground, so that the normal losses introduced by those controls disappear. The tone control function also disappears- you get a lot of gain, and you lose all tone control. On my Princeton, with the tone stack lifted, the tone was very gnarly with a lot of mids and bottom, and the extra gain really drove the power amp hard. Or perhaps it was the PI that was getting driven hard - that would make more sense. Anyway, that amp had a switch on the volume pot for a nasty sounding boost that was only on the Princeton one year. I repurposed that switch as a tone stack lifter so I could play nice Princeton tones, or pull the switch and go to ZZ Top mode.
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Post by BW on Mar 9, 2007 17:43:39 GMT -7
Bud, Where DO you find these gem's? Whatcha doin' Manana? ? Any free time for a 'nuther "lesson" at the Milsap Hideaway? Y'all give me a yell, I'll be around somewhere.
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Post by Hohn on Mar 9, 2007 20:42:03 GMT -7
I know the BFG used a Rockman in the past. That thing is so compressed that it didn't matter much what you plugged it into.....
jh
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Post by mward on Mar 10, 2007 22:21:15 GMT -7
In a Fender amp, the tone stack is a set of controls tied together and at the bottom of the "stack" they are grounded. Lifting the tone stack involves unsoldering that ground, so that the normal losses introduced by those controls disappear. Ahhhhhh I'm pickin up what you're layin down. I left tone controls off the amp I just built, so far it's great but I am thinking it could use a bass and treble because it's got oodles of bass. Thanks for the info.
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Post by bigdaddyweed on Mar 12, 2007 7:33:54 GMT -7
I have been a Billy G fan for a few decades, at least. "In the Know"??, I don't think I know anything. I agree that what Billy says in his interviews may not always be the exact truth, he makes a living with his sound, he probably doesn't want to give it away. What I believe to be true is, he uses multiple Expandoras in a row to achieve a certain sound, and he tunes down about 2 steps, at least in the studio, in some instances, AND, he's probably not using any stock effects, they most likely have been modded, hot rodded, or whatever. Between his imagination and a good guitar tech, the sounds they can come up with is endless. I have played a ton of ZZ Top over the years, and have never gotten his tone perfected, I'm currently using a Keeley modded OD-1 and an Ibanez SuperTube, both on at the same time, and it's close enough for the girls my wife won't let me date. Good luck in your tone quest
later....................weedman
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Post by BW on Mar 12, 2007 9:11:40 GMT -7
In a Fender amp, the tone stack is a set of controls tied together and at the bottom of the "stack" they are grounded. Lifting the tone stack involves unsoldering that ground, so that the normal losses introduced by those controls disappear. This was a pull switch on the early Boogie amps labeled 'gain boost' that was the same deal if I don't have my wahrs crossed... One of my ol' buds did it to a Tremolux head he had, with pretty stellar results. Not much control, though...
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Post by Lefty on Mar 12, 2007 9:14:16 GMT -7
I used to disconnect the neg feedback loop on my Champ for more grindage. Shocked the hell outta me too once...once.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Mar 12, 2007 9:23:19 GMT -7
In a Fender amp, the tone stack is a set of controls tied together and at the bottom of the "stack" they are grounded. Lifting the tone stack involves unsoldering that ground, so that the normal losses introduced by those controls disappear. This was a pull switch on the early Boogie amps labeled 'gain boost' that was the same deal if I don't have my wahrs crossed... One of my ol' buds did it to a Tremolux head he had, with pretty stellar results. Not much control, though... Your wires aren't crossed Buddy - I remember that Boogie. Randy didn't comletely lift the ground though - he left just a tiny bit so the controls seemed to work a tad, if I don't have MY wires crossed... And yeah, once you lift that ground, you better be ready to wail because there's no throttling back.
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