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Post by gotmojo on Apr 6, 2013 3:32:20 GMT -7
The Riverhouse Scientific Testing Labs: The Antidote-Remedy-Wreck-1966 Plexi Sessions
Have had the chance to run a few hours through the Antidote now and feel like I can write down some first impressions.
When I first plugged my old Tele in, Vintage mode, tones all at 11:00 and no brake, volumes both at 9:00 --> sweet mellow compressed tones at a reasonable room volume from all pickup settings and my first thought was: "oh yeah, this amp is gonna rock". And it does. And it can get loud and bodacious. Fast. For me, gotta have a Brake in there. Can't imagine the scenario where I wouldn't use a Brake, unless The Stones give me call to fill in.
This Dote is a smooth sounding mid-rangy machine. Has a very smooth overdrive that is extremely appealing - a smooth nazzy thang that seems to fit any tune or musical style I throw at it. My fave thus far is Air Braked to the top of Bedroom with both volumes of the Dote at 3 o'clock!!! Gives everything a sweet compression and when the guitar's volume is backed down for rhythm it's very nice, dial in the nazz as you see fit for solos by dialing up your guitar volume. Thus far my choice of tone settings: presence 3 o'clock, bass noon, mids 10-11 o'clock and treble noon-1 o'clock.
I had some time on my hands yesterday so I fired up the Z Wreck, the Remedy, my old 1966 Plexi Marshall and the Antidote and then I dug out my old Voodoo Labs Amp Switcher pedal from the closet: allows you to have up to 4 amps plugged in ready to go and you just footswitch around between them! Within just a few minutes you can get them all adjusted to about the same volume, then instantly pop back and forth comparing one to the other in a nerdy and seemingly never-ending-to-be-amazed string of what's-this-lick-sound-like-through-that-amp Dorkfest, comparing individual chord sequences and licks through each and every amp, sometimes multiple times with each lick/chord sequence! Addict heaven, in a certain manner of thinking, if you will. My test runs relied heavily on George Harrison's Something, Zep's Good Times Bad Times, Ry Cooder's Tattler, Paul Simon's Me and Julio, Hendrix's Wind Cries Mary and Jackson Brown's Doctor My Eyes. That group of tunes seemed to take in all pickup settings on the old Tele. Oh yeah, and Dwight Yoakam's version of Little Sister.
Let me say that each of these amps sounded great!!! Flip floppin back and forth between them, no one sounding "better" than the others, just 4 flavors of greatness that will make it hard to decide which amp to grab on the way out the door to a gig, not that I'm gigging right now. Initially I thought the Dote was gonna be too midrangy for me, but it has a sound that is very addicting to play through, and I find myself digging it more and more, the more I play it. I get the feeling the midrange nature of the amp will help it cut through drums and bass very well, but haven't gotten to play the amp with other folks yet. I actually don't find the Dote to have the high end that these other amps have, at least not the sparkly, glassy highs that the others have, especially the Wreck and the Plexi. And to my ears, the Dote's midrangyness makes me hear things less distinctly than these other amps, but not in a bad way. It may be that the midrange kind of masks the highs, to my ears. I think a lot of players like that midrange thickness, but I've always liked the sparkle of AC-30's and that's why I'm such a big fan of the Z Wreck. The midrange nature of which I speak is sort of a mid frequency range inherent to the amp - the mid control dials some other midrange frequency. No twisting of knobs seems to roll this inherent midrange off. It's like a little midrange blanket laid over all your notes from low E to the upper registers of your high E string.
Anyhow, comparing the Dote to the Remedy was something I paid particular attention to in this little test, and they are quite different sounding amps, primarily precisely because of the midrange nature of the Dote. Going from the Antidote to the Remedy is akin to going from the Remedy to the Z Wreck, if that makes any sense to anyone. In both of those examples you step up a level in terms of sparkly highs and clarity of notes. Both the Dote and the Remedy can get quite nazzy (I set my Remedy volumes usually around 1-2 o'clock), and both work fine for the nazz of say Led Zepellin's Good Times Bad Times, a tune that seems to beg for tube nazz. Both amps have a great distortion sound, they are just different nazzes, different hair of the dog. The Remedy's nazz is a bit grittier (as mfirst said in an earlier post) than the Dote's, but that doesn't quite explain it adequately - I am a loss for the right words to sufficiently describe it. Maybe it'd suffice to say that the Dote sounds like KT66 overdrive, but then I'd be guessing as I've limited exposure to KT66 amps. It's just different, but very cool.
Bottom line, the Antidote seems to be a purty dern versatile machine in my estimation, and certainly it's a sweet different tone to add to the Doc's (and my) lineup. I look forward to recording it into some tunes and see how it fits in, and then to use a little EQ to find out exactly where that midrange hump is.
Nuff ramblin' here. Later: Modern mode and tone bypass - I have an opinion.
jj
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Post by markT on Apr 6, 2013 5:33:39 GMT -7
Thanks for your en-depth Dorkfest jj! Great comparison. This is the first mention I've heard about the Antidote mid-hump. I thought the Z Wreck and the Remedy were kinda middy. (in a great way...by the way) And the Z28 is my fav Z so far and it's mid heavy as well...so the Antidote will fit just right! So....was this mid presence noticed before the Dorkfest or did the other three amps make it more noticeable? Thanks again for your observations jj. ready for your opinion on modern & tone bypass mode now.....please...
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Post by Rich (fbb90) on Apr 6, 2013 5:40:46 GMT -7
JJ,
Great review! Thanks for your observations! This thing sounds tempting.
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Post by gotmojo on Apr 6, 2013 6:07:43 GMT -7
Well, I noticed the mid hump right off the bat, and was kinda surprised that it was so, as my interpretation of "sweet top end" and "shimmering high end" was that this amp would be closer to my Plexi and Wreck. On first listening, I initially thought the amp may not work out for me very well! But it wasn't until I got all 4 amps going and flipped around to them all that I realized that the Dote compared well with the others and was quite a different flavor. Of those 4 amps, the Wreck and Plexi were the most similar to each other, and the Remedy and Dote are just completely different animals. I've never owned later model JTM45's, so I was not prepared for such midrange prominence. I think a lot of heavy rock guys dig the sound. It's kinda ZZ Top or AC-DC sounding I guess, though I don't really follow those guys (prolly cause I'm not crazy about their guitar tone). Hair/metal sound? Not familiar with that material enough to accurately place it.
Enough confusion?
jj
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Post by gotmojo on Apr 6, 2013 6:11:24 GMT -7
Funny. I'm at work right now (Saturday, right? Dang!) and the old Eagles song Already Gone just came on the Pandora they got playing and the main solo guitar (the hooky lick and the solo) on that tune has that midrangy tone that I'm talking about!
There you go.
jj
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Post by gotmojo on Apr 6, 2013 6:23:34 GMT -7
Interesting. ZZ's Sharp Dressed Man just came on. The rhythm and solo on that is, I think, Antidote like in tone. That kinda thang.
jj
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Post by gotmojo on Apr 6, 2013 6:28:42 GMT -7
BTW, one day in the past we had a big all day long of recording with some buddies and being idiots and a crock pot o' chili going and mic wires going everywhere and guitars laying all over and amps in bedrooms and family rooms and talking the guitar thing nonstop and having a great ol' time and my oldest daughter drops by and sees all this and says "Oh, having a little Dorkfest over here, are we?".
That's where that came from.
jj
and we thought we were being so cool!
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Apr 6, 2013 6:33:09 GMT -7
Nice review. Since I have a Remedy, and had a Z-Wreck, I can hear in my head the things you are describing. Fascinating that Dr. Z keeps making new amps that sound different from the last, yet have a character that immediately identifies it as a Z amp.
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Post by thomasfxlt on Apr 6, 2013 6:43:25 GMT -7
BTW, one day in the past we had a big all day long of recording with some buddies and being idiots and a crock pot o' chili going and mic wires going everywhere and guitars laying all over and amps in bedrooms and family rooms and talking the guitar thing nonstop and having a great ol' time and my oldest daughter drops by and says "Oh, having a little Dorkfest over here, are we?". That's where that came from. jj and we thought we were so cool! This is something my daughter would have said. Made me laugh.... Great review BTW
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Post by doctorice on Apr 8, 2013 3:24:28 GMT -7
Good stuff, jj.
My comparison "work" got interrupted. I'll try to bring some additional thoughts in.
Btw, what speakers did you use?
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Post by gotmojo on Apr 8, 2013 3:58:40 GMT -7
Yeah, Mike, I'm looking forward to hearing more from you on this topic, especially your experience with the Dote playing clubs with the band!
The cabinet I used is a Matchless 2-12 with their "customized" G12H30 and Greenback. To me these cabs sound pretty similar to Doc's Z Best cabinet. Have yet to try it through other cabinets - so little time!
jj
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Post by dock66 on Apr 8, 2013 13:05:55 GMT -7
Great review, and comparison on the different amps. Really appreciate you took the time to write and share with us your thought.
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Post by doctorice on Apr 8, 2013 15:51:02 GMT -7
I'm continuing my listening using a Headbone to switch amps, but the Remedy is plagued with a hum that I haven't yet eliminated. I'm a mite concerned that it's loud enough to affect what I'm hearing in terms of note clarity. The Rem was fine the last time I played it, so I suspect the mass of cables and AC needs some sorting out. So, jj, what's your view on Modern and bypass options? I suspect Dr Z had that in mind when he brought up big boy pants
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Post by doctorice on Apr 14, 2013 18:33:30 GMT -7
With all dials set the same, Vintage mode on the Antidote is not as loud as the Remedy. Modern mode is perhaps a tad louder. (Both comments reflect EQ bypass not engaged.) A modest adjustment on the guitar volume seemed to compensate, as does moving the volume knobs on the amps of course. jj, I'm not perceiving the Remedy:Z Wreck as Antidote:Remedy in the manner you describe. If anything, I'd give the Antidote a slight "lead" in the high frequency range. Now, I've only been running through the Z Best, so I probably should try another cab. I do like both amps a lot. Maybe it's 'cuz it's new and hot, but right now if I could only have one, I'd take the Antidote. There, I said it.
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Post by brayks on Apr 25, 2013 22:32:29 GMT -7
.............I do like both amps a lot. Maybe it's 'cuz it's new and hot, but right now if I could only have one, I'd take the Antidote. There, I said it. Yes you did! I'm on the fence about gettin' a Remedy (with new features) or an Antidote. Reading posts like this containing comparisons and statements like yours is very helpful. Thanks and please keep 'em coming
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Post by doctorice on Apr 26, 2013 4:45:59 GMT -7
^^^
I also went back to the 4x10 with the Antidote and confirmed that I prefer the Z Best.
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Post by Maddog on Apr 26, 2013 4:46:34 GMT -7
Nice review, James. I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for the work and the report. You guys are fueling my fire for an Antidote for sure.....
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Post by jammergreg on Apr 26, 2013 13:51:10 GMT -7
I have been using the Antidote for two weeks and 5 venues...The Big Boy Pants thing is w/o a BL. With the Brake-Lite and my pedals and can just about do an acoustic/electric ''Duo" I don't play too louD))) either. But, when someone (like a loud Drummer) is drowning you out, off goes the BL or down to one click, and on goes the ''Big-Boy-Pants'' Take that! You Non-dynamic Mo Fo. Some guys just play at one volume. Loud))))))))) So at the Joe Bonamassa Concert Tuesday Night every time the band went nice and soft I looked the my other guitar player and said ''DYNAMICS" I hope it sunk in with him but probably not the drummer. Time for a new Drummer. LOL I had a Remedy for 3 years and it is a fantastic ''lead'' amp but for EVERYTHING I prefer the Antidote...There I said it TOO The new Remedy with MV and TBP mod may be a bit more for everything. The Dote' is Magic, harmonic bloom, creamy and chimey all at the same time. This is a first impression only. I LOVE IT !!!! IT'S ALL STWEET SPOT, I TELL YOU...IT"S VOODOO MAGIC...THANKS Dr Z And now it's TWO-TONE Black and Blonde Got to have some Blonde. I have always liked a Golden Fleece Sorry; my meds are kicking in
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