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Post by John on May 5, 2013 4:43:41 GMT -7
It's been a year since I've gigged my Remedy and I've just got the Creamback, so it will have to be a review of both being used together.
My Remedy (old style) on top of my 1x12 openback Avatar cab with Creamback. I usually gig my Ghia 1x10, but this was an outdoor show. I airbraked one or two clicks to start. (probably a little gun shy about the volume and the other guitar player plays REAL quiet...but pumps himself through the monitors.) Used a tele.
Definitely different than the Ghia. I started out with:
Bass: 11:00 Mid & Treble: noon bright volume: 1:00 bass volume: 11:00
I run my Remedy like I ran my old 1971 Marshall Super Lead: Basically don't use the bass volume...but therefore you can't run the treble past noon. (but I do run the Remedy with a little bass volume because of single coils.)
It was still a little crunchy for me, so I backed the bright volume down to noon. That seemed to be the best, and I still can't believe it seemed a touch bass heavy, so I backed the bass down to 10:00. There was that familiar plexi/tweed bassman tone...that upper mid focus. And this upper mid tone had very complex overtones...I loved it. I'm being very picky here, but I kept struggling with the Remedy all day for the simple fact that I've been playing the Ghia exclusively for about a year. Amps at this level...with their highly touch sensitive nature, allows subtle changes in your playing to make a difference in tone. There was usually a little crunch where I didn't expect it.
I've had 5 different speakers in this cabinet....I'm done..the Creamback is there to stay forever. This is my 'big rig'.
The gig was in the parking lot of a Harley Davidson dealership. Summary: We were ignored, no one cared, no one listened....they should have got a crappy classic rock dj. We played the last set to an empty parking lot. I wanted the singer (who handles the business side of things) to go talk to the people/person in charge and ask if we really have to keep playing. He said he didn't want to ask. He's rather new to the private party side of things. A few more of these 'playing for nobody' gigs and he might change his mind. It didn't pay well. He thinks these are good exposure gigs....I disagree. He can get a reputation of "Wasn't he the guy I saw playing to an empty parking lot? He must suck/be bad/not successful. I don't want to hire him."
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Post by Baconator on May 5, 2013 9:08:57 GMT -7
Glad to hear the new remedy rig arrangement worked out so well. Experience will obviously help you dial it in even better. As for the gig, that definitely stinks. Been there - too many times to want to remember, although all of these situations were back when I was playing original music. I can understand singer's hesitance in addressing the people in charge since frankly everybody I play with hates to deal with these things (which is likely why I gig so infrequently). I can also (somewhat) see his point about the gig being exposure for the band and wouldn't necessarily worry about getting the reputation of a band that plays to nobody. However, NOBODY enjoys playing to a sparse and unappreciative audience and it is really tough to show the band in the best light under these conditions. Hopefully upon further reflection the singer or at least everyone else in the band will agree that poorly paid shows for an audience that isn't specifically coming to see live music should be avoided.
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Post by nmz on May 5, 2013 14:16:31 GMT -7
Funny how much amps can change how you play. Kind of like driving different cars.
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Post by Pete aka shouldb on May 5, 2013 14:53:04 GMT -7
Good review John!! The Remedy is a very special amp, and surprisingly touch sensitive as you say - I love that about it I am tending to run mine with both Vs below noon, and bringing the MV up to the right stage volume - I can still get hair on the notes when pushing the P90s hard, but I LOVE the clean(ish) zing of the Remedy, and use pedals for serious OD/Dirt (a result of playing in a dance/functions band I guess - variety of tones needed) WIth the MV mod in mine, I can see this becoming my main gigging rig (with 1x12 open backed Z cab and G12 65). I'll probably put the Z28 in 1x10 combo for smaller stuff.
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Post by cheycaster on May 5, 2013 15:51:16 GMT -7
so the Creamback was all that good n better etc? I gotsta know your thoughts as compaired to a gold.yaddi yaddi yaddah etc!!!!!! Mahalo, chey
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Post by doctorice on May 5, 2013 18:20:33 GMT -7
Too bad about the gig, John, but thanks for the report. Gotta figure out where to put a cab with a Creamback...
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2013 18:24:11 GMT -7
Great review John. I am glad you like the creamback. Just to let you know I have 2 1/12 cabs with creambacks one open the other closed. Thats how much I like that speaker. I also agree about everything you said about the crunch and the bass. It does take some experimentation dialing in that bass. I usually run mine bass 10 mid 12 -1 treble 1 and high and normal at about 10-11 I still like that setting I can roll back and get the cleans and also get the lead and crunch with just my guitar. To let you know how good the tone bypass is sometimes I forget and can't even tell its on until I shut it off its very smooth. I played today just straight in no pedals. I was getting a much better feel for the amp and could really dig in and get some great tones clean and also dirty. With the MV its much easier to dial it all in and not be too loud yet still retain that bloom and liquid like tone. Loving the Remedy creamback combination and alos the new mods the Dr came up with. Get rid of your brake lites and your air brakes and get this mod. You won't regret it trust me on that one.
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2013 18:36:55 GMT -7
so the Creamback was all that good n better etc? I gotsta know your thoughts as compaired to a gold.yaddi yaddi yaddah etc!!!!!! Mahalo, chey The Gold is a great speaker one of my favorites both John and I have a gold in are Ghia's. I gigged the rem/gold for a long time the main difference for me is that the gold needs to be pushed to really get the best out of it it sounds killer cranked. I could never gig at 40 watts with the rem/gold it was just too loud. Now that was with a non Master Volume Remedy. I really wish I still had a 12 inch gold to hear the difference with the MV. Still what I found is with the creamback remedy combination you really can get more out of the remedy and I always play at 40 watts that was even before I got the newer version remedy. The cremback actually sounds similar to the gold altough its a bit more crunchy and breaks up earlier but it really is a good match with the remedy.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2013 5:54:37 GMT -7
Glad you liked the Creamback, John. I think it's a great choice for the Rem in a 1x12--and Rev, I A/B'd the Gold and the Creamback with the MV Rem briefly the other day, thinking I might sell off my Creamback and revert to the Gold. In that brief listen, I was surprised to find that I preferred the tone of the Creamback. It was more open, and I liked the character of the breakup a bit better. I'll try it again today, if I have time.
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Post by John on May 6, 2013 7:21:14 GMT -7
so the Creamback was all that good n better etc? I gotsta know your thoughts as compaired to a gold.yaddi yaddi yaddah etc!!!!!! Mahalo, chey I can't really say much. The last time I had a 12" gold was with my Stangray combo. I never tried that speaker with the Remedy. I would think it would sound pretty good. But then I'd be back to one of my original problems...one that made me sell the Stangray: Either one of these amps will be too loud for me with a Gold. I feel if I have to airbrake a lot..then I've got the wrong amp. I love the greenback tone, and combine that with a 97db speaker, I had to get one. Love the gold for country tele stuff....but it's so loud. I sold the Stangray long before I knew there was going to be a 97db creamback. If I had known, I may have kept that amp. Glorious tone. I would love to A/B a Gold and a Creamback with a Stangray.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2013 8:35:41 GMT -7
Glad you liked the Creamback, John. I think it's a great choice for the Rem in a 1x12--and Rev, I A/B'd the Gold and the Creamback with the MV Rem briefly the other day, thinking I might sell off my Creamback and revert to the Gold. In that brief listen, I was surprised to find that I preferred the tone of the Creamback. It was more open, and I liked the character of the breakup a bit better. I'll try it again today, if I have time. Thats interesting. They both match up with the Remedy so well. Thanks for the reply. All I know is I really like the creamback and agree its def the character of the breakup its got that 70's rock tone. I plugged straight in yesterday all day no effects and just used my white strat and loved the crunch I was getting. Just nice blooming tone good sustain. Thanks again Flea.
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Post by fuggle on May 6, 2013 12:50:49 GMT -7
This wasn't your band whas it? I believe they are playing in an empty parking lot!
Just Kidding BTW
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Post by bwc on May 6, 2013 13:01:58 GMT -7
This wasn't your band whas it? I believe they are playing in an empty parking lot! Just Kidding BTW AWESOME!
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Post by John on May 6, 2013 13:44:52 GMT -7
I think I've seen that vid before and I can't bring myself to watch it again.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2013 14:15:10 GMT -7
Man. Those guys really are the worst band ever.
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Post by Grinchmonkey on Oct 4, 2013 5:35:09 GMT -7
The sign behind them is misleading.
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Post by rcrecelius on Oct 5, 2013 4:43:36 GMT -7
I just watched that video again...they got applause at the end so the parking lot wasn't completely empty Of course...they could have been clapping because it was over!
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