tdale
New Member
Posts: 4
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Post by tdale on Jan 5, 2009 13:14:28 GMT -7
What amp should my friend choose.
He has: Matchless Lightning 15. Loves the sound, but it doesn't play loud enough, and if overdrives too much when he plays loud.
He's looking for a louder amp (30W plus) but with the same type of sound as the Lightning (EL84), but louder withouth overdrive, only a slight break-up.
Put in a simple way: He wants the Brad Paisley sound, or at least as close as you can get without having Brad's fingers...
What is the ideal amp for him? He plays country-rock/rock
Tommy
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 5, 2009 13:43:46 GMT -7
BP has been involved in the design of several amps with Dr. Z. He did one whole album with a Prescription Extra Strengh (RXES). Then he collaborated with the Doc on the Stang Ray. Both of those amps can get about everything you're describing. But they are way loud! The Stang Ray is 30 watts, and driving a pair of Alnico Blues I've never been able to bring the Airbrake up to thru on stage, not even outdoors. And the RXES is about 42 watts or so - one loud amp. Neither have master volumes. The RXES is capable of a good deal more saturation than the Stang Ray, but both amps are voiced similarly. The RXES also comes with a boost footswitch. Check them both. I have a load of sound clips on my gear page at www.gear.strayca.com and I've even compared the two amps there. Check it out (but I'm no Brad Paisley!)
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9thstreetbrandt
Junior Member
If your driving home drunk, dont blame the car. If your falling down the stairs your gonna get scars
Posts: 55
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Post by 9thstreetbrandt on Jan 15, 2009 14:12:15 GMT -7
I've never been able to bring the Airbrake up to thru on stage, not even outdoors.... what do you mean here? Im planning on buying a rxes and using an airbrake for stage to dial up the master to breakup without shattering glass. is this impossible even with airbrake? I mean we are loud, but only as loud as a loud bar will let us. I play a ac30cc2 now, and dont have any probs, but that was a master and gain.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 15, 2009 14:49:31 GMT -7
I've never been able to bring the Airbrake up to thru on stage, not even outdoors.... what do you mean here? Im planning on buying a rxes and using an airbrake for stage to dial up the master to breakup without shattering glass. is this impossible even with airbrake? I mean we are loud, but only as loud as a loud bar will let us. I play a ac30cc2 now, and dont have any probs, but that was a master and gain. I mean I've never had a need to put the Airbrake to "thru" which effectively takes it out of the signal path. With my Stingray, and the Alnico Blues' efficiency, it's like Twin Reverb levels of volume. Same deal with the Alnico Golds, which I switched to when the RXES came on the scene. But with the Airbrake dialed down to 3 or 4 clicks, you have a ton more control. So you can go from quite loud to quite pleasant. And you'll never get to all of what the RXES has to offer without an Airbrake unless you plan to play at punishing levels of volume (some guys do!).
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9thstreetbrandt
Junior Member
If your driving home drunk, dont blame the car. If your falling down the stairs your gonna get scars
Posts: 55
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Post by 9thstreetbrandt on Jan 15, 2009 19:54:20 GMT -7
awesome, cant wait, air brake is a must then? I called dr z he mentioned adding something like a post PI master volume. He said that would work better then an airbrake. I wasnt sure if this was even available on a cab and head.
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Post by brad737 on Jan 15, 2009 21:22:49 GMT -7
Wow. I've never heard of Brad Paisley playing a Matchless Lightning. If you want BP's tone, you need the Prescription ES, or a Stingray/ Stangray. As for Doc recommending a Post-phase inverter master volume, that's a new one on me. I guess Doc's been hanging out on the Metroamp forum talking to the Marshall guys? Doc, is this true? Do I need to mod all my amps with a PPIMV instead of attenuating?
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 15, 2009 21:40:58 GMT -7
Wow. I've never heard of Brad Paisley playing a Matchless Lightning. If you want BP's tone, you need the Prescription ES, or a Stingray/ Stangray. As for Doc recommending a Post-phase inverter master volume, that's a new one on me. I guess Doc's been hanging out on the Metroamp forum talking to the Marshall guys? Doc, is this true? Do I need to mod all my amps with a PPIMV instead of attenuating? That's what he's got in the RX Jr I believe. It would be very cool to have that on the RXES...
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Post by brad737 on Jan 15, 2009 21:43:36 GMT -7
Yes, the PPIMV is a neat trick, and they've been doing it to Marshalls for years. But I was just expressing my surprise that Doc would recommend modding an amp when an attenuator does the job really well, and doesn't harm the integrity of the amp. That's what he's got in the RX Jr I believe. It would be very cool to have that on the RXES...[/quote]
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9thstreetbrandt
Junior Member
If your driving home drunk, dont blame the car. If your falling down the stairs your gonna get scars
Posts: 55
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Post by 9thstreetbrandt on Jan 16, 2009 2:31:42 GMT -7
they said they did it for joe welsh, and it would be done at the factory. maybe he recommended it based on what i was describing i wanted. I do believe thats what they are doing for the jr. do you think it would change the tone? is that the worry? I asked that and he said no.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 16, 2009 6:49:59 GMT -7
they said they did it for joe welsh, and it would be done at the factory. maybe he recommended it based on what i was describing i wanted. I do believe thats what they are doing for the jr. do you think it would change the tone? is that the worry? I asked that and he said no. I have both here, the ES and the JS (with master volume) and to my ears the amps are almost identical in tone, except it's a lot easier to get to most of them with the Junior Strength because of the master volume.
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Post by brad737 on Jan 16, 2009 9:12:50 GMT -7
No, the PPIMV is pretty transparent. I have that mod on my Marshall Plexi. I was just surprised that Dr. Z would advocate modding an amp at the factory, instead of using an attenuator. they said they did it for joe welsh, and it would be done at the factory. maybe he recommended it based on what i was describing i wanted. I do believe thats what they are doing for the jr. do you think it would change the tone? is that the worry? I asked that and he said no.
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Post by anacephalic on Jan 16, 2009 16:13:37 GMT -7
great bunch of clips Benttop. they all sound so good makes a guy want to go out and buy more amps
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 16, 2009 17:56:08 GMT -7
great bunch of clips Benttop. they all sound so good makes a guy want to go out and buy more amps Thanks. Half of the amps I own are because of the clips that telejas posted on his site!
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9thstreetbrandt
Junior Member
If your driving home drunk, dont blame the car. If your falling down the stairs your gonna get scars
Posts: 55
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Post by 9thstreetbrandt on Jan 17, 2009 17:15:59 GMT -7
No, the PPIMV is pretty transparent. I have that mod on my Marshall Plexi. I was just surprised that Dr. Z would advocate modding an amp at the factory, instead of using an attenuator. curious if you've compared volumes of the plex and an rxes? about the same level, if dialed in for both to be in a good rocking overdrive?
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Post by brad737 on Jan 17, 2009 22:27:47 GMT -7
The Plexi is 100 watts clean. At full clip, it's probably around 160 or 170 watts. I've never played an RXES, but there's no possible way they'd even be in the same ballpark. The Plexi is a force of nature, and certainly loud enough to kill someone. ;D
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9thstreetbrandt
Junior Member
If your driving home drunk, dont blame the car. If your falling down the stairs your gonna get scars
Posts: 55
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Post by 9thstreetbrandt on Jan 18, 2009 14:10:59 GMT -7
haha! well Ive had dudes with half stack marshells open for me and my ac 30 has keept up, in the volume department, so I think i should be fine. 170? ouch!
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Post by brad737 on Jan 18, 2009 15:01:11 GMT -7
Well, there lots of Marshall models out there, most of them available as half-stacks. Mine in a Super Lead 100. The Model number is 1959.
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