I can answer any kind of question that is guitar related - from choosing the right guitar/amp for
your needs, musical style & budget, to effects usage & placement, & most technical questions related to guitar set up & repair.
I do not specialize in dating or appraising vintage gear, so please don't ask me to appraise the value of your instrument.
Experience:
I am a professional recording/performing artist & producer/engineer with 29 years experience in performance & writing, & 21 years experience producing & recording music.
Education/Credentials Musician's Professional Workshop Scholarship (CHOM FM)
Vanier College (Classical Music - Guitar)
Herzing Institute (Micro-Computer Electronics)
Have taken numerous online courses in recording/engineering
Question QUESTION: i can't get that metal crunch sound i'm looking for. i haven't switched from 6L6's to EL34 tubes and i was wondering if doing so would give me that sound. every distortion pedal i've hooked up sounds like crap. i play a '83 ibanez flying V with a seymour duncan dimebucker in the bridge position and an alnico II pro in the neck so i know my pickups are hot enough for that sound. the amp is going through a custom built 4x12 slant cabinet with celestion vintage 30 speakers. i've tried adjusting every setting the amp has and still can't the sound i want. any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated. thanks
ANSWER: Hey Donnie, switching tubes will definitely help a bit, but the cab could also be the culprit. Try renting a Marshall or Mesa cab & see if that does the trick. You shouldn't need a single pedal in front of that amp to get what you're looking for. Lemme know how it goes man. If you need anything else, just drop me a line.
Peace - J.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: hey J, thanks a lot for your speedy response. you provided some new insight into my problem. i'm not sure how it's wired now, but should i try switching from parallel to series or vice-versa?
Answer Hey Donnie, standard wiring for a mono 4x12 speaker cab is series parallel. This means that you would wire 2 sets of speakers in series, then hook them up together in parallel. What I was talking about though, is the wood that the cab is made from, the type of speakers used etc... I'd still say that renting a Marshall or Mesa cab to test against yours would be the best next step. That will either verify or negate the possibility that the cab is the cause of the problem. What kind of speakers are in the cab? What kind of wood is it built from? Who made it? Can you attach a photo of the inside so I can see how it's put together? I'll be waiting for your reply.
Peace - J.
