Anyone score a Zzounds 2203x blowout?

[The~Kid]

This is an important point. You have far too many people that are anti boost or all boost. For me, it is a case by case basis. I have amps that are great without one. If the boost makes it better, I am all about it. But if the boost doesn't improve the tone...fuck that shit.

With my MGL, the boost doesn't improve the tone. But there are certain times that I want to enhance one particular thing for a specific song I am playing, and I will use one. But the vast majority of the time, if I can play at volume, a boost just pisses me off because the amp loses the organic character.

There are, however, a ton of amps that are complete trash and then you boost them and get God sound.

I just set up My Boost to unity gain to shape what I already have and maybe use a conditioner like a Klone/MXR Sugar Drive and thats it.


Recently all I'm using is an SD1W or Griffin FX Johnny Chimpo or stack them and a Turbo Tuner and thats it. Thats all I need right now and I'm happy.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

I just set up My Boost to unity gain to shape what I already have and maybe use a conditioner like a Klone/MXR Sugar Drive and thats it.


Recently all I'm using is an SD1W or Griffin FX Johnny Chimpo or stack them and a Turbo Tuner and thats it. Thats all I need right now and I'm happy.

That is one way to use a boost to tighten up your tone. For a lot of us, we get addicted to the boost and think more is better. Then we end up boosting the amp into an almost alien like sound.

I am as guilty as anyone here.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

This is an important point. You have far too many people that are anti boost or all boost. For me, it is a case by case basis. I have amps that are great without one. If the boost makes it better, I am all about it. But if the boost doesn't improve the tone...fuck that shit.

With my MGL, the boost doesn't improve the tone. But there are certain times that I want to enhance one particular thing for a specific song I am playing, and I will use one. But the vast majority of the time, if I can play at volume, a boost just pisses me off because the amp loses the organic character.

There are, however, a ton of amps that are complete trash and then you boost them and get God sound.

That's a lesson that took me longer than it should have to learn; at least as far as boost pedals. You need to know when AND where using one is appropriate. Otherwise you're just trying to hammer in a nail with a pair of vice grips.

 

[The~Kid]

That is one way to use a boost to tighten up your tone. For a lot of us, we get addicted to the boost and think more is better. Then we end up boosting the amp into an almost alien like sound.

I am as guilty as anyone here.

I may use an MXR 6 Band EQ at the end of chain to get back Lost tone from inevitable tone suck that comes with 5 or more pedals but for now using 2-3 pedals in chain...... I'm thinking of getting a DM2W to stack with a DD5 I have and maybe getting any Ibanez Mini Chorus to stack with My CE2W and Make a smaller board. Put a Dimebag Wah in the Front and yeah.



This is where an EQ is useful IMO to get the tone back and shape further if need


Another way to completely saturate the amp is to set to unity gain but shove the Gain all the hell up and lower the volume to unity volume. This way You just goose the preamp as much as could be and lower the volume to compensate for added Fizz and noise.


Also when using a Boost like that to goose a preamp it's always Best to dial back gain IME as You said sometimes You just go way beyond what the amp is trying to offer and less really is more with more gain sometimes IMO.

 

[DanTravis62]

Hey @The~Kid

I just want you to know that playing a clean amp like a twin loud is a completely different thing than playing a 2203 or an SLO or something like that loud

It's not the same thing, and its not even close

clean amps are certainly loud, but they have different speakers, different eq, and even with a distortion pedal its not the same thing

 

[The~Kid]

Hey @The~Kid

I just want you to know that playing a clean amp like a twin loud is a completely different thing than playing a 2203 or an SLO or something like that loud

It's not the same thing, and its not even close

clean amps are certainly loud, but they have different speakers, different eq, and even with a distortion pedal its not the same thing

I mean I would blast 5150/6505s too..... I'm not the Best but do know My way around an amp enough to get by.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

Hey @The~Kid

I just want you to know that playing a clean amp like a twin loud is a completely different thing than playing a 2203 or an SLO or something like that loud

It's not the same thing, and its not even close

clean amps are certainly loud, but they have different speakers, different eq, and even with a distortion pedal its not the same thing

I am glad you said it. I wanted to say the same thing, but I have never cranked a twin so felt unqualified. I can only speak to what I think cranking a twin would be. And as loud as I play, I know that cranking the maz 18 is the loudest I could ever crank a clean amp.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

I mean I would blast 5150/6505s too..... I'm not the Best but do know My way around an amp enough to get by.

I would say the difference is that the 5150 is heavily compressed. These amps do great at low volume. The Marshall is a very open amp. You can compress it by cranking it. But the sweet spot for those circuits for me is getting the power section working, but not overly saturated mush.

 

[The~Kid]

I am glad you said it. I wanted to say the same thing, but I have never cranked a twin so felt unqualified. I can only speak to what I think cranking a twin would be. And as loud as I play, I know that cranking the maz 18 is the loudest I could ever crank a clean amp.

Id crank My Blues Deluxe all the time as well.......

Thing is a loud 40 watts and sounds pretty epic I must Say. Those things get loud ass hell too and would Boost it Even more with a Fuzz Face and a TS9 or OD808.


Those amps are Made in Mexico but really not half Bad either.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

@VonBonfire could give some good insight on a cranked Twin tone & feel. He plays one pretty regularly doesn't he?

 

[DanTravis62]

I mean I would blast 5150/6505s too..... I'm not the Best but do know My way around an amp enough to get by.

I would say the difference is that the 5150 is heavily compressed. These amps do great at low volume. The Marshall is a very open amp. You can compress it by cranking it. But the sweet spot for those circuits for me is getting the power section working, but not overly saturated mush.

Can a 6505 be loud? Sure

But it is super compressed and is not anywhere near as "pants flapping" as a 2203 or something like that

That's the reason why @Racerxrated and others are like "grasshopper go play one" because it's a really wildly different guitar experience, especially loud as fuck with a whole band rocking out

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

@VonBonfire could give some good insight on a cranked Twin tone & feel. He plays one pretty regularly doesn't he?

I have heard him turn his twin up really loud, but it was an outside concert. The difference between me being just off to the side of the stage and me standing in front of the twin making faces at him to try to screw him up is a huge fucking difference in how loud it is. I couldn't play that volume in a room.

 

[The~Kid]

I would say the difference is that the 5150 is heavily compressed. These amps do great at low volume. The Marshall is a very open amp. You can compress it by cranking it. But the sweet spot for those circuits for me is getting the power section working, but not overly saturated mush.

Yeah honestly do agree here, You need the power section to bring the life but too much can get mushy and bloated.

It's a balance depending on Boost or gain used etc etc and what your going after.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

I would say the difference is that the 5150 is heavily compressed. These amps do great at low volume. The Marshall is a very open amp. You can compress it by cranking it. But the sweet spot for those circuits for me is getting the power section working, but not overly saturated mush.

Not that I'm an expert, but I've found that cranking an open amp is about finding the balance between phase inverter and power tube saturation; of course dependent on if it has a pre and/or post PIMV. Volume rarely is an issue. For me it comes down to finding where you don't overload the PI and still get some power tube saturation.

 

[The~Kid]

Can a 6505 be loud? Sure

But it is super compressed and is not anywhere near as "pants flapping" as a 2203 or something like that

That's the reason why @Racerxrated and others are like "grasshopper go play one" because it's a really wildly different guitar experience, especially loud as fuck with a whole band rocking out

Maybe I do need to check one out again.... And it sounds dumb but Id probably try something like a DS1 goosed with an SD1 and use the DS1 as a faux attenuator or something....... Like training wheels but yeah

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

Not that I'm an expert, but I've found that cranking an open amp is about finding the balance between phase inverter and power tube saturation; of course dependent on if it has a pre and/or post PIMV. Volume rarely is an issue. For me it comes down to finding where you don't overload the PI and still get some power tube saturation.

I completely agree with this, though I understand less of the circuit than you. The truth is that is why I believe that the actual volume you play varies so much to get to the same place on different amps. Wizards get to that place a lot faster than most circuits.

That being said, A lot of the amps keep that sweet spot a lot higher on the master despite getting there at lower volume. That is why I mostly play at 107-112 dbs. That is a safe range for most of the modern amps to sound great at.

 

[Chubtone]

I think deep down The Kid is a good guy, but he has yet to learn to stop talking about things he doesn't understand and then doubling down on it.

"Doubling"?

 

[The~Kid]

I completely agree with this, though I understand less of the circuit than you. The truth is that is why I believe that the actual volume you play varies so much to get to the same place on different amps. Wizards get to that place a lot faster than most circuits.

That being said, A lot of the amps keep that sweet spot a lot higher on the master despite getting there at lower volume. That is why I mostly play at 107-112 dbs. That is a safe range for most of the modern amps to sound great at.

Yeah some of that has to do with bias, how hot the tubes run, and how much that preamps pushes the power section as well.


Depending on the give and take between those factors kind of determines the "sweet spot" of an amp IME. Boost help of course but it's Best to get a feel for that and the relation between the preamp and the power section and the Best way to do that is to Open an amp up volume wise IME.

 

[DanTravis62]

Maybe I do need to check one out again.... And it sounds dumb but Id probably try something like a DS1 goosed with an SD1 and use the DS1 as a faux attenuator or something....... Like training wheels but yeah

Bro. No

This is the problem. No attenuation. you don't need 35 overdrive pedals

This is why everyone is saying you haven't actually experienced this before

There are some things like a 5150 type amp, that basically sound good at any volume, even lower because most of the goods are in the preamp section

This is not the case with an 800, or a hiwatt, or even an SLO in my opinion

You need to turn them up to like at least HALFWAY on the master volume, no distortion pedal allowed and just rip