Got my Metroamp back!!

[Gainfreak]

I just spent 2 hours on the Metro forum and Ralle is now using the 2203 spec for the preamp in his '68 plexi. He swears it's the closest he's ever gotten (which is saying a TON) and he is certain that this is what Eddie had done to his amp. Coming from Ralle that blows me away.

Yeah, I think Ralle is convinced but there are a few others who have since gone back to his mod and to be honest with you, both sound kickass.
Also.... I don;t care what they say but what 2203 have you heard that ever sounded like that? Ive played an assload of them and never once stumbled upon a 2203 that had that sound. They are calling it a 2203 mod because of the specs but I there is lower filtering going in the amp and a few differences which has a lot to do with the sound, so calling it a 2203 is misleading IMHO

 

[philb]

Cool!

 

[ratter]

I just spent 2 hours on the Metro forum and Ralle is now using the 2203 spec for the preamp in his '68 plexi. He swears it's the closest he's ever gotten (which is saying a TON) and he is certain that this is what Eddie had done to his amp. Coming from Ralle that blows me away.

Yeah, I think Ralle is convinced but there are a few others who have since gone back to his mod and to be honest with you, both sound kickass.
Also.... I don;t care what they say but what 2203 have you heard that ever sounded like that? Ive played an assload of them and never once stumbled upon a 2203 that had that sound. They are calling it a 2203 mod because of the specs but I there is lower filtering going in the amp and a few differences which has a lot to do with the sound, so calling it a 2203 is misleading IMHO

Not to mention, unless you are running the same rig, start to finish, that EVH was, trying to nail down variables in the amp might land you different results. And everybody is going to hear things differently, too.

If you listen to the original song Ralle posted, that was better tone than VH1, IMO. That tone has been improved upon. Blues Saraceno in particular, took it a step further and improved it. Somebody needs to start cloning HIS amps!!

 

[Gainfreak]

Not to mention, unless you are running the same rig, start to finish, that EVH was, trying to nail down variables in the amp might land you different results. And everybody is going to hear things differently, too.

If you listen to the original song Ralle posted, that was better tone than VH1, IMO. That tone has been improved upon. Blues Saraceno in particular, took it a step further and improved it. Somebody needs to start cloning HIS amps!!

I totally hear you. My goal was to get into the Ballpark of that sound and not really nail it. To me it was the ultimate marshall sound back in the day and having something close to it is what I wanted. I actually prefer the VHII sound.

As far Saracenos sound is concerned, I absolutely love it and think it was a step in the right direction. The closest that I have heard to his tone without having to get a dirty boy amp with 70,000,000 Transformers was from the reinhardt 18 watter!! I swear that if Saraceno played through it with greenbacks, you could not tell the differance!!

Check it!!

 

[loudgtr]

Not to mention, unless you are running the same rig, start to finish, that EVH was, trying to nail down variables in the amp might land you different results. And everybody is going to hear things differently, too.

If you listen to the original song Ralle posted, that was better tone than VH1, IMO. That tone has been improved upon. Blues Saraceno in particular, took it a step further and improved it. Somebody needs to start cloning HIS amps!!

I totally hear you. My goal was to get into the Ballpark of that sound and not really nail it. To me it was the ultimate marshall sound back in the day and having something close to it is what I wanted. I actually prefer the VHII sound.

As far Saracenos sound is concerned, I absolutely love it and think it was a step in the right direction. The closest that I have heard to his tone without having to get a dirty boy amp with 70,000,000 Transformers was from the reinhardt 18 watter!! I swear that if Saraceno played through it with greenbacks, you could not tell the differance!!

Check it!!

Wow! Saraceno's tone was always mind blowing. I remember hearing the Plaid album for the first tme and thinking something along the lines of: that sounds better than VH. Sounds fuller and richer. Then the album Hairpick came along and you knew his sound was no accident. The boy knows tone... and a little about playing too

 

[Gainfreak]

Just my .02. A lot of the VH tone is in the Echoplex and Boss GE-10 and script phase 90. I can get super close with a stock Super Lead and those effects. Just going through the phase 90 gives off a VH tone. I read about people wanting true bypass while going for the VH sound and I laugh to myself.

Sup Brother Dave!!!
Most of the VH tone is in the lowered filtering and an added MV IMHO. I have done what you are saying for years when I was on VH kick and I never once came close. Now if you lower the filtering in your amp and hit it with a ge-10....game over.. You don't even need the Echoplex......but If you have a stock 1959 circuit.... no dice and I wont evern argue nor will any of teh guys like Rockstah and ralle

 

[Digital Jams]

Where is Mentoneman during this VH talk

 

[Gainfreak]

Where is Mentoneman during this VH talk

he is probably on a boat in the amazon shooting film of the very rare bubinga monkey

 

[Gainfreak]

I agree about the lower filtering. I use to lower the filtering in all of my Marshalls years ago... but I liked the punch of the higher filtering.

These clips sound pretty close (not exact) to VH and the amp is a 1974 SL. I think they sound closer to VH's live sound vs. recorded sound.
https://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemus ... dID=413460

Im not hearing it brother! To me it sounds like a Marshall with an EQ.

 

[tweed]

Where is Mentoneman during this VH talk

he is probably on a boat in the amazon shooting film of the very rare bubinga monkey

SSshhhhhhh!!! The bubinga monkey holds the rare secret to the VHII tone bro.

 

[Gainfreak]

Where is Mentoneman during this VH talk

he is probably on a boat in the amazon shooting film of the very rare bubinga monkey

SSshhhhhhh!!! The bubinga monkey holds the rare secret to the VHII tone bro.

I know, that's why I sent him .

 

[tweed]

I know, that's why I sent him .

You sneaky evil bastard!!!!

 

[Gainfreak]

I know, that's why I sent him .

You sneaky evil bastard!!!!

 

[Gainfreak]

Now I am gonna have to start tinkering with my Marshalls again

Dave!!
I have always wanted to start learning how to mod amps and I am seriously thinking about really cracking down and learning this stuff. (for the 7,000,000 time )
You already have a great handle on this crap and I think that you would have a ball tinkering again. One trip to the metro site is enough to fry ya brain and get you motivated They have some killer info there! I just heard Mark Camerons Jose Master volume clip and it just kills!! Mark is giving out some killer info which you can;t put a price on IMHO.

 

[Chubtone]

I just spent 2 hours on the Metro forum and Ralle is now using the 2203 spec for the preamp in his '68 plexi. He swears it's the closest he's ever gotten (which is saying a TON) and he is certain that this is what Eddie had done to his amp. Coming from Ralle that blows me away.

Yeah, I think Ralle is convinced but there are a few others who have since gone back to his mod and to be honest with you, both sound kickass.
Also.... I don;t care what they say but what 2203 have you heard that ever sounded like that? Ive played an assload of them and never once stumbled upon a 2203 that had that sound. They are calling it a 2203 mod because of the specs but I there is lower filtering going in the amp and a few differences which has a lot to do with the sound, so calling it a 2203 is misleading IMHO

Yes Ralph, no 2203 or 2204 I ever played sounded ANYTHING like that. Maybe with an overdrive AND an EQ you could get those gain levels. I listened to that Ralle clip last night where he is using the 2203 spec preamp and was just floored. But, all his clips have floored me. I think I picked up that it is the very first iteration of the 2203 and that very early on it was changed. I also think he and rockstah have done something to mod the 2203 away from stock. I really want a tone like that as my starting point and then tweak it from there. I don't even know one VH song all the way through. Heck, I don't even know if I know any of the riffs correctly.

I have 2 old stock Super Leads and don't want to mess with either of those. I'm thinking about building a ralle spec Metro amp but I don't want to get so into electronics like those guys on the board. I want to build it and PLAY it, not keep changing stuff every single day. It seems like a slippery slope. I've been reading that forum since rockstah was a total noob asking questions even I know the answer to. Now he's a guru and internet famous as one of THE guys nailing the early VH tone.

 

[Gainfreak]

Yes Ralph, no 2203 or 2204 I ever played sounded ANYTHING like that. Maybe with an overdrive AND an EQ you could get those gain levels. I listened to that Ralle clip last night where he is using the 2203 spec preamp and was just floored. But, all his clips have floored me. I think I picked up that it is the very first iteration of the 2203 and that very early on it was changed. I also think he and rockstah have done something to mod the 2203 away from stock. I really want a tone like that as my starting point and then tweak it from there. I don't even know one VH song all the way through. Heck, I don't even know if I know any of the riffs correctly.

I have 2 old stock Super Leads and don't want to mess with either of those. I'm thinking about building a ralle spec Metro amp but I don't want to get so into electronics like those guys on the board. I want to build it and PLAY it, not keep changing stuff every single day. It seems like a slippery slope. I've been reading that forum since rockstah was a total noob asking questions even I know the answer to. Now he's a guru and internet famous as one of THE guys nailing the early VH tone.

We have got to be related because Im the same way. To be honest with you, I don't know one single VH tune all the way through

What I have gathered is that the Rockstah 2203 spec is a 2203 spec with lowered filtering and you merge something in the preamp section to get the added grind and gain.

I think that I am going to take a shot and learn this stuff, so anything that I learn, I will pass on to you.

As far as your Stock sl's. I don't think that there is much to do other then lowering the filtering and adding teh tweaks. Mark has a link to a gif that shows the stuff you need to do.

 

[mentoneman]

i think i see the secret to eddie's tone!!! come back here!!!

maybe the aliens will share it with me, if i wait long enough...

 

[Gainfreak]

I was thinking about pulling the board out of my 2204 and creating a high gain amp based on Marshall design. I figured I could add another pre-amp tube and an effects loop. Or the alternative is to get a Metro amp kit and mod from there… I just hate spending the money since I am happy with my Mark III and IV.

Dave,
At that point I would think that it wouldn't be because you were unhappy with anything. I would think that you would be building the amp just to learn.
Sort of like a hobby and the end result might just kill!!

 

[ratter]

Yes Ralph, no 2203 or 2204 I ever played sounded ANYTHING like that. Maybe with an overdrive AND an EQ you could get those gain levels.

I don't know...because there are people who will swear up and down that no stock 'plexi' has enough gain for VH. My '72 super BASS (shared cathode) has more than enough gain for VHII, Fair Warning, etc. That's with no EQ, no OD, no MV, just hot pickups. You can't puss out with your right hand, but if you want more gain out of it, then you don't really want that sound, IMO.

I might be totally off base, but to my knowledge, even though the Ralle amp isn't a common stock config, there's nothing about it that couldn't have come stock on an amp from that era. In other words, there's no extra gain stages, cascading, etc.

Remember Ralph, you posted those Largo links? What did everybody say? OMG there's no gain! OMG it sounds like a single coil! I think everybody wants to believe that Eddie used modded gain to be able to pull off what he did, when the fact is that he attacks the shit out of the strings. As does the other guy I mentioned in this thread...

And as good as Rockstah's amp is....I happen to think his clip sounds great...but there are too many other variables to make the jump and say that since his amp sounds so VH that Eddie himself must have been using a 2203 type of preamp.

 

[Anonymous]

I really want a tone like that as my starting point and then tweak it from there. I don't even know one VH song all the way through. Heck, I don't even know if I know any of the riffs correctly.

I don't know any VH songs all the way through and I'm pretty sure I don't play any of the riffs right either, but I sure like that TONE!

Steve