Modding a superlead into a Van Halen 1 machine (sounds very close)

[napalmdeath]

I’m still wondering what one does if they actually nail the tone? Have a drink? Smoke a cigar? Jerk off?

Probably jerk off first, then post on R/T about it.

 

[japetus]

Probably jerk off first, then post on R/T about it.

 

[Amp_chaser]

You’ll probably thin out the gain too much and lose good harmonic content. Are you using diodes in this clip?

So you’re running 3 gain stages here? I mean, if that’s the case, that’s why too much gain.

Your PI voltage may be low as well. That’ll make the amp more gainy.

These are all uneducated guesses without knowing the actual circuit.

I mean it has no extra tube and no plate fed tone stack. I know it sounds weird but it's that weird cathode mod that boosts the gain off the charts threw the fat cap... If i remove that mod the sound becomes more like a normal plexi with dull punch and tons of clipping. The issue is that i really have a hard time understanding how that mod affects tone so i don't know if it's really tweakable. I replicated it from a very old plexi gut shot. At first when i tried that mod it only increased the gain a little bit but when i added the fat cap things went off the charts. Perhaps should i go .68uf instead of the 330uf or find something in between ?

 

[Amp_chaser]

What pickup are you using ?

overwound paf 78 model 9k alnico 2.

 

[RedPlated]

I mean it has no extra tube and no plate fed tone stack. I know it sounds weird but it's that weird cathode mod that boosts the gain off the charts threw the fat cap... If i remove that mod the sound becomes more like a normal plexi with dull punch and tons of clipping. The issue is that i really have a hard time understanding how that mod affects tone so i don't know if it's really tweakable. I replicated it from a very old plexi gut shot. At first when i tried that mod it only increased the gain a little bit but when i added the fat cap things went off the charts. Perhaps should i go .68uf instead of the 330uf or find something in between ?

I get that there’s no extra tube, but if you’re cascading v1a into v1b, you have an extra gain stage over a stock plexi. And if you’re adding diodes on top of that, it’s just making it feel more compressed and saturated.

Try limiting the diodes by adding resistance between the diodes and ground. This is what I have on my amps, in the form of a pot, that allows you to vary the effect of the diodes.

What’s the “cathode mod” you are referencing? Sounds like it’s adding midrange, which is what you need to cut through the compression of diodes.

 

[marvcus]

I’m still wondering what one does if they actually nail the tone? Have a drink? Smoke a cigar? Jerk off?

Ha. I think everyone’s “nail the tone” is relative. When I played a fully cranked ‘69 Plexi with a Wolfgang and started playing VH, that was my “aha” moment.

Sounded dead on to me and with my drummer, too. Then it’s like, “ok, cool, so I got that in the bag.” Like beating Super Mario Bros for the first time.