Power tube breakup

[Elbowselbows]

Looking to get a tone a friend of mine had.

He was using a 5150 through a Marshall mg cab. Volume maxed , lead channel, gain about 2 o'clock, mids slightly scooped. He plays hardcore and a bit of metal. The sound I'm after is a bit hard for me to describe . On sustained low power chords or bar chords it was like a grumbling osilating growl. Very bassy slapping distortion, if that makes any sense.

I love this sound!!!!! Like the amp is about to explode . I've spend too much money on gear and tube chasing this tone. Help!!! How can I get my mesa to sound like this???

 

[stephen sawall]

Maybe just buy a 5150 ?

Personally I am way more into poweramp overdrive than preamp distortion.... but use both ...

 

[mchn13]

Um might be the speaks in that mg slapping the frame. Volume maxed and gain at 2:00 on the lead channel??? Seems a little odd man.

 

[stephen sawall]

Um might be the speaks in that mg slapping the frame. Volume maxed and gain at 2:00 on the lead channel??? Seems a little odd man.

I thought the same thing ?

 

[Shark Diver]

Not going to be easy to get a Mesa to sound like a Soldano clone.

Have you plugged your amp into his rig? That would be a good start to see if the amp can even get there.

 

[Elbowselbows]

Yeah, I'll have to go over an play his rig and see if I can get it, I've bought some petals and a different peavey head to try and get it but with no success.

Maybe a fuzz pedal??

 

[Anonymous]

volume MAXED? sounds a bit odd....not sure i'd be able to even be in the same room as that...my lead post on 3-4 is pretty heinous....around 6, you're not even getting anymore volume really.

you sure about this?

 

[BC Audio]

Could it be that he was on the clean channel at 2 o'clock? Or the lead channel on 2 (that's 2 of 10, as opposed to 2 o'clock)?

Power tube breakup is where it's at! I chased "that sound" for years. Many, many years. I always thought I needed more gain, but that wasn't it. When I finally heard it - and felt it - I was hooked. (For the anal: it's not just the power tubes alone, but the preamp and power section both breaking up in just the right combination that makes for a great sound.)

IMHO, you can string a bunch of 12AX7 gain stages together until the cows come home, put a dozen dirt pedals in front, but you still won't get that sound without overdriving the power tubes.

 

[jerrydyer]

funy thing is, most people dont know that the majority of what they here is the PI 12ax7... at least thats the case on most traditional and modded traditional circuits. it is technically power SECTION distortion...... aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh... light bulb moment for some ? ? ?

 

[BC Audio]

...the majority of what they here is the PI 12ax7...

I disagree. I've played with this stuff a lot, isolating each stage, overdriving one without the others, etc. I can tell you, the majority of what you are hearing is NOT the PI tube.

 

[jerrydyer]

you left out part of my quote.
let me clarify. most of what people hear when THEY THINK they are hearing power tube distortion is usually the PI tube.

 

[Anonymous]

Could it be that he was on the clean channel at 2 o'clock? Or the lead channel on 2 (that's 2 of 10, as opposed to 2 o'clock)?

Power tube breakup is where it's at! I chased "that sound" for years. Many, many years. I always thought I needed more gain, but that wasn't it. When I finally heard it - and felt it - I was hooked. (For the anal: it's not just the power tubes alone, but the preamp and power section both breaking up in just the right combination that makes for a great sound.)

IMHO, you can string a bunch of 12AX7 gain stages together until the cows come home, put a dozen dirt pedals in front, but you still won't get that sound without overdriving the power tubes.

you've gotta push a 5150 SUPER LOUD to get that power tube distortion....they just weren't designed "stocK" for that. the distortion is preamp based, and was designed that way....

i think at this point, OP needs to clarify.

 

[BC Audio]

...the distortion is preamp based, and was designed that way...

Like most amps these days. What a shame.

The current design strikes me as odd, considering EVH originally got his sound with a cranked non-MV amp, and now he's gone the other way. Not that I would argue with him.

 

[Anonymous]

it was based off of an SLO to some degree . hot preamp, cold power. they can be warmed up though. my next set of tubes is going to be a set that breaks up early just to see how they sound in some of my amps.