SGMAD Solo Clip - Tone Test

[lll]

To put it all in perspective; here's a long-time MetroAmp tone snob.. a circuit-correct SL100, a certified EVH geetar, variac, etc...

I mean, maybe it's just me... but this sounds like crap.

It sounds good (not great) for a plexi tone, but it doesn't have a shred of the Ted & Donn studio magic on the tone.

Seems to be missing that bite too.

All those douchefarts on Metro etc stupidly trying to get album tone in the room straight off the speaker cab.

Dumbfucks never realized you gotta "put the studio" in your tone if you want to sound like the album. That means DAW and appropriate plugins / outboard gear.

[lll]

Here's my amp variac'd maybe 5-6 years ago.

The amp wasn't quite the config I have now... more JTM50 spec (I had modded it to 1966 JTM45 specs - everything on the amp).

And the guitar is the same guitar I use now except back then I had a Bareknuckle VHII pickup.

This is actual speaker. The speaker is a 1x12 12" Celestion Alnico Gold. Mic is one SM57.

Had the amp cranked Ed style (Bass knob was prolly off though). speaker and mic was in bathroom (makeshift ISO booth )

No EQing in DAW just dry tone.

Used the real backing track. Added flanger in DAW manually (turned on/off).

[PLX]

..Some years ago, I was running a variac (then biased powertubes after dropping to 100V). Ran 100V, because anymore than that and the amp collapsed into mush.

I had to swap out the feedback resistor to be able to bias in 70% dis. range when dropping voltage

I heard and experienced the effect variac has.

About maybe 4 years ago I put everything back to stock. Mainly because my amp isn't just an EVH amp; I play so many other things.

So yeah, it's stock now. But I do think that having the tube rectifier in there gives it a little more squish than SS rect ..

I've been running this amp at 90VAC off the variac, and re-biased to correct 70% plate dissipation for many years.

To me, the amp isn't quite as stiff and unforgiving when running at that lower voltage.

The thing I remember about Gaustad's amp is that he has a custom PT in there.. so that's gonna affect what he's able to get away with. Whereas someone with a stock power transformer might not fare as well dialing a variac down to 68VAC.

[PLX]

Gawd Damn

Save some pussy for the rest of us !

[lll]

So this is a 2203 right?

I agree with Harddriver that the cascade thing/etc (not to mention totally different Rk/Ck in the preamp versus Plexi circuit) is a major issue. I believe you need a true, pure '68 / Plexi preamp circuit in there (IIRC 820 / .68 bright channel, and 820 / 250-330 normal channel - plus .68 or thereabouts on V2 for the gain boost). As far as preamp section goes... and the preamp is where everything about the tone originates from... Then get that PI cooking (cranked amp).


And IIRC you're working on a new 50 watt Plexi amp?

I would (if it were me) turn the 2203 back into a 100% 2203 (great Marshall amp IMO - 2203 has it's own mojo goin), and fuck with the 50W Plexi for doing the Edwardo thing.

[lll]

Forgot to mention my current amp settings:

Upper left input (of course), normal channel not involved (of course)

Everything on "10" except Bass OFF and Bright Channel volume at 9

[harddriver]

Here is a stock my 69 plexi build that I sold in 2019, built with all NOS parts, iskra resistors and NOS mustards, RS mica caps, 47pf Lemco dogbone PI cap. 50K midpot, V1A 820/330uf V1B 820/ .68ufPhilips Chicklet cap V2A 820/.68uf NOS mustard, 5000pf Mallory ceramic birght cap on a 1 meg push pull, Classictone Power transformer, Metro/Heyboer C1998 Dagnall clone output transformer. 47K on speaker jack so it's 16 or 8 ohms in the video. It's a stock two gain stages no crazy secret mods. Amp is using a Lar/Mar PPIMV. All stock 1969 higher filtering 50uf mains 50 screens, 50/50 preamp, 100uf PI. This amp is not variaced in the video it is the wall voltage and the amp is biased at 50% dissipation at 125VAC. I wanted this amp to be plug and play on wall voltage. Tubes are V1 Modern Tung Sol Reissue, V2 Chinese 8th generation, V3 Sylvania, EHX 6ca7 power tubes not EL34's.
Pickups used in the EVH is a Duncan 78 for the rock stuff the pickup is a mid 80's duncan Custom 14K and the boosr pedal is a SRB boutique SD-1 a little more bass response and less mid peak.

[lll]

DF official 12301 (100w '68 plexi) specs:

Split cathode V1a 250uF/820,V1b .68/820
All coupling caps are 0.022uF,Bright channel coupling cap is 0.0022uF

470k mixer resistors
500pf [red out of 69 amp] mixer bypass cap
Bypass cap on V2a is .68uF and a 220uf to 470uf
33k/560pF lemco tone stack combo
100k NFB resistor at 4 ohm tap
220k bias splitter resistors
0.1 uF cap on presence control
.022uf output couplers

filtering is
2] 100uf's f&t in series mains
2] 32uf's f&t in series screens
1]100uf lcr phase inverter
1] dual 33 x 33 f&t preamp

[lll]

I took some hi-res pics when I was in there this morning.

That's a beauty-ful thing. Wish I had the red phenolic board in mine (mine's ugly green glassy thing back when Metro was selling kits).

[PLX]

That's a beauty-ful thing. Wish I had the red phenolic board in mine (mine's ugly green glassy thing back when Metro was selling kits).

Thank you

I drilled and punched the turrets into that board by hand. I used a template Steve Miller gave me to do the layout.

That amp is like a garbage can of past and present mods.