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Topic: Recording tone - steel guitar magic! |
Gerald Menke
From:
Stormville NY, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2011 7:29 am |
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Hey all,
I have been doing a fair amount of sessions lately, and of course been on the hunt for the "ideal" steel sound for the studio. My benchmark, like many of you is Lloyd's tone on "In Person", last night for the first time I did a session playing my 1969 Emmons through a '68 or '69 Fender Twin - I almost fell out of my Steel Seat when the engineer brought the mics up in the control room, there it was, a tone that was a combination of the Big E and Lloyd. Chimes sounded like someone ringing tiny bells, big voicings just sat right in there behind the vocal, what can I say, I was amazed. I have a VHT rack system, a couple of NV 400s, and some other reissue Fenders, but I couldn't imagine using anything else after hearing what we got last night. What a revelation.
I would really encourage anybody who's looking for a really intense steel tone, to try playing through an old Twin, by the way, I agree with the majority of those who've weighed in that the
"reissue" blackface twins are completely different beasts, I have owned a few, and put them in the "been there, done that" pile. I should also mention that I am using a Franklin pot pedal, after years of using Hiltons and Goodrichs, I am convinced that that sweet vintage thing we like on strings 3 and 5 is best gotten with a pot pedal.
All right you guys and dolls, love reading your posts, keep on pickin'! (Thanks Glen Suchan!)
Gerald Menke |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 3 Feb 2011 7:34 am
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What kind of speakers were in the Twin? I had a '69 Twin with JBL K-120s and it was magical, but many of the others I've played with stock speakers were nothing great.
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Last edited by Mike Neer on 3 Feb 2011 8:48 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2011 8:42 am
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My experience with the Twins is that without the K series JBL's they are nothing special. There's so many variable's just like swapping the speakers or using an extension cabinet and it's a whole new sound!
For example here's basically the same amp with a different set of speakers. Not at all the tone you speak of but a more vintage, warm sound:
http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Dual%20Showman/Fender%20Dual%20Showman.html
I have also ditched my Hilton (a great pedal) for a pot pedal. I don't like the sound of active pickups, buffer amps, active pedals being directly fed from the pickup. Putting active gear after the pedal seems to work out fine for me.
Anyhow, I agree that the twin amp is capable of many great and different things.
Greg |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2011 1:16 pm
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I believe that Lloyd's rental Twin for that album were the JBL/Fender D-120f's. I think that Buddy's Black Album was a stock Twin with stock speakers. Jimmy Day - Fender Tweed Pro with JBL D130, Tom Brumley - Fender Bassmans and Twins with JBL's, Jerry Byrd - Twin w/JBL's, Franklin - tubes, Hughey - tubes...
Tubes = Tone
Brad |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2011 1:53 pm
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"Tubes = Tone"
Eggs Ackley! I was so happy when I finally ditched that Nashville for a Twin! |
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Derrell Stephens
From:
Shreveport, La. USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2011 6:41 pm
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| I THINK BUDDY'S BLACK ALBUM WAS A EVANS HYBRID 300, BEST I RECALL. JOHN HUGHRY, JIMMY CRAWFORD & THE GANG HAD A BIG TIME ON WITCH'S BREW. |
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Jonathan Shacklock
From:
London, UK
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Posted 5 Feb 2011 9:08 am
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| Greg Cutshaw wrote: |
I have also ditched my Hilton (a great pedal) for a pot pedal. I don't like the sound of active pickups, buffer amps, active pedals being directly fed from the pickup. Putting active gear after the pedal seems to work out fine for me.
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Is it the tone change over the pot pedal's travel you guys prefer, or something else...? |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 5 Feb 2011 11:11 am
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I just like the tone of the pot pedal at any position. Very warm and no harsh highs.
The tone change with pedal position is not much of a factor for at least two reasons. First, for most of my playing the pedal is left very near or around a single position. Second the ear's frequency response is not fixed and actually varies with the sound level. The pedal can actually compensate for that. But the reasons for this don't really have to be quantified, just heard, to be enjoyed!
Greg |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 5 Feb 2011 11:16 am
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| I agree completely Greg! |
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Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
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Posted 5 Feb 2011 12:04 pm
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| I spent a bit of time at Buddy's house a few months back. He told me the the Black Album was not a Black Twin reverb but a "yellow" twin. I asked him if that was the white or cream 1960-1963 Twin amp. He said no to that. I asked him if was a tweed twin and he seemed to think that is what it was. |
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Tim Bridges
From:
Hoover, Alabama, USA
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Posted 7 Feb 2011 1:12 pm
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I have two old Twin's. One is the post BF SF (late 60's to very early 70's, no MV) with a D-130F; the second is a Ken Fox biased Twin (early 70's to mid 70's with MV) with a K-130. They both sound great, but diffeent. Nothing like tubes! Obviously, different circuitry (even slight) and different speakers. Makes a BIG difference.
On a second note, have any of you "pot" VP guys tried the Telonics pedal? Very impressive pedal! Granted, it has a walwart, but it also has presets for every steel VP imaginable, plus edit/save functions. If you haven't tried one, give it a chance. You just might like it! |
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