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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2019 15:43:20 GMT
Perhaps I should stuff the Blackstar inside one of these?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2019 16:10:37 GMT
I don't think I ever play that far forward LeoThunder . I must admit I haven't thought about whether I do. Possibly if I want to feather a strum. Do you use fingers too? Not on guitar. My picking position has always been close to the neck, it's the sound I go for. I even play over the fingerboard. It is different on bass, which I play fingerstyle in a diagonal from the bridge pickup on B to somewhere well past the neck pick-up on F. On a 4 string, I'll be all over that P thing. I have seen how people place "finger ramps" between pick-ups for some unclear purpose. No idea what it's for. Come to think of it I do play over the fingerboard too, just not normally over the neck pickup. Perhaps the pickup being there has always put me off. Finger ramps? These are a new thing to me. Ideal on a Flying V perhaps?
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Post by sportyspice on Nov 8, 2019 16:24:24 GMT
Ok so based on your suggestions I read some about these modelling amps, and they do seem to make sense for my scenario (home/practice/studio). I have 2 questions:
1. Do solid state/tube amps offer any meaningful advantages for my purposes (home/practice), or will the modelling ones be pretty much better in every way for me? 2. How do these physical modelling amps compare to VST modelling amps (guitar rig, amplitube)? I'm assuming VSTs will sound better with all the computing power available to them, and all the tech packed in there with years of development. But correct me if I'm wrong.
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Post by LeoThunder on Nov 8, 2019 16:27:26 GMT
Not on guitar. My picking position has always been close to the neck, it's the sound I go for. I even play over the fingerboard. It is different on bass, which I play fingerstyle in a diagonal from the bridge pickup on B to somewhere well past the neck pick-up on F. On a 4 string, I'll be all over that P thing. I have seen how people place "finger ramps" between pick-ups for some unclear purpose. No idea what it's for. Come to think of it I do play over the fingerboard too, just not normally over the neck pickup. Perhaps the pickup being there has always put me off. Finger ramps? These are a new thing to me. Ideal on a Flying V perhaps? Keith Richards Telecaster was all scratched way beyond the neck pick-up. He's playing there too. The finger ramp is a piece of wood (or something) bridging the surface between pick-ups: The funny rationale of it is to have a consistent space between strings and whatever surface lies beneath. It is claimed to… help with a light touch. This is strange to me, touch is not related to space underneath… unless the player needs to hit something in order to learn not to hit it… I don't need that. I don't touch the pick-ups when plucking strings but I do have a light touch. My fingers almost hit or rebound on the strings rather than plucking them, stroke them in an upwards movement. I read how people claim they break bass strings when "digging in" and I wonder.
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Post by LeoThunder on Nov 8, 2019 16:37:56 GMT
Ok so based on your suggestions I read some about these modelling amps, and they do seem to make sense for my scenario (home/practice/studio). I have 2 questions: 1. Do solid state/tube amps offer any meaningful advantages for my purposes (home/practice), No. Modelling recreates the behaviour of tube amps. These are loved for the (originally unintended) way they distort guitar sound when pushed at high level. This is the reason why booster pedals were created and why still today people lay value on "high level" pick-ups that can "drive" an amp. All this is moot in the face of modelling that simulates it with all the precision modern computing power allows (meaning no one can hear a difference). Tube amp fans will of course claim the opposite. They are fans who want to love something. Tube amps need maintenance (replacing tubes) and will usually only reach their precious sound at volumes levels higher than any home use would allow. So tube fans buy expensive power attenuators that make the expensive beast manageable.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2019 17:02:37 GMT
As a learner you probably don't want to invest the sort of money a tube amp will cost you until you know that guitar playing is for you and what style you end up wanting to go for. Conversely if you decide it IS for you you may wish you hadn't made the false economy in the first place. It's an unknown call and a risk that we all have to judge for ourselves.
However, whilst a Blackstar ID:Core gets nowhere near a tube amp response to my playing (it also has tiny speakers and a little cabinet), it does give you lots of sounds to toy with very readily that may inspire you. In the end you may just settle on one or two of them all the time.
If and when you come to recording you may well find that Amplitube or something similar gets the sounds down as you want, I think I might prefer it to recording an ID:Core. I've never enjoyed the feel of playing or the resultant sound that this sort of direct approach results in though.
I have tried for years to record bass directly into the computer as it IS a very accepted trick, but I've never really felt settled doing it. Then the other day I enjoyed myself for the first time recording a Jazz bass through an amp into a Shure SM58 mic and seemed to get a great result. Many producers come up against this problem and will often let the player hear his amp and even mic it and record it but also take a direct line recording too. He may then only use the direct recording or blend the two.
All approaches are valid if they get the performance and the sound that you are shooting for.
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Post by LeoThunder on Nov 8, 2019 17:26:08 GMT
Conversely if you decide it IS for you you may wish you hadn't made the false economy in the first place. This is when I advise to buy used gear. Get something on the used market today and sell it for roughly the same price tomorrow instead of swallowing the loss from new to second hand. I even made (small) money on that Peavey Vypyr I tried out and didn't like. Amplifiers do not wear out unless badly mistreated. They are great second hand purchases. Guitars too, by the way.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2019 18:16:21 GMT
Every time! Well, of course there is the proviso that you can return stuff bought new if you really don't like it early on. That's why I bought the ID:Core new. The 40 watt wasn't good enough for the money so it went back and there were no second hand 10s available when they first came out!
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Post by LeoThunder on Nov 8, 2019 19:10:30 GMT
Well, of course there is the proviso that you can return stuff bought new if you really don't like it early on. Not good enough. If I like it, I'm stuck with a significant loss later from new down to some 60% in the good case. If I don't like my second hand stuff, I sell it further and on average my loss is shipping and ebay fee. It implies that I buy stuff people are likely to want too. It works best with the stuff everyone else buys: a black Strat', a Boss Katana, a Tubescreamer… but as long as you're not going into fully exotic stuff you get your buying price back if you can wait for it and paid something reasonable in the first place.
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Post by sportyspice on Nov 8, 2019 21:08:11 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2019 1:21:42 GMT
To be honest I just did a rehearsal tonight with no amp at all and intend to try it out live at our next residency gig late in November. Great thing about those gigs is that folks know they'll be a bit experimental and are guinea pigs for our sound ideas. Just used this pedal as an amp simulator last in my effects chain into a mixer and into the PA. Keyboards, rhythms and vocals went into the mixer too. I was very happy with the overall control and sound.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2019 1:28:44 GMT
When I see the Katana and some of those Fender amps against the Yamaha I can only think that the Yamaha would have to be something very special to justify the huge price.
I've gigged with a Katana 50 Mk I and, although it doesn't feel like a tube amp, it does the job. Lots of on board sounds which I don't use live but are handy when I'm feeling lazy at home. Also remarkably loud to play but remarkably quiet regarding hiss. I've left mine on for days by accident and not noticed. It would sell very easily too if you end up not being a guitarist.
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Post by LeoThunder on Nov 9, 2019 2:42:12 GMT
The idea of using a pedal or some sort of small pre-amp to feed into some existing, neutral amplification system is a good one. The amplification system could be the hi-fi in the living room. Why purchase boxes with speakers and redundant electronics? This Joyo thing is also available under the Harley Benton name for 30€ and replicates the sound of classic Fender amps. Anoter similar solution is to use a multi-effect "pedal". I have a VOX Stomplab and could be happy with just that, I'm sure. I have a Fender Mustang I V2 and love it but it is really only usable after editing all its presets through the PC application. It has a wealth of possibilities, just not all accessible through the amp's control panel. I think the Fender LT25 improves on this, providing the same wealth (plus some) and a complete panel interface. If I had to buy an amp now, I would probably go for the Fender Champion 20 which is much simpler but retains the necessary modelling capabilities with a sufficient set of effects and requires no computer connection. 20W is more than I need for home use.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2019 10:46:05 GMT
I played through a borrowed Fender Champion 40 at a gig the other night. Crikey that thing was loud. First time I've ever had feedback issues! It seemed to have a good clean sound and a tweakable reverb.
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Post by sportyspice on Nov 9, 2019 15:06:11 GMT
If I had to buy an amp now, I would probably go for the Fender Champion 20 which is much simpler but retains the necessary modelling capabilities with a sufficient set of effects and requires no computer connection. Any reason to get champion over the new LT25? Not much difference in price, and I get a lot more options to experiment with different sounds.
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