sort of a followup to my booster question, anyone have any ideas on what pedals would give a good eighties metal type distortion. along the lines of Iron Maiden's "Flash of the Blade" type of distortion. Cuz, Big Muff's are nice, but sometimes, its gotta be flashmetal.
The Obsidian with 2N7000 transistors.
The Dist.+ was a staple of alot of seventies and eighties metal. "Good enough for Randy Rhodes, good enough for us".
Check out the Marshall Guv'nor ( the original, not the little silver thing). Should be able to cover that material. General Guitar Gadgets has a schematic and layout.
Kerry M
hey fretwire.. randy only used it as a clean booster. he kept the gain from .5/1.5 and just used the output to od his amps. i would dobut if it even had enough dist to make the diodes clip.. but i could be wrong opn that.
but i have seen numerous clips of his pedal board and thats always were it was set. nearly wide open vol and almost zero gain.
i agreee with you ther bwansonic. the original guvnor pulls this off nicely.. i modded one for a friend and he fel in love with it.. i changed the first stage low roll off cap. to a .15 for a 482.5hz roll off.. and changed the second gain stage from a 10k resistor to a 6.8k to give it a boost of 100. andi am prety sure i changed the otuptu cap made it a little bigger and changed the treble cap from 4n to a 4n7 film.
great 80's metal..
Quote from: Ansilhey fretwire.. randy only used it as a clean booster. he kept the gain from .5/1.5 and just used the output to od his amps. i would dobut if it even had enough dist to make the diodes clip.. but i could be wrong opn that.
Could be. His Marshalls were modded for alot more gain. From interviews I always thought he used it to bump them up into od, but I didnt realize his dist. setting was so low. Either way, when you listen to him, he's still got that Dist.+ thin-bass sound.
Depending on the guitar/pickup/amp combo, every one will have a different setting for volume and gain. I think it sounds best on a dimed out amp, set to push it a little harder. You get the distortion, but your amp and guitar still retain their character. That's usually the best way to set any OD/Dist. pedal. Alot of people just dime out the dist. knob and the pedal takes over the amp's sound and sounds the same as a cheap practice amp.
Wasn't a lot of the 80s distortion sound produced by SS Peavy amps?
That's what I think of when someone says "80s distortion".
I always think of Lynard Skynard when I think of Peavy SS amps.
Finally! A reason why i got that Peavey! Thanks for the tips, I think I'll check out the Guv'nor, and hope it works. Thanks again!
what about this.. is this 80's ???
http://geocities.com/cemaynard1134/sound
sledgehammer
lol shameless plug time
Quote from: Fret WireI always think of Lynard Skynard when I think of Peavy SS amps.
Not to be argumentative but, the Peavey amps that Skynyrd used were tube models(Mace). I've also heard that the Peaveys were out front, but behind them were miked up Marshalls and Fenders.
Regards
RDV
Sounds eighties to me. Nice wah sound on "coldwind".
thanks. thats the modded bad horsie i did.. took a crybaby type wah and modded it to bad horsie 2 specs
I do love my old Peavey Bandit 65 though. It doesn't do the eighties distortion sound by itself though, but with a transistor Obsidian driving it it does!!
Regards
RDV
Quote from: RDVNot to be argumentative but, the Peavey amps that Skynyrd used were tube models(Mace). I've also heard that the Peaveys were out front, but behind them were miked up Marshalls and Fenders.
Regards
RDV
Really, I never knew the models they used. That's just the mental connection I always make. About 20 years ago I used to jam with a guy who was a die-hard Skynyrd fan, and he used to nail their stuff perfectly with his Peavy SS, so I always make the connection.
RDV: no problem, no argument or offense taken. I'd rather be corrected if I'm wrong than be humored. Typewriter agruments and 5 page flame threads aren't my cup of tea. I'm just here to learn how my favorite pedals work, and help others when I'm able.
Me too on all of that!!
I rather like Peavey SS amps and you can nail Lynyrd Skynyrd with one!
Regards
RDV
Hmm, Peavey SS is not what comes to mind when I think 80s Metal. I think Judas Priest , Twisted Sister, Cinderella, G&R, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, et al. Not a Peavey in sight as far as I know. Nothing against Peavey SS amps, just that I can't think of any signature 80s Metal that was recorded with them. Just listen to Robert Randolph if you want to hear glorious sounds come from a Peavey SS though.
Kerry M
I had a Renown - . it would pretty much NAIL the 'Ratt' rhythm tone...
pushing it with a DS-1 got a great 80's metal lead tone... if there is such a thing
"-)
was your renown "SCORPION EQUIPED" ? haha, love that sucker
is howies metal simplex meant to be an 80s metal pedal? ive got one, and it rips! ill record a sound sample if i could be bothered lugging my amp down the stairs tomorrow morinin... no wait ill use my firefly YAY!!
yeah so its a good pedal but is lacking in sustain but you can always stick an orange squeezer in there and even drive it a bit harder.
rock on
cheers
Jim
If I think of one pedal that defines 80's rock, it would have to be the RAT pedal. I still keep one in my gig bag as a backup.
I would say that Howie's Metal Simplex could get you that sound. I built one, too.
I said Peavey amps because a lot of the "heavy metal" bands I used to listen to seem to have EQ'd their stuff so that it sounds like Peavey SS distortion. I suppose most everyone was using Marshall stacks, at least that's all I seem to remember seeing in the videos...
something else I remember seeing, Paul, was in the local 'bargain trader'.. ads for empty marshall heads and cabinets.. LOTS of them..
Apparently bands would have one real amp on stage (or backstage) and a wall of empty cabinets for show..
thank goodness that's over.
"-)
Yeah, I remember seeing an Yngwie Malmsteen video once and he must have had like 24 marshall cabs and 12 heads or something. It looked impressive anyway.
I seem to remember Judas Priest and Iron Maiden with a wall of Marshalls, too.
Hi,
Quote from: Paul MarossyWasn't a lot of the 80s distortion sound produced by SS Peavy amps?
That's what I think of when someone says "80s distortion".
Quote from: RDVQuote from: Fret WireI always think of Lynard Skynard when I think of Peavy SS amps.
Not to be argumentative but, the Peavey amps that Skynyrd used were tube models(Mace). I've also heard that the Peaveys were out front, but behind them were miked up Marshalls and Fenders.
I have a Peavey Mace with two Black Widow speakers in it. Your both 1/2 right, it has a solid state preamp section and a very powerful tube output section with really excellent speakers. The beast is a very heavy 85 lbs, which is a real pain to lug around. Huge magnets on those speakers.
Personally I don't like the Preamp distortion. :( This is why I have being building much better distortion effects. The power amp has 6 6L6 power tubes for 160 watts. Guaranteed to annoy your neighbors or do some hearing damage if you crank it. I am using 4 6L6’s so mine is around 100 watts. Still too much power for the output tube distortion. I think it will sound its best in a stadium if you don’t overdrive the preamp section.
Running the amp clean is the best I have heard on any amp. :) The input switching is cool too as I can run two channels independently and they don’t interfere with each other. I have used the 2nd channel for a mike or other guitar or bass easily.
Regards,
Will
Wow! :shock:
SIX 6L6 tubes and 160 watts. That must cost a lot to re-tube that amp...
Actually, according to an article that I read not long ago, the only place where you can actually distinctly hear tubes is on the output section of an amplifier. Until I read that, I thought it was odd that Peavey had SS preamps with tube output sections. Maybe it's not so strange after all.
[/u]
Hence, my statement that they probably had Marshalls & Fenders miked up backstage.
Regards
RDV
Hi,
Quote from: Paul MarossyYeah, I remember seeing an Yngwie Malmsteen video once and he must have had like 24 marshall cabs and 12 heads or something. It looked impressive anyway.
I seem to remember Judas Priest and Iron Maiden with a wall of Marshalls, too.
I saw the G3 concert last year in Vancouver, Yngwie had 4 full stacks but only 2 of the 4 were turned on. It’s all for show as they hooked up a microphone and fed the signal into the 25' stack of PA speakers on each side of the stage. Very impressive and too loud. So loud it was hurting my ears :shock: and had a hard time following what he was doing musically. He must have flicked 100 picks into the audience during his show, not close enough to get one.
The best part of the show was when Joe Satarani, Steve Vai & Yngwie were jamming together. Yngwie only had 1 full stack on stage, still plenty loud enough. They did ZZ Top La Grange. Joe did a solo and ended on a continuous feedback note. Steve did a solo on top of Joe’s feedback and ended on a continuous feedback note a 5th above Joe's note. Then Yngwie did a whole bunch of classical rifts and arpeggios on top of Joe & Steve’s notes. That sounded great! :P
Regards,
Will
Sounds like quite a show!
As far as 80s sound goes I like a Distortion +, which can be made a bit more "hard" or "crunchy" with 1N400X diodes. My own pedal has a 1N4148 and a 1N4004 for a peck of extra crunch and a whiff of asymmetry. Considering how many other pedals I have, this one gets a fair bit of use. Although it's heavier/higher gain than most 80s stuff, I like the Blackfire enough to recommend it, too.
Im not a big SS fan, but i can remember playing through many Peavey SS and liked them. I now own a Peavey Triple XXX tube w 12ax7's i believe--they really came a long way on this--esp for the cash and what you get!!
A lot of people like that XXX amp. I don't know much about it myself.
Quote from: jimmyis howies metal simplex meant to be an 80s metal pedal? ive got one, and it rips! ill record a sound sample if i could be bothered lugging my amp down the stairs tomorrow morinin... no wait ill use my firefly YAY!!
Jim
Better yet, just make a clip of your Firefly! I'd love to hear it. :D
Doug
Quote from: MarkBsomething else I remember seeing, Paul, was in the local 'bargain trader'.. ads for empty marshall heads and cabinets.. LOTS of them..
Apparently bands would have one real amp on stage (or backstage) and a wall of empty cabinets for show..
thank goodness that's over.
"-)
I get a chuckle out of watching VH1 Classic "Heavy Metal" (or whatever they call it) from time to time. It's basically the "80's Hair Band Show" and most of them I've never heard of. (I guess a lot of them came and went pretty fast- POOF!)
Anyway, that's the whole story there- every video has the wall-o-marshalls, obviously for effect and "image". I'm guessing most, if not all of them are empty. Just add permed hair, leather, and a bunch of sleazy looking chicks hanging around, and you have the makings of a hair band. :D
Doug
Quote from: Paul MarossyWow! :shock:
SIX 6L6 tubes and 160 watts. That must cost a lot to re-tube that amp...
Actually, according to an article that I read not long ago, the only place where you can actually distinctly hear tubes is on the output section of an amplifier. Until I read that, I thought it was odd that Peavey had SS preamps with tube output sections. Maybe it's not so strange after all.
[/u]
Actually it makes a lot of sense- a lot more sense than the amps that have tube pres and SS power stages. I think with some of the finesse we've been able to achieve with some of our diy pedals, it would be fun to have an amp with a simple clean SS pre with flat EQ and a tube output stage. That could be a lot of fun.
Doug
I own a Peavey VTM 60 tube amp that was made in the late 80's I think. It sounds pretty good to me but I don't have a whole lot to compare it to as it is the only tube amp I have owned. I wonder if it is known for that 80's sound or what?
"Actually it makes a lot of sense- a lot more sense than the amps that have tube pres and SS power stages. I think with some of the finesse we've been able to achieve with some of our diy pedals, it would be fun to have an amp with a simple clean SS pre with flat EQ and a tube output stage. That could be a lot of fun."
Cool. Let's start designing one! :wink:
Maybe something with two mini-pentodes or something might be interesting. And you could add a switch to put it into triode mode, kind of like what the Seymour Duncan Convertible did.
Quote from: Doug HQuote from: Paul MarossyWow! :shock:
SIX 6L6 tubes and 160 watts. That must cost a lot to re-tube that amp...
Actually, according to an article that I read not long ago, the only place where you can actually distinctly hear tubes is on the output section of an amplifier. Until I read that, I thought it was odd that Peavey had SS preamps with tube output sections. Maybe it's not so strange after all.
[/u]
Actually it makes a lot of sense- a lot more sense than the amps that have tube pres and SS power stages. I think with some of the finesse we've been able to achieve with some of our diy pedals, it would be fun to have an amp with a simple clean SS pre with flat EQ and a tube output stage. That could be a lot of fun.
Doug
marshall anyone.. the hybrid amps.. they get pretty clean..
Quote from: Doug H
Actually it makes a lot of sense- a lot more sense than the amps that have tube pres and SS power stages. I think with some of the finesse we've been able to achieve with some of our diy pedals, it would be fun to have an amp with a simple clean SS pre with flat EQ and a tube output stage. That could be a lot of fun.
Some of the Music Man amps used this design. Before he went to Soldanos, Clapton was known to use these models.
Kerry M
I had one of the mace amps, it was just the head. I was using it on bass and it just didn't sound very good at all. Yes, the preamp distortion was horrible (think of the worst sounding pedal you ever built.... yeah, that's it) and trying to run straight to the power amp section didn't yield very much volume. My ampeg V4 was louder and sounded much better so I sold the Mace and stuck with the V4. Until it blew up about 4 times but that's another thread...
One thing i'll give to peavey: their stuff has always been dead reliable for me. I had a mark 4 bass head in my high school band and it was made in like '83 (it was 1995 at the time) and it took more abuse than i ever thought it would take. The mace was reliable as hell too... for the year that i had it.
righto ive got a soundclip of the metal simplex through a solid state fender frontman. i thought id do this to give you a better idea of the sound without driving my tubes too much so you know exactly what itll sound like.
chain went
Ibanez SA-something > metal simplex > fender frontman 15
the first bit is just mucking around on the neck pickup, short pause,then mucking around on the bridge pickup, short pause, then symphony of destruction by megadeth (i added a bit of flange to that), short pause, then the wicker man by iron maiden.
please excuse the playing however, its not my guitar, and its strung with zakk wylde signature boomers - the bass e and a strings are thicker than bass strings :shock: - so some of the playing is a bit dicky. and i think i overdrive my little computer mic a bit so in the low bits its a bit fuzzy.
so... who wants to host it?
cheers
Jim
P.S. i will gt around to recording my firefly once ive done a few bits and pieces to get it in tip top condition. like get a decent speaker and finally decide on a tonestack.
QuoteSome of the Music Man amps used this design. Before he went to Soldanos, Clapton was known to use these models.
Yeah, the Musicmans were made for clean pre and overdriven power tubes. Later Musicmans used a solid state pre, which probably doesn't make much difference, but mine has the trusty old 12AX7 in there. As well as Eric Clapton, BB King used the Musicmans. I was lucky that about 10 years ago my music teacher suggested one of these amps that he'd seen in the local music store. I didn't know one end of an amp from the other, but I took his advice. Glad I did. An interesting feature of some Musicmans is a "low power" switch, which halves the voltage and 1/4s the wattage. For home use, my 65W amp would be too much, but switched to 16W I can overdrive it nicely (as long as the family stay at the other end of the house). Great amp.
From what I remember all these Music Mans were NOT the same.
Quote from: AnsilQuote from: Doug HQuote from: Paul MarossyWow! :shock:
SIX 6L6 tubes and 160 watts. That must cost a lot to re-tube that amp...
Actually, according to an article that I read not long ago, the only place where you can actually distinctly hear tubes is on the output section of an amplifier. Until I read that, I thought it was odd that Peavey had SS preamps with tube output sections. Maybe it's not so strange after all.
[/u]
Actually it makes a lot of sense- a lot more sense than the amps that have tube pres and SS power stages. I think with some of the finesse we've been able to achieve with some of our diy pedals, it would be fun to have an amp with a simple clean SS pre with flat EQ and a tube output stage. That could be a lot of fun.
Doug
marshall anyone.. the hybrid amps.. they get pretty clean..
My understanding of the marshall hybrid stuff was they were tube pre's and SS power amps. At least the valvestate was (I thought...). But I haven't kept up with that stuff.
Doug
Quote from: Doug HQuote from: AnsilQuote from: Doug HQuote from: Paul MarossyWow! :shock:
SIX 6L6 tubes and 160 watts. That must cost a lot to re-tube that amp...
Actually, according to an article that I read not long ago, the only place where you can actually distinctly hear tubes is on the output section of an amplifier. Until I read that, I thought it was odd that Peavey had SS preamps with tube output sections. Maybe it's not so strange after all.
[/u]
Actually it makes a lot of sense- a lot more sense than the amps that have tube pres and SS power stages. I think with some of the finesse we've been able to achieve with some of our diy pedals, it would be fun to have an amp with a simple clean SS pre with flat EQ and a tube output stage. That could be a lot of fun.
Doug
marshall anyone.. the hybrid amps.. they get pretty clean..
My understanding of the marshall hybrid stuff was they were tube pre's and SS power amps. At least the valvestate was (I thought...). But I haven't kept up with that stuff.
Doug
oh no not the crapstate series. i was talking about hte these.. the artist series the 3203 and the older one with the transistor based preamp and the el84 poweramp