Digging low-medium gain: What have I become?!

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fdesalvo

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I must be getting old(er).

Over the weekend, we had 2 outdoor shows, so I was able to really open up the Deuce. I had global output set to 12:00, clean set to about 9:00, and lead set to about 7:00 (I’m probably off, but am going off of memory). I was also using 100w, bold, and silicon diodes.

Before the show I decided to back off the gain, turning it to about 9:00 and engaging Tite Gain for the first time. I also lowered the JB bridge pickup in my guitar a few turns just for the hell of it.

This was also my first test run of a new BK Butler Tube Driver with the bias knob added. I set the gain on that to about 7:00 and the output almost full up with Low/High EQ around noon.

I engaged clean the clean channel (tite) and the Tube Driver. As soon as I hit an arpeggiated D chord, my bassist looked over at me in shock and I know I had the same look on my face. That pedal was what I was looking for in a gritty, edge of breakup tone. It sounds AMAZING through the Stiletto’s clean channel. I found that turning the gain up on it was less than desirable, but Andy Timmons found a way to do it for his live rig, and who’s going o argue with that guy’s tone? Not me. I'll experiement with that tone later, but for now I need it for a lil' grit.

The clean was uber spanky! Normally I run Fat mode, but I chose Tite and pushed the bass up a bit to compensate and it was gorgeous. I felt like I could actually solo in clean mode haha. It made me wish I had some single coils to play around with, but the JB/Jazz pickup in the second position of a 3-way toggle were just gorgeous!

The lead channel alone was very rich and defined. The band that played before us hung around and I noticed their guitarist (who had a phenomenal Brian Setzer tone working) checking out my rig. He came up and looked at my pedal board and gave me a smirk. I noticed that I lost an immediate fade-into-feedback condition with single notes, but what I lost on that end, I picked up in clarity, bite, cut, and just sheer godly tone.

My solos and rhythm playing took on an inspired form Friday night and I owe it to my rig and new found appreciation for lower gain settings. The Deuce was just absolutely juicy. I was injected with a new found confidence and my solos took on a life of their own, as I found a sudden ability to improvise.

This amp is just magical and I was able to recreate this tone again yesterday morning with a few tweaks. We played with our cabs unmic’d and I wasn’t able to hear myself during the show, but I knew the tone was still there. It wasn’t as enjoyable for me b/c I couldn’t hear myself above the din of the vocals and drums; I had to use the force to get through haha.
 
Thanks for the weekend update. I like this kind of feedback even though I am not gigging these days. I am old(er). :lol: I did the classic rock cover thing for close to ten years and three or four of those years with the Stiletto. Your right about the lower gain settings, there are some great tones there. I use the Channel 1 Crunch mode mostly for what I play but there I do dial my gain up around 1:00 to 1:30. I have an old Expandora overdrive pedal that I use with the volume maxed and the gain and tone knobs set way low. So far it's might favorite sound I get from the amp.

I've always noticed this about my amp and maybe others have had the same experience. It seams like I have to play though it for around 20 - 30 minuets before it starts to sound the way I want it to sound. It goes from thin sounding to a nice thick blooming tone in that time frame. I understand that components are heating up to create this effect but I've never had it so pronounced with any other amp I've owned.
I know a few times when we were into our second set I've had to turn around and look and see if I was playing through the same amp it sounded so awesome. :lol:
Just wondering.
 
Riff Blister said:
I know, there was a lot of ear fatigue going on and lot of beer fatigue to go along with it. :wink:

Haha, I've just learned the musical feedback I've been enjoying that has been following me around everywhere I go is called Tinnitus!
 
guitarnut_1 said:
show us samples of this stiletto magic... :mrgreen:

what cab are you using bro?

I can't record her full glory at home, but will try to get some samples from our next show. I'm using a 4x12 laoded with G12K-100s. Very nice speakers with every amp I've run through them.
 
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