M1-/M1-/H2 Atom tones

[GaryMcT]

I've been doing some recording tests at home to figure out how to record guitar.

This is my Atom (in my sig) straight into the Randall RM50B with the Top Boost (AC30) module along with a THD HotPlate on -16dB. Everything is at the same amp settings . .gain at about 10-11 o'clock, master at 3 o'clock. . just tweaking the guitar. The right side is close mic'd with an SM57, and the left side is an audio technica at822 stereo mic (just using one side) on the other side of the room. Both mics are plugged straight into an m-audio firewire 4-10 audio interface. I think you can really hear the power tubes cooking here with the hotplate. To my ear, the volume at -16db is almost still a little bit too loud to be practicing at home.

Excuse the playing. . . I'm a bit nervous about posting anything here with all the great players on here. I'm a hobbyist with guitar when I'm not staring at a computer monitor. :) Since there has been a lot of talk about M's getting single-coil tones, I figured I'd record what my Atom sounds like including some single-coil-like dirty tones.

http://home.comcast.net/~g.mctaggart/test.mp3

[olectric]

Great clip, Gary! I would have put all my money on most of those parts having been played on a Strat (especially that 7#9 chord a quarter of the way into the clip). You showed just how stratty and single coilish that M1- can really sound. And you did it WITH AN ATOM. Good work!

[sean]

Thanks for the clip Gary.There are some very convincing statish type tones with the M- pu's,even with an Atom.My Hollow Atom will have twin h'buckers(Ho1+ and Ho1-)with them being split in some poitions.I'm thinking about my next Tag already.Perhaps an Atom w/M-,M-,M3?Or A Cobra with the same pu's.Hmmm.......

[GaryMcT]

A hollow Atom with Ho1+ and Ho1- sounds great! The split 3rd position (split neck/split bridge) on that guitar is even more scooped than the equivalent position on an M/M/H Atom. (By the way, the 7#9 chord part is the neck M1- with a split H2 bridge, which is the 3rd position on an Atom.)

I think my next Atom will be the same config as the one you are getting, but with a bigsby! :) (Either that or an all M Atom, hmmm, or a Cobra? I can't decide. :) )

[Suriel Zayas]

Great clip, Gary! I would have put all my money on most of those parts having been played on a Strat (especially that 7#9 chord a quarter of the way into the clip). You showed just how stratty and single coilish that M1- can really sound. And you did it WITH AN ATOM. Good work!
+1 gary, i echo justin's comments on the stratty tones of the m1-, and that funky #9 was the straw that broke the camel's back. i find the m1- stratty, yet throatish (if there is such a word) with girth.

[sylvanshine]

Nothing to be nervous about there Gary...good stuff. A little muscial journey of classic guitar riffs from the 80's and 90's. You must have picked up that SRV when you lived back here in Texas. :)

I just bought a Brian May Vox AC30 at the Dallas Guitar Show and my Dr Z Airbrake is barely taking the edge off the volume. Do you find that the THD really gets you down to "bedroom level"? The specs say -70db is possible.

[Tremendo]

Cool! Great idea to hear the different sounds from the guitar, sans effects, verb, etc. I thought all the clips had one thing in common: all the strings came through clearly, never getting crowded or lost even with overdrive. That's one of the things I love about Andersons, the clarity and "lack of mushiness". And that Atom sounds awesome! Thanks!

[olectric]

You must have picked up that SRV when you lived back here in Texas. :)


SRV on an Atom. Can any other luthier say that they get *convincing* strat tones on a LP-styled instrument? I submit that they can not. Not with out Tom's Ms anyway.

In another thread, I wrote that the dual humbucker Cobra is, to me, the most versatile Andy I've played. But I think Gary's Atom has taken on that role instead. The sound that I'm missing with my Cobra is the quacky strat rhythm sound, which Gary can get with the neck M1- with the split bridge H2 in his Atom. I coulda swore that was pos 4 on a SSS strat.

[tom]

jay, i have a hot plate and it and the rest of them work differently with different amps. the -12 setting is where it starts to mess with things. the -16 and lower settings are quite a compromize, but i don't know how else you're going to get to that level. i ordered a power scaling kit for one of my amps, and will give that a try. you have to get inside the amp to install it, we'll see how it does.

[Suriel Zayas]

my thd doesn't know life beyond -8db, because my amps don't like it.

[GaryMcT]

Jay, I consider -16dB with my cranked amp to be just about the right "playing at home" level. Definitely louder than TV volume. It is loud enough that I really want to get a sound level meter to make sure I'm not damaging my ears. It's just loud enough that if I turn my studio monitors to play along with an mp3, it starts to get uncomfortably loud. For my amp, the tone switches on the hotplate seem to help at the -16dB setting, otherwise is sounds a bit dead compared to louder settings. I would never go lower than -16dB, and -16dB is definitely a compromise of low volume versus tone. The fine control knob should always be at 100%. The tone becomes instantly thin and buzzy if you lower it at all. In my experience, you are better off lowering the amp volume before touching the knob on the hot plate.

All in all, the hot plate is the best ~$300 I've spent in a LONG time. I'm no longer surpised when I go to practice and play at "playing with a drummer" volumes without the hot plate.

Tom, I'd love to hear how the power scaling stuff works for you. I really hope that something like this built into amps becomes more common.

[GaryMcT]

SRV on an Atom. Can any other luthier say that they get *convincing* strat tones on a LP-styled instrument? I submit that they can not. Not with out Tom's Ms anyway.

In another thread, I wrote that the dual humbucker Cobra is, to me, the most versatile Andy I've played. But I think Gary's Atom has taken on that role instead. The sound that I'm missing with my Cobra is the quacky strat rhythm sound, which Gary can get with the neck M1- with the split bridge H2 in his Atom. I coulda swore that was pos 4 on a SSS strat.

I suspect that you can get that with your Cobra (or at least an Atom with dual HBs.) I did the pepsi challenge with a dual HB Atom and my Atom and found the middle split position to be even more scooped and stratty on the dual HB Atom. The particular preamp module/amp that I recorded with really accentuates chimy-ness, which is one of the reasons that I like it.

[GaryMcT]

Nothing to be nervous about there Gary...good stuff. A little muscial journey of classic guitar riffs from the 80's and 90's. You must have picked up that SRV when you lived back here in Texas. :)

I just bought a Brian May Vox AC30 at the Dallas Guitar Show and my Dr Z Airbrake is barely taking the edge off the volume. Do you find that the THD really gets you down to "bedroom level"? The specs say -70db is possible.

What's a Brian May Vox AC30? Is that a signature model, or one that was owned by him? After playing through this Vox-ish module, it's hard to fight the urge to get a real AC30. :)

[olectric]

I suspect that you can get that with your Cobra (or at least an Atom with dual HBs.) I did the pepsi challenge with a dual HB Atom and my Atom and found the middle split position to be even more scooped and stratty on the dual HB Atom. The particular preamp module/amp that I recorded with really accentuates chimy-ness, which is one of the reasons that I like it.

To me, the middle split position on my Cobra sounds much more like a tele middle sound than a strat on 2 or 4. It is a REALLY great tone, though.

[GaryMcT]

To me, the middle split position on my Cobra sounds much more like a tele middle sound than a strat on 2 or 4. It is a REALLY great tone, though.

How do you like the 2nd and 4th positions on your Cobra?

I'm curious. . .a parallel bridge H2 sounds good on my Drop Top and Atom. . . has anyone experimented with parallel modes for the neck pickup by itself or bridge pickup by itself on a Cobra?

[olectric]

How do you like the 2nd and 4th positions on your Cobra?

I'm curious. . .a parallel bridge H2 sounds good on my Drop Top and Atom. . . has anyone experimented with parallel modes for the neck pickup by itself or bridge pickup by itself on a Cobra?

They're great; pos 2 sounds like pos 1 on a strat; pos 4 sounds like a tele. It's a great guitar; I can't wait to play it at my gig tonight!

[sylvanshine]

What's a Brian May Vox AC30? Is that a signature model, or one that was owned by him? After playing through this Vox-ish module, it's hard to fight the urge to get a real AC30. :)
Vox analyzed how Brian runs his vintage AC30s, striped it down to the basic sound, stuck in the same Deacy circuit that he runs as a treble boost and issued 500 of them globally in a limited edition signature model. It has a volume knob, boost on/off and that is it. The front panel is Power, Standby and one knob. Crazy. The billing on it is it's the best AC30 you've ever heard. It is a great sounding amp, just loud as hell. The unboosted sound is an AC30 normal channel, but the boost kicks in the Deacy circuit and you get classic Queen in a box, especially with out-of-phase settings. I was just up at Charley's and ran it with the Hotplate. It's great, no doubt. But I'm a 3 channel, effects loop, master volume, boo-teek high gain guy. Won't work as my main amp. I know I'll end up selling it.

[GaryMcT]

Vox analyzed how Brian runs his vintage AC30s, striped it down to the basic sound, stuck in the same Deacy circuit that he runs as a treble boost and issued 500 of them globally in a limited edition signature model. It has a volume knob, boost on/off and that is it. The front panel is Power, Standby and one knob. Crazy. The billing on it is it's the best AC30 you've ever heard. It is a great sounding amp, just loud as hell. The unboosted sound is an AC30 normal channel, but the boost kicks in the Deacy circuit and you get classic Queen in a box, especially with out-of-phase settings. I was just up at Charley's and ran it with the Hotplate. It's great, no doubt. But I'm a 3 channel, effects loop, master volume, boo-teek high gain guy. Won't work as my main amp. I know I'll end up selling it.

Hey, that's pretty cool! I'd like it better if they left all the usual knobs there with documentation for how Brian May sets it, added the Deacy circuit. and made more than 500. :) Would end up with a more versatile amp this way, and why wouldn't you want the option to kick in the Brian May sound if you wish? :)

Does Brian have one of these for his Queen for a Day gig?

What did you think about the volume levels with the hotplate?

[sylvanshine]

Hey, that's pretty cool! I'd like it better if they left all the usual knobs there with documentation for how Brian May sets it, added the Deacy circuit. and made more than 500. :) Would end up with a more versatile amp this way, and why wouldn't you want the option to kick in the Brian May sound if you wish? :)

Does Brian have one of these for his Queen for a Day gig?

What did you think about the volume levels with the hotplate?

Brian May dimes everything, so they just did it for you. For a more versatile AC30, get the CC. It's a lot cheaper. The BM street price is $2200.

I left mine with Brian to use at QFAD rehearsal tomorrow night. Just so he could put it through it's paces and report back. Unless he has to have it, it will be on the block Thursday.

Hotplate took the volume right down to usable. The bright switch saved it, otherwise it would have been too dark.

[mtucker]

i ordered a power scaling kit for one of my amps, and will give that a try. you have to get inside the amp to install it, we'll see how it does.
i'll be interested in hearing your impressions, tom -- a few years back, i picked up a used redbone special with an aftermarket installed power scaler, used it about 24 hours then packed and shipped to George (Alessandro) for removal ... George cussed for a week before he finally opened the amp to redo it for me .. *caveat emptor* check the quality of parts provided in the little bag before considering modding a prized amp of yours ..

[BoraBora]

Gary cool clip. Your playing and the tone of the Atom sounds fantastic. As others have said, the strat tones you pull off on the Atom are very convincing. :)

[GaryMcT]

Brian May dimes everything, so they just did it for you. For a more versatile AC30, get the CC. It's a lot cheaper. The BM street price is $2200.

I left mine with Brian to use at QFAD rehearsal tomorrow night. Just so he could put it through it's paces and report back. Unless he has to have it, it will be on the block Thursday.

Hotplate took the volume right down to usable. The bright switch saved it, otherwise it would have been too dark.

Is Deacy's circuit available as an external device? Or is it pretty similar to other treble boosters?

[GaryMcT]

Gary cool clip. Your playing and the tone of the Atom sounds fantastic. As others have said, the strat tones you pull off on the Atom are very convincing. :)

Thanks!

I guess posting clips on here isn't so scary afterall. :)

[enr1co]

You're too modest- your clips sound great!

e

[sylvanshine]

Is Deacy's circuit available as an external device? Or is it pretty similar to other treble boosters?
I'm pretty sure that the little white Vox that came out a couple of years ago was based on John's design. I heard that if you run that as a preamp into an AC30, that is how Brian did it. Again, just my recollection. Could be way off base. I would think any good treble booster would get you close. I think 75% of it is the out-of-phase pickups. Brian Harris cops the sound on a Drop Top T (and sometimes an Atom) in position 3 wired out-of-phase. He has a mini-switch that selects series or parallel. HN3 in the bridge and an H2 in the neck.

I came up with a mod that removes the need for the mini-switch and utilizes two positions I never used..2 and 4. So 2 became out-of-phase series and 4 became parallel. 1, 3 and 5 operate as usual.

It's fun to have those colors in your Crayon box, but I only pull it out in a band situation for a Led Zep tune we do.

[Janine Doubly]

Hey, that's pretty cool! I'd like it better if they left all the usual knobs there with documentation for how Brian May sets it, added the Deacy circuit. and made more than 500. Would end up with a more versatile amp this way, and why wouldn't you want the option to kick in the Brian May sound if you wish?


The Vox Brian May amp is a replica (with a treble boost circuit installed) of the AC30's Pete Cornish modified over the years for Brian. Check out this link to Pete's site for the whole run down of Brian's set up.

http://www.petecornish.co.uk/queen.html

As many of us all know, when it comes to adding (or removing circuitry) from an amp, the performance and thus the tone is altered. Its hard to put a "setting" on an amp, and then start adding extra knobs, switches, voicing mods, etc. without radically altering what happens tone-wise and electronically in an amp. If this weren't the case, we'd probably all be playing three channel amps. But, as evidenced by, many of us who choose single channel two or three knob amps for a reason; they sound and perform differently than multi channel amps. One approach is not better than the other, just different. Brian obviously has got tone, as witnessed by the lengths many of us (myself included) will go to get his sound. Its just a WAY different approach than most of us would go.

[sylvanshine]

Digitech is releasing a Brian May Artist series modeling pedal (like the Clapton, Hendrix, Donegan) later this year. Perhaps I'll be the 3 channel guy with the pedal.

[GaryMcT]

The Digitech Hendrix pedal sounds pretty horrific. Can Digitech make a good sounding pedal?

[Janine Doubly]

Or be the single channel amp with WAY too many pedals guy like me...There should be a new acronymn for us guys...PAS (pedal aquisition syndrome) or RHPB (ridiculously huge pedal board) or IJBAROIV (i.e. I just bought a roll of industrial Velcro)...

[GaryMcT]

I'm in between . . . I have a two channel amp (where I have 4 modules that can go in there) where I use one of the channels way more than the other, and a semi-ridiculous pedalboard with midi-switching, etc. and a single rack effect unit for the effects loop. I'd really rather just have an amp and a cable with a three channel amp (sparkly clean, mildly overdriven, super heavy), but U2 covers seem to be a popular thing to do. :)

[pipedwho]

Hi Gary, I'm bumping this for a repost of the original mp3 - it's no longer at the linked url.

From the descriptions so far, I'd love to hear the M1-s in action! :)