EQ as boost to substitute master volume crappyness

Allright,for years I've been after the plexi sound without the redicoulous volume.I have an SL-X head that I've basically been running the the preamp way down to try and clean the cheap buzz out of it.Problem is it weakens my signal and I have to play twice as hard to compensate.I pick so hard to try and make up that I frequently grind my index fingers nail right off during a gig and break low E and A strings and I'm playing clean rock not punk or somthing.
I got to borrow a freinds EQ once and I used the level slider as a boost and this seemed to work well.I'm wondering what does everyone think of this runn the preamp to were the buzz is gone(preamp on 8.5 gain on 2.8 master on 5 or so)then run two EQs piggy backed both boosted one set flat just as a clean boost and the other contoured for tone and boosted also?
Its to the point now were I'm ready to just buy a 50w plexi and say **** it whoever don't like it can leave. I've never heard a good amp that had a master volume as much as I like the 2203/2204s evan they gotta be loud as **** to sound right and still have a faint cheap buzz.

[Edited by Guitar-Sam on 01-14-2004 at 05:47 AM]

OK I think I'm on to something here.I traded my BC Rich Mockingbird in today for a stage tuner and an MXR 6 band EQ.I only got to try it or about ten minutes on my amp,but I think its gonna work well.
So far I tried preamp on 8 and gain on 2 1/2 with the EQ shaped and it did pretty good but a little buzz.Then I cranked the preamp turned the gain to 1 1/2 and pegged ever slider on the EQ and it got alittle harsh but almost the distortion I want.I think between the preamp,gain sensitivity,master volume and MXR EQ I'm gonna get the right sound finally.
If I can get it at least as goode as a JCM800 I'll be satisfied.
And lemme tell ya finally with a little drive to the preamp I can turn up the master and get that huge Marshall roar.I couldn't befor cause I had to keep the preamp so far down to keep the BEE'S at bay that there was no signal for the power amp to amplify.

Short-term solution:
Get a Boss OD-1 pedal. This is a booster that is intended to create distorion by overdriving the input of the amp. In your case it will simply make up for the attenuation in your preamp. The pedal output can be adjusted over a wide range to dial-in just the amount of drive you need.

Long-term solution:
Haunt eBay, pawnshops, and and the used gear sections of as many music stores as you can get to. Your quest is to find a late-70's Ampeg VT-40. This is a 60 Watt 4x10" combo amp with a Master Volume. I bought my '76 as a flood-damaged salvage job, so I ended up building a new cab for it (1-15"). My point is, this amp sounds good enough that I was happy to put that kind of effort into rebuilding it. The adjustable input sensitivity allows you to control whether the preamp stays clean or gets overdriven. The pair of 7027A output tubes have a very smooth distortion characteristic that lets you sound good at fairly low volumes. Not 'practice-in-your-apartment-at-3:00-AM" kind of low volume, but certainly a lot less than the 'Voice OF God' 70 Watts available at full output. My non-master volume, 120 Watt, VT-22 isn't noticeably louder - it's just that it stays clean until it's loud enough to make your ears bleed.

Well how do people like slash get such a great tone with out these tools. Slash uses a marshall stack, Yamaha SPX90 for chorus/reverb, a boss DD4 for delay, and a MXR6 eq boost.

Slash isn't faced with the need to get good tone in a small club!

Exactly,if I could crank my amp I would just buy a plexi and peg it and smile till the end of time.But playing clubs my Marshall on 4 is max for the PA system without having to bring the band up around me to a volume were people can't enjoy it.Hell the loudest I've ever giged my amp was on 6.Don't forget slash is playing in auditoriums for 1000+ people not in a bar for 150 or less,not to mention on those bad nights were you only got 30 people in the bar theres no bodies to soak up the sound then I'm really screwed(OK maybe not just loud lol).
Anyway I'll look into the Ampeg thing,I've thought about trying old Orange heads too.I've evan thought about amp mods.I'd like to have one of the gain stages on a toggle switch or on its own seperate control pot,for if I ever want the added distorion.Basically the head I've got is the Factory hotrod version of the JCM800 2204 its got the mods that players used to add to there heads,added gain stage(4 12ax7s instead of 3),line outs,FX loop and a switchable volume boost.Its got the Drake transformers and factory EL34s(not 5881 conversion).

Sounds like you've put a lot of work into your rig. If you ever decide that you really want a Plexi, don't bother. Find a late-60s or early-70s Traynor YBA-1 (50 Watts)or a YBA-1A (100 Watts). You'll pay about US$300 for the same sound, and better construction quality.

I think you mentioned the Traynors befor to me.Are they master volume heads,what tubes do they use??Tell me about these a bit,I'm interested to know.
I've allways been a Marshall guy but could never get the sound with out pegging the obnoxious basterds to 10 with a clean preamp.Of course when I like the clean preamp dirty power amp sound it makes little sence that I bought a hi-gain model DUH!!

Since I already have the 'ultimate' amps of my dreams in the two Ampeg models that I own, I will risk letting the world know a heretofore little-known secret. Traynor amps, distributed by Yorkville Sound, were one of the best guitar or bass rigs this continent has ever been blessed with. Garnet was another magic lineup, but as usual, the ten-times-larger American market swamped these guys into undeserved oblivion.

That's where you, and eBay, come in. Check out some of the threads on here to see what I mean. In typical US ignorance of things that happen outside their borders, this fine line is relegated to "Miscellaneous American Amplifiers". Hah!

Seek out your sound, and remember always that the eyes play no part in this quest!