question about gear
I was wondering where you guys learned all about equipment. I'm still sort of clueless when it comes to the terms stacks, cabinets, effects loops, and the seemingly endless line of effect pedals/processors/boards/preamps(?) out there. Any advice on how I can learn about this stuff?
# 1
Learn as you go along. Weve all looked stupid at one time or anoter, I know i have, and still do on occasion. I ended up having to teach myself how to run my schools audio equipment, and by the end of the year I was lead sound technician, in charge of the whole setup for concerts.
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One The only way is one
I feel angry I feel helpless Want to change the world
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One The only way is one
I feel angry I feel helpless Want to change the world
One The only way is one
I feel angry I feel helpless Want to change the world
I feel angry I feel helpless Want to change the world
# 2
i still have my fair share of saying dumb stuff when it comes to equipment. But i'm learning a lot from you guys on the forum just by reading and listening to what you guys have to say it has really helped me out.
"Take my hand boss"
# 3
The best way to learn is to just listen. That's what this forum was designed for, and that's why I love it. I know a lot about equipment and pedals but there is a lot of stuff I don't know about and this forum helps me out a lot. But if you ever have any questions feel free to email me bro. That goes for everyone. If I don't know the answer I can easily get it, so ask me anything. And you don't have to ask just me either, there's a lot of mods' and hosts' that can help everyone out too.
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BadHorsie, holdin' it down like Gravity!
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BadHorsie, holdin' it down like Gravity!
Ain't nothin' but a Gear thang, baby!
# 4
Where do babies come from?
(lol)
(lol)
When attempting the impossible, you achieve the best possible
# 5
who put the bop in the bop-shoo-bop-shoo-bop, who put the ram in the ramma-lamma-ding-dong?
"Take my hand boss"
# 6
Cool thanks guys. May as well start with this question: what's a cabinet and a stack? Here's another... right now I have a 30watt Marshall amp. It's pretty small, and I'm assuming it's a solidstate as opposed to tube. What's the difference between tube and solidstate?
# 7
A cabinet usually has four 12" speakers when it comes to guitar. Although some have 10" speakers and some, like Dimebag Darrel's signature amp, have two 15" speakers. When you have one cabinet it's called a half stack. With that in mind I'm sure you can figure out what a full stack would be. Tube amps are driven with tubes opposed to electrical like solid state are. The difference is all in the tone. Some people prefer the tone of a tube amp, and some say that tube sound travels over a band much better than a solid state.
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BadHorsie, holdin' it down like Gravity!
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BadHorsie, holdin' it down like Gravity!
Ain't nothin' but a Gear thang, baby!
# 8
# 9
It was a misprint then. I'd love to have one of those warhead stacks. Imagine having 300 freaking watts of power at your fingertips!!
# 10
James,
A solid state amplifier uses transistors to amplify your guitar signal. Early transistor amplifiers produced a very clean, sterile sound that many guitar players didn't like. In addition, as you increase the signal to the amplifier by turning up your guitar, transistors clip the tops of the signal creating a fuzzy distortion. However, newer transistor amplifiers have a much warmer tone and are much less expensive than tube amplifiers. Don't forget - many of the distortion pedals use transistors to get the tones that players rave about.
Tube amplifiers use vacuum tubes (1930 - 50s technology) to amplify your signal. Tubes produce a richer, warmer sound and produce a very different distortion as you overdrive the amplifier. The distortion tends to flatten, rather than clip the signal peaks, which many players prefer. Tube amps are more expensive, though. There are not as many tube manufacturers and not nearly as much demand for tubes as when everyone had televisions and radios that used tubes. Tubes are expensive. A full retube of my 1965 Fender Super Reverb would cost more than many solid state amplifiers. Fortunately, tubes last a long time. Tube amps also use much higher voltages and use much more power than solid-state amps. For these reasons, tube amps require large power transformers and components that are rated for the higher voltages - this also raises the price.
You will also see hybrid amplifiers - these use tubes in the preamplifier and transistors for the power amplifier. You get a warmer sound than a pure solid-state amp, but save some bucks on the power amplifier.
A fairly recent arrival are modeling amplifiers. Modeling amps use a special computer chip called a Digital Signal Processor that emulates or "models" different amplifers and effects. Modeling amps aren't cheap, but you can get a truck-load of sounds for a lot less than a new Fender or Marshall tube amp.
To learn, keep asking. No one here had any knowledge when they started. There are a lot of great resources on the Internet, good magazines, and always, your local dealers. I know that sometimes I can save a few bucks by buying on-line, but I like to talk to someone and get to know them on a first-name basis. It's worth a few dollars to be able to trust someone's opinion.
A solid state amplifier uses transistors to amplify your guitar signal. Early transistor amplifiers produced a very clean, sterile sound that many guitar players didn't like. In addition, as you increase the signal to the amplifier by turning up your guitar, transistors clip the tops of the signal creating a fuzzy distortion. However, newer transistor amplifiers have a much warmer tone and are much less expensive than tube amplifiers. Don't forget - many of the distortion pedals use transistors to get the tones that players rave about.
Tube amplifiers use vacuum tubes (1930 - 50s technology) to amplify your signal. Tubes produce a richer, warmer sound and produce a very different distortion as you overdrive the amplifier. The distortion tends to flatten, rather than clip the signal peaks, which many players prefer. Tube amps are more expensive, though. There are not as many tube manufacturers and not nearly as much demand for tubes as when everyone had televisions and radios that used tubes. Tubes are expensive. A full retube of my 1965 Fender Super Reverb would cost more than many solid state amplifiers. Fortunately, tubes last a long time. Tube amps also use much higher voltages and use much more power than solid-state amps. For these reasons, tube amps require large power transformers and components that are rated for the higher voltages - this also raises the price.
You will also see hybrid amplifiers - these use tubes in the preamplifier and transistors for the power amplifier. You get a warmer sound than a pure solid-state amp, but save some bucks on the power amplifier.
A fairly recent arrival are modeling amplifiers. Modeling amps use a special computer chip called a Digital Signal Processor that emulates or "models" different amplifers and effects. Modeling amps aren't cheap, but you can get a truck-load of sounds for a lot less than a new Fender or Marshall tube amp.
To learn, keep asking. No one here had any knowledge when they started. There are a lot of great resources on the Internet, good magazines, and always, your local dealers. I know that sometimes I can save a few bucks by buying on-line, but I like to talk to someone and get to know them on a first-name basis. It's worth a few dollars to be able to trust someone's opinion.
# 11
