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Q: I have
P-project guitar (your signature model). If I play this one what amp
do you recommend? - from Nakamura
A: In my
opinion these guitars sound better going DI (direct input) through a
PA and not an amp. If you were using an amp I would recommend having
it at very low level to get the best sound. Any amp will do. Just make
sure you roll some of the low frequencies out to avoid a low hum.
Q: I
noticed that you have recently been using Mesa Boogie Lone Stars in
your rig. Are you getting your gain (distortion) from the amp's dirty
channel or are you using a distortion pedal to get your dirty sounds?
- from Andy
A: I use
both. The amp dirty sound is good for crunchy rhythm parts and the
pedal can be good for more modern 'moments' in the music.
Q: I am a
freelance session-player, and as such I have to play anything from
"straight-ahead" jazz to metal. What amplifier would you recommend for
versatility, I've heard a lot of good things about mesa F100's but I
haven't been able to find one. - from Nick
A: I find
Mesa Boogies to be the most versatile amplifiers but this is a matter
of taste. With these amps I can get the sound I want without thinking
too much.
Q: I've
read in several responses that you use Boogie Mark III amps and
occasionally an AC30. I've seen you several times in concert and have
a number of Sting DVDs, but don't see your amps on stage. Are you
running your amps off stage for stage-volume purposes? If so, any
thoughts on how you've done this successfully? - Dennis
A: I have
been placing my amps off-stage but keeping the cabinets behind me
(Mesa 2/12s). There is no particular reason other than perhaps trying
to keep the stage clean.
Q: I am a
touring professional guitarist/writer in Australia playing pop/funk
who has bought endless amps/pedals to get "that sound". It was with
great pleasure that I saw your board consisting of mostly Boss pedals
and resulting in a fantastic sound. I was so impressed that after
suffering the theft of all my equipment I have basically used your
gear set-up as a shopping list and bought a 100w Mesa MK III, Korg G1,
Boss HM2, etc... My question is (and I know it's "all in the fingers")
how do you utilise these otherwise average pedals with your amp to get
such a great sound? Specifically the dist./overdrive pedals - do you
run these against the clean signal on the amp or the dirty? Individual
settings would be incredibly helpful... - From Ruairidh
A: A lot
of people ask me about my sound. There are many factors involved. One
of the most important is the order you use the pedals. It's all down
to personal taste and experimenting. I am left footed so I have the
volume and wah on the left. But with this board I am free to change
the order at will without moving the pedals. It's all in the wiring.
Another important factor is the amp settings. Sometimes I use the amp
grunge and for more 'produced' sounds I use the Boss pedal. I am
always experimenting with different pedals. There is also a huge
difference with live and recording. But ultimately it's in the choice
of guitar and of course one's touch. For instance, Jeff Beck always
gets the same sound regardless of what he's using which is often just
a guitar and an amp. I hope this helps. Stay with it!
Q: Since
you use the Boogie Mark-III's, I've got a few questions regarding this
amp, your thoughts, etc... How many do you own?; Combo, Head, Both?;
Simulclass or non-Simulclass?; Red stripe, Blue stripe? The Mark-III's
have really great tone, but all the controls are very interactive -
meaning if you move one knob it seems to effect all the others (EQ-wise).
It takes a long time to dial in a good tone (but when you get it you
feel like Tony the Tiger). However, it seems that if you dial in a
good crunch tone the Lead doesn't sound very good. If you dial in a
good Lead tone, the Clean doesn't sound that great - there's a
difficult medium to find. What do you do to get that all around great
tone/sound on this amp that you get? What are your settings, and how
do you adjust for different sounds - I've never seen you run off stage
to dial in a different sound? - from Ian
A: A lot
of questions! I have three of these amps (one is a spare) which are
combos but I run them through two Mesa 2 by 12s. In the studio I use
them as they are but tend to only use one. You are right about the e.q.
knobs being very sensitive. If one were to think 0 to 10 for each band
width I would set it, starting from the left, to 3, 5, 4, 6 and 4 (or
thereabouts). This makes for a common denominator of tone that I need
for this particular show. In the studio I mess with the e.q. a lot to
achieve the desired tone. The dirty channel on these amps is, in my
opinion, the best one can get.
Q: How do
you "manage" volume on stage. Do you have your monitors set to exactly
how the band mix is heard in the auditorium so you can dial in a much
volume as necessary using your volume pedal? Or do you just have
enough volume in the monitors to hear what your playing and rely on
the PA engineers to control things in the mix. I guess my question is
how do you know where you are volume wise? I find this aspect really
difficult when playing live. - from David
A: To keep
my stage level where it needs to be I have my guitar coming out of my
monitors at the same level as they are from the amps. This stops me
from playing too loud. I also rely on the side-fills for an overall
mix of the band. The lower one's stage level the more control the
sound guy has out front.
Q: I'm a
Vox AC30 owner. I've seen you use this amp on some TV appearances.
Have you ever used this amp on a Sting recording? - From David
A:
Actually I did use an AC30 for the 'Soul Cages' album with Sting.
Great amp!
Q: Do you
know what the difference is between the Celestion vintage 25 watt
speaker and the Celestion vintage 30? I have a cabinet I want to put
different speakers in and everyone recommends the 30's. But I like how
certain players sound and they use the 25's. - From Richard
A: I think
the 25's sound better because they are smaller, enabling the player to
get a better all round sound without playing too loud. They are
somehow clearer yet have a better, dirty sound. Much like the Vox
AC30. But I am not an expert in speakers. I have always used the same
Mesa cabinets and they work for me.
Q: I'm
looking for a very versatile all tube combo. Can you tell me about
some good combo you already played in that you personally liked? I
like the Fender sound but I'm not quite sure about all the things in a
tube amp, there's the famous ruby riot that I like too! - from Joćo
A: I think
the most versatile amp is a Vox AC30. I hope you find one and if so,
you agree with me.
Q: What do
you set your primary knobs to get that great sound? Each knob is also
a push/pull, and each does so much - I can't seem to dial in the
Dominic setting! - from Ian
A: I need
to have the amp in front of me to know which settings I use. I do it
by feel and it varies from room to room. I change it a lot so there is
no 'superglue' setting. I will let you know when I do. I am glad you
are going for this amp as it is a great one. I hope you enjoy.
Q: I love
your sound, especially in live concerts with Sting, I love your
Stratocaster sound. How you do it? I mean clean chorus sound and also
distortion sound with nice space, for example in song 'Ain't No
Sunshine', this sound is my favourite. - from Peter
A: I am
glad you like my sound. I often use the dirty channel on my amp for
grunge and if I want it to sound clean I just play softer.
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