#34 tone profile -- too trebly?

[Slashwannabe1]

Thanks again for the feedback. I was most concerned about making sure that my amp was working properly. I went back and listened to the Illusion albums and Slash's #34 tone is right there. In retrospect, it almost seems as if his tone were hiding in plain sight. The AFD amp does a good job of replicating that #34 tone, but I to the uninitiated such as me, it is a little difficult to get used to. The tone works great for Slash's lead parts, layered as they are over top of the rich mixes featured on the Illusion album (including Izzy's chunky rhythms), but when played without accompaniment the tone doesn't seem to work as well for me. But I think it is growing on me and I love playing over the Illusion records with it! Thanks again for the feedback.

Hey please record some demos! :) Especially "Don't Damn Me" if you can! that song has my favorite distorted sound.

[DIDIER]

I have found there to be much less bottom and much more treble on the #34 setting and I am having a tough time getting used to it. In particular, I find it tough to play a single coil pickup through the #34 setting because it is so trebly. Rolling off the tone on the guitar definitely helps but I've never had to do that with any other amplifier. Are others running into this?

Same here, I got mine 3 days ago, and I can't get a good sound out of the #34 mode, it's so trebly, meatless and bottomless ...
I was planning on using the #34 mode for rythm and switching to the AFD mode for leads, but I find the #34 unusable.
And btw, I play a Gibson slash custom shop Les Paul with alnico II pro's pickups.
I tried replacing the stock Sovteks v2, v3, and v4 (12AX7's) with JJ's, and it got a little less harsh on the #34, but still unusable (almost like an outof phase sound, it's thin and trebly).

-- Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:56 am --

A lot of people that have marshalls modded to the #34 spec have complained about it being extremely bright. They tend to keep their presence and treble almost all the way down... This should be consistent with the afd 100 b/c it is the exact same mod. I would think that the juicing the powertubes should help

Even with a Les Paul and with the presence and treble controls alla the way down, it still doesn't sound good.

[gtrman]

Even with a Les Paul and with the presence and treble controls alla the way down, it still doesn't sound good.

Got my AFD yesterday so it's still new and raw for me but I believe the #34 to be an aquired taste.
It's bright but it's still a great Marshall tone.
The problem in my opinion is if you play the AFD and switches over the #34 sounds thin & lifeless.
Next time you play the amp start it up and go straight to the #34 - dial in an appropriate Eq to thicken the sound up a little - and play for awhile.

[Herbvis]

From what I have heard from people that have the afd100 and also have modded jcm800's with the #34 mod is that the #34 mode on the afd100 is inferior to their modded jcm800 with #34 mod. They have said they have a lot of trouble dialing it in and nailing the illusuins tones with the afd100. And that their modded 800s nail the 34 tone

[kissfanps]

i saw these videos and it kind of scared me. the afd sounds less ballsy than the 2555sl. i wonder if this an accurate representation.

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]

[gtrman]

i saw these videos and it kind of scared me. the afd sounds less ballsy than the 2555sl. i wonder if this an accurate representation.

I have both .. don't worry. They both sound great.
The 2555SL is a little more in your face and JCM800 kick ... the AFD is a little smoother and warmer ... it's hard to explain.
They do actually sound different but they both have their own tone and feel.
You will not regret getting the AFD !!!

[Mats A]

You shouldn´t pay much attention to all these homemade demos with handycams. You can never get a sound that makes the amp justice like that. Listen to the Slash launch demo.

And by the way why shouldn´t the 34 mode be the same? I mean Santiago could look at the actual amp so it must have been easy making an exact replica of the curcuit. And why should Slash have been satified since he has played this #34 amp for a long time. He must know how it should sound.

[noise5150]

Perhaps a bit off topic but since there is a discussion of Presence in this thread, recently I have turned the presence down on my DSL (almost off) and that also goes for my JMD. I have realized that I prefer the sound of the amps with it way down and I have even started to turn my treble control on both down usually less than half. I find this is especially true the louder I turn up the volume.

[Beck-Ola]

That's why there are tone controls!

For years I kind of felt that the treble and bass controls should always be up higher than 5 or at least in the middle. It just seemed wrong to have any of them turned down but since owning the JCM800 I learned to feel comfortable turning the presence and treble down some without guilt.

[kissfanps]

That's why there are tone controls!

For years I kind of felt that the treble and bass controls should always be up higher than 5 or at least in the middle. It just seemed wrong to have any of them turned down but since owning the JCM800 I learned to feel comfortable turning the presence and treble down some without guilt.

Ha! I've always felt the same way. I wonder why we do that. It must be some psychological crap.

[Mats A]

Think it´s that old Eddie Van Halen talk with all on 10! But since then i´ve read propably even he had settings and not all on 10.

[Steven Latch]

Coming from somebody who used to play backwars to the public to keep tapping "secret", installed a fake neck pickup on his early guitars, and told the press his stock marshall amps were modded, I would definitely take the "all on 10" think with a pinch of salt.

When it comes to settings, I would rather refer to what Malmsteen once said about how he evaluated his playing: "If if sounds good, it's good."

[Mats A]

Think i´ve read in some guitar mag back then that Slash used a Boss 6 band graphic to get his tone on Use Your Illusion. I think that tone is pretty awful by the way. Glad my AFD don´t sound like that.

[Slashwannabe1]

Think i´ve read in some guitar mag back then that Slash used a Boss 6 band graphic to get his tone on Use Your Illusion. I think that tone is pretty awful by the way. Glad my AFD don´t sound like that.

Ahhh man you're killing me! "Don't Damn Me" has epic tone! that song started me on the tone hunt!. His leads were so juicy on the song Coma as well and when it comes on in a Stereo that does it justice its an eargasm.

[Steven Latch]

completely agree on the "coma" solo. One great Marshall + Les Paul moment.