Brown Sounds?

[sendep7]

not sure if this is already in another thread,

but anyone tried to coax some brown sounds out of their yjms?

would running a variac on this guy harm the solid state/digital electronics?

[surfnorthwest]

I wouldn't do that only because you can already cut the power down to 50 watts and still use the EPA. If you did I see no harm to the solid state booster.

The brown sound is something people always have a difficult time getting. Really the early VH tone is not at all hard to dial in on almost any Marshall. A good dose of gain with a little delay/reverb and a MXR phaser will get you there.

[Mats A]

From where do you get that gain on a Plexi Surf?

[sendep7]

diming the volumes...i can get some really nice warm distortion/crunch....just not at the VH levels of gain.

i acutully have the evh phase 90 as well as the evh flanger. and a mxr 10band i use to compensate for long cables....you can also up the volume as a sort of booster with it as well.

my lp classic has the most output out of all my guitars. but again, just cant seem to get that "holy crap the amp is dying" amount of distortion.

i think the booster on the yjm100 colors the sound of the amp a bit too much for my taste. i got a second hand boss sd-1 today, and its a bit warmer.

fwiw, i also have a wampler pinnacle, which sounds good. but it again, it sounds like an emulation of the brown sound.

im wondering if speakers are the key here? the g12t-75's might be too modern sounding.
maybe i should look for some old 25watt greenbacks. maybe build a custom 2x12 for brown sounds.

[surfnorthwest]

From where do you get that gain on a Plexi Surf?

Well you really only have two options, blow your ears out or use a pedal. I use a OD pedalm but many guys using these amps use something simply such as a SD-1.

[austinplayer]

I'm sorry if I should post this elsewhere or if the topic is covered elsewhere.

But pertinent to using an OD pedal to get distortion from a NMV Marshall without blowing your ears out, I am curious to read comments about the relationship between the OD pedal, the power tubes, and the overall volume.

For example, at any amp volume, does the OD only create distortion in the pre-amp section? Or, even at low amp volume, does some of the signal from the OD also impact the power tubes? Or does the OD signal impact the power tubes, if at all, only at high volumes. I have read comments such as OD's "slam the front end." I have assumed that's all they do. Hence the interest in attenuators (I have one but don't use it much) and power scaling (I am still looking for definitive commentary on that aspect of the YJM). I would like to think the OD has some influence on the power tubes at least at moderate (may 4 and up) amp volumes, but no basis for thinking so. Or knowledge of electronic circuits.

Off-point, but also: I like the clean Marshall tone, in addition to Marshall crunch and the more celebrated sounds. I have good Fender amps and a cool Gibson GA-30RV but I spend almost all my amp time plugged into the JH and the 1987X (with Mercury Mag stuff in it). Even playing quietly, and playing jazzy things to the extent of my limited ability, I love the sound.

Thanks for the forum and for any comments in response to this question.

[surlybastard]

Generally speaking, I think using an OD pedal running as a clean boost will only cause the preamp to break up. Unless you're running your master volume way up (say 6-7 or higher, but that depends on the amp) you won't be getting any power tube distortion. Unfortunately there's no easy way around having to turn the amp up loud to get that spongy overdrive the power tubes can give you. Attenuators are one way, but there's the tone loss associated with that.

[drewz120]

The boost on it does let you add alot of gain. I think that or like Surf said a good pedal.

[austinplayer]

Thanks for comments. I am trying to understand what the signal from an OD pedal (I use, among others, a Box of Rock and a Distortron) looks like after it leaves the preamp section and the arrives at the power tube section, how it interacts with the power tubes, and just how volume effects those tubes. Again, I got no electronic knowledge.

I bought a Class 5 with the low power switch the other day and I enjoy that. The low volume distortion is pleasing and I am glad to have it. Using a Java Boost thickens it too (boosting all frequencies). I'm still interested in power scaling though, to get power tube saturation above .1 and below the hot plate's louder zone.

[kissfanps]

per EVH, turn everything up until its dying and then back it off a little/

[Mats A]

If you turn the level on the OD up you get more preamp distortion if you don´t play the amp very loud you might also get some more power amp distortion. Still don´t believe that the OD pedal has much affect on the power amp. The OD pedal in itself distort the signal so instead of a clean signal from the guitar a distorted signal is going to the amp.