Name: Steve Kennedy
Email: steve@pacair.com
Subject: stop bashing the SS distortion!
Thread: 55
Time: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 02:54:12 GMT
Well, let me qualify my statements a bit better.
If you are using a single coil pickup (as on a Fender Stratocaster)with a 65 or 130 series amp and no gain ahead of the amp's input, then there is really insufficient gain (in my opinion)to really drive the amp's preamp to a decent level and the resulting distortion is not what I find enjoyable to listen to.
However, with the Master volume control maxed out, you CAN drive the output tubes into overload and THIS can sound fantastic by comparison!
If you use a gain device ahead of the preamp, you CAN overdrive the preamp section to produce some nice driving distortion sounds.
These sound even better if you use an "RD" series amp, as it has the higher gain built-in!
I used a Music Man 112RD-65 for 4 years as my ONLY amplifier when I was actively playing in a band in the late 70's/early 80's. This was primarily a ROCK band, so distortion was important! Back then, my guitars ALL had high-gain humbuckers so it was much easier to get a driving overdrive or distortion out the amp directly.
Steve