[Drew]

Hey Dave, from our conversation last night... If I'm running what'd be channel 3 on your recto with the channel at 9 o'clock and the gain at noon, how does that compare to the available gain range on the Brit mode of Channel 2? I'm still sort of toying with the idea of a Roadster upgrade.

[noodles]

Ch2/Brit with the gain wide open is comparable to Ch3/Vintage with the gain around 2/3. It is just voiced differently, with that upper midrange harmonic richness that Marshalls do so well. Also like a Marshall, diming the gain makes the feedback damn near uncontrollable. You really want to throw a pedal in front of one to make part of your gain, since...well, that is what you do with a Marshall.

If you're jonesing for a Marshall that bad, than you really want a Stiletto II. If you want a very versatile Mesa with a channel that thinks it's a Marshall, then one would do ya fine.

[Drew]

Cool, the gain on 2/3 is about as much as I'd ever need.

I need to get some playtime on both, really.

[noodles]

Well, it is a "clean" channel. You're not going to make any more gain than, say, a Plexi or a JMP. It is pretty modest, but with a pedal in front of it, you can hit 80s thrash levels.

Actually, it probably is what you are looking for gain wise.

[7 Strings of Hate]

Originally Posted by noodles

Also like a Marshall, diming the gain makes the feedback damn near uncontrollable. You really want to throw a pedal in front of one to make part of your gain, since...

thats excatly what i found works the best with my mesa too

[7 Dying Trees]

Originally Posted by noodles

I've had it for a little while, but I was lazy, and it just sort of sat around in my basement. I'm digging the sound of it. It works on your sound in the same way as a tube screamer, but it absolutely does not sound like a tube screamer. It isn't so shrill on the top end, and there is more of that mid grind. I'm now planning on using the DS-1 Joe modded me for leads, and this for rhythm. Yeah, my rig is gonna become even MORE complicated.

Why the DS-1? Is there something I don't know about it's magical powers for leads?

Although, it'd have to be switchable...............and in a rack.......a half U rack......
hmmmmm......

[noodles]

Originally Posted by 7 Dying Trees

Why the DS-1? Is there something I don't know about it's magical powers for leads?

I have no clue.

Basically, I told Joe what I wanted: a modded OD-1 to throw in front of the Plexi-ish Ch2/Brit on my Roadster, to give me that classic bay area thrash sound. I grew up on that stuff, and I wanted to get as close to the OD-1 --> Plexi/JCM800 sound as possible. Joe said the OD-1 is really just a modded tube screamer, with a different wave form. He suggested a DS-1, since it made a lot more gain and bottom end. I have no clue what he did to it, but the thing just sing for leads. It is round and thick, and for rhythm, has all of the drawbacks of that classic sound. I love it, and now I'm going to have to come up with a more complicated switching system that uses the Bloody Murder for rhythms and the DS-1 for leads. Dammit.

[noodles]

Originally Posted by Drew

Hey Dave, from our conversation last night... If I'm running what'd be channel 3 on your recto with the channel at 9 o'clock and the gain at noon, how does that compare to the available gain range on the Brit mode of Channel 2? I'm still sort of toying with the idea of a Roadster upgrade.

After practice Thursday, I discovered that Vintage mode is not for me. It sounds fucking awesome, but you need to crank the shit out of the amp to really get it to respond. Since Mike won't let me bury the drummer with the amp halfway up, I'm kinda stuck using modern.

So, I wound up with something around here: presence 2:00, bass 10:30, mid 3:00, treble 9:00, gain 1:30. It sounds fat, warm, and rounded, with a bell like quality to the highs. I bet it would sound amazing with single coils, but I only had my Sii-7 with me last night.

For what it's worth, Mike said you've stumbled upon Paul Reed Smith's preferred lead setting for Mesas.

[Plaschkes]

Damn... I need a Roadster.