Instruments - what do you play?

[CharlesB]

my old 19th century beetleback mandolin

1950s Kay jazzbox

my number 1

 

[$ally]

Nice mando, CharlesB.

 

[pgoat]

Charles those pics are making me smile....and drool!

what are you running the Tonemaster thru?

 

[CharlesB]

Charles those pics are making me smile....and drool!

what are you running the Tonemaster thru?

no longer have the tonemaster. Only piece i ever regret selling off. It's a DiMasi custom cab. Amazing cab. Literally the last cab Ill ever buy. They are made custom order by reknowned Les Paul refinisher Don Dimasi out in colorado. I've the 3rd ever made and the first ever sold commercially

 

[CharlesB]

actually my main amp for years has been a 1963 Gibson GA30RVT Invader tube combo.

 

[pgoat]

no longer have the tonemaster. Only piece i ever regret selling off. It's a DiMasi custom cab. Amazing cab. Literally the last cab Ill ever buy. They are made custom order by reknowned Les Paul refinisher Don Dimasi out in colorado. I've the 3rd ever made and the first ever sold commercially

Cool! A good cab is indeed worth hanging on to. I've had some nice 4x12s but no one really needs that kind of output anymore. I listened to my aching back and sold them a while ago.

Is the DiMasi a 2x12? What kind of Speakers?

I have been meaning to try some Celestion G12H30s for a long time now. I've tried Greenbacks (loved 'em but I blow them up) and Vintage 30s (a bit too modern sounding for me).

Believe or not my mainstay has been a Carvin 2x12 cab (front-loading) with a pair of Carvin-rebranded Eminence 100w speakers. They broke in really really nicely. They are supposed to be a poor man's Vintage 30 but I think they sound way better. One guy told me they were more like a cross between V30s and G12Hs (he owned both)....anyway the cab is woefully ugly (early 90s hair band look with gray fuzzy carpet covering), but who cares?

 

[CharlesB]

Cool! A good cab is indeed worth hanging on to. I've had some nice 4x12s but no one really needs that kind of output anymore. I listened to my aching back and sold them a while ago.

Is the DiMasi a 2x12? What kind of Speakers?

I have been meaning to try some Celestion G12H30s for a long time now. I've tried Greenbacks (loved 'em but I blow them up) and Vintage 30s (a bit too modern sounding for me).

Believe or not my mainstay has been a Carvin 2x12 cab (front-loading) with a pair of Carvin-rebranded Eminence 100w speakers. They broke in really really nicely. They are supposed to be a poor man's Vintage 30 but I think they sound way better. One guy told me they were more like a cross between V30s and G12Hs (he owned both)....anyway the cab is woefully ugly (early 90s hair band look with gray fuzzy carpet covering), but who cares?

The speakers are specially made Eminences just for DiMasi. Imagine a v30 with a rounded out mid section and a tougher cone that can take a higher load. I run a 68 Univox all tube 4 input plexi clone into it. I had the bass channel modded to a mastervolume and extra preamp tube and essentially turned in into a 70s marshall on one channel and a super clean bassman on the other ....its running on 4 6L6's with 5 12ax7 preamp tubes and hits about 80 watts CLEAN before the clean channel breaks up any

 

[AmateisGal]

I occasionally play the piano - by ear - and can't read music to save my life, even though I took lessons.

For that very reason, I played the snare drum in high school. Only girl in the group. Man, did we have fun - just me and the boys! I also carried the drum in the marching band. Maybe that's why I have so many neck problems - that sucker was heavy!lol

 

[Mike K.]

I used to play the drums, now I just play the radio.

 

[pgoat]

uhh.....were we separated at birth????

The speakers are specially made Eminences just for DiMasi. Imagine a v30 with a rounded out mid section and a tougher cone that can take a higher load. I run a 68 Univox all tube 4 input plexi clone into it. I had the bass channel modded to a mastervolume and extra preamp tube and essentially turned in into a 70s marshall on one channel and a super clean bassman on the other ....its running on 4 6L6's with 5 12ax7 preamp tubes and hits about 80 watts CLEAN before the clean channel breaks up any

wow, those speakers sound just like mine!

I am also a devout disciple of running gtr through the bass or lo gain channels of all my old tube heads - I've had Hiwatt DRs, Traynor YBAs, Marshall Super Leads and Fender Bassmans along those lines - and I much prefer that circuitry. I never had any major mods done although I usually swapped out the 12AT7 driver for a full 12AX7 preamp compliment. I did buy one of Tim Swartz' Fender mods once - nice amp!

If you have any sound files available I'd love to hear you play!

 

[LocktownDog]

my old 19th century beetleback mandolin

I've got one very similar, Charles. Love those old bowlbacks ... what a great sound. Mine has a small crack now near the bridge, so I don't keep it strung anymore. We figure its dated to the 1890s ... Italian model.

Richard

 

[CharlesB]

wow, those speakers sound just like mine!

I am also a devout disciple of running gtr through the bass or lo gain channels of all my old tube heads - I've had Hiwatt DRs, Traynor YBAs, Marshall Super Leads and Fender Bassmans along those lines - and I much prefer that circuitry. I never had any major mods done although I usually swapped out the 12AT7 driver for a full 12AX7 preamp compliment. I did buy one of Tim Swartz' Fender mods once - nice amp!

If you have any sound files available I'd love to hear you play!

im tempted to get one of those new Vox ac50 2 channel heads. Great chimey clean and a killer dirty channel. all i ever need is 2 channels anyways. its pretty swank and with 50 watts its enough clena headroom without over powering like a 100 watt head.

 

[pgoat]

I played a recent Vox (well, maybe about 5 yrs ago - it was a brand new 1x12 combo) and was very impressed by it.

I need to get a nice combo amp. I sold almost all my old amps. I only have two teeny amps for practice and a couple of heads with Master vols. so I can play at quieter levels, plus a couple of those Carvin 2x12 cabs. I am not so into loud anymore anyway - getting too old, and I've developed tinnitus over the last couple of decades...I'd rather not make it any worse. I do use earplugs now whenever I play with a drummer or go see a band play. Sure wish I'd done so all along....

 

[lookoutscj]

Guitar for over 30 years now; mostly traditional and bluegrass tunes these days with a good bit of jazz influence. One of my true pleasures in life and finally playing it on a Gibson Advanced Jumbo I searched for many years to find.
Kind Regards,
lookoutscj

 

[CharlesB]

I played a recent Vox (well, maybe about 5 yrs ago - it was a brand new 1x12 combo) and was very impressed by it.

I need to get a nice combo amp. I sold almost all my old amps. I only have two teeny amps for practice and a couple of heads with Master vols. so I can play at quieter levels, plus a couple of those Carvin 2x12 cabs. I am not so into loud anymore anyway - getting too old, and I've developed tinnitus over the last couple of decades...I'd rather not make it any worse. I do use earplugs now whenever I play with a drummer or go see a band play. Sure wish I'd done so all along....

which heads?

 

[Chas]

Tenor Sax
Bass Guitar & I can feel my way around the stand up bass when given enough time
guitar
piano
mandolin

 

[pgoat]

which heads?

I kept only two - not my faves of the bunch, but the most practical. I had all my stuff stashed at my mom's house, and when she finally sold the place and moved to Florida about 5 yrs ago, I had to get rid of all the big iron. So no more Non-master volume amps that can knock down walls for me...

I kept a Hiwatt 30w head that I bought new in the mid 80s. It's Sterling Imports, not the old Hylight Dave Reeves era. It sounds nothing like a 'real' Hiwatt. No Partridge trannies, and it doesn't look like an Underground map when you look at the wiring inside! (instead, it's the usual mess most amps other than Hiwatts are!). Having said that, it sounds pretty great! One channel, four EL84s. It actually sounds like a cross between a Vox AC30 and a Marshall to me (more on the Vox side when you use the power tubes). There's no clean sound to speak of and it is a fairly 'flat' or compressed tone, but it is amazing for grit, with chimey stuff on top.

I used to use that amp all the time, but once I hooked up with loud drummers I had to go to 100w heads. As I said, I am through with that stuff now, but I did keep a Soldano SL-60 (2 5881s). It is kinda like their current Hot Rod series, I think....only made a few years, I think partially or entirely in Asia, and they are obviously the poor man's Soldano. Two channels, but not switchable, which is fine with me as I am too clumsy for pedals anyway (I use the gtr vol to control that stuff). The hi-gain channel is pretty over the top with that fizzy 90s hair band sizzle - ugh.:rage: But the clean channel has plenty of grind and it sounds closer to that Tonemaster of yours than a British amp. Anyway, I kept that one to have a louder backup head just in case.

In addition to those two having master volumes, I kept them cause being newer amps they have effects loops. I never use pedals playing out, just a small rack with a reverb tank and a tuner. I tried the pedals once or twice - just more stuff to go wrong - which they almost always did....

Dang! I'm getting all hopped up to play now! When is the FL orchestra getting together???

 

[Blackjack]

Dang! I'm getting all hopped up to play now! When is the FL orchestra getting together???[/QUOTE]

Rehearsals start Monday. A good arranger and "chick" singer and were ready to roll.

 

[CharlesB]

Haha, I used to have a Soldano HotRod 50 head. Im tempted by those new Fender SuperSonics. 60 watts. if they can nail bassman cleans AND the gain channel can have a lil balls then I might be on board.

 

[pgoat]

sigh....I miss my old amps.....oh, wait - there a test of the emergency broadcasting system in my right ear again....never mind!

I haven't seen the Super Sonics....haven't set foot in a music store in a few years, actually......those places are deadly temptations for my wallet...