other gear includes:
-- Digitech Red Special Pedal
-- Digital Delay
-- Ibabnez Metal Pedal
-- Zoom Effects Board
john bodega · Member since
If I take a quick look around my room...
There's an Epiphone Casino (currently 5 strings... heh... tuned D G D F# A, sounds cool actually).
I have a Variax; an ugly, cheap feeling guitar, but the sounds have served me well in the year that I've owned it. It's even survived a couple of performances.
My main guitar, light of my life, is my Burns Red Special.
I own other guitars but can't be boned listing them.
The only amp I have is a Peavey Classic 30. I didn't even want to look at it when the guy in the store said 'Peavey', but this was really just blind prejudice and I'm glad I gave it a shot. It fit like a glove when I put my Red Special in for the first time, sounded magical. Well, more magical than anything that was in my price range at the time. My favourite sound at the moment is the Casino and the Peavey on their own. Little bit of crunch. The sound is to die for, I just wish I could sit down for long enough to write something worthy of it.... !
Haven't used my pedals much lately, but I have an ME-50, and then a Red Special Pedal that I got cheap from eBay. They've both been outlets for fun ideas, quirky stuff.. at the moment the only thing I do with the ME-50 is use it as part of the FX loop on the Peavey amp. Amp >> pedal >> back into the amp. Unbelievably I hadn't even tried that a couple of years ago (I COULD SMACK MYSELF for being a retard...) but with one of the less 'processed' sounding distortion settings, it has this crunch in the lower end that sounds badass. Regrettably the amp can't supply that on it's own... at least, not at the volume I'm limited to here.
The Red Special pedal is mostly gathering dust at the moment. I did use it for one recording so far, not Queen related at all. I was in a rush and it had a sound I was after.
There's more gear around.... acoustics, some neglected electrics... Fender Precision bass, which I love playing.
Micrówave · Member since
@ TQ
Nice amp. Don't see too many of those in good condition. Is it a funky color?
I believe CMW amps in Holland services these and are the ones to install the master volume upgrade, if you haven't done that.
Nice amp. Don't see too many of those in good condition. Is it a funky color?
I believe CMW amps in Holland services these and are the ones to install the master volume upgrade, if you haven't done that. [/QUOTE]
It's got a pretty good sound; 10" speaker, *great* spring reverb. Two channels with good EQ, and a tone-knob for the dirty channel (I don't use it much; it's a good distortion, but a little too grungy for my taste. The Metal End pedal gives more of a tube drive sound, as well as more compression). It's just regular black with a matted metal grill, so not too funky. I do occasionally toy with the idea of giving it a paint-job. I wouldn't dream of messing with the master volume; if I get any more power on that thing, I'm in serious trouble (I can safely play it in the range of 2.5 - 5.5. Below that, the sound gets understandably thin. Above 5.5, I start shattering windows).
I got it in a music store in Dordrecht a few years ago. The guy there told me that it was the best in that price range (up to 200 euros) they had, and after playing through a few amps (Hughes & Kettner Edition Blue, GLX, Roland Cube, Bogey and Vox Valvetronix), I agreed completely. I'm still amazed at the volume it produces. At 6 or 7, I get no clipping whatsoever, but can easily keep up with the loudest drummers.
Bigfish · Member since
I too own a red special - incredibly versatile instrument even when not in Queen mode. It´s an original Burns from 2002, no. 514. Also have a ´Frankenstrat´which is made of a 60´s strat body with a Jap squire neck and duncan seymour pick ups fitted bridge and middle. I´ve kept the neck pick up - nothing like as neck pick up on a strat and if it´s not broke don´t fix it. I have a, now discontinued VOX AD120VT. For 120watts it´s not very loud but again very versatile - I don´t have to employ loads of expensive pedals. Also it looks órganic - black with blue shimmer front cloth. I don´t like the new vt´s much -all black and grey plastic. I´ve had valve amps in the past but got sick of valves - they don´t like cold, always blow at the wrong moment and replacing valves are 30€ a pop. Got a couple of electro acoustics, a yamaha 500 which is just so easy to play and a great live workhorse and a a washburn finished in walnut which looks beautiful but is not so easy to play. Added to that I´ve got a nice Aria Spanish guitar with pic up that I don´t play too much cos my girlfriends always pinching it and I´ve just started to play bass! I ´ve bought a cheap Ibanez which plays really nicely and I´m enjoying it. I´ve no bass amp but I put it staight into my Yamaha 1k mixer desk via a Zoom 507 effects box which among other things gives me compression so I don´t fuck my PA speakers - it sounds ok.
Cwazy little thing · Member since
Im packing a Red Special from after Brian's own company took over from Burns, 2006 wasnt it?
I've got a tiny little Marshall MG15 CDR, but recently got something that was a bit more gig capable, so the Vox AD50VT is my new toy.
I havent been able to work out getting good sounds for all purposes yet though sadly as I havent had much time to play with it. Think I've nailed a decent heavy rock sound, and getting a Metal sound is easy enough, but Im struggling to get the right tone/level of distortion/crunch for slightly lighter rock songs and bluesy stuff. Im not used to having so many knobs to play with!
Has anyone else found that because of the various pick up options and the distinctive tone of the Red Special it takes longer to get the guitar and amp to make the sounds you want them to?
Bigfish · Member since
For a good rock tone, use the bridge and middle pick ups only -in phase - i.e. both phase switches down or up. Switch off the neck pick up.
Bigfish · Member since
I just thought. If you´ve got a 50vt then you may have the same digital bank that I have on my 120vt. If they´ve left the banks alone then try Bank 1. Patch 4. That´s a great rock tone - select ac30 top boost as your amp model - try [i]tie your mother down[/i]. You´ll be impressed.
thomasquinn 32989 · Member since
[QUOTE]
[b]Cwazy little thing wrote: [/b]
but I'm struggling to get the right tone/level of distortion/crunch for slightly lighter rock songs and bluesy stuff. Im not used to having so many knobs to play with![/QUOTE]
Use light distortion/crunch for bluesy stuff and light rock. No more than 3-4 out of 10. Also, when playing blues(y), keep the highs down and the mids present (but don't overdo it). If it gets muddy, turn the bass down a bit, and make sure the mids aren't *too* loud.
When playing rhythm, limit yourself to the bridge pick-up, when playing lead, switch to the neck pick-up or both pick-ups, and turn the highs up a bit, and the low mids down.
Bigfish · Member since
The bridge pick up alone on the RS is not great. Too trebly and skinny. You´ll probably need centre and bridge for chords and lead if you´re going for that old school bri tone.
thomasquinn 32989 · Member since
[QUOTE]
[b]Bigfish wrote: [/b]
The bridge pick up alone on the RS is not great. Too trebly and skinny. You´ll probably need centre and bridge for chords and lead if you´re going for that old school bri tone.[/QUOTE]
I'm not familiar with the guitar, but what you say sounds perfectly feasible. However, "chords" and "rhythm guitar" are two separate things.
