I just had to remind myself that a lot of thought, work and time goes into these videos. They come across as so natural.. and Mick's interest is so genuine.. it's honestly easy to think these videos just happen naturally as part of Mick's normal day.
Comparing clean tones of classic amps, why a pedal? Why a booster or buffer? Or anything else other than the amps for the comparison? Just the amps alone with different guitars surely is the true comparison?
The words "Cranked Marshall Plexi" in combination with TPS is enough for me to like the video before starting to watch. Oh you worldly pleasures of saturated goodness (even cleaned up)!
I reeeally like the Marshall cleans. Always have, and this is one more illustration for me of why I like it. Rolling off the volume on the gainy amp makes for a nice squish and frequency response (from what the video offers anyway - I'm sure the experience in the room is different). The buffer in the signal chain also makes for a nicer sound on either amp for me, it's a small thing to consider and yet makes up for that thing that could be missing from a 90% ready tone. Edit: this video format is appreciated. Smaller, just Mick (respecting the guidelines from your country), and a cool display of a subject. Well produced as always. I'd be happy with these for the forseeable future. Just wanted to affirm the appreciation for what you guys do.
Over the last few videos the super reverb has went from a clean benchmark kind of thing to being one of my favorite amps in the fleet. It just sings when it’s cranked, when it’s just breaking up, or with the right pedals and clean. So good. Excellent video Mick!
Trouble with the Marshall is the sheer amount of noise when used this way. The Fender is whisper quiet in comparison. I love both and have both kinds of amps but at the end of the day, for me, the Fender wins cleans easily. The Marshall wins dirt.
I'll agree, My amp is based on the Marshall circuit and I find myself needing a noise gate in the FX loop. I cannot justify purchasing a Fender, but I wouldn't mind having one.
Thanks for this, Mick! A good refresher can be every bit as good (sometimes better?) than new knowledge. Stay sane, stay safe! And please know, TPS is helping folks like me accomplish both of those things.
This episode is a great example of the kind of information that keeps me coming back to your show. I will never amass the amps, pedals and guitars to which you guys have access. So sharing your knowledge or providing context from your years of experience when you present an A/B experiment like this provides a great amount of information (for free) to anyone in the guitar community who care to take a look. I've long been a subscriber to your channel and will check out your merch when I can. For now please accept my heartfelt thanks and keep 'em coming!
I've been playing since I was a teenager and Dan (and Mick) continue to help me learn more nuance about tone, signal path and more. Thank you, brothers!
Bloody hell that Marshall sounds amazing! I'm gutted I sold mine now, I never was able to get on with the the hiss and extreme volume... Great tones and playing Mick.
Brilliant video! As Mick said, we all know about ‘cranked amp with guitar volume rolled down’ version of clean, but I was blown away with just how sparkly it was from the Plexi. However, when that Les Paul got plugged into the cranked Plexi, oh the joy!! What a sound.
Wonderful, you made that seem so simple, but we know how much work went into it. For me that Start into the plexi was producing some of my favourite tones I've heard on the show. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
There's not enough material on youtube on the BF Super Reverb. I'm not sure why; it's one of the few holy grails of amplifiers in terms of tone, if not the best ever. It's one of my dreams to own one someday. Loved the vid!
That smile @13:46 says it all. It's hard to get a better drive sound than a cranked Marshall Plexi and a Les Paul. Also, I love this kind of shorter-form video delving into a hyper-specific topic. Would love to see more like this (in addition to the long ones, not replacing them).
It’s funny, because I’ve heard you say over and over again, Mick, that you like amps with loads of headroom where you can get that pristine sound from your pedals without the artifacts of an amp starting to cave in, but I swear that every time I hear you play through a cranked (insert amp here), something even more special happens with your playing. It’s like that little kid comes out, playing the rig of his heroes and just letting loose! Great video! I’ve just recently fallen in love with the cleans of my Strat into my plexi somewhat cranked with the guitar volume rolled back. It’s a beautiful thing!
Hello Mario. I definitely have said the first half of that many times. I LOVE amps with loads of headroom, but the pristine sound from pedals thing not so much. I think I’ve always liked amps that are just overdriving before you hit them with the pedals. Then the combination of the pedals and the amp becomes this glorious harmonic thing. That said, as you’ve noticed, maybe the older the get, the more I’m enjoying that ‘just overdriving’ point. Nice! What’s interesting about big amps is that they can be overdriving but still have tons of dynamic and headroom. I think that’s what I like most. It’s all a journey, so expect to see more of this I think! Thanks for watching!
And after enjoying Mick feeding us with knowledge of our craft, clarifying the path to awesome tone, I get to play it all again like an EP. Thank you! Yes sir, I'd buy your album! ?
I love the idea of not picking a side, Mick, and instead knowing that it’s all about having options. I love my Budda Verbmaster 18W cranked on its High input (very Plexi/AC30-ish) when I’m alone in the house and can shake the walls - not so much when the fam is upstairs! Over the years, I’ve found the overdrives that can get me close to that at fam-friendly levels and they’re in the toolbox. One other aside - I have an EP Booster always-on at unity for the EQ shaping (I actually don’t enjoy it too much as a boost) - I’d never considered that part of that shaping will be because of some amount of buffering as well. I’m going to try my TC Spark Mini in that position at unity, just to see if it has similar effect. Keep breathing, keep going, we’ll all be back in rooms together before we know it.
@@mikeroadblock I only have the mini - haven't used it a lot in the past few years, and when I was, I was using it as a "more louder" boost, so I'll have to check to see if it can cut as well as boost.
Mick, the last thing I want to do is come across as an asskisser, but it’s important that you know just how many minds you’ve most definitely blown with this. In one foul swoop you’ve given not only one of the most comprehensible examples of a buffer in isolation but also somehow managed to provide an equally palatable explanation as to how these amps respond in context that will stick for most everyone. More still you’ve brought some genuine clarity to the much loathed Marshall/Fender clean debate and I suspect a serious number of viewers will walk away with much more of an open mind as a result. I truly hope those watching/learning never take for granted all that yourself and Dan do for the players and professionals out there.
Worth mentioning I got suggested to watch this and I'm such a rocker I was somehow offended that some people enjoy clean non chug tones on a guitar. I realized I was insane and thought I would share that with the world.
Mick, in my opinion you have a strat soul. Doesn't matter if you are playing this wonderful les paul, your playing screams STRATTTTTT! Beautiful playing, love to hear you. I kinda feel the same when playing other guitars, strats will always feel like home to me. Cheers from Brazil!
Really loved the Marshall cleaned up with the volume knob. Has a richness to it that I have never managed to get from a Fender amp (to my ears) and obviously very Hendrix/Frusciante when your up on the neck pup. Also have to say that this is where a good LP excels. Yeah, they sound incredible with everything at 10 and a well trodden A power chord but a good PAF repro, in the middle or neck position with the volume rolled off of an overdriven amp (Marshall or Tweed) gives so many subtle tones to explore. One of my favourite videos recently, thanks!
Getting very fancy with watching TPS these days. The thursday episode still caught me off guard, and now I'm enjoying it with Laphroaig and dark chocolate. That clean up from Marshall is something I never expected. Goes to show why you should actually play the classics like they were played. I can't say how enjoyable it is just to listen to guitar playing loud on two great loud amps. It didn't even have to be an episode with an educational theme.
Really glad you dove deeper into this after the Aynsley episode (which was killer all around, btw). I had the exact same questions and am now even more interested in trying this with my rig. Thanks for the inspiration as always. Be well TPS fam!
Reading the description is the key to not being confused or frustrated by this video. 🙂 This was brilliant! I tried the same thing with my setup and was thrilled with the dynamic range I got. A little noise trade off, but I can see balancing that out tweaking things over time.
Cheers Mick - glad you were able to put together some content amidst all this crap going on. I needed my TPS fix to keep me sane! In the meantime, can you PLEASE, PLEASE get some more Curt Mangan strings in stock in the TPS store as they’re now all sold out (just when I tried to order a dozen sets this morning!) 👍
Ive learned a lot watching TPS, this is the best advice yet and it scales to smaller amps. I have a Robert Keeley Supro and using this technique produces amazing tone. Thank you much!
Great video Mick! Thanks to you and Dan for keeping on keeping on during this latest lockdown. I love both clean sounds, different but both ace and both classics in their own right. I love playing into a cleanish amp with pedals but I also spent many years flicking the pickup switch on a Gibson from neck pickup on 5 to bridge pickup on 10 to switch between my "clean" and "lead" tones and loved that too! I just love it all :-)
Ideas for cheap lockdown episodes: - supercut of all the times Mick preempts viewer comments - supercut of all the times Dan looks sad because Mick doesn’t pick up his gag - supercut of all the times Dan can’t tell us what the amps are and Mick has to - massive compilation of all the times Dan almost pisses himself to death over Mick’s shenanigans - 2020 bloopers reel - a day on the GigRig shop floor - round-up of all the amps (because ALL the pedals would be a ridiculous ask) Just thinking out loud while watching old episodes. Thanks for all you do.
I know this video is 2 years old. However, I still want to comment as I really admire the dedication of you two guys in your quest for tone. I loved both the Fender and the Marshall amps. I thought that the Marshall cranked with the guitar volume backed off did yield some beautiful clean tones. Thanks!
I've got one of the "studio vintage" 20w/5w heads---incredible amp. One of my first, and enduring, impressions of it was that it is completely controllable from your guitar, just as you've demonstrated here. Amazing cleans, through "raging rock beast." Great job with this video.
Mick, coupled with Simon's masterclass with Dan last week, these have been my two most valuable TPS videos from a "feel" perspective. Mr Jarrett is a genius in terms of touch sensitivity, and having learned a massive whack of new techniques watching him talk about harmonics, your guide through the volume effect on those Strats has helped unlock my sonic feel for my own "blue". I loved the way the neck felt, but I couldn't figure out where that sweet spot was on the volume in terms of chime/spank, before I wanted a bit of grunt, without losing the top end and ending up in mudsville. Massive, massive high five for this one - you're making me a better player every week. Cheers! Al
Clean Fender is always my go to. And Mick's playing makes it sound so awesome! Much like Mick, I hate all the hum and buzz on a cranked Marshall with the guitar volume down, so I prefer the Fender for cleans.
Finally someone demonstrating how a Plexi can do wonderful cleans! I've had people calling me a fool for saying so, they really should watch this video. And this is coming from a "Super" guy btw, credit where credit is due.
I've been playing for 22 years... I bought a marshall origin 50 about a year ago "my first Marshall ever" to capture some Eric Johnson tones... I played mostly Stevie Ray Vaughan within that 22 years...I just tried this setup on the Marshall and it sounds better then any of my fender amps... I still can't believe how good the tone is... Adding my duellist pedal, ive got every SRV tone i want or as close as ill get... Im in awe.... Great video... Just great
The secret for great tones that so many are after.....is THIS. If you can get an amazing OD tone right from the amp that isn't so saturated to ruin dynamics in your playing, the clean sound that is hiding within just by dialing your signal back at the guitar will be livelier and more expressive than any other method....IMHO of course. Having the right boost in the chain is also a huge help...I designed one just for this purpose with a subtle voice control that takes advantage of what a good driven amp does to the sound.
I've been playing guitar since 1974 and I can state with confidence that my modified 1987x is one of the most musical amplifiers I've ever owned. The high sound pressure levels required to run it where it's "just right" is another story altogether! That said, no single amplifier can provide all the tones possible or required for a given job or song.
Mick, that harmony bend at 17:55 must be a signature lick of yours; I recognize it from the Official GigRig vid you did with Dan. You're a beast dude, humble af & an excellent guitarist. Appreciate you sharing your ups & downs, thanks for being real & keep up the great work with the show. Very informative & you guys both inspire
After watching a lot of Joe Bonamassa, I like to use my volume control for having that extra boost available on the guitar. Some great clean tones there Mick but I just want to hear that Les Paul into a cranked Marshall and even the Super again. Interesting video Mick which has produced even more questions haha
I wish that technique worked out better for me. Dialing back makes my guitar sound thin. Maybe I should use a boost/ preamp pedal. I almost always play straight through the amp.
Very interesting video Mick. I swear by the treble bleed circuit. Recently added them to all my guitars, even my SG with 50's wiring, and it has revolutionised my playing. Never used to touch the volume but now I use it all the time with no loss of clarity. A really cheap and effective solution. Keep up the good work.
Yeah I discuss that a little bit. I’ve never got on with them... maybe because I use pedals so much so there’s always some buffering going on, so the combination of the two - plus a crazy clean G3/G2 board - ends up being too zingy. But I know a lot of people love doing that way!
Hoo - bleedin' - ray! Long, long overdue, showing players how to use the guitar volume effectively. Been doing this for years, and it gives you miles more versatility. For the record, I prefer the Marshall.
Awesome, I love watching these Blogs you do Mick & Dan. Nothing better than hearing a cracked Amp clean.. and to have the confidence to play that loud too..
Eric Johnson is a great example of your conclusion. He uses amps cranked, he uses pedals for gain, and he rides the volume knob on his guitar constantly. If you watch him play, his pinky is almost always on it, it's part of what makes him such an expressive player I think.
Took me many years to discover that the “Fender clean-Marshall dirt” paradigm was not really my thing. Turns out I’m a “Marshall clean-Marshall dirt” guy. Appreciate this vid as few others out there give Marshall cleans their due. Well done!
Great video! Much like these guys I lean towards a clean (ish) amp to be a platform for my pedalboard. Funny enough, the finest tone I’ve ever had was running my board into a Marshall Bluesbreaker combo, however not cranked but running more like Mick is running his Fender Super Reverb in this video. I think Marshall has a glorious clean tone that is often overlooked. That being said, when able, there are not many more things more satisfying than standing in front of the Bluesbreaker, cranked to the hilt, with a Les Paul! If it sounds, but as importantly feels good, you’ve got it right!
Lot of conjecture about Jimi’s recorded clean tones... but the ears can tell when it’s the Marshall turned down I think. He remains my principle inspiration for all this stuff. HERO.
@@ThatPedalShow i read a quote from Jimi's manager saying that when recording Little Wing Jimi had to turn the volume down a lot on his guitar to get that clean sound, so that sounds like the marshall was probably used for that one at least.
You guys have a great channel. Very informative and you all are great players who know what other guitar players are wanting to hear. There’s nothing worse than listening to someone talk through the whole demo video or someone who is demoing a great piece of gear who is out of tune or can’t play. Bravo!.
They both sound fantastic. The aggresiveness of the Marshall is a testament to why it is a great Rock amp. For me, and I own both types of amps, I prefer the Super Reverb and if I could only have one amp the Super would be the one.
An exciting episode, thanks Mick! A part II with Dan's AC30 next to the SR and Marshall would be even more exciting and cover the whole FMV trinity! One of the unsung heroes of this TPS video, as well as many other great episodes, is the fantastic job you guys do with the micing. That would be a great episode (or even a mini series), if you'd share some of your expertise on mics, placement, mic mixing, etc.
I enjoy the sound of either guitar passing through the pedal, crisper and punchier. That said, in a band setting, a part of playing under the singer with a distorted amp is becoming less ‘present’ and I find that treble roll off to be a useful tool in achieving this. When it’s time for a solo the added treble upon bringing the guitar to 10 is a perceived boost in itself. Great topic, thanks!
When I moved to a loop switching rig, I had a lot of problems with high end loss that drove me insane. It took me a lot longer than it should've to figure out that it was a buffering issue easily solved by having an always on buffer after the output of the switcher. I've found what works for me and it is not conventional: guitar always on ten, correct pedal selection for gain that makes sense in context, volume pedal post gain, trailing always-on buffer, and ALL dynamics comes from the right hand. People like my tone, but they are stunned and think I'm handicapped when I tell them I never use the volume knob.
You've just blow my mind with this episode, Mick! Thank you so much! Today I came up with this very question, one week after Aynsley Lister episode. And BOOM, youtube advised me wih this new episode of TPS! Thanks to Aynsley I started to appreciate his approach for clean/dirty sound with volume on guitar, because I love his tone and his music so much ever since! I suppose there's some Walter Trout influence here, because Aynsley used to play with him on tours. Walter also uses cranked Mesa Boogie Mark V and volume on guitar to clean it up. I tend to like cranked Marshall for clean tone without buffer. I like this darker sound. And I appreciate the fact, that it gives less noise. Also the "tremolo" effect with volume knob sounds much more interesting and you have to do less work to make it sound good. Now I have to watch Kingsley episode, and Aynsley Lister twice. By the way, do you know if Lister's signature Rift amp is cathode biased therefore 35 Watts instead of 50 Watts? Dig it so much!
Hello Alexander, thanks for this. There’s such a colossal range of tones and textures in this approach for sure. Ayns is a master of it. And Walter... what a gent. I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple times over the years. Ayns’ amp. I’m not sure - Drop Rift a mail and I’m sure Chris will clarify. Cheers!
Watched this episode for the third time. Now being in love with Fender Super Reverb, thanks to Ronnie Earl mostly. Thank you, Mick, for demonstrating Super on 7. That's very close to how Ronnie Earl sets up his amp. I am so in love with Fender Super Reverb and tend to prefer it for everything since I realized that most of my heroes plays on it. Marshall also sounds magic and surprisingly close to that, but, noise... I suppose that 4x10 makes Super Reverb what it really is. I wonder how would Marshall sound with 4x10 open back cabinet... Would it be even closer to Super Reverb? Have you ever tried this?
Brilliant show, Mick. I like the clean sound from either amp. But the noise from the Marshall when not playing is a big negative for me. For the past several years, during sound check, I have set my guitar on 10, and then set the amp at the loudest I ever need it for the whole show. Then most of the show, I play with the guitar at 8 or less, so I get the clean tones that I want. But when I want more, with a little sly grin I give it the beans on the guitar. It's been kind of common sense to me, but I wasn't really aware of what was going on electrically.
Very interesting stuff Mick. I started gigging about twenty years ago using a Marshall TSL, but ended up buying a JCM800 and power brake. I was then forced to look for the clean sounds from the cranked Marshall. What an education. Great show about some less obvious sounds.
Always loved the "clean" tone of a driving amp and the guitar backed down! I'm doing that A LOT with my Bogner XTC! By the way, stellar tone as usual Mick! Cheers from Milano, Italy!
This video is a couple years old and just now giving me an “ah ha!” Moment. So many of the edge of breakup or slight crunch tones I love are a Marshall set to breakup with the volume backed off. I had been trying to get them other ways.
Ah those were the days. I really miss it. But wouldn’t go back. Ha! Too old. Mick here. Our van used the STINK after the load out every night! It was so weird when they lifted the ban. Pubs smelled of puke and piss instead of smoke. Ha!
@@ThatPedalShow it really is, this video has reminded me that it’s the sound of LPs and strats in a cooking Marshall that made me start learning guitar in the first place. Makes me wonder why I don’t own a LP a strat or a Marshall? Thanks for the video I’m going to find my lizzy and Hendrix albums
As soon as you put the reverb on into the loop of the Marshall I was sold! If only I could gig (not that we can gig atm) with that set up.... I didn't mind the sound of the buffer at all, think it added a bit more usability to using the volume knob on the guitar. Thought the boost ON was just a bit much. But let's face it every single one of the tones in this video would put me in a happy place ;-) Nicely done Mick
Really nice demo , I have a 72 SR and a modern Marshall (Origin 20) ... Love them both and the choice's they bring .. your demo showed the versatility of both
They both sound glorious but it’s Marshall for me. That Plexi sparkle is missing from my life. Mick, I’d love to see some exploration of using that Marshall as a pedal platform, everything going into the front. Thank you please x
Love this, Mick...my goodness, what a great simple display and reminder of the variance of color we can achieve. in opera, we speak of "messa di voce", which is basically loud/soft variance for emotional effect. This reminds me of that, somewhat, in that they are equal but different, i.e. different expression types or mods of the same SPL. They sounded different to the trained ear, sure, but even more-so they conveyed a similar thing with vastly different "feel" or "attitude". At least to me. With that noise, the 87 brings a ragged heart on the sleeve attitude, and the Super brings a more eloquent Sage telling a tale by the fire feel. Maybe I've had too much coffee, and am feeling too poetic, but...I loved it. Thanks.
@@ThatPedalShow I tried one of those QI Jack’s on your recommendation Not sure it sounds better (my brain thinks it heard something subtle but that’s probably just bias) but it’s definitely a more snug fit and I never get any crackle or superfluous noise when I’m moving around. So I’m a convert, have a spare coming too!
Now that is more like it, the stuff of legend... That kind of levels produce certain tones than bring things out of you that you will never find at other levels. Baptized in tone, and gain stacking, what a lovely way to spend time...👍🔥🎸🎼🙏
You produced some of my favorite tones I have heard on your show. Crank the amp, and use the pedal to nudge it in the right direction for clean and crunch. And some great examples of some classic amps. Awesome.
