How to get MODERN GAIN from your VINTAGE AMP | 3 Tips using these tools 

Glad you guys enjoyed the intro! I'll try to work in more of my weirdo humor in the future 😆 Check out the Warm Audio ODD Box at Sweetwater - sweetwater.sjv.io/xk5YJy

Daaaaamn! How friggin' epic is this intro?? Soaked in cat pee and shame needs to be a t-shirt!

How I miss the days of picking up these JMP 2203/2204 heads for $300-400 😪

Bro, you have taught me a lot today. I'm glad that the OCD pedal gets it's recognition it deserve. thanks Kyle.

Got myself my dream amp no more than a month ago, 1977 JMP. Had it retubed, looked over, its healthy, super clean, stock, couldnt be more stoked. Ordered a Hot Mod module for it and cant wait for it to rip. This video came at the right time, thank you!

Absolutely one of the best intros to start your video. I'm not sure how long you spent on the making of that, but, it was worth the time. Definitely put a smile on my face. Great job Kyle! Thanks for being you.

I was not expecting a narrative masterpiece to be at the beginning of this Kyle Bull video.

That was the best intro ever!!! 😂 😂 Amazing content as always, Kyle. I haven’t met a vintage Marshall yet that couldn’t get the brootz going with some decent pedals. Keep up the great work!😎

The part about playing death metal on my school dance really touched me. As a teenager I fantasized about something similar. PS: As a teenager I came across a Bugera V22 for dirt cheap, but I could not get it to chug. This vid would have been nice to see 10 years ago! haha

Having a '78 2203 myself, I can confirm that the OCD is generally the best drive for it when it comes to metal, for the reason mentioned regarding keeping the low end intact. The SD-1 is also a classic sound for the amp (very 80's). If you are going for super high gain tones, I find the amp sounds best through a Mesa Oversized 4x12 with V30s for a little extra thump. Close second is Mesa Black Shadows. It of course, sounds great through Greenbacks, but I find they are a little light in the lows and too fuzzy for metal.

I have a 79 jmp, that with an sd-1 is all you need 🤘 Yes it's a bit of a cliché rig, but sometimes clichés exist because they're the truth!

Love that you did this video, I've been meaning to comment to request something along these lines for a while. I've been playing metal through a 1971 Selmer TnB 50 (long defunct brand but all built and hand-wired in London way way back) for years now, and stacking the right pedals in front of it is definitely the key as otherwise it basically doesn't break up at all unless you completely dime it. The clean tone from it is phenomenal though which is why I doubt I'd ever trade it off (that and the extensive refurbishment I've done to it, 50 year old valve amps can be problematic if not looked after!)

Dude this is one of the best videos you've done yet! Great work and great advice.

I've been advocating boosting a boost pedal, and some people here have been making fun out of it, in the end, here we are and it sounds fucking BRUTAL!!! 😂😂😂 Double stacking pedals in the front end, graphic EQ in the loop it's a killer combo!!! A Boss SD-1 into a TC Spark in the mid setting with TS style settings and rolled off bass to control the woof, it's the most brutal shit I've came up with!! It works with any piece of gear, from vintage amps to a sizzling hot 6505+ , lowering the gain in the amp it's the trick 😂😂😂

Great vid Kyle.. old Grandpa rigs still rock.. and you can bring them back to life.. you could have even chosen the low gain input and put a REVV pedal in there.. lol

Loved this episode !!!

Loved this video. Love all your stuff, but this one was especially great. I wish there were more people who embraced vintage amps in metal. My main setup is a 1968 "drip edge" silverface Fender Bassman with it's 2x15 cab with a very old Eminence and a very old Fender Speaker. Running an Empress Heavy with a tube screamer in front, and this thing sounds absolutely thunderous. Beautiful warm mids from the amp also make it a really smooth sexy lead sound as well. Also, 10/10 intro

Awesome, KB!!

You really went balls out with the editing this time around. Love it

These are great tips from Kyle and another great video! I run a Fulltone OCD and Boss SD1 into a jcm 800 and get a really sweet fluid modern sound! I always have the OCD engaged to get that nice tight percussive rhythm sound and then kicking in the SD1 with it's tone rolled down for leads. Works very nicely and sounds great with my stock telecaster. Sounds brutal with my Gibson LP with SD distortion pup in the bridge and blended with a Diezel VH4 (I don't boost the diezel - doesn't need it!)

Great intro! And so true!

The intro was awesome man!

Super! Excellent video! I use a Jackson King V and I stack two Boss SD-1 into a Marshall and it sounds very tight and precise.

Great pedal info and review. 🤘Looking forward to you giving the Empress Heavy pedal.

Metal Zone into a Plexi is gold

That intro is pure gold!

Awesome video man and I personally enjoy putting pedals in front of a low gain amp you can get some really sweet metals tones that way

Intro leveled up dude haha great stuff!

That opening bit was pure gold Kyle

Damn this was a great video. It was amazing hearing it get better and better as you stacked the pedals.

Luv the intro. Keep up the animation.

Great video Dude! this was super helpfull :)

Kyle pumping out yet another banger vid absolute chad

Never had a chance to try the OCD or ODD, but that's a nice soundin' pedal. It's an interesting challenge trying to get heavy tones from a vintage amp that wasn't designed for it. I've got an old Silvertone 1481 that my Papa gave me that I stack overdrives on for high gain sounds. It's a simple amp: 1 volume, 1 tone, and that's it. I used to hate it, until I learned how to use it. It's got decent blues tones at full blast, but it just needed something more. Currently, I run it with a Mesa 5 band EQ into a Wampler Tumnus, followed by whatever overdrive flavor I'm in the mood for. I've gotten great high gain tones using the TC Electronics MojoMojo or the Wampler Phenom after the Tumnus. The Phenom is nice and tight, with great articulation and note definition. It's a great complement on recordings to the tone I get from the Mesa DC5. The MojoMojo has a bit more of a vintage vibe, but still heavy. Even tried a Vox Satchurator with it. That one was a lot of fun. It's really just about trying stuff out and figuring out what works best with the amp you've got. Well done video. I always enjoy watching your stuff!

Best intro ever!!!!

Dude I knew that ODD/OCD would do the trick. I've saved myself in the past with one. I knew that eq would be a sweet cherry on top but seriously never thought about stacking it! Very killer next level move! 🤘🤘

The intro was awesome.

Almost to 30k subs man!!

Good work soldier

The grandpa intro got me hooked . Great stuff man.

I just love the sound of a really hard push on a Marshall You have that scratch and bite and that amazing saturation in the tone where more modern high gain amps tend to sound too clean for me

I recently picked up a 79 2203. Appears to be all original, maybe even the tubes. Still sounds killer. Boosting it with a Horizon Devices Precision Drive of Revv G3.

I love modern pickups as EMG or Fishman Fluence and Vintage Marshall, therefore I love this video.

Hell of an intro! :)

Best. Video. Intro. Ever.

Badass sounding grand pa amp

I'm not a 7 string player, mainly because I don't have one, but I thought it was a really nice touch to throw that into this video. Cool stuff!

man that intro to video WAS ON FUKKEN POINT! But srsly EQ pedals are brutally underrated.

Instant like when I saw the ODD! the OCD is the most underrated pedal to put in front of an amp. Even when I dial up the gain ever so slightly and turn down the level it gives a nice sound! Will definitely pick up one of those ODDs :) Overall all of these solutions sound better to me than most high gain amps out there, especially surprised from the EMGs on that 7 :)

4th method would be put the OCD in the front, and stack the SD and the EQ in the FX Loop!

Someone gave me a Fender Bassman head and cab after my gear was lost in my house fire, need to try this method with that. Been just using a BE-OD Deluxe for all gain with it so far.

Lol. That intro. Epic!

That was a great intro brother

You can also just push the front end with that MXR eq going directly into the amp without those clipping pedals. Push up all the EQ knobs about a quarter way up, leaving the volume the same. Now the amp has higher gain without being clipped. Has a more natural all tube tone.

Best intro ever!😂

The 7 string was surprisingly brutal! Noice!

Hey Kyle, I'm Larry and I just subscribed to your channel. I've been watching your show for a couple of years now and I will now give you a nickname. I dub thee The Right Hand of Hetfield. You earned it bro.

Plug into the rage 158, turn the shame to max, (and turn the cat pee down as much as possible) then line out to the Marshall, and even without pedals, that rig could get brutal sounding

Dude. You know what? That's fuckin funny and original. Good job. This is a pretty saturated segment and this is different. 🤟 Keep rockin

I might be a little late, but this is awesome!!😂 Thank you Kyle, you are great!! Very helpful!!

Another great video. This channel is absolutely incredible. All of the videos are not only entertaining, but they are very useful. The channel should be growing a lot faster than it is. Dude is putting out quality content at a much higher rate than other channels that are much bigger. Most other big guitar channels are hit or miss...and with a lot of filler. Not here, just about every video is useful and informative. He deserves a much bigger following.

I think the coolest part is you can get these really modern sounds but disengage the distortion / boost / drive pedals and have the really nice vintage cleans.

Glenn Frigger : PICK UPS MAKE NO DIFFERENCE (50 year old teen screaming noises)

The LTD is sweet looking!

That was an excellent intro

Man you know how to dial in amps. Not exactly the way i would end up setting it, but you do cover the stuff i like to hear/do I have a Blackstar Amped 3 and i would like to know hou you would dail it in. Can you do a video about that one? Seen your vid about the amped 2 en that made me wait for an amped 3. I figured sinds they made 3 tube overdrives in white red and black the would probably make a amped 3 in black sinds the 1 and 2 where white and red xD I love your vids btw keep it up Ps. I hope you are doing well

I was so invested in that intro lmao

Sick. Could you make another video where you show what happens using the EQ before and after the OD?

Sounds better than modern amps IMO!

alright! This is the best video you have ever made 🤣🤣 thank you bro... I have that paw paw rig 💀78 jmp for the win!

Sweet

Grandpa has a dream rig! That's the basis for hard rock and metal.

I don't know why I wasn't prepared for the 7 string to come in, even though you warned us seconds before.

Have you ever played around with an Earthquaker Devices Palisades? I feel like you would really like it with your high gain amps and when you're playing through something lower gain. Bandwidth (low end) control and 6 clipping options plus internal boost. I traded for one hoping to flip it and it ended up permanently on my board 😅

Great video, maybe another like this using other amps. Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, or Twin?

The 4 input holes indicate to me, this amp is likely a modified, (bastardized) late 70's Marshall 1959 Superlead and not a 2203. Which thus explains the amps lack of natural gain before the ODD is switched on, versus a real 2203. A stock 59 Superlead / Plexi is a much cleaner amp than a 2203. I bought a "museum piece" 1971 Superlead, (4 inputs = 2 channels) in 1987 for $550, when everyone was buying new JCM 800's. The 71 has never been modified and is not beat to hell from touring, worth big $$$$ today. Amp also bench tests at an output of 145 watts using EL34's and will not only blow your head off, but the first 10 rows in the theater as well!!! Will also drive (4) 4x12 Marshall cabs! Learned my lesson early on, a properly maintained and cranked 1959 Superlead will destroy 20 watt and 25 watt Greenback speakers. Been using Vintage 30's with the amp since at least 1988! For 36 years now my 71 Superlead has in fact been "metal"!!! Been playing, (chugging) through it since 87 with a chain of, Nady TD-1 Tube Distortion, Boss SD-1 and MXR-10 band to drive and shape the pre-amp. However, I'm now going to try an ODD. I've also always used high output Duncan's to drive the pre-amp along with EMG boost switches for extra lead guitar punch when needed. Tone and power are incredible, from Hendrix's Machine Gun and Little Wing, Cream, Zeppelin II, early Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, early Metallica, GnR to my fav of the last 10 years, , tune to Drop D or C, and Children of Bodom (Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala), or their side project called Sinergy. Children of Bodom live: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PWzrHPFXZlw.html. Or, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cRWB0-B_bIc.html Cheers!

Killer vid.

Imagine if there was a one pedal that could deliver that high gain sound and no need to buy 3 different pedals, like there used to.

Modeling is the way

A+ intro on this one hahaha

Hahaha man, I've never looked at my JMP 2203 as a 'grandpa rig'. Great intro man. ;-) I'm sure it'll make me just as deaf as my grandpa is. Jokes aside, I put a Hot Mod v2 Evo in it and fuck yes there it is!! Maxon OD808X slamming the front and you got all the gain.

Nice video as well! Your channel is filling a much needed gap in guitar gear youtube. Hope you'll check out the Marshall SV20 some day too!

I need 2 mxr 10 bands big time, one for front and one for send/return loop.

Are we gonna see the new Amp Worx pedals broski?

Looks like my man is on that creatine and pre workout diet 💪🏼

Personally a Big Muff and a Tubescreamer would get you there too. A little less tight maybe, but GNARLY as fuck. Although, you could just channel Obituary for that 90s death metal tone with RAT into a 2203.

Hey Kyle, is there any chance you’d be able to check out the AMT legends series 1 or 2 preamps? I’ve been really curious about those. Namely the P1/P2 and R1/R2. Thanks! I love your videos man!

ts808 or sd1 dont add or remove mid frequencies, its a bandpass filter set at 700-1000 hz and thats it

That’s crazy. My Marshall JMP sounds like AC/DC or GnR super easily. It sure why that one has no gain at all.

Would you consider doing an amp demo on the carvin x100b?

My OCD v4 will never leave my board !! Along w my SD-1

Gandpops: don't forget to crank it Timmy

Kyle review a messuggah amp

Great video as I have a JCM 800 myself to boost with an Xotic BB Preamp. Now what pickups would you reccomend that are passive yet very high output? Cheers

The mxr 10-band is my secret weapon LOL

Easy answer - Drop a 1981 Inventions LVL Pedal and Klon KTR into the front of the amp.

Hey Kyle, can you do a demo/review of EHX Howietzer?? Can't find a proper demo/review of that thing anywhere.

“Clean” boost any crunchy amp with a Metalzone and you’re golden. The Corpse boost!

Remember when this dude had under 2k subs…geeez

The MXR 10 band EQ should be in every guitarist Arsenal