XLNT Show again, Phil! Here's my personal Sam Ash memory: I lived in Brooklyn, NY during the 1st half of the '80s; and though really just a "newbie squid" then, the selection of Guitar-centric gear on display @ their Kings Hwy store--and the whole "Music Row/ 48th St." scene--was a TOTAL MINDBLOW 4 me ! NOW I've "cracked the code" on the "V/H 1 thru 5150" EVH sound with my stereo pedalboard into a BEHRINGER(!) Class "D" PA! Chasing GEAR with TONE!!
That low gain tone with plenty of sustain is a classic rock thing, alot of players try chasing that vibe with too much preamp gain and not enough power amp volume
Ah, cranking a non-master volume amp is cranking the preamp, by definition. Most 'rock/blues amps' are non master, and most hi gain amps are master volume, for a reason. Most people can't even crank a Princeton, let alone a 1987x through a 412.
I agree about learning to use the gear you have and also learning what works for you, as doing that myself has almost cured my GAS. I finally found the combo of amp and pedals that makes the sounds that make me want to play more guitar and I’m not as excited about changing that, just small refinements on the stuff I’m using I spent a lot of money on gear and a lot of time fiddling with settings to get here though, so I guess I’m saying let the GAS run its course and hopefully you be content at the end
Totally get what you mean about falling in love with an old guitar. I still have my first guitar, an old American Deluxe Strat, picked it up the other day and it just clicked. Glad I kept it!
The sound in my head eventually came down to the guitar, not amps and pedals. The rock sound I had had in my head happened to be present in a Gretsch Sparkle Jet!
Phil... not sure you'll get back to see this comment after the fact. Regarding your comments on losing highs with an attenuator - thanks for that! You confirmed the sense I had just listening. When I first went looking for an attenuator about 2 years ago, I really got the impression that the Tone King Ironman was about the best out there.. but it - as well as the UA Ox, were kind of I thought unreasonable $ for this part time guitarist... about that time I happened to watch an even older rig rundown with either Jason Isbell or Derek Trucks?... I noticed he was using Weber Minimass attenuators to help control stage volume. I figured if they were good enough for Jason/Derek they were good enough for me. I mention this because the Weber Minimass has a treble boost feature - you can select either 0 (off), 3 or 6 db of treble boost. Depending on how much attenuation you dial-in (Weber's Minimass is completely variable), you may decide you need to select 3 or 6 db treble boost. My experience with it is it does help compensate for the loss of highs. You still need to adjust your amp, but it helps get you back to the unattenuated tone. As well, your explanation and advice about the variability in the design of the EQ sections of different amps is well taken. Thanks for that great explanation as well! Lastly, I just want to express my thanks for your frank and objective advice, for your rigorous and knowledgeable assessment of gear, and your insight into the industry, that comes out in every episode. I can't express enough what a service you provide to guitarists of all levels, but especially to those of us with music as an avocation. We certainly can't get this sort of clear and objective insight reading the trade publications or watching the big manufacturer videos. KAS. PS: I'm really sorry to hear about Sam Ash as well... IMHO "consolidation" into a few (now two?) big suppliers is NOT a good thing for consumers.
Some things are necesarry for a certain sound. Class A pulls power continually from the source, which does affect the response of the speaker. Class A/B pulls a minumum of power until it gets a signal from the guitar, and Class D pulls almost no power until it recieves signal from a guitar. Class A power is much louder per "output wattage" and also sounds better. The order of harmonics is also different between power classes of amplifiers. Some people like the sound of even order harmonics, and some people like the sound of odd order harmonics, The power class of the amplifier will affect which harmonics will be heard.
Phil I’m sure you’re aware of Rick Beatos endeavor to document music history with his interviews of musicians. I think it would be great for you to interview Larry Dimarzio in video to get him on record with his history and I’m sure some really cool stories regarding his contribution to Guitar based music and the people who made it.
Your Kiesel A2 Koa is beautiful. I'm from Hawaii and have Hiked in Koa forests and have seen Koa trees split open either from weight or lightning and the beauty of the wood inside is amazing. Koa is a super hard wood and it takes a lot of work. Will dull your saw blades pretty quick. Your new Kiesel A2 is beautiful as well in a totally different way. I can see why they send you guitars as many like me that aren't familiar with the company would actually consider buying one. They make some crazy beautiful guitars.
I've recently simplified my setup because I was annoyed with my tone. I started using a really simple setup with an amp sim in my DAW for recording, so I thought I'd apply it to my real amp. I unplugged all the pedals I had and just played straight into the amp. It's just a modern Peavey Bandit 112, and on the lead channel, I run the Classic distortion mode, 7-10 on the gain depending on the style, and then I've got the 666 setup for bass, middle, and treble. It sounds great, very similar to what I'm doing in the amp sim. I don't need an overdrive, I can chug just fine without it, but if I want a little extra for whatever reason, I have an EHX Hot Wax and I just give a tiny boost with the Hot Tubes side of the pedal. Using an overdrive introduces a lot of noise, and it also just makes the guitar unnecessarily "tight". Everyone talks about overdrives tightening up the sound, but I actually kinda like the fatter sound without one. It's not flubby or weak or anything, it still sounds sick. Now I just have a pile of pedals since I took half of them off the board. All I'm using is a tuner, an EHX Pitch Fork, the EHX Hot Wax, an EHX Ripped Speaker, and an EHX Signal Pad in the effects loop as a master volume. It's simple and it rips. It also looks like EHX sponsored the pedal board, but they make good stuff for a good price.
Hey Phil: Thank you for answering my question about the tuning key washers for my Alvarez Dana. I was having a hard time pulling the key/button/knob off - pulling harder worked. I'll order replacements. Thanks again!!
On the topic of Sam Ash closing 42 locations- these are retailers closing locations and the numbers: Family Dollar 620 Rue21 543 99 Cents Only Stores 371 CVS Health 315 7-Eleven 272 Rite Aid 165 Express 105 Walgreens Boots Alliance 77 Macy's 51 And others…
I bend a lot and always loved my Malmsteen Strat. I did find the guitar plays the best with Yngwie’s string guage selection which is light to heavy. But I have no problems going sharp and find the neck comfortable.
I would agree that the basic big three pickups are the DiMarzio Super Distortion, Duncan JB and PAF. My favorite of the three is the Super Distortion. But the pickup I've used the most over the last thirty-three years is the DiMarzio Tone Zone because it's like a more perfect JB. It's warmer and smoother and has more bite in the right places without being brittle. I'd also agree that the Duncan Full Shred is the closest thing Duncan makes to a Super Distortion, except that it's a lot tighter. I like it more than the JB.
Just today got a red gretsch corvette - first played at a SAM Ash saw one of these Sams closing videos and rushed out to find one - got lucky and found one online.
Speaking of double neck guitar players, if you haven't checked out Mark Kroos you definitely should. He does an amazing "Dueling Banjos" amongst other things.
Your comments about falling in love (again) with your "Old Guitar" are very true. I have found as my skill grow that guitars I didn't quite love now offer me a lot more back in 'performance' as my input has improved. I have found that particularly true with my Gretsch Jet with DynaSonics. It is so very sensitive and clean that any minor technical errors show easily from your playing. But as I have become a better player I can make it sound more like what I hear in classic recordings. Think the opening bars of "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House.
If you’re in the market for a flying V….do yourself a favour and look into Vicious Guitars out of Toronto Canada…I’ve played and owned a crazy amount of high end guitars and the guitars coming out of Vicious are by far my favourite…proper next level gear. 🤘🏻
regarding tone search. i've written before that a Yamaha revstar with swapped out pick-ups and inserting T V Jones Super'tron neck and TV Jones classic plus in bridge more than meets the elusive tone search I have had. He installed them himself in the shop. Worth the wait and the moderate cost. Go for it!!
I have a Schecter V that I picked up used from a Guitar Center for $199. That thing has saved me a ton of money over the years just by scratching that itch.
Love the JB I have in a guitar. I have another guitar with a Duncan Distortion that is basically a hooter JB, with a ceramic magnet They both sound great
@PhillipMcKnight I too tried to buy something on Sam Ash's Reverb shop (a pedal) and the page said they had ten, the purchase went through and then I got a message the next day saying they didn't actually have one so they had to issue a Reverb refund (which I'm still waiting for). I've heard that this is happening a lot in the past few day. I'm wondering if something "strange" is going on. The Reverb shop pedal is still showing 10 items available now that it is a couple days since. I reported it to them. Waiting on my refund before buying elsewhere.
Hey, I got a bone for that PRS S2 satin white with 58-15's and they're coming down in price already. That demo you did sold me. And if you're getting a V, you gotta watch some Albert King performances! He was an early adopter of Gibson's Flying V, which was supposed to challenge Fender's innovative shapes but didn't do great until later.
For clarity, while Kiesel's chambering is $150, you need to have a top for them to do it, so you'd also have to factor in the cost of their least expensive tops. It is a bit harder to justify if you aren't already picking a top, but they seem to include "free chambering" in a lot of their occasional sales throughout the year.
Cold generally makes my guitars go flat. If I tune in house, or at my show, it is generally warmer than my basement-65 deg F. Next day mine will be flat, which means I do not have to worry about de tuning them. (they do it for me) This means, to me, that the wood moves more than the metal strings.Perhaps I am the only one.
I want a doubleneck 12/6, but it would be mostly useless unless I join a Rush tribute band, or if I ever play Hotel California again. But I still want one. Someday.
Regarding Guitars going sharp...I have 7 guitars, 4 Fenders, 2 Gibsons, and a Martin Acoustic. My temperature range is 72-75, humidity 55-65. Every guitar goes sharp every day, even when there is no change in temperature or humidity. Very mysterious. You would think that tuning down every day, eventually there would be no string left on the tuning peg. But it doesn't happen.
43:00 And this is also why people keep commenting on RU-vidr channels that they “always sound the same regardless of the gear they’re reviewing”… if you’re not a metal head, you will think Ola always sound the same, if you’re not a rock guy, you will always think that the Toneking always sound the same, if you’re not a blues guy, you will always think than xxxx always sounds the same, you name it. In reality, they’re just always dialing the sound they have in their head and that’s what they like, even if you (or even WE) don’t like it. The fact we think they always sound the same shows really that they’re actually just consistent into dialing it the way they want it to sound… no matter what gear they’re using (digital, analog, tube or not, vintage or modern, you name it). That’s also why we could actually get the exact same gear and rig of our favorite guitar hero and we will never sound like him/her…
A lot of London bands in the 60s had double necks, Gibson SG form I think, I was a crazy young teen hob nobbing with teen guitarists who became our now massive celebs ( EC, JB etc not)). But those double necks...... Denny Laine played one . . .
I have a budget ibanez that's 15 + years old. It's my favorite guitar. And I can't bring myself to put 280$ into refret work on a guitar that cost me 190$ in 2009...with the cracks at the neck pickup and pocket Im sure the shop will try to upsell me anyways .
Good day Philip. I always enjoy watching your podcast, And all of you notices. you are sincerely a very talented musician. And I appreciate your wisdom and understanding the language of the musical industry. I have an art core Ibanez semi-hollow body. It was given to me The headstock was broken off the neck 😢 I want to send you photos and see if I can get some tips on repairing this but I don't know how to send you these photos could you please give me some information so I can send you the photos and begin the Journey of becoming a a repair novice.. please I'd appreciate your feedback thank you so much. Sincerely Walter the left-handed bloke 😎
I understand there are better made guitars than cheaper Harley Benton or Firefly guitar types, but after years I have listened and the better gear with cheaper guitar wins.
I bought the Les Paul smokehouse burst studio version. I hated the guitar. Now it is one of my favorites. I think I broke it in. I rotate my guitars. I have one for everyday and a bass to throw into the mix on Stratoday.
Hey Phil - when you said you wanted an M5 version of the HX one - wouldn’t the M5/9/13 version of the HX One just be the HX Effects pedal? I have one and it has 6 available effects at once plus 2 expression pedals. Great show!
For me, tone is simply one that allows me to hear myself on stage! My gear is an array of top quality instruments, Strat, tele, Les Paul, PRS…amps are Dr Z, Fender, Supro, all sound great, but if I can’t hear myself in the mix, tone is irrelevant. The audience doesn’t know any difference. My 2 cents.
Tone is easy plug a good Les paul into a jcm800 Marshall with a 4x12 and you’re done !! Also you can plug a fender guitar straight into a fender amp ! That’s all you need ! Period
I honestly have to say that there is an amp with WAY too much gain/saturation, and it is the EVH 6L6/EL34 stealth. I had the 50w and the red channel was useless to me, and I mainly play death metal. The blue channel was fine, but the red channel was just way too much for me. I prefer to sculpt my tone and hit the preamp hard before I dial in my gain. I got rid of that amp.
Hey Phil you highlighted one of my comments a few weeks back when I was talking about my PRs Mira that I purchased at your store..... I don't have a Telegram account but I was wondering if there was another way that I could get in contact with you..... Mike
But wait, how could corporations be LOWERING prices on the guitars that they all told us they HAD to raise prices on because of the higher cost of materials and shipping etc? Surely they are not making ANY money now... right? The continuous price hikes were always just greedy price gouging. You can't claim that your manufacturing prices have gone up when you are still raking in record profit. That math doesn't math.
A guitar's setup has such a big effect on its sound. Between neck relief, bridge height, tailpiece height, and pickups height, there are so many sounds that you can get out of a guitar. Especially on a nice guitar with really good pickups, even the smallest adjustment can have a big effect. And the setup can make a big difference in the tightness or sponginess of the sound.
First thought: That Kiesel is utterly horrid to look at. No, actually it isn't. It is amazing and beautiful and I've personally never seen anything like it. Jeff needs you to design a guitar once a year. That can be your 'signature guitar'. Every year is different. Kinda like the shirts changing over the years.
Hi Phil! I routinely listen to the KYG podcast and noticed that you were looking for a Hartke Bass amp (I believe) with 10" speakers. I would like to know your thoughts about MarkBass as a bass amp manufacturer. It seems that in the past, you have not included a MarkBass amp in your decision-making process. Is this because (a) MarkBass has an exclusive US distribution agreement with GC, or (b) is it due to high cost (i.e. $1,199 for the likes of a CMD 102P 2 x 10" combo amp), or (c) do you perceive a build quality or sound issue with MarkBass? I have been playing my Italian made MarkBass CMD 102P combo amp with 2 x 10" neodynium speakers for about 16 years and have received nothing less than stellar complements for its sound quality and it has held up to gigging and the compliments received regarding the quality of the sound coming from other bassists who have play/heard my amp have comments that it sounds better than the best of the tube bass amps from the likes of Ampeg or even vintage Fender Bassman amps. Your thoughts about MarkBass are appreciated.
Regarding electric 12-strings: I gotta disagree about the Danelectro guitars. The sound just isn't "there" and neither are the materials used, especially at the increased price. There is at least one RU-vid comparison of a Danelectro to a couple of other models where you can really hear the difference. I suggest looking at the 12-strings made by Eastwood ($1399), Gretsch ($900), and Reverend ($1299). The Gretsch is much better built and sounding guitar and at $900 new it's worth saving a little more money to get it. BTW, all the above guitars have 44.45-45mm nut-widths compared to the thinner Rick 360/12 41.5mm. The Rick 660/12 neck is 44.5mm at the nut. It doesn't sound like much difference but it makes the wider necks much more comfortable to play. . . If you really want to sound like the 60s-era Byrds' then you need to read-up on how Roger McGuinn used "double-compression" to attain his trademark "jangly" tone.
Back in the 90s Danos were like £130 . Cheap made from crappy materials . Now they are 'trendy' and five times the price . They are made like a 20 bucks hollow core door with hardboard .
???? hi Phil, please help when I take the Allen key out of my Apple phone.the truss rod starts to come out with it. It does seem to adjust the neck but I push it back in and jiggle the Allen key free. Is it broken?????
I am Not an "American Made" junkie. Being made in the USA doesn't necessarily make it great quality. I don't usually do Chinese instrument simply on principal. So I'm Mainly a MIJ guy. Because really who has been making stringed instruments longer ?
In reference to the tone conversation. There’s a difference between the sound and the feel. I find amps like tone king gives me a lot more control over the clean and dirt just through the guitar than any modeled amp. I have a lot more flexibility in just how I use the guitar knobs and pick attack with a well made tube amp. You definitely can get similar tones from many amps. -but how it responds is usually the difference. I’ve found this applies to pedals as well.
There used to be one called classic. It had p90s and small plastic white tuners. Was awesome but I don’t know if it’s still made and or if they changed the name.
I went through a phase where I bought lots of amps and pedals, and also tried a few different guitars. In the end, I found while I do play differently depending on the gear I'm using, the tone variations are minor. Yeah, there is some change to the character of my dirty sound depending on the amps and pedals and whether I have humbuckers or single coils, but the sound largely still sounds like me. I mostly use gear variations in recording to make subtle differences in my sound for layering tracks or to make the solo tracks cut through better. Also, I have a mix of expensive and cheap gear and I can get good sounds from all of it. When something doesn't sound good to me, I keep it for a while and try it in different combinations. I have dirt pedals that sound horrible on their own, but the combined result of stacking them with another pedal sounds great. Either the other pedal tames the harshness I dislike or that harshness adds a less refined edge that works for whatever I'm trying to achieve. I will say where gear matters is if you want modern tones or vintage tones. The right guitar and amp combination will make a difference, but mostly the amp. Even with pedals, you get better modern high gain tones with a modern high gain amp. A high gain pedal like a Suhr Riot with a vintage style amp will be missing something. It might sound good, but there will be something lacking. Imagine chasing a Triple Rec sound with a vintage Marshall and pedals.
