El Toro's Official Guitarded Thread...

[Captain Morgan]

I got my Hot Rod Deluxe the other day - only for me to hear a "crackling" noise when playing clean and a high pitched squeal when I play on the "more drive" setting. I looked at the preamp tubes, lightly tapping each one and one tube was responsive to the taps.

I'm thinking it's a bad preamp tube, but could it be something else as well?

[lerxstcat]

Could be that; did you make sure the tube was securely seated in its socket?

When I sell a used tube amp, I always take the tubes out and pack them in buibble wrap separately, because tube damage is pretty common in shipping. But also it could just be a bit loose in the socket, and a poor connection will also cause noise issues.

At least a preamp tube is relatively cheap.

[Captain Morgan]

Could be that; did you make sure the tube was securely seated in its socket?

When I sell a used tube amp, I always take the tubes out and pack them in buibble wrap separately, because tube damage is pretty common in shipping. But also it could just be a bit loose in the socket, and a poor connection will also cause noise issues.

At least a preamp tube is relatively cheap.

I tried to see if it was loose but it didn't feel that way. I'll go home and play with it once again before I swap it. I bought it from a music shop online that has offered to ship me new tubes if it's the case.

[lerxstcat]

Yeah, it's common enough that they shouldn't even question it. I bought a used Marshall Valvestate combo off Ebay once and it arrived, did not work! SHIT!! Pulled the chassis and the preamp tube was loose. Plugged it back in and it worked fine.

I also have a Peavey Triumph combo that I recently fired back up after it being in storage for a couple years, and was getting weak response from the drive channels. I just pulled and reseated thje tubes, they must have had some oxidation because just pulling and reseating them brought it back to full strength.

More than likely you have a bad preamp tube, but again, that's no big deal. Good luck with it.

[Captain Morgan]

Yeah, it's common enough that they shouldn't even question it. I bought a used Marshall Valvestate combo off Ebay once and it arrived, did not work! SHIT!! Pulled the chassis and the preamp tube was loose. Plugged it back in and it worked fine.

I also have a Peavey Triumph combo that I recently fired back up after it being in storage for a couple years, and was getting weak response from the drive channels. I just pulled and reseated thje tubes, they must have had some oxidation because just pulling and reseating them brought it back to full strength.

More than likely you have a bad preamp tube, but again, that's no big deal. Good luck with it.

Thanks man. I figured it was simple but I didn't want it to be some major issue I was ignoring...

[olivier]

not the most expensive guitar here but it's one of my lattest toys and i love it
ibanez SA 160
I plan to upgrade it with fender pickup



and another toy : the vox AC 4 TV . believe me , this little monster (4W) knows what a good sound is

[ElToro]

If you like it, you like it. I have an old Peavey Predator that I love!

[BlackieVanHolmes]

So I have been laying low on gear for a while now since things have been tight but I couldn't pass this up, it's an Agile AD201. I had a heard a lot of good things about a few of their guitars and I have been jonesing for a Special. Scored it used in as new condition and I have to say this guitar is ridiculous! The pups are excellent and respond to adjustments really well, the construction and finishing are first rate it just flat out rocks! All mahogany, Grovers, and the guy I got it from upgraded to CTS pots and a Sprague OD cap. Since it is sort of a retarded looking mix of a Jr/MM/Special I nicknamed it Corky.

Beautiful.
I wish they did those with a bigsby though.

[lerxstcat]

If you like it, you like it. I have an old Peavey Predator that I love!

I miss my old Predator! Basically a USA-made Strat and I paid $75 for mine used in the late 90s! They go for a bit more nowadays but still a bargain in a USA-made "Stratocaster"!

[PrÎck]

The modelers with a tube power section are cool.

[ElToro]

Yup! I need to put a new pickguard assembly on mine.

[lerxstcat]

So I have been laying low on gear for a while now since things have been tight but I couldn't pass this up, it's an Agile AD201. I had a heard a lot of good things about a few of their guitars and I have been jonesing for a Special. Scored it used in as new condition and I have to say this guitar is ridiculous! The pups are excellent and respond to adjustments really well, the construction and finishing are first rate it just flat out rocks! All mahogany, Grovers, and the guy I got it from upgraded to CTS pots and a Sprague OD cap. Since it is sort of a retarded looking mix of a Jr/MM/Special I nicknamed it Corky.

Beautiful.
I wish they did those with a bigsby though.

A Bigsby would double the price. But you could put one on aftermarket though.

[Captain Morgan]

http://store.guitarfetish.com/vistsumowhba.html

That might be a good solution.

[Liquid Boom Boom]

So I figured out what the interference issues I was having w/my amp were. Bad Chinese preamp tubes. Real Cheap shit.

I took the amp to the maker of OldField amps here in Charlotte. He makes these gorgeous boutique amps, and he lives 2 miles from me. Helluva nice guy and I spent about 2 hours in his shop just bullshitting with him and I learned a ton about tube amps. He put in 4 Svetlanas and the hiss and noise just dissapeared. My Groove Tubes still looked good, but when they go I'm going w/Tung Sol's.

We also discussed my Marshall cab and it's speakers, and he has some vintage celestions that we're going to put in when I have a little extra scratch for it.

Tomorrow I'm off to Spartanburg, SC for the guitar show and I'm looking for a nice Flying V. I kinda hope I don't find one, b/c I just don't need to blow cash on anything...but if I can't pass it up I won't.

[lerxstcat]

So I figured out what the interference issues I was having w/my amp were. Bad Chinese preamp tubes. Real Cheap shit.

I took the amp to the maker of OldField amps here in Charlotte. He makes these gorgeous boutique amps, and he lives 2 miles from me. Helluva nice guy and I spent about 2 hours in his shop just bullshitting with him and I learned a ton about tube amps. He put in 4 Svetlanas and the hiss and noise just dissapeared. My Groove Tubes still looked good, but when they go I'm going w/Tung Sol's.

We also discussed my Marshall cab and it's speakers, and he has some vintage celestions that we're going to put in when I have a little extra scratch for it.

Tomorrow I'm off to Spartanburg, SC for the guitar show and I'm looking for a nice Flying V. I kinda hope I don't find one, b/c I just don't need to blow cash on anything...but if I can't pass it up I won't.

You looking for a Gibson specifically, or just Vs in general (Rhoads, King V, etc...)?

Yeah the thing about GAS is that when you are looking at it, playing it, fiscal sense goes out the window! Glad you got rid of that tube noise! Also cool that you have a bulder living nearby.

[Captain Morgan]

I really kinda dig the Jackson Rhodes V, especially in metallic pink!

[Liquid Boom Boom]

lerxstcat,

I am not necessarily looking for just a Gibson. Just something that moves me. I love the looks of the V, so I'm open to other brands. I've seen a Hamer that was pretty sweet looking, not sure of how good it was though.

I've never been a fan of the 'metal' type V's...the offset ones. I like Randy Rhodes polka dot one, but not the white one...maybe that's the King V style?..the Jackson I think. Now that all could change if I play it and it feels like heaven. haha I just love the Gibson style, the headstock , the V...just perfect in my eyes.

What other brands make good V's? I like the sound of the Deans that I've heard(mainly on youtube) but I hate the headstock on them. Too 'out there' for me.

[lerxstcat]

lerxstcat,

I am not necessarily looking for just a Gibson. Just something that moves me. I love the looks of the V, so I'm open to other brands. I've seen a Hamer that was pretty sweet looking, not sure of how good it was though.

I've never been a fan of the 'metal' type V's...the offset ones. I like Randy Rhodes polka dot one, but not the white one...maybe that's the King V style?..the Jackson I think. Now that all could change if I play it and it feels like heaven. haha I just love the Gibson style, the headstock , the V...just perfect in my eyes.

What other brands make good V's? I like the sound of the Deans that I've heard(mainly on youtube) but I hate the headstock on them. Too 'out there' for me.

Randy Rhoads' polka dot V is a Sandoval, made by luthier Karl Sandoval as a custome for Randy. He's made others as customs for rhoads fans but it's never been a production model of any company to my knowledge.

The King V diffes from the Rhoads in that both wings are equal length, where the rhoads has one long wing and one short wing. In fact the King V was originally called the Double Rhoads because it had two long wings. Then it became the King V because Robbin "King" Crosby played them. The original "Double Rhoads" had slightly bigger wings than the modern King V. Jackson for a short time made a model called the Y2KV that looked more like a Gibson V, with the V-shaped headstock, and Dave Mustaine endorsed that before he left Jackson right after the Fender buyout of the company. Those are pretty rare but really beautiful guitars!

The Gibson V headstock is awesome, so is the Jackson pointy headstock. The Dean Mustaine V headstock does look pretty ugly. ESP makes their own copy of the King V as well as the Mustaine sig model they made for a few years that has an 8-ball at the first fret. They have the ESP pointy hadstock which some like and some don't.

Most manufacturers of metal-oriented guitars make some version of a Rhoads and some version of a King V, changed just enough to avoid lawsuits. To some people the changes make them look lame, but to many others it's just variations on a theme.

[wattage13]

A great inexpensive V that isn't necessarily Metal is the Dillion Korina V. I like them better than the Epi KV since they are actually made out of a white mahogany not alder with Korina veneers. The pups are suspect but easy enough to change, drop in a pair of gold covered Duncan 59's and you have a total win.

The Reverend V's are nice too plus they still make a Ron Asheton sig which is righteous.

http://www.jsdguitarshack.com/dillion_g ... ina_v.html

[mopmonster]

ESP makes their own copy of the King V as well as the Mustaine sig model they made for a few years that has an 8-ball at the first fret. They have the ESP pointy hadstock which some like and some don't.

I've got an LTD Dave Mustaine King V style guitar. It feels great. It has kind of a dark tone, so I've found it rather useful for multi-tracking / layering guitar tones. I hate that damn 8-ball inlay though. Cheesy.

[wattage13]

Just scored a Lopoline 1x12 closed back cab with a Celestion G12H30 in it. Swapped for my partsocaster should have it next week sometime. Now I need to scratch a few bucks together for the Blackheart Handsome Devil on my wish list.

[BlackieVanHolmes]

http://store.guitarfetish.com/vistsumowhba.html

That might be a good solution.

Innaresting....im going to have to read up on those, see how reliable they are. Im really wanting one of those Agiles now.

So much to buy, yet so little money.....

[lerxstcat]

http://store.guitarfetish.com/vistsumowhba.html

That might be a good solution.

Innaresting....im going to have to read up on those, see how reliable they are. Im really wanting one of those Agiles now.

So much to buy, yet so little money.....

The musician's eternal lament!

[TaintsOfLosAngeles]

El Toro, do you still have that BC Rich Virgin that you had as your avatar? It was red with black bevels?

[ElToro]

I actually never received a Virgin from BC Rich. Bastards.

[PAF Pro]

If you like it, you like it. I have an old Peavey Predator that I love!

I miss my old Predator! Basically a USA-made Strat and I paid $75 for mine used in the late 90s! They go for a bit more nowadays but still a bargain in a USA-made "Stratocaster"!

LMAO....guess I can come clean on my "Strat"...mine is a Peavey Predator as well.



Bought this thing back in '91...standard black/white pickguard, maple neck/fretboard....SERIOUS flame on the back of the neck(hold the neck to the light, and it damn near GLOWS). One of the Meridian, Missisippi-made models....I DID have an American Standard Strat, but sold it not even a month later...the Peavey just felt and sounded better. Doesn't make sense, but truth can be like that sometimes*shrugs*

Still browsing amps...just taking my time. Anyone here ever own/play through a Hughes&Kettner?

[mopmonster]

Still browsing amps...just taking my time. Anyone here ever own/play through a Hughes&Kettner?

I have an old Hughes & Kettner ATS-120. Made in West Germany! I got it used about 16 years ago. It's mostly solid state, although there are tubes in the preamp used for the crunch and lead channels. I've gone through several more expensive tube amps but I always go back to it. I've never seen another one other than the one I own.

A few years ago I tried out some newer model of theirs... some all-tube thing with four channels that cost about four thousand bucks... hated it.

[ElToro]

Get a H&K Cream Machine. Great 1w tone!

[lerxstcat]

If you like it, you like it. I have an old Peavey Predator that I love!

I miss my old Predator! Basically a USA-made Strat and I paid $75 for mine used in the late 90s! They go for a bit more nowadays but still a bargain in a USA-made "Stratocaster"!

LMAO....guess I can come clean on my "Strat"...mine is a Peavey Predator as well.



Bought this thing back in '91...standard black/white pickguard, maple neck/fretboard....SERIOUS flame on the back of the neck(hold the neck to the light, and it damn near GLOWS). One of the Meridian, Missisippi-made models....I DID have an American Standard Strat, but sold it not even a month later...the Peavey just felt and sounded better. Doesn't make sense, but truth can be like that sometimes*shrugs*

Still browsing amps...just taking my time. Anyone here ever own/play through a Hughes&Kettner?

I haven't personally, but Alex Lifeson uses them and I like the tones he gets with them. Then again he has sounded good with everything from Marshalls to Hiwatts to GK so who knows? He doesn't exactly go for a really metal sound per se either, but he's the only guy I can think of who uses them.

[Liquid Boom Boom]

A great inexpensive V that isn't necessarily Metal is the Dillion Korina V. I like them better than the Epi KV since they are actually made out of a white mahogany not alder with Korina veneers. The pups are suspect but easy enough to change, drop in a pair of gold covered Duncan 59's and you have a total win.

The Reverend V's are nice too plus they still make a Ron Asheton sig which is righteous.

http://www.jsdguitarshack.com/dillion_g ... ina_v.html

I did see a Reverend V at the show today. I didn't get to plug in, but it felt great and was $500 bucks. I WISH I bit the bullet, but now I have something to search out. Plus, I didn't really have any research or reviews until I got back home today. They seem to have a great reputation and some gorgeous other models. They really look like they are a great value.

Anyone have any experience w/this brand?

Oh, I did get a Keely Compressor 4 knob box for 165.00. Helluva price for that one. I plugged it in when I got home and it just sings. Beautiful sustain and just gives it a more professional sound(I think). Plus, the new Svetlana tubes sound fucking sick. Bite, growl and beatiful tone. I'm in heaven.