What's a good way to get alot of smooth sustain for slow blues/rock leads? I keep hearing it in alot of songs but I can't seem to replicate it without cranking my amp really high. I've got a Fender Super Reverb and a Tube Screamer. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Have you tied turning the pre-amp stages up to 3/4 of the way, then adjust the master volume to say 1/4.
What you want to is get the pre-amp to overdrive the output and use the master volume to set the overall loudness.
There are also other tricks in getting sustain.
1. is whats called an Isolation box, which is a sound proof box with a speaker and a mic in it. the amp is run full out into the isolation box then it's mic's into the board.
2. put the guitar amp in another room and run it full volume and mic the cab.
3. You could get a device that hooks between the power amp and the speakers ,which allows you to run that amp full volume and turn the speakers down.. Marshall makes a power brake, tom sholz of boston made a power soak.
In general turn the preamp all the way up and the power amp down. That sould get you sustain and that cranked sound at lower volume levels.
Joe
Thanks for the reply forrok_star. I've got a re-issue
black face Fender Super Reverb. I'm not sure I can control the pre-amp stages on my amp.
What's your opinion about the Barber Burn Unit? I've heard it and heard good things about it. Thanks!
I just took a look at the controls for your amp, Your right it doesn't have a master volume. Options would be to overdrive the input of the amp with the Tube Screamer.
What you might try is to turn the screamer up so its overdriving the second channel input. And turn the volume on the channel down.
If the amp has a 1/4 speaker out plug on the back that the speakers are plugged into, you may want to go with a power soak, on e-bay they run 40 to 75 dollars. What you do is from the speaker out plug run into the soak and from the soak plug the speakers in.
I'm not real familiar with the Barber Burn Unit, there are so many gadgets for guitar out now-a days its hard to keep up. Just about any pre-amp will work.
I will tell you there's nothing like the sound and feel of tubes. even a tube pre-amp into solid state power amp will give you great sound. With a pre-amp you can turn the pre-amp up and the power amp down if you need less volume (so as not to hear the neighbors wine).
This is just my opinion is that if your going to spend a few hundred dollars on something think tube. I know there old but a ART SGX-2000 express or a ADA MP-1 pre-amps are hard to beat. You will also find that a lot of pro's still use them in their racks. There are newer tube pre-amps out but the two I referred to you can find very reasonably priced. And they will take your playing over the top.
Ps..I even use a ADA MP-1 for vocals, it puts a nice tone on things and they have an amazing chorus sound.
Joe
