#tube tremolo

[fuzzkaizer]

Billy Zoom - Little Kahuna reverb unit

"Somewhat based on the vintage Fender Reverb tank but with added tube tremolo."

cred: reverb.com/Phil's Stuff

[guitarbomb]

Vox Classic Vintage Red AC Custom Series Amps

The Vox Classic Vintage Red AC Custom Series continues its tradition of offering limited edition colorways with its latest release, featuring the AC10C1, AC15C1, and AC30C2 amps in a striking red finish. This bold color is complemented by black and gold diamond fret cloth and a vintage rectangular Vox badge, adding a touch of retro charm to these iconic amps. Classic Vintage Red AC Custom…

[dustedmagazine]

Joseph Allred — Folk Guitar (Feeding Tube)

Where does Joseph Allred reside? Musically or geographically, that question has had many answers, none of them wrong. They were born and raised in Tennessee, and currently live in Crawford TN, but if you know them through the records they have made, you’re also acquainted with the extracurricular efforts of a Bostonian graduate student of philosophy and theology. Although Allred is most commonly connected to American primitive guitar, a title they’ve accepted when others have shunned, they are actually a multi-instrumentalist and singer whose records have also tapped into veins of rural mysticism, internationally oriented inquisitiveness and idiosyncratically reinterpreted shoegazing. Their last two LPs were virtual and actual ensemble efforts loaded up with electric instrumentation, but Folk Guitar returns the art of the solo acoustic guitar.

But what kind of folk is Allred talking about here? Not the stuff they might have heard so described on the radio when they were growing up during the last couple decades of the 20th century, nor the actual folk traditions of rural Tennessee. Waltz rhythms present repeatedly, so maybe Allred’s playing for folks who like to dance? The precise, delicate picking on the first tune, “Lord Lucy’s Protector,” sounds like a tribute to John Renbourn. “Hesperis” is named for a flower that blooms in Anatolian regions, but it is likewise filtered through a consciousness of the idiosyncratic directions that the musicians associated with the British folk revival pursued after the boom went bust. The 12-string piece “The Star Against Heaven” uses the tremolo studies once essayed by James Blackshaw, a Briton of a subsequent generation, as a push-off point for more winding explorations. And the unhurried reverie of “Their Silvery Light” feels like a hymn of quiet praise to the vibrations of steel strings, wood and the air that moves around them.

So, maybe Folk Guitar is just a coverall term, an explanation Allred might give to someone who saw them toting their instrument case down the street and asks them what they play. After all, what you call it doesn’t matter as much as what it does for you. Reflective but not overburdened with darkness, purposeful in its perambulations, this music is centering stuff. Put it on and be where you need to be.

Bill Meyer

[we-are-houseguest]

"i remember moments of happiness; endless summer, acoustic guitars" - SRXT, bloc party

hello again!

today we're gonna talk about my guitars for the new ep! buckle up, this is gonna be a long one.

first off, i've done a LOT of this ep on my stock fender classic player jaguar special hh. it's a 24" scale and it's actually tuned b to b and it sounds SO good. like. it's kind of unreal how well it holds a baritone tuning. generally, i have the neck pickup rolled off to coil split (i generally don't love a neck humbucker, honestly) and the bridge is whatever it needs to be, song by song. i don't really use the tremolo arm ever unless i'm just messing around - i try to put this thing out of tune as little as possible during a show. this guitar can do ANYTHING. it's so tonally versatile it's fucking stupid, truly. i am a lucky girl to own this.

next up is my squier classic vibe baritone custom telecaster! this is also tuned b to b, but it's got a 27" scale, so it's got a much more traditional baritone sound. i have always always ALWAYS loved the versatility of a telecaster and when they put out an affordable baritone version, it was an absolute no-brainer for me. i love the range and the tonal differences that a baritone brings to indie music - thrice is one of my favourite bands of all time, and their use of baritones (and their gear in general [duh, for those in the know]) REALLY inspired me. i've been using this on a lot of the really wet stuff and the really clean stuff, but also just for some stereo guitars to lean into some tonal differences or just because it flat out feels right. i love this thing, too. it really is so flexible and fun to play (and it weighs NOTHING, which is kind of unique for a tele lol). i've replaced the output jack and jack plate and i've flipped the control panel because i'm notorious for punching my pickup selector while playing.

both guitars are strung with d'addario medium baritone strings (.14-.68).

finally, for amps and pedals... well. the future is here and i, for one, welcome our modeller overlords.

this is gonna seem like a lie based on what you're looking at here, but i'm really pretty simple with my setups - i am a set it and forget it kind of woman.

for rhythm parts, i am using a fawn vox ac30 (blue alnico) and a fender deluxe reverb (oxford) in tandem, generally being pushed by an earthquaker pillars and an xotic ep booster (bruises uses a klon, just depends on the kind of push i need). little bit of compression with the xotic sp compressor, then, as necessary for wetter parts: line 6 echo park, line 6 space chorus, a boss ce-1, a boss ac-2 and a fender vibratone (lol). in terms of helix-only effects, i'm using the line 6 heliosphere delay and hot springs reverb.

for LEADS however, we're all over the place. all kinds of shit. i generally run a higher gain amp, like a bogner shiva (uberkab t75) or a marshall jcm-800 (jensen p12q [grammatico amp]/marshall basketweave g12 m25). I was actually really pleased with how good the shiva is for lead work in our sad queer indie rock songs - this is an amp that like alice and chains and korn use and it really adds the right amount of twinkle and beautiful bummer to our songs about autism and queerness and millennial disillusionment and i just think that's such a funny juxtaposition. anyways.

for taurus, i'm using the bogner and running the xotic ep booster again, way huge red llama, dunlop mxr timmy, mxr phase 90, and auto-volume echo from the line 6 dl4. simple stuff.

for re-run, i'm using the jcm-800 and pushing it with a tube screamer when it gets huge. boss tr-2, boss dm-2 with adrian mod, tc electronic 2290, tape eater from the line 6 mm4, simple tube comp, and the line 6 feedbacker. i also have a looper set up so I can include some post-rock tremolo picked yumminess without it taking up all my focus. this is definitely my most complex rig in the helix, but even still - not too wild. like i said. set it and forget it.

so yeah! that's pretty much it for my guitars this time around. i'm gonna guess that we'll do mj's guitars next but who knows! life is a mystery and it is for living! see y'all soon.

~ beth

[retrofret]

Here’s a sideways Gibson for #gibsunday. It’s a 1965 Kalamazoo Model Two Tube Amplifier! - Gibson and its various parent companies have used the Kalamazoo brand several times over the decades; one of the best known was as the mid-1960s budget electric line from Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI), Gibsons parent company. These little practice/student amps appear with two model designations, Model One and Model Two, the latter having the addition of an onboard tremolo effect. This model thus features a dedicated speed knob (the depth was fixed) in addition to the two "loudness" and tone controls. These two circuits were also at one point featured in the Gibson-branded Skylark GA-5 and GA-5T, respectively (not to be confused with the earlier Les Paul-amp adjacent GA-5, which is basically Gibson's take on a Fender Champ). (Link in our profile.) - - - - #kalamazoomodel2 #kalamazooamp #kalamazooamps #tubeampsofinstagram #tubeamplifier #tubeampsonly #tubeampsrule (at Retrofret Vintage Guitars) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoSf758u7kl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[forgethemaker]

This past months, I had a Vox UL760 amp to repair (many burnt parts inside). It's a very rare amp. All the preamp parts are using transistors and the power amp is using tubes.

This amp belongs to my friend Fabien who is playing in Animal Triste.

It was a very hard work to do because the amp is very complicated to disassemble and I had so much work on it.

There are two channels, a reverb, a tremolo and some kind of integrated fuzz in it.

You'll find more information on that amp here.

[effectsdatabase]

Weekly overview (2023, week 07): 16 new brands and 34 new pedals

16 new brands

Ando Effects

AP Boutique

Audio Surplus Effects

Boulevard Effects

Daniel Pedals

Don-Kraft Effectors

Electric Eye Audio

Fowl Sounds

Giudis Pedals

Great Eastern FX

KarDiaN

Kinotone Audio

Rare Buzz Effects

Rhodium Electronics

SoundSlice FX

Wolf Devices

34 new effects

Boomer WF-24 8-Tr Fuzz Wah

Chorus TS-3 Tube Screamer

Colorsound Micro Mix

Copilot FX Arrow Airwaves Supreme

Cranetortoise SEL-1 A/B Box with Tuner Out

David Ross Musical Instruments Winter Storm

Davoli TSR/3 Tremolo / Sustain / Reverb

Dazatronyx THD Metal Distortion & Hybrid Germanium Fuzz

Dazatronyx TSX Overdrive

Death By Audio + EarthQuaker Devices Time Shadows

Deep Space Devices Boomburst

Devi Ever : CYMRU Godzilla

Donner Beltway Looper

Donner Path Seeker - ABY Switcher

Donner Triple Looper

Dr. Scientist Dusk - Analog Filter

DSM Noisemaker Sub Atomic - X-Over CMOS Bass Drive

Durham Electronics Quatro Plex

Ear Fuzz Effects Ear Bender MkI

EarthQuaker Devices Sunn O))) Life Pedal - Octave Distortion + Booster

Electro-Harmonix 5mm Power Amp

Electro-Harmonix EHX-2020 Mini Tuner Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Mini Slap-Back Echo - Analog Delay Reissue Pedal

Electro-Harmonix MOP-D10 Isolated Power Supply

Electro-Harmonix Nano Deluxe Memory Man

Electro-Harmonix Nano Eddy - Analog Vibrato/Chorus

Electro-Harmonix Nano Intelligent Harmony Machine - Harmonizer/Pitch Shifter

Electro-Harmonix Nano J Mascis Ram's Head Big Muff PI

Electro-Harmonix Nano Mainframe Bit Crusher

Electro-Harmonix Nano Operation Overlord - Nano Overdrive

Electro-Harmonix Triple Foot Controller

Fuzzrocious + Electro-Faustus EF110G Maggotor Gated Fuzz

Hall and Collins Signature Echo

nuX (Reissue series) Analog Chorus

1 new article

Last week's top 20 videos (2023, week 06)

Overviews of the previous weeks: https://www.effectsdatabase.com/updates/weekly

from Effects Database https://bit.ly/3lPsyjq

[dandyguitar]

Tube amp trio, 10 years on

Yeah I'm not dead, I just bought a house and took a few years off from making music-stuff so I could focus on house stuff

Anyway

Last year I spent... countless hours designing some guitar pedals that I still haven't built yet... but in the process, learned a lot of new quirks of vacuum tube behavior. And while designing & prototyping those pedals (which I will finish the next time that I get the urge to solder), I realized that some of those weird quirks explained why my amps never sounded quite the way I wanted to sound.

For example:

Did you know that the gain factor of a triode changes depending on the impedance it has to drive? And that's in addition to whatever signal loss you're going to be seeing when you consider its own somewhat high output impedance? For example, a 12AX7 common-cathode gain stage loaded with 50k only generates a little more than half as much gain as it would with a 500k load, and you're still looking at a 38k anode impedance running into that load. So it produces a smaller amplified signal and then attenuates it more. Consider the final preamp triode in the classic Fender AB763 circuit: at a glance it looks like its output just runs through some mixing resistors on its way to the phase splitter, but then you spot that pesky Tremolo intensity pot hiding further down in the schematic. Oh, and those mixing resistors and the other channel's anode resistors all form a big complicated network of AC paths to ground, acting in parallel with the more obvious parts of that load... and right before that triode is the big signal-attenuating reverb filter. So that last stage isn't spitting out a great big signal and slamming the phase splitter like I thought it was in 2014: it's taking a very manageable signal, spitting out a small signal, and then throwing even more away on its way to the splitter. No wonder my Fender-inspired build always seemed too dirty and never did the spanky-clean funky stuff properly.

I rebuilt the entire pre-amp in the Fender-y amp and now it's just dandy. Added some more options too, so now it convincingly covers the entire Fender clean spectrum, certain Dumble settings, and the Mesa Mk1, Lonestar, and Blue Angel pre-amp circuits. Very flexible. Lots of mini toggles.

Another example:

I was - and remain - power tube agnostic when it comes to BS like "American power tubes sound glassier and cleaner than British power tubes!" No they don't. That's how the preamps and speakers are voiced. It has nothing to do with the power tubes.

Buuut

That "they're all the same, just different power levels" attitude made me miss that different models of tube have different levels of input headroom.

For example, it turns out that a 6v6 starts to distort at about the same level of input signal as an EL34 does, which means that the power tube distortion start at an appropriate level for my Fender and Marshall styled amps when they're cranked up loud, but an EL84 offers much less clean input room before it hits its maximum output and distorts. So the Vox styled amp, with the 6v6 output section I gave it back when there were no trustworthy manufacturers for EL84s, was completely incapable of pushing its output tubes into the kind of saturation demanded by Queen. So I ended up rewiring the power transformer to nerf the voltage, replaced the output transformer to an EL84-friendly value, and popped in new sockets to use the right tubes. Luckily JJ makes good EL84 tubes now and so the reliability problems are solved and the amp sounds right again.

Okay, one more example that has nothing to do with the tubes:

When I chose my speakers for these amps I based my choices on what kind of aftermarket speakers people were putting into their amps at the time, and alnico blues were extremely popular. So sure, why not? Jensen alnicos it was. Fast forward ten years and I've realized: that's not what came in Fender amps in the 60s, and that's part of why my Fender-ish never sounds properly Fender-ish. Bought me a proper cheap ceramic Jensen, wired it up in the speaker cabinet, and voila: the crisp dare-I-say "ice-picky" trebles that were always missing were there. And to think, this wouldn't have been a problem if I had originally gone with the same "we chose this one because it was cheap" speaker the things shipped with half a century ago.

. . . . .

Yeah it turns out if you want to make something that sounds like the amps you've been listening to from the last 60 years of recordings, the best way to do that is to pay careful attention to what was inside those amps instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.

[sakhshimandal]

The Best Vox Amps for Home Practice and Studio Recording

When it comes to choosing an amplifier for home practice or studio recording, musicians often look for a balance between sound quality, versatility, and size. Vox, one of the most iconic names in the world of guitar amplifiers, offers a range of amps that cater to both beginners and seasoned players looking for a great tone in a compact package. Known for their signature chimey, bright sound and rich tonal palette, Vox amps have earned their place as favorites for home and studio environments alike.

In this article, we will explore some of the best Vox amps for home practice and studio recording, focusing on their key features, sound quality, and versatility.

1. Vox AC15C1

The Vox AC15C1 is a classic choice for those who want legendary Vox tone in a smaller, more manageable package. With 15 watts of tube-driven power, the AC15C1 strikes the perfect balance between volume and portability, making it an excellent choice for both home practice and recording sessions. Its smaller size doesn’t compromise on tone – it still delivers the same sparkling cleans and gritty overdrive that the larger AC30 is known for.

The amp features a 12" Celestion Greenback speaker, which is renowned for its warm midrange and controlled highs, providing excellent sound reproduction. The AC15C1 comes with two channels: Normal and Top Boost. The Top Boost channel allows players to shape their tone with treble and bass controls, while the Normal channel offers a more straightforward sound for those who prefer a classic, uncolored tone.

For studio recording, the AC15C1 shines because of its ability to produce rich harmonic overtones at lower volumes. The built-in spring reverb and tremolo effects give you additional tonal options, making it a versatile choice for a wide range of musical styles.

2. Vox AC10C1

For players who need something even more compact and quieter than the AC15C1, the Vox AC10C1 is an excellent alternative. This 10-watt tube amp offers the signature Vox sound in a smaller, lighter package, making it perfect for bedroom practice and home studios where high volume levels might be an issue.

Despite its smaller size, the AC10C1 delivers a big sound with a 10" Celestion speaker, providing warm lows and bright highs that cut through the mix. The amp features simple controls – gain, bass, treble, reverb, and master volume – which make it easy to dial in a variety of tones, from clean and chimey to rich overdrive.

The AC10C1 is particularly well-suited for recording, as it delivers warm, tube-driven tones without needing to be cranked to high volumes. This makes it ideal for capturing high-quality sound in a home studio environment, where volume restrictions might be a concern.

3. Vox MV50 Series

The Vox MV50 series amps are a modern innovation in amplifier design, offering tube-like sound in a highly portable, lightweight package. Weighing in at just over a pound, the MV50 amps are perfect for guitarists who need a powerful amp head for practice and recording without the bulk of traditional tube amps.

The MV50 series features three main models: MV50 Clean, MV50 Rock, and MV50 AC. Each model is designed to emulate a specific tonal character, from clean, Fender-like tones to the classic Vox sound found in the MV50 AC. These amps use Vox’s Nutube technology, which emulates the sound and feel of traditional vacuum tubes while being more energy-efficient and compact.

For studio recording, the MV50 series is especially appealing because of its built-in EQ switches and line-out capabilities, allowing you to plug directly into a recording interface without needing a speaker cabinet. This direct output feature makes it easy to achieve high-quality recordings at home without the need for external microphones or complex setups.

4. Vox VT40X

The Vox VT40X is part of Vox’s Valvetronix series, which combines analog circuitry with digital modeling technology to offer a wide range of amp models and effects. This 40-watt amp is perfect for home practice and studio recording, offering a ton of versatility in a relatively compact design.

The VT40X features a 10" speaker and a selection of 11 amp models, including clean, crunch, and high-gain tones. It also offers a variety of built-in effects, including delay, reverb, chorus, and more, making it easy to experiment with different sounds without the need for external pedals. The amp’s USB connectivity allows for direct recording to your computer, making it a convenient choice for home studios.

One of the key advantages of the VT40X is its Tone Room editor software, which lets you customize and save your own amp models and effects. This level of flexibility makes it a powerful tool for players looking to record different styles of music in their home studio.

5. Vox Pathfinder 10

For beginners or players on a budget, the Vox Pathfinder 10 is an affordable option that still delivers that classic Vox sound. This 10-watt solid-state amp is compact and easy to use, making it ideal for home practice. While it doesn’t have the tube-driven warmth of some of the other models mentioned, it still provides a surprising amount of tonal variety for its size and price.

With simple controls and a headphone output for silent practice, the Pathfinder 10 is a great choice for players who want a small amp for practice without sacrificing too much on tone. Its portability and low cost make it an accessible option for those just starting out or those who need a quick and easy practice amp.

Conclusion

Vox offers a range of amps that cater to different needs, from compact practice amps to versatile models perfect for home studio recording. Whether you’re looking for classic tube warmth in the AC15C1, modern innovation in the MV50 series, or affordable options like the Pathfinder 10, Vox amps deliver high-quality sound and flexibility. Choosing the right Vox amp depends on your specific needs, but rest assured, any of these models will enhance your practice and recording sessions with that unmistakable Vox tone.

[aaryan-mwa-blogs]

The Top 10 Audio Plugins Every Music Producer Should Know About

If you’re a music producer, audio plugins are essential tools in your arsenal. They help shape your sound, mix your tracks, and add creative effects to your music. But with so many options out there, it can be hard to know which ones are worth your time. In this blog, we’ll go over the top 10 audio plugins that every music producer should know about.

1. Equalizer (EQ) Plugins

EQ plugins are a must-have for any producer. They allow you to adjust the balance of different frequencies in your mix. Whether you’re cutting out unwanted noise or boosting certain tones, an EQ plugin gives you control over your sound.

2. Compressor Plugins

Compressors help manage the dynamic range of your tracks, making quiet sounds louder and loud sounds quieter. This is crucial for creating a balanced mix where every element can be heard clearly. Compressors are especially useful for vocals and drums.

3. Reverb Plugins

Reverb plugins add space and depth to your tracks by simulating the sound of different environments, like a small room or a large hall. Adding reverb can make your music sound more natural and polished, helping elements sit better in the mix.

4. Delay Plugins

Delay plugins repeat your sound after a short period, creating an echo effect. You can use delay to add rhythm, texture, or atmosphere to your tracks. It’s a versatile tool that can be used creatively in many different genres.

5. Saturation Plugins

Saturation plugins add warmth and color to your sound by emulating the effect of analog tape or tube equipment. They can make your tracks sound fuller and richer, which is great for adding character to digital recordings.

6. Limiter Plugins

Limiters are used to control the peak levels of your tracks, preventing distortion and ensuring that your mix doesn’t clip. They are often used in the mastering process to make sure your final mix sounds loud and clear without any unwanted peaks.

7. Chorus Plugins

Chorus plugins create a thicker, more textured sound by duplicating your audio and slightly detuning it. This effect is often used on guitars, vocals, and synths to add width and richness to the sound.

8. Pitch Correction Plugins

Pitch correction plugins help you correct or manipulate the pitch of your vocals or instruments. They’re useful for fixing off-key notes and can also be used creatively to achieve that popular pitch-shifted vocal effect.

9. Noise Gate Plugins

Noise gate plugins reduce unwanted background noise by cutting out audio below a certain threshold. They’re particularly useful for cleaning up recordings of vocals, guitars, or drums, where you might have unwanted hums or hisses.

10. Modulation Plugins

Modulation plugins add movement to your sound by altering certain parameters over time. This can include effects like flangers, phasers, and tremolos. Modulation can make your tracks more dynamic and interesting by adding subtle or dramatic changes.

These 10 audio plugins are essential tools that every music producer should be familiar with. Many reputable shops like VIP PRO AUDIO in Brooklyn provide guidance on audio gears to ensure musicians get valuable information whether you’re mixing, mastering, or just adding creative effects, these plugins will help you take your music to the next level. By understanding how to use them effectively, you’ll be able to produce tracks that sound polished, professional, and uniquely yours.

[hellosailoreffect]

Pedal Electric Guitar

A pedal electric guitar, commonly referred to as an electric guitar pedal, is a crucial component in the arsenal of guitarists across various musical genres. These pedals are compact electronic devices designed to alter or enhance the sound of an electric guitar by applying various effects and modifications to the instrument's signal chain.

Electric guitar pedals come in a wide variety of types, each offering distinct sonic capabilities:

Distortion and Overdrive Pedals: These pedals add varying degrees of saturation, crunch, and sustain to the guitar signal, mimicking the sound of pushed tube amplifiers. They are fundamental for achieving classic rock, blues, and metal tones.

Modulation Pedals: Modulation effects include chorus, phaser, flanger, and tremolo pedals, which manipulate the guitar signal to create dynamic movement and spatial effects. These pedals are essential for adding depth and texture to guitar solos and rhythm parts.

Delay and Reverb Pedals: Delay pedals repeat and echo the guitar signal with varying time intervals, while reverb pedals simulate the acoustics of different environments, adding space and ambiance to the guitar sound.

Compression Pedals: Compression pedals even out the dynamic range of the guitar signal, enhancing sustain and smoothing out inconsistencies in playing dynamics.

[fuzzkaizer]

Montgomery Ward - "Echo" Model 62-9066

“This weirdo out there from 1965-66 that says it's an "Echo" but it's actually a Tremolo, very similar to Vox's Repeat Percussion.With tubes, it uses a 5y3 rectifier and a 12ax7 preamp and what you see in the middle is not another bulb, it's a photocell.”

cred: facebook.com/Arturo Tapia Paulin

[guitarbomb]

NAMM 2024: Gibson Falcon Amps - A Blend of Vintage Charm and Modern Innovation

Gibson Falcon Amps, we told you they were coming last week. In a thrilling announcement ahead of NAMM 2024, Gibson has unveiled its revamped line of guitar amplifiers, introducing the Falcon 5 and Falcon 20. These tube amp combos, born from a collaboration with the legendary Randall Smith and his Mesa/Boogie team, are a modern nod to the iconic ‘60s Gibson designs. Compact Power, Rich Tone:…

[kenzingmedia]

Let's Build the Gibson GA1-RVT.....A 3-Tube Amp with Reverb & Tremolo, Part 1 of 3 - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4gdjZx9fzc

[teardownit]

Marshall Guv`nor: a Pedal that sounds like a Tube Stack

To be more accurate, it sounds like a valve stack; after all, it is a British pedal imitating British Marshall amplifiers.

Don't tell anyone because it's a secret: when creating his JTM45, Jim Marshall actually copied the circuitry of a 1959 Fender Tweed Bassman 5F6-A.

And Mr. Marshall also equipped his first 50-watt combo amplifier, a 1961 JMP Tremolo “Bluesbreaker,” with four 10-inch speakers. The iconic 2x12" version was made a year later.

Tolex instead of tweed, a horizontal arrangement of tubes, and ring-shaped loudspeaker magnets—the differences end there.

But why does the British Marshall sound so different from the American Fender? Is the difference really just the Celestion speakers instead of the Jenhsen ones with their U-shaped magnetic core?

The stronger magnetic field of British loudspeakers compresses the sound's dynamic range to a significant extent. One can compare the waveforms recorded with the Shure SM57 microphone from the 12" Celestion G12M Greenback and Fender Mustang II (V1) loudspeakers, as well as from the 8" Orange Voice of the World PPC108.

But the spiciest part of the Marshall sound is literally based on the usage of British valves instead of American tubes.

In the post about a simple DIY tube guitar amplifier, we already noted that the sound of a particular tube depends on the geometry of the grids and anode.

And if we compare 12AX7 preamp tubes with ECC83, we will see and hear that they are all very different. This is determined not by an American or European stamp but by the design of this particular unit from a particular manufacturer.

It's a completely different story with the EL34 and 6L6 power amplification output tubes. Their sound difference is on another level. Short and thick American 6L6 can be described as high fidelity with a large headroom; long and thin English EL34 is, on the contrary, a growling and roaring powerhouse due to the fact that it tends to limit and distort the signal.

Does this mean that if you swap the speakers and tubes in the Tweed Bassman and Bluesbreaker combos, the Fender 5F6-A would become a Marshall JTM45? Not really, no.

In the universe of guitar amplification, nuances matter: the cabinet's open or closed back wall, the fine selection of component values, and the frequencies to which the tone controls are set.

And, of course, the sound is influenced by the anode supply rectifiers and the supply and output transformers. And according to some experts, even the material of the chassis matters: the windings of transformers have considerable leakage inductance, and their alternating magnetic field interacts with the metal of the chassis.

Then there's another question: is it possible to emulate all these effects without real tubes, bulky loudspeakers, and heavy multi-pound transformers? A guitar amplifier is a complex yet still measurable device; it's subject to the laws of physics and can be mathematically evaluated.

There is no doubt about the possibility of recreating a certain sound by other means. The question is how complex the circuit with transistors and ICs will be sufficient to obtain a convincing effect.

The idea to replicate the iconic sound of the Marshall JTM 45 and JCM800 in a pedal body and create the world's first amp-in-a-box, oddly enough, first came to none other than the employees of the Marshall company itself, led by the head of the Development Department, Steve Grindrod.

Guitarists worldwide owe a debt of gratitude to this man for developing the legendary Marshall JCM800 and Vox AC30.

Today, the godfather of British Sound owns his company, Steve Grindrod (Albion) Amplification. He produces Pendragon guitar amps and Gypsy Boy acoustic amps and works with various charities. And in 1988, his efforts led to the creation of the Guv’nor pedal.

In 1992, the pedal was re-released under the name Drive Master. It differed from the original only without an effects loop jack.

The circuit looks like a regular distortion pedal with two operational amplifiers. The first is included as a non-inverting amplifier; the signal is supplied to the non-inverting input. And the second operational amplifier is used in the inverting connection.

The drive regulator potentiometer is configured to control the negative feedback of both op-amps. This is a brilliant design by Steve Grindrod.

By comparison, Orange tube and transistor amplifiers typically use dual, linked potentiometers to control the gain of the two stages simultaneously.

Red LEDs are used as limiting elements in this Marshall amp-in-a-box. This makes it possible to adjust overdrive and compression using the drive knob in a wider range and get a sound from light blues overdrive to hard heavy metal distortion.

And, of course, the standout feature of this pedal is the gorgeous three-way tone stack, tuned for that signature Marshall sound. It has even more components than the tone stacks of many other tube amps.

This happens because the pedal does not have as many gain stages, each with timbre-shaping frequency-dependent circuits, as a large amplifier does. The tone stack has more work to do in the pedal than in the amp head or combo. At least, that's what Steve Grindrod thought when developing The Guv'nor.

However, in 1992, when developing the Blues Breaker pedal, it turned out that the distortion sounded great with just one tone knob, a simple treble-bleed circuit.

Three new pedals were developed. Drive Master was a reissue of The Guv'nor. Blues Breaker featured soft clipping and lower gain.

The Shred Master, on the other hand, was a pedal with maximum gain and a Contour knob, which allowed to emphasize the mids for a vintage sound or, alternatively, make a mid scoop and get a modern sound.

As any successful pedal deserves, The Guv’nor was soon copied by other manufacturers: Daddy O from Danelectro, Crunch Box from MI Audio, Riot from Suhr, and Angry Charlie from JHS.

Different versions of these pedals may have a three-way tone stack or a single-tone knob, a switch or presence control in the form of a knob or trim pot inside the body, and a limiting diode switch that sets the compression depth.

The version I put together has four knobs: gain, volume, tone, and presence. I enjoy how this pedal sounds with different guitars. In the video, I play a 2011 Gibson MM Explorer.

Suppose you want to add Marshall-style voicing to your rig and get some bright British crunch. In that case, you should consider purchasing or building one of the pedals based on the Marshall Guv`nor circuit.

[toms-amps]

1964 Ampeg Super Echo Twin ET-2-B

This is a true stereo amp with 2 different amps, reverb and tremolo. 2 channels with separate mono inputs and a stereo input. 4 7591A tubes, 2 per amp for 15 watts/side 30 in mono. 2 original Jensen C12Qs. Lots of tonal setups available.