Re: guitar amps

["Krispen Hartung" <khartung@cableone.net>]

Heh heh...well, you are right in one respect. For all my looping gigs, all 
I 
have is my laptop and Behringer MIDI controller (to control Mobius and 
tweak 
my VST parameters with the two expression pedels).  All the sweetness 
comes 
from about about 60 VST effects, some MAX/MSP VSTs that I've created 
myself, 
and Reaktor.

For my paying jazz gig, I use a totally different setup...just a guitar 
plugged into a a combo amp. I usually use my Taylor nylon string plugged 
into a Crate Gunnison acoustic amp (replaced my stolen Roland AC-60), or I 
bring my PRS hollowbody and plug into an combo amp (which is what I'm 
working on replacing now with either the Roland Cube 60 or Fender FM 65).

Kris

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "mark sottilaro" <zerocrossing2001@yahoo.com>
To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2006 11:08 AM
Subject: Re: guitar amps


> That's interesting.  I like your music a lot but I've
> never seen you perform.  I'd always just assumed that
> there was at least some sort of MIDI controller or
> pedalboard in front of you to help sculpt that sweet
> sound of yours.  I can't imagine doing a show without
> at least 2 fairly large devices on the floor!
>
> Mark
>
> --- Krispen Hartung <khartung@cableone.net> wrote:
>
>> Yup...your reasoning seems sound. In my case, I have
>> nothing on the floor. I
>> connect one cable from my guitar to the amp, turn
>> the amp on, and away I go.
>> I can setup in about 2 minutes or less. Of course,
>> if I were doing a more
>> large scale/higher paying gig, I might bring my two
>> Mackie powered speakers,
>> and just use my laptop. Still nothing on the floor.
>>
>> K-
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "mark sottilaro" <zerocrossing2001@yahoo.com>
>> To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
>> Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 9:33 PM
>> Subject: Re: guitar amps
>>
>>
>> > Oh I hear you, I just always think "well I'm going
>> to
>> > have to have at least one thing on the floor
>> anyway"
>> > so why not have it be the source of my tone?  Sure
>> > it's kind of a controller at the same time too.
>> >
>> >
>> > --- Krispen Hartung <khartung@cableone.net> wrote:
>> >
>> >> I'm with you. I could even run my laptop directly
>> >> into my Mackie 1x10
>> >> speakers...it's mainly convenience and
>> portability.
>> >> I have a thing about
>> >> being able to walk into a jazz gig with nothing
>> buy
>> >> my guitar and a combo
>> >> amp. :)   It's ver liberating. The more gear I
>> have
>> >> to setup for a gig like
>> >> that, the more disgruntled I get over time.  / K
>> >>
>> >> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> >> From: "mark sottilaro"
>> <zerocrossing2001@yahoo.com>
>> >> To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
>> >> Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 7:47 PM
>> >> Subject: Re: guitar amps
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> >I think we've been over this before, but since
>> you
>> >> > seem to be happy with many of the modelers
>> around
>> >> (as
>> >> > am I) why not just get a nice keyboard amp or
>> >> powered
>> >> > PA speaker and use the amp modeler of your
>> choice?
>> >> > This gives amazing flexibility IMO.  Sounds
>> good
>> >> for
>> >> > bass, acoustic and  you can even route keyboard
>> >> sounds
>> >> > though it.  Get a modeler that's an all in one
>> >> floor
>> >> > unit, as I'm sure you'll need stuff on the
>> ground
>> >> > anyway.
>> >> >
>> >> > I found the Mackie 650s to be a little cold
>> >> sounding
>> >> > but had great bottom.  A bit of time with an EQ
>> >> was
>> >> > all they needed though.  Why have the bells and
>> >> > whistles in the amp?
>> >> >
>> >> > Mark
>> >> >
>> >> > --- Krispen Hartung <khartung@cableone.net>
>> wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >> The polytones are indeed nice (just don't use
>> the
>> >> >> gain on them, as that
>> >> >> produces what could likely be the most nasty
>> >> >> sounding distortion on the
>> >> >> planet earth)...however, having used many
>> models
>> >> of
>> >> >> Polytones in my guitar
>> >> >> playing history, I find that they are a
>> generally
>> >> a
>> >> >> one-dimensional amp.
>> >> >> Most guys I know using them are using good
>> sized
>> >> >> archtop guitars, which is
>> >> >> what I did. The polytones are designed to have
>> a
>> >> >> very flat frequency
>> >> >> response and re-produce the beautiful, and
>> unique
>> >> >> sound of a big bodied
>> >> >> archtop.  This is also why they are a popular
>> amp
>> >> >> for accordion players. But
>> >> >> for someone who wants to play modern jazz - a
>> mix
>> >> of
>> >> >> traditional clean tones
>> >> >> with other flavors of dirtied up tones, like
>> Mike
>> >> >> Stearn, Scofield, etc - I
>> >> >> don't believe the Polytone is a good choice.
>> It's
>> >> >> not that sort of amp.  I
>> >> >> keep falling back to the newer DSP amps, like
>> the
>> >> >> Roland Cube 60, Fender
>> >> >> FM65, Vox, and so on. I keep seeing these amps
>> >> pop
>> >> >> up in jazz guitar
>> >> >> discussion forums over, and over again. One
>> just
>> >> >> found out that one of my
>> >> >> favorite jazz guitarists, Lorne Lofsky (an
>> >> >> mind-blowing modern jazz
>> >> >> guitarist that teaches and lives in the
>> Toronto
>> >> >> area), is also using the
>> >> >> Fender FM65.  These amps have the ability to
>> >> produce
>> >> >> a very clean tone (like
>> >> >> a JC-120), but also a vintage amp or tube amp
>> >> that
>> >> >> will get dirty when you
>> >> >> push it.  I never believed it until I use
>> them,
>> >> but
>> >> >> amps like the Cube 60
>> >> >> even have the ability to produce that "spongy"
>> >> feel
>> >> >> of tube amps.  I think
>> >> >> it's just amazing what they've done with
>> >> them...so,
>> >> >> for the versatile jazz
>> >> >> guitarist who has to switch from traditional
>> >> jazz,
>> >> >> to smooth jazz, to modern
>> >> >> jazz, to fusion on the fly depending on the
>> gig,
>> >> >> these DSP amps are the
>> >> >> cat's meow.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I find "harshness" to be a feature of EQ, not
>> an
>> >> >> amp. I've never played an
>> >> >> amp that I couldn't get a smooth tone out of
>> by
>> >> >> adjusting the EQ...roll off
>> >> >> the presence or highs, boost the mids, and
>> turn
>> >> the
>> >> >> tone down on the guitar
>> >> >> a bit....all age old tricks of jazz guitar
>> >> players
>> >> >> to "silkify" their tones.
>> >> >> Although I've heard some tube purists say that
>> >> solid
>> >> >> state amps in general
>> >> >> are harsh...but I think this is an unqualified
>> >> claim
>> >> >> as well. Once you tweak
>> >> >> a solid state amp right, it will NOT sound
>> >> >> harsh..."harshness" is not the
>> >> >> right term, in my opition..rather, it's that
>> >> >> "sponginess" I mentioned, the
>> >> >> fact that tube amps breaks up when you push
>> them,
>> >> >> that they change
>> >> >> throughout the duration of a performance as
>> they
>> >> >> heat up (which annoys the
>> >> >> shit out of me), etc.  I think harshness is an
>> >> easy
>> >> >> characteristic to
>> >> >> change, but these more organic features of
>> tube
>> >> amps
>> >> >> are more difficult to
>> >> >> emulate...but the new DSP amps are getting
>> really
>> >> >> good at it...enough so for
>> >> >> that I really prefer the DSP amps now, because
>> >> they
>> >> >> run cool, don't require
>> >> >> tube maintenance, and they are light. It's the
>> >> best
>> >> >> of all worlds. I don't
>> >> >> know who a Roland could be regarded as
>> >> harsh...turn
>>
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