Shelter in place gear

Q

Hey Steve!

Since we are all emerging from our year and a half hibernation, I am wondering what amps and gear were you really digging while having to spend lots of hours playing at home? Anything you discovered or re-discovered?

Thanks!
Ben

Ben, CA

4 Thoughts on Shelter in place gear
    4 Jun 2021
    2:28pm
    Comment:

    Great question!
    Ok, first of all, that downtime felt like forever. Glad things are finally starting to loosen up. .

    My single most used piece of gear during the zombie apocalypse was my Fat Jimmy Blue Mountain amp.
    It’s literally been on the entire time. It’s really sounding good!!! Handful of watts, 2×8, one half of Weir’s rig from a couple years back.
    I’m in line for another.

    Normally I’d be playing more acoustic guitar at home and doing more meditative and ear training style playing with a drone, but that routine exists to balance the rock band work.
    So maybe 75% electric, 25% acoustic.
    I wound up playing way more electric guitar than acoustic sitting home. I guess I missed it.

    So, the bit that got revisited or rediscovered sitting home with the electric was light strings and low action, which hasn’t worked for me on stage in a long time.
    That was fun.
    Ramping back up to playing with a band I’m still most comfortable with the white Strat’s 14’s, but equally happy with 9’s on the Explorer.

    I’ve developed a fondness for the stock white Tremolux and it’s sealed 2×10, I think it’s the only non-combo Fender cab that actually sounds great, and the Tremolux is kinda ideal all around non-deafening Fender.
    In other Fender amp news, two of my fave Fenders, my most gigged ‘runt’ Bandmaster and BF Tremolux are awesome in spite of non-Fender replacement output transformers. Previously I’d have considered that a deal breaker.

    The biggest revelation sitting home wasn’t production related.
    It was just how much more time I’d like to have listening to music, and how much I enjoy it.

    I love it so much, I listen to everything, anything, and cry my eyes out it’s all so beautiful.

    ok, cool!!
    how ’bout you??

      4 Jun 2021
      8:37pm
      Comment:

      Thanks for the reply Steve! What kind of 10s are you running in your Tremolux? I find matching 10s a really tricky process (I have a SF Vibrolux).
      As far as myself and guitar gear goes I found myself falling in and out of love with JBL speakers in my Princeton and Vibrolux, which is something Im sure I will continue to do over and over.

      But I spent a lot of time over the past year picking up piano and bass which has been super fun. My bass is a total piece of junk, but it was a free piece of junk so I cant really complain.

    Ben
    4 Jun 2021
    8:40pm
    Comment:

    Thanks for the reply Steve!

    What kind of 10s are you running in that Tremolux cab? I find pairing 10s to be a really tricky process (I have a 1968 Vibrolux).

    As far as myself and guitar gear goes, I guess I found myself falling in and out of favor with running my Fenders with JBLs, which is something Im sure I will continue to do over and over.

    But I spent a lot of time over the past year picking up piano and bass which has been pretty fun. My bass is a total piece of junk, but it was a free piece of junk so I cant really complain.

      2 Jul 2021
      3:16am
      Comment:

      10’s are tricky, yes.
      It seems like there are a lot more suitable options for 12’s, wider variety of stuff that works, known quantities etc.

      anyway, pretty sure the Tremolux is Jensen C10-Q.
      Hard to go wrong with any of the old Jensen’s for straight ahead Fender sounds.

      JBL’s are tricky too.
      The good clean sound is K130, probably. I have D’s I like too, but the K holds on to the pretty bits for a few extra dB which does make a diff.
      The 12’s in the condition we find them today are a real crap shoot, you can still get good ones but most are reconed and or beat.
      And the 12’s are all kinda nasal compared to the 15’s for clean sounds with rare exceptions just because the condition of those old speakers is so varied.

      I still like them a lot, have good examples of K and D 120’s and 130’s. no 10’s..
      My only JBL application currently is a pair of D130’s with my Magnatone TC1 stereo Leslie simulator thing.
      I do still play Altec 12 and 15 with the smaller voice coils, I think they’re a more guitar friendly option for lower power, lower volume sound if you’re falling out of JBL favor for loudness reasons.

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