Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
Moderators: greatmutah, GuitarBilly
- nightflameauto
- Crystal Lettucer
- Posts: 15543
- Joined: Thu May 30, 2013 10:29 pm
- Contact:
Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
Somebody, somewhere, once told me Marshall tone controls are reductive.
Chill day, sipped a few, my brain went, "If Marshall tone controls are reductive, and I like tone, don't reduce any tone! BRILLIANT!"
No idea why I didn't crank the channel volume too, but I'd say that's in the respectable range. Woke up this morning to this clip in the queue. Only thing I don't like is the drums don't seem to exactly match the rest of it. But the guitar and bass? Gat dang.
https://app.box.com/s/5v3998jh7ce1ozh63mc6osrajti4m2bm
Just guitar and bass:
https://app.box.com/s/iqu5hymfd4qrparyu3pelefzsnu4bmxb
Yup. That's about as close as I've gotten to that tone I carry around in my noggin' for thrash tones. Could use just a shade more high end, which I can probably get with mic position. Not bad for a completely off-the-cuff idea.
Chill day, sipped a few, my brain went, "If Marshall tone controls are reductive, and I like tone, don't reduce any tone! BRILLIANT!"
No idea why I didn't crank the channel volume too, but I'd say that's in the respectable range. Woke up this morning to this clip in the queue. Only thing I don't like is the drums don't seem to exactly match the rest of it. But the guitar and bass? Gat dang.
https://app.box.com/s/5v3998jh7ce1ozh63mc6osrajti4m2bm
Just guitar and bass:
https://app.box.com/s/iqu5hymfd4qrparyu3pelefzsnu4bmxb
Yup. That's about as close as I've gotten to that tone I carry around in my noggin' for thrash tones. Could use just a shade more high end, which I can probably get with mic position. Not bad for a completely off-the-cuff idea.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
- Marc G
- Crystal Lettucer
- Posts: 11089
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 10:07 am
- Location: Trinidad, West Indies
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
Fender tone controls are reductive as well if I remember correctly..... I think all passive tone controls are TBH
- GuitarBilly
- Chief Executive Owl
- Posts: 48416
- Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:03 pm
- Location: Rockville, MD
- Contact:
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
Yeah unless you have an active EQ, which most amps don't, the tone stack is always reductive. But that's a bit deceptive because when voicing the tone stack, designers usually choose values that sound best around the middle range of the potentiometer so there's enough range in both directions.
I'm not home right now, but I'll listen to the clip tonight.
I'm not home right now, but I'll listen to the clip tonight.
Guitars:
'78 Les Paul Pro / '89 SG Special/ '04 Gibson Les Paul Classic 3 pickup / Jackson Star/ Endres Tele / Fernandes Rhoads/ ''74 Hohner MIJ strat/ 2 Partscasters
Amps:
Depends on when you ask. I got tired of constantly updating this section lol
Cabs
Marshall 1960A w V30s/ Seismic 2x12 w Redback and V30.
Questions about the forum: please PM here. Can't access the forum? Need a password reset? Please access our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GuitarGearForumOfficial and message me through it.
'78 Les Paul Pro / '89 SG Special/ '04 Gibson Les Paul Classic 3 pickup / Jackson Star/ Endres Tele / Fernandes Rhoads/ ''74 Hohner MIJ strat/ 2 Partscasters
Amps:
Depends on when you ask. I got tired of constantly updating this section lol
Cabs
Marshall 1960A w V30s/ Seismic 2x12 w Redback and V30.
Questions about the forum: please PM here. Can't access the forum? Need a password reset? Please access our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GuitarGearForumOfficial and message me through it.
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
Yeah not many amps have active stacks because they can sound like ass. Notable active tonestack amps are the Peavey XXX and the sound city sc120.
Loop wrote:I’m currently shopping for a 1996 Red Dodge Viper with yellow wheels. Who gives a shit about taste?!
- GuitarBilly
- Chief Executive Owl
- Posts: 48416
- Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:03 pm
- Location: Rockville, MD
- Contact:
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
Just listened to the clip. It sounds really cool. Way better than I thought it would be. I was thinking it would be super bright but it's actually balanced. Still a bit of the bright side but nothing excessive.
Guitars:
'78 Les Paul Pro / '89 SG Special/ '04 Gibson Les Paul Classic 3 pickup / Jackson Star/ Endres Tele / Fernandes Rhoads/ ''74 Hohner MIJ strat/ 2 Partscasters
Amps:
Depends on when you ask. I got tired of constantly updating this section lol
Cabs
Marshall 1960A w V30s/ Seismic 2x12 w Redback and V30.
Questions about the forum: please PM here. Can't access the forum? Need a password reset? Please access our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GuitarGearForumOfficial and message me through it.
'78 Les Paul Pro / '89 SG Special/ '04 Gibson Les Paul Classic 3 pickup / Jackson Star/ Endres Tele / Fernandes Rhoads/ ''74 Hohner MIJ strat/ 2 Partscasters
Amps:
Depends on when you ask. I got tired of constantly updating this section lol
Cabs
Marshall 1960A w V30s/ Seismic 2x12 w Redback and V30.
Questions about the forum: please PM here. Can't access the forum? Need a password reset? Please access our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GuitarGearForumOfficial and message me through it.
- nightflameauto
- Crystal Lettucer
- Posts: 15543
- Joined: Thu May 30, 2013 10:29 pm
- Contact:
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
Thanks, guys.
And yeah, Billy, I was expecting harsh-city. I was pleasantly surprised.
Playing around with the amp a bit, it's pretty bright/gritty/harsh at the same settings with the volume rolled back some. As it comes up, it tends to smooth out up top and get more crunchy/saturated. Expected with a good tube amp, but the difference is a lot bigger than I expected.
And yeah, Billy, I was expecting harsh-city. I was pleasantly surprised.
Playing around with the amp a bit, it's pretty bright/gritty/harsh at the same settings with the volume rolled back some. As it comes up, it tends to smooth out up top and get more crunchy/saturated. Expected with a good tube amp, but the difference is a lot bigger than I expected.
- eyeball987
- Hall of Fame Member
- Posts: 1693
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 9:47 am
- Location: Bay Village, Ohio
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
Interesting. Will have to try this on modded JCM800 this week.
- Mike Oxhuge
- Hall of Fame Member
- Posts: 2465
- Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:01 pm
- Location: Twin Shities
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
Sounds great alot like Kerry Kings tone!
Peavey XXX Head
Henning Bottle Rocket Preamp
Carvin MTS3212 Combo
Hamer XT DC with Sheptone Red headed step childs
Xaviere LP copy with Floyd Rose and Dimarzio Illuminator Bridge HB, Wilkinson Neck
80's Washburn Scavenger Bass
Boss GT1000
Henning Bottle Rocket Preamp
Carvin MTS3212 Combo
Hamer XT DC with Sheptone Red headed step childs
Xaviere LP copy with Floyd Rose and Dimarzio Illuminator Bridge HB, Wilkinson Neck
80's Washburn Scavenger Bass
Boss GT1000
- nightflameauto
- Crystal Lettucer
- Posts: 15543
- Joined: Thu May 30, 2013 10:29 pm
- Contact:
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
Mike Oxhuge wrote:Sounds great alot like Kerry Kings tone!
Closest I ever got to King's tone is the double SD-1 boost up front. It really gets that big mids, tight and percussive thing he's got going on.
Apparently there's no substitute for volume. I tried this again with the volume down a bit and it sounds like fried ass. Absolutely atrocious. Guess this is a "weekends only" recording technique for me.
Or maybe it's finally time to clean out the closet and get the cab tucked away in there again. Hmm.
- ajaxlepinski
- Crystal Lettucer
- Posts: 23723
- Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2013 12:35 am
- Location: Same town as Lindsay Lohan, Amy Fisher, Joey Buttafucco & Debbie Gibson
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
Wow! That's does sound really good!!!
When ever I play a Marshall, the first thing I do is max out the Bass and Mid knobs.
Going to have to try the Treb and Pres all the way up too.... they're usually are set to 3 or 4.




When ever I play a Marshall, the first thing I do is max out the Bass and Mid knobs.
Going to have to try the Treb and Pres all the way up too.... they're usually are set to 3 or 4.
1969 Sunn Solarus ● 2x 1980's Randall RG-80 ● 2013 Hi-Tone HT103-DG (Best Rig 2014) ● 2015 Mortatone 12/15 Cab w/EV SRO's ● 2017 Jubilee ● 2019 Ceriatone Model Tee ● 2019 Randall Diavlo ● 2020 VHT D50 Dumble Clone
Walt wrote:But when the hour is nigh, and the lights are low, and I got a little toothpick of a shwag joint in my teeth, and my friends want to hear me play "Into the Void", or "TNT", "or "Cemetery Gates"...I plug my 600 dollar guitar into my 150 dollar amp, and I am a Rawk gawd.
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
“How do you EQ your amps?”
PUT EVERYTHING ON 10 AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.
PUT EVERYTHING ON 10 AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.
I used to play guitar.
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
RaceU4her wrote::rawk:
This
GAB DrumJams - YouTube & Soundcloud
- MacaroniSalad
- Hall of Fame Member
- Posts: 2212
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 12:18 pm
- Location: London, Ontario
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
I use that logic with guitars too. I like more tone, so why would I turn a tone knob down?
I want 10/10 tone, not 7/10

- nightflameauto
- Crystal Lettucer
- Posts: 15543
- Joined: Thu May 30, 2013 10:29 pm
- Contact:
Re: Marshall Tone Controls, Drunken Reasoning, and a Clip.
FAKA! wrote:RaceU4her wrote::rawk:
This

Thanks, bros.
Yeah, MacaroniSalad. Tone knobs on guitars are a waste for 99.9999999% of the playing I do. My Tele is the only exception. The bridge is a shade bright through the amp unless you roll back just a shade.