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Blues Gear

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(@ness-k)
Estimable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 155
Topic starter  

I have a Epiphone Les Paul and a Line 6 Spider 15watt amp and a Zoom G2 effects processor but I still struggle to find that ideal blues sound. Any suggestions?

"The Beauty of Music is my Sanity. Without it, I would simply lose my gravity, and blow away with the breeze." - Ness K(Aka Matt Harris)


   
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(@moonrider)
Noble Member
Joined: 20 years ago
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I have a Epiphone Les Paul and a Line 6 Spider 15watt amp and a Zoom G2 effects processor but I still struggle to find that ideal blues sound. Any suggestions?

You've got a modeling amp with amp models mainly geared for metal and hard rock. I. E. a Plexi and a Mesa Dual Rectumfryer. The Plexi model might be able to approximate a UK Blues sound, but if you want a Texas, West Coast, Chicago, or Jump sound, you're gonna need something that's got an approximation of Fender tweed and blackface voicings.

Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.

Moondawgs on Reverbnation


   
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(@trguitar)
Famed Member
Joined: 17 years ago
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The good news is for a modest price I bet one of the small inexpensive tube amps out there will give you exactly what you are looking for.

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --


   
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(@anonymous)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
 

what has an ideal blues sound to you? i'm not sure everyone's looking for the same sound.


   
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(@ph0nage)
Reputable Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 199
 

what about the clean channel on your spyder, then using one of the overdrive pedals in front of it on your G2? I have a g2 and think you could get some decent blues out of it?

Obviously it's not going to be up to a fender tube amp, but you can get a decent sound for practicing w/o disturbing your neighbors with that


   
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(@s1120)
Prominent Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 848
 

what has an ideal blues sound to you? i'm not sure everyone's looking for the same sound.

I think thats the key right there...... Lot of diferent blues tone out there.... Maybe fill us in on a song, or performer you are thinking about.

Paul B


   
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(@blue-jay)
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Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 1630
 

Same as the other guys, I don't know which sound you're looking for, but many people narrow it down to 3: B.B. King, SRV or Eric Clapton. I think that the G2 has 'em somewhere. I like Gary Moore's work as well, early Roy Buchanan, & John Fogarty. (Yes, I know, JF or CCR can be Swamp Rock but I see some Delta roots, Piedmont or Appalachia in there. It's Blues to me?)

Some of my Les Paul or ES-335 types have muddied up the sound too much on the R or neck pickup, but yours may or may not do that. Anyhow, I've turned a few pickups around like Lindsey Buckingham. Didn't have to do it on Lucille. I have a G1 and yours probably has more choice. If you like other effects, try a Tube Screamer or a Blues Breaker or Boss Blues Driver. If you are willing to change a pup, get a Gibson '57 Classic or a Seymour Duncan '59. They can produce clean signals for the rest of the chain to do as you desire; they have lower resistance values, shielding or wax potting and aren't brown mud. :shock:

Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.


   
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(@imalone)
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Joined: 14 years ago
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Maybe straying into opinions territory here, but what do you think of the Zoom pedals? I've been thinking of a cheap multi-effects and had been looking at the pocket pod, but the zoom seems to be more of a floor unit.

And to keep vaguely on topic, I've got a TO800 (it's a tubescreamer copy) which can push me in a sort of Gary Moore direction through a solid state amp, presumably the zoom can get somewhere near that. A bit of light overdrive into the clean channel and some reverb? Like others have said, if you can suggest a track or two that gives an idea of what you're looking for then someone will know how to do it.


   
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(@ph0nage)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 199
 

I used to have a zoom g9.2tt. That thing was awesome. The sound quality was great. It had 2 expression pedals - and there were a lot of cool pitch shifting and harmoner things. The z-pedal was a cool concept. Included 2 preamp tubes. I eventually sold it in favor of a pedal board when i started a band. It will also interface directly with a computer. Has 2 preamp tubes in there for sound as well. It seemed pretty versatile as far as sound went. Had fender & vox cleans - and went up all the way to diezel and mesa-ish high gain.

The only other high-end multi-effect i used was a Vox ToneLab SE (the older one). The zoom had more options for sure, but tonelab was easy to figure out without instructions. I had to read the zoom instructions for about 20 minutes before I was comfortable messing with it.

I now have a zoom g2. I honestly haven't messed with the overdrive much. I was just using it as a easy to carry around pedal to put into the effects loops w/ modulations and delays. It's a cool feature that it includes a drum machine with it.

I'm not really much of a multi-effects person though because it's easier for me to mess with pedals on the fly rather than make new presets. Zoom makes great stuff in my opinion


   
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(@ness-k)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 155
Topic starter  

The song I have in mind is Rollin Stone by Muddy Waters. Its dirty but clean at the same time I think perhaps because his gain was high but I can't figure out how to get that sound

"The Beauty of Music is my Sanity. Without it, I would simply lose my gravity, and blow away with the breeze." - Ness K(Aka Matt Harris)


   
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(@moonrider)
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Joined: 20 years ago
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The song I have in mind is Rollin Stone by Muddy Waters. Its dirty but clean at the same time I think perhaps because his gain was high but I can't figure out how to get that sound

Ah. NOW we have a target! You're listening to a Telecaster through some type of Fender tweed, most likely a Pro or a Super, or possibly a Bassman.

To emulate that type of sound on your Line 6, dump the Zoom pedal, use the Plexi model for your amp. Turn the master volume wide open to start (this lets you emulate an amp with no master volume like the Tweed Fenders), and bring the gain up to about 1/3 of the way. IF the amp models are decent, somewhere between 1/3 and 2/3 you should hit that magic spot with just the right amount of dirt/clean balance. On my '59 Bassman that sweet spot is exactly halfway up. This should get you fairly close.

It might be kinda loud. :mrgreen:

Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.

Moondawgs on Reverbnation


   
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(@ness-k)
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Joined: 17 years ago
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Topic starter  

Plexi? My amp doesn't have anything like that haha. Well it has "Clean, Crunch, Metal, Insane" and thats it. Perhaps my amp just isn't quite capable

"The Beauty of Music is my Sanity. Without it, I would simply lose my gravity, and blow away with the breeze." - Ness K(Aka Matt Harris)


   
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(@moonrider)
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Joined: 20 years ago
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Plexi? My amp doesn't have anything like that haha. Well it has "Clean, Crunch, Metal, Insane" and thats it. Perhaps my amp just isn't quite capable

According to Line 6:
"Crunch
This Amp Model is based on* a ‘68 Marshall® Plexi 100 watt with a few added extras; The combination of a Variac and the jumped input channels creates that infamous brown sound.
"

It's the one most likely to get you in the general area. . .

Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.

Moondawgs on Reverbnation


   
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(@ness-k)
Estimable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 155
Topic starter  

Oohhhh thanks man its a shame I don't know that about my own amp haha

"The Beauty of Music is my Sanity. Without it, I would simply lose my gravity, and blow away with the breeze." - Ness K(Aka Matt Harris)


   
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(@sgincyqx)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 404
 

The good news is for a modest price I bet one of the small inexpensive tube amps out there will give you exactly what you are looking for.

Epi Valve Junior. Awesome little rig for blues and still enough power to fight with the drummer. :D

Ewan McGregor: I said, "Eve, I want you to look after my wedding ring while I'm away," and she started to cry and I said, "Eve. Eve, I can't wear my ring or I won't get laid on the trip!"


   
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