Looks like Alex Lifeson and Mojotone are bringing out new versions of Lifeson’s signature Lerxst amps.
That sound you are hearing right now (not the youtube clip) is me drooling. They are too expensive to really consider, but that doesn’t matter. I’m still drooling. Literally.
Hopefully we’ll have some good review videos soon. I want to hear more.
I have four tube amps. The 16 year old version of me would shit himself with envy if he knew that.
With the possible tube amp shortage coming I wanted to write down the types of tubes those four amps use. Here’s the list, after a quick Google search:
NuTubes… the future might be bright for those cute little buggers.
Didn’t I write something about this recently?
We’ve been saying that the days of the tube amp were numbered for decades, but now the end might be in sight. Well, if not the end of the tubes then maybe the end of reasonably affordable amps. Reasonably being a subjective term as most good tube amps are already seriously expensive.
There are only two factories on Earth that still manufacture vacuum tubes and one of them, the one in Russia, is no longer shipping to the United States.
Here’s hoping the tubes in my amps last for another 50 years or so. Also, I was thinking of trading in that Fender Bassbreaker 18/30… now? No way in hell.
It’s worth it, politically speaking. It’s also worth it environmentally speaking. It’s also been inevitable for ages and it’s been a long time coming.
So the question is, solid state transistor amps or digital modeling amps? Those Fender Tone Master things are supposed to be pretty good. Maybe we can talk them into making a tweed Bassman version?
Holy crap, I’m fully vaccinated. Wow!
Now what?
Today is Thursday and I have a rough day at work ahead of me. Tomorrow is Friday and I have a rough day at work ahead of me. After that?
I don’t know.
The weekend… what can I do to dip my toe into the waters of normalcy? One of the cars needs an oil change. I can go to Valvoline and have it done without leaving the car. That’s a good option. The other car needs an inspection. I don’t know about that. That seems a little much for the first few days. Maybe next weekend.
There is one thing that is looming over all other things. One thing that, now that Jen got the hybrid inspected (thank you so much, my love!), needs to be done more than anything else…
A hair cut. Woah boy do I need a hair cut.
I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet. Being in a closed room with another person close enough to touch me? I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet.
Back inside the house there will be music. I want to bring the big Bassbreaker amp down cellar and bring up the Vox AC15 and use that on it’s own for a while. I bought it over the summer and I don’t think I’ve used it without a second amp for more than a couple of minutes. April’s music will be through just that amp. At least for a day or two before I change my mind again. I also want to put the 1×12 speaker cabinet back into the living room so Harry can play the electric piano through it. He’s been 100% headphones for long enough. Once all that stuff is done I have to write and record a song for the RPM site’s Record Every Month challenge. It’s month two and that’s way too soon to drop out.
Okay, so that’s Saturday. What about Sunday.
We haven’t worked out the logistics yet… but I think we’re going to see how we feel about a really long drive.
Woah!
Okay… bear with me on this one. It’s going to be a guitar amp nerd thing.
I’ve been running two amps together for most of the last year and it’s awesome. I’m thinking about changing things though. Why? I don’t know, leave me alone. What I want to do is play through my Fender Deluxe Reverb, but that’s still at the band’s rehearsal space. It’s been there for 13 months. Missing me. My Fender Bassbreaker 18/30 is here though, and that’s sort of a Deluxe Reverb just with the wrong tubes (at least that’s how Fender sort of described it). Unfortunately, when I was using that amp a year ago it was too loud and my family complained. Is there a way that I can get around that now?
My first thought was to get an attenuator. I have one for my Deluxe. I place it between the amp and the built in speaker. There’s a 1/4 inch cable that standardly connects the speaker to the amp so I can just use that. The 18/30 can’t do that for a bunch of reasons. First, it’s a closed cabinet so I would have to take it apart to get to the plug and I ain’t doin’ that. Second, it’s not a plug, it’s hardwired… at least as far as I can tell it is. Again, I ain’t takin’ it apart. Third, where the Deluxe has one speaker, the 18/30 has two. What does that mean? Would I have to get two attenuators?
I think I still have options though. First, let’s look at what we’re dealing with:
I do have an extension cabinet. It’s one 12 inch speaker. It’s currently plugged into the little Vox MV30 which is plugged into the electric keyboard in the living room. Harry hasn’t used it in ages though, he usually wears headphones when he practices. I have an impedance select so I should be able to use it without worry. I think it’s eight ohms but it should say on the back of the cab. Now if I use the Main Speaker output it will bypass the two built in speakers. What does that mean for volume? Will going from two speakers to one speaker give me the volume reduction I need? I don’t think so. It might be a little lower volume but it will probably just mean the speaker will distort at a lower volume than the combo speakers do. I don’t know. I’ve never done this.
Assuming the Main Speaker into my 1×12 cab works, and assuming it doesn’t reduce the volume the way I need, I should be able to get a cheap attenuator, similar to the one I bought for my Deluxe. I bought it on Reverb.com from a guy in Tyngsboro, MA who builds them (I think) in his house. Unfortunately I don’t remember the name of the seller or the company. So… I bet I can find it on my Reverb history. It’s the only thing I ever bought there. If that fails then I am positive I have a picture of it somewhere. Give me a minute…
There it is! Carl’s Custom Guitars Speaker Soak. He makes them at different resistance levels. I’d have to get the right one.
So there you have it. The next recording project, whenever or whatever that may be, might be a one amp setup. Stay tuned.
I just had a guitar geek moment. Like, a major league nerd-o-rama guitar geek moment.
I bought an AB/Y switch recently and finally got around to test driving it. I dug out my 27 year old Fender Stage amp (though I didn’t dust it off, as you can see in the clip) and paired it up with my new little practice amp and BAM, two amps at once. Then I put a phaser on one amp but not the other and BAM, a wet/dry rig. Can you believe it?
Please forgive the video in portrait mode, I hate that but I was balancing the phone against the box the new switch came in. Sorry. Also, forgive the mess, as always.
Considering that these are the fuzz and overdrive pedals that are not on the pedal board I will bring to the gig tomorrow, and that the gig board has three fuzz pedals and two overdrive pedals…
I think I might have a dirt pedal problem.
Hello my name is Robert and I’m a distortion-aholic.
Oh and while we’re on the topic, let’s enjoy the warm glowing warming glow of some vacuum tubes…
Inside the Red Head's Head 