• From: braintree essex
  • Registered: 2010-02-22
  • Posts: 221

Topic: THAT TONE WITH TWO MARSHALLS!! (HOPE JOE CAN EXSPLAIN)PLEASE!!

Question for joe(really) but anyone else who can help!
After some study and constant clicking around on u tube, i cant help but notice that joe uses two marshall stacks on his fly in gigs , dsl more than anything else i guess, I looked at a cip of joe in moscow (with his guitar came off the strap during the opening of BOJH and put it back while holding the cord!!!(well done, i bet its not the first time joe??!!)
I am a total joe fan and get the blending the amps and all the great tone s he gets by doing that , but its strikes me that he got just as good tone by using two dsl s !! Now, my rig is a dsl & cab with a tube screamer using a 58 ri! I have to say i do not get that tone its just he uses a simular setup without the , auralex great gramma and 4 amp heads! What is the secret JOE?? lol is it the clearsonic baffle?
THE PALMER SPEAKER SIM?
Are those cabs for the fly-in gigs loaded with v30s or ev12ls ?
The quest for that tone continues!!

steve (bonamassive big_smile )

  • From: Vienna
  • Registered: 2010-01-16
  • Posts: 408

Re: THAT TONE WITH TWO MARSHALLS!! (HOPE JOE CAN EXSPLAIN)PLEASE!!

I am afraid you would have to have Joe's fingers and soul to get his sound.  smile





Now, that's the toughest part  cool

  • From: Belfast
  • Registered: 2010-02-01
  • Posts: 110

Re: THAT TONE WITH TWO MARSHALLS!! (HOPE JOE CAN EXSPLAIN)PLEASE!!

We're all guilty of it but buying the same gear as your hero's will never make you sound like em. True story.
I recently bought a new amp and was hunting the web looking for settings of the stars. In the end I went completely against my previous 'goto' settings on the amp and dialled the mids up full, backed of the bass and upped the master and lowered the preamp. OPPOSITE of my hero, but. I have my own sound. And it is working for me.

Guitars: 95 Les Paul Standard, Relic Strat,
Amps: 1973 Marshall JMP 50 head and Vintage Modern Cab. I use no effects other than a Cry Baby on occasions.
  • From: Florida, USA
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,420

Re: THAT TONE WITH TWO MARSHALLS!! (HOPE JOE CAN EXSPLAIN)PLEASE!!

A lot of his sound is in his playing style and amazing technique.  The gear is a big part of it, but probably not as big as you think.  Everytime I get my rig to where I'm blown away I'll bring someone over to try it out for themselves only to be left extremely underwhelmed.  Most people sound like absolute crap through my rig!

The key "tricks" for getting close to Joe's sound IMO are:

How you set your midrange
What type of guitar you use
The whole delay/reverb setup (see reverb/delay sticky)
Multi-amping (sorry it's really the only way to get THAT close)
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

In the end I just wanted to be me and have a sound that pays homage to my heros but is inherently all my own. It's a long journey but it's the journey not the destination that makes it so much fun.

'67 and '74 Fender Twin Reverbs, '74 Marshall 1987 lead mkII, Metro Superlead 100. Pedals from TC Electronic, Ibanez, Dunlop, BK Butler, Electro-Harmonix, Fulltone, Maestro/Gibson, Loopmaster switching, VoodooLab, Boss. Gibson and Fender guitars, Dimarzio pickups.

5 Reply by aussiemeats (edited by aussiemeats 2010-07-09 09:24:48)

  • From: Los Angeles
  • Registered: 2010-03-19
  • Posts: 105

Re: THAT TONE WITH TWO MARSHALLS!! (HOPE JOE CAN EXSPLAIN)PLEASE!!

Mr. Bonamassa is a uniquely gifted artist.

Although his equipment setup contributes to his tonal identity,

It's all really an "inside job" You may be able to emulate his sound

but how will you duplicate his unique "STYLE" and "HEART" in his playing?

"For me" that's the KEY. Passion, and commitment, to playing..everyday..scales, scales, scales

and then connecting emotionally to the song or music that I'm playing or rehearsing.

The way his LP sounds, IMHO is the way it should sound, I too, strive for that

sonic signature..but really in the final analysis, what I gain from Joe most

is...... INSPIRATION.

On my equipment...LESS IS MORE..minimum effects, and MAXIMUM style, technique, and emotion!

Joe delivers that to me, and because of it, I have become a much BETTER Musician

(not just Guitarist...)

You don't need $20,000 in equipment...I play thru an Epi GoldTop LP (modified a bit)

and an old Marshall JMP 800 50 watt...with a Crate V16 for the delay side.

I have been a able to develop "My Own" sonic signature with JB's help,

not to mention, all of "his songs" that I have learned to play, and licks I have

copped from him. Once again the key becomes "feeling it" from inside, and translating

"that" thru your fingers (that's where the practice comes in) to your instrument.

Thanks Joe.

  • From: Ridgeland, MS
  • Registered: 2009-08-12
  • Posts: 1,248

Re: THAT TONE WITH TWO MARSHALLS!! (HOPE JOE CAN EXSPLAIN)PLEASE!!

+1

  • Registered: 2007-11-04
  • Posts: 404

Re: THAT TONE WITH TWO MARSHALLS!! (HOPE JOE CAN EXSPLAIN)PLEASE!!

Ok so the fact that Joe B sounds like himself because of his fingers and not because of his gear is an argument that has been beaten to death. We all know how good he is.

Of course if he sounded as good with a Crate and Blues Junior Rig while playing a Squire Strat and he toured with that rig then maybe your argument would be somewhat valid.

However Joe has a knack for dialing in some amazing tones with what ever he's using, not only because he's good but because he knows how to dial in an amp and guitar.

We all can achieve great Tone.  There is as much skill needed in knowing how to dial in an amp as there is in playing your guitar.
To try to answer the initial question... You dont need to give up on gear and work on your chops till your 50 to achieve some kind of great tone. You have a killer guitar and some great amps. I would suggest working on your amp and finding different ways of pairing the two amps.  Also work on each amp by its self.

I reciently found that I liked the tone of my Vox AC30 by its self more than the Vox and a twin.  So I turned off the twin and focused on using pedals into the vox and using the vox as a platform.  It feels and sounds better to me.

At the end of the day there are TONS of effects that give you thick beautiful tone... Pearl Drive, Zen Drive, OCD, Fulldrive, Plush drive... They will get you in the ballpark of achieving a Joe like sound.  If you focus too much on getting Joes exact tone your going to drive yourself crazy cause you never will sound exactly like him.

Good luck trying though.

  • From: Florida, USA
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,420

Re: THAT TONE WITH TWO MARSHALLS!! (HOPE JOE CAN EXSPLAIN)PLEASE!!

jgalvan8804 wrote:

  If you focus too much on getting Joes exact tone your going to drive yourself crazy cause you never will sound exactly like him.


Took me a while to realize this, but truer words have never been spoken.  I eventually come to grips with this everytime I get really into another player's style.  Now I pretty much focus on making the guitar sound as good as possible without any particular player in mind.  Weird thing is that in my mind I must be hearing what Eric Johnson is hearing in his head lol!  tongue

'67 and '74 Fender Twin Reverbs, '74 Marshall 1987 lead mkII, Metro Superlead 100. Pedals from TC Electronic, Ibanez, Dunlop, BK Butler, Electro-Harmonix, Fulltone, Maestro/Gibson, Loopmaster switching, VoodooLab, Boss. Gibson and Fender guitars, Dimarzio pickups.