• Registered: 2009-03-07
  • Posts: 74

Topic: Joe I Gotta Know - Long Distance Blues Solo

Joe what did you do to go from the nice clean tone you start with on Long Distance Blues to the unbelievable tone you get for the solo?!?!?!

P.S. Besides the actual effects could you steer me in the right direction for the EQ settings? Bass-Low/Mid/High, Mids-Low/Mid/High, Treb-Low/Mid/High, Distortion-Low/Mid/High, Etc.?

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

Re: Joe I Gotta Know - Long Distance Blues Solo

I think I read somewhere that Joe used a Gibson on that track, probably a 335 or 345 to my ears (probably the latter).  My guess is that he was using the Marshall Silver Jubilee in conjunction with a cleaner amp.  In those days his cleaner amp was usually a Budda Superdrive 80.  Joe has posted his Jubilee settings on different posts here.  It could also be a Superdrive 30 come to think of it because Joe in the Signature Sounds DVD mentions that the SD 30 works well with his Gibson guitars...
As far as general amp settings he usually sets his Marshall amps with a LOT of low end, a decend amount of top end and moderate midrange.  A pretty much sufficient sound on its own really.  But since he's a midrange junky he blends in the second amp to punch you in the face with this warm but very apparent midrange.  Because of his quality gear, technique, and touch he's able to clean the guitar up with just the volume knob on his guitar.  The louder you push your amps the better the ability is to go from clean to mean.  Good luck with chasing your tones!  Hope this helps!

         -Justin

'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.
  • From: South England
  • Registered: 2009-04-23
  • Posts: 154

Re: Joe I Gotta Know - Long Distance Blues Solo

Clean to mean... love it!

  • Registered: 2009-03-07
  • Posts: 74

Re: Joe I Gotta Know - Long Distance Blues Solo

Thanks SPG.

I'm not much of a gearhead, my setup is pretty basic, guitar-couple of pedals-amp, and honestly I don't know how to use my gear.  I can get great tone, but I only have one tone, and that's what I like about Joe, he knows how to use his gear to create different sounds and textures.

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

Re: Joe I Gotta Know - Long Distance Blues Solo

Voodoo Blues wrote:

Thanks SPG.

I'm not much of a gearhead, my setup is pretty basic, guitar-couple of pedals-amp, and honestly I don't know how to use my gear.  I can get great tone, but I only have one tone, and that's what I like about Joe, he knows how to use his gear to create different sounds and textures.

Don't worry you hang around this place long enough and you'll be a gearhead in no time wink .  What gear do you have (guitars, pedals, amps, etc).  You don't HAVE to have 4 boutique heads, 10 boutique pedals, an original '65 Stratocaster, JB Signature Les Paul, and Mogami cables to get close to his sound.  If you don't mind some thread surfing there has been a LOT of budget and smaller rig suggestions by Joe himself.  To save you some time, Joe has stated that at home he uses a Marshall Jubilee combo and Fender Princeton with a Tubescreamer and DD3 through the Marshall loop.  That's a really simple rig that probably nails his sound in the right hands.  Be warned though, chasing Joe's tone is a very expensive endevour should you chose to do so.  Expensive...but oh so worth it! big_smile

'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.
  • Registered: 2009-03-07
  • Posts: 74

Re: Joe I Gotta Know - Long Distance Blues Solo

Compared to most people my gear is pretty modest.  I play an old '92 SRV Strat with a Hot Rod Deluxe and I've upgraded the tubes and speaker.  For pedals I use a Vox Wah, a Boss Compressor/Sustainer into an Ibanes TS808RI and with that set-up I can get a great texas blues SRVish tone.  When I want a little more distortion I use a Nobels ODR-S overdrive.

Since I've started listening to Joe and all the diffeent tones he has I wanted to start experimenting with my pedals to see what I could get.  I was able to week the ODR-S to gain a tone similar to Ballad Of John Henry, it just didn't have as much bottom end.  I also borrowed my friends Boss DD-3.  I don't want to use it as a delay, I want to learn how to use it like Joe does as a way to make the tone fuller, a nice boost for a solo or something.

I know Joe says that he has all the knobs at 12:00 but when I do that it still sounds too much like a delay so I have to experiment a little. Any tips?