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Joe Bonamassa Forum → Joe's Guitars, Amps and Gear → HOW DID JOE MANAGE TO GET SUCH A TAMED TONE WITH HIS BLUESBREAKER
How did joe manage to get such a pure and low sound on bob and tom show given that we all know that bluesbreakers
are such damned noisy and loud amps, it's not only a question of fingers and art I suppose
How did joe manage to get such a pure and low sound on bob and tom show given that we all know that bluesbreakers
are such damned noisy and loud amps, it's not only a question of fingers and art I suppose
Is that the bluesbreaker or 1974? either way they both sound a bit thin at low volumes... Im guessing he has a pedal infront to get it grinding and the big part of his sound being reverb and delay im guessing he has both them pedals running too...
Also dont forget they are in a sound booth with ear phones on so I'm sure that accounts for a bit of the volume 
are you sure it wasn't a Marshall category 5...? He's been high on that lately.
I rather think it's a bluesbreaker for in a precedent reply joe told us and moreover I read in the transatlantic blues power
article on one of joe site he used one and described how he managed to get lower tone(what I had been looking for for
several weeks!)
and besides,when looking at tom and bo show utube, we clearly see that the amp is bigger than a class five
On Bob and Tom I used my #52 JB les paul a tube screamer, and bluesbreaker combo. I love the BB combo. They sound great.
Joe B.
Joe has already confirmed what he used on the show. I think the answer is that he wasn't playing at a low volume. That's why they are in a separate booth, with the whole band playing live. Why are you assuming he was playing at a low volumes?
maybe you're right!I desperatey try to find a solution to play this amp at a tolerable level and with a valuable tone(that's
the only condition to buy it) so that I deduct that (according to his description)in the mentioned article you certainly read,
by lowering or cutting te bass off on the amp and the drive on the tubescreamer and srtengthening the high of the tone ,
he could get a lowered more articulate sound,as we can listen to on the show.
Moreover according to my studio experience , I know that engineers don't like musicians to play loud during studio
recordings.
bUT I don't really know if my deductions are right or near the point? what do you think of that?
Moreover according to my studio experience , I know that engineers don't like musicians to play loud during studio
recordings.
bUT I don't really know if my deductions are right or near the point? what do you think of that?
I know that Joe cranks his amps very loud on his studio recordings, so what you're hearing on his records are cranked, tube amp tones.
Here's Joe's low volume home rig from From Jan 2008 if you want some ideas:
I should actually explain my home practice low volume rig.. I live in LA at a condo complex. Very Hollywood types live here.. They have no interest in hearing the bluesboy crank up the jams late at night so I devised a rig for my house ..
1. 1987 Marshall Silver series Marshall 50 watt 1X12 combo..
2 1965 Fender Princeton Reverb or a 1957 Fender Vibrolux with a Kendrick reverb unit
3 THD Hot Plate ( for Princeton Only)
4 paired down pedal board (spare)
AB/Both switch, Vox Wah , TS 808 RI , Fuchs Audio prototype "Creme " pedal and A boss DD-3 delay.
I get a pretty good approximation of my big rig at TV volume.. You know watching a Law and Order Marathon and playing guitar at the same time kinda thing. Can hear the TV and guitar at the same time.. No Broom sticks from below..( been there done that).
Anyway.. There is always another way to get your tone..
joe bonamassa
I think you should look into an attenuator if you want to tame that BB combo, or check out the marshall class 5 for home use.
Here's what Joe says about them:
I actually really like the class 5.. I have one of the first three ever built and use it a lot at home/ dressing room / ect///////. It sounds straight away like a mini bluesbreaker combo. It has the same voicing and darkness to it. I was really impressed. Is it THOR the giant uber rig from a planet far away? no.. Its 5 watts. Now if you link 8 of em up like I did at Ronnie Scotts.. Yeah you ll get there. It is a good 5 watts with lots of headroom. You guys know me by now I would never say it if I didnt think it was good. $400 is a good price for it too.. its built in the UK. Anyway my two cents..
Joe B
Moreover according to my studio experience , I know that engineers don't like musicians to play loud during studio
recordings.
Ha! This would be the first sound engeneer I know who claim that.
I mean, especially in the studio you try to get the best out of your amps
for the recording. Most studios have isolated rooms for the amps.
Here you have no trouble like a live situation where you can't crank the amps.
Any sound guy who can't handle high amp volume signals (even live) should stand
behind a McDonalds bar instead of a mixing desk. (except small clubs where
signals interfere).
But I do remember my BB wasn't that loud to cut the hair of the front row.
With a decent TS or kind of you should be fine really. They are great amps.
Did I mention I once stupidly sold mine..? Wish I had it back.
Alex
All right thanks for your interesting replies!
The best way will be to go and try one with and without a tubescreamer and I'll make my mind thats the best way for I'm
not satisfied with my HK DUAL EL 84 any longer.I can't get no satisfaction!
since I discovered joe sound on bob and tom I am completely obsessed by this sound , a sound I've always been looking
for! and I think I can't get such a tone from EL 84s yet it's known to be an excellent amp
besides, it's true that nowadays everywhere you play, people don't bear loud amps anymore and often I've been criticized
for I was playing (so called) too loud!Even my own bass player doesn't bear loud amps!
As far as the class 5 is concerned, I don't know if they are really reliable, for the music shop next to my home had to bring
back three of them for technical problems and moreover ,I 'll have to do with the same problems , this sort of amp is loaded
with el 84 too as my hk dual el 84 and what'smore, they don't prove to be versatile and articulate.When you hear most
utube tests they often sound muddy and loud.
And concerning the marshall 1974,it's loaded with EL84 too and doesn't seems to sound so good!
Perhaps,the marshal 205c will be the right choice for it's a combo with three channels, powerfull and versatile with which
you can create and register your own sounds, not that loud and heavy,small sized,and very articulate, maybe we could
approach bluesbreaker sounds but with a master to tame the whole thing.
i don't know what the haze 40 and the MA 50 C are worth ,did some of you try them?
Anyway before choosing, I have to secure my mind for it costs a lot!
Joe Bonamassa Forum → Joe's Guitars, Amps and Gear → HOW DID JOE MANAGE TO GET SUCH A TAMED TONE WITH HIS BLUESBREAKER
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