First Rush 4140

[Xabiche]

Okay, here's a shot at Afterimage:

 

http://xabiche.com/4140/afterimage_mix1.mp3

 

The playing is *very* crappy so please don't cringe too much.

 

MIM Floyd Strat. Marshall 4140 channel volume about 3, master about 5.5. Microamp (7) -> Boss CH-1 -> Boss DD-5. Mesa recto standard in Isobooth enclosure, SM57 -> RNP -> Onyx1220.

 

The tone doesn't seem too close to me... any pointers on dialing it in better?

[deadwing2112]

Sounded pretty sweet to me.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

You have a digital delay in your signal chain, but you don't seem to be using it. "Afterimage" is full of delay, especially the single-note stuff. And try pumping up the chorus a little more.

[rushfanNlv]

I agree. More chorus and delay. The delay is on most of the time in that song and the chorus sounds like it would work very will with the tone you are getting from the amp. On the CH-1, turn the tone know all the way down. The amp has plenty of highs all on it's own.

 

great playing man.

Edited September 25, 2006 by rushfanNlv

[Xabiche]

Thanks, y'all.

 

I am using both the chorus & delay during the entire song. On the original it sounds like the delay is very quick with a fast decay so that's how I had mine set. Am I just hearing it wrong?

 

Is the tone even close? At some point I lose all objectivity.

 

BTW... the micro amp started crapping out so it's gotta go back

 

Also, I got a D+ but I'm not sure that I like it. When turned on it really seems to suck the tone. The distortion is nice, but it seems kinda sterile. Iunno... will have to play with it some more.

 

I have to record thru my iso box and it's a major pain to swap out cabs, especially the humungous mesa 4x12. I did spend some time playing through the 4140 speakers and they do in fact sound better than what I'm getting out of the mesa.

[rushfanNlv]

Yeah the tone is really close to my ears, it's just a little bright. There is a twang or a honk that amp is know for and it's key to his tone of that period and you've definitely got that tone. Try using more chorus with the tone knob on your CH-1 turned all the way down. The CE-1 Alex used is know for it's dark, thick - milkshake like tone. I had a CH-1 and got rid of it because it was too bright. What are you running the midrange knob at on the 4140? Mine is almost always dimed. I love the midrange tone that amp produces.

 

And I think the delay is set to a longer setting. Listen to the part where Ged sings "I remember" - the guitar's playing those single notes followed by the double stop on the higher strings, you can here the delay repeats right before he goes into the suspended B flat. The delay is set long.

 

As far as the D+ and Micro Amp go, are you using a new Dunlop version or the older original MXR pedals? The reissues from Dunlop are nowhere near the sound (IMO) of the original MXR's. You can find them on Ebay all day long too. Even the "block logo" versions are better than the Dunlop reissues.

 

 

[Xabiche]

Yeah, I'm using the new Dunlop versions.

 

What's the dif between the "block logo" versions and the older ones?

 

My mid is set to around 5 if I remember correctly. I'm going to take it into a good tech here tomorrow and have him give the amp a complete checkout, too. I want to make sure it's all running as it should be and would like to know if it has been modded.

[rushfanNlv]

QUOTE (Xabiche @ Sep 25 2006, 03:22 PM)

What's the dif between the "block logo" versions and the older ones?

The earlier "script logo" pedals (as they have become know as) were made by MXR Innovations and used electronic components made in factories where tolerances were not checked or measured as frequently as they would soon be by the late 70's when the "block logo" pedals were made. What you ended up with was one Micro Amp, for example, that sounded different from the next (not much but noticable to the musicians ear) which was both a good and bad thing IMO. In other words, EVH's Phase 90 might be the only one in the world that sounded exactly like it.

 

By 1978, MXR had been bought (not sure if it was Dunlop) and the pedals went through a "value engineering" stage where cheaper components were sought out and used and tolerances were closely measured to ensure a consistent product. Still a good product but not the exact same as the script logos. The MXR pedals I own are all of this era and I believe that Alex would have used the same era of pedals since he started using MXR pedals at around this time. Although I have seen a picture of Alex using an MXR distortion + as early as "a farewell to kings" but it was in a back stage warm up situation. By the early 1980's dunlop owned the company and started making it's own version of the same pedals with even cheaper components and the addition of an LED. These pedals would never match the originals or the block logos.

[Xabiche]

Here's a script logo:

 

Distortion + on eBay

 

and it has the LED. That must have been added by someone, right? Or was your LED comment only for the microamp and the D+ always had an LED?

 

Edited September 28, 2006 by Xabiche

[rushfanNlv]

Link isn't working.

[Xabiche]

Fixed

[rushfanNlv]

Looks fishy to me. The paint especially looks too new and orange like (the little bumps like the skin of an orange) to be a vintage MXR. And the LED is a dead giveaway as there were only added in the early 80's. However the knobs look nice and aged....the price does not seem right as compared to the other vintage, block logo MXR's on the bay. I would ask the seller to give you the pot code. All he (or she) has to do is open the pedal, gently lift up the circuit board and read the numbers printed on the level potentiometer. There should be seven numbers starting with 137 that indicate where and in which month and year the pedal was made.

 

Here is one you should look at.

 

Script Logo D+. Notice that the seller knew to give the pot code - 1377709 which indicates that the pedal was made in the 9the month of 1977. The 137 is present on all pot codes.

 

Or...Here is one that is a block logo from 1980. the seller indicates that he has checked the pot codes. BIN for $99.00....that sounds like a deal to me.

Edited September 29, 2006 by rushfanNlv

[Xabiche]

Ah, crap. I totally missed the first and was boneheaded on the second one. I made a bid then forgot to monitor it just before the auction ended. I should have just BIN for $99. Meh. Edited October 3, 2006 by Xabiche

[rushfanNlv]

I always look for the BIN. I may pay a little extra but I get what I want without any hassle. That's worth the extra dough to me.