From: jaz@icd.ab.com (Jack A. Zucker)
Subject: Ultimate Guitar Amp
Organization: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 14:58:10 GMT


Hi gang,
It's been a long while since I posted last. I've been a busy boy.
I've been gigging 3 or 4 times a week and I've been very busy
at work with an assortment of (non musical) projects.

About 6 months ago, I posted a note regarding my decision to
purchase a rack mount guitar system. I thought I would update you
with my current feelings about my amp. To refresh your memory, here
is what I'm using:

- Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp
- Alesis Power Amp (75w/channel at 8 ohms)
- Alesis Quadraverb
- Rat RTDU (Rack mount stereo Rat)

- Mesa 1x12 Open Back Cabinet with EV 12L Spkr
- Genz/Benz Open Back Cabinet with EV 12L Spkr
- Marshall 1x12 open back with 70w Celestian 
- Genz/Benz 2x12 closed/open back with 2 Emminence Spkrs
- EV Wedge Cabinet (I swapped speakers with the 1x12 Genz/Benz)
  This now has an emminence speaker in it.

Remember, I play primarily jazz stuff, some traditional, some fusion,
and some in the Scofield/Stern vein. I need an amp which gets an
extremely loud clean sound ala Metheny but I also use distortion about
15 percent of the time. But basically, I want a sound that I don't 
notice when I'm playing. Typically, in the past I would be playing
a gig and getting a sound so lousy that it would distract me from
playing what I was hearing. With this amp, I can almost always shut
my eyes and play without interference from my "sound system"

I'm currently using The Mesa cabinet on one side, and the Marshall
on the other side. I've found that the 2 EV cabs are too harsh when
used together. The "looseness" of the Marshall compliments the EV
speaker of the Mesa very well. Incidentally, the 12" EV in the Genz/Benz
is an regular EV-12L and the Mesa's was OEM'ed by EV for Mesa and sounds
much more "guitar-like" and less "hi-fi" like.

I am still in love with this setup (except setting up and tearing down).
Many musicians and listeners have complimented my sound telling me it's
like hearing a studio recording of the ideal guitar sound. The setup
is far from perfect. For example, the Quadraverb is noisy, and adds
residual distortion (unnoticable outside a studio), the Rat gets a very
unnatural distortion (but so many people have heard Scofields sound
that they are used to it), the Alesis is not a guitar amp, etc.

The strongest component in my setup is the Boogie preamp. It gets a wide
range of sounds from super clean Fender Twin-like sounds to fairly nice
rock sounds. (It can't get the elusive "slightly-distorted" tones but
nothing's perfect) It's distortion is very nice for a fusion type of thing.
I can get a sound that is a cross between Alan Holdsworth and Frank 
Gambale.

I would like to replace the Alesis with a more guitar oriented power amp
such as the Mos-Valve but for right now this setup is very nice for me.

BTW, I'm using a PRS Standard with Duncan PAF pickups, a 335, and a Strat
with EMG's through this setup.

I anyone has any questions, just ask.

-Jaz


-- 

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| Jack A Zucker                              {uunet}!jaz@icd.ab.com |
| Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.                    or  ICCGCC::ZUCKER |
| 747 Alpha Drive                                                   |
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