A Touch of Class...Class5 Owners Welcome!

[DSL100 Dude]

Add purple to the batch:

 

[Gtarzan81]

Add purple to the batch:

Dude! Purple Rain.......That looks awesome. I'm not really a purple kinda guy., but I'd own one of those. I like the Green, and White too.

 

[DSL100 Dude]

No kidding. I could see this become an obsession.

 

[benjammin420]

That purple one is cool, I wonder if its the same shade as the Hendirx amp they had out a while ago (doesnt look like it though)

 

[DSL100 Dude]

How do you guys run your EQ?

I have really been working the speaker in so I have spent most of my time playing wide open dimed with the TS-9 in front.

I have a bit of the "icepick" highs going on but I am hoping to get that speaker broken in quickly.
I was playing for a while at the mids still about maxed but the bass and treble rolled down below 6 o'clock. No TS-9 and volume about 6 o'clock. I was able to get a nice bluesy tone with my Les Paul.

 

[Gtarzan81]

How do you guys run your EQ?

I have really been working the speaker in so I have spent most of my time playing wide open dimed with the TS-9 in front.

I have a bit of the "icepick" highs going on but I am hoping to get that speaker broken in quickly.
I was playing for a while at the mids still about maxed but the bass and treble rolled down below 6 o'clock. No TS-9 and volume about 6 o'clock. I was able to get a nice bluesy tone with my Les Paul.

I've been running the eq dimed on all 3. I use the bridge tone way down(3-5) to compensate for the icepick highs.

 

[DSL100 Dude]

Excellent idea. I will give that a try today.

 

[Gtarzan81]

Excellent idea. I will give that a try today.

You playing a Lester? If so, how are you running your guitar volumes and tones?

 

[DSL100 Dude]

I have been wide open playing my Rock and such. I have been really digging the tone of playing with both pickups on at the same time.
I have also done the roll off the neck to get that classic rock "clean" tone.
I pretty much try to keep the tone at 8-10 for the neck and about the same for my blues type stuff. I used to experiment quite a bit with the guitar pots, I will have to do that again.

 

[Gtarzan81]

I have been wide open playing my Rock and such. I have been really digging the tone of playing with both pickups on at the same time.
I have also done the roll off the neck to get that classic rock "clean" tone.
I pretty much try to keep the tone at 8-10 for the neck and about the same for my blues type stuff. I used to experiment quite a bit with the guitar pots, I will have to do that again.

Theres a really cool thread over on MLP, on using the Lesters controls. I cant paste the link now, as I'm at work I will paste the info later on today.

Basically the thread says to eq your amp for the NECK pu, and turn the treble on the bridge down to a reasonable level.
It also says to try the neck voulme on about 50% to get a clean tone, and the bridge on about 75-80% for a dirtier level.

I was skeptical till I tried it. I likes it!

 

[DSL100 Dude]

Interesting. I may have to check that forum out.

 

[benjammin420]

I generally have the treb on 10, mid on 8 and bass on 2 or 3. I'l make little adjustments as needed, but that general setting works well for my LP, SG and Strat. The guitars controls are changing all the time, couldnt really comment on that

 

[poeman33]

I have the treble on about 3/4, the mid about 1/2, and the bass about 1/4. Mine is way too bassy for my tastes. It balances out better when you run it through a 4x12, but still needs some highs (in my amp anyway).

 

[DirtySteve]

Treble and mid dimed and bass is usually off. Sometimes I'll turn the bass up a little 2 or 3, but usually it's off and sometimes it still seems like too much, esp. on the neck pickup.

 

[vulture]

Hello all,
I just got my C5 a couple of weeks ago. I've had the Vox AC4TV combo for a few months & liked it. Then when the Marshall became available I jumped on it. If the Marshall had come out earlier I wouldn't of bought the Vox at all as this thing is just what I've been wanting for years. But now I'm glad to have both as together they make a very nice low volume rig.
The C5 is mucho' bassier than the AC4 but together they make a nice chimey/chunky rhythm & a lead tone that really cuts through.

 

[benjammin420]

Hello all,
I just got my C5 a couple of weeks ago. I've had the Vox AC4TV combo for a few months & liked it. Then when the Marshall became available I jumped on it. If the Marshall had come out earlier I wouldn't of bought the Vox at all as this thing is just what I've been wanting for years. But now I'm glad to have both as together they make a very nice low volume rig.
The C5 is mucho' bassier than the AC4 but together they make a nice chimey/chunky rhythm & a lead tone that really cuts through.

Thats a nice collection you have there. I'm curious about those vox amps, Ive never played one, but Ive played some other Vox's recently and I really like them. I want to starting collecting them all, Vox AC4, a Tiny Terror, a Mesa Boogie Transatlantic, Laney Cub, etc. I already have a silverface Champ in addition to my C5

 

[vulture]

Thats a nice collection you have there. I'm curious about those vox amps, Ive never played one, but Ive played some other Vox's recently and I really like them. I want to starting collecting them all, Vox AC4, a Tiny Terror, a Mesa Boogie Transatlantic, Laney Cub, etc. I already have a silverface Champ in addition to my C5

Thanks. The 10" speaker in the Vox was sounding a little boxy to me & I was looking around for the 12" extension Vox cab & found the Epi VJ cab used for a good price so I got that & really liked it. Much improvement in the bottom end, (open back.) That was before I got the C5. The Marshall has lots more bottom than the Vox, so I've stopped using the Epi speaker & the Vox 10" brings out at very nice chime on the high strings with the C5 holding the bottom.

It's the old 1-2 punch.

With your Silver Champ & the Marshall C5 you have two of the great small tube amps. But it's fun to have a variety pack & spend a lazy day comparing tones with a a variety of beers & such.

 

[benjammin420]

With your Silver Champ & the Marshall C5 you have two of the great small tube amps. But it's fun to have a variety pack & spend a lazy day comparing tones with a a variety of beers & such.

For sure, after years of playing and going thru various guitars, I finally have a stable I'm pretty happy and content with (strat, LP, SG, Flying V, a 335 style, 2 acoustics) now I want to get more amps to make the most out of those guitars. I had a Tiny Terror on loan for a while before I got the C5, loved the tone and how usable it was in my apartment, but decided on the Marshall because I really wanted that sound.

I like the sound of the Class 5s internal speaker, but running it through an extension cab really lets the amp shine. Right now I have a 1936 cab, I'm not thrilled with the stock speakers, but it does sound cool for now. they should make a C5 head, that would be fantastic. I run my Champ thru a 4x10 cab (it used to be a Hot Rod Deville, but I took out the guts and just use it as a cab )

 

[Gtarzan81]

How to Use the Controls on a Les Paul
Because a couple of people asked about it, here is the stuff I wrote in another thread about using the controls on a Les Paul. The OP asked how to use the controls to get sounds like Page and other classic players. My reply includes some alternative suggestions on how you might EQ your amp to get a different range of noises, and get a little bit more out of the neck and middle positions.

Hope it's of some use. Here it is:


First, your volume controls do not just control your loudness, but also your level of distortion (‘gain’ or ‘overdrive’). If your guitar has modern wiring, lowering the volume will also reduce the available treble, as if you’d turned the tone down too. If you have 1950s wiring this effect is far less prominent.

Secondly, your tone control not only cuts your treble, it also reduces the amount of ‘space’ your guitar seems to take up in the mix. Turning your tone down can effectively pull you ‘back’ into the mix.

Enough basics. Here’s some pointers.

EQ Your Amp for the Neck
Most of the time you’ve probably set up your amp for a good tone from the bridge. Try this instead and see what happens.

1. Turn all your volumes and tones up to 10.
2. Select the neck pick up.
3. Adjust your amp so you get a good soloing tone for that pickup.
4. Switch to bridge. This will be too bright. Ice-pick through ear territory.
5. Tame bridge with tone control, until you’ve got a good soloing tone.

You now have your ‘boost’ sounds. Now turn the bridge vol down (about 75-80%), until you’ve got a good crunching rhythm sound. If you have modern wiring you may need to turn up the tone a little at this stage. You could now play the rhythm on the bridge, and switch to the neck for the solo.

Solo on Bridge, cleans on Neck
Turn up your bridge tone and vol. That’s your solo sound (ice pick and all). Turn your neck vol down to about 50%. If your amp is any good, that should be nearly clean. If you’ve got 1950s wiring, it won’t be muddy either. You may now play the intro to Since I’ve Been Lovin’ You on the neck pick up. Switch to bridge for the signature lick. Back to neck, or turn down bridge to 50-60%. For a more sensible bridge pick up sound, just turn the tone down a fraction to clip some of the hairs off it.

If your amp is good, it should be sensitive enough to clean up when you turn down, and also to clean up if you back off with your right hand an pick gently. Use both these effects to control your tone.

Middle positions

Leave your bridge in its rhythm setting, then switch to middle. Now turn down the neck to nearly nothing, then slowly turn it back up (to about 50%). Somewhere across this range you’ll hear three fairly distinct tones. It’ll start out sounding like the bridge on its own. Next, it will fill out (i.e. get some extra bass), and it might do this quite suddenly. This is a really useful sound for soloing, because it basically sounds like the bridge pickup, but it’s fuller and meatier without being in any way muddy. As you keep turning up the neck vol it will start to sound more like both pick ups. This can be sort of nasal, but quite good.

Once you get both pick ups to the same vol (~ 75%) you’ve got the classic middle sound. Many people find this a bit muddy, but if you EQd the amp for your neck pick up, you should be OK.

And:

Before I forget again, there's one thing about the middle setting that I forgot to mention. It’s a lot easier to use than it sounds to describe it!

If you set your neck so it’s basically clean (~ 50%), and then set the bridge to about 75%, that will give you the sounds-like-the-bridge-pickup-but-fuller tone. As I said before, that’s a good rhythm or lead sound.

From that basic position, if you want to get a boost, all you have to do is adjust ONE volume control up to 100%. Either will work. If the bridge, you get the biting sound, if the neck you get the fuller sound. When you’ve finished, simply turn that volume back to where it was.

Simple.

In other words, once you’ve worked out your pre-sets, using the Les Paul this way is as simple as playing a Telecaster.

The above courtesy of Splattle101 on MLP forum

 

[DSL100 Dude]

Hello all,
I just got my C5 a couple of weeks ago. I've had the Vox AC4TV combo for a few months & liked it. Then when the Marshall became available I jumped on it. If the Marshall had come out earlier I wouldn't of bought the Vox at all as this thing is just what I've been wanting for years. But now I'm glad to have both as together they make a very nice low volume rig.
The C5 is mucho' bassier than the AC4 but together they make a nice chimey/chunky rhythm & a lead tone that really cuts through.

What a beautiful collection! I have been going back and forth on getting the Vox too. Talking about playing them together is not helping.