Just discovered how to hot rod my 2204 without doing anything to the amp

[jchrisf]

It's all about using the low input channel with pedals. Wow!! Still has that JCM flavor but the pedal really influences the tone so much more. I put my Plexi Ranger in front and instant hot rod Plexi. I can use way more gain on the pedal than in front of the high input and it really changes the tone of the amp in a good way. Up next was my BYOC Green Pony which is a cross between a Klon and a Maxon OD 820. Really nice low mids here.. something I could never get out of the high input. I think I am going to dedicate more time and money to pedals now. I've never heard anyone mention this or seen it done before but a member over at RT that plays killer amps, tones and riffs in the style I love recommended it in a post.

I'm sure all you guys know about it already but just in case there are some members here that don't know.. you need to try it. This would probably fatten up Chris' 2203 as well.

 

[V-man]

You have never heard of this before?

Lo sensitivity is where the clean exists for the 2203/2204

This and the OP Amp Muff was the sound of Siamese Dream.

This is the Pedal Platform jack... the worst kept secret in all of Master-Volumedom

The only issue is it doesn’t fully trigger the gain stages. For real hot-rodding, slamming the front end with a clean boost or suitably-set OD is what has been going on for decades with this amp.

 

[jchrisf]

You have never heard of this before?

Lo sensitivity is where the clean exists for the 2203/2204

This and the OP Amp Muff was the sound of Siamese Dream.

This is the Pedal Platform jack... the worst kept secret in all of Master-Volumedom

The only issue is it doesn’t fully trigger the gain stages. For real hot-rodding, slamming the front end with a clean boost or suitably-set OD is what has been going on for decades with this amp.

Yeah the clean sounds great and that is all I used it for. Now I dime the gain on this input and my pedals are hot rod Marshall. But yeah, I've never heard of anyone doing it or seen anyone doing it before. Loved Siamese Dream but didn't realize this is what they were doing.

I also heard you can use delay and such after the boosts/overdrives and before low sensitivity and they sound good. I'll have to give this a try.

 

[steveb63]

Righton,
I Use the low input on my JTM 45 quite a bit, as you've discovered more tones live there.

For not being "channel switchers" the four input - no m.v. amps have some variety.

Have fun sir.

 

[EADGBE]

Where do you put your mids, presence, treble, bass and gain?

 

[junk notes]

It's all about using the low input channel with pedals. Wow!! Still has that JCM flavor but the pedal really influences the tone so much more. I put my Plexi Ranger in front and instant hot rod Plexi. I can use way more gain on the pedal than in front of the high input and it really changes the tone of the amp in a good way. Up next was my BYOC Green Pony which is a cross between a Klon and a Maxon OD 820. Really nice low mids here.. something I could never get out of the high input. I think I am going to dedicate more time and money to pedals now. I've never heard anyone mention this or seen it done before but a member over at RT that plays killer amps, tones and riffs in the style I love recommended it in a post.

I'm sure all you guys know about it already but just in case there are some members here that don't know.. you need to try it. This would probably fatten up Chris' 2203 as well.

 

[Maggot Brain]

The low input on 2203s/2204s can be amazingly under appreciated, seriously my default input when using these amps. I feel the high input is best when you just want maximum preamp gain going straight in, no pedals.

 

[spacerocker]

Sorry - but if you're using the low (clean) input with pedals - you're just listening to the pedals (unless you have the Master cranked right up!)

Not saying it doesn't sound good - but you're listening to transistorisd overdrive, not the valves in the amp....

 

[paul-e-mann]

It's all about using the low input channel with pedals. Wow!! Still has that JCM flavor but the pedal really influences the tone so much more. I put my Plexi Ranger in front and instant hot rod Plexi. I can use way more gain on the pedal than in front of the high input and it really changes the tone of the amp in a good way. Up next was my BYOC Green Pony which is a cross between a Klon and a Maxon OD 820. Really nice low mids here.. something I could never get out of the high input. I think I am going to dedicate more time and money to pedals now. I've never heard anyone mention this or seen it done before but a member over at RT that plays killer amps, tones and riffs in the style I love recommended it in a post.

I'm sure all you guys know about it already but just in case there are some members here that don't know.. you need to try it. This would probably fatten up Chris' 2203 as well.

Its been awhile since I tried this I'll give it a shot.

 

[wakjob]

Other than discovering how great of a clean sound you can get by lowering the guitars volume a bit, using the Low input with pedals was a big surprise.

2204... I miss you.

 

[paul-e-mann]

I just tried it with a Proco Rat, its pretty good! But I think I like the high input better and lower gain on my pedals.

 

[jchrisf]

Sorry - but if you're using the low (clean) input with pedals - you're just listening to the pedals (unless you have the Master cranked right up!)

Not saying it doesn't sound good - but you're listening to transistorisd overdrive, not the valves in the amp....

Yeah, that is fine by me.. I like what I am hearing loud or quiet. My Ceriatone has a 25/50 watt switch so I can crank the MV up a little more with that and the Low Input but it still gets really loud quick. I also have a PPIMV that allows me to get some power tube tone at lower volumes. With all these features there is so many different tones in this amp. Keep the MV low and the PPIMV off and it is trebly and clanky. Add more MV and it beefs up a lot.

 

[jchrisf]

Gary did this too? Cool.. I'll have to get a Blues Breaker pedal and have a Blues Breaker amp now.

 

[jchrisf]

Where do you put your mids, presence, treble, bass and gain?

Mids and presence around noon, treble and bass around 1:00 to 2:00. Gain dimed... but I just started playing around with this so I have some experimenting to do.

 

[jchrisf]

I just tried it with a Proco Rat, its pretty good! But I think I like the high input better and lower gain on my pedals.

Yeah, with that pedal I think I would agree. It was made for the High Input of a JCM IMO.

 

[jchrisf]

Other than discovering how great of a clean sound you can get by lowering the guitars volume a bit, using the Low input with pedals was a big surprise.

2204... I miss you.

Yeah, I was surprised by that too... some of the best cleans I've ever heard.

 

[crossroadsnyc]

Yeah, that is fine by me.. I like what I am hearing loud or quiet. My Ceriatone has a 25/50 watt switch so I can crank the MV up a little more with that and the Low Input but it still gets really loud quick. I also have a PPIMV that allows me to get some power tube tone at lower volumes. With all these features there is so many different tones in this amp. Keep the MV low and the PPIMV off and it is trebly and clanky. Add more MV and it beefs up a lot.

Hey, didn’t realize you were talking about a Ceriatone, so I went ahead and moved this to “Other Amps“ for you

 

[jchrisf]

Hey, didn’t realize you were talking about a Ceriatone, so I went ahead and moved this to “Other Amps“ for you

Sorry, I wasn't paying attention.

 

[crossroadsnyc]

Sorry, I wasn't paying attention.

Oh, no sweat, man … I‘m really enjoying the thread, as I’m learning something new. I’ve plugged into the low channel of those amps before for the clean tones, but it never dawned on me to try hitting it with a dirt box, and now I’m wondering what I missed out on. I’ve never had a lot of luck using a distortion box in front of a MV amp, but I’m starting to wonder if maybe I was doing it wrong. My most recent attempt was when I had the SC20H, and tried a couple of distortion boxes into it for fun, and they sounded pretty bad despite sounding delicious on NMV amps I have. Though, it did sound terrific when I’d hit the front end with an SD-1. I know a lot of people don’t like distortion boxes, but I love them … so much fun! I’ve been hooked on them since I got my first DS-1 back in the 80’s. The only thing I have close at this time is the SL-5 I traded the SC20H for, but I just plug straight into it (don’t even use OD). Maybe I’ll take my pedalboard upstairs and give it a whirl one of these days.

 

[jmp45]

I used the low input in my 2204 with rack gear as well in the 90s.