Maxed volume or maxed master?

[Carlos G]

What would you say works best for you and on what amp.... To have the volume at 10 and adjust with the master, or have the master maxed and adjust with the volume?

 

[SkyMonkey]

I have tried my DSL40CR both ways.
Maxed master was noisy as hell. HISS.
Far prefer raised gain, middling volume, low master (for my bedroom volume needs).

And welcome to the MF @Carlos G

 

[GIBSON67]

Marshall 2204 & 5010 Almost max volume and master to sound level needed

Super Six Reverb Almost max master and volume to level needed

TSL60 I don't max either

 

[jeffb]

What works best and what is practical are two different things.

On my Origin I like the master all the way up and gain/volume around 2-3 oclock.No boost engaged. Full power mode.

VSL green crunch I like the master around 2 oclock and gain about the same. On Red 1, gain at about 11 oclock, Master 2olock. Full power.

 

[Carlos G]

I have tried my DSL40CR both ways.
Maxed master was noisy as hell. HISS.
Far prefer raised gain, middling volume, low master (for my bedroom volume needs).

And welcome to the MF @Carlos G

I guess you're right, I was hoping to drive hard the big tubes instead of the ones in the pre amp but also get a bit more hiss doing so, anyway, maxing out the volume and adjusting with the master also gives a pretty good tone

 

[Carlos G]

Marshall 2204 & 5010 Almost max volume and master to sound level needed

Super Six Reverb Almost max master and volume to level needed

TSL60 I don't max either

Marshall 2204 & 5010 Almost max volume and master to sound level needed

Super Six Reverb Almost max master and volume to level needed

TSL60 I don't max either

Why the different aproach on the Fender? Do the Marshalls get noisy dialing them the same way?

 

[Carlos G]

What works best and what is practical are two different things.

On my Origin I like the master all the way up and gain/volume around 2-3 oclock.No boost engaged. Full power mode.

VSL green crunch I like the master around 2 oclock and gain about the same. On Red 1, gain at about 11 oclock, Master 2olock. Full power.

Is it because you're using them for different things or just because they sound better like that?

 

[GIBSON67]

Why the different aproach on the Fender? Do the Marshalls get noisy dialing them the same way?

With 70's Fender's which are clean machines, I just max the master then dial it back a little to knock down the noise. Then I use the volume control like Pre-CBS Fenders.

For master volume Marshalls, to have the master full and get some dirt, you'd have to play it insanely loud.

 

[jeffb]

Is it because you're using them for different things or just because they sound better like that?

Please clarify. Are you asking about the difference between what I like and practicality?

Or the differences between my Origin and DSL?

Or between green crunch and red1 on my DSL?

 

[El Gringo]

For me what works on my 2555X's is between double 5's -to double 7's depending on the room

 

[Gene Ballzz]

@Carlos G
You didn't mention what amp model we're talking about. A DSL and/or JVM will likely react very differently than other Marshall models, in this respect.

Just Sayin'
Gene

 

[scozz]

Well with my Dsl I prefer the volume high and the gain low, mine doesn't have a master volume. My SC20 doesn't have a "volume" control per se, it has a Master Volume and a Preamp Volume, (which is a gain control really).

I like both ways with this amp, it sounds great both ways which is kinda unusual. Usually amps sound better one way or the other imo. My SC20 sounds phenomenal when those EL34s are really cooking, I'll put the MV on 8 or so and the preamp volume at about 2,...killer tones! The other way around sounds great too, but not as much as the MV high, preamp low.

 

[Lance Chambers]

I push the master!

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Yes what amp amd what circumstances? Most of my amps sound good with boosted preamp. MV is only to taste. I found the older 800 series like the MV up start to saturate the power section. Louder than all hell. Sounds great. I think all amps sound better louder a bit, floor shakes etc.
My Jubilee also benefits from being up higher. The TSL, 6101, JVM those with a clean power section it really doesnt matter so the gain is high on those. Well, it's higher on all of them but the MV does not matter as much I should say.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

DIME EVERYTHING. It's the only way to be sure.

But seriously, your combination of settings affects everything about how the amp behaves. You pick what works for you right now.

I like a good amount of grind BUT to my ears, the real magic of an amp like a 2203 is its touch sensitive nature when the drive is up only about half way and the master is also up around half way. At this point you can go from clean to heavy grind by just changing your picking. That's SO satisfying to hear and feel.

 

[MonstersOfTheMidway]

Amp designs and and the flexibility of those features will, I think, create different thread responses, which might be very typical for some brands and models.

I use a stock Marshall 410H with two master volume controls and channel volume controls for each channel. If I'm recording, I tend to push the channel volume control a little harder than the masters, but if I'm playing a gig and/or practice, I tend to set the channel volume a little lower than 1st master volume but the 2nd master will be much higher than either channel volume or 1st master volume (in this situation, I'm using the channel volume controls to balance the volume among the three other channels). At other times I've also set one channel volume control higher than 1st master volume but the 2nd master volume is still set higher the channel volume (in this situation I might get a better tone by pushing the preamp with the channel volume than I would with the 1st master set higher than channel volume). My typical approach is to usually set 2nd master volume for a volume boost at a solo or for a big finish...just depends on what I'm doing at the time.

All that might sound a little confusing but in reality its not hard to put into practice. I think that most people who go searching for a volume boost that doesn't "color" the sound end up using a distortion pedal and/or EQ pedal and/or volume pedal with only difference being I'm using less gear.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

DIME EVERYTHING. It's the only way to be sure.

But seriously, your combination of settings affects everything about how the amp behaves. You pick what works for you right now.

I like a good amount of grind BUT to my ears, the real magic of an amp like a 2203 is its touch sensitive nature when the drive is up only about half way and the master is also up around half way. At this point you can go from clean to heavy grind by just changing your picking. That's SO satisfying to hear and feel.

Yup it's so personal. I don't go cleanish basically at all. So unless I lower guitar volume, I use an OD with my 4010. Different strokes.
But they do sound so good at like 5or 6 on MV, ,preferably with gain cranked.

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

What would you say works best for you and on what amp.... To have the volume at 10 and adjust with the master, or have the master maxed and adjust with the volume?

Welcome to the forum

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

When I was using the AVT 50 H
I would crank the volume and use the master for level (when playing with a drummer) for low volume I would do the opposite.
The gain characteristics where not the same obviously, but I was able to get some very satisfying tones.
I have tried this with my Dsl40c’s and did not care for the results.
But a great time was had exploring the changes and so forth.
Cheers

 

[Rockcity]

More volume = less treble and gain