Yesterday

[darrylportelli]

yesterday I did it!!!
I cranked my 2203 up to 10,gain also on 10!!!!!!I was wearing earplugs but as I was playing I was constantly checking my ears cos it sounded like those suckers werent even there...thats how loud it was!!I spent a half an hour with my legs shaking afterwards
from the transition of 9-10 you get a sudden increase in gain as I heard it dont know why??!!
the notes become more and more articulate as you go past 3...I like pedal note riffs a lot think bark at the moon and at low vols the pedal notes become muffled but as you crank it they become angelic!!!!
Do you do any damage by cranking it??? I dont think so only more valve wear right???

 

[Jonathan Wilder]

yesterday I did it!!!
I cranked my 2203 up to 10,gain also on 10!!!!!!I was wearing earplugs but as I was playing I was constantly checking my ears cos it sounded like those suckers werent even there...thats how loud it was!!I spent a half an hour with my legs shaking afterwards
from the transition of 9-10 you get a sudden increase in gain as I heard it dont know why??!!
the notes become more and more articulate as you go past 3...I like pedal note riffs a lot think bark at the moon and at low vols the pedal notes become muffled but as you crank it they become angelic!!!!
Do you do any damage by cranking it??? I dont think so only more valve wear right???

Anytime you crank your amp you take a risk. Not only with valve life, but there's the chance that valves could short and they like to take other components with them when they do. This can/will happen at any volume, but the risk is increased when cranking.

Now from actual experience...I ran my amps cranked on an attenuator for 3 years gigging every weekend...4 hour gigs, and all I had to do was replace the valves a little sooner than normal.

What does this mean? It's one of those "just because it didn't happen to me doesn't mean it won't happen to you". Experience states that it's not likely, but the risk is there and it's increased when cranking.

 

[longfxukxnhair]

What Wilder said. And make sure you have your ear plugs in correctly. If you damage your hearing you will miss out on the tonal nirvana.

 

[Jonathan Wilder]

What Wilder said. And make sure you have your ear plugs in correctly. If you damage your hearing you will miss out on the tonal nirvana.

Yeah but...earplugs suck tone.

 

[longfxukxnhair]

Yeah but...earplugs suck tone.

LMAO
Can we EQ the ear plugs?

 

[solarburn]

LMAO
Can we EQ the ear plugs?

I bet someone will develop that ability and build it into them hehe.

 

[Jonathan Wilder]

I bet someone will develop that ability and build it into them hehe.

Why not? They've already got HD sunglasses.

 

[longfxukxnhair]

Why not? They've already got HD sunglasses.

Werent those called blue blockers in the late 80's and early 90"s

 

[Jonathan Wilder]

Werent those called blue blockers in the late 80's and early 90"s

I believe so. lol

However, I still stand by my idea of HD earplugs. Or maybe we can scrounge up some NOS earplugs from back in the day for some true vintage tone.

 

[Jesstaa]

I think the biggest risk is cranking your amp for the first time. That's when my amp died, but now it's fine when cranking.
But I fear I'm ripping the speaker cab apart whenever I do it xD

But you'll never be able to get a tone as amazing in doors as you do outside. Sitting the amp outside, thick bush (forest, whatever you people call it) all around has the most amazing sound ever, it's not being smashed back in your face by walls, it's just roaring out and reverberating off trees.

And you don't realise just how loud a Marshall is until you use it outside, because inside the volume seems the same from about 7 - 10, just more painful.

 

[80's Rocker]

I love cranking the amp when nobody is home! I like to get somewhere between 6-8 for my amps sweet spot!

 

[darrylportelli]

yeah the sweet spot is around 6-8.....I need an OD pedal now to tighten the lows and smoothen the highs...If I manage to sell my digitech hotrod(my friend likes it and said hell buy it)I think I may get a ts 808...anyways 10x for the info....btw I cranked it when no one was home since my mom would strangled me to death!!!
I need to get musicians earplugs now.the ones with the removable inserts so you could get different levels of attenuation.cos the ones I have now are those memory foam ones and they do cut some tone out but hey your ears are safe with them!!!

 

[Adwex]

Yeah but...earplugs suck tone.

LOL what if they're vintage earplugs?

 

[cicone]

.....Sitting the amp outside, thick bush (forest, whatever you people call it) all around has the most amazing sound ever, it's not being smashed back in your face by walls, it's just roaring out and reverberating off trees.

And you don't realise just how loud a Marshall is until you use it outside, because inside the volume seems the same from about 7 - 10, just more painful.

HA! My insurance company threatened to drop my home owners coverage for cracking the foundation. Funny, I have a 250wpc Bryston(300watts at clipping)playing through big B&W floorstanders--and a subwoofer, if needed--and it can't hald a candle to my 50wpc MkIII through 1960A Vintage 30's. I'm talking pain. I'd like to take it outside and let it rip!

 

[rjohns1]

As far as earplugs go, I invested in a set of custom molded pro earplugs. I went to a hearing doctor, and go a set of Westones. They have a special filter, that will drop the sound level, but not mess with the sound. The filter has a frequency response that is identical to the response of the human ear. It cost me about $250, but I have never been happier. I used to hate wearing ear plugs, I hated that muffled sound. These things are fantastic. The model I got drops the level of sound about 15db, but you can go higher or lower. I find that I enjoy playing more with them in than if I pull them out. Having just begun getting tinnitus, I am relieved that it is not getting any worse, and I can still enjoy that sweet tone coming from my amp.

 

[Jonathan Wilder]

As far as earplugs go, I invested in a set of custom molded pro earplugs. I went to a hearing doctor, and go a set of Westones. They have a special filter, that will drop the sound level, but not mess with the sound. The filter has a frequency response that is identical to the response of the human ear. It cost me about $250, but I have never been happier. I used to hate wearing ear plugs, I hated that muffled sound. These things are fantastic. The model I got drops the level of sound about 15db, but you can go higher or lower. I find that I enjoy playing more with them in than if I pull them out. Having just begun getting tinnitus, I am relieved that it is not getting any worse, and I can still enjoy that sweet tone coming from my amp.

WHAT!? Did somebody say something?

 

[Adwex]

I hate earplugs, but tinnitus sucks, I've got it pretty bad. Not just from playing in a band, but from loud clubs and car stereos when I was younger. Now I'm paying the price for liking loud music.

 

[longfxukxnhair]

I hate earplugs, but tinnitus sucks, I've got it pretty bad. Not just from playing in a band, but from loud clubs and car stereos when I was younger. Now I'm paying the price for liking loud music.

That sux. I was wearing ear plugs to show from a young age. When I played in band they would give me all kinds of shit for wearing plugs. At 41 my hearing is still perfect. I was lucky I didnt follow the crowd. Still cant tune a guitar by ear. LOL

 

[Cardiac Tom]

I never wear ear plugs...

Luckily, my hearing is still fine...I think in part that I have played out of a half stack throughout the years, I'm not having the sound hit me in the back of the head...

Once I start using the stack again, I may reconsider...

 

[kernal]

I just had a nasty ear infection (2 months ago) and I still have tinnitus from it. It HELLA SUCKS!

I have loud "T" 24/7 now + hypercussis (sensitivity to sound) and the Doc said it is probably permanent.

This sux so hard! I can't even turn the radio up in my car without it making my ear scream violently for 2-3 days. It's horrible. And my band playing days...over. Concerts...over. Clubs...over.

All of that is behind me now, as I can't tolerate even a computer fan for more than 5 minutes.

SERIOUSLY - DON'T GAMBLE WITH YOUR HEARING!

Once you get tinnitus permanently you'll have to live with it for the rest of your life and it MAJORLY SUCKS. There is no "cure" for it -just a bunch of hit and miss treatments that only mask the problem if they even do anything at all. Imagine waking up in the morning and until the time you go to bed EVERY F**CKING DAY, this is what you hear as a background to everything: "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.......................

It never stops - literally and it's no joke. It can and does literally drive people insane if it is loud enough. Protect your ears, don't take them for granted! They are a gift and you should take good care of them.