Fulltone Tube Tape Echo | '68 Plexi 50 watt Marshall | '65 Fender ProReverb
'Fulltone Ranger 45 Amp | '60 Strat | '68 4x12 w/ 20 watt Celestions
I use a multi-amp approach to get my sounds, which I've been doing, in one form or another, since 1982. This approach comes from the realization that one amp CAN'T do it all, and that a Fuzz/Distortion might sound great on a warm, bassy amp and pretty bad on an amp that's set up for an ideal clean tone!
My clean and Bluesy sounds are gleamed from a '65 ProReverb split (via the Choralflange) to an amp I made called the Ranger 45, which is just a Marshall Bluesbreaker/ 50's tweed twin copy using real old components, tubes, and speakers. It's not for sale (I'm not in the amp business) just buy a DRZ Route66 and you'll be similarly happy. The ProRev is one of the greatest amps ever made IMO, and is the one I grab when a call comes in for a jam. Both react extremely well to CLYDE (wah), Fulldrive2 (overdrive), Deja'Vibe (Univibe clone), and with the Choralflange (stereo chorus), both can get the big clean "Piano Tones" when playing close interval chords.
For the Heavy stuff, nothing beats a Plexi Marshall, 45, 50 or 100, it doesn't matter. A quality Birch-Ply cabinet (vintage Marshall) really tames Fuzzes and gives a Stratocaster the Bottom-end to get away from Buddy Holly and get into an Eric Clapton (circa Cream) tone...which is what I'm after for leads.
Looks complicated, but it's actually very simple...bear with me. First off, you'll see a Power supply (upper left) called the "Blackbox" which I have been too busy to make the past couple of years. I may make them again, but for now recommend the Voodoo labs "Pedal Power."
Clean/Semi-Dirty Tones:
My pedalboard is wired in a way that there are effects that go to ONLY the Clean/Semi-Dirty amps(, ( Pro reverb and Fulltone Ranger) ...ONLY to the Dirty Amp, (Marshall) and some that go to BOTH.
My Signal chain is as follows: Signal comes from Guitar and hits #1 (Tuner/Rig Box) which can cut off the sound and send to the Tuner (A) or Pass signal on (B) to everything else.
"B": goes to #2 (wah)---->#3 (DV-2)-----#4 (Octafuzz) and then to the main A/B Box #5....so in other words, I want the CLYDE, DV-2, and Octafuzz to be able to play through BOTH the Clean amps and the Marshall when they're ON.
From #5 we now split to either "A" (Marshall), or "B" (Clean) Amps, each with their own effects:
"B" right (Clean/Semi-Dirty)------>FD2 (#6)---> TTE (#7)----> Choralflange(#8) where it splits to the ProRev and Ranger.
"A" left (Marshall)----->SoulBender(#9---->'70Pedal(#10)----->DistortionPro(#11) --->Ibanez Delay(#12)------>'61 Fender Tube (not pictured)--->Marshall (s)
A lot of stuff to tote around? Hell Yes, but what a sound! Take a listen here to some MP3's of this rig in action.
