And I Turned My Amp Up Loud And I Began To Play

This may possibly be the single-most amazingly awesome device I have ever owned. I guess since a bottle opener is technically considered a lever and the automobile is a machine. I just got this little baby and have yet to harness it's potential, but oh the possibilities.

I own two amplifiers and imagine my chagrin to have one of them sit there all cold and lonely as the other one got all the attention. Those days are over friends.

I just tested it out a little bit after the last recording session we had and was so thrilled I could hardly contain my joy. Unfortunately, it was late in the evening, and all the music's seeping through... the ceiling that is. So I never got to really tweak around with the settings on both my amps. With upcoming practices, I will try and see what I can do with it and I look forward to the addition of new tones and a fuller sound. I think I need to now invest in a volume pedal as well to go between the A/B selector and the second amp so I can basically always leave it on the setting where both amps are on all the time, but I can gradually bring in the second amp at times with foot control, or turn the volume pedal off while only channel A is on, and then stomp on the "Both" button for a huge volume and tone boost.

I was always fond of the sound that I got out of my primary amp. A 50 watt Marshall JCM900 head and a '71 Orange 4X12 cabinet. Never a complaint. Then that one night when I played with the A/B box, I had the Marshall going with my normal sound and I added in my Line6 Flextone 60 watt combo with a setting that emulates a Matchless Chieftain. Well... let's just say that I thought I had a good sound before. The addition of the second amp rounded out the overall tone unbelievably well and I was blown away by the sound I was getting.

This sounds like a good thing, right?

Well, it's tricky. It IS a good thing, but too much of a good thing can be bad. There's a careful line to walk when it comes to this. I have to bear in mind that I'm not the only guitar player in the band. And quite honestly, the addition of the second amp, sort of emulates what the overall sound would be like if two guitars were playing. Two different sounds playing at the same time and completely compatible. Sounds great right? Sure... except that we already happen to have two guitar players already doing that. Charlie's sound IS the balance that evens out the overall tone essentially. Generally I tend to play on the heavy side, where he plays more cleanly. A balance. As it should be.

By now (if you're even still reading) you may be wondering why then would I want this thing at all? Because it's still awesome. And all this means is I have to learn how to use it properly and in the right capacity.

With great power, comes great responsibility.


MM
DP