Monday, November 12, 2018

***Trashed's Gear*** Splawn Promod KT88 METAL RIG


Thar she be. The freaking beast. Splawn Promod KT-88. The same as a Quickrod, just with KT-88 as opposed to EL34's. It is on top of my general go to metal cab (despite owning mesa, orange and a half dozen others). It is a Randall cab, Celestion T75's on top and a 15" Eminence Legend at the bottom. Massive bass, mids and balanced treble. For the record, my Splawns (this and a Nitro KT88) do not get along with V30's.

Scott Splawn has it going on. He is a brilliant SOB, has all of the features you need nothing more. You have a foot-switchable second master, a foot-switchable extra gain stage (OD1/OD2) and of course a foot-switchable channel switcher. Perfection. There are a couple of qualms about this amp though. It sucks at quiet. PERIOD. loud or louder. I have 23 tube amps at the moment, and this is just loud. I swear this is the loudest 100 watts I have EVER heard, and it cuts like a damn knife. No cutting through the mix issues here.

JJ 12AX7's in V1-V4, JJ KT88's in the power section.

The effects are stupid simple. The fuzz is my newest prototype so that is hush hush for naooo. Then a Korg Pithcblack, Fulltone Fulldrive 2 Mosfet, a Malekko Unity Fuzz, all out front, a Visual Sound H20 Chorus and delay, BBD loaded. The delay is pretty much always on. The chorus is occasionally used on cleans.

My main tone is with the OD2 selected and I use the FD-2 mostly for leads. Cannot comment on the prototype, the Malekko Unity is for the clean channel. Chorus if engaged, is only on the clean channel. Delay is always on. I have master volume 1 on as quiet as I can and the second master for the volume I play at during the day, which is definitely louder than I can play in the middle of the night.

The gain is beastly. The tone is beastly. Splawn has no disappointments.

Sunday, November 4, 2018

RE: My First Post Rambling. BOSS RANT PARTIALLY RETRACTED.

RESPONSE FROM my first post RAMBLING

https://trashedengineering.blogspot.com/2016/08/2016-08-14-volume-myths-and-boss-pedals.html

""The Rambling: 
Boss Pedals. I am a pedal whore, no question about it, last count was in the 30's, most $120-$150+ new. There are a few exceptions though. Now boss, they have their strong suits, they are durable as all hell. i am sure you could run one over with a car and not wreck the damn thing (maybe that wouldn't be such a good thing). They were great in the '80's, Especially the modulation and delay (mainly for me the choruses and delays), then, I don't know what happened. Furthermore, their dirt pedals have never been good (other than the whole HM-2 thing), and  their dirt pedals have gotten progressively worse. Their buffers are mediocre at best. They have been far from innovative in the last decade, and that is why I am not a fan.
Fifteen years ago, it was different. that was before the millions of boutique pedals and builders were out there. At that time it was them, Digitech, EHX, DOD, and MXR. Time went by and Boss got too comfortable, and ceased to innovate. They are behind the times.
Do i hate Boss pedals? No. Do they make some good ones? Yes. I like some of them, but in most cases there are better pedals for just a few bucks more. Boss stopped making my favorites a long time ago, which are the dimension chorus and slow-gear. They are flat out awesome, but now they fetch stupid prices, and I am not willing to spend that much. Other honorable mentions are the NS-2, DD3, DD6, etc, as well as some of the other choruses. The final mention is the HM-2, I have one and it is great for one thing, that grinding shrill noise that is pushed through a Marshall Valvestate or Ampeg VH140c. I don't care for that tone, but i keep it around in case i get bored.""

 THIS SHIT IS BOSS! Maybe in a good way???

Waza Craft! Thanks to the boss for the new BOSS shit. Impressive. Darn, freaking impressive. I have tried three to date. Much applause. Seriously! Now I want them to re-release the Slow Gear and I will be one happy son of a gun. I want to see the buzz (get it???) behind the new Waza Metal-Zone. Sounds cool and usable. I am going to snag an old MT-2 before they go up a few bucks and get more desirable, as it sounds good going into the FX return. NOT OUT FRONT THOUGH. $40 isn't much to drop FFS.

To further delve into my new appreciation to boss is the OC-3 and my MIJ BF-2. The OC-3 is far beyond the OC-2, and kicks ass, but i don't need it on any of my rigs lol. The MIJ Flanger is absolutely out of this world. Damn. However I am not a regular Flanger user, but for $40 hell yeah. I am at slightly over 50 pedals now so many have come and gone.

I just wish Boss would make a better buffer.

Boss are hell-a-frickin' durable. Easily replaceable if it isn't vintage. Which is a plus. You can buy them pretty much anywhere. They are the industry standard for many things. However, I do think that it is waning as other companies are putting out some more mind blowing stuff at a faster rate.

You all know that I generally dislike TCE, but their Sentry gate is fantastic. I don't need one though. More surprising is that even the TCE chorus is pretty good and gaining headway. BUT not there with the Boss' of old. The MXR 10 band has replaced Boss GE-7 as a standard. BOSS has also been nudged out of the tuner TU-3, but there is Waza so who knows.

Point being, they are going the right way for the most part. I see my old thoughts and think about my logic schemes and thoughts and some has changed. I will be revisiting old topics from time to time.

In the words of the best front-man to ever live, Phil Anselmo "One, Two, Fuck! You!" on Down's live DVD "Diary of a Mad Band."*

*Of which I highly recommend, its old news though, but great content. REX Brown has some good shit out too now. The NOLA metal scene is budding yet again.