New Amp-

[jackaroo]

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6795498

I was just feeling the good vibes tonight, recorded this little baby for fun before I go away for a week.

Love...man what a thing.


J

[lv]

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6795498

I was just feeling the good vibes tonight, recorded this little baby for fun before I go away for a week.

Love...man what a thing.


J

Jack,

Stunning tone and playing, just gorgeous. Which Blockhead? How loud was it to get that tone?

Lou

[jackaroo]

It was about as loud as my television during "the game" granted I don't watch TV very much..but that's about it. Too loud to just talk over...but not even close to gigging volume...like maybe 3 or 4 watts. My preggy wife and 2 year old are asleep upstairs...trust me, if it was loud, the hammer would come down mighty quick!

This being the demo section here's the particulars of the tone-

The blockhead is their ca.1965 JTM-45 head.

AVRI strat into Blockhead
Blockhead to Ho attenuator
Ho "Dry" to scumnico

Then the "Wet" send of the Ho to TC 2290
2290 to Ho "Wet" return
Ho to Scumback

Then there's one mic in front of the cab, no compression, EQ or funny stuff.

To ProTools for a little verb

Mix and enjoy!


Thanks for listening-

Jack

[straticus]

Beautiful!

[Scumback Speakers]

I downloaded that one, Jack. Let me know if it's ok to send to folks as an example or post on my site. Nice playing, sir!

[jackaroo]

I'd be honored Jim...they are your speakers- Really like the Scumnico...what's the backorder time these days?


J

[lv]

Jack,

How close is the tone in the room vs what is on the clip? Is the amp really that creamy and smooth on the top end? Really lovely tones.

Thanks,

Lou V.

[jackaroo]

LV-

That's exactly what it sounds like right in front of the cab...minus the plate reverb- but I'm buying a Lexicon unit soon I think... so that'll change.

The cab is a little too beamy actually. It really sounds great right where the mic goes and right at speaker level. But with the closed back vertical 2x12 there's nothing happening out the back, and the bottom 12 is just the FX...so it's basically a 65 watt alnico 1x12 in a big enclosure with it's own dedicated reverb/delay speaker. I might get a beam blocker just to spread it out a bit so I don't have to sit right in front when I play to hear this lovely tone. The level is so quiet that it won't saturate the whole room, and sounds even creamier if off axis. I would really love to get another
Scumnico in the cab as I feel the H55 is a little too far from the Scumnico tonally- it's awesome...just a little too different.

It's definitely optimized for recording cranking Marshall tones at midnight levels with FX...just awesome for me. I don't have to use the delay and fx stuff in the studio, with all the post processing available, but it's fun to just be playing...get inspired and drop a track- just like last night.

Live, I'd want to use another 2x12 for the wet and a 2x12 for the dry.


Thanks for listening everyone-

J

[Scumback Speakers]

I'd be honored Jim...they are your speakers- Really like the Scumnico...what's the backorder time these days?
J
I can't keep them in stock. They're sold before they get here, no matter how many I order. It's a 4-5 week wait, sir....wish I could do better.

[sinner]

Sounds great, Jack. I like how sensitive the rig is to your pick attack, some great range coming through--I love the "stringy" sound, very clean and smooth (fingers there?) that's at the same volume as the overdriven and picked heavier moments.

[jackaroo]

All pick on this one I think. I just closed my eyes and went loose.

[thintele]

Nicely done ...great tone and very tasteful playing, Jack. Are those stock pup's in the Strat?

[jackaroo]

Virtual Vintage...not sure I think it's the "Heavy Blues" in the neck (this song is all neck position)...not sure on the middle and the "Solo" model on the bridge.

[gregc]

Nice tone, Jack. I like it!

[Hacksaw]

very nice! love the melody. The hamonics in the tones where really sweet.. reminds me of a set of speakers I have. :D Mine is a aftermartket jtm45 mod'ed by reinhart in a 2x12 combo.. with scumincos.

Enjoy your trip.

[jackaroo]

Thank Jerry Garcia for the melody.

Sounds like the same rig you had...


J

[meterman]

Dude......awesome. Possibly my favorite Jerrry ballad....GREAT tone and way to nail the changes with maximum feeling. Hats off sir!

PS Any chance you could give China Doll the same treatment? :)

[scottl]

Great Jack. Tone reminded me of Landau a bit....

[meterman]

the fact that you can get that tone from a Strat straight into a JTM45 at 'sleeping family' volumes, makes me want to take the plunge on the Ho attenuator in the worst way....

[jackaroo]

Yes...I'm pretty smitten with my set up these days. I've got a few heads...I'm just dialing in a few other elements- like a decent reverb, another 2x12, some more speakers, and routing it all through my rig controlled by my ground control. It's a big undertaking...

The Ho is a big part of it all for sure.

As for Landau...I liked that guys playing when I saw him in LA like 10 years ago- a monster for sure. To be compared to him in any way is a huge compliment.

I'm not sure what tune I'll do next with the rig- something rocking with the T-Rex I think. I just was feeling moved by the tone I was getting and thought I'd do a little something.

So, as fast as I could build the drum track, fly in the bass and keys...30 minutes- then a line check. Then a take. I'm hearing a few things I wish I could tighten up. I hear note choices I feel I could have made that I didn't...but I've started to dig it for what it is...a little moment in time.

Thanks-


J

[meterman]

So, as fast as I could build the drum track, fly in the bass and keys...30 minutes- then a line check. Then a take. I'm hearing a few things I wish I could tighten up. I hear note choices I feel I could have made that I didn't...but I've started to dig it for what it is...a little moment in time.

Thanks-


J

OK, so you created the backing track as well? Forgive my ignorance but can you go into that a bit, what you're using for drums, what you mean by "fly in" the bass and keys? I'm looking for a good way to lay down backings of original compositions relatively quickly and kind of at a loss, I used to use my trusty DR-5 Dr Rhythm but I don't think it will cut it anymore :D

thanks,

[jackaroo]

Well it was easy..but the process is kind of involved.

Every time I track a drummer I do a round of samples on the kit. This way I can fly drum hits around after the tracking is done if I need to. Another bonus is I have a decent drum library. So...

I pick a tempo and set up a grid.

Place a Kick with a crash at the "0" point of the bar

Put a snare sidestick on 2 and 4

Put kick hits on 1 and three (except the 1st hit)

Fly in HiHat samples two light and one with a little more oomph. I toggle between them and then put the accent in where it feels right.


Then duplicate for 2 minutes...tada!- drums


Then I fly in a sample of upright bass or just play bass to the track. This time I used a sample from "Xpand" a soft synth.

Then I just played 2 notes of the chords that I'd be playing over...I try to make them the 3rd and the 7th seeing as the tonic is covered by the Bass and I didn't want too much clutter in the backing track for "stella"...plus I stink at keys!


In about 20 minutes I had a decent track to play over and just looped it twice and then started on the guitar playing. I took a pass- pretty good...but the level was a little low...had a few false starts after that with the level right on. Took five minutes to forget all the crap that had just gone done down trying to get to this point...and there you go warts and all. The track as you hear above.

That's the process I used here-

J

[andi]

Yes...I'm pretty smitten with my set up these days. I've got a few heads...I'm just dialing in a few other elements- like a decent reverb, another 2x12, some more speakers, and routing it all through my rig controlled by my ground control. It's a big undertaking...

The Ho is a big part of it all for sure.

As for Landau...I liked that guys playing when I saw him in LA like 10 years ago- a monster for sure. To be compared to him in any way is a huge compliment.

I'm not sure what tune I'll do next with the rig- something rocking with the T-Rex I think. I just was feeling moved by the tone I was getting and thought I'd do a little something.

So, as fast as I could build the drum track, fly in the bass and keys...30 minutes- then a line check. Then a take. I'm hearing a few things I wish I could tighten up. I hear note choices I feel I could have made that I didn't...but I've started to dig it for what it is...a little moment in time.

Thanks-


J

Hey Jack.
Once again. Fantastic!!!!
What T-Rex?

[Groovey Records]

Thanks

[jackaroo]

I bought a Red Iron T-Rex. I'm waiting on some NOS tubes from Paul Sanchez and then I'm off! We'll see how I like it...I only had a few hours with it and the Blockhead before I had to leave town. I'll be back on Monday and I'll be at it for sure!

[cdaloia]

Jack,

Great to hear you man.
Digging everything about this.
Congrats on the amp!

Chuck

[trisonic]

Jack, Perfect Tone, Perfect Playing.

Best, Pete.

[57special]

So the BH is a good JTM45?

[jackaroo]

Well I don't have the benefit of owning an original...and I'd like some more scumnicos to make more of the tone- but generally speaking it compares pretty favorably. I think there are a few component/cap values I'd like to mess with to tighten up the lows a bit. You have to be really careful with the low end or it can run away pretty quickly. I see now why folks used treble boosters with these amps. The amp has so much low end- you just need to know what you're doing.

But I've now got this BH and a Metro they both have very similar sounds and issues, I'm not sure which one I'll keep- either way I'll be happy. Both are great.

Jack

[JiMB]

Damn! That was beautiful!

Tones and melody.

Jim

[jpfeiff]

Dude......awesome. Possibly my favorite Jerrry ballad....GREAT tone and way to nail the changes with maximum feeling. Hats off sir!
:)

One of my all time favorite tunes as well...and a nice treatment you give it, sir! Did you put together the backing track, or is there a free Stella Blue BT floating around there somewhere??

[jackaroo]

Thanks!

Yes I made the track.

Read posts 20 and 22-

[rocketman223]

Love the clips! Q: What is the "Ho" you mention in your clips rig description?

[jackaroo]

A: My attenuator with FX loop.

J

[gkoelling]

Beautiful...I've listened to this a few times recently and am sure I'll be back.


Thank you, Jack

[jackaroo]

De Nada