Two Rock Custom Sig vs Onyx Sig

[Souled Out]

I need a little Two Rock education. I had planned on getting an Onyx Sig with Two Rock Cab with Fane Alnico's for awhile. Is it possible to get the Custom Sig's clean tone with the Onyx? I have not had the opportunity to play either, just listened to some clips and Gas from this board. Pretty sure I will not have opportunity to play either before I pull the string. The again it may be worth the flight down to Indoor Storm and hang out with Eddie to decide. That's if he has them available, not likley. My reasoning on the Onyx was simply to try and get as many Two Rocks tones as possible out of one amp. I read over and over about the clean, edgey tone of Custom Sig and just the thought of it stands the hairs on my arm up. I have a wonderful Fuchs ODS50 with the SLX mod and it's not going anywhere. I had orginaly thought I may be dupicating some of the tone of the Custom, thus again the reasoning on Onyx. If the stars line up correctly this year some sort of Two Rock may be my only amp purchase this year. Thanks for any help.

[dbeeman]

SB

Les Scheman can pobab;y help

Also Procos has had both,I think


I have not played a CR, but I have an Onyx the two channels are voiced differently and you can deffinitely dial them in for clean and dirt. I have heard the CR can be dialed one way or the other -if you set it up clean the Od is not quite right and vice verse

If you are getting a sig I'd call Joe at 2r they could give you the story

[lhallam]

I have an Onyx and have played a Custom on more than one occaision.

Indeed the Fuchs and Custom are similar. I've played both and they are fine amps.

The Custom is definitely more "Dumbly" and has a lot more SAG.

The Onyx is faster and a little less "forgiving". The clean on the Custom is different because of this. I find the Onyx cleans to be a bit more chimey but keep in mind that I didn't get to mess with the controls on the Custom.

The Custom I played has more touch sensitivity than the Onyx on the OD channel.

The reason I went with the Onyx was for the same reasons you cite; control, diversity and something different than "Dumbly" tones. It delivers these attributes.

And speaking of that Custom I played, I see that it's for sale in TGP emporium. It is a KILLER amp and was what forced me to buy a TR. This is very tempting:

Mook's TR Custom

[bluessyndicate]

I have a CR Sig...I'm one of the people that have been raving about the clean grit I get when using the clean channel boosted (EQ defeated). I have never heard anything like it on another amp....the quality of the grit is smoother/more refined, very cool.

I set my clean channel with gain and volume on noon....I set the gain channel gain on about 2:30 or 3 o'clock and the volume accordingly to give the mix compared to the clean channel, usually ends up being about 1:30/2:00. As a result of this I do NOT find that if you set the CR for clean that the gain channel is compromised....I am quite content, and end up having the best punchiest articulate cleans that I have ever had before...and at the same time the gain rocks and I don't even use ANY pedals to kick the gain up....have not even used my RC booster since I sold my Shiva.

I was worried about a shared EQ, and for that reason I a/b'd the CR and the Onyx. I fairly quickly pruned the Onyx from the decision tree and focused on the CR vs LTD.....the LTD also had individual EQ....I have always preferred individual EQ...but despite all this I went with the CR because it just felt and sounded better to me. The CR has EQ boost/shift switches that the Onyx does not have....I have heard (rumoured) that the EQ switches are pre built into the Onyx tonestack....so I end up preferring the flexibility of control over the EQ on the CR and have not once felt compromised about having a shared EQ.

In the end I think the CR felt/sounded better due to the increased SAG which I personally prefer. Perhaps if I had spent more time with the Onyx I might have found the individual EQ to be better and the channels easier to set up. Everyone sure raves about their Onyx, so perhaps I pruned it to quickly...for some reason..once again it was probably the SAG. In any event I am extremely happy with my choice and with the way it's set up I can play anything from BB King to Dokken/Ozzie when the rare mood hits me (reliving my youth...I'm 45 next week!).

Side note: I had been on a path to buy a Fuch's initially, along with about 150 other amps including an XTC Classic or an Aiken Invader. Although a great amp, I found the Fuch's to be voiced with too much high end for my taste as a strat player...I concluded it was probably a killer amp for PRS and LP players. But I guess my point is I did not find it to be voiced or feel the same as a CR...one I did not like and the other I loved.

It would blow to go the CR route and find you can't get what you want due to a shared EQ...but likewise if you like SAG it would blow to get an Onyx just to have independent EQ without finding out if you really really needed indendent EQ on these amps...and without seeing if the CR had some special Mojo that the Onyx does not have.

Anyhow both are fine amps and you can't go wrong....I can't wait to see the new pics of your newly finished studio with all that fine gear that will now include a TR soon hopefully. For me personally, having flown to other states to try amps out....at the price level we are talking about it would be worth a cheap flight somewhere for a day trip to try the two amps out....

[thelionsden]

I would like to mention since it has not been, that on the CR Sig it has a neg feedback in out switch which can toggle between the sag sound or a faster harder sound when switched out. So if you like faster harder for certain applications it is somewhat attainable, but I haven't tried an Onyx so I don't know how close this hardness comes to that.

Dennis

[procos]

I have only owned the Onyx Sig and if you want my honest opinion I don't think the Sig sounded any better than the Onyx Standard. Maybe the clean had alittle more chime but I don't feel it sounded any better than the standard. And my Opal sounds better than any of them. Come to think of it my Opal sounds better than any Two Rock I have ever played.

Never tried an Custom Reverb Sig or Custom Sig so can't comment on it, YMMV

Chuck

[jokerjkny]

Originally posted by procos
I have only owned the Onyx Sig and if you want my honest opinion I don't think the Sig sounded any better than the Onyx Standard.(...)

now THAT is a straight up honest answer...

[thelionsden]

Originally posted by jokerjkny
now THAT is a straight up honest answer...

......now that the amp is sold....

[LSchefman]

Here's my two cents:

Chuck had his Onyx standard here and we A/B'ed it against my Onyx Sig. We both thought the Sig had better, more 3D cleans, and a bit more clarity on the OD channel, if memory serves. I like the Onyx better than the Opal, so I also disagree with Procos on that one, but hey, it's a matter of personal taste. Chuck definitely preferred the OD sound on his Opal to his Onyx or mine.

The differences between the Onyx models aren't huge...it's a matter of shading and coloration.

I have had the Onyx, the Onyx Sig, the very first prototype of the Onyx Sig, and the LTD here. The Onyx Sig and the proto I had were better sounding than the standard model, as stated above.

But -- the standard Onyx is still a great amp. The differences weren't huge, but they were there.

I get great clean grit when I use the boost on the clean channel as well - this is one of my favorite things about the Onyx.

Yes, the Onyx sounds great in standard form, and a bit more to my liking in Sig form, but it's all personal taste.

[dbeeman]

Guys, give Chuck a break for being straight up

No one "got strapped" with his old amp - they purchased with their own free will.

In fact Chcuk has repurchasd some amp(s) he has sold so I guess he ot strapped

I too remember that he preferred the Sig - which is why he bought it? Over time tastes and impressions change


I think around 80 to 90 percent of the time gear is sold here because someone likes another piece better. Does it mean the amp they sold is bad?

I just sold a Bruno - because I felt my Alessandro was close in the cleans and better suited my needs all aound. The guy that bought the Bruno is thrilled ... as I hoped he would be...

If you really want to complain how about the guys that need to sell for" financial reasons" BUT would trade for XYZ and cash on their end

[thelionsden]

In my case, I wasn't complaining, I just thought it was humorous. Certainly no one is going to volunteer every thought in their head, particularly negative ones, about something they are about to try to sell... Especially if it is huge money. I am sure the amp is worth it to someone..I have a CR SIg and it was a lot of money and it was not three times as good as the Custom I already had..but I am willing to spend the money to get those last few percent of sweetness. I find that just as humorous as what you referred to... and the old "I'm gonna regret this but..." Or the old " I love this amp so much I am selling you, that if you ever sell this amp, please call me first so i can buy it back from you.... " I actually fell for this one once. The response I got when I called was like I was trying to sell somebody a Turd at twice the going rate!

[LSchefman]

>>I too remember that he preferred the Sig - which is why he bought it? Over time tastes and impressions change<<

Chuck would be the first to tell you he's comparatively new to the instrument, and he's on a steep learning curve as we all have been at one time or another. As his technique grows, his needs and opinions probably change as well.

Chuck's my friend, and I know he won't mind if I observe that he changes his mind on amps - a LOT!!

[trisonic]

Originally posted by LSchefman
>>I too remember that he preferred the Sig - which is why he bought it? Over time tastes and impressions change<<

Chuck would be the first to tell you he's comparatively new to the instrument, and he's on a steep learning curve as we all have been at one time or another. As his technique grows, his needs and opinions probably change as well.

Chuck's my friend, and I know he won't mind if I observe that he changes his mind on amps - a LOT!!

I don't know Chuck from Adam but enjoyed his views on the amps he has tried.
Sometimes it takes new ears to cut through the crap often written about amps. I'd like Chuck to start posting again.

Best, Pete.

[LSchefman]

>>I'd like Chuck to start posting again<<

Me, too.

I hope my post didn't sound like I'm dissing Chuck at all.

I often call Chuck or email him to ask his opinion on all things guitar-related. I value his opinion.

I was just trying to guess at why he might find that an amp that worked for him yesterday might not work for him today.

Les

[trisonic]

Les,
It didn't come across that way at all.
I think that some of us who have been playing forever get hidebound as to what we think we like!

Btw Can you record Marshall type tones (not exact but you know what I mean) with your Onyx?

Best, Pete.