I've been reading a lot about this amp lately and everyone seems to agree that the clean channel is usable, but not that good. Does this mean that it doesn't have much headroom or that the tone of the clean sound is not good? Would the amp cover some of Hendrix's cleaner stuff (i.e. Little Wing, Hey Joe, Wind Cries Mary)? To me those are good clean sounds even those there is a hint of distortion. I'm just trying to get an idea of a song that it cannot handle when someone says the cleans are not good. The clean clip on his site sounded pretty good. thanks jeff
The new QR has it's own clean channel with dedicated EQ. Is it like a shimmering Fender...no. Having said that, it's a very good clean that reminds me a lot of a JTM45. Low on the volume, it's nice and clean. Push it a bit and gets a real nice sparkly break up on the top end. Of course, the overdrive channel is unbelievable...so I don't really venture over to the clean channel too often.
If you want to use the clean ch on the QR get the new version with the upgraded clean. The original clean was not good and would not do a good job of those Hendrix tunes. The OD is killer for sure.
Word is he has a new model coming out called the Super Stock with an even better clean channel than the latest version of the Quick Rod.
Nope, sorry The 'Pro Stock' is the same as his 'Pro Mod' minus a clean channel. The 'Super Stock' will be a JCM800 variation
I love that "Splawn tone" but would recommend against spending money on the Splawn clean channel. I had a newer Quick Rod and the "clean" was a complete waste of time. Absolutely lifeless. If there is a JTM 45 that sounds like that it is indeed in need of service. It also does not take pedals well at all. The Quick Rod has a great tone. It's just not on the clean channel. But the OD1 will make you forget about everything else pretty quick...
I wouldn't be spending the money for the clean channel, but at almost $2K I would hope that it is more than a waste of time. I'm sure that you and others who replied are good musicians or at least have good ears so this difference in opinion is clearly due to taste. Can someone post a clip of the clean channel? Maybe some funk or Hendrix stuff Headroom I can deal with since I am not in a band, but lifeless I can't....... thanks jeff
Well, Scott described the clean channel to me as "kind of like a JTM45" so I think that's where that comparison comes from. I didn't agree. Maybe others do, though.
The problem is that I don't know what JTM cleans sound like. What songs should I listen to to find out? The cleans I prefer can be heard on Hendrix's VooDoo Chile (not Child), Wind Cries Mary and Bold As Love as well as SRV's Tin Pan Alley & Dirty Pool and Mary Had a Little Lamb. The cleans in these songs have a little breakup, but there is a quality about them that I can't really describe.....but I'll try....They have good bass and at the same time a chimey quality about them. Quick Rod clips anyone?....
While it's not an amazing clean channel by any means, it's really not that bad IMHO. It could use more complexity, but it gets the job done for me. YMMV.
If that's what you are looking for, get a Deluxe Reverb and use an A/B box to switch between them. You will not get those tones out of a Splawn Quick Rod. Period. And I have owned a JTM45 before and the Splawn clean channel wasn't it.
