Tone. At Home.
Shane has been making new backing tracks for his YouTube channel, and he’s shot a video showing how he does it.
He’s got a pretty slick and efficient way of putting these together, and a very firm opinion of what to do for drums in a track (plus recommendations for where to get great drums from). You’ll have to watch the video to see how he does it 🙂
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Shane’s posted another of his Donner “amp in a box” pedal demos. This time, he’s looking at the Black Devil, which emulates the Peavey 6505 amp.
I’ve never played a real 6505, so I’ve no idea whether or not this pedal comes close. It does have a thick and saturated tone, which might be exactly what you’re looking for.
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When Shane recently demoed the new Marshall DSL amps, he liked them so much that he went out and bought one for himself. And he’s kindly gone and posted an in-depth look at what the 40W combo sounds like.
Watch it all the way through to the end for his honest pros and cons of his new amp. and some footage of him using the amp live with an ES-335 style guitar.
If you’re thinking of getting one of these, you’ll find his comments about the two master volumes particularly informative. They’re especially important if you’re thinking of buying this amp to play mostly at home tone volume levels.
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Over on In The Blues, Shane has posted his demo and review of the new Boss Katana Artist amp.
The Katana Artist is the new top-of-the-line amp in the Katana series from Boss. If I’ve got this right, it’s the same models as the original Katana amps, in a 100W combo platform with a reworked power section – including attenuation – and a better speaker.
I’ve heard the original Katana 50 at gig volumes, and thought it sounded great in person. Katana isn’t trying to be a digital model of other amps. It’s basically it’s own thing, backed with models from Boss’s 40+ years of pedal heritage.
There is a trick to getting the most out of the Katana. Boss modelled the power section to work the same as a tube amp. Run it with the master volume up full, and adjust the channel volume to suit. The Artist’s reworked power section, with the built-in attenuator, should make it even easier to setup even at home tone levels.
Please head over to YouTube to leave a like and a comment if you enjoyed Shane’s video.
Over on the In The Blues YouTube Channel, Shane has posted his latest podcast episode in its new format. This one is all about amps that Shane has recently played.
I thought that my own views on the Kemper echo Shane’s: a great studio tool that doesn’t take pedals at all well. I’ll be writing a lot more about the Kemper soon!
He also covers the PRS J-MOD 100, BOSS Katana Artist, and the Line 6 Helix. I’m always interested in what he has to say about amps. He’s played a lot of gear over the years, and he’s a gigging musician to boot.
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Over on In The Blues, Shane has posted a tasty demo of the PRS J-Mod 100 amp through its matching 2×12 cab.
The J-Mod 100 is John Mayer’s signature amp. Current asking price for one in the UK is around £6,500 (!!) Sadly, the price doesn’t include John Mayer coming along to make you sound like he does.
This demo video is full of tasty playing by Dr Ric and Ryan, showing off both the clean and overdrive channels. They also run some pedals through it. Sounds like a great pedal platform for the person who can afford a genuine Klon Centaur 🙂
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Over on In The Blues, Shane has posted a demo of Fender’s new Original Series 50’s Stratocaster.
You can always tell when Shane’s got a great guitar in his hands by the look on his face, and in this video, I don’t think he stops grinning once. He gets some great tones out of this guitar, that’s for sure.
Fender Original Series has replaced the Fender American Vintage line. Instead of trying to recreate instruments from specific years, the new Original Series instead focuses on the key characteristics from the 50s and 60s. Another important change is the finish, which has been changed to help ensure that the guitar reaches you in the same condition it left the factory in, even after months sat in shipping and warehouses on the way.
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Shane’s back, with a demo of Donner’s Green Land Pedal. Even if you’re not interested in the pedal, it’s worth watching just to listen to Shane tear it up in the opening jam.
This pedal reminds me of the Mooer micro preamp pedals that came out last year or the year before. They were designed to offer two channels from classic amps, complete with built-in cab sim for direct recording.
With this pedal, Donner has done something a little different with the concept. Instead of offering two channels from the same amp, this pedal offers Fender and Marshall tones all in one box. It’s also got built-in reverb. I don’t remember that being on the Mooer preamps?
Fender vs Marshall are two classic tones. Having them both available with the press of a foot switch sounds like a winning idea. How come no-one else has done this before?
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Over at In The Blues, Shane has posted a review of the new Marshall DSL1C. It’s a 1W valve amp – a bit like the Blackstar HT-1 – that’s likely to be on your list if you’re looking for a small practice amp for home.
The old DSL range was very popular, especially the DSL40C combo that featured so much on Anderton’s Sound Like series. From the HNAD forum posts I’ve seen so far, the new DSL range might prove to be even better.
Me, I’m waiting for the Marshall Origin amps to land …
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Over on In The Blues, Shane has posted a comparison of the Fender Blues Junior III vs the brand new Blues Junior IV. He even throws in a comparison with the Blues Junior SE – an amp I’d never heard of before!
The Blues Junior is one of the most popular valve amps around, especially with home players like us. It’s a classic amp. How will the new Blues Junior IV stack up?
Please head over to YouTube and leave a like and a comment if you enjoy Shane’s video.