Super Reverb against the band

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torchindy
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Super Reverb against the band

Post by torchindy » Tue Feb 12, 2019 6:05 pm

Hey dudes

Am starting up a 90s style punk band with some musician friends. The bass player uses a marshall 400 watt something or other and the other guitarist uses p90s into a 5150. I have an old 60s super reverb, and I seem to disappear into the mix which sucks because I'm supposed to play lead. I'm playing a Telecaster and a SG.

Cranking the volume and using a tube screamer sounds awesome on its own, but in the mix it brings me forward a little bit but ends up with some really unpleasant sounds relative to the rest of the band, like very very scooped and trebly and harsh sounding relative to the 5150.

I think I need something Marshall sounding, with heavy mids to bring me up to the same frequency area as the 5150. I think the super is so scooped that it is missing the midrange balls to run lead in this situation. So I have a few options:

1. Pick up a jcm800 head or something. Been wanting one for a while anyway but now they're all over a thousand bucks

2. Maybe there is a pedal I can put on the super that pushes meds more than a tube screamer? Or something that makes it less weird and scooped and harsh? Or is the EQ of the super always going to defeat any mids a pedal tries to add

3. Other options?

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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by marqueemoon » Tue Feb 12, 2019 7:29 pm

Tell everyone else to turn down?

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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by parry » Tue Feb 12, 2019 8:18 pm

I've always found that it's the nature of supers. I've had a few (vintage and reissue) and currently play through a '69 with single coils. This time around, I was really missing that mid-range and the presence it brings. I tried a few different things and found that a KLON fills that void the best, with a Super Hard-on being the next best thing. The nice thing about filling that spot with a pedal is that it allows you to pull back in the mix when it's off, but then pop up nicely when you need to. I used to do that with the rhythm circuit on my Jazzmaster, but I haven't been playing that guitar much at all anymore.
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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by Horsefeather » Thu Feb 14, 2019 1:37 am

Get yourself an EQ pedal! It's a magic box.

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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by mynameisjonas » Thu Feb 14, 2019 7:30 am

If a Tube Screamer doesn't cut it, I seriously doubt any other pedal will.

A Marshall-type amp would definitely be your safest bet, but maybe you could try hooking up your SR to a closed back 4x12 cab?
I was in a similar situation once (but with a Twin Reverb), and running my amp into a Marshall 4x12 improved things quite a bit.

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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by rumfoord » Thu Feb 14, 2019 8:13 am

Yeah, definitely you should probably all just turn down.

I'd first consider if your amp could use a tune-up. Then, in the interim, try a mic on the guitar amp at practice. Depending on your pa, room, playing style, etc... this could even be enough for practice. And then when you play out you'd probably find that the engineer will ask everyone else to turn down. Plus they'll mic you.

I recently picked up a Peavey Penta. And I'm still figuring it out for my situation, but for $400...I'd totally recommend you try it. I'm not a Marshall connoisseur, but I think it sounds great. (Just pick a channel you like and think of it as a one-channel amp.) You might get a Marshall-ish head and a 2x12 cab. If it's not loud enough on its own, you could play it with the SR in s t e r e o!

Also something I've never quite been able to talk a band into doing, but wanted to do...is practice at multiple volume levels regularly: "this is what we sound like on 2", "this is what we sound like on 10", etc, and trying to sound good in all situations.

But also, fyi, I'm perpetually having something go wrong with my gear. "Sorry everyone, it's just ______." So take everything I say with a grain of salt.

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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by rbrcbr » Thu Feb 14, 2019 8:27 am

Horsefeather wrote:
Thu Feb 14, 2019 1:37 am
Get yourself an EQ pedal! It's a magic box.
Seconded. EQ pedal is a game changer in situations like this. I play a reissue super and have never had issues being heard in a band context. I also like the Klon suggestion - I had a Walrus Audio Voyager for a while (pretty sure it's a klon clone) and it sounded great in a band context. But yeah, EQ is gonna be the most helpful in terms of sitting in the mix how you'd like, and then figure out the drive pedal.

Also, definitely tell everyone else to turn down...

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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by s_mcsleazy » Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:23 pm

ok. as far as i see it. you have a few options.

1. EQ/klon pedal: most TS pedals really dont sit well imho. you can put an EQ after it to help reshape the tone. or just buy a klon which will help the amp work better imho. you'll get an overdrive sound that will work better with the amp.

2. tell your bandmates to turn down: this is always a tricky one because some bands seem to be a volume war and the phrase "but it's my tone" comes up a lot because some amps sound better at different volumes. but it actually makes more sense to learn how to play quieter from time to time. show up to a venue and try to play loud, soundguy is gonna hate you.

3. place your amp somewhere else in the room: every room sounds different and where you place the amp can make all the difference.

4. consider changing out the speakers in your super reverb for something more efficient.

5. use 2 amps: what i've found is you want to get the most out of a fender reverb amp. pair it with a bassman or a low wattage marshall. it fills out the sound rather nicely.

6. or just buy a fender hotrod deluxe/deville
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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by Larsongs » Thu Feb 14, 2019 9:46 pm

Assuming everyone's Gear is in good shape & no issues. If you're Band has good Dynamics you shouldn't be having this problem regardless what Guitars or Amps your using. Start there.

An EQ Pedal is a good idea. Is your Tube Screamer modern or Vintage? The modern Chips don't sound as good as the vintage Chips... They're more harsh..

Regardless, it sounds more like Dynamics issue.....

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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by marqueemoon » Thu Feb 14, 2019 10:05 pm

I was once in a band with someone whose guitar sound ate everything. It was pretty frustrating. It’s not like it was too loud for the most part either. Just super wooly sounding.

I eventually switched amps to a Dr. Carmen Ghia , which along with a Tele will take your head off.
So, I ended up solving my problem with gear, but in the end I let that amp go because that’s all it was good for.

Ultimately it’s how a guitar sound works in context that matters.

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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by CorporateDisguise » Fri Feb 15, 2019 6:01 am

Along with an eq pedal, switching a few speakers to something a bit more mid foward could help. I personally love having mismatched speakers in a cab. Something like a 10 inch Greenback might help you poke out a bit more.

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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by Larsongs » Fri Feb 15, 2019 6:49 am

Great Musicians with good dynamics who really know how to dial in their Gear can play in a horrible Room, with bad acoustics, crap Gear & sound good...

L

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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by Larsongs » Fri Feb 15, 2019 7:51 am

Larsongs wrote:
Fri Feb 15, 2019 6:49 am
Good Musicians with good dynamics who really know how to dial in their Gear can play in a horrible Room, with bad acoustics, crap Gear & sound good...

L

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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by torchindy » Fri Feb 15, 2019 8:37 am

Thanks guys. Lots of good info here. I'll have to try the EQ pedal idea for sure. figure if I get a mxr 10-band or something I could at least turn down the frequencies that ARENT cutting through, thereby inadvertently boosting the mids.

The turning down thing sounds like a good idea too, if I could convince the other guys to do it. they were formerly in a hardcore band and used to practice with everything at 10 so there's probably some hearing loss issues or something. Also I'd be a bit worried that the super might sound thinner at a lower volume... Typical practice volume was around 4 on the dial which is right before it starts to break up on its own.

As for the klon pedal idea, would the ehx clone work? Do they come close enough?

I've got a line on a jcm800 head for a decent price, going to go try it out but I'd rather not spend a pile of money if I don't have to. I have always wanted one but there are still better things I could do with the money

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Re: Super Reverb against the band

Post by Bert Camenbert » Fri Feb 15, 2019 8:42 am

I have a silverface super reverb. I play it with volume on four or five and I push it with a boost for solos. At this setting, it's very loud, and it doesn't get much louder after that, just more distorted.

In my opinion, if you can't get heard over other band members, they're playing too loud.

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