Tone Tips for Newbies

[Rick Jolley]

After I got my steel, and found out that all my little guitar amps didn't do the job, I studied the forum for over a year. The fact that lots and lots of good players had a PV Session 400 became apparent. So, when I came back from Belize, I bought one -- ebay, $290 plus $40 shpping. I thought it was the best amp I've ever owned, and I've owned some good Fenders & Music Man, and a couple of little OK PVs.

Fortunately for me, the 400 that I bought was an LTD, built for steel, but that was just an accident because I didn't really know the difference when I bought it.

So, anyway, I spent months trying to get a good tone out of it until I discovered the way that the mid shift works. (My old Fenders didn't have anything like that!)

When I finally understood how that shift works -- from reading the owners manual about five times, and a couple of articles on the PV website -- it solved the problem. I see a lot of people simply telling you what their settings are, but that doesn't help mch if you don't understand what the controls do.

Read the manual for your amp -- you can get one on the PV website. And here is my explanation of how the shift & mid controls work.

Imagine a graphic equalizer. (you can look at one here, if you don't know what that means. http://www.anwida.com/product.asp?pid=5&area=2
That picture actually shows two -- one for each channel.)

Now, imagine that you have dvided the spectrum represented by the GE into three areas -- Low, Mid, and High. Normally -- like on a Fender -- these divisions are defined. On the PV, the Shift knob slides the range of "mid" frequencys from lower to higher. My knob is labeled from 0 to 10, and the book says that this varies the midrange of the "Mid" from 300hz to 1000hz.

If you can visualize the Graphic Equalizer, you should be able to visualize your definition of the "Mid" range going from fairly low to fairly high. OK?

Now, if you want a mellow tone (like Curly Chalker, for example) you need to set that Shift control high. Mine is at 10. Then, you can cut that range of frequencies you have selected as much as you like. (I cut mine to zero.) This gives me a very mellow tone.

Too mellow, in fact. I have trouble hearing the 3rd string clearly, unless I bump up my high control to three or four.

Once you have that shift/mid combination set right, you can simply adjust your high control to fit the room.

I hope this helps. I solicit your questions and comments.

[Just trying to return the favor for all the wonderful help I've gotten on this forum!!]



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Rick Jolley

(Rick Zahniser/Rickey Zahn)
Dekley S10 3/3, Session400LTD
http://belizenorth.com

[Bill Mayville]

Reading your post makes great sense.Using the EQ's after knowing what to do.Mostly
the amps of today have a solid state sound.Very ugly.Messing with the EQ gets rid of some of that sound. That is why some go after the twin.
The New Steel King eliminates the solid state sound.I'm not saying like a tube amp either.Just nice.Made for steel.Out of the box it has the beginning of a real steel sound.Of course ,you may have to have a nice steel. My 03 Mullen,and the brand new Emmons sound like they should.No attachments necessary.
I'm glad that you are happy also, as we read how many items some have to use ,to get a nice sound.
Bill Mayville

[Ben Slaughter]

EQ is the most mis-understood effect among musicians, in my experience, and probably the most versitle and powerful of them all.

[Donny Hinson]

I'll second that, Ben! In amp tone, EQ is <u>everything</u>. Every change we make, be it swapping tubes, speakers, pickups, etc., is centered on one thing...EQ! There is no way, I repeat, no way you can change the sound without making an "EQ change" of some sort.