How to set up your bedroom tones

Most of us spend a great deal of time playing guitar in either a bedroom or a small home recording studio. Limited space, grumpy neighbours and a patient family makes it hard to really crank that amp. Still, we all want a big and fat tone that has all the qualities of playing on a loud stack. In this feature I’ll share some of my tricks for getting great tones at bedroom levels.

My home recording studio is a typically bedroom-sized room equipped with a few low wattage amps. I have a couple of smaller tube amps that serve the purpose of both practice and recording (although most of my live guitars are recorded in our rehearsal studio). I’ve experimented a lot over the years and found ways to achieve a big tone on low wattage and volume.

Tips on getting killer tones on your bedroom setup

So what is a big tone? What do we want to achieve on a smaller amp? Well, personally I want the same full bodied character I get when I drive my Reeves Custom 50w really hard. I want the sound of glowing hot tubes on the very edge of breakup and speakers pushing air. This makes my guitars and pedals sound fatter, warmer and more compressed but it also makes my ears adjust, trying to even out those transients and focusing on to the mids. This can’t be achieved on low volume alone so we need to compensate and simulate it.

Get the right amp for the job

I’m a believer in that you can get great tones from almost any type of equipment. Still, getting an amp that’s suited for a smaller room, will save you a lot of headache. Tube amps are usually easier to make sound good on lower volume (and manipulate to do so) compared to solid states, which have a more static character and can sound thin.

A 50w or 100w tube amp is usually out of the question for bedroom players but a 15w or 30w is still a very loud amp and most of these needs a bit of volume to sound as intended (meaning: you need to crank them a bit for the tone really open up). Most bedrooms doesn’t need more than 5w or maybe 1w. Amps like the Laney Cub12, Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 18 and Hiwatt’s Tube Series (among others) feature a built in power scaling that allows you to down-size the wattage to 5w or even 1w. This will allow you to set the amp at the edge of break up or full blown distortion without getting too loud – much like an attenuator but more effective.

The amp should have a master volume control in addition to gain. If not you’re basically just raising the distortion level, which leaves you with less headroom and, on low levels, often a thin sound. Amps with a scooped mid range, like Fender (or similar), will often sound brighter and thinner on low volume. An amp with more mid range, like Hiwatt (or similar), will sound warmer and more balanced.

Amp settings – don’t neglect the mid range!

One of the biggest mistake many guitarists do – both on stage and smaller rooms – is to neglect the importance of mid range. When playing alone your guitar often sound best with a typically mids scooped tone. The lows and highs makes the tone really scream. Still, your ears are designed to pick up on the mids range, as that’s where the main register of the human voice lies and when you bring those fabulous mid scooped tones on stage, your guitar will drown completely behind the drums and keys. This applies to bedroom setups too. Crank that mid range and your guitar will sound warmer and fatter and you’ll have a much richer sustain.

The lows can really mess up your guitar. Again, when playing alone you probably want to feel the lows but that’s where the drums and bass are and while you don’t have a full band in your bedroom too much low end will make your guitar sound muddy and flabby, rather than focused and tight. Lower the bass, crank the mids and keep the treble at a moderate level. The precise settings depends on your guitar, amp and taste.

Some amps also feature a tone or presence control that, depending on the amp, boosts between 4-7kHz. Be careful with this one but try to find the right balance between it and the treble.

Don’t be afraid to give the amp a bit of break up. You probably don’t want full overdrive but a super clean amp often sound thin. Raise the gain until you start to notice a breakup. If your amp has two channels, you might want to experiment with the gain channel and get it as clean as possible. In many cases this is a better basis for your pedals that a purely clean channel. What we want is to compensate for the effect we get from driving the tubes hard on a bigger amp.

Power attenuator

An attenuator, like the THD Hot Plate, is placed between the amp and speaker cab. This allows you to crank the living shit out of your amp, while keeping a neighbour friendly volume. These are best used when relying on your amp’s gain to create overdrive and distortion. In that case you want to place your modulations and delays in the amp’s effects loop. However, if you run your amp clean an attenuator will be a bit redundant as you can basically just lower the volume on the amp. Besides, why not just buy an amp with lower wattage?

Volume pedal

We often forget volume pedals in our bedroom setups but these are basically acting like an attenuator only placed at the end of your chain, which allows you to raise both the gain and master on your amp, as well as increasing the volume on your pedals to push the amp a bit and keep a low volume.

Booster in the loop

I’m not a big fan of the send/return effects loop on amps but a great tip is to place a transparent booster in the loop (if your amp has one). When you crank the gain on your amp, you’re boosting the pre-amp, which adds overdrive but it will also make your amp sound thinner. The fatness sits in the output stage but this can only be boosted by playing loud. However, placing a booster in the loop, will drive the output stage harder, without actually raising the volume.

It needs to be a transparent, mids scooped booster like a Buffalo FX Powerbooster, TC Electronics Spark Booster or similar. Set the EQ on the pedal neutral, the volume slightly above unity and the gain as high as possible without the amp starting to break up.

Some prefer an EQ for this application. This will give you the tools to both boost the volume and enhance certain frequencies like the mid range.

Booster pedals

A pickup booster is placed first in the pedal chain. It boosts the input signal from the guitar to the pedal board and is designed to respond to the character of your pickups and the dynamics of your playing. I’m featuring a Fire Bootle from Effectrode on my studio board. It’s got a tube, which makes the tone warmer and slightly fatter, but it’s also got a switch for rolling off those highs. In short, the pedal can make a thin sounding Strat or Tele sound like a Les Paul with P90s or humbuckers. An extremely versatile and handy tool.

More conventional boosters, like the Buffalo FX Power Booster and TC Electronics Spark Booster, are placed after your high gain pedals. To simulate the effect of a cranked tube amp, set the volume slightly higher than unity and the gain just at the edge of breakup (you might want to lower the treble accordingly). This will both make your cleans sound warmer and, when combined with other overdrives and distortions, these will sound smoother and have more sustain.

Crank your pedals

Some gain pedals has a dynamic volume stage, meaning that lowering or increasing the volume will change the character of the pedal. Increasing the volume on your overdrive or distortion will also boost the amp, which again will make the pedal sound smoother and slightly more compressed. Experiment with this and find the right balance between boost and not altering the tone too much.

Compressor

A compressor might not be an obvious purchase. Especially for a tight budget. But again, we need to compensate for the lack of tube and speaker compression that makes the tone sound smoother and warmer. A compressor will balance your signal by tightening the lows and rounding off the high transients. Don’t be afraid to compress a bit more than what you’d normally would on a loud amp.

Pedals with emphasis on the mid range

Vintage style fuzz, Muffs and boosters has very little mid range and, as we talked about above, mid range is crucial for the guitar to be able to cut through that dense band mix. It’s also crucial for the pedals to sound fat and smooth and in case everything fails you might want to reconsider those pedals and get something with more mids.

Overdrives like the TS9/OD808, OCD and Dover Drive (and similar) have a lot of mid range. Likewise, distortions like the RAT and Evolution (and similar) has more mids and compression and will, in many cases sound far better than a buzzy fuzz. There are some so-called stacked Big Muff clones available too, like the MojoHand Iron Bell and Skreddy P19, which although not straight up ram’s head clones, will in many cases sound better.

Again, the lack of mid range and too much low end, will make your tone sound both thin and muddy so although you might find some of these mid range boosted pedals both boxy sounding and a bit thin in the lows, they will make your guitar sound warmer and stand out in a band mix.

Hotter pickups

Vintage style single coils has a low output and very little mids, which can sound rather thin on smaller amps and low volume. Try swapping your pickups for someone hotter, like Texas Specials or a full set of SSL5s. You can even go for P90s or mid 50s humbuckers. This will compensate for the warmth and natural compression you get from louder amps.

Cables and strings

Good cables and fresh strings are also easily overlooked but very important in getting the tones you want. Bad or low quality cables tend to both drain and colour your tone. Old strings sound dead and will not respond as well to your playing as new strings will. Don’t compromise cables and strings just because you’re playing at home. Tone lies in every part of your setup. Understandably, a tight budget might force you to focus on other parts of your rig but get the best cables that you can afford and restring as often as you can. It will make a big difference.

I hope you got a few useful tips here. I think my philosophy and best tip is – never stop experimenting with your gear and get to know the potential of the gear you have. It doesn’t need to be expensive or high end stuff. Most of your tone lies in your mind, fingers and your ability to make the most of what you got.

Please feel free to use the comments field below and share your secret tone tips!

242 thoughts on “How to set up your bedroom tones”

  1. Hello Bjorn, thanks for this terrific information. I’ve been reading elsewhere about a different approach and wanted to know what you think. The approach advocates starting with a clean bedroom amp and setting its volume quite low, then using each pedal to drive the volume in the signal chain. Does this make sense to you?

    1. That depends on what tones you want. Driving the amp also means more gain and distortion, which means less dynamics and control over the tone. It’s an approach that probably will give a fatter tone but I would be careful with the amount of gain.

  2. Hi Bjorn! I love this website so much and it has been endlessly useful and informative to me!

    Do you have any recommendations for getting good Gilmour tones from plugging my pedalboard DI into my interface (Volt 2 if it matters) and for recording music DI? I don’t really have any preamp type pedals, just effects. Do I need a preamp pedal and/or amp plugins? At the moment I just record with GarageBand and the bill in amp and cab sims. Should I use the digital pedals as well for easier mixing, or physical guitar pedals which sets the tone in stone more from the get-go, I guess?

    Thanks for the help as I am new to recording at home! And thanks again for all of the info you have provided through this site!

    1. Thanks for your kind words Max! Depends on what pedals you are using. Modulation, delay and reverb usually works fine if you just plug them straight into a sound interface. Overdrive, distortion and fuzz will require a pre-amp or they will sound either flat and fizzy or too muddy. Garageband has some pedals and amps you can use to get a decent overdrive or distortion tone going.

  3. Hello Bjorn,
    I have followed gilmourish for a couple of years and enjoyed the columns and posts so thank you for a great site and long may it flourish.
    I am in my seventies and have come late (after retiring) to playing guitar as a home hobby. Ive been an avid Pink Floyd fan since the early days of Arnold Layne & See Emily Play and have developed an urge to come as close as I can reasonably get to the guitar tone of Comfortably Numb 1st solo, but really need the advice as to where to start.
    The gear I have is a Fender Strat Pro Series 2017. Lazy J10 amp fully kitted with tremolo & reverb. G2D Cream-tone Pedal.
    Can you please advise me as to which pedals I should be buying ?

      1. Hi Bjorn,
        Many thanks for your reply.

        I like the tone David achieved on Comfortably Numb. With a tone similar to that I could sit and play all day (while I learn how to advance my beginner to mid skills).

        I realise his rig would cost a small fortune but I will be happy with a tone in a similar vein.

        Many thanks for your kind help

        Gerry

        1. OK, so the amp you use is a typical Fender tweed era, with a bit of mid range and compression but not as much as a Hiwatt or Marshall. Also, given that it is a smaller amp and you’re playing at home, which prevents loud volume, speaker and tube saturation, I would go for something versatile taht will match this setup. You could go for a vintage style fuzz or Big Muff, the latter which David is using on Comf Numb, but I don’t think that will give you the loud and smooth tones he gets with his Hiwatts.

          A good place to start is a distortion for lead tones. Check out a RAT style pedal or a similar sounding clone. Then an overdrive for boost and those bluesy tones on Shine On, Another Brick etc. A Boss BD2 or something similar. Last I would go for a delay unit, perhaps something like a Boss DD200, which will provide just about anything you need. All of these are listed in the buyer’s guides here on the site as well as some alternatives. Do also check out this feature for some tips on choosing the right pedals for different types of amps.

          Hope this helps.

          1. Hi Bjorn,
            Thank you for your response on suitable pedals and where I should begin
            I will follow your advice and begin with the RAT pedal and for an overdrive I had read previously that the ThroBak Overdrive Boost was a good choice so if I can find one I will add one of those to my Christmas list. I do have a G2D Creamtone pedal and a 1980’s Ibanez SD9 I can sell to fund the new pedals.
            Thanks again for your valued guidance.
            Gerry

            1. The ThroBak is great but you might find it a bit too bright for your amp. Again, it depends on what tones you want. Your style of amp pairs very well with vintage style pedals like fuzz and those glassy overdrives but it won’t sound like Gilmour because he use Hiwatt, which has lots more mid range and compression, which will make most pedals sound smoother and darker. The Boss BD2 might be a better choice for similar tones and I also suspect that the G2D that you have will be a good alternative for David’s Power Boost and Tube Drivers.

      2. Hi Bjorn,
        Many thanks for your response to my query. I did send a reply to your question, but perhaps it was lost in the mists.
        I really like a lot of Gilmour’s tones but the one that stands out the most for me is the ever popular Comfortably Numb. I have watched so many YT live and recorded performances by Floyd and other performers and still do on an almost daily basis.

        Whenever I look at websites on Gilmour’s tones it seems all roads DO lead to Rome as invariably the links lead to the highly rated Gilmourish website as the definitive guide.

        I realise that to achieve the tone must have cost a lot of money but if I could get my gear to sound similar then it is a sound that I would play all day to my hearts content.

        Thanks again for your guidance on pedals and perhaps settings?

        Gerry

          1. Hi Bjorn
            I do apologise for my endless stream of posts looking for your help but one more if I may.
            I do have an Egnater 15w combo amplifier. Would this amp be more suited to Gilmour’s Comf Numb tones than the 5e3 tweed amp and if the answer is yes then which pedals would be best suited.
            Kind regards
            Gerry

            1. I don’t have much experience with the Egnater but from what I understand, it has two modes, American, which is typical Fender and British, which I assume is more of a Vox AC.

              1. Hi Bjorn
                The internet says it has American- Fender.
                British – Marshall.
                And Vox capability
                I was thinking that the Marshall type setting maybe of use to me. If not it’s for sale to fund a Hiwatt Amp
                Thanks again as your advise is invaluable to me

                1. Eric Calley (Cygnals)

                  Hi Gerry C

                  I do not want to step on any toes & Bjorn knows a lot more than I do. I thought I would give you a few ideas that helped me to achieve the Gilmour Comfortably Numb sound & you can tweak these pedals to get the sound of many other Pink Floyd songs along with many other bands as well.
                  I will start off with my equipment list before I get into the pedals. I use a Marshall JCM 2000 TSL60Watt TSL601 this is a combo with a 12 inch speaker but I do have a 4×12 Marshall cabinet with Celestion Speakers which I don’t always use.
                  I have 2 American made Fender Stratocasters. One is an American Standard circa 1999 with stock pick ups. I get a great sound with this just the way it is & I play around with the volume & tone knobs to dial in various sounds when playing. My other Stratocaster is also an American made 75th Commemorative Anniversary Strat with custom shop FAT60 pick ups. These come in a little hotter than the stock ones on my other Strat and this is one reason I like having two Strats with different pick ups on each one. After all, it would be boring to have the exact same pick ups on each guitar, for me anyways.
                  Now let me tackle the pedals. The reason I want to list a few here for you is because I was able to get a few decent priced pedals to get close to that PF sound.

                  For a FUZZ Pedal I use the
                  EHX Triangle Big Muff PI – This is a fairly affordable pedal which is around $120 new & you can pick them up used for under $100 if you look around.

                  For a Compressor I use the
                  MXR Dyna Comp – This is nothing fancy and costs around $80 new.

                  For a Chorus Pedal I use the
                  MXR Analog Chorus M234 – This cost around $120 – ish new & like all of these pedals you can find them used.

                  For Delay I use the
                  Boss Digital Delay DD-8 – This cost around $180 new when I got mine. There are also a ton of other Digital Delay Pedals available. I chose to go with Boss because their quality is excellent & they are built like tanks. There are some cheaper Delay Pedals but unfortunately most Delay Pedals tend to be more expensive then many other Pedals on my Board.

                  I have several Overdrive Pedals & Distortion Pedals.
                  My Rat ProCo Pedal died(I bought it in 1987) so rather than pay to get it fixed right now I went with a Pedal by the company “JAM”

                  JAM – The Rattler – Their version of the Rat. Cost $220 new. Most Pedals made by JAM tend to be on the pricier side but they are excellent quality & hand made in Greece.

                  I also use the
                  MXR Phase 90 which goes for about $70-$80 new

                  I also use a RotoVibe Pedal
                  JAM RetroVibe – This is around $400 new. There are many cheaper models to check out, I bought this used from a local guitar teacher for $250

                  For Overdrive Pedals I use the
                  Boss Super Overdrive SD-1 – Costs $60 new. I also experiment with Overdrives ad have a few others on my Board. I recently bought the Alex Lifeson(From Rush) Overdrive/Boost Pedal he put out called the
                  Lerxst – By-Tor Overdrive Pedal – This is a specialty item and doesn’t do a lot for the PF sound. There are a ton of Overdrive Pedals available and I love the EHX

                  I find the Boss SD-1 & EHX Triangle Muff both cover a huge portion of my sound. Some people prefer the Tube Screamer over the Boss SD-1 but I do not for some reason.

                  I also have a box with an assortment of Distortion Pedals.
                  The Boss DS-1 Distortion Pedal is one I will mention. It is cheap, around $50 new. Some people love them and some people hate them. I am sort of in between. They are OK but not my favorite. This does not mean they will not work for you. I have friends who love certain Pedals I can’t stand and they dislike some of the Pedals I swear by. Experiment as much as you can. If you want to buy used Pedals I recommend REVERB.COM it is also an excellent site for new pedals as well. Outlets will make offers and drop $20-$40 dollars off their prices & if they do not make an offer you can ask. There are buttons set up just for this. The other thing is everything you buy through REVERB.com is guaranteed & backed up in case any damage happens or the Pedals doesn’t work. I have been using that site for at least 10 years and have never had any problems … not once & I always get reduced pricing most of the time by asking.
                  Also, if there is a local music store in your area go in and asked to try out certain Pedals. I also like to buy some Pedals from a local shop in my area. They also let me put Pedals I no longer use in their store on consignment which works out good as I use the money from them to buy new or different Pedals.

                  This was way longer than I had anticipated but I hope it helps out. If anything I just wanted to let you know you do not have to spend a fortune on most of the Pedals you need to get the Dave Gilmour sound.

  4. Hello Bjorn,

    Been looking at your page forever and finally have her Hiwatt, speakers, pedals everything. The final piece of the puzzles mic placement for recording. I have 2 sm-57 and a vintage Neumann 87 along with a steinheiusser 906. Could you tell me how many inches from center cone, how far out, for distorted fuzz tones and clean tones. Thanks so much. Big fan of your original stuff as well. All the best.

    1. This is a HUGE question because recording a great tone isn’t just about mic placement. It obviously also depends on the mic, preamp etc. I would start with getting to know how your amp sounds recorded. You will probably discover that you will need to tweak the amp settings and pedals a bit too. Start with a SM57 about 10cm from the grille aimed just at the edge of the centre cone, where it’s glued to the bigger cone. Experiment with different distances to the grille/front and centre cone and also try to angle the mic towards the centre. There are lots of tutorials on this on YouTube that goes into detail but experimenting and experience is really what does it.

  5. Hello Bjorn, and Greetings from Texas! I have been following your website forever and appreciate it as a priceless labor of love for all of us guitarists. I love Gilmour’s tones, but I also love your tones! Is there a resource for finding out more about how you achieved the tones on your projects? I am working on a solo project (only my 2nd in 15 yrs!) and applying much that I have learned from you through your web presence, and there’s a couple of tones from two songs in particular that I would like to tap into.

      1. The outro on Disconnected, the last 3 minutes, absolutely ethereal lead tone. And A Day at the Beach (Part 2) just after 3 minute mark. I have tried to dial them up on my own, but I’m just not that savvy yet. I could list a hundred others from your catalog that I would love to know more about, but these two tones in particular would fit well in my project. Thank you brother!

        1. On Disconnected I was actually challenged by a friend who said I always sounded like Gilmour and he asked me if I could do Jeff Beck, so I did my best on that solo. Absolutely nowhere near Beck but I tried to do some of his tradeback pull-offs and whammy bends. I recorded that with a Strat using the bridge pickup into my Reeves (Hiwatt) Custom 50, with an SM57 placed about 10cm from the grille and probably 2-3cm off centre. I think I used a compressor and the Buffalo FX TDX set to a pretty high overdrive or near distortion. Delays are added in the mix using a stock tape delay plugin in Logic.

          Beach 2 was recorded on a Strat, using the beck pickup, and the same Reeves and mic setup. I used a JHS Charlie Brown JTM 45 style overdrive and added delays in the mix, using a stock tape delay plugin in Logic. That’s pretty much it.

          1. Thank you for sharing and bringing those tones in the world! Not too far off Beck. I’ll work on these and see what I can come up with.

    1. I don’t really remember any specific settings. I used mine mostly as a clean platform so keep the gain as low as you need to get headroom. I usually had the bass and mids pretty high, with the treble rolled back.

  6. Hi Bjorn,
    A big thanks for the amazing site and content!

    I’m a bit newbie in this field, but I have a question about a tight-budget bedroom setup: What would be a good amp as pedal platform when playing with headphones (in the context of Gilmour’s sounds ofc)?

    Do you think some mini amps like Boss Katana mini, Hughes&Kettner Spirit of Vintage, or perhaps Joyo Meteor II or similar ones might be a reasonable option?
    The sound of the speaker (if there is) isn’t important since it will be used only with headphones.

    I currently have VOX Adio Air GT which works nicely with clean and slightly overdrived tones, but really can’t get the Wall or PULSE type of sound out of it with Big Muff. Perhaps that’s just the nature of VOX sound in general, as you have mentioned, or just my bedroom size VOX model.

    I have the EHX Green Big Muff and EHX Crayon which I have tried to use as a booster. I have tried different settings and I think boosting the Muff from behind helps a bit to open up the sound, likewise modulations with chorus and/or flanger, but still not getting there.

    Do you think those mini amps are just waste of time and money, and would be worth to invest something more proper amp like Boss Katana MKII, even if playing only with headphones (that’s the only option for me for now).

    Thanks!

    1. These mini amps are designed to be used for practice and fun. They won’t sound and behave in the same fashion as a loud tube amp. Pedals are often redundant, as they often need more headroom to sound as intended. I would either invest in a bigger amp, like a Katana or Laneny Lionheart (among many others) or a multi effect unit, which allows you to play around with effects and amp simulations and you can use headphones.

  7. Awesome post! Just got a Jam Pedals RAT, any settings suggestions for the Wall (muff) or DSOTM (fuzz) at living room volume?

    Thanks for any tips!!

    1. Thanks! Settings always depends on your amp and pickups but a good start is to set all controls at noon. You probably want to back off the tone a bit for a darker tone and increase the gain a bit, around 1 or maybe 2 o’clock, to get that fuzz tone.

  8. Hi Björn, thank you so much for all this amazing information! Best page of it´s kind?
    I do have one question though: I came across a damaged Fender Twin Reverb 135W from 1977 for free and got it restored. Despite the insane volume the clean sound is awesome. I love hard rock but admire the sound of Gilmour the same way. So I‘m wondering how to create a fairly versatile pedal platform based on the twin. Would you have a recommendation for suitable pedals in addition to the Tree of Life (just ordered ??) and the Okko Diabolo Gain Plus which works really well with the Twin? This, and especially some hints where and in which order to place the effects for a good sound, since the combo lacks send / return jacks… Cheers, Frank

      1. Hi Björn, thank you for the quick response. This article was the reason for me to buy the Tree of Life pedal as recommended by you. I was wondering in addition to your great explanations, which effects add nicely to this pedal in combination with the Amp? Where would be the the best option to loop in the effects chain in the Twin? Normal 1, 2 or Vibrato 1, 2? Sorry for the maybe dumb question, I‘m not familiar with the amp yet…Thanks, Frank

        1. Depends on what Twin you have but it has considerably less mid range compared to a Bassman or the British amps like Hiwatt and Marshall. Big Muffs and Fuzz tend to sound thin and bright with the Twin, while more mid range oriented pedals, like the ToL, OCD, RAT etc will compensate for this. The pedals I have mentioned in the feature will go well with the amp. In regards to a loop, assuming you will run the amp clean and use pedals for gain, I would run all the pedals, including modulation and delays into the front end of the amp.

  9. Hi Bjorn!

    Thank you for putting together all this information. I am blown away by it all. In fact, it’s almost too much for teeny tiny brain to take in!

    Could you please let me know what amp and effects you would recommend on a mid price budget (mid price being completely up to you interpretation), assuming I only wish to play in my bedroom and already have a strat. In particular I’d love to match the Comfortably Numb and Time album solo tones.

    Given the sheer amount of equipment you have tried and knowledge you have, I would be fascinated to put you on the spot like this and see what you recommend.

    Thank you!

    1. Thanks for the kind words Harry. That’s a rather large topic and it all depends on what tones you’re after, your budget etc. I would probably start with something versatile, like a smaller 1×12″ combo and 2-3 pedals, like an overdrive, distortion and perhaps a delay. That would get you started allowing you to cover just about any tone. Everything else is just topping. See my buyer’s guide for amps and read this feature for some tips on chosing the right pedals for different types of amps.

  10. Hi Bjorn !

    First thank you soooo much for your website, so useful and so gripping, I am spending hours (cumulated it must be days now !) on it and it really is helping me better understand “sound stuff” and ways to achieve some nice Gilmour tones.

    After years and years without playing I started back playing guitar a few months and am really thrilled about it. I currently have a Vox VT20+ amplifier (a modeling amp) but would like now to change for a full tube amp (with a power attenuator since it is only to play in my apartment) but do not have a big budget for it. After many researches the Bugera V5 Infinium seems to have good reviews (even better at some point than other more expensive amps) and was wondering if by any chance you heard about it and what was your opinion.

    Other interrogations I have is that I have to rebuild (and so rebuy…) some pedals and so i was going to go step by step, starting with an overdrive pedal and a Big Muff (and a clean boost ? Do you think it is necessary to start with ? I it is which one would you advise ?), but after narrowing it to few choices I am still hesitating :
    – for the overdrive pedal, between the EHX Crayon, the Boss BD2 and the TS Mini ;
    – for the Big Muff pedal, between the EHX Ram’s Head and the Green Russian (I am leaning a bit for the first one but I want to know if you think it is really a bad idea).

    My current guitar setup is a Classic Player Strat (with factory mics) and a Jazzmaster (with Seymour Duncan Phat Cats).

    That’s all ! Sorry for this long message (and sorry for the maybe poor English of a French fellow) and once again thank you so much for your website !

    1. Thanks for your kind words! Between the pedals you list, I’d start with the Crayon and the Green Russian. They compliment eachother very well. You might want to check out the Hot Wax as well. It’s a combination of the Crayon and Hot Tubes, which will give you a clean boost as well. See my review of the Hot Wax here.

      1. I thought you would go for the Boss BD2 since you seem to really love that pedal and I was myself leaning for it after looking at a lot of different reviews (besides yours) but if you think the Crayon is the better choice between those two I will go for the Crayon then !
        The same goes for the muff, if you think the Green Russian is the better choice here I am also going to follow you on this one !

        I did saw the Hot Wax and your review of it but what made me discard it is the absence of switch to decide which pedal is driving the other. I thought it might become a problem at a certain point later (once I will have developed my pedalboard) don’t you think ?

        By the way forget what I told you before about the amp, I am going to go for a Laney Cub 12 !

  11. Thanks again for all the assistance to all of us. I see that you suggest Laney Cub12 and H&K Tubemeister 18 for bedroom levels and that you have both of those in your home recording studio per your Bjorn Riis page. I have a Reeves Custom 50 and it’s incredible. However, I need a late night home studio amp that I can play with the wife and kids asleep. If I’m mainly going to use either of them in the lowest 1 watt setting, which is your recommendation at 1 watt for the best platform for Gilmour tones? Thanks again.

    1. On the lowest volumes I think the Tubemeister is probably the best between the two. You need to use the gain channel with pedals, set all clean, but it holds up very well on low volume. You should also check out the Laney Studio L5, which has an amazing tone and some very cool home recording features. My main home recording amp at the moment is actually a Marshall Silver Jubilee 20w combo. I needed one amp that can do everything from jazz to metall and one that can take just about any pedal and this amp is amazing. It also has a very good PS feature.

  12. i just found a laney cub12r, it took me long time to find it but i got it, it just sounds absolutely beautiful. i can’t get much pulse or gdansk tones yet, i haven’t figured it out yet, but live at pompeii 2016 is coming out hot. boss bd-2 with a compression, literally, like literally the tone of “today, on an island, coming back to life…”, hit it and close it, hit green russian with the mxr mini comp, i’m playing sorrow, in any tongue, i hit eleclady and i play comfortably numb. what a great amp. thanks for suggestions.

    but it can’t take rt-20? or am i doing something wrong? can’t have the ultimate solo of sorrow from pulse with: mxr mini comp -> green russian -> bd-2 (boost) -> ce-2 -> delay -> rt-20 it comes a little boomy and dark… i’ll figure it out of course. but for gdansk tones, i’m nowhere near close, which is so sad because my main goal is to get the echoes and on an island tone from gdansk..

    still, there is nothing this amp can’t do, i’ll figure it out shortly (just got the amp in the morning). thanks bjorn!

  13. Hi bjorn,

    I purchased a monoprice 15w tube amp. From research it’s a rebranded laney cub 12r. It also has an eminence gb128 speaker(greenback). This is my home amp. I’m using a Strat and am going for a slightly clean blues to Texas blues style tone.

    What is your best recommendation for an od pedal? Although I’d want a tubescreamer im weary that it won’t sound good paired with the laney and greenback(too much mids). Thanks!!

    1. If you want something similar but a bit more open sounding, then check out the EHX Crayon, Fulltone OCD or the Vick Audio Tree of Life.

  14. Hi Bjorn,

    I wondered if you could maybe one day do a video on how to record a guitar sound with or from a speaker cabinet. As I am dipping more and more into I guess “amateur” home-recording, I would love to hear your opinion/ideas ;) I think I’m getting it right with a 1×12 cab to place a mic on the cone of the speaker to get the in my opinion fullest sound, but you will pobably have a few more tips on this ;)

    So I am using a Sennheiser E 906, as you are doing as well in the latest videos, and it sounds great, but I noticed when trying to mix it together with a produced backing track the sound no matter clean or distorted sounds a bit raw, boxy or muffled ocasionally I suppose. I know this comes also down to pedal, amp and guitar settings, but when I messed a bit with the EQ in Adobe Audition, I can make it sound phenomenal and fit right in with the backing track.

    So do you think it’s the nature of the E 906 to sound like this or is it just these backing tracks are well produced with EQ, compressors and stuff so they sound like “too clean” to mix it with a raw guitar sound picked up by the E 906?

    Thanks as always for your time and answers!
    Phil

    1. I will make a vid with recoding tips. I’ve been meaning to do that for years but something else always comes up :)
      I’ve experimented with a lot of different mics but I often return to the 906. It’s convenient with it just hanging in front of the cab and it captures the tone I hear in the room.

      Keep in mind though that how you place the amp and the amp setting is crucial for how it ends up sounding. Recording and playing live is two very different things and I see that a lot of people are trying to make their stage settings fit in a recording situation but it often fail. There’s a number of reasons for that but again, mic placement is crucial and a good staring point for the amp is to just leave the EQs at noon, with minor tweaks.

      As for mixing, EQ is always needed as you’ll need to fit the track in with the rest of the band. Depending on what you want the recorded guitar to do, you need to use EQ and often compression too.

      I’ll try to make a vid soon.

  15. Christian Obert

    OK so here the Details :

    Amp
    Master 12/12
    Volume 2/12
    Mid 4/12
    Bass 9/12
    Treble 5/12

    OCD
    Volume 15%
    Drive 60%
    Tone 2 o clock

    Of I turn down the ocd even more nothing really comes through but with this setting the signal becomes way more louder when the Pedal is being kicked in

    Btw with the keeley fuzz I don’t have that Problem, I can simply turn down the Volume on the Pedal and still have a good Sound

    1. Just by seeing the setting I would lower the master considerably and try to get a better match between the master and gain, whithout the amp breaking up. This will produce a fatter and more balanced tone. Also, I’d raise the mids to around 7-8 and maybe even lower the treble a tad. How does that sound?

  16. Christian Obert

    Hi Bjorn, first of all: Thank you so much for giving us such valuable insights as THE Gilmour expert on this planet.

    I have a question about my setup and I way wondering if you could help.

    I am playing at bedroom levels most of the time and I somehow can’t figure out the usage of overdrive pedals in my rig at low volumes. The way I like to dial in my overdrive (Level and gain around noon) increases the volume so much that I’m afraid of my neighbors calling the police. Without the pedals kicked in the volume is absolutely OK

    My equipment :
    Fender blues junior lacquer tweed 15w
    G&L legacy USA
    Boss BD-2
    Fullertone OCD
    TC electronic flashback 2 delay
    Neunaber Immerse Reverb
    Keeley Dark Side v1

    Thanks!!

    1. Thanks for the kind words!
      Why do you set the controls at noon? Keep in mind that all pedals have different circuits so noon doesn’t have to mean flat or unity. Some overdrive pedals has lits of headroom and output. Others don’t. Controls should be set to taste obviously but also to match the amp and guitar. If it’s too loud then simply turn it down.

      The OCD also has a bit of mid range boost, which will boost the output when engaged. Especially when used with an amp that has less mid range like the Blues Jr.

      Hope this helps :)

      1. Christian Obert

        Thanks for your reply!

        When I see e.g. an OCD Review on Youtube the knobs seem to be pretty cranked and when the Pedal is being kicked in there is very little overall volume change. I cannot do this without hurting my ears because the volume would literally explode..

        OK I can turn the Pedal down to almost zero but then it seems to have a very thin Sound. Maybe I shouldn’t run my amp on full Master and low gain but rather the other way round to reduce headroom to avoid such a significant volume increase??

        Best
        Christian

            1. Yes, if you can give me all the settings for all controls on both the amp and pedal, I can better understand what’s going on.

  17. This article is excellent. You have done a brilliant job. Being a beginner guitarist, I have not acquired so much knowledge on guitar tuning or tone setup. Well, I have the Peter Green les paul corsa guitar, manufacturer of best tone guitar. After playing this I -came to know what the best tone is. I was looking for some tips to set the tone myself. It is a nice approach by you. I will also try this.

  18. Honzinus78 lvl 40

    Hi Bjorn,
    I checked your stuff, you are very gifted man!
    I have Marshall DSL20 amp a TC Spark Booster (and many more pedals). I tried and put TC Spark in FX loop as a last pedal (after Chorus and Delay). The thing is that the overall volume is actually louder even when using clean boost. It’s louder but just a little bit louder.. that’s it.. This tip was very helpful!
    My DSL amp has Celestion Classic Lead 80 speaker now, 70/80 was awful, I got rid of it immidiately after the purchase..
    I like Marshall clean tones.. so many people hate Marshall as a clean amp, I think they’re wrong.. Just my opinion :)
    I also use Big Muff – I like it a lot, but it’s not very “Gilmoursih” with DSL amp… but that endless sustain is awesome..
    Regerads
    Honzinus

    1. Thanks for the kind words!
      I think the transistor amps of the 80s and 90s sounded pretty bad and, if you’re used to or looking for a Fender type of cleans, then a Marshall will sound very different and perhaps a bit disapointing. With a bit of tweaking I think you can make the tube amps produce very good clean tones.

  19. Samuel Hendrie

    Is laney lionheart l5 studio self biasing
    I have 12ax7 in them but want 12au7 like you have for gilmour stuff but don’t want to cost a fortune to get a pro to do it, I am confident to do it ma self but the biasing side am not sure,, I know some of the lionhearts are self biasing but not sure if the l5studio head is, love your work on your band exlent , your work has helped me alot thanks Sam ?

    1. I think it is. You should check with Laney to be sure but I’ve never had any issues with my L20.

  20. Hi Bjorn (waiting for your new album man…)

    Quick question:

    Currently I have a Suhr Corso with a Torpedo Live. I live in an apartment so opted for that approach… I’m not sure if it’s the amount of options and tweaking available (switches on the amp, mic choice and placement, multiple cabs…) or the fact that I don’t have the 12in speaker close-by for depth…maybe lack of experience, that’s for sure!!!

    If you would build a bedroom setup from scratch, with all the available options currently, would you still be going for a normal tube amp with its speaker or opt for an amp + speaker emulation product like the Two Notes Torpedo stuff?

    Thanks,

    Luis.

    1. Hi Luis! Oh… that’s a tough one. Well, I guess it all depends on budget, taste and how good neighbours you have :) I think I’d still go for a tube amp and pedals but that’s, I guess, because that’s always been my approach and how I prefer it. There are lots of awesome sounding tube amps out there with the ability to provide great sounds at low volume, power scaling etc. That being said, amp and cab sims have come a long way and you can get some really amazing tones with them. Not least better options for using headphones and recording at home.

      1. Thanks Bjorn!
        I’m actually leaning new things everyday. Amazing how volume changes the perception of frequency… A small increase in volume on my monitors (not touching other gear in anyway) makes a huge difference!

  21. Hey Bjorn, I have a Tubemeister 18 and would like to record my guitar playing (In early times I did it with amp simulation and an audio interface on my computer). I just read about that the RedBox recording output delivers high quality audio. Did you made any experience with this?

    1. Yes I tried it out a couple of times. OK for demos but for album recording I’d either mic the amp or re-amp it with plugins. Doesn’t quite cut it sonically.

  22. Hey Bjorn!

    I’m going to buy a ’72 Hiwatt amp head and a ’73 cab, all for 2000€, however I’m wondering if it’s a good purchase , ’cause I don’t myself using it with it’s volume really high.. what is your opinion? Should I go for something else if I’m going to play it with 1/4 of it’s max volume, maybe 1/3…?

    Thanks in advance! :)

    1. Impossible for me to answer. It’s a big investment and you need to figure out if it suits your needs or if it’s too much. My best advice is to never buy anything old and expensive as this unless you really know what you’re doing. It could end up costing even more.

  23. Hi Bjorn, i have a question, what about the fender hot rod, it could be a good idea experiment with the drive channel? in order to have a good tone, the clean channel sounds good but i’ve never cranked it, because it doesn’t have a master control and the full volume destroys my room haha

    1. It’s been a while since I tried one but I’m often using the drive channel on two channel amps as it will provide more mid range and compression. Try it :)

    1. Depends on the reflections in the room I guess. having the amp facing you is rarely a good idea as you’ll get all the treble.

  24. Hi Bjorn,

    In regards to the booster pedals. I am interested in the Xotic EP Booster, and was wondering on getting good bedroom tones with just a booster, EQ, and compressor. I play a Tele through a Vox AC-10. Any suggestions? Can this be done? Using just the booster to get that warm creamy sound? ThNks for your time. I absolutely loved this entire article.

    Matthew

    1. That would possibly give you a nice clean tone with a bit of bite but it won’t be enough to cover heavier overdrive and distortions unless you really drive the amp. The EP alone is clean but it has the capability to drive the front end of a tube amp pretty hard.

  25. Hi bjorn,
    I write you again because I have some difficulty to set the TC Spark Booster as a boost after my gain pedals.
    I don’t know how to deal with volume and gain on this pedal in order to reach some compression with a gain pedal before it.
    Can you suggest me some tips on how to do this…?
    Many thanks,
    Fabio.

      1. I have first a TS9 as an occasional gain boost, then followed by Blues Driver, a Rat2 and a Green Russian in this order.
        I would like to have a unique setup for the Spark to use it both for cleans and boost for gains, but I’m a bit confused on how to do that.
        I play an Epiphone SG in the dirt Channel (set clean) of a 5w combo Laney Lionheart.

        1. The Spark has three tone modes and for boost I’d use the clean one. How you should set it depends on how you’ve set the amp and the other pedals. I can’t really give you any specific settings for boost because, again, it depends on how you’ve set the rest of your rig and what you need to be boosted.

          1. After some time of experimentations I’ve found the Spark be very cool blended with my muff after it!
            But now I wonder one thing: what do you think woud be better between a pure clean boost (like the Spark) and an overdrive set clean (but with a bit of dirt)?
            My question is for a placement after the gains.
            Thanks!

  26. Steve Anderson

    Hey guys. GREAT site! I was wondering if you could help me out with tone for my setup. I know I just gotta keep moving things around until I get it, and I do, but I am just looking for some possible advice on what you might do. For my “Classic rock/Gilmore” setup (actual order of my setup), I am primarily playing a:

    ’62 Fender Strat Reissue (stock pickups)> Morley maverick mini Wah > Fulltone OCD > EHX Green Russian Big Muff > Boss TU-3 tuner

    AMP: Peavey Classic 20 MH (Peavey 6505 4×12 cab)

    EFFECTS LOOP: Lexicon MX200 multi effects processor (usually used for delay + chorus/flanger/phaser etc) > Rane PE15 Parametric EQ (used for heavier stuff typically, when I play through my 6505 MH).

    Also, what more should I be looking to add/change with this current setup? I am probably going to add a compressor pedal soon, so besides that!

    When all is said and done, I plan to use both my classic 20 and 6505 mh together using a switch. Mostly for metal. I will switch to the classic 20 for cleans, then 6505 for the lead obviously( with exception to my ‘Gilmour sound.. I will 100% stick with the classic 20 for that). So I WILL be using this setup for more than just “Gilmour” tones, although I am primarily asking for help with Gilmour like tones in this situation. I know it’ll never be exact, just looking for some input on how I can move some things around, possibly swap some things out etc. Thanks!

    1. Hi Steve! Your setup looks great! Not sure what you want to add. It depends on what sort of tones you want to replicate in terms of Gilmour and how accurate you want to be. I know I can’t live without an Electric Mistress flanger for those Animals and Wall tones and maybe you want to consider a UniVibe for Dark Side stuff?

      1. Thanks for the reply. I guess what I am looking for, is more input/suggestions on how others would have my rig setup. Should I take my lexicon out of the loop? I think it’s best in there, but if it is, should I put my parametric EQ before or after it? Or does it even matter? Little things like that. I think the Electric Mistress might be what I get next, then a compression pedal. the Univible, I feel like, as much as I would LOVE it, I wouldn’t be using it a whole lot. But I will look into it. I could be wrong! Thanks again.

        I will keep switching things around, trying different things. I was just curious! I have found some great tones already. I feel like it will just be a never ending thing for me lol. Always looking for suggestions.

        1. Well, I think what’s important is that you keep on experimenting and try different things. We can learn a lot from studying David Gilmour setups and others’ but it should be an inspiration and perhaps a start but not a ghospel. That will only limit you. It doesn’t really matter if you try to copy a tone or create something unique because even when copying, you can get a lot closer by experimenting with what you already have and learning how to use it.

      2. Also, for reference, I really prefer David’s live PULSE tone. That tone is just amazing! My CD player in my car plays MP3s. I downloaded all the pulse live versions of their songs and loaded them in my CD player. It just sounds so amazing. I prefer those over the album versions even.

      3. Last question for now Bjorn! Promise lol. When playing Comfortably numb, which pickup position should I be in? I’ve been using position 2 (5 way selector, bridge + mid). Again, I know it is preference, but I am looking for a basis to start so I can try to nail this tone! Thanks once again!

        1. For that long, main solo David used the bridge pickup only. Now, keep in mind that his bridge pickup is overwound, with a high output and quite a lot of mid range. Almost a humbucker. He’s using a Hiwatt set to edge of break up, with the tubes and speakers working hard and creating compression. He’s also using a Big Muff, which has a lot of gain and punch. That’s really the essence but again, the platform is that hot pickup and the hard driven Hiwatts. I’ve tried to provide some tips in this feature on how to simulate that on smaller setups.

          1. Awesome. Thanks for the info. I’m assuming my stock fender ’62 reissue bridge pickup doesn’t have quite that output. I will probably throw some seymour duncans in it eventually. But for now, with this setup, I will probably try to add just a bit more drive with my big muff + OCD. I think my rig sounds good, I just want to really fine tune it!

  27. Hey Bjorn,

    I have a classic Black Strat, with a Fat 50 in the neck, custom wound 69 in the middle and a Seymour Duncan SSL-5 in the bridge with the mini toggle switch to turn on the neck PU. Along with my love for David’s music, I’m also a big Eric Clapton fan and sometimes I want to get that fat mid-range tone that David got from his red Strat with the EMG’s and presence and mid-range control and Eric gets from his mid-range boost. Do you know if a way to simulate that through amp and pedal manipulation? Thanks as always for your awesome work!

    Jeff

    1. I haven’t tried it but I assume that you can install the EMG SPC control but an EQ boosting the 400-500 range would get you close. Obviously pedals with more mid range, like a Tube Screamer, OCD, RAT etc. Keep in mind though that having those EMGs – both Gilmour and Clapton – allow them to add that mid range before all the effects. It interacts with the guitar much more.

  28. Austin A Brady

    Bjorn, Another question if you dontd mind…
    FYI I play a custom shop copy of the black strat… Seems to pair pretty well with the fender blues 40w reissue… I love the muff and am now trying to decide between BK Butler, Tube screamer, OCD or crayon\hot tubes combo. Leaning twords BK. Any thoughts?

    1. The BK is hard to beat. A moody beast and a bit tricky to set up but once you got that match between the amp and pedal there really isn’t anything like it.

  29. Austin A Brady

    Hi, based on the advice here…. What would you suggest I set my bass trebble mid and presence at? I have a fender blues Tweed reisiue (scooped). What volume will work best to get some decent tone? So many variables, I know. I run my muff pi- wicker with it around 12 on sustain and volume. Dynacomp around 1 and 11. Master volume on amp at 12. Clean side, so no gain. Dynacomp–muff- phase90-tc sentry effect loop. Chorus and delay in the amp effect loop. Any help-insight with amp settings will be greatly appreciated… best regards, Austin.

    1. It all depends on the guitar/pickups, pedals, cables, amp placement etc. A good start is to have everything at noon and just do minor adjustments based on the factors mentioned. Keep in mind that you can’t turn one amp into another just by tweaking the EQs so, as suggested in this feature, you should use pedals with more compression and mids to compensate. In general, I would roll back the treble and presence and maybe boost the lows and mids a tad and match this up with the pre and output gains.

  30. Hello Bjorn.

    Wanted to say you’ve got a great site here. You obviously put a lot of time and attention to detail into your playing, tone and all the info you put here, and everything is detailed but worded simply so anyone can understand. I’ve stumbled onto a few of these useful tricks myself and now have a few more to try out (booster in the effects loop is genius). Keep up the great work.

    Small story to share also. I play super heavy metal but a lot of my favorite bands are very progressive and creative, use a lot of different tones and have a wide range of musical influences. Mostly playing in my bedroom for now but also wanting to do some home recording and playing live in the future. I’ve been playing a Hughes and Kettner TM 18 for a couple years. Great amp, fantastic clean channel, high gain channel sounds great with leads, but until recently I couldn’t get the heavy distortion for rhythms and riffing that I was looking for in my music even with a ts808 in front of the amp.

    First off, I was guilty of scooping my mids for a long time. Apart from sounding pretty good when playing alone, some really well respected metal players used this eq style a lot so it sort of became a “standard” in the genre. It took a while for me to find a good eq that gave me the mids I needed as well as staying thick and juicy, but well worth the time spent.

    I still wasn’t getting the heavy, crunchy, small town pulverizing distortion I was after though. I have a Mesa V-Twin tube preamp pedal I was going to start using into the effects loop of the TM18, basically just use the TM18 as a power amp, but i decided to try something a little odd first. I ran the V-Twin into the front of the TM18 on its clean channel (1 watt setting, master volume at 7, volume pedal in effects loop and gain just barely begin to break up) and found everything I was ever looking for in my guitar tone at a reasonable volume. Hit the bypass on the V-Twin and I’m back to the great HK clean tone. I should even be able to turn up a little in the middle of the day and get some good recordings without getting kicked out of my apartment building.

    Just goes to show how valuable experimentation can be.

  31. Hi Bjorn,
    I play only at home with my Epiphone SG (who knows if I will buy a Strat in the future) in a wonderful Lionheart L5T (bought after reading your blog! Thanks so much!).
    I have few questions:

    – I would like to add a clean boost in the fx loop in order to push the power tube harder. What if I choose a TC Spark Mini? Do you think I can reach my purpose even if it doesn’t have an additional gain knob like his bigger brother? Or the bigger brother is best for this use only?

    – My gain pedals are a TS9 Keeley, a RAT2 and a EHX Green Russian. They are linked in this order now, but what if I put the TS9 last before the amp? I think I can still use it as an overdrive and as a clean boost for the previous pedals. What do you think for playing gilmour and also for a versatile setup?

    – Last question about my amp. Do you think is better for me using the clean or the drive channel? For the clean channel I think I can use the TS9 to add mids, while for the drive channel it does have still enough headroom for pedals if I leave the gain knob before unity. What’s your advice?

    I know that for the last two questions I can try by myself but I really would like to know what are your thoughts.
    Thanks in advance for your attention!
    -Fabio-

    1. – I find that a proper clean boost, with no gain, compression or mids boost, is the best way to boost the output stage.
      – The order of the gain pedals depends on whether you use them alone or combined. If alone, it doesn’t matter how you place them. If combined, I would arrange them by gain, with the GR first > Rat > TS9. But there are no rules. Try a couple of combinations and listen.
      – I always use the gain channel. It has more mids and compression and I prefer the early Marshall Plexi tone over the Vox AC on the cleans. Depends on what pedals you use and the TS and Rat goes well on both channels while the GR needs a bit of that mid range.

      1. Thanks a lot!
        I tried using the drive channel with Gain at 2 and Volume at 6…and the cleans are so good!
        But I have some doubts regarding the overall volume using the amp in this way:

        – with Gain at 2 I can keep the volume knob at 6 (which is loud in the right way for home) but I could go further without having the volume raising too much! Even at max level! I can hear a little more compression…is that the power tube cranking? My thought is that the Gain knob set so low acts like a sort of a master volume and so I can raise the volume as much as I can without being too loud. It seems to me that I don’t need a booster to crank the power amp, because I’m already boosting it. Am I right?

        – On the other hand I have to keep the volume of my pedals just at max 10 o’clock if I want to match the volume of the clean amp. Is there something wrong with the pedal volumes so low? Am I losing a lot of their character?

        – the biggest problem is the Green Russian because is really too loud even with the sustain all rolled back! Is it normal? I’m using it with full Sustain but its volume just at 8-9 o’clock. The sound is huge and good but I don’t know if I’m using it in the right way.

        Thanks in advance and sorry for my long writing.

        1. – The more you push the master the more you compress the output stage.
          – How pedal volume/level work and affect a pedal is very individual. Some pedals stay open and uncompressed regardless of how low/high you keep the volume, while others compress a great deal. A good rule is to never assume that the volume is just volume but a part of the character and tone of the pedal. Most gain pedals only reach their full potential when you find the right balance between the gain and level. What that balance is depends on taste and what tones you’re looking for.
          – Yes, it’s loud but keep in mind that pedals also interact with the amp. You’ve already pushed the amp a great deal and the pedals will react to that. The Big Muff has a lot of gain, which will sound loud and compressed with your amp settings. You might want to find a more neutral set up for your amp, balance the pedals and use a booster to get the clean platform you need.

          1.  
            Thanks to your advices I bought a second-hand Spark Booster in the meantime and I made a few tries.
            First I lowered Gain on the amp between 1 and 2 and Volume at 4. Now I can keep volume on pedals higher but I still have the level matching issue between cleans, gains and muff.
             
            – Placing the booster in front of the amp and after gain pedals is really useful and I love it! Now I use it for cleans and even in combo with the Rat for overdrives, while I use the TS9 just for boosting the front of the gains during solos. The muff works alone because of its higher volume.
             
            -Placing the booster in the loop is super cool! It fattens up the tone in a cool way but keeping it in that position I will lose the useful setup I described before.
             
            Now what you suggest for boosting the power tube in the loop as last pedal? Another booster like a Spark Mini or an EQ pedal like a Boss GE7?
            I’m leaning towards the EQ because I think it will let me adjusting the sound while boosting the power tube, as you also described in your article.
            But will it have enough volume output, compared to a pure booster?
            And do I have to keep the EQ controls on the amp in flat position if I use an EQ pedal with same settings in the loop?
             
            Thanks again!

              1. Don’t hate me please! But I looked for informations and I’ve found out that the parallel loop of my lionheart (which is the old one without the knob for mixing dry and wet signal) is not suitable for boost, eq and volume pedals because of the reasons you surely already know.
                 
                Thinking about it I read again your article at the “Volume pedal” voice and after some research I’ve found the Electro Harmonix SIGNAL PAD! It does the same job as a volume pedal but with a knob and a stomp instead of a pedal. It attenuates the signal in an easier way then a pedal in my opinion if you want it to be always at the same settings because it doesn’t move.

                Like you described in your volume pedal explanation, I think I can keep the volume of pedals and guitar even high at the desired volume, then max out the volume on the amp BUT at the same time having the volume of the EHX Signal Pad lowered down at a volume that is reasonable.
                What do you think about it?
                If it would be a good idea would you place it between gains and modulations, or at the end of the chain after delay?
                (All the pedals in front of the amp without using the loop).

                1. I haven’t tried the Signal Pad so I can’t really comment on it. I would place it last as a master control. Cheers!

  32. Hi Bjorn,
    my amplifier is a HIWATT CUSTOM 20.
    What happens if I connect the guitar, with a Y-cable, directly into the Low and Hi channels?

  33. I have a Marshall Lead 12 (combo, not the mini stack) as my bedroom amp, picked up at a thrift store for $40 and gave it a $40 servicing. Love it so far. Yes it’s a solid state and I’m not sure if it has a preamp in the combo. Would these pedals work on solid states as well as on a tube amp? Thanks for your attention

    1. Yes they will. The biggest difference between tubes and solid state are often the dynamics, tubes are often more responsive to the playing and pedals, and the top end. Solid state amps often sound brighter or slightly harsher so you might want to experiment with the treble on the amp and tone controls on your pedals to get the best tone.

  34. Greetings, so curious in order to use a Wampler PlexiDrive instead of a tube driver, what settings do you recommend with Blues Jr? Cheers.

    1. For the Blues Jr I think the Plexi Drive is a better fit, yes. It has a bit more mid range and compression, which fits the amp nicely. Settings depends on how you set the amp and what pickups you use. A good start is to set the pedal to unity output level and the tone fairly neutral.

  35. Hey Bjorn,
    As lots of dudes out there i am looking for that great clean tone ( typically Shine on intro), I am very interested in the Marshall DSL 40C as i also really enjoy playing some Led Zep, Metallica,GnR, Clapton stuff, I’ve been hearing that this amp is really versatile. I would like to know if you have ever been able to test this and does it match PF Tones.
    Also what about the wattage, on that marshall it is 40 Watt and it can be set on 20 Watt, is this too loud or unusable for bedroom setup ( although I can turn up the volume as i live in a house, and i might also get a band) ?
    Is it a great platform for pedals and are there any typical Gilmourish pedals that doesn’t work well with Marshall?
    I’ve seen that you recommend the Lionheart Series but is the 5 Watt sufficient for gigs ?

    My current guitars are Fender Classic 50’s series Lacquer and Epiphone Les paul tribute plus.

    1. The DSL amps are very versatile. Setting up for David’s tones you need to be careful with the treble as the amp is very bright. I usually don’t recommend Marshall amps for David’s tones, unless you want a bigger palette of tones. They don’t have the headroom and some of the typical Gilmour pedals, like the Big Muff, can sound very aggressive. The Lionheart series can easily be set up for early Marshall JTM sounds, Vox and even something close to a Fender. I also thing this amp, or something similar, will match your guitar better for David’s tones. My best tip is to visit your local store, bring your guitar and just try a bunch of amps to get an idea of different tones.

      1. Thanks a lot Bjorn, I’ll go to My local store And in the and i mighty Just go without the hot rod deluxe as it might be a better pedal platform, i doubt they got any Lionheart unfortunatly

  36. HÃ¥kan Krusnell

    Hi Björn, fantastic stuff here. I will certantly be visiting a lot. A question about attenuators (recording in an apartment). Why use an Attenuator when I can use the Gain and get a fairly nice, crunchy sound on a lower volume setting? Or is it important to get the main volume up high, do I get a “better, fatter sound”? Its very difficult to try without an actual attenuator…. High volume always sounds better than low volumes. All the best/Hakan

    1. Thanks for your kind words! It all depends on the amp. An attenuator is often used on high wattage amps with lots of headroom, which needs to be pushed really hard to achieve full distortion. You don’t want to play a Marshall JCM or Hiwatt Custom inside your house but with attenuator you can get those same tones on lower volume. A lot of players also use that same setup on smaller stages as well. Other amps, that has less headroom and are designed for heavy distortion rather than a wider spectrum of tones, are more capable of producing distortion on lower volume. You won’t be able to drive the output section though… Obsviously, you can also use pedals to achieve dirt and that works great on low volume without attenuators.

  37. Craig Richards

    Hi Bjorn,

    After about 20 years of only playing acoustic guitars, I stumbled on an old “Learn to play Pink Floyd” DVD which eventually lead me to finding your excellent site.
    For the moment I’m strictly in the “bedroom” category but I fear my amp is not appropriate.
    I have a fairly old USA schecter stratocaster which I guess was from the mid 90s era of schecter. Other than that I have an old Boss DD-3 and today a shiny new Vick Audio Tree of Life arrived in the post!
    But my amp ( bought at the same time as the guitar ) is a Fender Champion 110 which is 75 watts and as I want to play at low volume it just doesn’t seem to work so well.
    I’m currently trying to learn the Comfortably Numb solos but also really like a lot of the guitar on Animals. And WYWH…
    I would appreciate any gear suggestions you might have, but particularly amps for shy bedroom players…
    I guite like the look of the Lionheart L5 studio, is there any particular speaker you would recommend with that?
    Thanks again for providing us with this excellent knowledgebase and for some inspiring gear review videos.
    Best regards,
    Craig

    1. Hi Craig! Sorry for my late reply. The Lionheart amps are great and I use a L20 myself. Couldn’t be happier :) I’m very fond of both the Celestion G12H and the V30. The G12H has a bit more sparkle, which I think goes nicely with the Lionhearts but both sounds great.

  38. Hey Bjorn
    You’ve never mentioned them on this site (this seems like the right place to talk about them), but I just wanted to say thanks for the Amplitube presets you shared to the Preset Exchange. They’re excellent and much better than I’ve ever managed on my own. As much as I love coming here for the pedal porn an amp just isn’t practical for me and those presets have just about made my year.
    Quick Q about levels/calibration; I’m thinking that when I turn off the drive pedals and play at max intensity the amp module should be *just* breaking up. Would that be right?
    Cheers
    Paul

    1. Hi Paul, I’m planning a feature on the AmpliTube… when I get the time :) How fast the amp breaks up depends on the amps headroom, settings and how hot the pickups on your guitar is. But yes, in general I woould say that you want to hear a very slight break up coming from the amp when you really dig into the strings.

  39. Hi Bjorn, always a great site with so many informations!

    nowadays I’m designing a guitar, it is not a strat but somehting which is more close to the Travis Bean reissues (a lot of aluminium). In my research I came to the point I need humbucker sized PUs with chrome plated caps, this brought me to Lollar or TV jones (there are many other but with these two I have already a difficult choice). Which of them would you define more as “Gilmourish” tone? (I know its a difficult question since you first advice to equip guitars with single-coils or P90, but maybe you have an opinion about those humbuckers?). Thanks again, I’m very curious about what you think about.

    1. Edit: of course there are all typical gilmourish effects and amp (big muff/colorsound/HIWATT custom20 for the main tone)

    2. I don’t have that much experience with either brands but I would go for humbuckersized P90s or something close to a PAF or mid 50s specs. Anything hotter will often make your typical Gilmour pedals sound too aggressive.

      1. Thanks for reply… I found what to buy. For “stylistic” reasons I wanted to find a chrome hb cover. But also hbs that I can eventually see on some Gilmour favorite guitar. And I found that he plays on some gretsch with tv jones classic on it. So I ordered them, and going to use them on the guitar I’m designing;) they seems to have a typical 50s sound closer to singlecoils as typical hbs… so it should be fine!

  40. HELP NEEDED
    hey there my name is corey huge into wanting to find that tone but cant get it my self was big into the metal scene so thats all i really wanted to find at the time but now i just want a warm nice distorted tone like dave.
    i have a jackson soloist witch duncan designed pick ups
    metal muff
    seymour duncan 805
    low budget compression pedal
    micro fender eq
    and a mxr noise clamp
    with a marshall mgcfx102
    big help if you could you know how to sort this big mess i would like a real dark side of the moon tone or even a Pompeii tone something cool and funk but nice and warm hope to hear soon
    regards
    corey

  41. Bjorn, great article!!! Very useful tips. Hope you can help setting up my gear…
    I have the MXR M75. I use it with my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and my Strat American Standard 2014 (fat 50’s pickups). I aiming for that fat rich deep distortion of bands like Iron Maiden in their 80’s and Ritchie Blackmore in his late 70’s or Slash, and, well, it seems IMPOSSIBLE! It worth mentioning that using my Les Paul Traditional 2014 with the M75 brings me very close, the distortion is deep, full sounding, but when it comes to the Strat, the sound becomes thin, no matter what I dial in. I heard of the Fullbore Metal pedal but it seems pretty harsh for what I’m looking for. Maybe you can help me dial in the tone I want, how to set the amp, and the pedal.
    I also have the MXR GT-OD, should you find this informative.
    Looking forward to hearing from you, Ofir

    1. Hi there :) Based on the tones you describe, I think the main issue is your amp and the fact that your Strat has low output single coils. Now, I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with your setup but it might not be the best choice for the tones you want. Keep in mind the typical Fender tone, is fairly scooped with moderate compression. Maiden, Blackmore and Slash all use Marshall amps, which are quite the oposite of Fender, with lots of mid range and compression. Your pedals should be able to compensate to some extent but that huge fat tone your hear from those guys, are mainly the combination of Marshall and hot single coils or humbuckers. Check out this feature for some tips on choosing the right pedals for your amps.

  42. William scott helton

    Hey Scott here, thanks for tip on. VOlume have a marshall 40/20 watt amp for bedroom. Volume pedal may help my situation and I can crank it. Thanks again, 70s,80s rock. Scott

  43. Hi Bjorn,
    I’m curious what you think of Keeley’s new Dark Side pedal, with a bunch of effects combined into one. I suppose if you have all of the individual effects it’s redundant, but otherwise it seems like an interesting idea.

  44. Thank you very much for your response Bjorn. It’s now on the way.

    As an aside, I read somewhere your site, regarding Shine On, a specific lick that you had traced back to BB King. FWIW, I find those kinds of things very interesting, and you could consider doing more of it — tracing Gilmour’s influences, because it’s very interesting to see where an artist comes from, and especially how Gilmour might have listened to BB King but then translated it into his own expression. I think that contributes to his tone as much as anything, especially the way the two of them share(d) an appreciation for playing the right note at the right time, and allowing each note to have its own life, rather than trying to be blazing fast.

    Of course, it might also be nice to have more than 24 hours in a day; I’m sure you are very busy, and your site is already a great example of someone being thoughtful and dedicated to something they feel passionate about.

  45. Hi Bjorn, Thanks for the comment. I was looking about the pickups which will fit in humbuckers slots without any modification. Seymour Duncan Phat Cats sound good. I will check GFS Mean 90 too.

  46. I have Washburn Nuno Bettencourt N1 guitar. it has washburn humbucker pickup. it has pull/pull volume switch to split the humbuckers to get single coil sound. Humbucker sound is good, but not much happy with single coild sound (after pulling the voulme know). I am looking for Gilmour sound.

    1. can the split pickup sound can be improved with putting 500K pot?
    2. would it be good idea to replace the humbucker with P90 kind of pickup which fits in humbucker slots?
    3. Was looking for GFS Mean 90 or GFS Dream 90 as budget pickup.
    4. would it be good to replace both humbuckers or only replace neck puckup with GFS mean/dream P90?
    5. Any budget P90 which fits in humbucker slot can you recommend?

    1. I’m not an expert on the technical side of pickups and pots, so you should ask that on a more dedicated forum. As for the P90… Obviously, a P90 sounds different from a humbucker but you get a bit of both worlds and if you’re looking for something with less output and an more vintage flavour, then a P90 is worth checking out. I prefer them to humbuckers in most cases. I’m using Seymour Duncan Phat Cats for my humbucker sized guitars.

  47. I just found this page and decided to try putting a TC Spark in the FX loop of my Ethos Clean amp sim pedal. Wow. It thickened the tone up nicely without adding an appreciable amount of dirt. Maybe I can come close with just the Ethos, but I was surprised at what a difference this made. Now I need to experiment with whether the EP Booster would be better. Benefit of the EP Booster is that it’s smaller. Downside is that it really wants 18 volts in order to shine and I’m finding an appeal in getting the 18v pedals off my board.

  48. Excellent article, thank you much for doing it. Just out of curiosity, I can see that a good compressor (for example, I’ve just gotten an Xotic Effects SP ross-style, can also be used as a boost. Traditionally you’d compress before overdrives and dirt pedals. But is there a decent argument for using the comp after gain pedals in low volume setups. I’m experimenting myself of course, but wonder if you have any thoughts?

    1. Placing the compressor after the gains will create more headroom from the amp, as you’ll be compressing the signal into the amp. Try it and hear how it makes a difference.

  49. took your advice on pumping the mids while lowering the bass and using a moderate treble. By using attenuating my volume pedal and cranking my guitar volume I have a nice dirty sound that i hadn’t been able to achieve at low volumes. Really appreciate the help.

  50. The part about scooping the mids is 100% correct. I played a Marshall JCM 900 in a band with a second guitarist who played a Crate half-stack with the mids scooped out. We’d jam at his apartment, just the two of us, and he absolutely HATED my tone. “So much mids…. get rid of that!” “Oh, those mids!”, etc. I explained what would happen once we had a drummer and a bass player, but he didn’t believe me…. until we had an actual band. I noticed (as did he apparently) that you couldn’t even hear his amp. He kept turning it louder and louder, and all that did was make it sound thinner. By the end of a couple of weeks, he had that thing EQ’d pretty much like my Marshall sounded. He never said anything, but he knew. And you could finally hear him.

    Also, someone above mentioned the Vox AC4. I have an AC4TV and it sounds lousy at low volume – flat and ugly – but about halfway up on the 4W setting it’s screaming with a tone that, being familiar with loud Marshalls, I can positively identify as power tube saturation. But if you go louder than halfway on the volume, things get mushy and not really usable in my opinion. Halfway up with an overdrive pedal (set to a very low gain – just acting as a boost – I use a cheap Joyo Ultimate Drive pedal) is the ticket to getting those AC4TVs to scream like there’s no tomorrow. It really is an awesome tone that cuts like a hot knife through butter.

  51. Hey, Bjorn !

    What about EQ pedals? Can you recommend or not recommend them? My Fender combo(super champ) lacks mid control, only bass and treble. I feel like I miss smth.

    1. They can be helpful in beefing up a thin tone, adding some mids and tightening the lows but you may also want to look into boosters, overdrives and distortions with more emphasis on the mid range, which can be even more effective.

      1. I’ve got another question concerning pickups. I’ve got custom shop Fat 50`s on my american strat. They are (very) good on clean. But the sound seems to kinda fall apart with overdrive. The more treble the more the sound falls apart, fizzes, fuzzes. It’s not fluid-like as with my gibson.
        Is it the pickups?

        1. Could be but is that the neck or bridge you’re referring to? I’d pay more attention to the amp, its setting and what pedals you use. The Fat 50s are very versatile but no pickup will sound great if your amp doesn’t match it, or if you haven’t adjusted your amp and pedal settings to its tone.

          1. It’s tube Fender SuperChamp x2 on clean channel. My main overdrive is Maxon OD808 (kinda classic), may be used with/wo Mad Professor Red Ruby Booster. I have also got an eq pedal but it seems a little excessive since maxon boosts mids quite a lot. A have another overdrive pedal, JHS Moonshine, even more gainy and grainy but it has the same bias in sound.

            1. I don’t really think its the pickups but rather the combination of the amp and pedals. The Champ has a classic Fender tone and shouldn’t be confused for a Hiwatt or Marshall, which both has a very different tone. Its a Fender and you need to use settings and pedals that goes with the amp. The pickups should go nicely with is so start by plugging the guitar straight into the amp and tweak the settings until you get the tone you want. THEN add the pedals and set them up to match the amp. Any excessive gain or boosted frequencies will make the tone sound muddy and thin. For more tone tips, read the amp and pedalboard tutorials.

  52. This is probably a dumb question. You talk of placing a booster in the send/return loop of amp and also placing one after the muff. Are you recommending two boosters, or is the booster in the loop unnecessary? This is a bedroom setup.

    Still waiting for a couple of pedals in the mail but planning to run Fender Strat > Pure Tone Dual Booster > Vick 73 Ram’s Head > Buffalo Power Booster > Jam Pedals Fuzz Phrase > Buffalo Evolution > Xotic SL Drive > CostaLab ChorusLab > 80s Deluxe Electric Mistress > MXR 1974 CS script reissue Phase 90 > Pure Tone Dual Booster > Laney Lionheart 5w amp.

    Any suggestions about the order–or anything else that might be missing or overkill?

    1. Hi Paul! There are no dumb questions :) The booster in the loop trick is really for beefing up the output section of your tube amp and to compensate for the power, compression and saturation you get when playing loud. You can combine this with a booster after the Muff, as you would then drive the front end of the amp. HOWEVER, you should note that you’re getting a lot of gain and boost so even if the boosters are set clean you’re driving the amp hard so adjust the setting to match between all three pedals and the amp. You don’t want to boost or saturate too much or you’ll get noise, feedback and just a dark, overly compressed tone.

  53. Need one dirt pedal to complete my tone. Needs to be under $150 used. I had the Buffalo Fx Evolution (loved it) and had to sell it b/c I needed $$$. I have $150 left over from that sale….

    My chain goes custom Jazzmaster w Lollars into a T1M modded VP JR (with buffer mod) > Mooer Yellow Comp > ***PEDAL NEEDED*** > Mooer Blues > Dr. S BitQuest > CB Echorec > DD-7 w T1M TT > Mesa 5×25 plus.

    Thanks again, as always Bjorn. RAWK ON

    1. Id get either a Mooer Hustler [OCD) or a Vick Audio Tree of Life. Both way under $150 new and they will work great on your amp.

  54. Thank you! I have yet to read through the entire article, but it’s taken just two paragraphs (bass, mid, and treble steps/use the gain channel for clean) to make my amp sound so, so much nicer. It’s a bedroom setup with the amp usually on 1, or less and sounding thin and wimpy. It doesn’t sound amazing now, but it does, as I said, sound so, so much nicer.

  55. Hi Bjorn, love your info and website. Thanks heaps from New Zealand.

    I have the following effects so far in this order – Guitar (90’s US Tele/Peavey Predator AX/Squier Strat), Boss TU-3, Boss CS-3, Vox V847 Wah with DC and true bypass mods, Big Muff Pi (US re-issue), Amp, Boss GT-3 unit (which I simply just use for delay or chorus) and a Korg Toneworks G4 speaker simulator.

    At the moment I am trying the GT-3 and the Korg in the Amp’s effects loop. They run via a twin true bypass switch.
    Amp is a 1990’s Fender Super 60 with foot switchable overdrive channel.

    That works quite nicely giving me some nice sounds using the Fender’s over drive channel with the Korg, and with the clean channel for that matter. Where things get a little unstuck is when I bring the Big Muff in on the clean channel and then add the Korg. The Korg has some sort of gate on it which seems to kill the Muff a bit whereas it doesn’t do the same when using the Fender’s overdrive channel. Also just interested in your overall thoughts re using the amp’s effects loop in this way and the placement of the CS-3 in the chain. And the overall order of everything really! It’s bedroom level at the moment! Cheers, Andy

    1. Hi Andy! It’s always hard to answer these type of questions because ultimately, the tone you’re looking for depends on a lot of things.
      Try this chain: guitar > TU3 > wah > CS3 > Muff > amp : loop > GT3 > Korg > amp.
      Muffs tend to sound bright and even harsh on Fender amps. The current US Muff is also quite different sounding to the ones David used in the 70s. You might want to look into a clone at some point. Hard to tell why you’re Muff chokes up but I would imagine it’s a combination of it not working that well on your amp, the fact that it has very little mid range and that the buffers in your Boss pedals and the Korg might affect it. Hope this helps.

  56. Would a Vick Audio Overdriver, or similar pedal, sound good through a blackface deluxe? I’m worried that there wouldn’t be enough mids to sound good. Would pairing it up with a compressor or a more middy overdrive help solve that problem? Could I use it with a germainium fuzz to get smooother, less fuzzy tones?

    1. Hm… you might find it just a bit too bright and fizzy. I haven’t experimented that much with Powerboosters and Fender amps but you might be better off with a pedal that has a bit more mids, especially you want to replicate David’s tones. Check out the Wampler Plexi Drive or the Keeley Boss BD2 for similar tones.

  57. I have a hand made valve jr.No printed circuit boards, every componet going where it needs to go.The way amps were built in the 1960’S and before.To get a great low volume tone I use an O.C.D.pedal crank up the gain about 50 percent and use the volume on the O.C.D. pedal.Great over drive at very low volumes.
    Dave

  58. Great article as always. Would a wampler plexi drive work as a booster in the fx loop or for boosting a big muff?

    1. I don’t think it works that well as a booster. A bit too much mids and compression, which will colour your and and/or Big Muff.

  59. Hi bjorn
    Your article is very good and I’m impressed with your knowledge. I’ve recently bought a tubemeister GM36, having got frustrated with the marshall jvm410c.
    My les Paul sounds great on some of the preset sounds as they are dialled in with the comments you had made I.e. High mids etc. however I’m having a struggle getting a good sound on my strat. There is a dimazio single coil humbucker at the bridge and the other two are dimazio singles coils blue velvets. I’m trying to get a buddy guy type sound and taking the range to a Ritchie Blackmore do you have any dial up setting suggestions? The only pedals I use are a crybaby, ocd and a boss DS1x all go in the front end and use very sparingly, the boss pedal is a bit of a monster.
    Keep up the good work!
    Paul

    1. I’m not familiar with the blue velvets but both Buddy Guy and (early Purple) Blackmore use low output single coils, which is very much a part of their classic Strat tone. The Tubemeister is also a very modern sounding amp so it perhaps not the best choice for the tones you’re looking for. Still, you should be able to get close. I’m using the gain channel so try that, keep it as clean as possible and try to back down both the treble and mids to below 50% and see how that work. You can also roll down the guitar volume control a hair or two, to get a more mellow tone.

    1. Depends entirely on the amp. A 15w, or even a 5w, can be much louder than a 30w. In general, I would say that low wattage amps, from 1-15w is better suited for bedrooms, practice and recording. You can keep the volume at a reasonable level and still be able to dial in some very dynamic tones. An amp’s sweetspot is usually around breakup, so a lower wattage amp, played in a small room, will allow you to just slightly crank that clean tone. Or, if you want distortion, allow you to crank it all the way, without breaking any windows. A 30-100w amp is usually too loud for a bedroom but even if you turn the volume all the way down, what you get is a flat and much less dynamic tone because you’re not driving the tubes and speakers. I would say that 20-50w amps are suitable for rehearsal, recording and smaller clubs. 100w amps are for lager venues and halls.

  60. Hi Bjorn,

    First of all, I just found this site and wow… what a gem you have created here. I love it and I suspect I will spend many future hours on it.

    This article is awesome for a entry-level player like myself who has access to a small home studio.
    Here’s my question: I just began assembling my first full set up. After trying out some guitars and checking out the different sounds, I went with a used Fender Strat. My amp purchase was more “guesswork,” since I wasn’t able to test out any of the amps I was looking at (nowhere to do so around me). I went with the Fender Champion 40W. It is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. The reviews and demo videos were very convincing, but I’m wondering if I will regret not getting a tube amp. Do you have any thoughts on this or experience with the Fender Champion series? Can I still get the big tones and lovely sound with this?

    I have a somewhat unrelated follow up question. Is an Ibanez TS9 a good choice for a first pedal, or will it feel lackluster without anything else to combo it with?

    Thanks so much!

    Cheers,
    Aidan

    1. In regards to that second question. The Vick Audio Tree of Life is also an option, though that is nearing the top of my price range as far as buying a first pedal.

    2. I haven’t tried the Champion 40 myself but based on what I’ve heard and the reviews I’ve seen you should be able to get some really nice Fender tones with it. Whether or not you should get a solid state or tube amp is more down to taste. Tube amps may have a bit more character and the gain is often more natural sounding. Still, solid state amps sound great too and if you mostly intend to use a clean tone, then the difference isn’t that big. Keep in mind that Fender amps often have a scooped tone, meaning that you may want to use pedals that has an emphasis on the mid range, like the TS9 or similar.

  61. I want an amp for home use. What would you pick between a Blues Jr. and a Tubemeister? What speaker/s would you recommend for the tubemeister? I have a Gib LP classic and would like to have a strat and a tele in the future. Thanks.

    1. The Tubemeister. The Fender is great but very loud for a bedroom and neighbours. The TM is incredibly versatile and you can scale the 20w down to 5 and 1. The clean channel works really well alone but not with pedals. The dirt channel has plenty of headroom and goes very well with all kinds of pedals. I’m using Celestion V30s and are very happy with that combo.

  62. Hello Bjorn,
    Can you give me some recommendations for settings on the Laney Lionheart LT5. I also have the Wampler Plexi Deluxe and the Vick Audio Rams head. for delay I have the Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail. Having trouble dialing in the right Tone. so if you could give me a lil insight. Looking for that Comfortably Numb and Time Tones. But my ears are a deceiving me a lil bit.
    Thanks again for your web sight. I’m always checking it out!
    Eric

    1. I often use the gain channel on mine. It has a slightly different character than the clean. More mids and an overall warmer tone I think. Try this for starters: gain channel, hi input, bright on, bass 11:00, mids 1:00, treble 10:00, tone off, gain 8:00, volume as desired. The settings also applies to the clean channel.

  63. Hi Bjorn, thought this the best place to post this question.

    Firstly, loved your video re super modulated tone!

    Regarding your base tone, would you say this was represented by your Laney Cub12r video posted some time ago (the one starting with Coming Back to Life, followed by Shine opening), basically clean with compressor and delay ?

    I am trying to build up from basics one element at a time and am confused as to when (usually) too much treble creeps in and when to hold it back.

    I play bedroom levels with a Laney L5t, maple neck strat with alnico iii high E B G, alni V low D A E, for neck/ middle, and have now assembled a cs3, mxr univibe, phase 90, musketr clone, Plexi Tone, bd2, Moore eleclady, joyo dseed (digi and ana delay) and an rt_20.

    (Still to find a fuzz that works!)

    I am pretty close to most tones wywh onwards, even dsotm with the muskett but am always looking to tweak. What i have found is that given the above “tools” I find it easier to learn what my fingers can do re touch and feel :)

    Any tips on base tone would gratefully received.

    1. Treble is always hard because we tend to set it high to compensate for issues like pedals that roll off the treble, bad cables, our hearing, our position to the amp etc… How to actually set the EQ of the amp depends on taste and what tones you want. How to get there, depends on the voicing of the amp and its speakers, the guitar and pickups you’re using and of course the pedals. I change my amp settings all the time based on what tones I need. Of course, during a show I tend to use one setup but for recording or rehearsals, I often tweak things. What you perceive as spiky treble can also be high mids, which would be the tone or presence control and even bass. Too much bass often results in a dark and boomy tone but it will also interact with the overall tone of the amp, making is sound harder and more spiky. See this feature for more tips on setting up your amp.

  64. Hi Bjorn

    Firstly let me say what a great site this is. As a long time Gilmour fan this has got to be the best site just for amazing information on David and his work over the years.

    So onto my question. I have pretty much been using a solid state Line 6 Amp for a few years now mainly because when it comes to all this techie stuff I am a bit of a useless player. But even to my untutored ear the Amp sounds dull and lifeless and no matter how I try I just cant seem to get the David tone that I am looking for. I’ve come into some money recently and based on extensive reading of your site am looking to purchase this kind of bedroom setup:
    Laney Cub 12r (like the 1W feature!)
    Buffalo FX Patriot
    Buffalo FX Power booster
    TC Flashback

    Looking to get those Pulse/Gdansk tones. Is there anything else that you think that I need that would help and would you be able to guide a complete noob and give me some idea of some amp and pedal settings for a good Comfortably Numb sound to start with and then fiddle around from there.

    Thanks you for helping if you can and look forward to hearing from you :)

    [Hi Steve! Your wish-list looks to be spot on. Depends on what guitar you have but you should be able to dial in some classic Gilmour tones with that setup. You might also want to look into a more modern overdrive for those Tube Driver tones. The Wampler PlexiDrive is probably as close as it gets, without getting the TD. – Bjorn]

    1. Hi Bjorn – Well I bit the bullet and am now the proud owner so far of the Cub and a TC Flashback. Got to say the sound even pretty clean with the delay is about 10 light years from what I had. feels like I just pulled my head out a puddle of mud!! :)

      I have the Patriot and Booster on order from Buffalo and they should be with me in the next couple of weeks and I cant wait to give them a try out and report back here!

      I have one final question if you have time to answer it – you recommended the plexi drive in the last post. Could this be covered by the Buffalo Evolution? or do they do separate jobs? Would the evolution just be an overkill addition to a board with the patriot and power booster and the plexi already on it? Your thoughts as always would be really helpful. Or would an evolution, patriot and booster pretty much nail it?

      I cannot tell you how helpful your site has been to me. I didn’t have a clue where to start with getting these things set up and your in depth articles are a godsend to luddites like me. Thank you so much for all your efforts – I will show my appreciation in the right way ;)

      1. Hi Steve! Happy to help! The Evolution will cover the Plexi to some extent. It doesn’t have the headroom of the Plexi but you have the Powerbooster for that. I think the Evolution would be the most versatile pedal for you and your setup. With it, you can cover the Tube Driver overdrive sounds and heavier distortion.

        1. Hi Bjorn

          Thought I would give you a quick update – Sitting on my board now is a keeley compressor, evolution, patriot, plexidrive, TC Flashback and a plexidrive and the Buffalo PB. Have spent a LOT of time playing with them in a bedroom type set up. Got to say that the combination of the Evolution and the PB with a custom Flashback Tone I dialled in from my PC is just unbelievable. The sheer versatility of the Evolution is quite staggering. and the the PB is just, well… always on :)

          Even my wife who is my worst critic said that my CN the other night was ‘pretty good’

          Thank you so much for all your advice and help – its been quite a journey and without the guidance of this site I would still be in the dark!! Got any other ideas for a man who still hasn’t quite satisfied his GAS syndrome!!!??

          Thank you again from a very happy camper!

          1. Forgot to add that I have had far less luck with the Patriot – sounds really muddy and muffled almost even with the PB. is it because it needs to be played very loud to get the best out of it?

            1. It’s a dark pedal, with lots of gain and mids. That’s kind of the nature of it. It needs a bit of volume and a brighter sounding amp.

          2. Thanks for sharing, Steve! Sounds like an awesome board! I’m afraid you’ll never rid of the GAS :) More review to come :)

            1. Hi Bjorn,
              I’m mostly interested in getting the tones from DSotM, WYWH, Animals, and the Wall. I have a Lionheart L5, and an Evolution on the way. How necessary would you say a power booster is, assuming some moderate degree of GAS? And, if you could, would you recommend the Buffalo or the Top Tone Shine Boost, or something else? I’m somewhat of a newbie,but I enjoy reading your site very much. It’s very well thought-out.

              1. Hi Justin! Thanks for your kind words! The Powerbooster goes very well with the Laney and it is what David used for rhythms and overdrive sounds on WYWH and Animals in particular. The Evolution is a high gain overdrive and distortion, so it’s not that suited for crunchy tones and clean boost. You can get very similar tones by driving the gain channel on your Laney but I’m assuming that you want to run that clean and have all your effects into the front stage so yes, a Powerbooster is something you probably want to look into at some point :)

  65. Hi Bjorn, I was looking around for information, and happen to stumble on your site here. I was wondering if you’ve gotten a chance to check out the Mojo Studio One. I’ve heard the demo,and I’m thinking of purchasing. I have a Mesa Roadster, “way to much power” for low level. I also have a Axe-Fxll. The Axe-Fx does a wounderful job, a lot of tools. I was just wanting something with tubes thats not over powering. My main guitar is a JS1000. Thank you again.

    [It’s based on the JCM800, which would go nicely with your JS1000, I think. Perhaps not the most Gilmourish combo but you should be able to get some classic tones with it and some pedals :) – Bjorn]

  66. Sorry i sended unfinish message.

    So i will wait for the strat and then i will have a go on that and i will let you know.

    Best regards
    Joao bicudo

  67. Hello bjorn, no problem with your delayed reply.

    I just get lucky and sold my ibanez js 1200 easy! I think one of my handicap was that i dont have a single coil guitar like a strat, so i will by a strat. As i listed before i have 3 muff’s, so i’ve tried last wednesday just with the bass big muff with my js1000 and i was very close of what i was looking for. With the strat it will be even better, i hope :).

    Do you think my signal chain (i’ve listed before) is the best position for that pedals?

    About the amp, i posted in jvm forum my concerns aborto the headroom of jvm205h and i was told that in some way this amp can deliver an acceptable clean channel with a reasonably headroom

    [The signal chain looks OK although I’d place the wah first but I guess it’s a matter of taste :) – Bjorn]

  68. I’m chasing the Gilmour tone but not using a tube amp. I have a Blackstar ID60TVP-H 60W head running into a Blackstar 212 cab. The head has 6 voice channels and 6 valve responses (EL84, 6V6, EL34, KT66, 6L6, KT88). Do you think the Big Muff clones would still work with this?

    Thanks!

    [I’ve never tried that specific model but the HT and Series One amps works nicely with Muffs. – Bjorn]

  69. hello and happy new year 2015!

    Thank’s for the magnific work and patience to put your “wisdoom” at every fans of DG sound.

    I’ve read a lot about having DG tone in bedroom levels, but i still have some questions about my gear and how can i have the “tone” that i search.

    I have a Marshall JVM 205H (50watts tube amp) with 2×12 Marshall 1936 Vintage Cab with 2×25 Watts greenbacks that i swap from the original 2×12 V30 70watts and 2 Ibanez JS1000 and JS1200 guitars.
    I know for the best results i should have Fenders or Hiwatt amps and Fender guitars,but i don’t.

    My Signal chain is:
    guitar » compressor/sustain CS-3 » EHX big muff tone wicker » EHX bass big muff » vox satchurator » BD-2 » crybaby whawha/ volume pedal » EHX stereo electric mistress » CH-1 » DD-3 » vox Time machine » front amp.

    I’m not happy with the sound of my big muff’s, I dont heard the same “tone” of DG. I know that’s dificult to tame big muffs.

    My question is, do you think i have the best pedals chain order and what do you recomend for the amp in terms of EQ.

    Best regards,

    João Bicudo

    [Very sorry for my late reply, João. The JVM is not your typical Gilmour amp and I think your “problem” is that Muffs tend to sound very aggressive and boomy on Marshalls. Especially the modern ones. Based on your setup I’d go for a more versatile distortion as it will be hard to get the right sounds from a Muff or fuzz. My best tip is the Buffalo FX Evolution. It’s based on the Cornish G2, which has been David’s main distortion for the last decade. It can easily cover the Muff tones and pairs very well with most amps. It’s also great for Satriani tones :) – Bjorn]

  70. Hi Bjorn,

    Sorry, I didn’t make myself clear: I was just asking if there was some pedal that could do the SS-2 tones, among my collection of overdrive pedals:

    EHX East River Drive (TS9 clone) / BYOC Distortion + clone / Boss ds-1 / Boss sd-1 / Wampler Plexidrive / BOSS BD-2 from keeley / EHX Soul Food / Xotic BB ….

    Regards,
    Christophe

    [The East River and PlexiDrive would cover much of the same ground. You can also tweak the SD-1 for similar tones. – Bjorn]

  71. Hi Bjorn,

    Please can you tell me what would be the right replacement for SS-2 among my those pedals from my collection, please:
    EHX East River Drive (TS9 clone) / BYOC Distortion + clone / Boss ds-1 / Boss sd-1 / Wampler Plexidrive / BOSS BD-2 from keeley / EHS Soul Food / Xotic BB ….

    Regards,
    Christophe

    [Doesn’t really matter where you place it if you don’t intend to combine it with other pedals. If you do, I’d place it after the high gains but experiment with the setup and hear how it sounds before and after the pedal you want to combine it with. – Bjorn]

  72. Hi Bjørn! Will my peavey classic 30 handle a fuzz or a big muff? Or should I just get a ocd/rat type?
    Volume is not an issue. I can play as loud as I want. Although I don’t like playing too loud because it’s bad for your ears.
    Thank you,
    Matt

    [I have no prob with either on my Classic 30 :) – Bjorn]

  73. Thank you for your precious Help!!!

    To anwser your question, I have a laney Cub for those tones.
    I use a Rams’ head clone from Ronsound with the Keeley Boss bd-2 (replacing the TD 1 set for vol. boost), and a Wampler Plexidrive to simulate the TD 2 set fro overdrive.

    As I’m a bit obsessed with the Division Bell Tone (not Pulse, but DB studio tone), I’d like to know:
    – Is the Boss cs-2 always on?
    – When David uses the RAT instead of Big Muff, does he also use it with the Tube Driver 1 (vol.boost)?
    – When you say that the SS-2 was combined with the Tube Driver2 set for overdrive (wampler plexidrive for me), does it mean that the SS-2 was set gently (like a vol. booster? )? I tought David was using the SS-2 in olny 2 songs in division bell: pedal alone in Poles apart / & pedal with tube driver 1 (vol boost in a great day for freedom)
    -What would be the right replacement for SS-2 among my collection, please:
    Ehx East River Drive (TS9 clone) / BYOC Distortion + clone / Boss ds-1 / Boss sd-1 ….

    Again, does that effects chain look good to you, particularly the Gain stage:

    Guitar / Wah wah / dedicated Buffer / Tuner / Boss CS-2 / Ronsound Rams Head Big Muff (or RAT)/ Boss BD-2 (set for vol boost) / Wampler Plexidrive (set for overdrive) / SS-2 replacement / boss ce-2 / TC flashback….

    Best regards and THANK YOU,
    Christophe

    [Please see my earlier reply. Let me know if I missed something… – Bjorn]

  74. Hello Bjorn,

    Actually I’m trying to build a correct “Division Bell pedalboard” with my gear…
    Could you just tell me if the effects’ order seems right to you:

    Guitar / Wah wah / dedicated Buffer / Tuner / Boss CS-2 / Ronsound Rams Head Big Muff / Boss BD-2 (set for vol boost) / Wampler Plexidrive (set for overdrive) / EHX Soul Food / boss ce-2 / mjm 60’s vibe / TC flashback….

    In the Division bell section, it seems not clear to me How David combines Big Muff (or RAT) with the tube drivers or the Soft Sustain….

    How does it work? Is it always the combo “Big Muff (or RAT) + Tube driver 1 set for vol. boost”,
    or the “Tube driver 2 set for overdrive” alone? or that same TD 2 (overdrive) in combo with soft sustain?

    By the way can you easily replace the Soft sustain with a EHX Soul Food?

    I also own a Mooer Pitch Box that I’d like to use to replace the digitech whammy…
    Where would you put it in the effects chain?

    I have a problem with the distortion / od / boster section in the effects chain…Do I have to put the effects from “the more gain to the less gain” , like ” Big Muff, then Xotic Sl drive , then Wampler tube driver (set for OD) , then boss Bd-2 (set for vol boost)”…. Is this the traditional way of doing it?

    Thank you for your precious help.

    Christophe

    [Gain effects should be arranged by gain if you combine them. The first pedal will dominate the tone, so for Muffs tones, place the Muff first then the booster, which will act more like an EQ. David mostly used the Muff with the clean booster, while the SS2 were combined with the overdrive Tube Driver. You need to match this with your amp anyway, so my best tip is to try not to get too focused on what he was doing. Use his setup as a guide and if needed, use different settings and pedal combinations to get the tones you want and that’s better suited for your rig and playing environment. The Soft Sustain is closer to a PlexiDrive or TS9 than the Should Food. – Bjorn]

  75. Not to change the subject but I loved the picture of Syd that started this article.
    When is Fender going to get off of their duff and make a Custom Shop model. I would love to see if any members made a Syd Tele themselves. But I totally understand about keeping the noise down. I have a Custom 2×12 HIWATT and I live in a condo. It has gotten to the point now when my next door neighbor comes and goes and try and play while he is gone. But I am in the process of building a studio so I do not have to worry about noise. What a project!! Thanks a million Bjorn for everything!

    [Cheers, Steve! – Bjorn]

  76. Hi Bjorn, thanks for another great article. And for answering my question over on the Soothsayer review, my Soothsayer is in the post! :-)

    I know you’ve recently played about with a Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister, I’m considering one as its a bit more versatile than my Lionheart. What are your thoughts on the amp, can you post a review and how much does it suit yGilmourish tones? As good as the Lionheart does?

    Also, anxiously awaiting the tone guide for The Greatest Show on Earth over on your website, can’t wait!

    Cheers,
    Jonathan

    PS. What are your thoughts on Neunaber, Earthquakes Dev and Mr. Black pedals? Check them out!

    [It’s two very different amps. The H&K is very pristine and modern sounding. The clean channel is very nice but it doesn’t handle pedals very well so I use the gain channel. It has lots of headroom so it’s no problem really. I like the tone and it’s a nice basis for all kinds of pedals. The Lionheart has a more vintage character, with a bit more mojo I guess. My perception of it is that it sounds like a mix between a Vox AC30 and an early JTM Marshall. It’s warm and fairly dark. I like both but cover different ground.
    The Airbag album guides will be up sometime after my new album is out :) – Bjorn]

  77. Hi Bjorn,
    It seems that the Laney Cub12R combo (or stack) name keeps popping up the most in this forum, when referencing amps. Like most, I too, own the combo version. Could you possibly consider doing a dedicated review of the cub 12R as I notice you repeatedly answering questions about the Cub12R? It may just save you some time. It sure would be nice to have an in-depth reference point detailing tone settings, pitfalls, possible upgrade options like driver and tube upgrade and any other interesting tidbit you think may help some of us, end users? I understand that you have many things on the burner (like the most eagerly awaited ‘Big Muff tone tutorial’), but an article on the Cub12R may really save you some quality time :)

    [I’ll see what I can do but it won’t be the first thing I do. There’s a new Floyd album on the way too, which needs some attention :) Please see the amp set up tutorial for settings etc. – Bjorn]

  78. Hello Bjorn,

    I have a few small amps and a strat. I am thinking about buying a Vox Ac4 and was wondering if it would do a resonable job at covering Gilmour’s tones, particularly on Wish You Were Here. Would one of my other amps, a transition era Champ, an Ampeg j12, and a blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb, be a better option? I can’t play very loud because of the neighbors, so it is hard to get the Deluxe to really open up.

    I am also purchasing a few pedals, a Dynacomp, a Tc Electronics Spark boost, and some big muff clone, although I may not end up getting the boost, unless it will be hard to get Gilmour’s tones without it.

    Also, great work on the new album, I really like what I’ve heard so far. I can’t wait to pick it up!

    Thanks,
    Will

    [Hi Will! I haven’t tried the AC4 so I can’t really tell. You should be able to get some very nice tones with all of these amps but it also depends on the pickups and pedals you use with them too. You might also want to look into the Laney Cub series. The Spark Booster is an all clean booster so it won’t do much for your overdrive tones. It’s a great tool for adding a bit more bite to your tones and for opening up the amp a bit but if you want to nail those WYWH overdrive tones, you might want to check out a Boss BD2, Fulltone OCD or Buffalo FX Powerbooster. – Bjorn]

  79. Hello All,

    I have a Laney Cub 12r and put high gain JJ tubes in it for some Led Zeppelin, etc. and it overheated and melted the board. Maybe it wasn’t the high gain tube’s fault but it was a meltdown either way. It’s been fixed but there are problems like Juan above experienced too just to warn others being a Chinese make (hence the price).

    On a good note I replaced the 2 x 12″ Laney cabinet speakers with Reeves Vintage Purples (which to warn you don’t really fit and I had to screw them in a little off center) and now it is a NOS amp (new old stock) with incredible tone. I had a Reeves Custom 50 before that sounded like a million bucks but was too loud to have in the house, as is the subject of this thread. So my point is I would highly recommend getting a Laney Cub 12r head for bedroom use but buy a loaded cabinet from Reeves or use Bjorn’s favorite Weber Thames, which also must be great, and eventually get a Reeves 50w head for big time use. The speaker upgrade makes more difference than I ever would have thought.
    Happy playing.

    1. My Laney Cub 12 also ran really hot, so I cool the rear with a small fan and it runs pretty cool now, hoping it lasts awhile. I envy your Reeves Custom 50, I can’t imagine how loud that or any big hiwatt must be.

      1. King Arne The Great

        Did you change the power amp tubes by yourself? The power amp tubes on the CUB12 are NOT self biasing, so if you are not sure what you are doing – see an amp tech if you want to replace those tubes. It’s not supposed to get scorching hot or melting anything inside.

  80. Hi Bjorn,

    The cub no longer satisfy me. I know you said tubes can be moody but for some reason my Cub has serious mood swings.

    I was thinking of getting a Laney Lionheart, never really liked Fender amps, but HK 18 has always interested me. Looks pretty to boot. What are your thoughts on them?

    My favourite tone is probably something like the Gdanks muff tones. Like Time. I also use a super crunch box for really saturated overdriven tones with smooooth mids.

    I’ll be trying out the tubemeister 18 soon as I have already tried and love the Lionheart but it is always a pleasure to hear your thoughts.

    Regards,

    Huy Tran

    [Just got a Tubemeister 18 my self and I really like it. It sounds warm, nicely balanced and very tight. Goes well with all kinds of pedals too. The Lionheart is a very different sounding amp. More vintage sounding I guess but they both nail most of David’s tones. Hard to choose but personally I prefer the Lionheart. – Bjorn]

  81. Bjorn, first I want to say thanks for keeping such an informative website running. I’ve learned so much thanks to your work.

    I also wanted to talk a little about that Laney Cub 12r, as there’s no separate review/page devoted to it. I bought one new, to have something different than a Blues Jr., which here in the States seems to be most peoples’ go-to 15w tube amp. The Cubby is a different flavor, for sure, and I loved gigging with it until it blew up on me. I had the same power issue and indicator lamp problem many who’ve posted on the the few forums devoted to the amp did, as well as the apparently recurring problem with the circuit board that is hard to work on. Finally, at a gig, the amp gave out completely and I was lucky my keyboard player was playing thru a Bassman 70, and could let me use it while he went direct.

    Long story short, my tech finally told me there’s not much worth doing to save/fix it, and I’m best selling it for parts if I can. It’s too bad, but there are serious design flaws with the amp that I hope Laney will address. They were onto something good and they blew it with shoddy Chinese workmanship.

    The Cubby and Blues Jr. both have serious gain on tap. I liked the Cubby because it could do a lot of things well, and was lightweight for lugging to rehearsals and smaller gigs. Mic’d up or thru an extension cab (a great feature), it roared, but cleaned up well, too. It was definitely more versatile than the Fender, but in the end, those Fenders are way more reliable. And we like reliable gear, don’t we?

    Currently, I have both a ’64 Gibson Falcon & a ’66 Ampeg Rocket. Both under 20 watts and way cleaner than the BJ & Cub. I like both a great deal, and they are quite different. Not exactly Gilmourish, but still super cool amps with lots of classic vibe.

    Thanks again.

    Cheers,
    ::J

    [Sorry to hear about your incident. Hope the gig went well :) The Cub is a nice little amp and it has some of that Hiwatt flavour, with a nice mid range and warmth. It’s a shame that they’ve compromised on the quality though and although I find it to be a nice addition in the studio I’d never gig or travel with it. It’s just too fragile and unreliable. Fender is a better choice but they also sound different. I recently bought a Hughes&Kettner Tubemeister 18 and couldn’t really be happier. Awesome tone and I’d no problem using it live. Cheers! – Bjorn]

    1. I found the Laney Cub 12 combo needs to be cooled with a small fan. I imagine the heat from the power transformer and tubes cooks the internal components. First time I used mine it sounded great but became very hot. So I attached a small computer fan near the power transformer and it runs cool now. Without it I’m sure the amp would not last and the same flaw may exist in the head version. Anyway, I love the hiwatt sound in particular Pete Townshend’s live tone. Do you have any suggestions about setting the Laney Cub 12 for those tones? Great website and I appreciate all the info found here.

  82. We all have the same problem : how to play and record in your flats with many neighbors ?

    I had a 20W Vox amp but couldn’t get over 3 or 4…So I sold it and bought the best solution for me :

    the torpedo cab by two notes.
    http://www.two-notes.com/en/hardware/torpedo-cab/
    It’a skeaker (including Hiwatt) and power amp simulator in a box. So you need preamp pedals before. that’s the trick : you need good pedals to make it shine
    But boy ! Now what i play and what I record is the exact same thing.

    you can find many videos that show what you can with
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oytol9u0lUU
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qU1v2WI41Q

    And yes it’s French ;-)))

    [Thanks for the tip! – Bjorn]

  83. I need my tubes, but an amp is still too loud for my bedroom setup. Amp modulation works very well for me! I can’t tell a difference between my real amp and the modulation.

  84. hi bjorn,
    my vox ac15hw as only got bass and treble controls, but no mids control, you talk about dailing in more mids, what would you do in my case ???????

    all the best, howard

    [Get an EQ, like the Boss GE7, and raise the 1.6k band. – Bjorn]

  85. messa express 5:25 plus has 25,5,1watt power scaling, it has built in messas EQ, two Chanel and 12″ speaker. SO with this features it’s probably one of the best combo for home recordings Gilmour (and not only) tones in market today ? What you think Bjorn about this ? Thx :)
    Never stop Gilmourizing!

    [I haven’t tried it but it seems to be a good choice :) – Bjorn]

  86. Hi Bjorn. What is the image you used as the illustration for this post?

    [It’s a picture of Syd from the Madcap days. I think it’s from the flat he used to live in. – Bjorn]

  87. Hey Bjorn, havent posted in awhile, hope you have been well. I would like to say that I feel you are wrong about the sound of Hiwatts and Fenders. I own a Hiwatt, Fender and Zinky (hotrodded fender deluxe reverb), and I have to say the amp that sounds more well balanced and like it does cranked is the Zinky. The Hiwatt is very thin and trebley and harsh at bedroom volumes. The Hiwatt doesnt work well with muffs on bedroom volume like the Zinky does. Though I will say my fender twin is worse then both no matter how loud I crank it or dont crank it. Just wanted to add my two cents from experience.

    [Well, tone depends on a great many things, including amp settings, speakers, pickups and what pedals you use. My experience seems to be a bit different than yours but in any case I wouldn’t recommend using a big Hiwatt at home. Fender amps can indeed deliver some really nice tones at low volume but again, it depends on how you set the amp and what gear you use with it. Not least, what tones you want :) – Bjorn]

    1. Agree, it’s all to do w amp & its settings. I’ve a Orange TT & @ 7 w it can blow out the windows. My practice studio is 16 X 25′ w 12′ ceiling, 2- SSL-1 & SSL-5, Weber MiniMass, PC-2A, Butler Tube Screamer, GE-7, Echosex 2, Boss CE-5 & DD-6 & I’m pulling my hair out trying to get an acceptable tone from this setup or other setups w other pedals but this one has been best but still thin & scratchy not warm & smooth. Thru headphones it sounds wonderful. I think I’ve tried most pedal arraignments but any suggestions would be fantastic. Thanks JR.

  88. Hi Bjorn and fellow Gilmourishners,

    I have a quick question in regards to boosting muffs. I have three pedals that I can use to boost muffs. A Mooer keeley bd2 clone with fat switch, Buffalo PB and TD with bias knob. The TD…forget about it. Just won’t work on my small cub12r amp. I love the sound of both the bd2 clone and Buffalo PB.

    It’s just that when I boost my muffs the difference is very minor. I can certainly tell the difference, even if it is minor, but I really doubt non guitarists can. So I was just wondering if there is supposed to be a pretty sizeable difference? For me it makes the muff smoother, the attack sharper (more trebly) and just gives it a bit more sustain and oomph. All of these differences are slight and I am just wondering if I am doing it wrong in terms of Gilmours’s tones. I would like to hear everyone’s opinion on this.

    Thank you as always.

    [You’ve pretty much nailed it :) The way David does it is basically to just add more character to the Muff. The booster isn’t boosting neither volume nor gain that much. A Muff has a very mids scooped tone, which often drown in a band mix. By adding a bit of boost, you’re adding more mids and enhancing the attack, which makes the Muff stand out more. – Bjorn]

  89. I’m only posting this because I’ve seen two posts about using attenuators the past week or so. I just want to let those unfamiliar with the boxes that go between your head, and cabinet, shorten the life of output tubes, and have been attributed to many burnt out transformers. IMHO, use of such an attenuator on a rare old tube amp is cgancing great heartache, and expense.

    Peace, Keith

  90. Very helpful information. Just purchased a Line6 HD500X and was a bit overwhelmed with all that is offered. Your info helped to find better tones via the digital settings. Thanks very much.

    [Glad to help :) – Bjorn]

  91. Hi Bjorn,

    I am very happy with my setup and I’ll be even happier once the Evolution gets here but I am still chasing the CN studio tone. It doesn’t need to be exact but I just love that huge edgy sound that is irresistibly smooth.

    I am using a Caprid rams head and buff PB. I think I am missing a rotary sim. I believe that is where a lot of the smoothness comes from. They are just so pricey though. I can get one comfortably in a years time (just bought a Japanese black strat and pickguard from stratcat.biz to build my very first black strat. The Japanese strat has a 57 tinted c shape maple neck. I love the neck on that thing) but like any other guitarist I am gassing for one now.

    Would you say the RT20 be my best option? That thing looks like heaps of fun. I am looking for a rotary sim that sounds good even in mono. Don’t really have the inclination to have a stereo setup at the moment.

    Thanks again Bjorn.

    [David’s rotary speakers has always been a huge part of his tone. Both live and in the studio. They add an extra dimension and smoothness. The RT20 sounds perhaps more like a very deep chorus but it’s great for replicating David’s rotary tones. Get the Lex if you want a real Leslie simulator and the RT20 for David’s tones :) – Bjorn]

  92. Great tips! Just a little question about booster in the fx loop. I have a dr z maz 18 and it has tons of headroom and I get it to break up at all in my apartment. How would you suggest i set up the volume, master volume and lets say a bk butler tube driver in the fx loop?

    [That depends very much on how you set the amp, what pickup you have and what pedals you use. Keep in mind that you want to boost the output stage and not use the pedal for overdrive or as a booster for your Muff or whatever. Personally I think a Tube Driver in the loop would be a bit overkill. Use it as a dedicated overdrive and place a Boss BD2 or TC Spark Booster in the loop :) – Bjorn]

  93. Hi Bjorn,

    Some very good points there, I was having problems getting a Big Muff sounding sweet a while ago, until I cranked it, it’s counter intuative but it works and it’s still bedroom friendly (for daytime use!).
    Great picture of Syd, looks like it’s from his ‘Madcap’ days, the room looks similar to the album cover, love that double bound Tele!

    Best wishes as always mate :@)

    Andy.

    [Cheers, Andy! Yep, that’s an outtake from the Madcap photo session I think. – Bjorn]

  94. Excellent! I’ve got a laney cub 12 with the master volume at 10 and gain at 4, using the 15W input. This is the warmer tone i could get from it, using a Vox Tonelab Ex as EQ and booster. Thanks!

  95. It was my main problem some years ago : trying to get a proper tone without disturbing the neighbours and, more important…the family ;)
    impossible with my solidstate Peavey amp. I tried the volume pedal into the effect loop. I could crank the gain and keep a lower volume, but it sounded…..strange

    I found a solution which suits me (and my family too) : effect/amps emulating.
    I choosed the Vox tonelab ST, mainly because of my budget.

    I know that I don’t play in the same league as you all with your tube amps and vintage pedals, but I am very glad with it.

    I can have a tone with lot of sustain, saturation, harmonics, even “larsen” feeling, but only by using headphones :)
    My family and neighbours are happy, and I am too :)
    and I can even recording, with a simple USB cable. No need mics, soundboard, etc…

    Of course, I am aware that it never will be like the “real” deal, but when I listen to my recordings, I do not feel ashamed :

    jams with hendrix-style tones (50W plexi, wah, univibe, fuzzface) : http://soundcloud.com/jfstrat/sets/jams

    self compositions with different tones (effects : comp, phaser, flanger,chorus, TS9, vox wah, delay, tremolo, orange disto, fuzz…. amps : vox AC15, JTM45, dumble overdrive, roland Jazz Chorus, matchless, fender blackface…. ): http://soundcloud.com/jfstrat/sets/tranches-musicales

    nevertheless, your articles are always very helpful Bjorn, and I hope someday to be able to play on a real amp again :)

    [Thanks for sharing! Amp simulations have come a long way and you can get some really nice tones with them. A nice alternative if you just can’t play through amps :) – Bjorn]

  96. Hi Bjorn,

    I have an old (very old) Marshall PA20. Its a lovely amp (if a tad noisy). It has no fx loop or master gain but I do have an attenuator.

    Should I set this to be on the edge of breakup and use the attenuator, leaving the board as is ?

    (board is wah->comp->boss boost->boss dist->tc dark matter-> muff->eh mistress->phase90->boss chorus->boss echo->ibanez echo->eh cathedral)

    Cheers

    LoneDeranger

    [Try it. I often find that attenuators are redundant unless you drive the amp really hard. You might want to just leave the attenuator, set the amp as you required and use a volume pedal at the end of your pedal chain to adjust the volume. – Bjorn]

  97. Great article Bjorn! You should select a few pedals that can be very versatile and useful for bedroom practice. I know you already wrote a million times about different pedals, but set the “ultimate bedroom pedalboard setup” would help a lot.

    Congrats on the new solo album, the first single it’s a killer!

    [Thanks for your kind words, Diego! I plan on doing more of these bedroom features… :) – Bjorn]

  98. Great article!!!!!!!!!!
    I have my basement for my self. I have a fender De ville
    my master volume was at number 2, so I set it up to the settings that you recommend in the article and I have better sound!!
    Thank you so much!!!!

    [Glad to help! – Bjorn]

  99. Hey Bjorn, nice tips!
    But what for poor students who can afford nothing more than a 15w solid state Peavey and a Korg multieffect pedalboard? :D

    [Some of the tips should apply anyway. Adjust the settings on your amp and add as much mid range to the amp and pedals as possible. Be careful with the treble. – Bjorn]

  100. Hey Bjorn,
    Very refreshing and informative article. Thanks.
    Still waiting for the Deluxe Big Muff review, though :)

    [Thanks! Send me one and I’ll do a review :) – Bjorn]

  101. Hi Bjorn, great article! In the past 3 months I have reconstructed my rig for getting the best tone possible. I am a bedroom player myself like most of us. I changed my speakers to webers Thames, placed buffers from this1smyne in front and in back of my pedalboard, and I built a closed back cab similar dimensions to the Wem 4×12. These changes made a total difference in my tone. The buffers from this1smyne are tiny but work excellent. I highly recommend them. Thanks to you and the everyone on this site I have a setup that I am happy with. Your site has an abundance of info for guitarist. Thanks again. Denis from Miami,Fl.

    [Thanks for sharing, Denis :) – Bjorn]

  102. Bjorn, My plan is to use the Ibanez TS15 head on it’s 5w setting to record. Here’s the rub. It only has volume, bass, and treble, but it is a bit middy to begin with, and it doesn’t really have a effects loop, it has the TS9 built it, and the so called loop, is just like using a tube screamer, and plugging into the output of the TS, then into the actual input of the amp, so I just plug into the”Return”, which is the actual input of the amp. Okay, now that you have an idea of the set up, the main issue. Since changing to the JJs, the amp on 15, or 5 watts is aalmost impossible to distort. It has so much headroom, that you have to turn the volume to max to get any break up, and even at 5w, it’s a loud little beast by the time it starts to have any break up. The tubes are glowing beautifully, and the amp sounds great, but my opinion is that it was made to be clean unless you kick in the TS circuit. It has a Seventy 80,( the worst speaker celestion makes IMO. Do you think I’d be better off installating a Greenback, or Vintage 30? At 5, or even 15 watts, I think an 80 watt speaker is just too much. Playing, I can get almost the same tones I get from my Reeves, but recording is going to be a different story I think. I was considering another Avatar Vintage 212G ( Bluesbreaker style cab), with 2 Greenbacks. What say you on all of the above.

    Thanks yet again my fine fingered friend, Keith

    [Hi Keith! You don’t really want the amp to distort. At least not when using gain pedals anyway. Even with the JJs you should be able to dial in a “hot” tone and add pedals on top of that. I think Celestion V30s would do the job nicely. They’re very nice balanced, with a smooth mid range and less low end compared to many of the other Celestions. In regards to recording – mid range is a good thing and I think you’ll find that your recordings will sound warmer and more balanced if you allow a bit more mids than what you feel is natural. – Bjorn]

    1. You plug your guitar into the return? Well no wonder it won’t distort – by plugging into the return you are actually BYPASSING the entire preamp of the amplifier! The preamp is where all the tonality of the amplifier actually happens… including the TS808 circuit which is the main selling point of the amp. The poweramp section, where your guitar signal is going in, according to your post, is simply there to make things LOUD and adds almost no tonal character until VERY loud sound levels, as it seems you found out.

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