Trey's DR. Pics?

[Heady Jam Fan]

Down is right - I can't keep up with Trey and amps haha!  But that is why I settled on the Deluxe Reverb (well Vintage 22) - it's perfect for home use and playing backyard gigs -

I think that's simply an old A/B box... He uses the same amp switcher whether he's using the Mesa and Fender, Mesa and Bogner, Mesa and Victoria.


Does anybody how Trey uses the channels on the Mesa for clean and dirt tones? Does he only use one channel?

Does he use the same switch for the Mesa? He usually has a jack going into the front for the footswitch that toggles the lead on and off, but I don't think his AB box would work there. He also has his settings marked on gaffer tape for the lead channel of the Mesa. When I've used his settings, its less bass and a bit overdriven.

[Down_With_Sco]

Well however he uses the Mesa foot switches are separate from the amp A/B box I'm suggesting. All I know is I've seen that AB box in many pictures and webcasts from 2011.

I'm just interested to know if Trey does use more than one channel on the Mesa these days.

[fulltone1989]

Well however he uses the Mesa foot switches are separate from the amp A/B box I'm suggesting. All I know is I've seen that AB box in many pictures and webcasts from 2011.

I'm just interested to know if Trey does use more than one channel on the Mesa these days.

From what I saw NYE there was a bogner head in Mark's spot but I haven't examined pictures to see if it was on the whole night.

[Heady Jam Fan]

Well however he uses the Mesa foot switches are separate from the amp A/B box I'm suggesting. All I know is I've seen that AB box in many pictures and webcasts from 2011.

I'm just interested to know if Trey does use more than one channel on the Mesa these days.

From what I saw NYE there was a bogner head in Mark's spot but I haven't examined pictures to see if it was on the whole night.

You guys might be able to tell... I almost never watch the videos, just listen. But I thought he had two Bogner's: a combo and a head.
He might have had the Mesa, or maybe it was the Bogner head.

[Heady Jam Fan]

Very interesting Hady...no I don't use the TS-9 for my clean at all.  Just a Ross and the amp.  And I find that compresses and sounds great.  I definitely don't like the TS-9 on for my clean.

I find that the TS-9's, at least in my set up, sound better w/ the levels turned down a bit.  Trey has often mentioned that his Ross sort of counteracts the volume boost caused by the TS9.  But i can't really seem to achieve that.  I've also heard he likes the TS-9 volume at max b/c it sounds best, and I agree with that.  My only problem doing that is the volume gets a good deal louder, even w/ the Ross chasing it.

I used to struggle with that too - I still do sometimes, but I'm getting better.

I think part of maxing the volume on the TS is that is hits the comp harder, which is similar to turning up the sustain knob, thus when he turns his volume down for cleans, his compressor is keeping him louder (than if the TS9s volume isn't cranked).

Try messing around with this sometime when you can crank the amp up a bit more. I'll bet you get a better clean to dirty transition. Also maybe try a boost somewhere otherwise (before or after the comp).

I was thinking about this some more.
I wonder if, since your setting up the amp without a TS9 for cleans, if your dialing in less treble / bass to make it more midrange-focused to sound like Trey's cleans (obviously our amps, volume and speakers differ, but I have my treble at about 7)? If so, when you turn on the TS9, your not only getting a volume boost, but 'double' the midrange-focused (since you already dialed it in that way for cleans). I tried my cleans without the TS9 last night and did not dig the transition either. Then I took my PQ9 and dialed it in to be just about as loud as my cleaner TS9 with a similar midrange character (mid-hump at 700hz, see pic below), but a slightly flatter EQ and used it for a clean tone-shaper/boost. I thought it had really good results (probably especially for the low-volume scenario).



At low volumes, as I mentioned before, I find rolling back my volume to clean up a TS leaves me with a dark and quiet clean sound. At higher volumes, the amp is compressed enough that my cleans are present and shimmering. So sometimes at lower volumes, I would add a boost or EQ to my signal that I would turn on after rolling back my volume knob. Using the PQ9 instead got a similar result, but the clean was totally clean whereas a TS9 isn't completely clean just using my volume knob. I also think the slightly dirty TS sometimes sounds great for cleans and sometimes bugs me. Without the upper harmonics of that overdrive, I definitely needed more treble in my PQ9 to cut-through.

[Hoody]

This is actually really helpful, I think you may be right.  I do generally cut my treble way, way down.  Like 1-3ish on the dial.  The bass I keep higher, maybe like 4-5.  On my amps with a mid, i put that at like 7. 

So maybe you're right, when I kick on the TS9, i'm getting 2x the mid and not enough treble. 

The problem with that is that I really, really like my clean sound.  And I like the light TS-9 sound for notes (but not so much for chords).  For chords the TS-9's just seem a little too garbled and muddy to me.  I love it on notes though, the sustain and "sing" is really good. 

I'll try turning up the treble on the amp and see if that helps. 

[Hoody]

Out of curiosity, what era of tone do people prefer? 

I think mine is pretty easily the '97/'98 period.  I re-listened to the fall '97 Auburn Hills show and Island tour recently, and there was something about that tone that really stood out to me.  It was actually even different from the Great Went '97 tone (which I also loved).  Its hard to describe, but to me it sounds as if the Ross/Deluxe Reverb are doing their very best job of catching the Languedoc's tone.  Like you can hear the full hollowness, he plucks a note and you hear it kind of in the back.  It resonates and reverberates. 

If you listen to Hampton Comes Alive (particularly clean songs like cry baby cry, or train song), that tone is also fantastic, but sounds like his DR is overdriven slightly less and he has a bit more squish in the Ross on. 

Very interested in other people's takes.

[fulltone1989]

Out of curiosity, what era of tone do people prefer? 

I think mine is pretty easily the '97/'98 period.  I re-listened to the fall '97 Auburn Hills show and Island tour recently, and there was something about that tone that really stood out to me.  It was actually even different from the Great Went '97 tone (which I also loved).  Its hard to describe, but to me it sounds as if the Ross/Deluxe Reverb are doing their very best job of catching the Languedoc's tone.  Like you can hear the full hollowness, he plucks a note and you hear it kind of in the back.  It resonates and reverberates. 

If you listen to Hampton Comes Alive (particularly clean songs like cry baby cry, or train song), that tone is also fantastic, but sounds like his DR is overdriven slightly less and he has a bit more squish in the Ross on. 

Very interested in other people's takes.

97/98 for me too. The live in Brooklyn tone was nice too. In particular the winston-salem box set. The tone on Weekapaug groove is pure bliss. No idea why he changed it up.

[No Nice Guy]

Out of curiosity, what era of tone do people prefer? 

I think mine is pretty easily the '97/'98 period.  I re-listened to the fall '97 Auburn Hills show and Island tour recently, and there was something about that tone that really stood out to me.  It was actually even different from the Great Went '97 tone (which I also loved).  Its hard to describe, but to me it sounds as if the Ross/Deluxe Reverb are doing their very best job of catching the Languedoc's tone.  Like you can hear the full hollowness, he plucks a note and you hear it kind of in the back.  It resonates and reverberates. 

If you listen to Hampton Comes Alive (particularly clean songs like cry baby cry, or train song), that tone is also fantastic, but sounds like his DR is overdriven slightly less and he has a bit more squish in the Ross on. 

Very interested in other people's takes.

I like the Mesa/Ocedoc combo of summer 2012/NYE 2012.  I'm also pretty into the tone he had going in late 95 (Albany YEM, 12/31 Mike's, etc)

[the_great_lemon]

I like the Mesa/Ocedoc combo of summer 2012/NYE 2012.  I'm also pretty into the tone he had going in late 95 (Albany YEM, 12/31 Mike's, etc)

I totally agree Guy....good taste!! 

[Hoody]

Interesting, and thanks for sharing.  I went back to listen to those eras a bit just to remind myself exactly what the tone was like.  To me the 2012 summer Ocedoc/Mesa sound is a little bit thinner, a little less warm, and a little more harsh.  It still sounds really good, but just (to my ear at least) not quite as smooth.  As if he has the treble a little higher, or the Ross down a bit.

I actually think that may also have to do with the guitar.  I know some of the more recent Languedocs have brass (as opposed to bone), and that can make the guitar really harmonic, but also a little harsher sounding.  Which may be what I think i'm hearing in 2012.

Pretty subjective question, we all have very different tastes.  Even when listening to one guitarists' sound.  Which is a credit to how much everyone here pays attention and knows their stuff.

I like that '95/'96 sound, too.  Jazzier.  Really round sounding to me (amazing how hard it is to really find the right word to articulate what you hear with your ears).

[Hoody]

Fulltone - I'm not sure how much merit this has, but one theory is that he didn't "change it up" for the sake of getting a new sound or anything like that.  Rather, a guitarists hearing really changes as time goes on if they play like that for a career.  It sounds different to them.  I'm not old enough and i haven't played enough gigs in front of 70k fans to really know how valid that is, but that is the word I've received from other professionals.  What sounded good, just doesn't anymore.  So they -- like us -- keep seeking tone.
 

[Heady Jam Fan]

I also thought 2012 sounded thin. I've been trying to get through entire summer tours straight through and got tired of the 2012 tone. It was also the second year he was panned rather than really wide stereo. I really enjoyed some aspects of this year with the bogner, but it's hard to be a live one (the only problem with the rest of that era is recording quality isn't as good).

[Jkendrick]

I just listened to the Island Tour YEM with this discussion in mind. His cleans sound almost like he's using a parked wah. Is that the Ross? It's a very different clean than that studio LxL we have been discussing.


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[Hoody]

Its really hard to say what any specific tone is caused by just from listening to it.  I was only familiar with the limb by limb tone b/c I was working on trying to get it.  Trey used to use the Ross w/ a lot more compression (say like 94-97), and then started turning it down a bit. 

He also could turn things up or down on the DR for tour, just moving the volume from 3-4 (the sweetspot), to 4-5 changes it quite a bit.  And on the Languedoc his options are pretty wide open and change the tone a ton. I'd guess that he may have just gone into series on his pickups, I think that is what it sounds like most to me on that YEM.

He also had a cab on tour, which sounds different than straight out of the DR.  I think sometimes in the studio he goes more straight out of a Princeton or DR than you'd think.  Now he actually bypasses all his pedals on tour quite a bit.