Omg the schematic show it running 3 12ax7s to a solid state rectifier and power amp…. That’s why it has a ungodly amount of gain thank you for this now imma find one that I can turn into a head
Ha! Exactly the opposite of the Music Man RD112 combo I was playing in early 80s trying to get the Billy tone. That has solid state preamp (it may have had one 12AX7 in there?) and a pair of 6L6 on the power amp. It was really creamy and F-loud. Stupidly sold it to fund a JCM800 50w combo that was a face melting one trick pony, and then REALLY stupidly sold that for a Boogie Studio 22+ that I really couldn’t dial in for gigs. I need a time machine….
@@ErikThomasMusic Now I’ve had time to check, Music Man’s 1980 release of drawing 5004, shows a single 12AX7 in the pre, and a pair of 6L6 in the power amp.
The intro riff of "I Need You Tonight" haunts me. The tones on that record are insane. I figured it was played on Marshalls or the brown Fender amp he played. Cool info! Thanks for sharing!
I had one of these for a short time, very cool amp. I enjoyed it quite a bit but I had to trade it for something I coveted more, a 1960 Fender Pro. Otherwise it would still be in my studio lol! Great vid, Johan!
I can remember when I had only been playing for some months, my dad asked me to play Sharp Dressed Man for him. Off the top of my head I broke into the main riff, and I was struck by how *wrong* it sounded through my practice amp. That tone is so unique.
Maybe 15-20 years ago I went through several of these amps, one combo and two heads. They actually did sound pretty decent, especially using an attenuator. Both the heads eventually crapped out and I had no luck finding anyone to work on the things locally. By that time they had gained some collectors interest and I was able to sell them on eBay for more than I paid for them. I still have the factory 2-12 and 1-12 oak cabinets with the original Celestion G12-80 speakers. Pretty unusual and cool looking (I replaced the ratty wicker grills with tweed cloth) and sound great.
These amps were made right here in syracuse new York and as a 64 yr old I member playing these from time to time,people tended to compare them to boogies but much more affordable.not boogie is at all in my opinion but still cool.😊
I have a Legend 4x12, with 80 watt celestions, rare silver dust caps for almost 40 years now. Awesome tone and built like a tank!! I had the 30 watt combo too but sold it well over 20 years ago. I believe Billy used the 30 watt version not the 50
@@JohanSegeborn My opinion, the 50 sounds better. Overall I felt I could not get a good tone out of it. However as time goes on my taste and ears changed! I don’t play the same music I used to so maybe it would be sound good to me now? I don’t know. At the time I thought it was kind of sterile sounding . If that makes any sense.
This is 100% true. The Rockman X100 wasn't used for everything on the album but you can hear it layered into almost every song. Later albums used the Rockman exclusively.
Johan, I bought the 50 watt Legend Head new when they first came out. I ran it through a 4/12 cabinet, and it would blister! Thank you for sharing this rare amp, they really sound amazing! Cheers!!
I actually got a very similar sound out of a Peavey Valveking 50 watt combo. I changed the speaker to a EVM-12L and it sounded so clear and powerful. (mic'd with SM57's) Then for lead tones I added a tubescreamer. That cost me a total of about $500 back in the mid 2000's. There's always a way to get good workable tones on a tight budget.
Great video, as always!! I have one. Build quality would put many boutique builders to shame. Not great for cleans, even a bit harsh on lower volumes to be honest. However, using the gain channel is very satisfying with a good humbucker. Instantly recognizable sound.
Thanks for the video. My Head´s in Mississippi was recorded with a Marshall Lead 12 solid state amp using it with a 2x12 cabinet. I tried it at my home since I got one. It sounds exactly like the record. Until today I have no information on the gear used to record Eliminator.
For överdriven (random umlaut - I'll leave it in) and distorted sounds, some cheap amps produce quite usable tones. After all, people swear by various overdrive and fuzz pedals that are really quite crude, so why should a cheap and crude amp necessarily be bad? For nice cleans, it may be a different story. Ditto edge of breakup with lots of organic sustain.
1 x 12 is where its at. Unless you take the time to mic up every speaker / replace them for a consistent tone...Its crazy how many 2/4x12 cabs have only one speaker that sounds good. Plus if you are using close mic/dynamic all those extra speakers / cab size if very insignificant. You'd get more drastic change in tone by just changing the preamp impedance. However a 4x12 cab with "matched speakers" mic up with a condenser at working distance is a thing of beauty, but imposable to use at a live show...🍻🤘
I tried if a 4x12 with only one speaker still sounds like 4x12 if only close miked here: ua-cam.com/video/Aba8WaCz_Dg/v-deo.html 1x12 is indeed sufficient for recording
Excellent as always. Please johan, it’s time for you to do a long video on the UAFX Lion! Maybe even compare with the real thing. I’m a convert and slowly getting rid of the amps even 😮
Great tones as usual. Another UA-camr I follow, who is a great player and singer, has one or more of these Legend amps. If you get time, look him up. I think you guys would get on quite nicely. God bless and rock on 👍😎🎸
Syracuse knows all about these amps and almost no one uses them. I’ve considered buying one but they’re pretty heavy and brutally loud. Def sound amazing, would love to record with one.
yep, Syracusan here also. Made here in our backyard, lol.. but as far as I remember only a few local players used Legends BITD and I don't think they were popular maybe because they sounded a bit harsh.
There's really nobody on youtube that can dial and amp in like you dude XD every piece of gear sounds fucking sweet XD. This amp would sound great playing ccr riffs too.
Sounds like it would do the job on that album once you take into account Post production, compression,reverb and of course snake oil juice and The Reverend's Mojo. Cheers from Hawaii Johan. Thank you. Darrell
One of my all time favorite guitar tones on any album, had no idea what Billy was using. I guess I always assumed it was some studio magic. The amp even though it's not going into crazy gain territory, you can hear the tone is there. I wonder if you pushed the amp with something like a MXR Microamp + if you could get the gain without as much feedback?
This video brought back some memories! I knew a guy who had this exact amp back in the late 80's. It was the worst sounding amp I've ever heard. He tried replacing the tubes and speaker, too. No luck. The tone was terribly brittle and had zero lows and mids and there was nothing that could be done about it. And yes, the speaker cover is wicker. LOL!
@@JohanSegeborn I don't set your standards, my friend. You do with your excellent playing and great content! Anyone who can make this amp sound good is magician! Bravo!
Yeah I own this very Amp in the early 80’s and I absolutely hated it - some idiot recommended me to buy it - I never liked my tone until I finally bought a first year JCM900 half stack in the early 90s and cranked it… I fell in love instantly
It sounds good, but needs more gain.. 😂. I have never heard of this amp, but I saw them on that tour and he played a white fur guitar that I thought was a PRS, but may have been a dean or custom guitar. On tour he did play a coulle Deans. A z or two type guitar and the white guitar with fur. ❤
Personally I think the real winner here is the G12H-100. I've got an old Randall RG80 that came loaded with one of these and it's never sounded bad with anything I've put in front of it. All around just a great driver- in an open back cab. Didn't like it in a closed back cabinet, so it went right back into the combo.
I used to sit on the floor, legs criss crossed and twisted, and play. Looks familiar. However, my back cannot stand (!) such way of existense anymore. By the way, the amp sounds, well, acceptable! :D
Didn't Billy use a Tom Shultz Rockman on Eliminator and Recycler? I have one I purchased back in the early 90's because I heard an interview with Billy stating that he used it. It nails that Eliminator sound.
@@JohanSegeborn I read an interview with Billy that he said he used a semi defective guitar instrument cord to get him that extra fuzz....maybe you could do a video on that? Skol 🍺!!
@@JohanSegeborn have you done a video on the Gibson 498T? If there's a "standard humbucker", and I mean capital S Standard, it's that. I've had a flametop Studio for 6 years now, and it's remarkable to me, a guy who can't seem to leave guitars stock, that I've never felt the need to upgrade. The urge, sure! A Fluence Classic set would be perfect...but, have any pickups ever been put in more guitars? There's a lot to love - it's a JB without the love/hate factor - and I doubt any model of pickup is in more guitars today than the 490/498 set. Buzz Osborne even put them in his $5000 aluminum customs.
I find it odd you like the Legend Amplifier. When they came out it was considered the poor mans Boogie. I listened to your demo and it's not a tone that I would find appealing, which might address the question, why are they so cheep?
Yeah it could address the question if most players shared your personal preferences. It’s not an amp for livingroom playing. I can tell you that much. If the prices stay down you will be proven right. So let’s see
You can get all the same gear, same amps, same recording techniques etc , but to get the sound right you need to pay more attention to the finer details and dynamics of picking and fingering. Not to mention gain settings and guitar volume and on Eliminator probably a shitload of compression.. Dont forget : what you hear on the album has gone through some serious editing to make it sound well.. lets call it radio ready. So that combo is never gonna sound the same in the room as it does on the album. Nevertheless.. nice effort this video 👍
Thanks Steve! In the interview Terry mentioned that he still has the amp and one of the Deans they used. And he plugged it in recently and got the album tone. I’m gonna try to EQ (amp) it differently and max all gains
Terry Manning said he recorded and mixed Eliminator on his Soundcraft 1600, that's what I use in my studio. Do you have a link or remember where you heard the interview where he mentions the mic techniques?
@JohanSegeborn I remember seeing a pict of his guitar rig. Running 6 Bixonic Expandora fuzz pedals. Don't know "when" he started doing this. Eliminator has some greasy tones for sure. Love the channel 🤘🤘
I've had several of these Legend Rock and Roll 50 amps. It is unbelievably loud - even at outdoor gigs in farm fields I didn't get the master past 4. Also, it sounded great in the band mix but by itself it just didn't sound good to my ears. SHIT! I should have waited for this video to come out before I sold it! I would have easily have gotten double out of it.
@@JohanSegeborn Sounds like a Marshall to me. He was one of the first American artists to get them. Jeff Beck was able to get them for him since Gibbons helped Beck out on some other stuff. Thoughts?
@@JohanSegeborn I do. If you are in the know. You would know. I can’t name people. Run a rockman distortion and chorus through a Marshall cab if you get the chance. There is more to it, but he didn’t always play. Dark days for zztop. But they came back on xxx and other albums
@@JohanSegeborn oh, please don’t share this. I love zztop. I was just sharing the tone. I’m not trying to start a fight or anything. That’s what I was told by people that worked on the album.
@@JohanSegeborn Tonex works very very well, you get the gear, hich is reasonably price, especially used or B stock, follow the directions, and it does its thing. You can share on the tone exchange or sell your captures.
@@JohanSegeborn rockman, drugs, alcohol, whatever they could get out of billy that day. But I know he still uses those 50/50 marshals and doesn’t use the amps on stage
It’s got a bunch of gain knobs. I have preamp level at 4 and lead level at 5 here. That’s as much gain as I can use without uncontrollable feedback. But if you keep your hands on the strings and edit out the feedback like they did according to Terry, it’s got a lot more gain on tap.
@@JohanSegeborn So this LEGEND amplifier also multiple gain controls compared to a fender or marshal amplifier? Those Billy Gibbons Pinch Harmonics tones are from this LEGEND amplifier it has a certain sound that you don't get using a fender, laney, marshall using pinch harmonics don't sound the same with these amplifiers.
Billy Gibbons used a brown face fender Deluxe for the first 3 or 4 albums which I'm not sure if the Deluxe amplifier used the Jenson or oxford because the Jenson is Alnico magnets which is a darker tone while the Oxford is ceramic which has a brighter tone and punchy. I think he would turn ON the tremolo unit circuit with the DEPTH turned down to zero because it used 4 preamp tubes for the HARMONIC Tremolo circuit which gave him more gain. Have you tried this out and make a video lesson would be really nice
Oh man, Johan, i really likes your videos, but it‘s not necessary that you skip lunch! Or do I misinterpret that with the headphone cable in your mouth?
In this video I compare this very guitar to 3 different bursts. ua-cam.com/video/xeiLT6t9O2A/v-deo.htmlsi=e-gturlKMUjxTQW5 It’s good enough for me. We can make a video to find out if your pickups are as close to a couple of PAFs if you want?
@@JohanSegeborn Thanks, but I already have quite a few direct comparisons to real PAF's on my channel (www.youtube.com/@SDPickups/videos). I don't send out pickups for reviews, all my models are in my guitars and too much of a hassle to take the guitars apart and the pickups take up to 15 hours to make a full set from scratch, being that I make 95% of all the parts myself. I'm overloaded with work and can't take the time. I'll watch your video, thanks. I'll post links to two of them, this first one was a very recent blind audio poll, with a real 1959 PAF set and my work. 60% thought mine were the real ones. Mine are not meant to be a copy of the '59's, they were both 7.6K, my bridge was 8.8K, so obviously the '59's were brighter: ua-cam.com/video/c_YDr-lQ9pI/v-deo.htmlsi=Wqmw-AJhmTvHbtwt This much older video was a different rig with a vintage' 73 Vibroluxe into a Celestion Alnico speaker. Pretty bright rig, but it does show extreme details. These WERE meant to be as close a clone of this particular set, its proof of the knowledge gained over 20+ years: ua-cam.com/video/r17XQ3Vj02Q/v-deo.htmlsi=R0K8Cb-NLTADdnD9
I wasn’t asking you for a set, I prefer to buy the gear on the used market or borrow from friends. I’m sure someone will pitch in. And to be honest, none of the many boutique brands I have tried have been close to really good units of the PAF. So if your claim is correct it’s certainly good news.
Cheap rigs, especially combos, don’t become “Classics” because 95% of guitar players are total posers, who want everyone to think they’re good, because they own either expensive gear, or heads/cabs that are unnecessarily big or powerful, and never sound great, because they can’t run them hard enough to get the best from them…
@@JohanSegeborn I’m grateful to people like yourself, Joe Bonamassa, Brian May, and others, who are now appearing in UA-cam videos, promoting the kind of 20W-30W combos that iconic guitarists have been using at home and in the studio, since the 1960s. Modern PA systems have made big expensive heads and cabs theoretically obsolete…. I only keep mine, because I’ve had them since the early 1970s, when they were absolutely necessary… And ‘I’ve grown very fond of them, even though I never use them anymore…
It sound nothing like Eliminator, not even a bit, sounds like a cheap transistor amp from the 90s. Awful sound, I wouldn't even pay 60$ for it. So what's wrong with me. kind regards
Yeah you’re partly right about that, when I google cheap guitar amps I get results between 100-250 bucks. The Legend is cheap in relation to what a new amp with a similar tone would cost today
I’m showing you the amp without pedals and post production. A couple of viewers have suggested he used gain pedals also. You have been unhappy with a couple videos now so maybe there are other channels that would suit your needs better?
@@JohanSegeborn It has nothing to do with your videos, Johan. I like them. For my taste the sound is to sharp, to trebly. That's my meaning. Maybe due postproduction the sound would be more round and smoother ? I say It again, your videos are great, and I like to watch them. 😁😄😁
That Legend amp sounds legendary !
😉
I need more vids of Johan jamming whilst chewing on the headphone cable! This rocks!
Hahaha! Sorry about the graphics 😂
Omg the schematic show it running 3 12ax7s to a solid state rectifier and power amp…. That’s why it has a ungodly amount of gain thank you for this now imma find one that I can turn into a head
Johan thank you for all your amazing work over the years,always giving away gold nuggets of tone knowledge
Thanks, really glad to hear that!
3 x 12AX7 preamp followed bwith a transistors power amp (2 x 3055) for a strong 50W ! Some where loaded with Celestion speakers (G12-80)
Thanks, great info
Ha! Exactly the opposite of the Music Man RD112 combo I was playing in early 80s trying to get the Billy tone. That has solid state preamp (it may have had one 12AX7 in there?) and a pair of 6L6 on the power amp. It was really creamy and F-loud. Stupidly sold it to fund a JCM800 50w combo that was a face melting one trick pony, and then REALLY stupidly sold that for a Boogie Studio 22+ that I really couldn’t dial in for gigs. I need a time machine….
@@ErikThomasMusic Now I’ve had time to check, Music Man’s 1980 release of drawing 5004, shows a single 12AX7 in the pre, and a pair of 6L6 in the power amp.
The intro riff of "I Need You Tonight" haunts me. The tones on that record are insane. I figured it was played on Marshalls or the brown Fender amp he played. Cool info! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks glad to hear it!
I had one of these for a short time, very cool amp. I enjoyed it quite a bit but I had to trade it for something I coveted more, a 1960 Fender Pro. Otherwise it would still be in my studio lol! Great vid, Johan!
Thanks Ryan!
I can remember when I had only been playing for some months, my dad asked me to play Sharp Dressed Man for him. Off the top of my head I broke into the main riff, and I was struck by how *wrong* it sounded through my practice amp. That tone is so unique.
Yeah it really needs those sparkling transients
A friend of mine had a 100W head and marching 4x12 by them about 20 years ago. It was fantastic.
Maybe 15-20 years ago I went through several of these amps, one combo and two heads. They actually did sound pretty decent, especially using an attenuator. Both the heads eventually crapped out and I had no luck finding anyone to work on the things locally. By that time they had gained some collectors interest and I was able to sell them on eBay for more than I paid for them. I still have the factory 2-12 and 1-12 oak cabinets with the original Celestion G12-80 speakers. Pretty unusual and cool looking (I replaced the ratty wicker grills with tweed cloth) and sound great.
These amps were made right here in syracuse new York and as a 64 yr old I member playing these from time to time,people tended to compare them to boogies but much more affordable.not boogie is at all in my opinion but still cool.😊
I think it sounds much more like a Marshall
I have a Legend 4x12, with 80 watt celestions, rare silver dust caps for almost 40 years now. Awesome tone and built like a tank!! I had the 30 watt combo too but sold it well over 20 years ago. I believe Billy used the 30 watt version not the 50
Interesting do you have any reference for the 30W?
@@JohanSegeborn My opinion, the 50 sounds better. Overall I felt I could not get a
good tone out of it. However as time goes on my taste and ears changed! I don’t play the same music I used to so maybe it would be sound good to me now? I don’t know.
At the time I thought it was kind of sterile sounding . If that makes any sense.
I almost get inspired to start playing. Sounds like my favorite music guitarr sound.
By all means, do start !
...a world of fun and satisfaction awaits you, mate!
Thanks man, makes my day to hear that!
Thanks for sharing, sounds totally epic! Gota find one of these.
Thanks Edward! Glad you like it!
I read an article that they uses a Scholz Rockman for the eliminator album…I’m probably wrong. Thanks for the video.
I’ve heard they used Rockman on the Afterburner album. that’s a great amp too with many classic 80s hits
@@JohanSegeborn yes , I had one and experimented a lot with it.
This is 100% true. The Rockman X100 wasn't used for everything on the album but you can hear it layered into almost every song. Later albums used the Rockman exclusively.
I remember reading that it was a modded rock man but might have been the next album
Amazing 😊! Thanks Johan.
Thanks Paul!
Johan, I bought the 50 watt Legend Head new when they first came out. I ran it through a 4/12 cabinet, and it would blister! Thank you for sharing this rare amp, they really sound amazing! Cheers!!
Glad to hear it! Cheers!
I actually got a very similar sound out of a Peavey Valveking 50 watt combo. I changed the speaker to a EVM-12L and it sounded so clear and powerful. (mic'd with SM57's) Then for lead tones I added a tubescreamer. That cost me a total of about $500 back in the mid 2000's. There's always a way to get good workable tones on a tight budget.
Cool, did you record it?
I have 2 EVM15Bs and they sound great!
@@JohanSegeborn I did an album of 7 tunes with that amp and a Valveking halfstack back in 2013 that was so fun to make.
@@wabbadu1would love to hear that! Always enjoyed the Valveking sound
Really an amazing sound, cheers! 👏👏👏👏
Thanks! Glad to hear it
Hi, Johan!
Thank you very much for the explanation! ZZ Top FOREVER!!!❤
SEE YOU!
S.
Thanks man! Cheers!
Great video, as always!!
I have one. Build quality would put many boutique builders to shame. Not great for cleans, even a bit harsh on lower volumes to be honest. However, using the gain channel is very satisfying with a good humbucker. Instantly recognizable sound.
Thanks glad to hear it!
Aloha Johan! I knew about the 100 watt speaker. One of this era album Reverend Billy used a Tom Scholz modified Rockman.
Aloha Victor! Yeah that was on Afterburner
Thanks for the video. My Head´s in Mississippi was recorded with a Marshall Lead 12 solid state amp using it with a 2x12 cabinet. I tried it at my home since I got one. It sounds exactly like the record. Until today I have no information on the gear used to record Eliminator.
Hi! I tried the Recler rig here but with a 1x12 ua-cam.com/video/8xdmLYSDRH4/v-deo.html
OMG! i used to see those at pawn shops and guitar shops in the early 90's. I had no idea. Thought the must have been crappy. Sill me
Yeah sleeper amp indeed!
For överdriven (random umlaut - I'll leave it in) and distorted sounds, some cheap amps produce quite usable tones. After all, people swear by various overdrive and fuzz pedals that are really quite crude, so why should a cheap and crude amp necessarily be bad?
For nice cleans, it may be a different story. Ditto edge of breakup with lots of organic sustain.
1 x 12 is where its at. Unless you take the time to mic up every speaker / replace them for a consistent tone...Its crazy how many 2/4x12 cabs have only one speaker that sounds good. Plus if you are using close mic/dynamic all those extra speakers / cab size if very insignificant. You'd get more drastic change in tone by just changing the preamp impedance. However a 4x12 cab with "matched speakers" mic up with a condenser at working distance is a thing of beauty, but imposable to use at a live show...🍻🤘
I tried if a 4x12 with only one speaker still sounds like 4x12 if only close miked here:
ua-cam.com/video/Aba8WaCz_Dg/v-deo.html
1x12 is indeed sufficient for recording
@@JohanSegeborn Yeah, its ridiculous, around 30 years in...Its hard to swallow the blue pill 😁Steve Albini was right 🍻🤘
That's a good sounding amp. I'm surprised I never heard of it before.
Thanks!
Wow, amazing…
Great riffs too johan!!!
Thanks man! It’s mostly Billy’s riffs 🤘
I remember playing these in the store when they came out...tube preamp and solid state power amp..the opposite of many Peavey and Music Man amps
Need more gear that we have not heard so much about, this is a great video :-) PS, you can run your headphone lead under you teeshirt
Thanks man! Yeah the logistics are killing me 😂
Excellent as always. Please johan, it’s time for you to do a long video on the UAFX Lion! Maybe even compare with the real thing. I’m a convert and slowly getting rid of the amps even 😮
Thanks! Yeah I’m gonna do that soon!
@@JohanSegeborn cool! I’ve had a good experience pairing it with the Fender FR10
I'm looking for one of these.
Great tones as usual. Another UA-camr I follow, who is a great player and singer, has one or more of these Legend amps. If you get time, look him up. I think you guys would get on quite nicely. God bless and rock on 👍😎🎸
Thanks man! Cool, I browse the videos and see if I can find him! Cheers
😂 What's his name !? Or is it a female ?
Min gamla förstärkare
Tjena! Gott att höra från dig. Jag är ett stort fan! 🤘
I've never even heard of these amps before.
Yeah I learned about them just a few years ago as well
Great video!! Please check out the afterburner album as well! That one is said to feature a Scholz Rockman on the rhythm and lead guitars!
Thanks! I’m looking for one right now!
I used to run into these at pawn shops pretty regularly. Have not seen one in a long time.
I have this amp.. it's awesome!
Syracuse knows all about these amps and almost no one uses them. I’ve considered buying one but they’re pretty heavy and brutally loud. Def sound amazing, would love to record with one.
Cool! Who is Syracuse?
@@JohanSegeborn It's a rust belt city in upstate NY where this amp was built, used to be alive with manufacturing now is a ghetto
@@JohanSegeborn Syracuse NY is where these amps were made. My hometown! Love the channel been watching for years. Thanks for all the content.
yep, Syracusan here also. Made here in our backyard, lol.. but as far as I remember only a few local players used Legends BITD and I don't think they were popular maybe because they sounded a bit harsh.
lovely sounds mate :)
Thanks, glad you like it!
Reminds me of TNT era AC/DC
Yeah it’s definitely a Marshall like tone
There's really nobody on youtube that can dial and amp in like you dude XD every piece of gear sounds fucking sweet XD. This amp would sound great playing ccr riffs too.
Thanks! Makes my day to hear that. I does indeed remind of the Kustom Tuck and Roll!
I get the same response and more from my Eliminator pedal from Missing link audio.
Cool! I have to try that one
Sounds like it would do the job on that album once you take into account Post production, compression,reverb and of course snake oil juice and The Reverend's Mojo. Cheers from Hawaii Johan. Thank you. Darrell
Aloha Darrell! Cheers
One of my all time favorite guitar tones on any album, had no idea what Billy was using. I guess I always assumed it was some studio magic. The amp even though it's not going into crazy gain territory, you can hear the tone is there. I wonder if you pushed the amp with something like a MXR Microamp + if you could get the gain without as much feedback?
Yeah I’m gonna try it with a couple of OD pedals to see
This video brought back some memories!
I knew a guy who had this exact amp back in the late 80's. It was the worst sounding amp I've ever heard. He tried replacing the tubes and speaker, too. No luck. The tone was terribly brittle and had zero lows and mids and there was nothing that could be done about it. And yes, the speaker cover is wicker. LOL!
Well don’t hold me to the high standards of you and your friend.
@@JohanSegeborn I don't set your standards, my friend. You do with your excellent playing and great content!
Anyone who can make this amp sound good is magician! Bravo!
Yeah I own this very Amp in the early 80’s and I absolutely hated it - some idiot recommended me to buy it - I never liked my tone until I finally bought a first year JCM900 half stack in the early 90s and cranked it… I fell in love instantly
Nice work Johan. Did Rev Gibbons also use a Lead 12?
Thanks! Yeah on My heads in Mississippi
Let’s go!!!
😉
Sounds pretty close! - Reverb has one currently with a G12-80
Thanks!
It sounds good, but needs more gain.. 😂. I have never heard of this amp, but I saw them on that tour and he played a white fur guitar that I thought was a PRS, but may have been a dean or custom guitar. On tour he did play a coulle Deans. A z or two type guitar and the white guitar with fur. ❤
Sounds fantastic. Malcolm Young would have loved it. Thanks Johan.
Thanks Eddie! Yeah its a killer rhythm amp
Personally I think the real winner here is the G12H-100. I've got an old Randall RG80 that came loaded with one of these and it's never sounded bad with anything I've put in front of it. All around just a great driver- in an open back cab. Didn't like it in a closed back cabinet, so it went right back into the combo.
Yeah it’s a killer speaker that can be had really cheap also
I used to sit on the floor, legs criss crossed and twisted, and play. Looks familiar. However, my back cannot stand (!) such way of existense anymore. By the way, the amp sounds, well, acceptable! :D
Thanks :-) Doing stuff on the floor is the only viable way when I change the entire recording setup several times a week
Didn't Billy use a Tom Shultz Rockman on Eliminator and Recycler? I have one I purchased back in the early 90's because I heard an interview with Billy stating that he used it. It nails that Eliminator sound.
On Recycler he most likely did. But according to the producer not on Eliminator. If you have a reference that counters that. I’m all ears
@@JohanSegeborn How could I send you a picture of an article from Guitar World in 1986?
ZZounds Top good Johan!!🤘
Thanks man! 😂
@@JohanSegeborn I read an interview with Billy that he said he used a semi defective guitar instrument cord to get him that extra fuzz....maybe you could do a video on that? Skol 🍺!!
I’m gonna see if I can find any info on that. I’m guessing he pulled a Van Halen there though 😂
@@JohanSegeborn I know what you are referring to with EVH. Billy is so slick and cool, it sounds like something he would do!
Tone is great. Was it hard and brittle on the ears in the room? Live?
Thanks! No it sounded basically like this!
That's it. Getting a double cream Super Distortion at my earliest convenience.
Yeah the ultimate vintage hard rock pickup
@@JohanSegeborn have you done a video on the Gibson 498T? If there's a "standard humbucker", and I mean capital S Standard, it's that.
I've had a flametop Studio for 6 years now, and it's remarkable to me, a guy who can't seem to leave guitars stock, that I've never felt the need to upgrade.
The urge, sure! A Fluence Classic set would be perfect...but, have any pickups ever been put in more guitars?
There's a lot to love - it's a JB without the love/hate factor - and I doubt any model of pickup is in more guitars today than the 490/498 set.
Buzz Osborne even put them in his $5000 aluminum customs.
I have the head version, very rare amp.
Really cool! Didn’t know it existed
@JohanSegeborn - yes they made heads and cabinets. Love the channel Johan.
I just saw this head on reverb yesterday 😂
Cool! Those are really rare
Played a couple when they first came out. Like a Marshall, but not enough bottom end.
I actually have the bass only on 5 here
You should try to put some higher quality tubes in there. That might help the feedback of the amplifier.
Thanks! I’ll try that
Oh not this amp, the news is out !
Hi Jen!
😂Cheers Jenifer
Oh no! 😱 not this speaker! I still have not filled those other stacks yet.
Cheers indeed to all of you !
I tried one back in the day and I just couldn’t get the Reverend Willy G sound out of it. I don’t think the mids or bass is in Johan’s recording.
Yeah lots more gain and low end on the album
On this album, i believe he used a rocktron hush 2c that he sent back to the company and had the distortion removed
Hi Chris! Do you have a reference for that?
Nice... I always thought he used a champ on that one.
Thanks!
Prices always triple every time Johan reminds us of sleeper gear 😢😅
Sorry about that 😉 Cheers
I find it odd you like the Legend Amplifier. When they came out it was considered the poor mans Boogie. I listened to your demo and it's not a tone that I would find appealing, which might address the question, why are they so cheep?
Yeah it could address the question if most players shared your personal preferences. It’s not an amp for livingroom playing. I can tell you that much. If the prices stay down you will be proven right. So let’s see
I believe he'd been using Legends at least since Tres Hombres. Am I wrong?
I know he used a Marshall on La Grange though
You can get all the same gear, same amps, same recording techniques etc , but to get the sound right you need to pay more attention to the finer details and dynamics of picking and fingering. Not to mention gain settings and guitar volume and on Eliminator probably a shitload of compression.. Dont forget : what you hear on the album has gone through some serious editing to make it sound well.. lets call it radio ready. So that combo is never gonna sound the same in the room as it does on the album. Nevertheless.. nice effort this video 👍
Thanks Steve! In the interview Terry mentioned that he still has the amp and one of the Deans they used. And he plugged it in recently and got the album tone. I’m gonna try to EQ (amp) it differently and max all gains
The would have used a compressor and noise gate back then
It sounds much more gainy on the album. Do you think it can get much more gain? Maybe you should try even with feedback like how Billy did it
Yeah there’s lots more gain on tap if you don’t lift your hands from the strings
Terry Manning said he recorded and mixed Eliminator on his Soundcraft 1600, that's what I use in my studio. Do you have a link or remember where you heard the interview where he mentions the mic techniques?
Google Billy Gibbons Eliminator amp
And a stack of od pedals
Interesting! Do you have some references for that?
@JohanSegeborn I remember seeing a pict of his guitar rig. Running 6 Bixonic Expandora fuzz pedals. Don't know "when" he started doing this. Eliminator has some greasy tones for sure. Love the channel 🤘🤘
@@muleblues71 guitar.com/rig-diagrams/rig-diagram-billy-gibbons-zz-top-2003/ 2003
I've had several of these Legend Rock and Roll 50 amps. It is unbelievably loud - even at outdoor gigs in farm fields I didn't get the master past 4. Also, it sounded great in the band mix but by itself it just didn't sound good to my ears.
SHIT! I should have waited for this video to come out before I sold it! I would have easily have gotten double out of it.
Thanks, yeah it’s definitely louder than most 50W amps!
Very glassy
That's a paint peeler
Cheers 😉
Maybe you need to find out what overdrive he used or other effects because that sounds nothing like ZZ top.
His tone is less stringy and much more gain. The amp has much more gain than I used on tap
@@JohanSegeborn Why didn't you turn the gain up?
What about ZZ Tops First Album? Love your work!!
Thanks! Did he use the Brown Deluxe on that one?
@@JohanSegeborn Sounds like a Marshall to me. He was one of the first American artists to get them. Jeff Beck was able to get them for him since Gibbons helped Beck out on some other stuff. Thoughts?
Raucous.
Cheer
It’s a rockman for sure. Everyone was using one at the time, def lepard, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Boston, tom created that sound.
Do you have some reference for that?
@@JohanSegeborn I do. If you are in the know. You would know. I can’t name people. Run a rockman distortion and chorus through a Marshall cab if you get the chance. There is more to it, but he didn’t always play. Dark days for zztop. But they came back on xxx and other albums
I know studio musicians were involved and cut and paste. Not naming names. That’s why those records sound choppy compared to early and later albums
@@JohanSegeborn oh, please don’t share this. I love zztop. I was just sharing the tone. I’m not trying to start a fight or anything. That’s what I was told by people that worked on the album.
@@JohanSegeborn listen to “rough boy” it’s clear as day
How did Billy Gibbons make that sound good?
The difference is mainly more gain and Billy himself
Most or all of that album was sequencers. Who is going to throw this up on Tonex?
How does that work?
@@JohanSegeborn Tonex works very very well, you get the gear, hich is reasonably price, especially used or B stock, follow the directions, and it does its thing. You can share on the tone exchange or sell your captures.
Cool! I’ll try to find one
Must be the basket weave.
i think i remember these being labeled as the poor mans mesa boogie , does that moniker fit ?
I think it sounds like a Marshall.
yup, i think a lot of people here with there eyes
I thought he played through a Rockman as well. Just sayin
I heard it’s a rockman and and drum machine. Cockain is a hella drug
According to the interviews I’ve read Eliminator is mostly the Legend and I have heard many online speculations that Afterburner is partly Rockman.
@@JohanSegeborn listen again, it is. Nothing like the early stuff. Frank beard is way to f-d up, Billy’s parts are cut together. He couldn’t play.
@@JohanSegeborn rockman, drugs, alcohol, whatever they could get out of billy that day. But I know he still uses those 50/50 marshals and doesn’t use the amps on stage
I’m not trying to be a dick, just telling you some inside information. I heard it from the guys at stax in Memphis. Zztop was in a bad way in the 80s.
I love what you do, a big fan.
I hated the amp. It sounded harsh. I'm still stuck on the 1974X.
Those two actually sound great together
How did Billy Gibbons get MORE GAIN out of the Legend 50 watt amplifier?
It’s got a bunch of gain knobs. I have preamp level at 4 and lead level at 5 here. That’s as much gain as I can use without uncontrollable feedback. But if you keep your hands on the strings and edit out the feedback like they did according to Terry, it’s got a lot more gain on tap.
@@JohanSegeborn So this LEGEND amplifier also multiple gain controls compared to a fender or marshal amplifier? Those Billy Gibbons Pinch Harmonics tones are from this LEGEND amplifier it has a certain sound that you don't get using a fender, laney, marshall using pinch harmonics don't sound the same with these amplifiers.
Billy Gibbons used a brown face fender Deluxe for the first 3 or 4 albums which I'm not sure if the Deluxe amplifier used the Jenson or oxford because the Jenson is Alnico magnets which is a darker tone while the Oxford is ceramic which has a brighter tone and punchy. I think he would turn ON the tremolo unit circuit with the DEPTH turned down to zero because it used 4 preamp tubes for the HARMONIC Tremolo circuit which gave him more gain. Have you tried this out and make a video lesson would be really nice
Oh man, Johan, i really likes your videos, but it‘s not necessary that you skip lunch! Or do I misinterpret that with the headphone cable in your mouth?
Hahaha! I actually did skip lunch today 😂
your guitar is extremely harsh sounding. Nothing like a real 'Burst.
In this video I compare this very guitar to 3 different bursts. ua-cam.com/video/xeiLT6t9O2A/v-deo.htmlsi=e-gturlKMUjxTQW5
It’s good enough for me. We can make a video to find out if your pickups are as close to a couple of PAFs if you want?
@@JohanSegeborn Thanks, but I already have quite a few direct comparisons to real PAF's on my channel (www.youtube.com/@SDPickups/videos). I don't send out pickups for reviews, all my models are in my guitars and too much of a hassle to take the guitars apart and the pickups take up to 15 hours to make a full set from scratch, being that I make 95% of all the parts myself. I'm overloaded with work and can't take the time.
I'll watch your video, thanks.
I'll post links to two of them, this first one was a very recent blind audio poll, with a real 1959 PAF set and my work.
60% thought mine were the real ones. Mine are not meant to be a copy of the '59's, they were both 7.6K, my bridge was 8.8K, so obviously the '59's were brighter:
ua-cam.com/video/c_YDr-lQ9pI/v-deo.htmlsi=Wqmw-AJhmTvHbtwt
This much older video was a different rig with a vintage' 73 Vibroluxe into a Celestion Alnico speaker. Pretty bright rig, but it does show extreme details. These WERE meant to be as close a clone of this particular set, its proof of the knowledge gained over 20+ years:
ua-cam.com/video/r17XQ3Vj02Q/v-deo.htmlsi=R0K8Cb-NLTADdnD9
I wasn’t asking you for a set, I prefer to buy the gear on the used market or borrow from friends. I’m sure someone will pitch in. And to be honest, none of the many boutique brands I have tried have been close to really good units of the PAF. So if your claim is correct it’s certainly good news.
😂
I take it we don’t have your approval Carl?
Cheap rigs, especially combos, don’t become “Classics” because 95% of guitar players are total posers, who want everyone to think they’re good, because they own either expensive gear, or heads/cabs that are unnecessarily big or powerful, and never sound great, because they can’t run them hard enough to get the best from them…
Yeah, human beings are social animals for better or worse
@@JohanSegeborn I’m grateful to people like yourself, Joe Bonamassa, Brian May, and others, who are now appearing in UA-cam videos, promoting the kind of 20W-30W combos that iconic guitarists have been using at home and in the studio, since the 1960s.
Modern PA systems have made big expensive heads and cabs theoretically obsolete…. I only keep mine, because I’ve had them since the early 1970s, when they were absolutely necessary… And ‘I’ve grown very fond of them, even though I never use them anymore…
I had this - it sucked - maybe I just didn’t know how to used it properly
I think it’s probably sensitive to which speaker being used
Lee jackson modification
What is that?
It sound nothing like Eliminator, not even a bit, sounds like a cheap transistor amp from the 90s. Awful sound, I wouldn't even pay 60$ for it. So what's wrong with me. kind regards
Are you asking what’s wrong with you? I have no idea. But maybe the unexpected ending of your message is a hint?
@@JohanSegeborn what hint? Your reviewd amps always sound extraordinary good, this one doesn't at all. kind regards
600 bucks is not cheap.
Yeah you’re partly right about that, when I google cheap guitar amps I get results between 100-250 bucks. The Legend is cheap in relation to what a new amp with a similar tone would cost today
To me that doesn’t sound like Billy’s tone at all. Having said that, I’ve been playing 50 years and still can’t sound like him.
Yeah no one sounds like Billy. I agree the tone needs a lot more gain to do the album tone.
Treble on zero should do the trick👍
Too sharp for that ZZ Top sound. 👎👎👎
I’m showing you the amp without pedals and post production. A couple of viewers have suggested he used gain pedals also. You have been unhappy with a couple videos now so maybe there are other channels that would suit your needs better?
@@JohanSegeborn It has nothing to do with your videos, Johan. I like them. For my taste the sound is to sharp, to trebly. That's my meaning. Maybe due postproduction the sound would be more round and smoother ?
I say It again, your videos are great, and I like to watch them.
😁😄😁
Glad to hear that
Why only $600? Uh maybe stop trying to drive up and inflate the prices of used gear with hype. Thanks.
I usually stop reading at uh Roger
In English please
Hi fellow Swede, Google Billy Gibbons Eiminator amp and you’ll find the Terry Manning interview and background to this video
Without post-production and pedals it is really terrible sounding.
I actually completely love it like this.