Is The Vintage Deluxe Too DARK Sounding - Or Did I Get It Wrong?
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- Опубліковано 26 лип 2024
- I saw some comments saying my first Vintage Deluxe video made the amp sound too muffled/dark and had put a few people off the amp. I don't think that's fair on the amp so here are some other settings that should be more bright/clear.
thanks for watching
Email for lessons jamesonguitaryt@gmail.com
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Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
0:55 The TOO DARK Footage
1:58 The Dark Sounding Guitar
3:19 New Setting One
3:41 Getting The Settings Right
4:49 New Setting Two
5:46 Everyone Hears Differently
6:19 New Setting Three
6:47 Settings/Recording at Peach
8:12 New Setting Four
9:05 Reducing The Reverb
9:48 Microphones!
11:09 New Setting Five
14:00 Different from Traditional Clean
14:32 Two Rock Comparison Video?
16:03 Final Demo - Розваги
Just thought it fair to put this out in case I misrepresented the amp previously 🙌
I own the 35 watt 6l6 and it's not dark at all. I would say to anyone who thinks it's too dark then learn how to use an EQ. This is one helluva badass amp.
35w Vintage D + 3x10 is a real treat. TR’s way about EQ’ing their amps makes so many tones possible. Only speaking for the SSS, TS1, and Vintage D. LOVE THEM. Gonna get a 1x12 TR cab one day and load it with a different speaker recommended to me. Vintage D is my amp of choice for travel/gigs. Would bring the SSS but that monstrous head and oversized cab is too much for me haul. I could get me a roadie I guess lol.
Keep going James!! I dig your channel and your take on gear and life :)
A Two Rock breakdown would be great! Just picked up my firstTwo Rock. Vintage Deluxe V6.👍🏼
Still loving this amp. Hate shrill amps, taming them is hard. The VD sounds bob on, and sounds epic with Strat. Oh and yes to the Two Rock walk through.
I own a 6V6 with the 3x10 Cab and this amp is not necessarily dark! With the 3x10 it can be dialed in pretty bright if necessary.
Yessss! we would like a video comparing the TR amps you have played with!!
A Two-Rock guide video would be incredible and I think your accumulated knowledge would help a lot of potential two rock customers! Tbh the video doesn’t need to be made because everyone should just buy the Bloomfield (I may be biased but it’s the perfect amp for me and I haven’t played a better sounding amp 🔥🤘)
much better sound in this newer video than the first in my opinion, I did think the other sounded dark/muffled, this sounds how I'd like it set with a band
Your videos with this amp have been stellar. I think the Two Rock comparison video would be very helpful. I am sure a lot of people struggle with deciding on which two rock to get.
I’m definitely not in the market for a Two Rock amp, but I am thoroughly enjoying this series of videos and especially your playing - great job 🎸🤟
Agree with you James... I own the 6L6 Vintage Deluxe and it is far from being a dark amp. Looking forward to your 6V6/6L6 observations. I also own a 100w Classic Reverb Signature. The CRS and VD in wet/dry or stereo is a beautiful thing! Thanks again for all you do... Cheers!
Please do make the video categorizing the various Two Rock amps you have owned and used. That would be fascinating as not many folks have had the opportunity to try out so many of them.
Whatever you do James I know I really love the sounds you make on guitar, and your content 👍👌
Love it! Will you do one dialing in the cleans?
Hey James, long time viewer, i think, first time commenter haha. I think the amp and tone suited your playing great , super smooth. In my opinion, we also have to remember, that all of these amps have their own unique voices, so if its a darker sounding amp then that is its voice. Don't think we need every amp to sound like each other.
My next topic i wanted to bring up, is do you have a number 1 guitar. A guitar that will never leave the collection, the guitar that you know like the back of your hand? The reason i ask this is because i would highly recommend you set up the amps for your number 1 guitar. Maybe your number 1 guitar is the Dale Wilson? id say setup the amp for that specific guitar so its nice even sound. That way, every other guitars, have their own voices through the same amp rig. Or even, setup up the amp for your favorite humbucker guitar, that way single coils will sit perfectly with the humbucker settings. Hope this makes sense! Looking forward to the next videos!
Comparison video of what you have currently Two rock wise would be beneficial. As would the 6V6 comparison that you discussed previously.
Love it all. Keep it coming. Also your playing improvement is inspiring for getting back on the horse. Thanks for sharing your journey.
yes to the TR comparison video
I think your playing has a dark tone and I love it!
Thanks James. Yes please make that video
Only trying to be helpful, so please don't be angry at me for stating it, but it seems like this amp recordings are lacking enough "air" or refined high end, imho. I don't think it is the amp. It is possibly due to your recording signal chain (mics, preamp, interface) and any eq or processing you are doing in the computer, DAW or video edition software. It may be due to your listening environment/monitors and you perceiving everything as brighter that it really is. It sounds like you may have some issues with the 100-150Hz region in your room. Don't get me wrong, it does not sound bad, but it could be a little better. It is hard to get really great recordings and yours are definitely very good. Regardless, the demos are excellent and your playing is great! The amp is also wonderful! I ordered the 6L6 35W version!
Sounds great to me, but I like tweed/brownfaces and I think it verges on that with some blackface elements and reverb.
So I went to Coda today and played through a Bartel Starwood and TR Vintage Deluxe 35w (6L6). I started with the Bartel combo and knew I would enjoy it as I have previously enjoyed playing a Starwood head through a 2x12 V30 cab of all things none vintage. The Starwood combo did not disappoint. Take the TK Imperial mkii then create a significantly richer 3D sound stage with a serious amount of extra juice to the harmonics/overtones and that's your Starwood... Then I plugged in the TR Vintage Deluxe combo and meh... 😐
After playing the Starwood is just did absolutely nothing for me. The Vintage Deluxe I tried today was quite stale, flat, compressed, mid focussed for sure. But above all else boring by comparison to the Starwood. Given how much you like the 100w TR's James, I am surprised how much you like the Vintage Deluxe. It really is a different beast to the TR's we've been used to hearing the last few years. Much more niche. I personally do understand why some people are saying it sounds too dark and I think the opinion comes from the seriously reduced headroom/dynamics. Being used to the bigger TR amps and also the smaller but more lively Studio Sig. the models that have been around some years are far more open sounding. So if you wanted TR to produce a lower wattage model with darker vintage character that's what they've done; but if I want the vintage sweetness while retaining an open vocal character with juicy harmonics and lively dynamics, then personally I need to look elsewhere. For me today, the Bartel was leagues ahead in fidelity and retaining character with lower volume control than the TR.
Funnily enough Doug said the guy that bought your 40/20 CRS trade, originally came in to choose between the 6v6 and 6L6 Vintage Deluxe and didn't like them, tried your 40/20 CRS and couldn't believe his luck. He left a very happy customer 🙂
I also asked Doug for his opinion on the difference between the 6L6 and 6V6 versions. He said in the short playing time at the store where you can't go really loud, they couldn't tell a discernible difference, but maybe it becomes apparent at gig volume. Regardless of my personal likes and dislikes, all these videos, thoughts, ideas and opinions are great fun for an enthusiast. I was mad for high end Hi-Fi before getting into guitar, so that's probably a good indication of why I preferred the Bartel today. I'm looking forward to your own thoughts comparing 6v6 and 6L6 next week. Thanks again for the awesome content James! Cheers
I have never played a Starwood and unfortunately cannot comment on that amp... but I do own a TR Vintage Deluxe (6L6) and your tonal assessment of the VD is at the opposite end of the spectrum from my experience. I find it has none of the negative attributes that you mention in your review. As James mentions in his VD video... you do have to spend some time with the tone shaping controls to dial in the full potential of this amp...small adjustments can make a big difference. Like James... I also own and absolutely love my 100w CRS and equally love the VD for all the same reasons James points out in his videos. I guess what I am saying is... I'm in James corner on this one.
@@cgproductions123 Sure thing, there will be plenty of people that love while others very much dislike any one amp (or any gear). But I think we TR users can all agree the Vintage Deluxe is a different beast to the more familiar TR offerings in the last 5yrs. So when some people may have said I think the amp is too dark, I personally totally get it. Some people might say if they can’t dial in a piece of gear as they like within a first impressions timescale (whatever that timescale maybe for the individual) then it’s not for them. That’s not me per se, but you’ve got to want to explore more, to go beyond any initial flat impressions and I had no inclination to go any further with this new model. I love my CRS, Bloomfield and JL Sig 100w amps for what they do and now I’m even more convinced that the TR magic lies in their high powered amps “for me personally”, while I’d rather seek other brands for the lower powered vintage vibe.
Today I was interested in two amps and only one spoke to me on a level which gave me a heightened emotional connection, while the other didn’t even come close regardless of small or large tweaks on the front and back of the amp. But we can say this kind of thing about any gear like a guitar you or I dislike and then some one else picks it up and it becomes their number one 🤷♂️
I shared my experience today because of the ironic timing of the video title and my trip to Coda this morning. Clearly there are some people for whom the VD amp just doesn’t please. Take Doug’s (from Coda) comment about another customer who thought they were going to buy a Vintage Deluxe from Coda only to find they didn’t like either model and took a CRS instead. James may have had a similar feeling regarding the JL Sig and consequently traded it during his recent trips to Peach. Glad you’re having a great time with your VD. We each deserve to be very happy with such high end gear. I’m just responding to the title of the video. 🙂
Hi James - did you end up playing the 35 watt 6L6 Vintage Deluxe? Interested in your thoughts. Thanks.
I like darker sounds more no matter the amp. It is related to specific musical taste. I got one question to all VD users whether any of front panel tonecstack knobs react when bypass is on? James is trying to reduce treble when bypass activated but i cannot hear difference. In a moment rear tone knob is reduced and itvis noticed in sound. Thanks for videos.
TR comparison video would be super helpful. I have a studio signature combo and am trying to decide on a second one to pair with it - TS-1 or vintage deluxe. Would love to hear your thoughts on how they compare/playing styles for them
The VD is so different you definitely want to try before you buy. IMO the TS-1 or Bloomfield drive would be dirt without the thickness which formed the title and some other opinions about the VD for this video. Obviously I’m biased as I’ve tried a VD and didn’t like it. I just think you can get the whole grind remaining more open and dynamic like the two rock you are already familiar with. You may love the VD like James is, but just keep in mind it is quite different to the other offerings over the last 5 yrs. 👍
@@djt6546 thanks for the reply! That’s helpful. Do you think there’s a lot of overlap with the TS-1 and studio sig?
@@phoenixbtNot a lot of overlap at all. I just mean the last 5 yrs of TR models have a more familiar larger than life sparkly experience than the Vintage Deluxe. I think parts of the VD videos James is currently posting sound great, but I also feel a compression I can no longer say is just UA-cam having played the 35w 6L6 version in person this week. It just wasn't for me and it didn't help that I also tried a Bartel Starwood that was simply magic to my ears. The Bartel was immensely 3D and juicy while remaining HiFi open even at bedroom volume. The VD just isn't like that. Part of the trick/sweet spot with many amps is to have the master volume high but I can't or don;t want to do that without a Fryette PS attenuator. Perhaps I should have taken a Fryette with me to try with the VD. But that would have been quite a faff and I would want to be really interested in getting the amp before going through that hassle of experimenting further. To be honest my version of loud for personal enjoyment is
@@djt6546 Thanks for taking the time for a detailed reply! This is really helpful. The Bartel was the other option I was looking at - either a Roseland or a Starwood. Any chance you got to try a Roseland while you were there? I was curious how the two compared .
It seems like the Bartels are a bit more tweakable and can get a bigger range of sounds, but might need some additional dialing in to get there?
@@phoenixbtI did not try the Roseland, but you can watch James's old videos on that. If you're serious about the larger Roseland, be quick and try the second hand one Coda have in store this week. It's just too big for my preference of an amp this type.
The Bartel amps sound fabulous in a very musical way, above and beyond what you typically expect from a guitar amp. I first tried a 12w Sugarland months ago which happened to be in Coda's amp room one day I visited. It was amazing but has no reverb and even I could happily play the Sugarland at maximum volume. I was left wanting more (volume) probably without realising I was already loud, because high fidelity tones have a way of doing that. So the 28w Starwood is perfect in my book 🙂 Take the ToneKing Imperial Mkii and imagine the soundstage being deeper and richer with higher fidelity. Open but lush cleans. Gritty without being harsh.
The one downside to these amps is you have to dial in your clean or grit and because it's one channel only, you have no foot switchable option to change the tone. But if you can live with this, they sound and feel fantastic. The volume, bass and treble controls all act as an EQ. Turn the volume full and bass/treble off and there's your Brit Grit. Turn the other way to get flavours of Fender. I found it much easier to dial loveable tones than the VD. It's like in the world of HiFi when you're faced with very expensive amps that look basic but the tone they produce is magical. The Master volume works as one of the best in the business in the same way as people talk about the high quality master volume on Dave Friedmans high end amps. I also have a customised Friedman BE50 Deluxe with Plexi 1st channel which I enjoy. I currently use it as a central drive channel between my Bloomfield Drive and CRS. Stereo delay/reverb across the left and right with Friedman grit in the middle. It's epic sounding. 😊
If/when I decide to shrink my amp collection I may go JL Sig and CRS for left and right stereo wet, with Bloomfield Drive Grit down the middle. This 3 amp concept is achieved with a stereo delay/reverb pedal through ABY A and dirt though ABY B. It's the result of a TPS experience day earlier this year and Dan Steinhardt approved 🙂
How can I know? I’m hearing to my iPhone speaker…and it sounds great to me
Anyone that thinks any of the two rock models are dark needs to crank the master volume past noon and turn the gain down- makes a huge difference
Dark is good. Your dark sounds awesome 👍 great vid.
From the first video of this amp it sounded very Smokey to me. I think it sounds like a BF with built in tube screamer in front.
Coda’s interpretation of the amp is that it is definitely mid range focussed which is probably why it can sound compressed to some ears compared to other TR’s.
James you asked if people would like a two rock comparison video, a little while ago you made a “if I could only have one amp” type video, The Rift AL sig was the one. You then sold it.
If you answered the same question today what would the answer be?
Two rock crs. I keep changing and evolving as a player 🙌
I dont think its too dark , sounds awesome !
Well I think it sounds fantastic annoyingly 😂😂😂as now I want one
When testing amps please use standard tuning with standard string gauges as it cannot be used as a comparison to any other demos
Well if i were a shop or making money doing this i’d agree. A ‘first impressions’ fun video I think allows for some personal licence… this is after all my passion too! And what is standard tuning on a strat? Most people I know are in Eflat
E-flat on a Strat is the tuning of the Gods... Standard tuning is just so standard... 😎
Agree, Eb (or D) on a strat is life
I can only think to accurately compare amp sounds on a UA-cam channel would be laborious.
Maybe master dimmed, eq’s at noon, reverb off, vibrato off, Gain point of break up. Using a reference position for the amp and room mic.
Played through a pre recorded looper.
It wont sound pretty but at the end of every video add the 1 minute sound test with the db meter showing.
Over time a catalog of clips could be compared by a viewer. To gauge the generic sound signature and power of a amp.
Otherwise every you tube demo is only subject to preference.