Marshall Class 5 miced with SM57 - not the best recorded tone!

[Robert****]

Using a Suhr Classic and Hagstrom Swede.

[sumitomo]

It sounds good for the lead stuff,but on this end the chorded stuff is muddy!Sumi

[Robert****]

I didn't have much time for tweaking. I think I hit the strings a bit too hard this time too. I'll make more and better demos!

I have used the M9 with it also and with great results. A bit of M9 reverb does wonders. Set the amp half dirty and add a bit of gain with an overdrive - yummy.

[Jimi75]

I think the muddyness is typical for Marshalls that are build after old schemes, like for example the Bluesbraker and the JTM45. The Class 5 is called little Bluesbraker so here you go. Most of the folks I know love that muddyness, me included. It's like a Fuzz, but meatier :-)

To me it looks like Robert was very inspired while playing. Great amph, great playing! Gotta love that little cube!

[marnold***]

I think the muddyness is typical for Marshalls that are build after old schemes, like for example the Bluesbraker and the JTM45. The Class 5 is called little Bluesbraker so here you go. Most of the folks I know love that muddyness, me included. It's like a Fuzz, but meatier :-)

When I heard Bonamassa playing through it on the RAH DVD I thought it sounded rather dark. I chalked it up a that point to the conditions under which they were recording it. Maybe that's just the nature of the beast. IIRC, didn't a lot of the early Bluesbreaker proponents use treble boost pedals with it?

[Tone2TheBone]

What were the tone control settings at on the amp?

[Jimi75]

When I heard Bonamassa playing through it on the RAH DVD I thought it sounded rather dark. I chalked it up a that point to the conditions under which they were recording it. Maybe that's just the nature of the beast. IIRC, didn't a lot of the early Bluesbreaker proponents use treble boost pedals with it?

I've seen Joe's settings for the Class 5 and I think Treble was about 3 or 4 only. But generally, the more you push the volume on a Bluesbraker the darker it gets and I think you are right with the fact that they used Treble Boosts back in the days.

[Robert****]

I had the eq quite flat on this demo. This is the kind of amp where you need to work with your guitar tone/volume controls. I will make a demo where I use a gain pedal with it, so you can hear what a killer tone that produces with an amp like this.

[sumitomo]

Its funny how all this stuff starts to make sense,like the treble boost,yea they would sound great.I'm sure it's different live,I mean I'm hearing it through some computer speakers,but that's awesome about the treble boost,makes total sense.Sumi

[Radioboy950]

Once again, thanks for the great vids!

I really, really want to like this amp, but this tone is just not for me.
Muddy and lifeless. Single coils were more acceptable.

I've only heard two demos of this amp I liked, and one one was heavily modded, with an added master volume, played through a 4X12.

As you suggested, hearing it live with a nice dirt pedal like an OCD or a Suhr Riot may do the trick.

[Robert****]

So I looked at the audio clip today when I had some time. It is definitely clipping. I will re-record and make it sound a lot better. It did a quick test today, where I recorded the amp at very low volume, and it sounded really good recorded.

The trick is plugging in an external speaker cab to the headphone jack, and just pushing in the 1/4 jack half way. This lowers the output volume a lot, so you can actually play this thing at home without disturbing people much. Very cool feature.

[Tone2TheBone]

So I looked at the audio clip today when I had some time. It is definitely clipping. I will re-record and make it sound a lot better. It did a quick test today, where I recorded the amp at very low volume, and it sounded really good recorded.

The trick is plugging in an external speaker cab to the headphone jack, and just pushing in the 1/4 jack half way. This lowers the output volume a lot, so you can actually play this thing at home without disturbing people much. Very cool feature.

Yeah I saw that on youtube from someone who does that. Sounded good. I actually liked the audio on your old camera what happened to it?

[Robert****]

The old camera is sitting in a drawer somewhere.

[Tone2TheBone]

Rob. Take the video with the new...then take the audio with the old. Voila...issue solved. You're welcome.

[Radioboy950]

Robert, where were the amps tone controls set?
Like some Marshall non master volume amps, the tone gets too muddy (for me) unless you back way off the bass and use more treb...especially as the amp gets maxed out.

[Robert****]

Robert, where were the amps tone controls set?
Like some Marshall non master volume amps, the tone gets too muddy (for me) unless you back way off the bass and use more treb...especially as the amp gets maxed out.

Question answered above - around noon (flat).

Wait for a new demo with better sound.

[deeaa*]

GREAT DEMO but - yikes! I truly dislike that type of buzzy/grumbly sound, although I love this type of amps in general and it should well be able to yield sounds I like as well. Would you say it's hard to mic the amp to get a similar sound you hear when playing?

Do you have an active guitar, w/EMG's or such? Can you try it with an EMG 85 (or 81 even)? Should clear&tighten up considerably, and you can run the amp cleaner and it'll still sound real strong and big.

[Robert****]

I ran the input too hot, so there's some clipping going on. I don't have any active pickups no.

I always have trouble miking my amps to get the sound I hear when playing an amp. I need to spend more time setting my recording gear, I imagine. It's a very cool amp, I do stand by that. It sounded great at rehearsal tonight.

[deeaa*]

These type amps, I'd record it completely off the speaker axis. Like a few feet over the amp, one feet in front...place the mic where your ear is when playing next to the amp and try that. For close micing, I approach the speaker as if it were a snare drum - put the mic to the side and almost 90 degrees to the speaker, listening from the side, not in front of the speaker.

So much of the sound of these amps happens elsewhere than right at the speaker that it's usually best also miced a bit father.