You see it practically everywhere when you are looking at instrument gear now. Digital is pervasive, and since there are a lot of "amp modeling" going on, you have to describe the amp type without using proper nouns. Even many tube amps now have a "American" and "British" switch on them to change their voicings. What exactly does it mean? Well the American amps of the late 50's and early 60's were clean sounding, while the British amps of the 60's brought in the more aggressive distortion.
(ACDC is a great example of pure British tone)
The Tubes: A sort of, but not really, truth
Technical jargon ahead, skip if you want. Marshall's first amps were essentially Fender amp clones. They did not have the same tubes as Fender, but they did have similar ones that were sold surplus by the US military. Soon they switched to more locally made KT66's. By the time Jimi Hendrix was popular they were using EL34's because KT66's were becoming cost prohibitive. Fenders almost exclusively used 6L6 Tubes. The problem with this definition is that as you are aware, Marshall used 3 different tube types, and then Vox also introduced EL84! Today it is accepted that EL84 and EL34 are the "British" tubes.
The Sound You Hear
The big Marshall change to their early "Fender" clones was that they tweaked the circuitry to distort much faster than a Fender. These changes and the change of tubes essentially means that the "British" sound from a Marshall is a mid-pushed distortion that backs off on the bass and treble. This is what you will hear with your ears, no matter what the tech jumbo says. So "American" "Fender" sounds are boomy and chimey, with a smooth and light distortion. Fender clean is very clear, very precise and ringing. The "British" sound is mid-range aggressive, even the "clean" has a little bit of harmonic break up, making it described as "creamy" and "fat" and the distortion is stronger and grittier.
(almost always performed with a Fender Bassman)
Not so clear Anymore
When you see "British" vs "American" you really have to think about the music of the 60's. Over half a century later, and there are amps from each side of the pond that do what the other is famous for. Mesa and Soldano amps from America have distortion in huge amounts. Vox, even in the 60's, made super clean amps in Britain that rivaled Fender. Several amps now use BOTH types of tubes and let you switch between or blend them. There are digital circuits and active equalization that can make the cleaner 6L6 tubes sound "British", and this is a common usage for them now. Marshall even uses 6L6's in their big series amps because they are more even and you can EQ them to sound "British".
Day 42
Started out today doing the Palm Mutes and Hammer On practice tracks again. It has been a while since I had done that because I was working up my skills through playing on the real amp. The Hammer On is really more a timing practice for me, I'm pretty proficient in Hammer on usage already. The Palm Mute practice track gets my speed and accuracy up. I can kind of get into a relaxed, slow chugging mood with Palm Mutes. I think Thunderkiss '66 is fast, and then I play the Practice track and realize I've got a ways to go before I"m "fast".
I keep alternating between practicing what I need to practice and practicing what I want to practice. What I need to practice is academic and building of skill. What I want to practice is all the song ideas in my head. Both help with creativity and skill, but in different amounts. I think academic basic skill building is about 70% skill building, 30% creativity. Practicing my own stuff is 30% skill building, and 70% creativity. Doing the academic gives me new skills to make more creative stuff, while doing my own stuff allows me to put my skills together in new ways, pushing me challenge my skill in ways that practice tracks just do not do.
For example: the hammer on practice track. Its a ton of hammer ons. Its me using hammer ons in specific ways at specific times, and pushing me to do them faster, more accurate, and in different combinations. However, when I play my own stuff, I'm stringing hammer ons with bends and blending them with chords. I'm saying to myself "can I do a bend, hammer on, then unbend, and slide?" At first, probably not, but later on I work on it, and yes I can.
Its a balancing act, and I tend to fall on the "practice your own stuff" side of the balance a little too much.
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