Anyone messing around with multi amp rigs?

[212Mavguy]

Was teaching a ski lesson a few years ago to the lead guitar player from Stone Temple Pilots, he told me he used a two amp rig with a Vox AC30 for the highs. I have read about and listened to Joe Bonamassa's Dumble/Jubilee rig. So I got some toys together and started messing around. I was after something related closely to but not seeking exact JB setup. The amps used for this pairing were a 100w C-tone SSS head/C-lator tube fx buffer, loosely cloned Dumble SSS #4, and a secondhand homebrew 50w Jubilee head. Cabs were a big open back 2/12 with some reconed for guitar JBL D123's and a Leslie G27 with JBL G-125 woofer replacing the original POS but pretty looking WGS that failed. Used a TC Electronic Nova System pedal as well as a Hilton volume pedal. The TC was going through the C-lator, the left out to the D-clone, right out to the input of the Jubilee.

 

I started with the Marshall going into the Leslie, but the amp is a bit of a dirty girl and so there was too much hash coming out of the horn all the time. I got some great tones, but the cleans were too messy. So I swapped the heads and started dialing in the SSS. Then I went to the Marshall and dialed in the tonestack with the JB settings. used the master volumes to balance between the two amps, from there used the C-lator as overall master for the two amps, they go up and down together when controlled this way.

 

The result was quite special, there was a hugeness to the sound, and it was cool to hear the separate cabs a couple feet apart as well while the Leslie's horn and lower rotor were spinning or stationary... The sound and sustain was capable of being close to infinite with the right settings, even in the clean. The 2/12 was laid down in traditional style because the SSS has a long chassis.

 

Anyone else have fun mixing amps?

[Steiner]

Yes. The interaction of multiple amps has long been a passion here. One of the best ways to enjoy guitar that I've ever found.

[smurph1]

I've tried it on several occasions..Sounds Great!! I a/b'd my Classic 30 for the lead tone, and used the AC-30 clone that Brian made for me for cleans..Heavenly!! I only quit doing it because the weight of carrying two amps and the PA to gigs was killing this ol Hillbilly's back.. LOL

[H]

Yep, I also use a TC Electronic Nova (Delay in my case) as it is buffered which helps the signal along much better than my passive ABY pedal.

 

A dirty 5E3 and a super-clean (or just at breakup) Vibrolux combine together very nicely but my wife doesn't tolerate the volume for very long

 

The delay pedal also has a cool 'ping-pong' effect that sends successive repeats to alternate amps

[bolero]

I used to use my deluxe memory man to split the signal to 2 amps, sounds great

[barrymclark]

I did the stereo thing for a little bit for high gain stuff. I did both in amp sims and with actual amps. I can't recall what I used in the PODs for recording but with actual amps I used my first 5150 and a bass amp for the cleans. I did this to give some note definition to the high gain. I did this very early in my playing (first decade) so I am sure I could have done it better. These days with my cleaner sounds, I might use the bass amp to round out the lower frequencies and the guitar amp doing the rest.

[CJTopes]

I've used an A-B-Y switch cionnected to my two Rivera amps. The sound was awesome! Problem is that I really dont want to carry two amps to a gig!

[cobrafast1]

I've tried it a few times, just to see what it sounds like. With a real stereo guitar, it's great. Lots of separation. I've done that with my Parker Fly Deluxe. Other guitars don't really get the benefit of Stereo unless it is truly stereo guitar. I have to agree with others; I don't really want to lug two amps and two sets of speakers to a gig.

[pressure]

I've been doing this for years. Guitar into a DLS Echotap delay then stereo outs to a Victoria Deluxe for the grit and a Tone King Metropolitan for the clean.

[RhoadsScholar]

I use to play live with two Fender cyber Deluxe series amp. They had a feature where you could feed the output from one right into the other.... As much as i liked the quality of the build of the cyber series and the amazing stereo separation you could get with two amps, fender didn't build that feature into the Mustang Series of amps (which has much better modeling and are lighter/cheaper and build in China). I will be experimenting with The mustang and a reverb deluxe or Concert when we get back to playing live..... It is too much volume for me for at home practice but Chorus and Echo in a live band setting can't be beat. Especially for classic rock sounds.......