BandGeek's rig *Need Suggestions*

[BandGeek86]

Heya Guitargeeks,
I have a very basic rig right now because I can't afford to test different things as it is now, but I am looking for some suggestions on things to do, I would like some new effects, and I might just get a whole new amp and stuff all together eventually. Here is what I got

Marshall Valvestate VS102R 2x12 100watt amp can't find too much info on it. Doesn't sound bad at all.

Boss SD-1 SuperOverdrive- great distortion pedal IMO. I like its sound a lot.

Epiphone Les Paul Standard w/ Skinny Top Heavy Bottom Strings

Thats it for now. I am thinking about maybe getting a Mesa Boogie Dual or Triple Rectifier amp, or a Marshall JCM-800. I was wondering tho, I see some setups that have multiple heads with one guitar and I was wondering how you do that, I have seen the term "slaved into ____" with one amp "slaved into another whatever that means. Obviously im not a guitar tech at all, I just know how to play :p I play Rock and Semi Punk music, I like my sound now, but I think it is very basic and it could be improved a lot. If you have any suggestions on how to improve it that would be great.

Thanks a lot,
BandGeek86

[Greyskull]

You can run your guitar to multiple amps via an amp switcher, like the Morley ABY, the Framptone switcher, and the Lehle switcher.

I believe slaving is pumping the preamp signal from one amp, and pumping it thru another amp's/amps' power amp.

I have not done it myself, but as far as I know that's what it is.

Please corect me if I am wrong.

[Greyskull]

Info about your amp:
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data/Marshall/VS102R-01.html

[BandGeek86]

ok then here is another question, about running multiple heads through one guitar. Tom Delonge, had 3 4x12 cabs, with a 2x12 cab on top of each of them. This would imply that he uses 3 heads right? do they make switchers that can run 3 heads? All of em I saw could only run 2, and do you think he uses all 3 heads at the same time or what? Or can you link 2 switchers together? Thanks

[Greyskull]

There are abxsolutely three way switchers. He only uses one cable to the box, then three cables from the box to the amp's inputs. I do not know what kind of switcher/selectore he uses.

These are pretty bad-ass. http://www.lehle.com/

Whirlwind (http://www.whirlwindusa.com/) does some pretty good switchers, too. They've been around forever.

[Partypirate02]

I started out with a valvestate too, and they are cool amps. before you invest a **** load of money into a triple rec. and cabinent however, i would problby try other options. for one thing, the 150 tube watts are about 4 times louder than the valvestate and they are kind of hard to get to sound good at reasonable volumes. With my valvestate I always liked the sound i got by putting the boss EQ pedal in the effects loop and experimenting with that. You can really get some cool sounds by changing around the mids. A nice chours wouldnt be bad either. the jcm 800 is awsome too, but along with the triple recs, they take a while to get to sound good.

As far as playing through multiple cabinants, im using the mesa boogie 50/50 power amp which can power four cabinents at once. Which in a way is an amp spliter, if you check my rig, (steve-os live rig) i use a morley A-B swithcer to go into both a mesa preamp and an ADA preamp, which both go to separate speakers. i know it doesnt seem like alot of power, but 50 tube watts can knock your socks off. i cant even get it past 3 on stage.

[GibsonPRS]

what Tom does is he runs the guitar into a mesa triple rectifier head and a marshall jcm 900 preamp..........he uses the dirty channel of the marshall for his clean sound.......then he uses the mesa head for the distortion sound.......he then runs the head simultainiously into three mesa 4x12's and into the other three 2x12's.

~GibsonPrs~

[EggShen]

in reference to the use of multiple cabs:
he most likely uses the two different amps for tone reasons, but likely the multiple cabs are strictly for aesthetics. not uncommon either. kiss back in the day used to even have stacks and stack of cabs without speakers in them. sometimes theyre there for backups, but usually not plugged in. at that level of sound reinforcement, its not really necessary to push any more power than an amp or two.