MORE stuff I recorded with the Hall & Collins

[keithmantle]

Hi David, I've had a note from Steve Mitchell regarding new etap mods that ecca doesn't seem to be doing, and advised me to look at Phillip Hawthorne echotapper blog, he says they are working on a new super etap !!. He tells me the 'halo' mod makes a big difference.

[dave robinson]

Yes David everything is played on the G&L S-500 and the strings are old 9/46, I fitted them last September.
I did these demos as plain as I could to show how good the Hall & Collins is. A couple of cheap amps too, so no expensive hand wired stuff that nobody can afford. All the tracks are single 'takes' deliberately, that's why there are mistakes left in.
The point of this is to show that anybody can now have That Sound, but as for the playing, that's down to some hard practice and sadly you can't go and buy that. One has to put some effort in.

[ecca]

What's that then Keith ?

[Echotapper]

Hi David, I've had a note from Steve Mitchell regarding new etap mods that ecca doesn't seem to be doing, and advised me to look at Phillip Hawthorne echotapper blog, he says they are working on a new super etap !!. He tells me the 'halo' mod makes a big difference.

Ecca's product is with halo and real triodes!!

Piet

[bridev]

Great stuff Dave. Really enjoyed listening to all tracks. To my old ears you have nailed it with the H& C.
Thanks for taking the time to demonstrate the unit. Sadly I can't justify buying one so I'll keep tweeking the G3

Cheers
Brian

[dave robinson]

There's nothing wrong with the G3 it's a great little machine and most won't hear the difference, that goes for the eTap too.

[dakwah]

Hi Dave

I have listened to all your tracks through various equipment and you nail the sound each time.

I have used various equipment and get the same (my) sound but not anywhere like yours so a lot must be down to your ability.

as a matter of interest are the tone control settings similar for all your amps? as they all sound great with all the different echo types.

thanks Stan

[dave robinson]

Well I'm using a G&L S-500 which is a modern Leo Fender Strat, as well as a Fender Strat through a couple of low cost Vox amplifiers and the sound is there to begin with, nothing I'm doing is causing that. The Hall & Collins in this case is giving me the perfect echo sound and tone and I'm just playing the tunes as best I can. I've tried many of the current Vox amps from the new VT-80 + to the little Mini Sound Box and all of them give an instant Hank sound without any hassle.
I would be interested to know what you are using Stan, do you live locally to me in South Yorkshire ? I'd be happy to try and help you sort it out.

[dakwah]

Hi Dave thanks for the offer

I live in North Wales so too far from you.

I play on my own to myself. the family do not appreciate the same tunes played with different mistakes each time......(the dog will sit me though)

Over the years I have used a number of things. At the moment I have a G&L legacy tribute and a Japanese Tokai strat. They both sound very similar to my ears.

I use e.g. Zoom G5 with your G3 patches (great, thanks again for them) ot the Stanley etap pedal (also good but not as versatile as the G5).Either into my Edriol 20 watt monitors via a mixer and backing tracks into the same via my PC or a vox AC30 H2L (so tone has suffered through playing at low volumes). Not sure what it would sound like in a large room. I also have a line 6 DT25 amp. I think the main problem is my technique as your authentic tone even through the vox mini 3 and AC4 is miles better than mine.

As suggested by others (thanks) I have the treble and bass on zero with the amps and the Zoom. To be honest there is not a lot of difference in the quality at house room volume. Could be my ears as with your various tracks I have listened to I could not honestly so I can hear any differences.

If I never get close to the tone that's ok as playing is most important, but would be a bonus. The wife, when asked to listen thinks I nuts as she says mine sound is ok, different to the originals but passable.

thanks once again for your time, effort and suggestions Dave

Stan

[dave robinson]

OK Stan I understand what you have there. The guitars are not the problem as I am familiar with those models and they deliver the sound. I think my success is largely due to the Vox amps and the Vox amp simulator in my Logic software. I can't help but get the tone using those, never together though. If I'm using one of the amps there is no need for the simulation on the computer as that would be EQing the signal twice, which is too much. I only use the simulator if I go straight into the computer. I have discovered that using an AC30 or AC15 was a problem too in the house, as it is difficult to get the level to achieve the harmonics that please us so much, without being really loud, which is why you may benefit from obtaining one of these tiny Vox amps, the Mini 3, Mini 5, the older DA -5 , Pathfinder 10 or even the new Mini Sound Box. I tried one last week and was well impressed and none of those are expensive. A few years ago I would have laughed at the idea but they do work. The problem with using a mixer is often that the tone controls don't suit the Stratocaster as they are designed to EQ microphones, so unless it's a high range mixer with parametric EQ on the MID control, you can't cut or boost the correct frequencies to get the lead guitar sound that you are seeking. Another inexpensive little tool is the Joyo AC model which is a little pedal at around £30 that EQs exactly like a Vox amp, though if I was to invest I'd go for the little Min 3 amp from Vox, knowing what I know now. Bottom line is if you plug straight into an amp or mixer and the core sound is there, it's odds on that when you add the echo you will be some way towards your goal. If the core sound isn't there, you have a problem.
Hope you get sorted.