Metropoulos Forum

Kapo_Polenton wrote:I love this post from the AFD website:

If you haven't done so already, read the 'Story' section on the site here. It will give you an insight into the background of the AFD100 amplifier, first though let's try and clear a few things up: Slash has stated in the past that the amp he used to record Appetite was a 1959T that had been modded by an engineer called Tim Caswell. More recently, it was stated that he used a JCM800 for the recording. Without trying to confuse or start being over technical, this amp should be looked at as a whole new project, and not just a 'reissue'. What we are doing is recreating the TONE of Appetite, in whichever way we can and most importantly, to Slash's exact specifications

The AFD-site quote shows clearly that Marshall is simply trying to recreate THE tone, just like other people here. I heard Staalhoofd's clip and it's very convincing. We'll have to see/hear what Marshall will come up with. After all they should have access to all sorts of vintage gear, PTs and OTs and should be able to experiment more than anyone here. A corporation with all those technical and human resources should, in theory, be able to nail the tone 99%, if not 100%. I have my reservations, but we'll find out soon.

Tim Caswell chimed in at hoffmanamps if you want to try to ask him questions on this .

jerrydyer wrote:Tim Caswell chimed in at hoffmanamps

Just as he did here

Hey everyone, I'm trying to post my clip but SoundClick seems slammed right now, what's the max file size I can post here just as an MP3? I'll just do it here for now if I can post like a 2.5 meg file.

You can watch the first vid they posted of the engineers "probing" the amp on youtube or the AFD site. Slash swears he remembers it being a JCM! ..so he says before they correct him. They've got the #34 Levi modded JCM on the bench and surprise surprise it only has a few of the caps modded and you can catch a glimpse of them in the preamp stage.So they are going to go for the voicing of that amp but look at the extra gain stage. At least they are throwing out the right names. Tim and Frank are both mentioned.I guess that is kind of a props to them.. according to Slash he'll know the right amp when he hits the opening chords of night train.

Okay, not sure what is going on over at SoundClick but their must be ton of people logged on right now streaming music. Here's the clip I've been promising. I have to apologize for the playing, I'm doing all of this with a house full of family in town for my son's first birthday. Hell, even the former au pair from the UK flew over here for it. Anyway, to set the record straigh, this is based on the layout we've been discussing with Tim on my Photobucket page, but I HAVE change a few things that I will will update with a new layout. However, I am giving Tim, the opportunity to tell me not to post this new information if he does not want me to. I think we all understand that the point here was never to undermine his business but rather just get that awesome tone. I don't think the large amp making company has anything on what's being built here, we'll always get better tone! Anyway, enough yapping. This is completely raw with no eq'ing, and no mastering as I just don't have the time to play right now. All comments are very welcomed! Oops gotta run, my wife is yelling at me to put a new toy together...

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_so ... ID=8658185" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Let me know if there are any other particular licks you want me to (try) to play to get a better feel for the sound or if you want me to dial the tone controls up or down, etc.

EDIT: one more thing, this is at pretty low volume (2-3 on the PPIMV) so I'll try to do another at "real" volume.

Kapo_Polenton wrote:You can watch the first vid they posted of the engineers "probing" the amp on youtube or the AFD site. Slash swears he remembers it being a JCM! ..so he says before they correct him. They've got the #34 Levi modded JCM on the bench and surprise surprise it only has a few of the caps modded and you can catch a glimpse of them in the preamp stage.So they are going to go for the voicing of that amp but look at the extra gain stage. At least they are throwing out the right names. Tim and Frank are both mentioned.I guess that is kind of a props to them.. according to Slash he'll know the right amp when he hits the opening chords of night train.

Just watched that a couple of times. Really don't know what to make of it. So they are looking at a JCM, but thats not the version of the amp he used. So are they just going to stick the moded 1959/2203 preamp into the factory JCM's?

Ha ha,

Just watched the clip. This is very weird. They really seem a bit confused. I wish I could have walked in there to clear things up.

Technically speaking the amp could only have had three inputs since:

to someone looking at the outside of #36, the only perceptible modification would have been the addition of a master volume knob.

Look at GnR at the Ritz. Same thing. Levi modded amp with extra volume on the front.

Anyway, it's strange they have to look at #34 to even be able to get close to #36. Why don't they just contact Levi in NYC?

Staalhoofd wrote: The 1959 Super Lead was released under the wing of the JCM800 series in the 80's. But, not every 1959 Super Lead is a JCM800. So, I would say that it is wrong to state that.

Well and I would say that's a little bit fussy. Probably the amp Slash used wasn't already part of the JCM800 series but if you are referring nowadays to a 1959 I think it's just idle to clarify if the amp was manufactured before or after 1981.
That's just my opinion and it don't have to be yours.


So with Tim Caswell joining the conversation there's just Frank Levi staying unheard in this case...

Staalhoofd wrote:Ha ha,

Just watched the clip. This is very weird. They really seem a bit confused. I wish I could have walked in there to clear things up.

They seem to be off to a good start. Or not

If Slash had some of Gene Simmons' brains and ambition he would have made his own AFD amp using Staalhoofd experiments and would have made tons of money. Seriously... No more digging into the past, no more #34, #36, #39, 1959 etc. What matters is the tone and Staalhoofd has it. Maybe it can be improved, maybe not, I don't know. But the tone is there.

6burgh wrote:Okay, not sure what is going on over at SoundClick but their must be ton of people logged on right now streaming music. Here's the clip I've been promising. I have to apologize for the playing, I'm doing all of this with a house full of family in town for my son's first birthday. Hell, even the former au pair from the UK flew over here for it. Anyway, to set the record straigh, this is based on the layout we've been discussing with Tim on my Photobucket page, but I HAVE change a few things that I will will update with a new layout. However, I am giving Tim, the opportunity to tell me not to post this new information if he does not want me to. I think we all understand that the point here was never to undermine his business but rather just get that awesome tone. I don't think the large amp making company has anything on what's being built here, we'll always get better tone! Anyway, enough yapping. This is completely raw with no eq'ing, and no mastering as I just don't have the time to play right now. All comments are very welcomed! Oops gotta run, my wife is yelling at me to put a new toy together...

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_so ... ID=8658185" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Let me know if there are any other particular licks you want me to (try) to play to get a better feel for the sound or if you want me to dial the tone controls up or down, etc.

EDIT: one more thing, this is at pretty low volume (2-3 on the PPIMV) so I'll try to do another at "real" volume.

great tone!! its very difficult to judge trough cheap speakers and aufio files however you are very near, maybe a bit too compressed and dark but could it be my speakers

6Burgh, get rid of that PPIMV. I think they are better for lower gain circuits without pre phase master volumes. It sounds great on the lower strings but I think the higher strings need to come out a little more. They seem to be lost a bit with the compression. Close though for sure!

Thanks for the kind words. Yup, I knew as soon as I dialed it back that the voice would be too harsh cause of the PPIMV. Damn family . I'm hoping Sunday I can empty the house, but Monday for sure (everybody leaves ). I've had this thing up to 8 (unattenuated) yesterday and it's absolutely the difference that is so audible in the recording. Plus, that extra "umph" gets going on the high notes. Man this is fun...

Oh yeah, I'm laughing at that AFD100 clip. They are in serious trouble. Even with all of the details people around here have come up with they still are floundering. Slash deserves better... Idea: George can head the amp build and we'll all serve as a design board. That would be a good amp.

as a basic hair metal amp how does this thing sound i know it isn't the true slash tone but it would be amazing to see how versatile it is for that era.

Mr. Caswell,
Welcome and thank you for joining us. I don't know what they did to #36, but I currently have the spec Paulster posted representing #39 and I absolutely love it.