Metropoulos Forum

Ok, so there is much debate about which mod was in the amp: 39? 36? 34? Who the hell knows. Having heard the mod and listened to the album for say 20+ years, I have often suggested as many of you have, that the magic was in the EQ and the mix because taht amp alone won't cut like it did on the album no matter how thin and high endy it sounds when you sit in front of the cab. So here I submit for your ears, a real quick recording of me doing Izzy and Slash. After some feedback (good call SDM!) , I really cranked the highs in order to get that "brittle" Caswell feeling from the recording. I didn't spend much time on the Izzy side so it is just filler though decent enough. The "Slash" side comes through on the right speaker like the original. Playing isn't the greatest but the "vibe" is there. I think it could use a tad more gain but comparing the isolated guitar tracks available on youtube, I think it is pretty darn close. I used the then isolated drum and vocal track as my backing so the guitars might be a tad too up front. The only thing that would be nice is some bass but i didn't go that far. Let me know what you think. I found a little trick with the EQ settings between what Slash said his settings on the amp were and what they probably did in the studio so I'll share that if you like what you hear. Kind of a nice way for people with stock gear to get the tone if you don't mod or don't want to pay for it.

Amp - JCM 800 with 6550 stock. Pream on 8, master 3 or so.
Dan electro Transparent overdrive with treb set at 2 o'clock and bass at 10. Gain is just 1/4 way up, level half way.
Alnico II in an epiphone Les Paul
The rest is at the board with an EQ plugin through cubase.

To download go here -- updated link: http://www.2shared.com/file/5373468/599 ... al-02.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Go to bottom of page to get it.

Post back with thoughts!

i often use 2shared.com it seems alrite...
also tried http://www.wikiupload.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and it worked fine

Yeh, it works!

REALLY NICE PLAYING!!! Well in my opinion there's a bit too much distortion in the tone, and it seems a bit on the thinner side - maybe due to the mic position?

If you listen to the isolated guitar tracks you'll hear there is more distortion then you think on Slash's side. Izzy's side i used too much dirt though definitely. I used this as reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1-tRRvG ... L&index=34" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I could still get closer I think.I actually think it has to be that brittle and thin because when you add in the bass it rounds it out nicely like here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU0gybzq ... L&index=42" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The guitars are a bit more in the background in the second clip but you can really hear Slash.

Kapo_Polenton wrote:If you listen to the isolated guitar tracks you'll hear there is more distortion then you think on Slash's side. Izzy's side i used too much dirt though definitely. I used this as reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1-tRRvG ... L&index=34" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I could still get closer I think.I actually think it has to be that brittle and thin because when you add in the bass it rounds it out nicely like here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU0gybzq ... L&index=42" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The guitars are a bit more in the background in the second clip but you can really hear Slash.

When playing rythm i really cant tell who is who, do you know which is which, left side Im guessing is Slash and right side Izzy, but I may be wrong, do you know?

Other way around. Slash rhythm is on the right. Izzy left.

What SDM said.. I changed my mix so that my Slash is also on the right side. You'll notice Izzy is a bit more upfront and Slash fills a wider spectrum on the right side in the background. I find anyway... Probably the use of close and ambience mic'ing vs. just close mic'ing for Izzy.

How did this guy on youtube those isolated guitar tracks?

Won't download.

Crap.. any free upload server I try won't let me host it there long enough. It is getting annoyingTry this one:

http://www.2shared.com/file/5373468/599 ... al-02.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Go to bottom of page and get it there... hopefully.

Chubs, he used guitar hero I think.. one of those games that had access to the masters. Then there is a turn down option apparently. That is why the whole album can't be done because only certain songs are included.

Let's get some opinions folks!

sounds really good - eq is slightly different - seems to be lacking mids. Maybe try it with a little more mids and a little les gain

I scooped it slightly too much I think.. the gain factor though i am not soo sure i would back off on because if you listen to Slash's side, he has quite a bit of hair there when he does the fills between the rythm. Izzy sounds like he has hardly any gain at all. Crazy how they recorded that but that is what makes it the masterpeice it is. Anyway not bad for stock gear! Get's me in the ballpark and goes to show the magic of EQ. I'd love to try one of those rack parametric eq's at some point.

Kapo_Polenton wrote:Ok, so there is much debate about which mod was in the amp: 39? 36? 34? Who the hell knows. Having heard the mod and listened to the album for say 20+ years, I have often suggested as many of you have, that the magic was in the EQ and the mix because taht amp alone won't cut like it did on the album no matter how thin and high endy it sounds when you sit in front of the cab.

I disagree. Having owned 3 of these amps back in the mid 80's my amps sounded exactly like the tone Slash got on AFD and also the tone Lynch got on ULK. The reason I had the mods done was because I read a interview with Lynch after ULK came out and I tried to contact Caswell at SIR only to find out he had left by that time and I was introduced to Frank Levi and proceeded with having him do the mods because he came highly recommended by the staff at SIR and was Warren DeMartini's amp tech. BTW Frank says he'll have a amp out by 2010.

Fair enough, but would you say I am in the ballpark with my clip? I also assume that the mod Frank did is the same one you mentioned that did not involve drilling for an extra tube correct? So #34? (based on what folks have been saying in the other threads i suppose...)