80s Metal Settings on my AD30VT

I added an Eminence Ragin Cajun speaker to my Vox Valvetronix AD30VT because I wasn't happy with the stock speaker at anything other than low bedroom volumes. The RC made the clean amp models sound nothing short of glorious. The high-gain models are a different story. The RC has so much extra low end that the amp almost sounds like it's got a blanket on it. I've been trying to get a decent 80s metal tone out of it but with only limited success. In the past day or two I may have hit on a solution.

I use the UK70s (aka Marshall Plexi) model with the gain, treble, and master volume dimed, the volume and mids at noon, and the bass all the way off. I also add a bit of delay. I can only imagine that it would sound absolutely nasty with the stock speaker, but it's great with the RC. For a little more edge or as a solo boost, I add the overdrive channel on my Thesis 96 overdrive. I've got the tone and level at noon and the gain all the way off. The switches are set for normal TS-808 mode (silicon diode clipping with mid-range hump). It adds a nice bit of snarl and some helpful compression. The Thesis 96 has so much more output and is so much brighter than a stock TS-808 that those settings brighten and punch things up quite a bit.

I hope these settings keep me happy for a while because quite frankly I was getting sick of searching. I was thisclose to getting a metal pedal.

New Gear (Since I Last Posted)

I know it's been a long time since I last posted. This summer I made some gear acquisitions, one of which will seem very strange given the previous post. I sold that Floyd Rose DST-3 and my Fender Showmaster Celtic H in order to get a Jackson DK2M in Inferno Red. Here's a pic:



I added a set of Schaller strap-locks, a fourth spring, a Floyd Rose trem stop, and a Ping-made arm. I've had this now since the middle of June. Let me tell you, I love it dearly. It's like I've finally found my match. I thought for sure I'd miss my old guitars, especially after investing so much time in the Floyd, but I really don't.

I also got a new overdrive/boost pedal, custom made for me by my friend, Duh Voodoo Man. It's a modified version of the BYOC Overdrive 2 with original artwork. Here's a pic:



The Overdrive 2 is a TS-808 circuit at its heart with all the popular mods. Mine has the ability to switch between three different tone settings and three clipping modes (TS-standard silicon, MOSFET, or no clipping diodes) and a Burr Brown OPA2134 op-amp. There's also a classic JRC4558D op-amp that I could swap in if I wanted. The op-amp is socketed for just such an occasion. Inwardly there are trim pots for maximum and minimum gain. Mine is set to have roughly double the gain of the stock TS-808.

So for much less than the price of a TS-808 reissue, I got an overdrive that has all the classic features plus a ton that the original doesn't have. And it's got a clean boost on top of it. It's a seriously cool pedal.