Reference for the Carlton/Ford tone?!

[Bob-I]

Larry also mikes this through his own small PA on stage. I don't know what that has to do with the tone but I'm sure it makes a difference.

[img:510:447]http://www.larrycarlton.net/on_line/gearagain1.jpg[/img]

[Normster]

I have a couple of Larry Carlton's "Starlicks" videos and he mentions in both that he plays through the OD channel. He sets it so that it'll clean up with light pick attack but start to grind when he digs in.

The closest I've come to the LC tone with my (non-HRM) clone is with these settings:
Vol - 2:00
Bright - Off
Deep - On
R/J - Rock
Treb - 1:00
Mid - 11:00
Bass - 2:00
Gain - 11:00
Level - 9:00
Master - 10:00
Accent - On (Equivalent to Presense at 12:00)
Reverb and Delay in the loop (Larry uses a Dumblelator in the videos but I've read he plays the amp dry in live performances.)

It's damned close so I'm not sure if I buy that Larry uses HRM. Also, I think the Deep switch adds a lot of the LC character to the tone. It really softens things up but will still bite when you really dig in, especially with the Master above 10:00. Of course, your mileage WILL vary since my amp, guitar, playing style, etc. are nothing like yours or Larry's.

[les_guitar]

I have a couple of Larry Carlton's "Starlicks" videos and he mentions in both that he plays through the OD channel. He sets it so that it'll clean up with light pick attack but start to grind when he digs in.

The closest I've come to the LC tone with my (non-HRM) clone is with these settings:
Vol - 2:00
Bright - Off
Deep - On
R/J - Rock
Treb - 1:00
Mid - 11:00
Bass - 2:00
Gain - 11:00
Level - 9:00
Master - 10:00
Accent - On (Equivalent to Presense at 12:00)
Reverb and Delay in the loop (Larry uses a Dumblelator in the videos but I've read he plays the amp dry in live performances.)

It's damned close so I'm not sure if I buy that Larry uses HRM. Also, I think the Deep switch adds a lot of the LC character to the tone. It really softens things up but will still bite when you really dig in, especially with the Master above 10:00. Of course, your mileage WILL vary since my amp, guitar, playing style, etc. are nothing like yours or Larry's.

Thanks... I just need to equate these to the switches/settings on my Glaswerks and see whether magic happens!

Also, when I saw him in June with Robben, he was using a lot of delay/chorus from his TC 2290. And, that does have some influence on the tone. I have gotten pretty close with my 64 335, Glaswerks and a tad of delay...

Larry's tone is so dialed in!

Thanks,

Les

[rfgordon]

I can wager an opinion on Carlton's setup with the PA, based on my 30 years running sound. A similar set up is used by Eric Johnson and Neal Schon, though Schon executes it differently.

Here's the basic principle: Get the amp tone you want, mic the amp/speaker cab, then run that signal thru whatever processors you like. Remember, modulation effects (reverb, chorus, delay, etc.) sound best post-amp. I helped set up EJ's rig once upon a time and he likes it best if he can't hear the amps. He runs the processed sound through EV monitors at stage front.

Schon will often go like this: Diezel into cab -- mic -- processor -- a second amp and then speaker with final mic.

EJ is VERY particular about keeping the four amps in his rig EXACTLY at their sweet spots, so with the PA rig he can get as much or as little stage level as he needs, depending on the venue and proximity of the crowd.

Another thing is that working the feedback is much different with this type of rig. Having more control over the power at hand and the EQ curve can, I suppose, make it easier to get the rig to sing or keep it from doing so, depending on your goal.

I once ran sound for a band, whose name escapes me, but the lead guitar player rolled out this Marshall stack--that was hollow! The cable plugged into the input of the Marshall head, which hid a stompbox-sized boost box, and the output from that went into the lower Marshall cab, inside of which was, (are you ready for this?) a Montgomery Wards Airline amp with all the knobs dimed! Miked up, the thing sounded huge! (no extra charge for that story....)

[Bob-I]

...... he likes it best if he can't hear the amps. .......

I'm the same way. I often face my amp away from myself and listen to only the monitor, which I carry myself even if the band has monitors. I have a 30 year old EV that I love.

I once ran sound for a band, whose name escapes me, but the lead guitar player rolled out this Marshall stack--that was hollow! The cable plugged into the input of the Marshall head, which hid a stompbox-sized boost box, and the output from that went into the lower Marshall cab, inside of which was, (are you ready for this?) a Montgomery Wards Airline amp with all the knobs dimed! Miked up, the thing sounded huge! (no extra charge for that story....)

I once helped a friend setup sound for Boston in the 70's. Tom Schultz setup his own stage. I watched him setup 2 full Marshall stacks and a 2x12"/horn monitor. I asked him how in the hell he was gonna hear the vocals over those stacks. He led me behind the stacks and showed me a 1x12 combo he'd built himself. The stacks were for show. He listened to the entire mix through the monitors.