LEGACY... hmmm.. Kinda bummed

12181 Views 80 Replies 37 Participants Last post by 3bolt79, 5 mo ago

piranha

Discussion Starter · Aug 14, 2008

I bought a Legacy half stack recently. I'm starting to be honest with myself. I'm kinda discouraged. My purpose in writing this is to get some ideas.

First of all the clean channel is deadly clean. Best I've played on.
However the Lead channel, well, I was hoping for Steve Vai tone. That's not what I'm hearing. Sounds quite mild to me. Not Vai'ish at all.... to me at least.

I put a dod EQ in the loop and have improved it alot. Only issue with that is the mild hum I hear.

I did some research and bought a Keeley SEM DS-1... Still bummed. It sounds compressed and bass'y when used with the amps Lead channel. Got the gain set at 6 on the amp and no distortion on the pedal.

I'm going to continue to tinker. I'm guessing that the tone I want is likely only found at higher volume. In all honesty I've only really tinkered with the tone at louder bedroom levels which is still hardly registering on the amp volume knob.

The guitar I play is an RG 560 with an SD blackout in the bridge
Really looking forward to your replies.

41 - 60 of 81 Posts

bucket_bot

· #41 · Oct 20, 2008 (Edited)

Valhalla said:
+1. Of course the Legacy will sound like ass at lower volumes, just like any other tube amp...If you want an amp for your bedroom, get a Line 6 or something instead of wasting all that coin on an amp you will never gig with....

I would not agree with that either, the Legacy can be made to sound pretty good at Low volumes with some careful tweaking and by using an effects pedal with an input level control in the loop.

Admittedly you wont get the best out of it unless you crank it but even at low volume it sounds at least as good as any Line 6 amp ive tried.... & I've tried a few!

EG Vetta, Flextone Spider 3......

What digital modelling amps have going for them is versatility and combined effects and no tube amps can compete with that....but it depends really on what you want.

I have run the gammet of wasting hours twiddling with Line 6 tones etc etc but have now come back to the less is more way of thinking.
In my opinion no amount of processing can better the simple sound of a good tube amp with a tad of reverb in the right hands!

but then that's just me!! Many people love the versatility and variety that Line 6 gear has to offer and all power to them!

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bucket_bot

· #42 · Oct 20, 2008

newbieguitarmaker said:
yeah the blackout sounds a lot different than the Evo.

All this reminds me, would you guys use an attenuator or a volume pedal to reduce the loudness of the legacy? Also would these be any good with the legacy?
http://www.tedweber.com/atten.htm

Have heard good things about Weber attenuators but have never tried one.
I have however tried a Marshall Powerbrake on a Legacy & IMO it sucked!!!
Literally sucked away all the tone!!

I also tried out a THD Hotplate that I had borrowed but never bought one as I felt that the difference I got in sound compared to just putting a volume pedal in the loop did not justify the cost.

To help with your Q putting a Volume pedal or an effects pedal with an input level knob in the loop will allow you to turn the Legacy Volume up more than 1 and allow you more precise level control.
I use a Boss Space Echo in the Loop of my Legacy and it works a treat in that way.

I even practice using both My Legacy & X100B at home with a Switchbone pedal & a cab for each amp so that I can switch between the 2 amps & also have both running together which when using a different Delay pedal in the loop of each amp gives a stereo effect.
It's pretty loud but the house still has windows!!

Also another neat function of the Switchbone is that it has a Gain & mid boost function which can be tailored to give a variable Gain boost and also boost the mid range by +5 or +10 db.
Works great for a solo boost!

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newbieguitarmaker

· #43 · Oct 20, 2008

CosmicDebris said:
If it is so great an amp then why does steve use a fender for cleans and pedals for distortion?

I thought he said he used the fender for cleans in his monitor so he can hear his sound without his effects.

Also in Vai's new video K'm-Pee-Du-Wee he has amazing tone with the legacy and minimal peadls. I think he has has a flanger, a volume, a delay and something else on his board that I am not really sure what it is but it looks like some other volume pedal. Also he has a tube screamer sitting on top of the head but idk if its plugged in because it wasn't at the beginning of the vid.

Oh and may I add Billy had the smallest roland cube for bass I've ever seen and it sounded pretty good still

Lefty Robb

· #44 · Oct 20, 2008

lateralus819 said:
Hmm everyone's taste is different, not gonna force you to like it! What did you replace it with and what wasn't "You" about it if i might ask?

it lacked definition, and was just to fizzy.

this is my rig now.

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newbieguitarmaker

· #45 · Oct 20, 2008

Gotta love the Mesa cabs, I'm using my dad's mesa cab for my rig at home b4 I go to college

lateralus819

· #46 · Oct 20, 2008

Hmm i'm waiting to get some cash for a hotplate so i can hear what all the hype is about the volume being cranked, this is my first tube amp so I've no clue

.

Valhalla

· #47 · Oct 20, 2008

CosmicDebris said:
If it is so great an amp then why does steve use a fender for cleans and pedals for distortion?

You have a skewered view of reality....He doesn't use the Fender solely for cleans...He blends the two amps' clean signals together. Also, he doesn't use pedals exclusively for distortion. He pushes the Legacy gain with pedals...but not much. Here's a quote from Dave Weiner (Vai's 2nd guitarist): "Steve only has OD pedals on for some lead work, not all. And he barely uses the clean channel."

waylay00

· #48 · Oct 20, 2008

lateralus819 said:
Hmm i'm waiting to get some cash for a hotplate so i can hear what all the hype is about the volume being cranked, this is my first tube amp so I've no clue .

It's not hype, it's a fact. The more voltage you supply to your power section, the more the power tubes will natural compress and produce more harmonically-rich distortion.

An attenuator will certainly help, but it still won't be exactly like having it turned up to a decent volume (speakers aren't hit as hard, etc...).

Valhalla

· #49 · Oct 21, 2008

Attenuators will also burn through your tubes a lot faster, and some will colour your tone in a not-so-nice way....

newbieguitarmaker

· #50 · Oct 21, 2008

Valhalla said:
Attenuators will also burn through your tubes a lot faster, and some will colour your tone in a not-so-nice way....

Webers can help account for that treble problem a lot of attenuators have, also it will burn through the tubes faster but won't it only be as fast as if you played at gig lvl? Unless you like put it on full and cut volume a lot.

lateralus819

· #51 · Oct 21, 2008

waylay00 said:
It's not hype, it's a fact. The more voltage you supply to your power section, the more the power tubes will natural compress and produce more harmonically-rich distortion.

An attenuator will certainly help, but it still won't be exactly like having it turned up to a decent volume (speakers aren't hit as hard, etc...).

Sorry what i meant to say was everyone says the legacy sounds amazing at 5/6/7 and i can only play at 1 here. So im anxious to hear how much better it sounds!

Darin

· #52 · Oct 25, 2008

The reason I sold my Legacy and eventually landed on a JSX....twice. JSX with a couple gain pedals of your choice make it a very versatile amp.

Currently running a BD-2 and an OCD in front of it. Quite satisfied actually.

newbieguitarmaker

· #53 · Oct 25, 2008

Darin said:
The reason I sold my Legacy and eventually landed on a JSX....twice. JSX with a couple gain pedals of your choice make it a very versatile amp.

Currently running a BD-2 and an OCD in front of it. Quite satisfied actually.

I could see that, I really don't see comparing the two very well though. One has its own distinct tone and the JSX is a jack of all trades it seems

guit10thann

· #54 · Oct 26, 2008

wow, i guess you could do all that. But, after 30 years of playing everything the diezel vh4 is the best for me at low or high volume this amp is awesome in every way. Yes, I have played the legacy if you think steve's are stock amps you are sadly mistaken robert keely makes awesome pedals and the g major also grace my set up ...... old modded marshals jcm 800 2201 set treble to 0 and the mid to 10 and punish the front end this will also give you what you are lookig for lead playing is rich decadent mids

Darin

· #55 · Oct 29, 2008

Listen up everyone. It's true alot of 100watt tube heads do not sound good at bedroom levels. The JSX does not fall into this category. It sounds great at all levels. ALL LEVELS. The speaker cab won't "wonk" at bedroom levels. But you'll have all the gain, crunch, sustain, and tone you need at any level. And it'll shake the windows when you want it to. No attenuator needed with the JSX. I absolutely promise you this it true.

lateralus819

· #56 · Oct 29, 2008

Legacy sounds great at bedroom volumes too

bucket_bot

· #57 · Oct 29, 2008

Darin said:
Listen up everyone. It's true alot of 100watt tube heads do not sound good at bedroom levels. The JSX does not fall into this category. It sounds great at all levels. ALL LEVELS. The speaker cab won't "wonk" at bedroom levels. But you'll have all the gain, crunch, sustain, and tone you need at any level. And it'll shake the windows when you want it to. No attenuator needed with the JSX. I absolutely promise you this it true.

Guess it's all about personal taste.
I have heard plenty of people say uncomplimentary things about the JSX.

justcartilage

· #58 · Nov 1, 2008

nosi0 said:
Maybe you could add the jemini pedal to your loop

+1

Having a seriously bad case of V.G.A.S (Vai Gear Aquisition Syndrome), I've done just that. Very happy with the result. While I like the natural dirty channel of the Legacy, it doesn't do heavier music much justice. Also, as we all know, a good OD is ideal for breaking through on leads. Jemini solves both of those "problems".

J

newbieguitarmaker

· #59 · Nov 1, 2008

I was thinking about how a jemini would sound on a legacy, vai pulled it off in his video. Unless he is a lier and put on a buncha other effects to mask its real tone. But I don't think vai is low enough for that

Darin

· #60 · Nov 1, 2008

bucket_bot said:
Guess it's all about personal taste.
I have heard plenty of people say uncomplimentary things about the JSX.

I've owned the Legacy a friends had a couple. I and the same friend have JSX's. You've heard uncomplimentary things. Have you owned both amps and made the judgment yourself?

The best tone I ever got from a Legacy was plugging a POD 2.0 into the back and using the head as a power amp.

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