Bedroom tone

[vwjodyme]

i know it's been spoken of in earlier posts but i just wanted to see if i could get a couple more ideas. my guitar playing is limited to the "man cave" (small office size room in the corner of my house) and am looking for a small amp (or big turned down low?) to get good jerry tone. So what do you guys use to practice quietly?

[unnbrokenchain]

Custom Vibrolux Reverb or a hot rod deluxe which is what I used to have and works better then a new twin reverb reissue in my opinion. Then all you have to do is throw in a D120 or K120, whatever your choosing and your all set. Good sounding setup that is inexpensive too.

[mijknahs]

Just about any amp will do but if that's all the playing you do and you want the best tone, it's just like anything else. Get the best you can afford. I think a vintage Fender amp (with Jerry mods) with a JBL would be the way to go. Maybe an old Fender Deluxe with a JBL. Or just get a Twin and you'll have something you could play loud with too. I like the Twin turned down low but I also play kinda loud at home too.

Jim

[Grateful Dad]

Literally my bedroom tone is headphones w/output from amp and stereo combined into the headphones (with a Radio Shack cluster of wires and jacks I am able to keep the stereo sound and have the bass in both ears). I practiced until 2am this morning learning new tunes for my band's upcoming gigs. My wife was sleeping not more than 10 feet away and she sleeps right through my practicing (even doing slap/pop bass riffs)! She can even watch TV and we do not bother each other.

This hookup also works for my electric guitar amp.

God bless my lovely understanding and totally supportive wife and Radio Shack!

[tigerstrat]

To practice quietly (probably 80% of the playing I do) I simply don't plug into anything. However that's getting ready for a performance where I'll be barking pretty loudly...

Look into all those new-fangled 5-15 watt amps that have hit the market recently! Hoping some of those might start trickling into the used market...

[HeadSpace]

One thing that's worked for me as a modest, portable, low-volume Jerry-esque setup is a Fender Pro Junior with a JBL K110 in it. It's a 15 watter, and with the JBL it'll get loud enough to bother the readily botherable, but it sounds good low (crank the tone control, though). Very simple amp--two knobs. Also: Relatively affordable as this stuff goes. Maybe $300 tops I'd think for a used one in good shape and another $100 for a k110, which would be optional anyway.

That said, I have a full-on, fairly overkillish basement rig (which, thanks to mijknahs, now includes a Mcintosh mc2505) and it sounds just fine at reasonable volume. It is, however, big, heavy and wife-frightening and would never, ever be allowed in the bedroom.

[JonnyBoy]

I use a Fender G-dec jr. and it nails a Blackface tone at low volumes as if you are pushing a twin in the sweet zone. I wish my big rig sounded that good. Its all modeled and the speaker is a big part, because using it as a preamp into other speakers is not the same. It has practice loops and built in effects, pretty cool for a hundred bucks.

[raisingfreen]

Try or at least test out a silverface fender champ. Good price and perfect size and volume for a small office. I love that photo of Jerry playing the little tweed champ on Wald's site. Anywhoo... those little silverface champs are a bargain and sound amazing. Check out the guy on 9mile skid and his recordings. He used a little champ and a weber speaker. Pretty cool stuff.
http://www.9mileskid.com/images/041508_for_web.mp3

I have a 70s silverface champ and love noodling around in the office or even during work breaks. I wish sometime I could gig with this little amp. I use a old 8" Pyle Driver speaker and leave the amp cranked with the split middle setting. Just starts to break up a tiny bit and sounds like really great.

Maybe the new little vibro champs wold work for man cave setup too. Built in reverb/delay etc...
I just cant see using anything bigger in small space. It's just too loud.

[Friesman]

I use a Fender G-dec jr. and it nails a Blackface tone at low volumes as if you are pushing a twin in the sweet zone. I wish my big rig sounded that good. Its all modeled and the speaker is a big part, because using it as a preamp into other speakers is not the same. It has practice loops and built in effects, pretty cool for a hundred bucks.

+1 I have a G-dec thirty (about $399) and the tone is definitely in there..plus a zillion other things..perfect for the cave!

[strumminsix]

One thing that's worked for me as a modest, portable, low-volume Jerry-esque setup is a Fender Pro Junior with a JBL K110 in it. It's a 15 watter, and with the JBL it'll get loud enough to bother the readily botherable, but it sounds good low (crank the tone control, though). Very simple amp--two knobs. Also: Relatively affordable as this stuff goes. Maybe $300 tops I'd think for a used one in good shape and another $100 for a k110, which would be optional anyway.

THIS.

You can pick one up used for $200, they sound great, weigh like 15 lbs so super portable, great backup at gigs!

[keirweir]

Literally my bedroom tone is headphones w/output from amp and stereo combined into the headphones (with a Radio Shack cluster of wires and jacks I am able to keep the stereo sound and have the bass in both ears). I practiced until 2am this morning learning new tunes for my band's upcoming gigs. My wife was sleeping not more than 10 feet away and she sleeps right through my practicing (even doing slap/pop bass riffs)! She can even watch TV and we do not bother each other.

This hookup also works for my electric guitar amp.

God bless my lovely understanding and totally supportive wife and Radio Shack!

+1

Go get yourself some Bose quiet comfort headphones
I purchased something like this and it works great. The one I have allows you to turn off the amp modeling to give you a straight up clean tone. I use the reverb, delay and some different distortions. The clean (no amp modeling) tone with reverb in those headphones is unreal.

[vwjodyme]

Awesome guys! The gdec sounds pretty cool and cheap enough to get by the old lady for now.
On a side note: is it known what jerry used for practice like in hotels and stuff (or john k for that matter)? was it the champ?

[chummy]

Hey Now. New guy here! As far as Jerry bedroom tone. I agree with the Hot Rod Delux with a D120. There are some other Mods you can to to the Hot Rod. New pot in Drive channel works. You may also want to look at dropping the Mids.

[strumminsix]

Hey Now. New guy here! As far as Jerry bedroom tone. I agree with the Hot Rod Delux with a D120. There are some other Mods you can to to the Hot Rod. New pot in Drive channel works. You may also want to look at dropping the Mids.

How big are your bedrooms, lol?!

A Pro Jr is even overkill for bedroom. I can do some of our gigs with that little amp and have room to spare and that's what 12w?! Couldn't imagine a 40w bedroom amp?!

[Pete B.]

My best advice for bedroom tone using the typical "practice amp" style of amps, is to get two amps, and run them in stereo (with a stereo 'verb/deley).
I use two Danelectro Nifty-Fifty amps (no built in 'verb), but any two amps would work (you may need to use a 3-to-2 plug on one amp to eliminate buzz).