Ceriatone Forum

Hey All,

I noticed that a lot of us are running a version of the Bluesmaster.  I thought it'd be nice to have a resource we can reference to see how others are setting their amps and why.  I'll start:

Bluesmaster 100w
Type of Music: Underground/Indie Rock, Melodic Distortion, some blues-influenced rock
Guitars: Mostly a Les Paul Studio with Burstbucker Pros.  Also a Blueshawk and Fender Am Strat

Settings:
Bright off
Deep on
Mid on
Rock
Preamp Vol: 3
T/M/B: 6/7/2
Drive: 5
Level: 3
OD Trim: noon
Master: 5
Presence: 5

What I am trying to do is make this a much more versatile amp.  I run mostly in Rock with the PAB on, so I have the clean vol with PAB at the same level as PAB with OD engaged, give or take.  I can still get great sounds without the PAB on in Rock mode, but I prefer it better with it on.  However, when I'm doing blues, I prefer the Jazz setting so I have the TMB set for that EQ curve.  Since I'm usually running the PAB on in Rock, doesn't matter where I set the TMB, but doing it this way, I have essentially a 6 channel amp (with minimal tweaking).  Also, I'm running a Keeley compressor and using a TIM as a preamp boost and to cut down some of the bass from the LP and give a bit of hair to the clean.  I'll try making a clip here soon.


Stephen

Nice Rane008
Are you running a D or K Lator? That can make alot of differnce on the settings alltogether and if so how is it setup.
Thanks
Todd

Hey Pick,

Yeah, I have the C-lator (out for repairs) and the K-lator.  I prefer the former, but will take the latter over having nothing.

S

Although my amp has a Skyliner stack here are my settings with a D-lator:

GE short gray plates in V1 & V2,  Raytheon long Black plate in PI

 Pre Vol:6 (1:00)
 Bright: Off
 Deep: Off
 Mid Boost:ON
 Rock/Jazz: Rock setting
 Treble: 5 (12:00)
 Middle: 4 (11:00)
 Bass: 4 (11:00)
 OD level (Drive): 3 1/2 (10:30)
 OD Volume: 6 (1:00)
 Master: 4 (11:00)
 Presence: 5 1/2 (12:30)

 Dumbleator Send  4 1/2 (11:45)
 Dumbleator Return 5 1/2 (12:30)
 Dumbleator Volume (Overall Master Vol): My preferred setting when @ a gig is around 6 (or 1:00)

Bluesmaster 50w with 1/2 power, Sag Resistor (switchable), and switchable PAB resistors (standard and 22M) and C-Lator
Open Backed 2x12 Combo with 2 Weber 1265 Alnico with the "Pre-Rola" Treatment Process
Type of music: Blues, R&B, Rock, Acid Rock, some Jazz and experimental instrumental stuff
Guitars: Fender American Strat with standard pickups, wired for standard switching and series neck-middle / bridge-middle, Danelectro DC59, Epiphone Sheraton II

I just changed my output tubes back to JAN Phillips 6L6WGB's from the usual TAD 6L6WGC-STR shorties that i usually run and use different settings depending on the tone i want.
With the 6L6WGB's i don't usually use the Overdrive at all and use the following settings:

For Cranked Blackface sounds:
V1 & V2: ANOS GE Long Plate 12AX7 // V3: Mullard CV4024 "balanced" // V4 & V5 JAN Phillips 6L6WGB Biased @ 42.5ma
Bright: On
Deep: On
Mid Boost: Off
Rock
Preamp Vol: 10
T/M/B: 8/ 3.5 /4
Master: 10
Presence: 8
Cl-ator: Drive 12'oclock Bright off/ Input 5'oclock(full)/ Output: used as overall master bright on
This yields a great cranked Blackface fender sound, and the original reason i bought this amp, as Nik told me that the Bluesmaster was the most Blackface like amp he currently builds, but also has the added benefit of an OD channel.

For Clean Blackface tones, i can roll my guitar volume back or i can use the following settings

V1 & V2: ANOS GE Long Plate 12AX7 // V3: Mullard CV4024 "balanced" // V4 & V5 JAN Phillips 6L6WGB Biased @ 42.5ma
Bright: On
Deep: On
Mid Boost: Off
Rock
Preamp Vol: 5
T/M/B: 8/ 5 /4
Master: 5
Presence: 6
Cl-ator: Drive 12'oclock Bright off/ Input 5'oclock(full)/ Output: used as overall master bright on

This can give good blackface clean tones as well. Note that with the JANs the bottom is nice and tight, but also less present.

For "Classic" D Style Overdrive sounds:

V1 & V2: ANOS GE Long Plate 12AX7 // V3: Mullard CV4024 "balanced" // V4 & V5 TAD 6L6WGC-STR Shorties biased @ 41.3 ma
Bright: On
Deep: On
Mid Boost: ON
Rock
Preamp Vol: 5
T/M/B: 8/ 3.5 /4
Drive: 5
OD Volume 5
Master: 5
Presence: 8
Cl-ator: Drive 12'oclock Bright off/ Input 5'oclock(full)/ Output: used as overall master bright on
HRM T/M/B: 11 o'clock // 12 o'clock // barely on

I tend to used PAB and OD together all the time, so that the HRM tonestack is all that you hear. This yields a pretty good classic bluesmaster d-style sound

for Classic BM cleans , which is basically the same as above, but with some slight adjustments to compensate for the added bass of the TAD's
V1 & V2: ANOS GE Long Plate 12AX7 // V3: Mullard CV4024 "balanced" // V4 & V5 TAD 6L6WGC-STR biased @ 41.3 ma
Bright: On
Deep: On
Mid Boost: Off
Rock
Preamp Vol: 5
T/M/B: 6/ 6 /3
Master: 5
Presence: 8
Cl-ator: Drive 12'oclock Bright off/ Input 5'oclock(full)/ Output: used as overall master bright on

this yields a good classic blackface sound with added punch in the lower range like a vibroverb, superreverb, or twin. this configuration has the most clean headroom, and really doesn't break up much at all, even if you push the preamp volume up. i love how versatile this amp is!

Hope this helps!

*****EDIT: I forgot to mention, I changed the tube in my c-lator from the stock JJ 12AX7 to a 7025 (low noise 12AT7). This really simultaneously warmed and brightened up the sound, while cleaning up the overall sound quite a bit*****

Ok, I'll play. I have noticed that my knobs tend to end up being be set the same way most of the time, even though I'm still messing with them a lot while playing. Totally stock (although homemade) Bluesmaster 50w, Tungsol 12AX7's, JJ 6L6GC's. No x-lators or effects most of the time.
OD trim on 11-12 oclock
Bright off
Deep off
Mid Boost off
Rock
Preamp Volume 7
Treble 8
Middle 5
Bass 3
Drive 6-10 depending
OD Level 2-5 depending
Master 2-5
Presence 8

Internal TMB trimmers - Bass barely on, Middle around 10 oclock, Treble 12 oclock.

Excellent suggestions everyone!

I'm not as fond of the heavy D-overdrive, I run my stock BM50 (into a 1x12 Celestion Gold) to sound clean bluesy (Dave Gilmour/Robert Cray clarity) and just add a little grit with the OD, on any strat - usually the neck pickup

Vol=2-3
deep off
bright off
mid off
Rock
treble 8-9
Mid 3
Bass 2
Drive 3-5
Level 5
Master 6-8 (the higher the Master, & lower preamp vol the cleaner the clean, but the darker the sound, hence the treble and presence settings)
presence 8-9

OD trim around 11-12 oclock

When I sometimes raise the preamp vol and drop the master, the treble and presence have to go down the same number of increments

Try this as a change to whacking up the preamp vol, you'll get some extra sounds

For a humbucker I switch on the bright, and drop the treble and presence a little
I have the HRM set to stock, then dropped the treble a little to even out the treble on OD. When the master is run lower and preamp higher (and the treble and presence down to match), this is too dark on the OD. So: if you run the clean master high, you need to raise the treble and presence, and the HRM can trim that off the OD. If you run the master at 5 and the preamp high, you may need to tweak the HRM the other way

Greg, are you using the JAN NOS Short Plate Ge's or the Standard NOS?

 Yes they're NOS Jan short plate GE's with halo getter's.

 I have these in my Quinn 183 preamp also (That's what TAG's original Dumble ODS #183 had in it when Scott Lerner examined it).