new Albert Lee HH and some sadness :(

[markd]

A bit the same here. I want my amp to give me the best clean sound possible when I bypass all my pedals.

for sure! I started doing that when I got a blackface Fender Tremolux. It only has bass and treble knobs. I found it sounded best when I just set them at "5" and used the guitar/pedals the sculpt the tone.

Prior to this "revelation" I was using Rivera M/S amps - either an M100 combo or an S120 head. Those amps have 18 knobs, each with a push/pull function and a VERY sensitive EQ. I gigged those amps for 23 years before deciding to go "old school" with a Marshall rig and pedals. I get endless compliments on my tone after shows, and guys practically fall over when they hear my EQ is set straight up. When they see my board is ALL MXR - nothing boutique or exotic - their jaws hit the floor. It's pretty funny!!!

 

[Magic Jason]

...and, the addiction begins What color did you get for the second one?

This is NOT funny!

I'm yet to receive my pdn 2014 Neptune blue AL SSS...and I'm already thinking A LOT about getting a MM90 with the next PDN.

 

[Pott]

The AL can sound very rich, though I never found it middy, even if an EL84 amp cranked up (did a gig with a Tubemeister 18 a wee ago).
What could be disconcerting is if you approach with it 'it's a Mahog, HH Strat' or 'It's a long scale bolt-on LP'. IT really is its own thing.

The guitar was incredible during the show. Sounded amazing for both Hotel California AND Sweet Home Alabama; I did all the leads and the guitar did not need to be retuned once even after 12 songs.
Incredibly versatile guitar. There hasn't been a sound I've not gotten with it yet.

 

[straycat113]

Not many guitars I have owned that played and sounded great in a store sounded like a choir of angels when I got home and plugged it into my main rig. Sometimes it may take over a week tweaking and doing the little things to get it to where it is supposed to be. On the flipside your gear at home may not of been a great match for that particular guitar and add in the pedal board you could of spent a lot of time tweaking. I think you did great getting where you wanted to be after only two days. Also congrats on buying a second as the AL is a killer guitar that finally got my attention when the double humbucker model was released. Good crack about the Jetsons, as it has that retro vibe and does look exactly like what George would play lol.

 

[mtrejo]

Mike! Welcome back!!!!

 

[Viv Bonello]

Hi everyone!! First post here. Last week I bought a new EBMM Albert Lee HH. It played great and sounded wonderful in the store (I used a new peavey valve king mini-head to test it). I got it home and hung it on the wall in the studio. I didn't play it for 2 days because I was busy.

Fast-forward to Sunday - band practice!! I was all pumped packing my AL. I have been playing PRS lately - and I really like them, but I always change the pickups (I buy the older Customs with the rotary switch - my preference). What I liked about the EBMM was the idea of NOT having to change the pickups....I digress....

So I jack into my rig (detailed below)

pedal board: poly-tune > mxr dyna comp > mxr classic dist (boost) > mxr phase 90 > mxr CBA OD > mxr prime distortion > mxr smart gate > mxr carbon copy >

Marshall 3203 (set clean - EVERYTHING except reverb set at 12 o'clock) >
Marshall 1936 cab w/ G1275T

We start hammering through some tunes, and the guitar sounds great on single note riffs. Once I started getting into the chords, that is when I noticed the tone was nasally and had a sizzle that was driving me nuts.



It is something that I have tried working around over the last several days. I have even tried some of my other amps:

Rivera S120
Egnater Tweaker 40
Fender Tremolux

No avail. In some case - like with the Rivera - the problem is even MORE noticeable.

Usually I load my guitars with the Seymour Duncan JB and 59 or Jazz. My tone is more hard rock/southern rock/fusion. I REALLY don't want to change the pickups - my wife thinks it is crazy to spend the money on these guitars and change the electronics. She gets it with the PRS guitars - she thinks they sound crappy with their stock electronics, but the Albert Lee sounded SO good with the little peavey....why does it SUCK with my Marshall????

So, it brings me to this question....those of you using the Albert Lee HH, what amp/pedal combos are you using?

Thanks! And here are some pics of my new guitar!!!!

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Hi Markd .. I've got the same guitar in African mahogany .. the humbuckers in mine are Dimarzio's. I take it uours are the same. I play through a Fender Super Reverb and lately a Fender Deluxe Reverb. Pedals are a mixture of Boss pedals. Absolutely no problems .I also play a Musicman AL sss Seymour Duncan pickups. No problems..Check your DCR readings for both pickups taken at the pickups and also taken at the output jack for each pickup. This may bring out a failing electrical component.
Good luck.

 

[PinkPanther]

It can be assumed that markd has finally found a satisfactory solution after 11 years.