The Versatile Archon Thread

[Guitargonaut]

I've owned an Archon 50 for more than 5 years now. With the advent of the Covid-19 moratorium on live music, I've been working on technique. For years I've read about using the volume and tone controls on a guitar to get different sounds out the instrument. I'd fiddle about some but never really gave it much thought - I've always played with the volume and tone on 10.

What a dumbass I've been. Learning how to ride those controls has been the biggest lesson learned in many years. I'm getting tones out the Archon I never imagined. All those amps over the years - I never knew what I had. My playing has become more expressive since the discovery - why didn't I learn this earlier?

I've gained a great appreciation for the neck pickup. The Archon has a lot to do with that as well. The clean channel can do a nice little grind when called to do so and the lead channel will scale down to a nice clean/hairy tone that I don't think I've ever heard on any other amp. It has it's own little mojo going on. As someone who has always wanted to have their own sound, maybe that's what has drawn me to the Archon all this time - it has its own mojo.

 

[László]

You bet!

Controlling the amp with your guitar's volume and tone controls gives you an infinite number of tones you can't otherwise get. There are shadings, and nuances, and you can even control how your pick attack drives the amp.

Great post.

 

[Boogie]

I remember my aaahh-HHAAA! moment. It’s a personal transformation. Congrats!

 

[László]

I've posted a few recordings here where 100% of the tones, from clean to dirty, were done on one single-channel amp, with one guitar, where the only variable between the cleaner and dirtier tracks was how I set the guitar's volume control, and the nature of my pick attack.

A player can get so much out of the instrument that way!

I did this little piece that I've posted WAY too many times, to demo some "edge of breakup > crunchy" tones using one PRS guitar, the HXDA, same settings on everything, the only changes are to the guitar's volume control. No dirt pedals, I did use some chorus and delay.

The guitar volume was set between 5-8 and I varied it. I didn't turn the guitar all the way up at any point, I didn't want anything with more gain than is in the track. I kinda like swampy tones.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/pedaland-4

 

[Deleted member 5962]

I've always played with the volume and tone on 10.

What a dumbass I've been.

Let me preface this remark with a statement. I have done this many, many times, and know exactly what it can offer. I've done it with multiple amps, and modelers. Mostly with amps though, as most are better at it. But when I'm playing one song and don't want the hassle of taking a pedal board, I set my lead tone with the guitar on 10 and roll off for everything else. Done it many, many times..

That said, I've never been as happy with what it offers as a channel switcher and a few pedals. So, as many times as I've actually done this, it was never out of preference. A good clean channel and a good gain channel and an OD alone can give me all kinds of tonal range, and "flavor" for solos, that a single amp and the guitar controls can't do. And, I still have the guitar controls for even more options when needed. But my guitar controls are usually set on 10 in my setup.

Therefore, I happily remain a dumbass.

Edit: But, a dumbass who loves the Archon and knows how versatile it is!

 

[László]

Therefore, I happily remain a dumbass.

Bah! You only think you're happy! To be truly happy you must suffer!

"And how does suffering make you happy?"

"I don't know the exact mechanism. But I suffer all the time and look how freakin' happy I am."

"Who says you're happy?"

"Oh gosh, will ya look at the time! Gotta run!"

 

[11top]

I remember my aaahh-HHAAA! moment. It’s a personal transformation. Congrats!

Me, too. I was 16.



No.............wait.....

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Me, too. I was 16.



No.............wait.....

Late bloomer? (no pun intended)

 

[Boogie]

Me, too. I was 16.



No.............wait.....

Eww. Just eww.

 

[bodia]

Eww. Just eww.

Yeah, but she was 28

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Yeah, but she was 28

SCORE!

 

[Boogie]

Let me preface this remark with a statement. I have done this many, many times, and know exactly what it can offer. I've done it with multiple amps, and modelers. Mostly with amps though, as most are better at it. But when I'm playing one song and don't want the hassle of taking a pedal board, I set my lead tone with the guitar on 10 and roll off for everything else. Done it many, many times..

That said, I've never been as happy with what it offers as a channel switcher and a few pedals. So, as many times as I've actually done this, it was never out of preference. A good clean channel and a good gain channel and an OD alone can give me all kinds of tonal range, and "flavor" for solos, that a single amp and the guitar controls can't do. And, I still have the guitar controls for even more options when needed. But my guitar controls are usually set on 10 in my setup.

Therefore, I happily remain a dumbass.

Edit: But, a dumbass who loves the Archon and knows how versatile it is!

I will add, it takes an amp designed to respond to the guitar volume. My MkIII doesn’t do it unless I go an unconventional route. That’s why I stepped thru my channels to go clean/rhythm/lead. With the Super Dallas, it’s the opposite...a beautiful departure. You can also set the master and volume way higher than normal to get really expressive light picking and finger stuff. But accidentally dig in big and you take heads off.

 

[Herr Squid]

I will add, it takes an amp designed to respond to the guitar volume. My MkIII doesn’t do it unless I go an unconventional route. That’s why I stepped thru my channels to go clean/rhythm/lead. With the Super Dallas, it’s the opposite...a beautiful departure. You can also set the master and volume way higher than normal to get really expressive light picking and finger stuff. But accidentally dig in big and you take heads off.

Yeah, that happened to me too! There's a lot of good things to say about the Mark III, but it is not a dynamic amp in the sense that it responds well to the knobs on the guitar.

The amp makes a huge difference!

Turning down a volume knob usually made a quieter, muddier sound, and turning down a tone knob just made mud...

It wasn't until I played some amps with significant power tube drive (THD Univalve and Flexi) that I realized the knobs on a guitar were of any use at all! The Flexi in particular taught me how there can be fantastic guitar sounds lurking on the lower settings of the knobs on the guitar.

 

[11top]

Yeah, but she was 28

. We’re you there?!!

 

[bodia]

. We’re you there?!!

Not when you started. By the time you were done, I was.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

I will add, it takes an amp designed to respond to the guitar volume. My MkIII doesn’t do it unless I go an unconventional route. That’s why I stepped thru my channels to go clean/rhythm/lead. With the Super Dallas, it’s the opposite...a beautiful departure. You can also set the master and volume way higher than normal to get really expressive light picking and finger stuff. But accidentally dig in big and you take heads off.

Yes, it takes a certain gain staging structure to make it work well. And Mesa's are famous for not being good at it. At least many of them are.

 

[Boogie]

Yes, it takes a certain gain staging structure to make it work well. And Mesa's are famous for not being good at it. At least many of them are.

You know it, bro. They’re still awesome, though!

At one point, I was in class A mode, EL34s, high master volume and really low gain, with a WGS ET65 speaker in the combo. It really boogied! My band loved it and it just sang with the DGT. Had warmth like a vintage amp but was totally modern attitude. Heck, I may plug it into my 1x12 with the same speaker this weekend for SnGs.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

You know it, bro. They’re still awesome, though!

At one point, I was in class A mode, EL34s, high master volume and really low gain, with a WGS ET65 speaker in the combo. It really boogied! My band loved it and it just sang with the DGT. Had warmth like a vintage amp but was totally modern attitude. Heck, I may plug it into my 1x12 with the same speaker this weekend for SnGs.

Yes, I just had SO many options with that Mark V... I really wish I had the ZBest cab with the ET65 in it while I still had the Mark V! But that speaker sounds great with the Archon. And ATMA.

And I did try, to the point of literally having online commitment, (and those of you who use online dating services know just how much that means....) to trading the Mark V for an HX/DA TWICE!!! Only to have both of them back out at the last minute for local sales. I WISH I could experience real magic with just the guitar knobs. Some of my SE Class A builds or mods were good at it, but the tones themselves were not what I was going for. I just usually can’t find the magic with knobs rolled down.

 

[vchizzle]

I’ve had an Archon 100 since it’s release. It’s an outstanding amp that responds fantastic to where the guitar volume and tone controls are at. Lately, at home, I’ve been loving my bridge pickup volume at 5-6 with the gain around 11:00. It’s super responsive to how hard I’m picking. Roll the volume all the way up for the roar. It’s truly a pleasure.

 

[Boogie]

Yes, I just had SO many options with that Mark V... I really wish I had the ZBest cab with the ET65 in it while I still had the Mark V! But that speaker sounds great with the Archon. And ATMA.

And I did try, to the point of literally having online commitment, (and those of you who use online dating services know just how much that means....) to trading the Mark V for an HX/DA TWICE!!! Only to have both of them back out at the last minute for local sales. I WISW I could experience real magic with just the guitar knobs. Some of my SE Class A builds or mods were good at it, but the tones themselves were not what I was going for. I just usually can’t find the magic with knobs rolled down.

No question, it’s tough. Part of the pure magic with the SuperD is that dynamic expressiveness that only comes at full tilt with the MkIII. Auditioning numerous amps, including the Anniversary (father to the HXDA), I knew what Doug’s designs were capable of, so I felt better about buying sight-unseen. What surprised me was how stunning the effect would be. The difference between a hand built and tweaked amp and the others can be sublime. It certainly was for me. Of course, it also took months of research and testing of pedals to complete the rig. Nothing happens over night.