V10 - Bludotone Ojai

Poparad

Power User
Whoa... what a fantastic lead amp! After the upgrade any all the amp sounds changing (mostly for the better, some just sideways changes, nothing that I've disliked), I decided to try out some of the new amps to see if anything could be useful for me. I've been an Axe user since January with v9, and I never quite found the lead tone I was going for. I like the Holdsworth style lead, very thick and creamy, and had previously been using a Radial Tonebone Classic into a Fender Deluxe Reverb. I never quite nailed that in v9 (it was probably there, I just didn't find the right combination), but now with the Bludotone in v10... wow! Perfectly clear and focused, but not muddy and mushy like half of the amps get with higher gain, but also not harsh and piercing, which the other half seem to be. Now to try out the clean channel...
 
Yes, this one is fantastic. I commented on it in another thread somewhere. The sustain is fantastic and it really blooms nicely and transitions into feedback very naturally. I haven't gotten around to tweaking the stock preset of trying clean sounds with that model. It's definitely one of my favorites right now.
 
I give up. What is HRM?

I wasn't sure, either, but a quick Google search reveals some hilarity:

In some newer models (1990s to present), the overdrive stages are followed by a passive tonestack (treble , middle and bass), which is adjustable using trimmer potentiometers inside the amplifier. This is known as the "Hot Rubber Monkey" (HRM) modification (these amplifiers are voiced for the overdrive channel to be used with the preamplifier boost engaged). Most players use three tones: clean, clean with boost on, and overdrive with boost on.
 
My second favorite Dumble model. I like the ODS-100 a bit more but that's because it's the HRM tone which I prefer. The Ojai is non-HRM so it will have a lot more mids.

Funny, it's probably the excess mids that I'm really liking about this one. To each his own.
 
They call HRM "Hot Rubber Monkey" but what it really means is "Hot Rod Marshall". The HRM Dumbles have a fixed Marshall tone stack at the output of the lead channel. This gives a little scoop to the mids.

Ah, I figured it probably wasn't that cool of an acronym. :(
 
They call HRM "Hot Rubber Monkey" but what it really means is "Hot Rod Marshall". The HRM Dumbles have a fixed Marshall tone stack at the output of the lead channel. This gives a little scoop to the mids.

I thought it was His Royal Majesty. Or is that just the Ceriatone clone?
 
So pleased you guys are loving this amp as much as I do!

As it says in the release notes, with FW the BludoOjai was MIMIC'd with the pre-amp boost ON. Cliff says you can also switch the tone stack to SkyLine instead of default to get close to sound of the amp with the preamp boost OFF. You can get a great RANGE of sounds depending on the interaction of the drive and master volume, the master really changes the amp sound as you go up or down.


See Yek's amp post:

AMP (block): list - Axe-Fx II Wiki


Am really grateful Cliff chose to model it for all of us. It's based on the Robben Ford infamous "Tan"Dumble and has those mids, as he is going for a tenor sax kind of tone for his guitar.

If you want a real open sound, try the Ojai with the attached two IRs' in stereo config (one is a 1" away SM57, the other a 5" away Royer) I shot at Konst Musik studio in Bethesda (thanks Jonas!) with a 2 X12 Celestion G12-65 oval-back cab just like Mr. Fords, or try the ported cab 1X12 tone match instead which is the cab Larry Carlton uses although he has an EVL in his and mine is a warmer AlNiCo.

Here's a clean to crunch preset "Ojai Clean PAB" that uses these two users IR's as well. I hope to get a few more of these up and put on Axe Change eventually... and added a much cleaner preset "My Fab Ojai"
 

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As it says in the release notes, with FW the BludoOjai was MIMIC'd with the pre-amp boost ON. Cliff says you can also switch the tone stack to SkyLine instead of default to get close to sound of the amp with the preamp boost OFF.

Just a side note:

By default, the tonestack location is set on "post gain" - to get the full tonal benefits of a "non HRM" model, put it on "pre gain" :)
 
So pleased you guys are loving this amp as much as I do!

As it says in the release notes, with FW the BludoOjai was MIMIC'd with the pre-amp boost ON. Cliff says you can also switch the tone stack to SkyLine instead of default to get close to sound of the amp with the preamp boost OFF. You can get a great RANGE of sounds depending on the interaction of the drive and master volume, the master really changes the amp sound as you go up or down.


See Yek's amp post:

AMP (block): list - Axe-Fx II Wiki


Am really grateful Cliff chose to model it for all of us. It's based on the Robben Ford infamous "Tan"Dumble and has those mids, as he is going for a tenor sax kind of tone for his guitar.

If you want a real open sound, try the Ojai with the attached two IRs' in stereo config (one is a 1" away SM57, the other a 5" away Royer) I shot at Konst Musik studio in Bethesda (thanks Jonas!) with a 2 X12 Celestion G12-65 oval-back cab just like Mr. Fords, or try the ported cab 1X12 tone match instead which is the cab Larry Carlton uses although he has an EVL in his and mine is a warmer AlNiCo.

Here's a clean to crunch preset "Ojai Clean PAB" that uses these two users IR's as well. I hope to get a few more of these up and put on Axe Change eventually... and added a much cleaner preset "My Fab Ojai"



Hi: just posted a patch to Axe- Change: Axe-Change - Download Preset - A RFORD-ABLE RIG - by austinbuddy1

"A RFORD-ABLE RIG." Dialed in on my Tele, this uses as best I can determine the exact settings for Ford's Ojai amp (usually), his 2290, ZenDrive, Wah. You cna tweak it by playing with different mics on the G12-65H cabs.
 
GANG:

I put on the Robben Ford Live in Paris DVD and pulled out the Tele and did some tweaking to really capture that sound. I don't have the G12-65Hs but I combined a few cabs. One thing I was not getting was the elusive "chirp" -- and then I remember Cliff's awesome new option for Dynamic Presence, and pushed that up to 4.00. Boy howdy did that do it. So really reworked the preset (ignore the above) and will attach screen shots of key parameters. Note that I am using the SKYLINE tonestack, which is NOT the Default on the Ojai -- basically this defeats the PreAmp Boost Switch. Playing this right along aside the DVD tracks, this may be the closest I've ever gotten. My prior uploaded presets sound pretty off in comparison.

I also use a Exp. pedal for input trim, both for easing hum buckers versus single coils and controlling gain to clean and lead. (Amp Y & X).

( Note: The Axe EDdt shot below says Lead channel Tone stack is Default but it is actually Skyline on hardware/checked...again, play with the Dynamic Presence)

If anyone can improve of these to get that live R Ford tone, I'm open. The cab/mic is the next key thing to get nailed down, here I gerry-rigged the Dumble 4 X12 EVS with Vox Silvers mixed done just a little to pull in some more mids.
 

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yup, some of the lead tones that I really like in the previous FW's I don't like anymore, too bright and fizzy. But this Bludo lead tone is now my favorite.
 
Must be Robben day on the forum. I tweaked on some of the 'Ojai' tones, and came up with a basic collection I'm starting to use. Hopefully, they will make a good jumping off point for others. See the AxeChange forum for the presets.
 
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