Dr. Feelgood Mod

B:ASSMASTER

B:ASSMASTER

Experienced
So, Mick Mars' main recording amp used on Dr. Feelgood was a Marshall Super Lead (1959 model) made in '73. It was modded by Jose Arredondo, but this one was different from other Jose modded Marshalls. Who knows what kind of mod it was.

Anyone get close to Mick's sound on that album?

I love the tone on that record and since we have the 59 SLP in the Axe, with some tweaking it should be attainable.

Thing is, I'm not a deep editor like some of you guys on this forum. So, does anybody have any ideas?
 
Tuning down a whole step to D standard is a big part of Mick's tones. Adds to that looser, growly quality. Another thing to consider is Bob Rock is a wizard at recording guitars. He supposedly uses lots of mics and layering to produce those huge sounds.
 
I love that record.

I think it might have recorded or reamped using more than one amp. It sounds like a "cleanish" Marshall mixed with an overdriven Marshall. Not double tracked though. More like two amps at once to my ear.

He gets the gain and endless sustain of an overdrive or eq in front of a Marshall along with the string clarity of a cleaner tone.
 
barhrecords said:
He gets the gain and endless sustain of an overdrive or eq in front of a Marshall along with the string clarity of a cleaner tone.
Click to expand...
Yeah. I love the power of his tone on songs like S.O.S.

They're thick and bold, while still having string clarity.
 
B:ASSMASTER said:
Yeah. I love the power of his tone on songs like S.O.S.

They're thick and bold, while still having string clarity.
Click to expand...

I think the rhythm and lead guitars are double tracked L / R... the R lead is lower in the mix.

But the base tone sounds like at least two amps.
 
I was reading a guitar interview with Mick a few years ago and he was talking about his tone and tricks he does to make his sound bigger to feel the void filled with a second guitarist. There are not many bands that get a full sound like that with one guitarist.

For the life of me I can't remember what he mentioned but could have sworn he used a Soldano and a Marshall together.
 
Just found this info from another site:

Amps and Effects
> In the studio he blends amps: “I use a Vox AC30, a Hiwatt and a Marshall [modded per below], and hook them all togtether. This is old-school, using all the tones from each different amp and using them [in] different combinations. Pro Tools plugins don’t sound the same.”

> Live he achieves the same ends with modded 50- and 100-watt Marshall JCM 800s, Soldano SLO-100s and Rivera Boneheads to beef up the bottom. All are then run through VHT and Crest power amps.

> He A/Bd his live amps through cabs with vintage Celestion greenbacks and current Celestion Vintage 30s, and prefers the V30s.

> The Marshalls are modded with an extra preamp gain stage, for three instead of the stock two.

> He uses few effects, notably an old Eventide H3000 Harmonizer, which he says “has a lot to do with my sound.”
 
Might have been a cascade mod on the Marshall. The two input channels are rewired in series instead of parallel like when the channels are jumpered.
 
A Jose Arredondo mod is an extra gain stage mod so that's probably exactly what it is. If its different than others it's probably just more or less gain than other mods, that we can easily adjust for in the Axe Fx 2/Ax 8 if we ever find out what it is.
 
Randy Staub engineered that album so he may have used his famous SRS Wow Thing. I know he used it on Metallica's black album, but don't know for sure if he owned/used it for Feelgood.
 
mr_fender said:
Might have been a cascade mod on the Marshall. The two input channels are rewired in series instead of parallel like when the channels are jumpered.
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You could be on to something here. I tracked down a picture of Mick's modded Marshall (It's the top one). Looks like that extra knob where a input jack used to be, is probably another gain knob. That's my best educated guess.

fortusgear7.jpg
 
He's got both Volume I and Volume II knobs marked for position, so they are both used. The channels are either jumpered internally or wired in series. Looks like it might also have a master volume added too. Indicator bulb was moved to the left side of the switches and the original hole has an extra knob in its spot. That's why the left most knob is so close to the standby switch. As low as it's marked, it's probably a master volume. The extra knob in the bottom right input jack hole is probably another gain control somewhere in the circuit. Might also be an extra gain stage in front of the two internally jumpered original channels.

Maybe try setting one of the Plexi Jump models as shown and turn its master volume way down. Setting input trim high can simulate an extra gain stage boosting the input or maybe try a tube based drive out front.

From the knob markings it looks something like:

Master = 9 o'clock (taper unknown so experiment)
Presence = 3
Bass = 8
Middle = 4.5
Treble = 4.5
Volume I = 7
Volume II = 8

Hard to tell where the extra gain knob is set and who knows what kind of taper it has.

This is the original front panel layout for comparison:
JMP%2050%20Cab%20Front.jpg
 
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mr_fender said:
He's got both Volume I and Volume II knobs marked for position, so they are both used. The channels are either jumpered internally or wired in series. Looks like it might also have a master volume added too. Indicator bulb was moved to the left side of the switches and the original hole has an extra knob in its spot. That's why the left most knob is so close to the standby switch. As low as it's marked, it's probably a master volume. The extra knob in the bottom right input jack hole is probably another gain control somewhere in the circuit. Might also be an extra gain stage in front of the two internally jumpered original channels.

Maybe try setting one of the Plexi Jump models as shown and turn its master volume way down. Setting input trim high can simulate an extra gain stage boosting the input or maybe try a tube based drive out front.

From the knob markings it looks something like:

Master = 9 o'clock (taper unknown so experiment)
Presence = 3
Bass = 8
Middle = 4.5
Treble = 4.5
Volume I = 7
Volume II = 8

Hard to tell where the extra gain knob is set and who knows what kind of taper it has.

This is the original front panel layout for comparison:
JMP%2050%20Cab%20Front.jpg
Click to expand...
Excellent observations! Thanks for the info. I'll give this a try, tomorrow.
 
Since the album seems to such a mix of amps and mics. Maybe use one of the Friedman models and then do a tone match.

John
 
Found this on the Rig Talk forum. It's a comment made by Voodoo Amps about Mick's amp. This was posted back in 2009.

As we have received emails regarding this thread I thought I would post here - Our HG-Jose Mod is not the same as the schematic that has been posted on this forum. While that is a cool sounding circuit Jose performed many different Mods. We also worked on the Jose modded Marshall MickMars used on Motley Crue's “Dr Feelgood“ album. It is a very cool amp and capable of a lot of many different tones but nails those tones perfectly. It was voiced with Celestion Greenbacks and while it works with other speaker types it sounds best with Greenbacks. Much like most of his amps we have worked on it used all tube distortion (no zeners). Also a majority of these have the Master Volume after the EQ section.
 
6L6C said:
Since the album seems to such a mix of amps and mics. Maybe use one of the Friedman models and then do a tone match.

John
Click to expand...
I took your advice and did a tone match from the song Same Ol' Situation. I used my JP6 BFR tuned to D standard and the HBE amp model. The section I used to tone match was right after the into, where it goes back and forth between a G and D power chord. Sounds pretty damn close. Here's the preset that I came up with. I used a stock cab, so that everyone could use the preset. Let me know what you guys think.
 

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B:ASSMASTER said:
I took your advice and did a tone match from the song Same Ol' Situation. I used my JP6 BFR tuned to D standard and the HBE amp model. The section I used to tone match was right after the into, where it goes back and forth between a G and D power chord. Sounds pretty damn close. Here's the preset that I came up with. I used a stock cab, so that everyone could use the preset. Let me know what you guys think.
Click to expand...
B:ASSMASTER said:
So, Mick Mars' main recording amp used on Dr. Feelgood was a Marshall Super Lead (1959 model) made in '73. It was modded by Jose Arredondo, but this one was different from other Jose modded Marshalls. Who knows what kind of mod it was.

Anyone get close to Mick's sound on that album?

I love the tone on that record and since we have the 59 SLP in the Axe, with some tweaking it should be attainable.

Thing is, I'm not a deep editor like some of you guys on this forum. So, does anybody have any ideas?
Click to expand...
 
Hi
I thought I’d write about my “old amp”.
This Marshall was ‘modded’ when I bought it.
I was 14 and living near a town called New Westminster in B.C. Canada.
I bought it from a guy who already had it modded ( master gain in lower ‘L’input)
When I was 20 or 21 I met a guy who was working at Little Mountain Sound in Vancouver where “Dr. Feelgood “was recorded.His name was Lance(?).
He was buying equipment up all over the lower mainland for the Crüe guys
( I remember a Gretsch White Falcon that their manager bought / original and would be worth a fortune today!!!).
Anyhow....
I SOLD my Marshall Super Lead
( it actually was now a ‘Supe Lead’
.... I accidentally cleaned the ‘r’ off by accident ,....sometime during my ownership lols....)
Lance said Mick loved the amp
And it was being used throughout the tracks.
The amp’s input master gain mod was done at Vancouver Audio Clinic.....
......gone / closed down many years ago :(
Hope this provides answers....
I’m gonna try and find pics of this amp...
I used it at my high school’s “ Battle of the Bands” in the mid 80’s hahaha...
I’ll post when I come across pics...
I hope Mick still owns this amp ...
Cheers
 
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