We're big Bill Kelliher fans – not only does he always deliver the goods live and on record with Mastodon, he loves talking tone as much as the rest of us. He's even a guitar teacher! Here he's offering his thoughts, and demoing, the latest iteration of one of the greatest rock guitar amps of all time; the 20-watt Marshall JCM800 Studio Classic.
"It's got a very nice and clean, very bright sound that really cuts through the mix, and to me that's very important," notes Bill, a big fan of arpeggiated parts that need clarity and articulation. "When I was a kid I would always scoop all the mids to get all the lows and highs in there. But I'd always listen back to recordings and ask, why can't I hear myself? And it's because you need that midrange, and this amp has a lot of midrange in it.
Listen to Bill – beware of the scoop!
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“It came out exciting, almost attacking, which fit the James Bond image”: Vic Flick, who played the Bond theme guitar riff, dies aged 87
“It’s been road-tested, dropped on its head, kicked around, x-rayed, strummed, chicken-picked, and arpeggio swept!”: Fender and Chris Shiflett team up for signature Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe
