You Should Run Two Guitar Amps! [But Make One Dirty]

Dan has recently changed the way he approaches a two-amp electric guitar rig. Here’s how…

Life too short for long YouTube videos? Please see the ‘Interesting bits and go-to sections’ information below.

Welcome to the show! In this episode we revisit the theme of running two amps. It’s something Dan and I do pretty much all the time, either in a wet-dry scenario, full stereo or simple dual mono. It’s a massive sound at any volume, and we recommend that everybody tries it.
However…
To date our approach has always been to select two amps of roughly similar power and headroom characteristics because we want our boosts and overdrives to react in a similar way into both amps. Daniel is tossing all of that into the trash here as he’s making one amp much more overdriven than the other and changing his overdrive pedal signal routing accordingly.
What will we learn?
Enjoy the video!

Pedals & stuff in this episode…
• TheGigRig Three2One

• Sonic Research ST-200 Turbo Tuner

• PigDog London Dirty Mac Treble Booster

• Kingsley Page Tube Boost

• Lauren Audio Mustang

• Greer Amps Lightspeed

• Free The Tone Future Factory RF Phase Modulated Delay

• Diamond VIB1 Vibrato

• JAM Pedals Harmonious Monk

• Chase Bliss Audio CXM 1978 Reverb

• TheGigRig G3

Interesting bits and go-to sections…
0:00 Intro & playing
3:08 Dan’s two-amp revelation
5:35 Lazy J 20 in a new way
8:00 Lazy J tones
9:59 Matchless tones
11:30 Lazy J & Matchless together
13:30 Delay to both amps, or just one?
17:10 Kingsley Page into both amps
18:40 Amp split before or after overdrives?
21:30 Treble booster in the Lazy J only?
25:48 Two different reverbs, two amps
33:00 Swap the Matchless for a Princeton
36:00 Princeton & Lazy J 20
38:20 Let’s attenuate the Princeton
44:55 What have we learned?

Guitars in this episode:
• 1965 Fender Telecaster – no video yet

Amps in this episode
• Matchless HC30 with ESD 212 cab, 1 x Celstion G12M Greenback, 1 x Celestion G12H Anniversary

• Lazy J 20

• Fender ’65 Princeton Reverb

• Palmer PDI06 Attenuator

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[satinwhip]

This is what I love about the internet. You can have Keith Williams over at Five Watt World encouraging us to "make the most music with the least amount of gear" and then come over hear and check out Dan and Mick trying to get us to hook up every piece of gear we have all at once. There's something for everyone!

[christurner]

Sat watching the show in the maternity ward with our daughter, born today. I think Hannah, at 4 hours old, might be your youngest viewer...

[davidevans]

When Dan plays and goes into his Dan space, it's so inspiring. He feels like a kindred spirit.

[tunnypark]

I got married, had a few kids, got divorced, changed job then retired all before Dan made his point. Always informative, though.

[AlbusBand]

It’s 6am, I gotta get up for work in two hours, but I’m telling you this is what makes Friday’s worth doing. All my love, hope everyone is well and good luck with your upcoming gig Mick (ours is tomorrow, can’t recall when yours is).

[hotglassbottles]

Dan! I can't find the words to describe how lovely that intro was....a beautiful combo of harmony and melody, riding on that pillowy-cloud of pedaly-goodness. Someone give this man loads of money so he can keep making music like this!

[YMESYDT]

I've been watching these lads quite a while, and I'm starting to think they're quite fond of those little boxes on the floor

[lloydland]

T-shirt: “Impossibly forever headroom.” If you make it, I will buy it!

[KickyRent]

I am in the process of acquiring an attenuator so I can run my 5E3 broken up with the '64 Princeton having more headroom. I haven't really done a full wet-dry situation, but just the reverb and trem of the Princeton contrasting with the dry of the 5E3 is just amazing. This episode is exactly the kind of gear nonsense I needed this Friday.

[Ale.Candido]

John Mcgeoch of Siouxsie and the banshees used to run a 50 watt marshall combo distorted in tandem with a jc120 clean with the stereo chorus and he would use all of the effects (a dynacomp as a boost, an mxr flanger and a yamaha e1005 delay) into both. The dynacomp would make the roland jump in volume a bit and it sounded huge. A very cool sound

[frankenstein]

My friend has a Marshall JCM800 and a Fender Bandmaster, each running into separate 4x12 cabinets. Running both amps together gives such glorious tones, and he doesn't have any neighbors so you can also feel what you are playing!

[regularnimnule]

What I think I love most about you guys is that you're always "ears open" to finding and exploring new sounds. It's really inspiring.

[riccarlson]

Damn. That was your best intro yet. I use my 80s Jc-120 and Vox AC15 for some grit

[adrian_de_graaf]

I've been using a dual amp setup for about ten years or so. I use a Fender Supersonic 22 combo and a Fender Bassbreaker 45 combo. The neighbors hate me.... 😉

[ultratone]

I wasn’t sold on this concept until you did the back to back splitting of the overdrive from both amps to just the matchless. The clarity difference was very apparent and really cool.

[danielherbert]

Holy moly. Dan's opening playing was unreal. And this - "This is the next stage in gain staging." Felt like the blue/red pill scene in The Matrix.

Been thinking about setting up something like this with Princeton and Blues Jr (good deal at a local shop)...so many questions. See you at VCQ.

[onenotesolo]

Bloody hell - Daniel crushing it at the beginning there. I picked a good moment to listen through some decent cans and DAC, just as that all kicked off - sensational. You chaps are the reason I’ve wound my way to wet/dry set up (currently Two Rock Trad Clean and Morgan JS12, with the latter being the centre of the sound like that J20), with some great pedals and loving it. Going to swap the TR for an AC20 live, so I have two unassuming little boxes to sneak into gigs and not frighten everyone :)

[merbertancriwalli]

I love the moment about 28:29 where you both look at each and realise - yes if you play the wrong notes (or even play different wrong notes) twice it definitely was meant - and laugh.

[dylanclay]

I think the matchless and lazy j combo we’re some of my favorite sounds y’all have ever had on the show!

[TheHowardSinclair]

Another fantastic, inspiring show. I love the direct correlation between sounds that make Dan happy and the beauty of what trips off his fingers in that special zone. Through you guys I have a better understanding of myself as a musician and as a human being, what more could a dude ask?