I did this demo recently for singer songwriter Scott Leslie who specifically requested a SRV, ZZ top, Texas blues vibe and this is how it turned out.
The '85 Express amp was set just about like I always set an Express, except the bright switch was off. Rory Facine played and tracked the drums in his studio, then sent the tracks to me via Dropbox. I then overdubbed/played guitar, bass, & keys. Finally I had Scott track his final vocal, and then I mixed it. This particular Express is a bit lower gain than typical (even with all 12AX7s in it) but oddly the circuit really is no different than most at least visibly.
The signal chain was: Guitar>Amp>Cab>Sennheiser 421 & Royer R121L mics>Neve 1073LB mic pres>Apogee AD16x converters>RME FF800 interface>Pro Tools 10
Thank you! I truly believe this '85 Express is one of the best ones Ken ever built, especially for mellower thicker tones. It's a very user friendly Express, and the volume comes on so slowly that 1/4 to 1/3 up is still almost clean. When going from 3/4 to full up there is still a noticable difference in gain. The pots Ken used in this amp ramp up so slowly and smooth and are different than most other wrecks I've seen. Also of note this amp seems a bit less gainy than my '89, though I've measured and checked things and circuit wise it's really no different though it differs in transformer choice and a few part sources.
Still, I think when recording these amps every thing matters from the tubes and speaker used, the mics and mic pres, and even the way you pick the strings. Sometimes when I'm recording going from too dark to too bright can be simply corrected by how hard I hit the strings and not by moving a knob or microphone. Also with these amps it seems you have to play off the tone so to speak, and connect with that bounce back the amp response seems to have. As I mentioned when you play these amps it's almost like the amp is part of the guitar, not just the separate amplification device. Folks that play these amps have to "get it" or they will probably both not be impressed, and also not get much out of it that they can't get with other amps.
On a related note when I got this amp I loved it the way it was just as it sat, and I wasn't even tempted to change the tube choices. I did however also try these tubes in my '89 but they really seem to match best too this amp. That said it had been retubed with fresh NOS tubes when I got it, and truly I'm not totally sure what the tubes are though I probably should research it. I'll post a couple pics as others here may know these better than I. The output tubes surely appear to be "National" labeled standard Seimens, just like I've often used in my '89 and came in alot of wrecks from Ken originally. V1 and V3 are "RCA" labeled british made tubes, perhaps Mullards or? V2 has a very large flat plate sort of like an EI and is labeled "Audio Research Corporation A.R.C." in W.Germany. Perhaps it is Tungsram or?
Glen
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Tungsrams were not made in west germany. Seems to me the combination is mullards in V1 and V3 and a telefunken in V2. But I'm not a tube guru. Tungsrams were hungarian and Ei were yugoslavian but tungsram were copies of short plate mullards and Ei were telefunken copies so that is what this amp seems to be tubed with. I have those tubes in hand so I will give it a try to this combination.
Thanks for posting this Glen!!
When I saw the Audio Research name on the tube I was pretty sure it was from a US company out of Minnesota who makes tube amps for high end audio.
They say since 1970 they buy and maintain a large selection of tubes from around the world. They may be able to indentify it more if you need that info.
In theory, theory is the same as practice. In practice it's different.
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