The amps perran uses to make music .......

am·pli·fi·er: Pronunciation: 'am-pl&-"fI(-&)r;Function: noun
1: one that amplifies; specifically : an electronic device (as in a stereo system) for amplifying voltage,
current, or power
2: What Perran plugs guitars and other musical instruments into, so music can be heard.

Examples: Tube, Solid State, Mos-Fet, Digital & Others.
INSTRUMENTS + MUSICIAN + NEEDED SOUND

Am amplifier is one of the more important pieces of gear a musician uses. It heavily influences tone and character, along with helping to define ones sound. In some cases it can be the difference between someone being right for a song or project, and having a great performance or a poor one. A poorly built or maintained amp can be very detrimental to a musical environment by subjecting excessive noise, micro-phonic feedback (the bad kind), poor distortion or an improper or flat tonality to a song. In addition, the type of distortion an amplifier produces can be equally detracting towards a piece of music. One would generally not use a 60's sounding fuzz tone to play top 40 rock, anymore than one would use a mid-scooped metal sound to reproduce classic rock and so on.

bad player through a bad amp= bad sound
bad player through awesome amp= bad sound

good player through bad amp = fair sound
good player through awesome amp= good sound

awesome player through bad amp= great sound
awesome player through awesome amp= unbelievable sound.

With that being said, as long as an amplifier isn't malfunctioning significantly, I have learned to get a similar sound regardless of what amp I play through (notice I said "similar" and not "like"). I attribute this to the fact that once a player has started to develop his or her own style, ones sound comes mainly from the fingers and the way that a particular musician plays their instrument Even with that being the case, I am particular of what kind of equipment I use or own, because I have worked very hard for a number of years to define my sounds, and some of these sounds are somewhat dependant on the equipment I chose to use.

Along with being able to produce my own individual tone and style to a song, I have been able to assemble an amplifier and effects setup that lets me reproduce just about any kind of sound I need to get, for those times when I wish to reproduce an already existing sound for my own material or through someone else's request.

I generally favor customizing my tube amplifiers or at the least, heavily modifying them in order to achieve the quality of tone I insist on. Amps should sound good and be built to last. I have a setup that grants me a wide variety tones and textures in order for me to reproduce the tones and textures I hear in my head.

What do I look for in an amplifier? TONE. I will give up versatility every time for an amp that has superior tone capacity. I generally favor tube amps although there have been a couple of solid state amps that I also like tremendously. It really just depends on what the song needs. Based on that premise, I have a completely awesome rig. I can get any kind of sound I want or need, from clean and mellow to down and out screaming, or anywhere in between. I can chink, chime, chunk, twang, sigh, growl, howl, scream or anything else you can think of. The range of sounds that my rig is able to conjure is mind boggling. I have taken great care to put together an arsenal of equipment that not only allows me functionality, but flexibility as well. By using a combination of straight and effected signals (from pedals and rack gear), a variety of guitars and my current amps of choice, I have assembled a very effective set-up that is both versatile and effective.. With that being said, after many years of buying, trading and searching for amplifiers, I have a rig I am very proud of. I am always keeping my ears and eyes open for new pieces, and I keep up with new equipment so that my knowledge increases and technological advances.

Below you will find descriptions of my amplifiers and an image selector in order to view each one of them. Each amp has its own personality, so I name them in order to form a closer psychological and musical relationship.

amps


	1. 150(?) Watts at 16, 8 or 4 ohms 2. 12AX7 preamp tubes 3. 6L6 power amp tubes 4. Switch able lead/rhythm channels 5. Effects loop 6. 5-band EQ 7. Rhythm channel: pre/post gain controls; bright/punch switches 8. Lead channel: pre/post gain controls 9. Master Volume 10. Preamp output 11. Two Speaker outputs 12. Custom Built Form Fitted Road Case (Built to match two 4x10 speaker enclosures)	This is what I call the Devastator, an all tube head. It used to be a name brand amp, and has been modified in ways I do not care to discuss (it's a secret shhhhhh). In plain terms, this is a TONE MACHINE. It has the nicest clean sounds I have ever heard and the most intense and fierce distorted sounds I have ever experienced. It puts Fenders, Marshals, Mesa Boogies, Ampegs, Soladanos, ADAs, and everything else I have ever heard to shame. It is so loud, that I can't stand to turn the master volume past 5 and be anywhere near it. The tone? LUSCIOUS ! When shredding on the lead channel, notes cut through the mix without being brittle, and the whole frequency spectrum is represented with such clarity you won't believe it . With the pre-gain set at 5.75 it will sustain forever (it goes to 10 but that's just insane). When its backed down to 3, it produces the biggest power chords ever heard, and I am not talking wimpy classic rock here either, (although this amp will do that). The rhythm channel also performs spectacularly, from a nice warm sparkling clean sound, to big raw chords too (think Blues Rock) with TONS of pure unadulterated TONE. What else can I say? It's as close to perfection as an amp can get.

	1. Unknown Watts due to modifications (VERY loud) 2. Gain 1, Gain 2 (pre gains) 3. Single channel 4. Bass, Mid, 3 position Mid Boost, Treble & Presence tone controls 5. Effects Loop 6. Direct out with level control 7. Impedance Selector	The Annihilator is a very rare Jackson JG-3 tube head, that has been modified. Unbelievable tone. Irreplaceable. One of the features I like most is the midrange boost which consists of a 3 way mid-boost (selects a center frequency) and a midrange control. Makes this amp very unique sounding. Can growl, howl, scream, sigh or anything in between and has a character all its own. The Gain 1, Gain 2 knobs allow one to get all types of distortions with the Master Volume. Very versatile. What is equally impressive are the clean tones which are very sweet, round, clear and tight with a huge variance in EQ.

	1. Duel channel, distorted and clean. 2. Incredible Chorus 3. Reverb 4. Unique shape control for distorted channel 5. 3 way EQ for the clean channel 6. Footswitch input 7. Headphone jack	This is one of the first Crate 60x-30m's made, definitely superior to the newer ones. This little amp packs a BIG punch. Its just too awesome to just be considered a practice amp, so I call it the Eliminator (because with this, you don't have to have a big amp on stage or in the studio). Features 2 independently EQ'd channels, distortion, chorus and reverb. I really like the unique chorus a lot. It also has a "shape control" for EQ, l that I really like too. I usually plug into a Rockman Soloist's distortion and then combine that with some of the amp's distortion too. Sounds absolutely gargantuan going to tape.

	1. 100 Watts at 16, 8 or 4 ohms 2. Stock from the Factory 3. Duel Channel Lead/Clean 4. Effects loop 5. 3-band with presence 6. Rhythm channel: pre/post gain 7. Lead channel: pre/post gain 8. Duel Reverb Controls 9. Direct out with level control 10. Half Power Switch (very useful) 11. IT'S A MARSHALL AIGHT !!!!!	Nitro is a super pristine Marshall JCM 900 model 4100 Duel Reverb has NOT been modified. Read about it here. I got this from a professional businessman who was going to play in a band in the early 90's so he went out and bought this. One week later he got a promotion or something and so he put it away, where it stayed for over 10 years until he posted it on EBAY. It still has the original tubes too!! There is not a scratch on it and is my favorite amp. Nitro is BRUTAL! It produces a very large and warm sound full of rich harmonic overtones. Bright, not brittle. Warm, not mushy. Can anyone say "Marshall"? What am I supposed to say about this amp that has not already been said? HUGE tone!!!!

I am currently in the final design stages with Bob Bradshaw (famous sound guru to the stars) on what I consider the ultimate rig, (it's pretty ridiculous) although I have absolutely no complaints now. I am aiming for a separate set of heads for clean1, clean2, rhythm distorted, lead distorted and shred distorted tones. The thesis behind this design is to find an amp and play on its strengths by only expecting it to do one thing very well. Now I just have to figure out how I am going to haul around 5 heads, 4 sets of cabinets, 2 power amplifiers, not to mention all of the guitars, effects and other assorted equipment in this setup. Once we have finalized its makeup, I will of course post detailed information about it here at www.perran.com. Stay tuned.

It is not enough just to play well, Performance is just as important. People tend to hear with their eyes as much as their ears.

Updates are being made frequently so check back soon!