I am not convinced with my Les Pauls, yet. I read somewhere here that direct with a TS9 and other boxes would sound pretty good. Well, direct through stomp boxes was just not satisfying. I don't have a little tube amp to try it with, so I haven't done the miking thing with it. I've not done the PodXT Live thing and frankly never really liked using those modeling things for anything other than direct recording. They don't respond like real tube amps and tend to sound the same on 1 as they do on 11.

My pedals through my blackface Twin give me the tone I want. 99% of the time I am playing electric guitar in a concert, it is on a large stage in a larger venue where a PAS system isn't going to be found and the venue has a large, house system. I suppose if I were playing in a band with one of each for each member in smaller settings, I might take the electric guitar tinkering further. I bought the PAS really just because I wanted to use it for solo or duo acoustic shows. For that, I am going to be extremely satisfied.

I love the PAS for my acoustic and vocals. It is an inspiring thing to play through with my acoustic Gibson guitars. Vocals sound awesome.

The odds of me playing with a band that has a lot of these are pretty slim, so I will just keep digging on the solo acoustic high this thing gives me and wait until I can justify a small tube amp purchase or Live Pod. I played with the Live Pod at a local music store. It sounds good, but then again, I tried it through a '65 Reissue Twin!

Hey Mike,

If you do get to tinkering with a PODxt (live or other versions) through the system be sure to try it in "studio direct mode" and "Bose PS1" mode. There's quite a difference IMO. The former sounds like a mic'ed amp (choose your mic) and the other sounds like you're standing next to the amp (but the amp is at ear level).

You'll find that some models are not very touch sensitive (like the original amp) and many are very touch/volume control sensitive. Try the AC-30 model. This can get really dirty but if you roll off the volume control on the guitar it cleans up. How do they do that??

I've never really been that impressed with a modeler into a guitar amp. It's kinda like chasing your tail to me.

The other thing to try, which is fun, is to run a tube amp mic'ed to the system. The lower the volume the better since you can still get the tube tone and sensitivity and let the L1 fill the room, front-to-back, side-to-side, with even tone (even if its just for a big stage and not the FOH).

Keep exploring, I think you're going to find your electric tone is "in there" and you can use the L1 to fill the room with your tone.

Let me know if I can help at all. I love talking about guitar stuff.

Steve

Mike, I play a Les Paul also (a '52 actually) and am a total vintage tone snob. I agree with you that for me, playing direct into the PAS with pedals or a POD or whatever just doesn't cut it. Until recently I've been using my normal blackface Fender Pro Reverb, and attenuate the volume with a Dr. Z Air Brake, which is a VERY transparent power soak type device that goes between amp and speakers. So I use that to lower my stage volume and then I mic the PAS. That way you (or the audience) don't get any "off axis" sound and it sounds killer. That might work for your Twin, considering you need it for larger gigs (I'm keeping my larger combos for that reason too).

As far as a small tube amp, a lot of folks including me love the Fender Pro Jr. or Blues Jr. They are great sounding little amps and I'm sure I would have bought one, if I hadn't discovered the Reverend Goblin. It's a 110 combo that's switchable between 5 and 15 watts, not too much $$, and it has an incredible amount of versatility in tones while still being an all-tube circuit. You can get Fender-clean or Hiwatt-dirty in no time at all, and without excessive volume. It sounds killer miked thru the PAS.

So there's a few ideas for ya!

Thanks for info, Lee. Those look like fine suggestions. I will probably see them out at the upcoming NAMM show if they are there and see the product first hand.

I will seriously likely check out one of the "Brake" kind of products out there, either the Dr.Z, the THD or Marshall if I decide to ever go that route. I really got the PAS for solo acoustic stuff, so it isn't likely going to be something I'll need to do for my Twin and LPs, as I don't see myself in a regular gigging situation with a band full of the Bose systems.

For acoustic stuff I am having a real blast right now. Sounds so good I jammed my index finger on my left hand from playing so much. Damn you Dr. Bose!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mike Lawson,

POD XT Pro is not your old POD or any other amp model product. I've been a Matchless, vintage Fender amp guy for years and years and until recently I would nod in agreement with your OP.

Due to a recent live theatre gig I gotta XT Pro and after a week, bought another to use for other gigs. It's a very cool unit with the "behavior" that had been lacking in previous DI systems. Roll-off guitar vol it cleans-up nicely. Switch pup's and I know what I switched to by the tone in my ear. Every guitar sings with it's own voice very much like driving a great amp.

Sure, you can get "bad" tones too because there's so much stuff that can be tweaked. I settled on a couple of basic clean setups and it's very easy to build from there.

The reason I'm here is because I'm thinking of going PAS and wanted to learn more about this system with other XT Pro users. 'Hoep to find a couple and learn something before I try.

Good luck!

Hey ASAT - Man, are we cut from the same cloth. Just in the one short year that this message board has been around, I've gone from a tube snob POD hater to a big fan. I never thought that I would be happy with a modeller over my Matchless DC-30, but when used in conjunction with the Bose PAS, I think the XT Live is one of the best sounding rigs I've ever had, and definitely the most compact.

I love my tube amps, but when micing a small amp through the Bose system, I can never get it to sound quite as BIG as I want, and I still end up carrying around a David Gilmour sized pedaboard for effects. I've heard other bands micing amps through the system too, and I feel the same when I hear them - they always sound a little thin - whereas with the output options on the POD XT, I can get it to sound just the way I want, with a lot less hassle...I'm sold.

If you are happy with your XT Pro through conventional gear, then you will absolutely love it through the PAS. The clarity, dispersion and fidelity of the system is a perfect match... go for it.

By the way, I've got a late 80's ASAT "lawsuit model", with the "by Leo Fender" on the headstock - the one that Fender sued Leo (G&L) over to make sure he couldn't use his own name on his guitars.

It's all the Hellecasters fault - as soon as I heard their first album I HAD to have that tone - an ASAT through a Matchless...man do they owe my wife a big $$$$ apology.

Lee, have you seen the new 5-watt Gibson tube amp they just released? I suspect a rather high-quality little package there for driving hard and close micing. Could be time to get that a try.

quote:

Originally posted by Lee Flier:
Mike, I play a Les Paul also (a '52 actually) and am a total vintage tone snob. I agree with you that for me, playing direct into the PAS with pedals or a POD or whatever just doesn't cut it. Until recently I've been using my normal blackface Fender Pro Reverb, and attenuate the volume with a Dr. Z Air Brake, which is a VERY transparent power soak type device that goes between amp and speakers. So I use that to lower my stage volume and then I mic the PAS. That way you (or the audience) don't get any "off axis" sound and it sounds killer. That might work for your Twin, considering you need it for larger gigs (I'm keeping my larger combos for that reason too).

As far as a small tube amp, a lot of folks including me love the Fender Pro Jr. or Blues Jr. They are great sounding little amps and I'm sure I would have bought one, if I hadn't discovered the Reverend Goblin. It's a 110 combo that's switchable between 5 and 15 watts, not too much $$, and it has an incredible amount of versatility in tones while still being an all-tube circuit. You can get Fender-clean or Hiwatt-dirty in no time at all, and without excessive volume. It sounds killer miked thru the PAS.

So there's a few ideas for ya!