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starr36
Platinum Member
Canada
1172 Posts |
 Posted - 05/06/2007 : 06:33:29
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i use a bcb-6g. I run a 3 pedals BEFORE the input, and I run TWO in the effects loop. I used a velcro guitar cord tie to snug 3 10ft guitar cords together - one goes from the last pedal to the input of the amp, and the orther two for S & R for the effects loop. Because these 3 10footer are held to gether, my setup is fast, only have to jiggle the last pedal on teh inside a bit, and plug the sent to the amp, and the send from the effects loop to the input on the pedal beside it; I used switchcraft rightangles ($6.00 each!) and they fit very nice in the space alloted on the bcb.
I have discovered that, in reading this forum, I absolutlely would go with the best tube amp you can buy and the best guitar you can buy. I have used solid state amps by Fender, and OK guitars - but now I use an LP and through My Mesa Boogie MK IV, and only a few pedals, I can frigging hear the maple and mahogany resonate in my LP, and the rich variations in tone, by NOT leaving the guitar volumes and tones at 10. The creamy sparkles in my LP DO NOT disappear when I roll the volume way down to 3 on teh guitar, and smoothy creammy crunches taht I get through using the range of volume on the guitar is nothing short of devastating.
The secret to this, is to give your ears a break from "hearing hangover". Even if you set your gear for ultimate shred, you will find that it just doesn't shred as much as it used to. Put your axe down. come back 1/2 hour later, and all those zzzzz's will be back.
I would really challenge you guys who leave the guitar on 10 all the time to try rolling the volume of the guitar down when you want a little less distortion - you may discover some wonderful smooth sounds right at your fingertips! |
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DarrinPA
Silver Member
USA
221 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 06:26:58
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Pedal board tips, I would suggest [if you're willing to use velcro]http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Coffin-Case-Super-Death-Grip-Pedalboard-Hook-Adhesive?sku=331150
Tube amps are worth it, although I do prefer a Blue Voodoo which I've been told uses a solidstate based circuit which doesn't make it fully tube tone. But I have no idea if that's true, either way tubes are still going to sound better even with all your pedals maxed out. But as for an expensive guitar verse cheap I don't feel as if a PRS or GIBSON is any better sounding than my Ibanez guitars or my Squier strat and tele. And I know what I just said will get alot of people mad but I don't care, and yes I've used many Gibsons and PRSs, and I hated the feel and tone of them.
I used to have all my distortion pedals gain set to the max now I keep it less than a quarter of the way up. Even for shredding. I roll back the tone knob on the guitar about halfway and the volume just a little bit to smooth out my tone.
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 06:56:37
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Hi DarrinPA
Nice link, we use something similar in my electronics job.
As for the sound of cheaper guitars.
I have a Black Squire Strat, 20th Anniversary. made in Indonesia - super thin skunk stripe neck.
It was $100 at Crime-Converters.
I had it set up, it plays like no tomorrow, everyone who picks it up, wants to make me an offer on it, they all reckon I have upgraded the pickups & electronics.
So far I have had more than a dozen offers on it.
I have never had so much fun playing any other guitar, it's like being 17 all over again, I have played this guitar for hours & hours on end.
I have friends that come over with $3400Au Strats, & they end up playing mine for the rest of the evening.
It can keep up with the best of them.
I can feel the flames  
I actually just bought it, for a bit of modding, I wanted to put a 20dB booster in it, like the one in the Clapton Strat,
Basstrya has done this to a Black Telecaster.
I also wanted it for a bit of a thrash guitar, I just don't fell like taking out my vintage guitars to gigs, any more.
but after hearing & playing it, I just couldn't bring myself to making any modifications to it.
It just so good as it is,
The pickups have high out put, more so that my mates Mexican made fender.
I can play it directly in front of this Computer monitor, & unless I actually place the headstock, on the face of the monitor, they are, virtually hum & noise free.
No, their not meant to be noiseless pickups, but they seem to be.
Guitar manufacturing has come such a long way. since my first $30 Canora copy, if there was such a thing.
So that's my 50 cents worth.
Better go, I can hear it calling me....... 
Regards Dr. Bob |
Edited by - Dr. Bob on 05/07/2007 07:28:47 |
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DarrinPA
Silver Member
USA
221 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 07:04:03
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| That's great, I'm the same way with most my gear. You can buy cheap guitars if you know what you are looking for and know how to fix the little things. Do you know of a way of making a Clapton booster as an effect outside of the guitar, maybe as the fist pedal in the line. I used a Clapton strat once and was always wanting the boost but without having to do it with every guitar. Can an eq pedal achive that same tone? |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 09:56:04
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Hi all.....i have a clapton booster in a jap squier strat from the late 80's i also put the vintage noiseless pickups in at the same time..i have it installed about two years now so the honeymoon period has worn off...the plus side is you can really drive an amp with this guitar ...the down side is (imo) it doesn't like overdrive or distortion pedals i think the signal from the guitar is just too hot for them to handle ...but i'm only using a couple of pedals these days as the bands new set doesn't call for a lot of effects(crybaby,tr2 and a dd3) i think this has improved me as a player as well,i fixed my old selmer amp,so i crank the amp and use the volume of the guitar to clean it up and if i need a really fat les paul/335 type of sound i just kick in the boost.... |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 10:17:30
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quote:
Originally posted by DarrinPA
That's great, I'm the same way with most my gear. You can buy cheap guitars if you know what you are looking for and know how to fix the little things. Do you know of a way of making a Clapton booster as an effect outside of the guitar, maybe as the fist pedal in the line. I used a Clapton strat once and was always wanting the boost but without having to do it with every guitar. Can an eq pedal achive that same tone?
Hi DarrinPA
Set the EQ sliders for a SAD face upside down smile, & play with the level slider, give it a bit of gain.
Try different settings of the sad face, & level.
you can get a sort of Tube Screamer sound out of it sometmes.
Basically you have set the EQ for a slight mid boost, the more sad you set it, the greater the mid boost.
Spend sometime with it, before you just give up.
Basstrya built an op-amp booster into his Black Telecaster. 
there are some pics of it on his site, & quite a while back, on this forum.
But he hasn't been around here for a while now?
Regards Dr. Bob |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 10:22:18
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quote:
Originally posted by FRANZONI
Hi all.....i have a clapton booster in a jap squier strat from the late 80's i also put the vintage noiseless pickups in at the same time..i have it installed about two years now so the honeymoon period has worn off...the plus side is you can really drive an amp with this guitar ...the down side is (imo) it doesn't like overdrive or distortion pedals i think the signal from the guitar is just too hot for them to handle ...but i'm only using a couple of pedals these days as the bands new set doesn't call for a lot of effects(crybaby,tr2 and a dd3) i think this has improved me as a player as well,i fixed my old selmer amp,so i crank the amp and use the volume of the guitar to clean it up and if i need a really fat les paul/335 type of sound i just kick in the boost....
Hi FRANZONI
Did you buy the Clapton booster, pre-made, like the one on the web, or did you build up something yourself?
How is the wife, with New Little Franzoni?
Got all the gear you will ever want yet.. just kidding... 
Regards Dr. Bob
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 12:38:06
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hi dr bob.....yes i bought it from www.guitarelectronics.com in arizona...at the time it was the only place i could find it,its the orginal fender one for the clapton strat and it came with the pots and all the bits...only lately i realized i that i put a 25k volume pot in for the volume(they gave me a 50k as well)and i think claptons is the 50k one also he uses a tbx tone control in his i just used a standard 250k pot,i was lucky i was able to squeeze the battery and the circuit board under the scratch plate without too much trouble,i stopped using it for a while because of issues with my distortion and compression pedals but lately i use the selmer(its only 14 watts) and drive it with the guitar...my band mates are very impressed with the sound,on bigger gigs i'll bring the marshall or the musicman instead.....
mrs franzoni is well but tired a lot lately as a daddy youself you know the script......
and no you can never have too much gear....i'm looking at buying a 12 string acoustic made by walden it seems to get good reviews on the 'net.....any experience of this make...?
p.s good advice on the ge7 you can get a close idea of the clapton mid boost from it but the clapton system is even more powerful imho..
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 13:03:07
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Hi FRANZONI
You're right FRANZONI, the Clapton preamp, has way more gain
it has 25db, of gain in fact.
Where the GE-7 has about +/-15dB
That's +10db more gain.
That should really push the front end of your amp.. 
here is a direct link, to the Clapton Mid boost Kit ... I hope
http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/PAEC
I wonder if there is a schematic of this somewhere on the web, or in someones possession?
It looks simple enough..
Regards Dr. Bob
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Edited by - Dr. Bob on 05/07/2007 13:05:33 |
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DarrinPA
Silver Member
USA
221 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 21:15:49
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| I think I'll just use an EQ pedal, but I have to buy one first. It would be too expensive to mod that on all my guitars. Any EQ pedal suggestions? I know I've heard bad things about some of the Boss EQs here. |
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jack
Platinum Member
USA
1418 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 21:21:36
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quote:
Originally posted by DarrinPA
I think I'll just use an EQ pedal, but I have to buy one first. It would be too expensive to mod that on all my guitars. Any EQ pedal suggestions? I know I've heard bad things about some of the Boss EQs here.
If you are unsure if you need an EQ pedal or not, you can usually pick up a Danelectro Fish & Chips EQ for cheap on eBay. For the price, its not that bad of a pedal, but I would just consider it a starter EQ, just to see if it does what you want. |
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DarrinPA
Silver Member
USA
221 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 21:38:23
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| I'm not worried about price. I used to go for the cheap things at first but now I just get what sounds best. Although if that does sound good I don't mind useing "cheap" gear. Plus if I buy an effect that isn't what I was looking for I'd just return it, no money lost. I just want that mid boost when I play solos and an eq pedal would probably be best, rather than a tone knob, even if I can't get quite as much boost out of it. |
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Tips and Tricks for you pedal board.
