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Another Rusty Box Question :(

#21
behndy said:
hurm. i don't really get any hiss with my Rusty. i use it as a pre for a power amp, not as a distortion pedal, and i get a big bump in lows if i turn up the low knob. i keep mine pretty much 50% across the eq knobs, gain at 40%-50%, volume all the way up.

i get staticky hiss if i mess with the gain knob while it's going into an amp, but that's inherent in the design.
Click to expand...

Yeah the gain knob static freaked me out until Tronographic told me it was normal.. fiddling with the knobs while plugged in made it hard to ignore.. I really miss my Rusty Box.

I didn't experience any hiss while using it as a preamp OR distortion pedal. Then again, I wasn't running any of the knobs full-on, I spent most of what little time I had with the thing trying to tame it, reel it in.. 'twas a quite loud little beast!

NOW I WANT ANOTHER ONE! Thanks, guys, really. :D
 
#24
I had an Aphex a few years ago (as an always-on) and dealt it off after finding that it was sucking serious VOLUME out of my signal...something like 30% when it was on. Dunno if they're all like that or if was doing something wrong with it, but it went elsewhere. The build quality could be better as well, IMO...starting with the plastic jacks.

And add me to those whose RB, used as a pre-amp, doesn't hiss much at all.
 
#27
wellll, I've gone an dun did it now:

WP_000472.gif


it really sounded good in the store and did exactly what I needed... perhaps now I can tame some of the hiss?
Two birds with one stone anyone?
 
#28
BassBrass said:
When I first got a Rusty Box at home I thought that too. Compared to the VT, which has a ton of low end, the low of the RB seemed lacking. THEN I tried it in the loud band. Not only was the low end more than adequate, the mids shone through like some kind of hi-fi switch had been thrown. JUST like the VT bass, there is a learning curve (first dissapointment turning to amazement) and you need to forget about where it seems the knobs should be set, noon is not flat etc. At low volume I now have the high knob about 10am or lower! At higher volume it's about noon to cut through. Lows no more than about 2pm.
RB has so much high and mid that it can get in the way of perceiving the low end. Highs and mids get to your ear faster than lows, you know. I believe the real strength of the RB is it's high voltage. It has headroom and stability because of that. .
Click to expand...

This is exactly how my RB has been working for me. I love it. Great explanation!
 
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#29
^ agreed,
I love the highs and mids the RB has. It really lets me cut through the wall of sound (two electric guitars and unshielded drums behind me!) I was just missing the Big, Low, Thump, Punch that makes babies grandmothers and grown men shed tears of terror.

This is what I'll be rocking for a while:

WP_000473.jpg


I'm sure I'll be closer to achieving my sonic goals this way!

now I just need to wait for two more pedals to come :bassist:
 
#30
I thought an update to this thread was necessary because I "accidentally" solved my problems with hiss and the lack of low end...

Behold the answer:

WP_000500.jpg



I had always wanted to upgrade the pickups in my Squier CV P bass. I just wanted to ever sense I saw someone mention the Delano PMVC FE/M2 pickups last year (I don't remember what the original topic was).

I finally decided to look for some and thanks to the eagle eyes of fellow TBer Smurf_Byte, he directed me to a set sold by music go round.

the price was good, the time was right, I got them installed today and BAM!! Instant sonic gratification!

Punchier lows? check!

Hissing when pedals engaged almost eradicated? check!

Two birds with one stone my friends, TWO BIRDS!!

in unrelated news, I have more room on my pedalboard now... bye bye GEB-7! you served your purpose...
 
#33
VincentSalizeri said:
Awesome! That's good to hear. Your pickups really make a difference for everything, since the effects are basically shaping the signal they put out.
Click to expand...

Very true! I just had no idea my stock pickups could be the "weak link"!

behndy said:
sweet. i would WAY rather have a solution that made things better overall than adding something to just fix one issue. woot!
Click to expand...

Amen to that!
Victory is mine this time around :cool:
 
#38
Hey Amped, which music-go-round do you go to? I just moved to gwinnett co. and I've been looking to go to one. Sorry for the derail. I'm glad you're liking your RB and your Delanos. BTW I have the older style Aphex Bass Xciter (the blue one). It sounds good to my ears, but it is made quite poorly. I would not use it or rely on it in a gigging situation. Hopefully the new ones (silver case) are of sturdier quality. Rock on!
 
#39
^ awesome man! the music go round to go to here in Gwinnett is the one in Lilburn off Hwy 29 and Beaver Ruin. Its in the Kroger shopping center right at the intersection.

The guys that work there are great people! Tell them Elmer sent you and they'll treat you like royalty :smug: ( I go there like every week! I need to stop. )

seriously though, Jerry, Baron and Tristan are all great guys to deal with.

I was looking at the newer Aphex DIs but I think I might end up going with a Whirlwind DI I have laying around, now that I got the tone I was looking for :)
 

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