Just got a Rusty Box. Could I get a little guidance?

[robbyray]

My Tronographic Rusty Box landed on my board last night, and it has completely overhauled my sound. While it sounds good, I want to make sure I am using it to it's fullest potential, considering my other pieces of gear in my chain.

Basically, my setup goes like this:

Ric 4003 (Treble pickup, usually) > Rusty Box > Cheap Chorus pedal > Boss RE-20 Space Echo > Boss RV-5 Reverb (usually off, sometimes I kick it on to use the Modulation setting) > Yorkville Bassmaster 400 > Avatar NEO 2x12 cab.

I have the Rusty Box's Level set to about 9:00, the Treble, Bass, and Mid all around 12:30-1, and the Input Gain at about 10:00. I have the switch set to 'Low".

When I have the effect on it brightens and thickens my tone quite nicely. However, when I turn on the boost I get terrible feedback. I was hoping that the RB would serve as both an 'always on' effect and also a nice grindy, gritty boost for when I need it. As of now, it's not working out that way. I am going to have to run a separate pedal for distortion? If so, that's kind of a bummer.

So, I start this thread to ask, "Am I doing this right?" Anyone out there have any advice or settings they'd like to share? I'd really like to make this pedal work for me!

Thank you in advance.

 

[skulletwhip]

Try cutting some hi end at the amp. The combo of the bridge pickup, Rusty and Boost may be what's causing it to squeal.

 

[robbyray]

Try cutting some hi end at the amp. The combo of the bridge pickup, Rusty and Boost may be what's causing it to squeal.

Thanks for the tip. Maybe I should add that I completely bypassed all of the EQ from the amp and was relying on the RB to shape any tone I was getting.

Perhaps I should also try turning down/off the cab's horn. I may not need it!

 

[skulletwhip]

Yes. Remove the tweeter.

 

[christpncher]

I had similar issues with the Rusty Box. I was also using treble pickup on a Ric. just a hair too much treble i felt. I could not stack it with another distortion or overdrive as I wanted due to the feedback so I have removed it for the board for now and get my clank on with other pedals.

 

[My name is Mudd]

Any gain above around 9 or so will start to push the pedal into an overdrive'ish grind, and especially if the boost is on (at least it does on mine, and I should probably note that I use it as a tone-shaping pre-amp and not as an OD/distortion). Some have set the pedal up with the boost as an always-on and dialed it in around that; I did the opposite and hardly ever use the boost.

Note also that using the line-out jack bypasses the volume knob entirely...the only way to control vol is via either the gain, hi/low switch, and/or boost.

If you haven't already found it, there's a .pdf manual available on the Tronographic site for the pedal.

 

[Lebowsky]

switch to lo, gain to max, the rest to taste

 

[sunbeast]

I've never heard of anyone really successfully using the normal and Boost settings interchangeably. Without a separate control for the level of the Boost it is just too much in my opinion/ experience. I personally think it shines best as a slightly grindy/highly-colored always-on preamp.

I suggest you also try running the Rusty at the end of your chain- either straight in your amp from the Main out or into the Power amp using the Line Out. That way you can get a boost and added drive by pushing the Rusty with another pedal before it. I found that I liked it better as a preamp through some rigs and better at effect level through others...

 

[robbyray]

Thanks, sunbeast.

Gigged with it for the first time last night. Really made my bass cut through the mix in a small, crowded and LOUD venue with only vocals mic'd up. Believe it or not I actually have it dialed in where I can use the boost for a few of our louder parts.

I just ordered a Blower Box, so once that comes in I am going to experiment with putting it both before and after the RB.

Will report back!

 

[Jeff O'Connor]

Thanks, sunbeast.

Gigged with it for the first time last night. Really made my bass cut through the mix in a small, crowded and LOUD venue with only vocals mic'd up. Believe it or not I actually have it dialed in where I can use the boost for a few of our louder parts.

I just ordered a Blower Box, so once that comes in I am going to experiment with putting it both before and after the RB.

Will report back!

I think I really need a RB!! Any more to report!!??

 

[rufus.K]

Damn. I almost bought one, then talk me out of it. Then I read things like this...repeat cycle

 

[andrew]

Thanks, sunbeast.

Gigged with it for the first time last night. Really made my bass cut through the mix in a small, crowded and LOUD venue with only vocals mic'd up. Believe it or not I actually have it dialed in where I can use the boost for a few of our louder parts.

I just ordered a Blower Box, so once that comes in I am going to experiment with putting it both before and after the RB.

Will report back!

Those are two great pedals but both can be quite bright so mind your treble knobs on each when using them together.

And I agree with skulletwhip, turn off your tweeter.

 

[Jeff O'Connor]

GAAAAHHHH!! I couldn't help it! I just ordered one!!! Please tell me this was the right thing to do!! I'll be using it for a pretty much all the time, high gain, bass distortion, playing a lot of chords up high on the E string.

and the "headroom" aspect makes me believe that it will remain nice and clear in the high up, fat chord, territory!!

Give me a pat on the back, fellow RB users!!

 

[Quimbymeat]

I use mine from the line out into a fx loop on a terror 1000 or any fx loo pat an amp at practice, this bypasses the front end of the amp and is used as a small power amp. Best tone with my Travis Bean is low gain switch but to have the gain knob high or high gain swatch and the gain about 11 o'clock. Mid all the way off and bass almost maxed, treble at 12.

From having a Traynor ts50b I would say I've tried both through a power amp and the rusty is perfect and sounds exactly the same but more portable. I love it

 

[Quimbymeat]

Also the boost switch is not great if your on the bridge pickup on the high gain switch but okay on low gain. My preference is to keep that off.

 

[WilbursaurusRex]

Thanks, sunbeast.

Gigged with it for the first time last night. Really made my bass cut through the mix in a small, crowded and LOUD venue with only vocals mic'd up. Believe it or not I actually have it dialed in where I can use the boost for a few of our louder parts.

I just ordered a Blower Box, so once that comes in I am going to experiment with putting it both before and after the RB.

Will report back!

any thoughts on the rusty box and blower box? Im considering picking up a rusty box and already have a blower box but still combing through threads for some opinions. I love the sound of it even though most of the music I play is more laid back

 

[Jeff O'Connor]

any thoughts on the rusty box and blower box? Im considering picking up a rusty box and already have a blower box but still combing through threads for some opinions. I love the sound of it even though most of the music I play is more laid back

I have both of these. The Blower box, as know, really likes to get wound up and let rip, with great EQ capabilities.
The Rusty Box IS a great pedal! It's got it's own way it drives and distorts, but can do VERY clean as well. It can really thump too! So versatile! I think it can handle A LOT of different genres as a player.
Big ranges in the EQ section. The treble section really likes to get ripping as is in the intent of the design, but can be tamed if need be. PLEASE keep in mind that special power adapter that must be used with it though. That's part of the magic of this pedal, gives it crazy headroom.

I'd just sum it up as both of these together will give you some high treble in the distortion section so beware. but they can co-exist with some tweaking!


Happy stacking! Hope this helps!

 

[WilbursaurusRex]

I have both of these. The Blower box, as know, really likes to get wound up and let rip, with great EQ capabilities.
The Rusty Box IS a great pedal! It's got it's own way it drives and distorts, but can do VERY clean as well. It can really thump too! So versatile! I think it can handle A LOT of different genres as a player.
Big ranges in the EQ section. The treble section really likes to get ripping as is in the intent of the design, but can be tamed if need be. PLEASE keep in mind that special power adapter that must be used with it though. That's part of the magic of this pedal, gives it crazy headroom.

I'd just sum it up as both of these together will give you some high treble in the distortion section so beware. but they can co-exist with some tweaking!


Happy stacking! Hope this helps!

It certainly does! Yes I do remember the special power requirements, and I don't mind it too much (especially because tronographic provides an adequate power supply). Also, does the rusty box generate hiss/noise? I mean Im sure it does on higher gain levels like most overdrives/amps, but what about the more clean/slightly grind settings?

 

[jw23mind]

It certainly does! Yes I do remember the special power requirements, and I don't mind it too much (especially because tronographic provides an adequate power supply). Also, does the rusty box generate hiss/noise? I mean Im sure it does on higher gain levels like most overdrives/amps, but what about the more clean/slightly grind settings?

The output stage is "open" to the supply rail, so a clean power supply is key. I don't think the stock power supply is particularly well-filtered.

 

[jw23mind]

My Tronographic Rusty Box landed on my board last night, and it has completely overhauled my sound. While it sounds good, I want to make sure I am using it to it's fullest potential, considering my other pieces of gear in my chain.

Basically, my setup goes like this:

Ric 4003 (Treble pickup, usually) > Rusty Box > Cheap Chorus pedal > Boss RE-20 Space Echo > Boss RV-5 Reverb (usually off, sometimes I kick it on to use the Modulation setting) > Yorkville Bassmaster 400 > Avatar NEO 2x12 cab.

I have the Rusty Box's Level set to about 9:00, the Treble, Bass, and Mid all around 12:30-1, and the Input Gain at about 10:00. I have the switch set to 'Low".

When I have the effect on it brightens and thickens my tone quite nicely. However, when I turn on the boost I get terrible feedback. I was hoping that the RB would serve as both an 'always on' effect and also a nice grindy, gritty boost for when I need it. As of now, it's not working out that way. I am going to have to run a separate pedal for distortion? If so, that's kind of a bummer.

So, I start this thread to ask, "Am I doing this right?" Anyone out there have any advice or settings they'd like to share? I'd really like to make this pedal work for me!

Thank you in advance.

Unless you are running an active / low impedance source, switch should be set "high", not low which will suck tone on passive / high impedance source. Also the loudness increase with the boost on is dependent on how close to saturation you have the gain set; if set really low & clean with no boost, then there will be a large increase in volume when boosted. Set the gain higher toward light overdrive, and then with boost there will be less volume increase and more a change in tone (more distorted).