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"Muddy" tone, with no definition - help needed (TC amp content)

#61
I have a BH250 combo with the 8 inch speakers. It sounds fine. The only time it sucked was when I plugged a cheap Bacchus bass, stuck all nobs on the guitar and amp neutral. Then the sound just sounded muddy. I worked with the EQ on the bass and I was finally able to get some kind of sound out of it.

I kept the nobs on the BH250 on center to make the parameters constant in the beginning because I was told that the EQ on the TC amps are intelligent and if you turn one nob, the sound doesn't just cut / add bass, mid or high, but it shifts the entire range of tone.

Other than the Bacchus, I've plugged all sorts of guitars like the Warwick Corvette Bubinga 6, Modulus Q5, Sadowski MV5, Dingwall Prima, Ibanez 6 string and several other but on default, center nobs on all they all sounded pretty clear and a little tweaking on head and bass produced a bunch of good tones on all guitars.

But do keep in mind, mine is a combo, they might sound better with a TC cab.
 
#63
AndyLES said:
Well, thinking my best choice, barring flipping the head (and getting something else before Friday's gig) is to run a Sansamp BDDI with the treble and presence boosted to at least add top end harmonics.
Click to expand...

That amp should be UBER clean.

If you have a Sansamp, bypass the preamp of the TC entirely by running it in line level mode into the FX return of the TC.

If bypassing the preamp doesn't solve the problem, there is probably something wrong with the amps power section; if it does, there is probably something wrong with the preamp.
 
#71
Not to go against the grain here, but did you consider that the TC just might not be your flavor?
I own an Ampeg PF800 and despite all the times of me insisting that something must be wrong with my amp because it should blow me away more than it does, and everyone else's comments that I'm doing something incorrectly because theirs sounds incredible, have made me realize that it's just probably not my flavor.

You never mentioned what you were playing before the TC head. Is there a chance that it's just not fitting the mold of what you want to hear out of it?
 
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#72
P-oddz said:
Not to go against the grain here, but did you consider that the TC just might not be your flavor?
I own an Ampeg PF800 and despite all the times of me insisting that something must be wrong with my amp because it should blow me away more than it does, and everyone else's comments that I'm doing something incorrectly because theirs sounds incredible, have made me realize that it's just probably not my flavor.

You never mentioned what you were playing before the TC head. Is there a chance that it's just not fitting the mold of what you want to hear out of it?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've thought about this - I'm actually considering flipping the TC for whatever I can and getting a GK (top contender, based on the times I've played them in stores and studios), an Ampeg PF, or the new Tech 21 Class-D offering.

Frankly, the only reason I bought this particular head was because it was all I could afford at the time. :-/
 
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#74
AndyLES said:
Yeah, I've thought about this - I'm actually considering flipping the TC for whatever I can and getting a GK (top contender, based on the times I've played them in stores and studios), an Ampeg PF, or the new Tech 21 Class-D offering.

Frankly, the only reason I bought this particular head was because it was all I could afford at the time. :-/
Click to expand...

Totally understand where you're coming from with price - we've all done it (well, a lot of us anyway). Sometimes you luck out and love it, other times you're trying to figure out different pedals or additional preamps to coax a usable sound out of it. ;)

From my experience, I would just offer some advice (whether you care for it or not), to really pick apart what you want as your tonal goal or what you would want in an amp (other than for it to get loud), and then poke around brands to see who is reputable for doing THAT (albeit in your desired price range). Are you looking for an relatively clean amp? Something that gets dirty? Something with a more modern tone, or something with more of an old-school vibe? Hopefully when those questions come into play you don't end up with your next purchase being something you're unhappy with down the line.

If you're looking to spend on new Tech21 amps, obviously your options completely open up when you're talking that price range. I would also not overlook used gear if you are. There has to be some decent used gear places out in NY(?)
 
#75
P-oddz said:
Totally understand where you're coming from with price - we've all done it (well, a lot of us anyway). Sometimes you luck out and love it, other times you're trying to figure out different pedals or additional preamps to coax a usable sound out of it. ;)

From my experience, I would just offer some advice (whether you care for it or not), to really pick apart what you want as your tonal goal or what you would want in an amp (other than for it to get loud), and then poke around brands to see who is reputable for doing THAT (albeit in your desired price range). Are you looking for an relatively clean amp? Something that gets dirty? Something with a more modern tone, or something with more of an old-school vibe? Hopefully when those questions come into play you don't end up with your next purchase being something you're unhappy with down the line.

If you're looking to spend on new Tech21 amps, obviously your options completely open up when you're talking that price range. I would also not overlook used gear if you are. There has to be some decent used gear places out in NY(?)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I suppose I'm looking at the ideal amp tone like a guitarist does - a clean platform to make the instrument itself louder, as I can always add preamps, pedals, dirtboxes, compressors, EQ, etc. to color it. This is why so far the GK stuff is the frontrunner. I do, however, like the sound of the Tech 21 Bass driver series of pedals and use one all the time, though, which is why I'm looking at the new model they have.
 
#76
I read that you already played with your eq, but did you try to back off the lows at -2 or -3.
I own a bg250 combo, so, I guess, the same amp, and I always set the bass knob around -2 to get rid of the boomy low end.
I also made measurements and if the bh250 is set as the bg250, the high knob boosts at 6 khz which can be a bit too high to have a strong effect on a passive bass.
I now always use a vt bass in front of it which really helps to control the mids and the highs.
An eq pedal could be used the same way.
 
#77
ticol07 said:
I read that you already played with your eq, but did you try to back off the lows at -2 or -3.
I own a bg250 combo, so, I guess, the same amp, and I always set the bass knob around -2 to get rid of the boomy low end.
I also made measurements and if the bh250 is set as the bg250, the high knob boosts at 6 khz which can be a bit too high to have a strong effect on a passive bass.
I now always use a vt bass in front of it which really helps to control the mids and the highs.
An eq pedal could be used the same way.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I cut the lows AND use a tech 21 pedal (BDDI) to add some top end, which, so far, works.
 
#78
AndyLES said:
Thanks for the advice. I suppose I'm looking at the ideal amp tone like a guitarist does - a clean platform to make the instrument itself louder, as I can always add preamps, pedals, dirtboxes, compressors, EQ, etc. to color it. This is why so far the GK stuff is the frontrunner. I do, however, like the sound of the Tech 21 Bass driver series of pedals and use one all the time, though, which is why I'm looking at the new model they have.
Click to expand...

the problem is that's not very specific - everyone has a different perfect clean tone in their head. the closer you can get to defining your preferences, the easier it is to find what you seek.
 
#80
AndyLES said:
Yeah, I cut the lows AND use a tech 21 pedal (BDDI) to add some top end, which, so far, works.
Click to expand...
If you have the opportunity, give a try to the VT. It's in the same spirit as the BDDI but with a simple control of the mids.
I find this TC line interesting to test different flavors since it is really flat sounding. But I feel the use of an external preamp to get a tone I really enjoy.
I didn't find my own perfect tone with the bg250 only. A workable tone yes, but a bit too raw.
 

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