First experience, I haven't tried the old one. Anyways, both things you say: excessively High output level, farty (and, as I said, doesn't have the "punch" especially on the lower notes. Too hollow)
My drummer didn't like it either
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Rusty Box!
- Thread starter AaronVonRock
- Start date
My drummer didn't like it either
Another detail was that I was using mine into a Tech 21 VT Bass 500 head, Character set to 10 O'Clock and little to no overdrive, EQ flat. That helped de-emphasize the highs and re-emphasize the lows from the Rusty. In other words I found post-EQ to be very helpful.First experience, I haven't tried the old one. Anyways, both things you say: excessively High output level, farty (and, as I said, doesn't have the "punch" especially on the lower notes. Too hollow)
My drummer didn't like it either
Try decreasing the lows until the fartiness goes away, then adjust mids and highs to taste. Make sure the gain is not set too high (so you don't have to dial back lows too much), rather use the mids and high controls to dial in overdrive. I had good luck with lows at 1 oclock, mids at 10, highs at 1, setting gain as high as possible until just before bass overloads (farty).
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What kind of gain are you pushing? When I had a Rusty I was looking for similar tone to Shellac and Jesus Lizard records, both bassists who used the Traynor TS50B (at least on some recordings for Jesus Lizard). Neither use particularly high-gain, and I also found the best settings in the low to mid gain range- it stays punchy (actually can add punch by emphasizing different mids and tightening up the low-end) and can add a lot of (IMO) pleasant grit and clarity on the top. It may be that you are looking for a different idea of "punch" than me though- the Rusty doesn't really go very deep bass-wise, similar to many solid-state heads from the era it seems to have some sort of fairly dramatic high-pass filtering built-in. I really like this tone (not unlike the rolled off lows of playing through an Ampeg fridge), but the Rusty has minimal EQ to thicken up the upper-bass/low-mids like an Ampeg or similar...I concur that the Darkglass Alpha-Omega/Omicron/AO Ultra have some similar tonality and I currently use an Ultra (may pick up a 9V Rusty though!)First experience, I haven't tried the old one. Anyways, both things you say: excessively High output level, farty (and, as I said, doesn't have the "punch" especially on the lower notes. Too hollow)
My drummer didn't like it either
I don't totally dislike the "tone", actually... I tried it at very low gain (I don't need distortion on the bass amp), tried with the switch on both hi and low input gain. When I say it lacks punch I mean it has less definition on lows and less "fullness" than the amp I am accustomed to (SVT3 Pro). Maybe it's a solid-state feature compared to tube amps, to give a less "physical" feel... I'd say it's clankier, buy definitely less punchy, has a less violent/definite attack and feels thinner.
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There's a baked-in mid scoop on the Rusty, so it could be the low-mids (around 300 Hz) you are missing. No telling what post-eq was done to the recordings. Maybe it's just gotta be turned up really fricken loud!
I would just post-eq it with your bass amp. Try to bring back whatever is missing for you. It will probably be much different flavor than an Ampeg though. RB is for folks who dig clank IMO and when I think of clank, Ampeg does not really come to mind. Could be that it's just so different than what you're used to, it may take some time or just not be your thing.
It was the opposite for me. It was love at first strum with the Rusty. Such a unique tone, unlike any other dirt pedals I've tried and that's what I liked about it. So much so that after owning it for two weeks I sent mine to John K to have it modded to 9v and etched. I have way more $ in it than it's probably worth but it's a keeper so that's all good.
It was the opposite for me. It was love at first strum with the Rusty. Such a unique tone, unlike any other dirt pedals I've tried and that's what I liked about it. So much so that after owning it for two weeks I sent mine to John K to have it modded to 9v and etched. I have way more $ in it than it's probably worth but it's a keeper so that's all good.
Wow that's so cool looking! Tell me, does the 9V mod include boosting internally (such as to the standard 30V)? Because I suspect that part of the articulate tone is from operating at the higher voltage.
I didn't like it at first either. I wasn't hearing that Shellac tone from it. In fact I feel I got closer with the B7K. But after constant A/B'ing for a day or 2 I realized the RB sounded way more organic and natural and the B7K sounded "forced". So yeah, give it a few more days and see if it grows on you.
Yeah my Rusty really sounds just like Jesus Lizard with a J bass and gets pretty close to Shellac with a P or my Ricks. What bass(es) are you using?
Have you tried the Rusty as a preamp into the power amp of the Ampeg? It’s possible the voicing are clashing
Hmm- then I guess you tried it in front as well? I actually preferred my Rusty into the front of an amp with the exception of my tube head, but I’ve been playing Mesas that are voiced quite a bit differently than the SVT-3 (which I have owned before). I remember most of the voices I used on the SVT-3 having a big low-mid hump, which is something the Rusty definitely lacks
Dang! It’s one of my favorite pedals ever. I run mine last in the chain either into my effects return or into the amp’s input, depending.Wow I'm not liking it. That was unexpected.
It does not fit at all my style and I find it too "hollow" and less punchy in comparison with the Ampeg amp...
I'll test for a week or two but I will probably sell it.
Here are some pretty awesome settings (stole this image from Shellac’s Instagram.)
Cool, that's almost my settings, except I don't have mids that high, but will certainly try it.
Edit: got the knobs mixed up, def not my settings but will still try it.
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I wished to love this pedal too
Aside from the comparison with a tube amp sound, which apparently I like better, I think it's really also a riffage/style problem. There's no sound that will sound good in "any" context. I'm no Bob Weston unfortunately and I tried on my songs and really it seems to be out of place.
I'll test more extensively today but I'm not optimistic...
