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Tone Warmth

#21
This is my entire signal path as of right now, obviously I only use certain pedals for certain songs. Also gonna move the chorus, phaser, and delay to the FX loop once I get some more cables

Bass (usually Ibanez SRs, have a Schecter and an ESP)
X2 XDS-Plus Wireless System
Snark S7 Tuner
Boss BLM-3 Bass Limiter Enhancer
Dunlup SC-95 Slash Crybaby Classic
ProCo Rat 2
Digitech Whammy IV
Boss OC-2 Octave
Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble
Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter
Vox Joe Satriani Time Machine
Behringer NR300 Noise Reducer
Ernie Ball VPJr. Volume Pedal
Behringer BXR1800H
Behringer BA115

What I really need, I think, is a preamp or EQ right after my tuner or my compressor (and an Ampeg SVT-4 Pro with a Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 1200 but $$$$). You guys would know a lot more about that kind of stuff though, I'm still new to figuring out how to tweek EQs in my tone.
 
#22
glasser_cannon said:
This is my entire signal path as of right now, obviously I only use certain pedals for certain songs. Also gonna move the chorus, phaser, and delay to the FX loop once I get some more cables

Bass (usually Ibanez SRs, have a Schecter and an ESP)
X2 XDS-Plus Wireless System
Snark S7 Tuner
Boss BLM-3 Bass Limiter Enhancer
Dunlup SC-95 Slash Crybaby Classic
ProCo Rat 2
Digitech Whammy IV
Boss OC-2 Octave
Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble
Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter
Vox Joe Satriani Time Machine
Behringer NR300 Noise Reducer
Ernie Ball VPJr. Volume Pedal
Behringer BXR1800H
Behringer BA115

What I really need, I think, is a preamp or EQ right after my tuner or my compressor (and an Ampeg SVT-4 Pro with a Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 1200 but $$$$). You guys would know a lot more about that kind of stuff though, I'm still new to figuring out how to tweek EQs in my tone.
Click to expand...

Well it sounds like you've got everything but a really great dirt pedal IMO. I see the Rat2 but I think the newer ProCo rats don't do much for the bass. I know a source audio programmable EQ helped me immensely when I was having difficulty cutting through (sounds like that may be the opposite of your predicament) but it may help you otherwise. Honestly though, I would think the ampeg would be able to help you out with what you want. Doesn't that have a slider type EQ on it or am I wrong?


Killing gods
 
#24
gregmon79 said:
Well it sounds like you've got everything but a really great dirt pedal IMO. I see the Rat2 but I think the newer ProCo rats don't do much for the bass. I know a source audio programmable EQ helped me immensely when I was having difficulty cutting through (sounds like that may be the opposite of your predicament) but it may help you otherwise. Honestly though, I would think the ampeg would be able to help you out with what you want. Doesn't that have a slider type EQ on it or am I wrong?


Killing gods
Click to expand...
It's actually the exact opposite problem with the Rat, haha. It has an amazing fuzz buts it's way to overpowering for what I need. The ampeg does have a graphic EQ and i think it has another channel where I would use knobs. My Behringer has a graphic too, i think it's a 7 band but i'm not right in front of it. But seeing how my EQ works for all of the other songs my band does, I would think that it would make more sense to just get another pedal to add in what I need. Maybe one of the Source Audio Pedals you mentioned, the Aguilar Tone Hammer, the Ibanez BB9, or maybe even the SansAmp VTBass which my old guitar teacher just recommended to me?
 
#26
glasser_cannon said:
It's actually the exact opposite problem with the Rat, haha. It has an amazing fuzz buts it's way to overpowering for what I need. The ampeg does have a graphic EQ and i think it has another channel where I would use knobs. My Behringer has a graphic too, i think it's a 7 band but i'm not right in front of it. But seeing how my EQ works for all of the other songs my band does, I would think that it would make more sense to just get another pedal to add in what I need. Maybe one of the Source Audio Pedals you mentioned, the Aguilar Tone Hammer, the Ibanez BB9, or maybe even the SansAmp VTBass which my old guitar teacher just recommended to me?
Click to expand...

A VT would work. But you already have an ampeg. Can you mimic an older ampeg with your head? Get some dirt? I guess I'm having trouble rapping my head around the exact sound you want..... Do you have a bass tone you could compare to what you're after??


Killing gods
 
#27
gregmon79 said:
A VT would work. But you already have an ampeg. Can you mimic an older ampeg with your head? Get some dirt? I guess I'm having trouble rapping my head around the exact sound you want..... Do you have a bass tone you could compare to what you're after??


Killing gods
Click to expand...
Kind of like this at 5:57 and 6:18. I have the clean tone, it's the light distortion that I can't seem to get. All of my distortion pedals from my guitar have to much gain. It sounds more like an EQ boost to me. Honestly didn't even think it was a distortion pedal that he used for that until I just found this video
 
#30
glasser_cannon said:
Kind of like this at 5:57 and 6:18. I have the clean tone, it's the light distortion that I can't seem to get. All of my distortion pedals from my guitar have to much gain. It sounds more like an EQ boost to me. Honestly didn't even think it was a distortion pedal that he used for that until I just found this video
Click to expand...


Why dont you just get that Ashdown pedal???....... Would make sense. Seems pretty hard to find. But here is one on Amazon:

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#33
nshuman said:
The Fairfield Barbershop is really good at adding varying levels of warmth.... JohnK's site and MrExcane's demos can help you a lot.
Click to expand...
+1 on the Fairfield Barbershop. It's easy to set that pre- or mild-OD warmth without edging into heavy distortion. Lots of range and flexibility. For a little more OD, I use a Mad Professor Blueberry

And another +1 for JohnK's site -- his samples and reviews are what led me to the Barbershop and Blueberry. (Thanks, John.)
 
#34
gregmon79 said:
DOH! I was just noticing that this morning, how hard this pedal is to get. Try here maybe??:

Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...
Still not there :( I'm thinking I'm just gonna get the Soundblox OFD. In the video I heard one that was really close to what I want so I could set one pedal to that and the other to the setting on my RAT if I can get the same exact tone. Plus it'll free up room on my board for an EQ at some point
 
#35
It seems to me that what you're hearing is just more of a natural(ish) boost to a tube amp to cause some slight overdrive.
I still would recommend looking into that Ibanez pedal. Or even the Aguilar Tone Hammer that you mentioned before. I was using that one for awhile and it's got a very effective EQ. I've got practice tonight most likely, and if you can hold on from spending money for a day or two - I could try recording some clips with the Ibanez to get you an idea of what it sounds like. Better to do full research than spend money right away, right?

As far as the Soundblox - some guys really like their stuff, but to my ears they sound too digital. I'm personally not a fan of digital effects (YMMV), and that is something that you might want to take into consideration before spending the cash. Especially if your goal is for a warmer tone.
 
#36
P-oddz said:
It seems to me that what you're hearing is just more of a natural(ish) boost to a tube amp to cause some slight overdrive.
I still would recommend looking into that Ibanez pedal. Or even the Aguilar Tone Hammer that you mentioned before. I was using that one for awhile and it's got a very effective EQ. I've got practice tonight most likely, and if you can hold on from spending money for a day or two - I could try recording some clips with the Ibanez to get you an idea of what it sounds like. Better to do full research than spend money right away, right?

As far as the Soundblox - some guys really like their stuff, but to my ears they sound too digital. I'm personally not a fan of digital effects (YMMV), and that is something that you might want to take into consideration before spending the cash. Especially if your goal is for a warmer tone.
Click to expand...
If you could make a recording, that would be great. I don't really plan on buying anything for at least a week or two, gotta finish paying off some bills before I can upgrade anything in my rig
 
#37
You have to remember OP that the ibanez pedal he is going to record will sound a lot different through your rig as it will through his. I guess I just haven't played dirt pedals long enough because I don't think the OFD sounds digital enough to tell the difference between it and what it mimics. It's all a matter of taste and ear anyway. It's like the ODB3, most loathe that pedal. I love mine through my rig and board. I think it kills. You may not know until you actually try a few through your rig playing with your hands. Don't be too upset if you don't find what you're looking for on first purchase. That's why it's a rabbit hole. Not only addictive, it's the matter of the fact you have to try different things. What you hear on YouTube even through headphone or played through your rig isn't always what you're gonna hear with you actually get the pedal you checked out. It's a B sometimes, but man is it fun!


Killing gods
 
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#38
Absolutely, like gregmon says. Just because a pedal works for me or anyone else - it doesn't necessarily mean it will work to your style of play or gear. I don't want to try to convince anybody that I've got it figured out, I just try to share my experience to hopefully help out in the wallet while chasing tones. As far as the "digital" aspect - it really is a matter of taste and I hope I didn't sound condescending. I just haven't played any digital effects that speak to me personally and prefer the response of analog.

The OP sounded like he was searching for something that would just warm up his tone for limited use and I thought the Ibanez seemed like a decent, cheap candidate. Maybe he'll hear it and think it's terrible(?)
 
#39
P-oddz said:
As far as the Soundblox - some guys really like their stuff, but to my ears they sound too digital. I'm personally not a fan of digital effects (YMMV), and that is something that you might want to take into consideration before spending the cash. Especially if your goal is for a warmer tone.
Click to expand...

have you tried the OFD? IME, the OFD doesn't sound digital at all, and i'm a dyed in the wool analog guy.
 
#40
I have not tried the OFD, but I have tried other Source Audio stuff (multi-wave distortion, classic distortion, as well as some of their time effects and modulators). My buddy is in charge of bringing in pedal lines at his guitar shop, so I often get to try almost full lines of pedals from manufacturers. Source Audio came through recently with a board to bring home that had some of their most popular offerings. Admittedly, the OFD could definitely be a different beast than what my impression of some of the rest of the line was, or the clip I watched online.
 

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