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ZVEX SUPER HARD ON, on bass?

#6
I own one and use it with a Roland Cube. Into both the bassman and the Ampeg models, I can use it to switch between overdriven and clean sounds just by boosting the signal into clipping levels. The only problem is that overdriving the tube-amp models on a Roland Cube... well... let's just say it isn't authentic. So I'll probably sell the Hard On eventually and run with an actual distortion pedal. I've also noticed that the "clarity increase" that Zachery Vex talks about when the pedal is at unity gain can sort of counter the effect of bad/long cables, as I learned at an open mic night a couple weeks ago. I borrowed a higher-quality cable than my own and it yielded the same results as using the Super Hard-On.
 
#7
I don't know regarding the hard on, but the best overdrive (and I mean THE BEAST) I've ever heard in my life is the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]: on a Mesa Boogie 400+, once properly set the GAIN to the desired point and balanced it with the LEVEL pot, it was like rising up the gain on the mesa and lowering the master... just PHAT saturated OVERDRIVEN sound.
No loss.
Try it!
 
#9
saturnbythree said:
Thanks, i think ill try one out, I'm sure with the rig i have, and coupling the SHO with my gain based effect might yield some amazing tones!

does it really juice your tubes? could it damage them/use them up quicker if its always on?
Click to expand...

if it does, it'd only be the preamp tubes depending on how your gain stages are set up. it'd maybe wear them out slightly quicker but i can't see them damaging anything
 
#10
i have the zvex box of rock, which supposedly has a modded SHO circuit in it that has the highs less glassy than the SHO... it's a pretty clean and even boost; i'd imagine the SHO itself would have more sparkle to it than the one in the BoR
 
#11
i e-mailed zack and this is what he said concerning the SHO through my rig

" SVTs are ridiculously high-powered amps. Running a booster into one could really tax the tubes, power supply, sockets, transformers... a 50 watt Marshall being pushed hard has a much better chance of surviving than a behemoth like the SVT "

i guess its not the best idea!
 
#13
People turn up SVTs into overdrive all the time. I'm not an expert, but using a Super Hard-On to get there doesn't sound that dangerous so long as you're not cranking out the SVT while adding in the cranked Hard-On. It seems to me that if you were to set the SVT to be barely clean and used the Hard-On to boost your signal into the range of the "raging SVT", then there really shouldn't be a problem.
 
#14
I'm going to run mine through my vintage GK 400b (not RB) as soon as I get it. I bought one used at Guitar Center a week ago but since it came in that day, there's a 15 day waiting period before I can take it home. I can't wait to hear my T-40 through the SHO and in to a 1976 GK 400b. I'm tempted to play it through the house rig at the local bar. They have an old Ampeg 8x10 with one of those new SVT Pro 3 heads. I'm also interested in using it as a buffer for my pedal board which contains several vintage envelope filters. I'm also wondering what it is going to so to my active bass tone.
 
#17
I have one in my bass rig which is on most of the time. Have to agree about the super duper too, you get the overdriven sounds of the super hard on without the insane volume levels you get when you push it.
 

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