My guitar rig, needs HELP!!

[schmitty]

Zac's guitar rig

so yeah, here's what i currently have.

Custom telecaster
(mighty mite motherbucker, and seymour duncan vintage pickups) i need to put some new electronics in this things, most are from a cheapo guitar so they're going bad.

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...0gear/egw4.jpg

Blackheart Handsome Devil 15watt (modded with an extra pre-amp tube)

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...ear/egw142.jpg

pedalboard - danelectro chili dog octave> digitech turboflange> ibanez gemini> boss me20> Boss noise suppressor

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...0gear/egw2.jpg

the chili dog is really more of a weird sound thing for me, because as an octave pedal, it sucks. i have the noise suppressor set so that it cuts out the worst of the buzz, but i have the decay on almost zero so that it really doesnt effect my sound.

ok, so i also have a boss '65 fender reverb and mxr micro amp, im going to use these as a preamp once i get an effects loop installed so i can have channel switching by using an a/b box. all problems solved! haha!

[jm417]

first, you can run a delay in front of the amp, but you are going to want it after all drive and modulation pedals. I'd suggest getting a 2 channel amp, or setting the amp clean and using a pedal for distortion, or getting another amp for clean.

[schmitty]

yeah, i've thought about those things, if you heard the distortion on this thing though...a pedal instead of using it would be blasphemy lol. I basically have no money for anything big as far as guitar gear goes right now so i can't get another amp, otherwise i'd get an unmodded handsome devil, it has GREAT cleans. i have it after any distortion on my board, but it get's distorted once it get's to the amp, so i was seeing if anyone had any abstract solution haha
and i still need to figure out how to go from clean to dirty easily, wich having two amps would solve, but again no money

[Michael Evrard]

A new Boss DS-1 is $39, used maybe $20. I have used one, Joe Satriani has used one, many others too with great sounds for distortion. So use it as one of your first pedals into your amp set for a clean tone. jm417 is right about delay at the end of your chain. Your ME-20 might just be the ticket for all of your tones even without an effects loop. Start with the ME-20, try different variations of your pedals after that, just make sure your noise suppression is before your delays or reverbs. Boss is a great company, chances are, the ME-20 has noise suppression, if so , it is most likely set after any distortion or overdrive tones in ME-20 but before any delays or reverbs.

Ideally, distortion, wahs, overdrives come between guitar and amp input, delays, reverbs go in effects loop with noise suppression also in effects loop, but the first thing after the effects send. Never after delays or reverbs as it will affect the decays on those. Chorus, flanger, phasers are easily placed almost anywhere in the chain and is a matter or taste. I used to think they should go in effects loop, but have since changed that order.

So...why did I bother going through all of that knowing that your amp has no effects loop? Well, the concepts are still the same, the main difference is that delays and reverbs will not come after all of the preamp tones, only the ones that come from the ME-20.

I hope that makes some sense. Let me know if your ME-20 has noise suppression, and/or which effects you find that you utilize from the ME-20. I can then better suggest some ways to set things up for the best tones with least amounts of noise.

Also check out Joe Satriani's rig on Guitar Geek's home page. You will see some delays in effects loop, one that is not. Interesting set up though. He gets great tones both in the studio and live. There is always a way to get a decent sound.

[schmitty]

thank you, and i might try something similar to that. currently all i use the ME20 for is reverb and the wah (it was my first pedal and i used it more then haha) and yes, there is noise suppresion on it, but it's a bad tone sucker, theres no decay option so turning it on high enough to have a difference sucks everything out of the signal. and the left side of the gemini is essentially a tubescreamer, and i have it set as a booster already.
i'd rather not, but it looks like i may have to install an effects loop or something haha.

[Michael Evrard]

I have a Hush in pedal form that is a bit of a tone sucker, but I re-EQ to bring back that little bit of highs that are lost. You are in a bit of a quandry here. Ideally an effect loop is really the best way to go. I was not sure what a Gemini was, but if it has a Tube Screamer aspect to it, go with that first in your chain maybe something like this...

Ibanez Gemini>>>Boss Noise Suppresion>>>Turbo Flange>>>Chili Dog Octave>>>Boss ME-20

or...

Ibanez Gemini>>>Turbo Flange>>>Chili Dog Octave>>>Boss Noise Suppression>>>Boss ME-20

You can switch the order of the flnager and the octave, I just personally like the octave after my phaser so similar results would come with an octave after a flanger. This is a combination of art and science so have fun with it. Just know that noise suppression right after delays and reverbs kill the decays of those sounds.

Also and probably most importantly, be conservative on your treble knob on your amp. Dial in a good clean sound with just enough treble to make it bright, but not brittle sounding. Do the same on you Gemini if it has a tone control. Dial in just enough get dirty and gritty but not too much treble as you will have no chance for warm sounding overdrive. I hope that helps. Keep it fun.

[jm417]

well if all else fails, you can use the volume knob on your guitar to clean up.

[schmitty]

yeah....that worked better before i got the extra preamp tube put in, and the gain skyrocketed lol

[republic]

As jm417 said, the volume knob is your answer (being that you mentioned you don't have money to spend.) Kill the extra pre-amp tube gain stage, set the amp for a tasty medium-level gain, use the volume knob for cleans, and then your Gemini for boost/higher gain. Playing this way, for many, takes a little getting used to, so I would get rid of the other pedals for a little while until you get your 'new' technique down, then add them back as needed. You may find you don't need some of them anymore. Regarding delay, it doesn't need to be in an effects loop. Just my 2cents. Good luck.

[schmitty]

aha! 've figured out what i'm going to do.
with the holiday season coming up, i will bum a few items from my parents and do some myself.
i'm going to get an effects loop installed on the amp, and i know just how to work that one out

but my signal chain will look like this...

guitar -> chili dog octave pedal -> Ibanez Jemini Distortion -> Handsome Devil input -> effects out -> Boss Me-20 -> Digitech TurboFlange -> (first output straight to a/b switch) 2nd output -> mxr micro-amp -> A/B switch -> Boss Fender 65' reverb -> effects input -> speaker cab

sounds complex kinda...but it'll work! and i can afford it! perfection!

[christopherjoel]

Where are getting the effects loop mod done? I've been eyeing one of these amps for a while and would looooove to have the effects loop put in.

[schmitty]

well i live in michigan, near grand rapids. and the guy that did the extra pre-amp tube mod lives in holland, he gave me a great deal on it too. His names Rick Farris, i was going to have him do it once i get some money.
and i'd definately recommend this amp, it's cheap, but it sounds GREAT.