KVR Audio

susiwong · Post by **susiwong** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 9:48 am

Uncle E wrote:It seems to me that it has a character, it's just that the character is right along the lines of a Marshall so you don't hear it doing its thing. It's a total Marshall-in-a-box in front of my Black Pearl 30 and nothing has made that amp sound more like a JCM800.

That's probably a better description for the same phenomenon.

I'm happy. The lack of reverb keeps me from resoundingly loving it but it covers the full spectrum of Marshall tones better than anything else I've heard.

Good to hear !

The loop is pretty decent, I just patch in a delay or a G-Major and that's it.

Hey, can't argue with Johnny's tone !

He also uses digital outboard ...
For Kossof, AC DC and beyond, spring verb ain't no good anyway imho.
Ymmv,
susiwong

Dean Aka Nekro · Post by **Dean Aka Nekro** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 11:46 am

Its the only pedal i can not write down in text a good/decent description of. Glad to hear you got one and are liking it Eric mate

khanyz · Post by **khanyz** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 11:11 pm

I has a quick look at the Klon's schematics and it's very interesting, particularly the voltage converter.

I started looking into making effects pedals and I'm thinking of starting with a VOX 1901 Distortion. It's one I liked when I tried and the schematic is on VOX's site (and simple). I'm just waiting for the breadboard to arrive to start prototyping.

I'd be interested what people think of the 1901 as it's been a while since I played with one.

Cheers,
Nigel

susiwong · Post by **susiwong** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 4:04 pm

nigel_khan wrote:I has a quick look at the Klon's schematics and it's very interesting, particularly the voltage converter.

I started looking into making effects pedals and I'm thinking of starting with a VOX 1901 Distortion. It's one I liked when I tried and the schematic is on VOX's site (and simple). I'm just waiting for the breadboard to arrive to start prototyping.

I'd be interested what people think of the 1901 as it's been a while since I played with one.

Cheers,
Nigel

Not sure about that Vox, found a video clip which sounds less than stellar, but I never saw one in person.
Looks a bit like a one trick pony to me, but if you're looking for that exact tone ...
Why not ask Hink about the Tube Screamer he built lately ?
Seems to be a lot more versatile .
My allrounder recommendation would be a Fulldrive II, but you'll probably have to use a PCB for that.

But hey, it's your call in the end.
Ymmv,
susiwong

khanyz · Post by **khanyz** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 4:20 pm

susiwong wrote:Not sure about that Vox, found a video clip which sounds less than stellar, but I never saw one in person.
Looks a bit like a one trick pony to me, but if you're looking for that exact tone ...
Why not ask Hink about the Tube Screamer he built lately ?
Seems to be a lot more versatile .
My allrounder recommendation would be a Fulldrive II, but you'll probably have to use a PCB for that.

But hey, it's your call in the end.
Ymmv,
susiwong

It is simple and it needs an overdrive pedal to really drive it, but the sound is from my early indie days. It's probably nostalgia more than anything else.

However, the circuit is easy and allows for obvious modding so it's a good one to start with IMO. It will give me practice of setting up the breadboard and implementing the result.

The actual building, even etching PCBs if required, doesn't worry me as I specialised in electronics in college, though I am a bit rusty. My main interest is in modding and designing circuits. Once I've built one and got the in/out/buffer/switch/power framework sorted, I'll start bugging people for what to do next.

Cheers,
Nigel

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:40 pm

Here's a kit for building a Klon:

http://buildyourowntone.com/boutiquepedalkits.html

It's one of the best pedals I've used and it's $800+ to buy the real thing, so the investment in time and energy is worth it. It's more amp-like than indie fuzz, though.

Another good one is the Colorsound Power Driver, made famous by Neil Young and David Gilmour. 75% of it's gain range is a gorgeous boost and then it suddenly turns into this wicked fuzz that blooms and phases wildly:

http://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic ... oxes#15999

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:53 pm

susiwong wrote:Hey, can't argue with Johnny's tone !

You see how he switches his drive (which sounds to me like a pedal, btw, not the drive channel of the Marshall) and pickups at the same time? It dawned on me this morning that it'd be cool to wire my guitar with a stereo output, with the bridge pickup feeding a drive pedal and neck pickup going clean. The mix position would be fantastic!

susiwong · Post by **susiwong** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 1:00 am

Uncle E wrote:
susiwong wrote:Hey, can't argue with Johnny's tone !
You see how he switches his drive (which sounds to me like a pedal, btw, not the drive channel of the Marshall) and pickups at the same time? It dawned on me this morning that it'd be cool to wire my guitar with a stereo output, with the bridge pickup feeding a drive pedal and neck pickup going clean. The mix position would be fantastic!

Great idea !
This might be worth a try.

I've been struggling a bit recently with neck vs bridge volume on several of my guitars, setting the height alone is not enough .
And I don't want to change PUs as they are perfect tonally.
First I thought about a variation on that Warren Haynes idea, a little preamp/buffer for my bridge PU, but I'll probably go with a passive solution, attenuating the neck PU by 10% or so. Provided I find a cap/resistor combination that leaves the tone intact.
Re Johnny A,

... for distortion I always use the channel switching in the Marshall.
When I record, I record totally dry.
I don't even record through the console. The signal comes right out of the back of the amp into my old Neve preamp and I plug that directly into the input of the tape deck and record direct to tape. No compression, no EQ, no reverb,
because I don't want to be committed to anything but the pure guitar tone when I record. I want total control for how I might wish to manipulate the tone of the guitar later.
As far as my pedalboard goes currently, it's very basic - a Dunlop 535Q Wah, a Boss tuner, a Boss OC2 octave pedal, I do run in stereo live, and I occasionally use an Aphex Punch Factory optical compressor when I want a more even or sustaining
clean sound. I like this compressor a lot because I don't like to feel compression or hear it grab or pump. It's the best pedal-type compressor I've found because it seems to work without me hearing it work. I came across a couple of the new Line 6 Tone Core pedals… a stereo pan/trem pedal which is where the signal splits, and an Echo Park pedal. I also use a Radial Engineering A/B/Y Switchbone and an
Xotic Effects RoboTalk, which is an envelope filter.

(from a 2005 Tone Quest interview)
Of course that might have changed in the meantime ...
He's also reported to use JMP-1s on stage combined with the 6101s. with a personality like Johnny's and his low-gain sounds I'm not sure I could tell the difference, though I'm certain he can himself.
I bet he automatically adjusts his picking so he would sound near identical through any decent tube rig.
Ymmv,
susiwong

khanyz · Post by **khanyz** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 5:43 am

Uncle E wrote:Here's a kit for building a Klon:

http://buildyourowntone.com/boutiquepedalkits.html

It's one of the best pedals I've used and it's $800+ to buy the real thing, so the investment in time and energy is worth it. It's more amp-like than indie fuzz, though.

Another good one is the Colorsound Power Driver, made famous by Neil Young and David Gilmour. 75% of it's gain range is a gorgeous boost and then it suddenly turns into this wicked fuzz that blooms and phases wildly:

http://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic ... oxes#15999

Thanks, I've been looking at the Klon's schematic and it's very interesting. I will definitely be giving it a try, eventually.

I'll give the Coloursound a go to. It sound like it might be good to put in front of distortion too.

After the Vox, though, I'm going to build a Bass Booster. It will basically be a preamp with the tone preshapes from my Trace Elliot. It's something I've always wanted and it allows me try try a valve cirtuit. I can do a simple, class A preamp with a solid state one in parallel. I'd then have 2 output knobs rather than a blend.

Cheers,
Nigel

susiwong · Post by **susiwong** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 5:53 am

Uncle E wrote:Another good one is the Colorsound Power Driver, made famous by Neil Young and David Gilmour. 75% of it's gain range is a gorgeous boost and then it suddenly turns into this wicked fuzz that blooms and phases wildly:

http://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic ... oxes#15999

Thanks for the tip !
I'll check it out.
Gilmour and Young, weird combination.

Did you ever play a Tim/Timmy btw ?
A recent favourite of mine, best low gain boost-to-mild-crunch ever imho.
No need to clone in the US, the originals are really affordable.
Chain suggestion :
Guitar > BJF Honey Bee (lead boost) > Timmy (subtle chimey breakup) > clean amp (Blue Angel, vintage 7ender), add FX to taste - country rock heaven, record ready

Tim/Timmy are equally at home boosting an overdriven Marshall or similar, one of my desert island pedals for sure.

Ymmv,
susiwong

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 5:56 am

Uncle E wrote:
susiwong wrote:Hey, can't argue with Johnny's tone !
You see how he switches his drive (which sounds to me like a pedal, btw, not the drive channel of the Marshall) and pickups at the same time? It dawned on me this morning that it'd be cool to wire my guitar with a stereo output, with the bridge pickup feeding a drive pedal and neck pickup going clean. The mix position would be fantastic!

one of esps is stereo and my baritone is stereo, dont forget you can record both as well and re-amp them. With the frenzel I have the 'M' and 'F' channels each with their own gain....which also means my 3-way can be a channel switch and a blend switch

khanyz · Post by **khanyz** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 6:02 am

Hink wrote:one of esps is stereo and my baritone is stereo, dont forget you can record both as well and re-amp them. With the frenzel I have the 'M' and 'F' channels each with their own gain....which also means my 3-way can be a channel switch and a blend switch

Hi Hink,

I'll be bugging you later about the pedal you built, if you don't mind. I'll need to get to some form of TS soon.

Cheers,
Nigel

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 7:49 am

susiwong wrote:Gilmour and Young, weird combination.

It's a weird pedal! Gilmour probably used it more as a boost than a fuzz, whereas it's really easy to hear that Neil Young uses its fuzzed out BC109 range.

Did you ever play a Tim/Timmy btw ?

I've always wanted one but the guy has never returned my e-mails. Anyway, once I got my Danelectro Transparent Overdrive, which is supposed to be a clone of the Timmy, I lost interest. The Danelectro isn't that great.

Guitar > BJF Honey Bee (lead boost) > Timmy (subtle chimey breakup) > clean amp (Blue Angel, vintage 7ender), add FX to taste - country rock heaven, record ready
Tim/Timmy are equally at home boosting an overdriven Marshall or similar, one of my desert island pedals for sure.

My desert island pedal might well be my Key Lime compressor. The Key Lime is a Keeley with a treble boost built-in, giving it a little of the bite of the JangleBox. It sounds gorgeous into my 4x10 Blue Angel.

susiwong · Post by **susiwong** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 8:32 am

Uncle E wrote:My desert island pedal might well be my Key Lime compressor. The Key Lime is a Keeley with a treble boost built-in, giving it a little of the bite of the JangleBox. It sounds gorgeous into my 4x10 Blue Angel.

My desert island needs to be a bit bigger to allow for some more gizmos !

But I hear you on compressors, criminally underrated tools.
Hope I'll get my Forest Green clone soon, I'm very familiar with the original, and I might even want a 2nd one for use without the pedalboard.

The Keeley is in the same league, and that mod sounds cool.

The Blue Angel really shows off a good compressor !
Cheers,
susiwong

xtp · Post by **xtp** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 8:53 am

nigel_khan wrote: My main interest is in modding and designing circuits. Once I've built one and got the in/out/buffer/switch/power framework sorted, I'll start bugging people for what to do next.

There is a wealth of info available on the net on input/output/switch/power etc.

I designed and prototyped my own circuit because I wanted a Pedal design that wasn't available to buy.

I knew nothing about electronics before I started but after a lot of research got my thing going.

After having it sitting on a breadboard for 18 months I have a enclosure in transit at the moment.

Pedalboards for guitar