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Heya, quick question...
When I play with an electric band I often feel I want to round out the sound of the guitar a bit more without necessarily introducing too much more drive.
(FYI I play a Fender Tele through a Fender Princeton with a 10" L'il Buddy speaker... I don't actually find headroom a problem with this set up, and the amp is more than loud enough (I never turn it up full and there's no distortion....)
So I wonder whether what I need is a clean boost (like the EP) or an EQ pedal... I think the EQ would be more versatile? But I'm not sure whether it could cover the base of a good sounding clean boost.
What are your thoughts?
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04-29-2018 07:24 AM
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The Carl Martin ParametricPreamp can boost the signal via the "Level" control and in addition provides a semi parametric EQ (the bandwith is missing, it operates 3 bands via center control of a fixed bandwith for each, and a control for the amount of boost/cut for each band).
I find that this enhances the sound even if i tweak the EQ controls very subtle or not at all which is almost never the case.
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Then you've got the Empress Paraeq, where you get the EQ and a boost in the same box.
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+1 on the EQ pedal
I went for the empress ParaEQ earlier this year, and it was even better than expected.
Using it for clean sound, and finding it very flexible but still easy to dial in.
There's a boost function, which I've only used with dirt pedals, but have not spent as much time away from "clean".
IF there was one thing I'd like more, it would be two of them (or the ability to switch pre-programmed settings, but it does not have the architechture for that.) Clean EQ settings work OK with the dirt/overdrive stuff, but having another dedicated EQ setup for dirt/crunch would get that optimized.
I followed Jazznote's posts where he purchased, and returned the ParaEQ in favor of keeping his Carl Martin (was looking for quieter operation.) I'd like to sample the Carl Martin myself, though I do really like the extra tweaking features on the empress ParaEQ.
In short, if you're considering EQ I'd say jump on either of these mentioned so far. Parametric is going to be more flexible than graphic, and better fit for getting the most out of your amp /speaker's character sound.
John
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Thanks for the suggestions- but Anything with a smaller footprint?
I use a small pedal board...
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WMD Utility Parametric EQ has smaller footprint, but may be more suitable for tweaking distortion.
The Carl Martin or the Empress would be quieter and better suited for clean.
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Have you ever tried the fabled RC Boost? Only treble, bass, gain and volume, but its kind of like getting great blackface tone and sparkle in a box.
I have to admit, it makes my archtops sound even better. Being a purist isn’t always easy, there’s always someone who comes along and messes with the concept of “great guitar into great amp”. Before you know it, I’m swapping cables, bridges, pots, tubes, speakers, strings and picks and haven’t even touched my pedalboard, thinking there’s an even better “purist” tone signal in there. Intriguing, how many variables there can be.
Now I want to try an Empress! But, you might really like an RC.
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My tele always sounds better with my Xotic EP boost! It sounds much fuller.
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I often play guitars with floaters and a little boost helps the somewhat lower output of the PUs. About half a year ago i bought a TC Spark with the idea to reduce size & weight of some of my equipment. It sounds decent, has a the possibility to improve the sound in more than one way and can boost the signal tremendously without any trace of distortion but i ended up still using the Carl Martin on all gigs so far ....
SPARK BOOSTER | Stompboxes | Guitar | TC Electronic | Categories | MUSIC Group - TC Electronic
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Metal Zone turned EQ, obviously.
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I have a Boss GE-7 that works fairly well for this. I like to use it as a boost (or cut, depending on the situation) by setting the gain slider to whatever works with the setup. I often just keep the sliders flat, but I may boost or cut some frequencies. I can have it off for rhythm, and switch it on for solos, or vice versa, depending on my taste at the time. It's old, and it was a freebie with an amp purchase, but it works.
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Maybe what you need is a compressor pedal...
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or a volume pedal...
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if you have to go small and simple, i like the eqd tone job. not the most precise thing out there, but it is dialed in quite well and you can get a whole buttload of tonal variation from it. you can also run it at 18v if you prefer.
i don't mind the rc booster at all, but as eq's go, mid control is mandatory. and sweepable mids? so much the better. i do think the rc booster is great at giving an amp a little bit of that toasty sound without getting too distorted. i also liked to roll back the lows a little to keep it from getting muddy as the volume went up.
the ep booster is another long time favorite, but i think it depends on what you play. the thinner or brighter your guitar, the more you'll like it. i think most of the "always on" ep guys play single coils. with the low mid boost, it can get tubby (or distorted) with humbuckers, but i still like it a fair amount. i have used it to liven the proceedings before with an archtop and it can get dark or tubby if you aren't careful.
another left field suggestion would be the zoom ms70, which has a few parametric and graphic eq options built in. you have to be a little more savvy to set everything up, but it is quite useful, and you can have several instances of each eq, if you like. you also get a bunch of other effects in the deal, so win/win.
and as i mentioned a billion times already, my current favorite thing ever is the fishman platinum pro eq. worth the pedal board space, and it can clean up your board some with the built in tuner, boost, and compressor, etc.
lastly, given you are using a princeton, almost any boost or eq can become a de facto overdrive.
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If you want graphic/parametric, no doubt - Zoom MS70 or MS50. Cheaper, more precise and less noise than any analogue counterpart. Plus, it can kick a few other pedals off your board.
If you want a bass/treble eq, the RC Booster is good, and I suppose the Tone Job is, too. My favourite is the Fromel Shape EQ.
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My thought exactly. If you want to increase the perceived loudness without pushing the amp much more a compressor might be the ticket.
Originally Posted by aleksandar
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jorgemg1984 what makes the Fromel more desirable fro you than the others? Originally Posted by jorgemg1984
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Good question. Center frequencies were perfect for guitar, especially the 400hz fixed mids. And very warm and transparent, as all opa2134 pedals.No boost, though.
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Christian, you may be looking for a compressor, actually. Especially if what you're trying to achieve is not necessarily altering the tone of your tele.
Good compressors tend to be expensive. I think the best value is the Empress Compressor.
Aside from compressors, you may want to look into the Voodoo Labs Giggity. It has some boost, it has subtle EQ capabilities, and with the "loudness" knob you can get some compression before it starts to break up. I've found it to be invaluable for playing with a loud band. If I can't hear myself, the last thing I want is to boost my level, causing the band to play louder and/or get pissed at me for cranking it up. Usually the solution is a matter of EQ and "perceived" volume, i.e. compression. The Giggity has been a valuable one-stop solution for that.
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The amp-up guitar-down approach (discussed in another thread on this forum) does a nice job of rounding out the sound of the guitar in band situations for me.
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A klon with the gain on zero and a tone cut could also work.
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A different sort of animal:
http://www.bbesound.com/products/sto...omp_ss-92.aspx
Can be had 'used' cheaply.
"Rounds out the sound" nicely for me at home with any amp/git combo.
Also, you might like it for its own character.
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The SP compressor (Xotic) is nice and small... Does anyone have an opinion on that?
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I tried one out. I liked it but found it a bit noisy with single coils. However it had a lot of control for something that small, which was nice. Originally Posted by christianm77
Here’s a site with a ton of compressor reviews.
Compressor Reviews
Enjoy the rabbit hole.
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