[Emoto]

Hi guys.

Yet another guitar effect question.

Current set-up

1978 Les Paul Standard > Boogie MkIII > effects loop > Qtron+ > Boss Harmonizer HR-2 (mostly for octaves) > MXR Phase 90 > Boss Super Chorus CH-1 > Boss Digital Delay DD-6 > Morley volume pedal > back to Amp

I am (I think) wanting to add an EQ pedal to roll off some bass for a crisper low end (think Jerry) and perhaps add more upper midrange.

Any thoughts on what is good and what is not?

Everyone and his brother seems to sell the Boss GE-7 http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=151324

But the MXR M-108 http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=151115 looks more versatile and doesn't show any negative reviews.

Thanks!!

[tigerstrat]

I am (I think) wanting to add an EQ pedal to roll off some bass for a crisper low end (think Jerry) and perhaps add more upper midrange.

Start with the tone controls on your amp. Roll away the bass! Die, bass mud, die...

Does the MkIII feature GEQ? I usually defeated the one on my MkIII, but you may want to play with the upper mid freqs.

[Emoto]

I am (I think) wanting to add an EQ pedal to roll off some bass for a crisper low end (think Jerry) and perhaps add more upper midrange.

Start with the tone controls on your amp. Roll away the bass! Die, bass mud, die...

Does the MkIII feature GEQ? I usually defeated the one on my MkIII, but you may want to play with the upper mid freqs.

I kind of think I am beyond the amp controls.

The settings on the boogie tone controls that I've been running are bass=0 mid=8-10, treble=2-3 (at the practice house, I can't remember the treble exactly).

I didn't get the mkIII with the eq, as I was just scraping by when I bought it back when it was current.

[Rev_Roach]

i use the ge-7 and like it, but can't say ive had much experience with other eq pedal. i mean it does what its supposed to do: boosts/lowers certain frequencies. when put it in "default" there is no tone change so thats good. if you max out the master you can get a slight OD effect.

the MXR has 10 frequencies instead of 7 so i guess thats a slight plus. unless your looking for something REALLY specific i think your fine either way.

[strumminsix]

Yuck. I'd NEVER use any EQ short of a studio one to boost.
EQ's are always best used when cutting and not boosting.

With your settings I'd imagine your problem is one of:
- low signal strength somewhere
- worn preamp tubes esp v1
- tone suckage thru FX
- tone suckage thru cables
- tone suckage thru cable lenghts
- potentially low signal in FX loop

How is your tone guitar > amp directly?

[playingdead]

I have the Boss ... it seems fairly transparent ...

You might consider something like a SKB FatDrive which will add a tube preamp stage and give you bright, bass, mid and treble controls as an alternative, plus you can turn up the drive a little to sweeten your amp.

[Emoto]

Yuck. I'd NEVER use any EQ short of a studio one to boost.
EQ's are always best used when cutting and not boosting.

With your settings I'd imagine your problem is one of:
- low signal strength somewhere
- worn preamp tubes esp v1
- tone suckage thru FX
- tone suckage thru cables
- tone suckage thru cable lenghts
- potentially low signal in FX loop

How is your tone guitar > amp directly?

Hmmm. I will try it without the effects loop and see how the tone is. That won't be until Wednesday, though, when our next practice is. The guitar is always plugged directly into the amp. The effects and volume pedal are all on the effects loop, which has a pretty hot signal; hotter than if I were to plug the guitar directly into the board holding the pedals.

Your point about the effects and cables sucking tone is a good one. I think that doing an A>B comparo with and without the effects loop will tell me a lot. I don't go nuts with my cables, but I don't use the el cheapo ones, either.

But, I still want that crisp bottom end. I could get it by switching to my stratocaster, but then I lose the lovely singing les paul tone in the midrange.

[Tennessee Jedi]

Maybe the Strat should get some new pups?
Maybe its a beater ?
Just a Strat.
You might really like the change and if you dont chop it you can always put the stock pups back in.

[tigerstrat]

The settings on the boogie tone controls that I've been running are bass=0 mid=8-10, treble=2-3 (at the practice house, I can't remember the treble exactly).

Try the Treb at more like 7-9, and yeah maybe turn the overall volume down a bit to accomodate.

[Emoto]

The settings on the boogie tone controls that I've been running are bass=0 mid=8-10, treble=2-3 (at the practice house, I can't remember the treble exactly).

Try the Treb at more like 7-9, and yeah maybe turn the overall volume down a bit to accomodate.

Thanks, I'll try it.

TennJed, it is an American Stratocaster. Pristine, not a beater, and makes all of the great stratocaster sounds beautifully. Maybe I'll try it at a practice, but for songs like Jessica, can anything but a Gibson really sound right?

My Les Paul would sound just about exactly perfect if I could get crisp bottom out of it...

[bucketorain]

boss eq...works well...i'm actually thinking getting to more to make it a total of 3.

i like the idea of having an eq to shape my mxr distortion +, one to shape my blues driver and 1 to shape my super overdrive

[strumminsix]

The settings on the boogie tone controls that I've been running are bass=0 mid=8-10, treble=2-3 (at the practice house, I can't remember the treble exactly).

Try the Treb at more like 7-9, and yeah maybe turn the overall volume down a bit to accomodate.

Thanks, I'll try it.

Wait! What is treb 2-3 but TS says 7-9?!?

Are you saying that you kept your treble at 2-3 or 2-3 o'clock?

You need to crank up the treble to 75% minimum.

Then a bit of bass to round out your bottom slighly.

Then a bit of mids so you don't sound scooped.

This is a mid range instrument don't forget...

[playingdead]

Boogie tone controls are a little different, as I recall (used to have a DC-5 years ago). I think if you turn them up much past 5-6 they are affecting each other and sound pretty bad. The Boogies are all about scooping the mids, kind of the opposite of the Jerry sound.

On my Twin, I typically have the treble on 7, the mids on 10 and the bass on 3-4.

[strumminsix]

Agreed, the greater the value of the prior effects the subsequent in this order: Treb, Mid, Bass

But I'd disagree about Mesa=scooped

I think their non-metal amps are decent.

[Emoto]

Try the Treb at more like 7-9, and yeah maybe turn the overall volume down a bit to accomodate.

Thanks, I'll try it.

Wait! What is treb 2-3 but TS says 7-9?!?

Are you saying that you kept your treble at 2-3 or 2-3 o'clock?

You need to crank up the treble to 75% minimum.

Then a bit of bass to round out your bottom slighly.

Then a bit of mids so you don't sound scooped.

This is a mid range instrument don't forget...

Sorry, I meant my treble is set at 2 or 3 out of 0-10 on the knob, NOT a clockface position.

You're saying that if I dial up more treble on the amp, that it'll tighten up the low end of the sound?

BTW, I keep the guitar set with both vol knobs at max, and both tones at max/brightest.