Do you use some gain boost before your Express 5:50???

[zzzec]

I always feel like I need just a bit more gain from my 5:50 so I use my Boss SD-1 to boost the gain for solos...
Do you have the same problem and what do you use?

Here's my new tune, first one recorded with my 5:50 and SD-1:

http://www.guitaridol.tv/online_final/entry/finally

How do you like the sound?

If you like my song, please VOTE FOR ME, I'd be very grateful!!!

Thank you all!

God bless you!

 

[MrMason]

Sounds awesome!!

I think the Express has plenty of gain, but personally I prefer the sound of a slightly overdriven tube amp with an overdrive in front. Currently I have the gain on the burn mode at 10:00 with an SD-1 and an MXR 10 band EQ both before the amp for fine tuning my sound. What are your settings?

 

[zzzec]

well, i've stopped using the burn mode, the crunch mode sounds way more opened, but it needs a bit of push from the pedal to get some real sustain... and even when i played using burn mode, i felt like i needed a bit more gain for sustain and a bit of compression. i'm talking about some rock solos, and shred, where i need some high gain sounds. but for some cruchy sounds i use the same trick as you do...
this boogie just sounds like it has a lot of gain, but it's only because of the characteristic type of compressed distortion (characteristic for mesa) that makes you feel that way.
i haven't really had many opportunities to crank it up, but when cranked up it doesn't really need much push from the pedal.

 

[MrMason]

Yeah that's why I prefer an overdrive pedal, most tube amps just can't sustain the way I like without one. I was using the crunch mode and blues mode for my clean(ish) sound, but recently got a Radial Loopbone and put the SD-1 and EQ in Loop 1 of the Loopbone: I wanted to switch from blues to crunch while turning on Loop 1, but the way it switches will only allow me to turn on it's loop while switching to channel 2..so I had to go to using the Burn mode and Clean mode to get the sound I want. I agree that crunch mode is more open, but burn mode does sustain better. Luckily the buffer in the Loopbone opens the burn channel up some.
I decided to do this quick recording, just doodling around, at first it's without either the SD-1 or the EQ on, then I pause and turn on the SD-1, pause again and then it has both SD-1 and EQ engaged. The Loopbone also has a boost switch which is really handy for solos, but I didn't mess with that on this recording because I just wanted to show what the EQ does (in front of the amp) for adding sustain. My playing isn't 1/100th what yours is, but here it is :mrgreen: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=455412&songID=7532620

 

[Newysurfer]

Hi Ivan - nice playing there - I voted for you.

I have to say your playin was much better than the distortion tones though. Was good but a little muddy in places and really didn't rips shreds like it could have. With your playing & with an amp as great as the 5:50 the distortion tones should have been much better. I think the reason is the SD-1 pedal. As far as distortion pedals go it's a pretty poor one IMHO. Like most Boss pedals they tone suck your amp, they're hissy and their tones are very ordinary. What you're doin is basically mixing coke into expensive French Champagne like Bollinger.

I often stack a Tubescreamer pedal into the 5:50's burn channel for a solo booster but I do it with an Analogman mod'ed Maxon TS-808. It's true bypass, has fantastic tones, adds extra gain if you need it and blasts your solo's into the stratosphere. An example is track #16 "Have a cigar" on my soundclick site (link below) - listen to the end solo. That's a Maxon TS-808 into the 5:50's burn channel with delay added. The gain on the TS-808 was only at 10 oclock.

One trick with getting non muddy tones when stacking OD's or distortions is to set the gain on both under halfway.

Another great solo booster is to use an MXR EQ pedal. Doesn't add gain but it's tone shaping and volume boosting is fabulous. Again it's no tone sucker like the Boss pedals and there's many better distortion pedals around than the SD-1 IMHO.

You're sounding great already due to your playing and the 5:50. I just think you can improve it even more by using better pedals.

 

[zzzec]

well, i didn't mention the most important thing... this wasn't miked up, it was just a straight signal from 5:50 preamp into my audio card and then into some sort of cainet simulator (voxengo boogex), but i used a Marshall Plexi preset, just to make it sound a bit smoother...
SD-1 is good enough for me, at least for now... I only don't like a bit of noise from it, but it's not that big tone sucker... after all, later on it goes to my pc, many plugins, so many other things might get lost there...

 

[zzzec]

i don't like harsh sounds, i like it smooth...

 

[StevenL]

I recently got a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 Mosfet to go in front of mine. I like the sound of the 5:25 better by itself though. However, a little overdrive will get some very good sustain and "squeal" out of the burn channel. That's mainly what I got it for. And it's good for some boost for leads in small measures.

 

[Newysurfer]

I recently got a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 Mosfet to go in front of mine. I like the sound of the 5:25 better by itself though. However, a little overdrive will get some very good sustain and "squeal" out of the burn channel. That's mainly what I got it for. And it's good for some boost for leads in small measures.

+1
yeah the FD2 is a great booster too (and great all round OD pedal). I have one also but I slightly prefer the mod'ed Maxon TS-808 :mrgreen:

 

[floaty83]

i just got one of the new Digitech Hardwire SC-2 Valve Distortion pedals. Wow. What a great pedal.

All of the new Hardwire pedals are high-voltage, true bypass.

I've got the SC-2 in front of my Express 5:50 1x12 and it works great as a boost to the Burn channel, or as a medium gain overdrive for the clean channel.

The tone of this pedal is amazing. I've tweaked it to where it sounds almost exactly like the amp's Crunch setting at full gain. It almost sounds a little Marshally which I love because it gives me just that many more tonal options.

Great Pedal!