Help with LSS settings with PRS Cu24

[dpiratetim]

Hello All,

This is my first post here on the Boogie Board. I am excited to tap into the wealth of knowledge that the boardmembers have accumulated.

I purchased a Lone Star Special for months ago and absolutely love it. I have found a dizzing array of usable tones for both my LP and my Tele. My primary guitar, however is a '96 PRS Custom 24, with the infamous HFS and Vintage Bass Pickups. I am having a problem dialing in great tones with this guitar and amp combination. On Channel 2 with the Drive engaged I can get passable tones with either the neck or bridge pickup, but the setting never sounds good on both. Does anyone on the board have experience with this combination? Any recomended settings, especially on Channel 2 with the drive engaged (high gain) would be very helpful.

Knowing full well that this amp was meant to create vintage clean-medium gain tones, is there a recomended overdrive pedal or combination of pedals that would add a touch of drive to channel 1 and create a more saturated (think Nickelback) tone when added to Channel 2. It shure would make this amp alot more versatile, creating essentially four usable footswichable channels. I know that you guys love the BB or RC/BB preamp combos and the Barber Ltd., but for whatever reason there are no Houston dealers and before I order something I would like to know if it will create that sound.

Thanks guys (and gals)

 

[egkor]

There is a Houston (Tx) dealer for Xotic pedals, check the Xotic web site:

http://www.xotic.us/effects/dealer_usa.html

-Gary K

 

[robnutting]

Hey this really funny that you posted this. I also have a Lonestar Special a telecaster and a les paul. They all sound great together. This week however I picked up a PRS CU24 (mine's a 2006) and it is a phenomenal instrument. It has however been tricky to dial in tones. Do you have the CU24 with the push/pull tone nob? What I find is that I set my clean and dirty channel for how the guitar sounds in the middle selector (both bridge and neck positions on). I experiment until I get a sound I like with the tone switched pushed in and then with it pulled out. Once I have that set well (usually a lot of treble with bass and mids almost totally cut.) I find that the selector in other positions provides some great variations on the tone that can fit certain songs and feels. I think that the lonestar and the CU24 are a great match, and I'm excited how much better the tones will get as I grow used to the instrument. I also have a BB Preamp which sounds hot. Seriously, channel one with BB preamp equals wicked awesome.
Anyways, I hope you post some of your findings so I can hear what you're trying.
rob

 

[bduersch]

It's funny... I've had an easier time dialing in settings with my CU24 than with other guitars... here's what I've got...

C1: gain 3:00, treble 1:30, mid 9:00, bass 1:00, presence 1:30, master 9:00, 30 watt - typically I use this with the split coil pickup positions
C2: drive engaged, thick, drive 1:00, gain 2:00, treble 1:30, mid 1:00, bass 1:00, presence 2:00, master 11:00, 15 watt

Let me know if these work for ya.

--B

 

[dpiratetim]

Thanks for the tips! I actually went through the same process of using the in-between setting (rotary switch pos. 7) to dial in a usable tone. I then switch to pos. 5 (neck) for rythm and pos. 10 (bridge) for more gain, treble, and bite. Not dialed in perfectly yet, but getting there. I do find myself using the in-between setting now, where as before it went largely ignored!

I have been considering switching to a McCarty-style 3 way toggle and a push pull pot on the tone control as I use the humbuckers for 95% of my playing and the 5 way rotary is REALLY annoying.

Anybody have a suggestion for a pedal that will push channel 2 into a usable high gain overdrive for more modern rock tones? I was toying with the idea of buying an MXR Wylde Overdrive as it is meant to be used for pushing a medium gain amp over the top, although it does seems a bit cheesy. Most higher quality pedals focus on the "perfect" blues overdrive and largely ignore heavier tones.