She's ALIVE! (pic inside) :)

[MichiganboySB]

I'm in the tweaking phase now. Can't say with utter certainty that every time I pic up my axe that it'll blow me away. I have this distinct feeling that the voltage in my old house fluctuates? I want to cry... do you know what I mean? I bought this Furman pedalboard (power conditioner) with the idea that it solves old house voltage problems... but thats a job for a voltage regulator correct? Any suggestions as to how to improve my sound are much appreciated.
TY,
Ken

 

[Boogiebabies]

You have a very nice rig. The voltage from your wall is usually not the biggest deal. Unless you have wiring from 1930 your house should put out 110 to 117. The only thing I do, personally, is remove anything in my signal path that sucks tone. I keep my pedals to a TC SCF and a Boss NS-2. Too much gunk in the path will cause capacitance dull your tone. Cables are inportant too and you can actually tune a cable to a certain guitar. My 58 RI Les Paul needs a long cable to tame the 57 Classiscs high end. The pedals can cause all kinds of load and draw as well as the fact that your signal may or may not be going through a true bypass.
As I spout all this stuff Eric Johnson's rig from Austin City Limits just popped into my head and there is a slew of pedals on a plank of plywood. You might have to see what effects need to go first in the signal chain and see what combination sounds the best.

Those cabs are killer looking ported monsters!!!

 

[MichiganboySB]

I have the NS-2 as well... don't suppose you use that in your loop huh? Just curious... its in front now. Again I just threw these effects on my board today and need to experiment with the chain, but wahs usually are near the start of a chain correct? Thankyou,
Ken

 

[ylo]

Yes, wah's are usually used in the front, but some people like them after an OD or distortion pedal. Problem is that the classic Vox and Crybaby wahs at least want to see a high impedance looking out of the output port. If you put another effect after the wah instead of an amp this will change the tone of the wah. Best thing to do is experiment. If you have a choice between two pedals to put after the wah, the one with the higher impedance may make the wah sound better. One solution is a high Z buffer right after the wah, to isolate it from the following effects.

You may notice similar interaction effects among your other pedals too, but "tone suck" from too much cable capacitance is the biggest issue to deal with.

 

[cbsmith]

I've got my NS-2 in front as well and have really thought about moving it to the effects loop instead but am not sure what that will do. It seems as though "cleaning" the guitar BEFORE it goes into the head would defeat the purpose but so many times using the effects loop drastically changes the tone of the rig so I haven't went that way as of yet. I may look into that now if anyone has had experience with it.

later on,

I have the NS-2 as well... don't suppose you use that in your loop huh? Just curious... its in front now. Again I just threw these effects on my board today and need to experiment with the chain, but wahs usually are near the start of a chain correct? Thankyou,
Ken

 

[Boogiebabies]

I have the NS-2 as well... don't suppose you use that in your loop huh? Just curious... its in front now. Again I just threw these effects on my board today and need to experiment with the chain, but wahs usually are near the start of a chain correct? Thankyou,
Ken

If I use a Wah I use it first. I have an old Dunlop Cry Baby and it absolutely eats my tone when it is bypassed. I used the NS-2 then the TC SCF. Single input in, then stereo out to two amps. The less the better. If I play normally with a 1 amp setup, I plug straight in or use just the NS-2. I love how it cuts the signal and lets the reverb wash out.

 

[Baba]

Any suggestions as to how to improve my sound are much appreciated.
TY,
Ken

If you use them all, then by all means stick with it, but you have an insane amount of effects there, i'm sure all of that plugged in must suck some tone. There seems to be serious overlap, between pedals and rackmounts.

If you're happy with the tones, then don't change anything!

 

[eaeolian]

I'd at least get a good buffer for the pedals. That's an awful lot in the chain.

The Microverb's converters probably aren't helping, either...

 

[MichiganboySB]

Forgive my ignorance but what is a buffer and what does it do? I'll be running the Midiverb II and Boss SE-50 through the effects loop. Again I'm in the tweaking phase so consider me a "mad scientist" with the chain order. Today I had a chance to hear how this Boss Distortion/OD would sound in the chain cuz in front of the amp... it just doesn't work out (way too noisey).
Ken

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

A buffer, like the VHT Valvulator for example, turn your singal to low impedance, so it can pass through a longer chain with less going against it....I good think to have for any pedalboard apparently, but especially for something like what you have.

 

[ylo]

I use two buffers. One after my wah to drive the signal through all my pedals, then one at the end of the pedal chain to drive the signal through a long cable to the amp. Gain of each is unity plus maybe 1 dB to offset connector losses. With the two buffers my guitar now sounds exactly the same whether going through my pedalboard with effects off or plugged directly into the amp.

Depending on what pedals you have and the order they are in, you may not benefit from a buffer. For example, I have a Boss CH-1 Chorus that is responsible for about 90% of my pedalbaord tonesuck. If I chucked that I probably could get rid of at least one, maybe both of the buffers. In any case, if you have a bright guitar and amp, a little treble rollloff may actually be a good thing to your ears.

 

[nocluejimbo]

Axess Electronics BS-2 is the only standalone buffer even worth discussing.

 

[cesjr]

I bought a Furman voltage regulator for that very reason. Of course the voltage in the house where I used to live fluctuated between 125-132. Way too high in my opinion, and my Mark IV would sound different every time the voltage changed.

Voltage regulators are not cheap, but I viewed it as an investment. Also with the Furman you'll have all the protection you'll ever need as well. With a steady "clean" 120 volts my amp has never sounded more consistent and as good.

cesjr