I think i may need to rethink my rig...ENGL to Komet perhaps...please help

[Young Angus]

Well i played a gig last night with my ENGL rig...which is an ENGL Savage 120 and an ENGL vintage 30 quadbox, with a line6 DL4 delay through the effects loop and a 535q wah in front...nice simple rig. But its a pretty heavy sound...like pretty heavy metal sound! And im thinking i may want to go for more of an EL34 type sound.

So, it just happens that ive got a Komet 60 EL34 head sitting in my room which i don't use that often but i think i might try making it my main rig because the end result will probably be much cooler

Anyway i was after suggestions on how people think i could make this into a killer rig with my current pedals plus some more maybe...and clean sounds are not a problem cos it does great clean sounds, and i know the lead sounds are killer but im not very experienced with manipulating basic single channel amps to be honest and i want to be able to get a killer chunky palm muting rhythm sound as well as a big smooth singing lead sound...but with an edge on it that will cut through anything!

So i guess my question to you all is, if you guys had this amp sitting around how would you set it up to make a big rock rig...think CC Deville tone off their "crack a smile" album.

And i have a les paul standard which is soon to have dimarzio virtual PAF's in it, and a warmoth strat with a JB bridge, virtual vintage blues middle, virtual vintage solo neck.

Cheers...you guys rock!

[Young Angus]

Re: I think i may need to rethink my rig...ENGL to Komet perhaps...please help

Or it could be that i just need to change my stinking valves in my ENGL from pure JJs (with KT88s in the power section mind you...which apparently suck now i found out!) to a mix of other stuff. Now that i think about it the ENGL should be able to cut through anything if set up right!

Well, still i want to get my komet rig up and running so the same question applies

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I think i may need to rethink my rig...ENGL to Komet perhaps...please help

That Komet 60 is a great amp and is probably a better platform for gain than the ENGL. The only difference is you'll need the perfect OD pedals to manipulate it.
The best way to go is to have a gainy OD pedal next to a fat clean boost with a tiny bit of dirt. Along with that, you should start playing all your rhythm with the guitar's volume on 8.

Find the tones that work best with pedal A and pedal B, and then spend time finding a way to make them interact into a smooth highgain sound.
You'll be able to control a lot with your guitar's volume between 7 and 10, and then have the pedals to find different flavors of gain.

Once you find the best OD pedals that suit the tone of the amp, and start approaching the rig like I mentioned, you'll probably hear a better overall sound than what the ENGL is providing. If not, that ENGL must be one hell of an amp to compete with a $3200 Komet!

[Young Angus]

Re: I think i may need to rethink my rig...ENGL to Komet perhaps...please help

Thanks Jonesey i was hoping you'd chime in here

So do you think i should be looking for a "hard" distortion OD pedal or more of a "smooth" one? Also a fat clean boost? is that something that should go before or after the OD pedal in the signal chain, or doesnt it matter really? And are you saying that the fat clean boost should have a tiny bit of dirt?

And yeah im definitely up for controlling more of it with my guitar volume knob, but one more question is im not sure what position to have the "touch response" switch in...gradual or fast? Fast will give me more dynamic control with my volume knob i think and also overdrive the amp quicker within itself...not sure about this one but i think ill just have to experiment.

But yeah, im sure the komet will sound better, its just that its a bit more work to get a usable tone for my applications...but it'll be worth it so im determined!

[Guitarist]

Re: I think i may need to rethink my rig...ENGL to Komet perhaps...please help

Buy a LovePedal ( http://www.lovepedal.com/cot50redbg.htm ) COT50...most dynamic overdrive I've ever heard. It cleans up ridiculously fast. I love mine. It's voiced after a vintage plexi, so it gets that super sweet low gain grit sound, very uncompressed and raw....I'd imagine it work wonderfully infront of your 60.

I agree with GJ, stacking a nice OD with a good clean boost.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I think i may need to rethink my rig...ENGL to Komet perhaps...please help

Maybe a dual mode overdrive like a Fulldrive II or the new Duncan Twin Tube Classic would give your rig the added versatility.

I've only briefly messed with a Komet 60, and from what I heard, it was a very VH type sound, like a hotter JMP Marshall. It'll sound more modern with any OD that sounds fat and crunchy.

[Young Angus]

Re: I think i may need to rethink my rig...ENGL to Komet perhaps...please help

What about a tone bone classic? Ive had suggestions for that over at the gear page and its a dual mode tube driven overdrive pedal like you've just suggested...someone there says it gave him the best high gain type sound with a komet 60.

I think this will turn into much more fun than just cranking the preamp gain on the lead channel of a high gain head

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I think i may need to rethink my rig...ENGL to Komet perhaps...please help

I thought about pre-ordering an SFX-3, but I think I'll wait till a few real world reviews roll in, then make the decision. Right now, the two pedals I use are the T.Rex Mudhoney for higher saturation and a Klon for a thick clean boost. I still want the Twin Tube Classic, just because it looks to be a fun OD to have.

[Young Angus]

Re: I think i may need to rethink my rig...ENGL to Komet perhaps...please help

Wow the mud honey gets some good HC reviews...sounds like it could be the ticket, at least to try.

Wonder how hard it would be for me to get something like that to me here in Australia.

[Young Angus]

Re: I think i may need to rethink my rig...ENGL to Komet perhaps...please help

Sweet F$@k On Rye I Just Found Out There Is Only One Trex Distributor Here In Australia...and They Are Right Down The Road OhhhhYEAH!!!!

[Young Angus]

Re: I think i may need to rethink my rig...ENGL to Komet perhaps...please help

Wow just found a trex mudhoney and a tonebone hot british on ebay...both within reach...what do you guys think?

[Young Angus]

Re: I think i may need to rethink my rig...ENGL to Komet perhaps...please help

What about a trex Dr Swamp...they sound mighty fine!