Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

[fretburner]

Hi All!

For the 1st time, I brought my JTM 60 1x15 to a gig and was going to use just my footswitch and an OD (marshall guv'nor) to up the volume and add a bit more gain when I solo. Alas! My plan failed!

When I stomp on my Guv'nor (goes into the input) I can't get any good volume boost. I tried my EQ pedal, and the effect is the same.

Am I doing something wrong here?

I eventually went through my usual setup of running everything through the input and get's my dirty sound through a marshall shredmaster and stomp on the guv'nor when i solo. It was frustrating. I would have loved to use my amp's distortion but I end up getting back to my shredmaster.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Rushfan2112]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

Have you dimed the volume and kept the gain kinda low? That's a decent setup. Otherwise, get a good boost pedal. Treble boosts are fun, but the Nano EH LPB-1 is good different flavor boost for only $40.

 

[MostDangerousGames]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

Have you dimed the volume and kept the gain kinda low? That's a decent setup. Otherwise, get a good boost pedal. Treble boosts are fun, but the Nano EH LPB-1 is good for only $40.

totally what he said..otherwise, get a second amp (doesn't have to be a huge one) & a good A/B/Y switcher (radial engineering make some very good ones) & just kick in that 2nd amp when you go for a solo... I guarantee you'll hear the boost your looking for then.:headbang:

 

[Brewtone]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

Try an EQ in the loop of your amp, or if you like the shredmaster run your EQ after it in the chain with a slight volume & mid-boost.

Not familiar with that amp: so it may not have a effects loop!!!!

 

[ErikH]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

The number 1 frustration is getting more boost for leads. Why is there such failure? Because 90% of the players out there already have the amp's volume at the ceiling leaving no headroom for additional volume.

To get more volume, you need to have the headroom to do so. It's like adding more water to a bucket that's already reached capactity. Anything added just flows over.

Turn the pre-amp gain down, adjust the master volume to taste, and then work with the boost out front. On the Guv'nor, turn the gain down and level up. The Shredmaster is just a dirt box, not good for boosting. The EQ will work but I'm not much of a fan of using EQ's as a boost. I'll use either an actual boost pedal or an OD set up to boost.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

buy a 4x12

then for rythm play a the volume you got with the 1x15

this is why i don't condone playing with the bridge pickup the entire time, cause if your volume is maxed out you have nowhere to go for a little more cut & brightness that makes it SEEM louder

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

That's why the spinal tap amp is so incredible . . . with a normal amp when you take it up to 10, where do you have to go from there? But with an amp that goes to 11 . . .

 

[jeremy]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

thats why i use tweed amps. they go to 12!!

are you using the guv to boost the dirty channel? it wont work.
youll just get more gain, not much more volume. if your amp is set dirty boosting the signal with most things wont make much of a volume difference.

if i understand this correctly you are trying to use your amp and one pedal to get 1-a clean tone 2-a dirty rhythm 3-a louder dirty solo tone right?

with just what you have mentioned i would do this. set the clean channel so it sounds good, use the gov'ner for your dirty rhythm, set the dirty channel on the amp so its louder than the clean channel and gets a good solo tone.

now you have four options. clean, guv'ner on clean for dirty rhythm, lead channel for volume boost, guv on lead for creamy saturation with volume boost.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

I like jeremy's suggestion.

Also what Brewtone said - put your EQ pedal in the effects loop. I used to have a JTM60. It does have an effects loop and putting an EQ in the loop does give you a volume boost when you stomp on it. I've used this method both with my old JTM60 and with my Jubilee.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

Have you dimed the volume and kept the gain kinda low? That's a decent setup. Otherwise, get a good boost pedal. Treble boosts are fun, but the Nano EH LPB-1 is good different flavor boost for only $40.

. . . amen on the new LPB :smokin:


Also, seeing that you do not mind using Marshall stomp-boxes (a lot of the younger folks on another forum will not look at anything unless it is booteek and over $200.00 :blackeye: , im sad to say) . . .


. . . DO TRY the Marshall Bluesbreaker II !!! :bowdown:

Not just is it a super underrated OD, it also has a dedicated & KICK-@RSE BOOST mode !

Maxed, is gives a serious kick into the Pre-amp valves - and that boost WILL CUT THROUGH !!!

I LOVE MY BB2 :smokin:


Ermmm, what 15inch speaker do you use ?
(did it come standard with a 15 incher ?)

 

[Stratman]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

I set my Volume up, turn down the guitar and set the master to where I need to be for the club, then boost the volume with a Plexitone or Trimode, either work well.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

Take stratman's suggestion in a simpler direction. Learn to work the volume knob on your guitar. Keep that volume knob around 7 or so for normal stuff, then kick it up to 10 when you solo?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

thats typically what i do, but its hard to get a super clean tone and a really saturated tone with out changing volume, which means getting a crunchy rhythm tone can be tricky.

i find that if i use the bridge pup with the volume down low and a little roll back on the tone for most of my rhythm work both clean and dirty and leave the neck pup wide open for solos it works pretty well. but you have to like a fat round soloing tone

 

[fretburner]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

thats why i use tweed amps. they go to 12!!

are you using the guv to boost the dirty channel? it wont work.
youll just get more gain, not much more volume. if your amp is set dirty boosting the signal with most things wont make much of a volume difference.

Yes. I used it to boost the dirty channel.

if i understand this correctly you are trying to use your amp and one pedal to get 1-a clean tone 2-a dirty rhythm 3-a louder dirty solo tone right?

Exactly.

with just what you have mentioned i would do this. set the clean channel so it sounds good, use the gov'ner for your dirty rhythm, set the dirty channel on the amp so its louder than the clean channel and gets a good solo tone.

This setup (though I haven't thought of this then) would work for that gig, but it might not work for most of our gigs when we're playing Metal. I don't think the JTM60 has enough gain for that stuff. But darn! I feel very much like a rookie on tube amps.

now you have four options. clean, guv'ner on clean for dirty rhythm, lead channel for volume boost, guv on lead for creamy saturation with volume boost.

There's definitely an increase in gain but not with the volume when I stomp on the Guv'nor on my dirty channel (ch2 on the JTM60).

I forgot to mention that on the dirty channel of my amp, I already maxed out the gain and just turned back the ch2 volume knob so my dirty channel is only a bit louder than the clean. Is this the reason why I can't get a good volume jump by stepping on my pedal? (I think this just reinforced your 1st statement)

Thanks all!

Happy Holidays!

 

[fretburner]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

. . . amen on the new LPB :smokin:


Also, seeing that you do not mind using Marshall stomp-boxes (a lot of the younger folks on another forum will not look at anything unless it is booteek and over $200.00 :blackeye: , im sad to say) . . .

I love my shredmaster. So far, it's the best distortion pedal that I've tried/used. and, I also love using my Guv'nor as an OD.

. . . DO TRY the Marshall Bluesbreaker II !!! :bowdown:

Not just is it a super underrated OD, it also has a dedicated & KICK-@RSE BOOST mode !

Maxed, is gives a serious kick into the Pre-amp valves - and that boost WILL CUT THROUGH !!!

I LOVE MY BB2 :smokin:

I've been looking for a Drivemaster or Bluesbreaker (the original) and might snag one early next year

The only new marshall pedal that I've tried/used is the Jackhammer. It's a back up to my shredmaster. I'm happy with that pedal.

Ermmm, what 15inch speaker do you use ?
(did it come standard with a 15 incher ?)

It came in standard. It's a Marshall/Celestion Heritage Speaker.

 

[fretburner]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

Take stratman's suggestion in a simpler direction. Learn to work the volume knob on your guitar. Keep that volume knob around 7 or so for normal stuff, then kick it up to 10 when you solo?

I've been working on my guitar's volume knob only recently. 99% of the time, I have it on 10 and then rolls it back to mute my guitar, and some "fancy" volume swells (after seeing Yngwie and EVH do it).

This is because I've been using SS amps like 90% of the time on gigs and never really cared about the dirty channel since. Now that I'm trying to use my tube amp for gigs, life has just become more complicated.

I guess I really have to start learning the "old ways"

Thanks!

 

[fretburner]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

The number 1 frustration is getting more boost for leads. Why is there such failure? Because 90% of the players out there already have the amp's volume at the ceiling leaving no headroom for additional volume.

To get more volume, you need to have the headroom to do so. It's like adding more water to a bucket that's already reached capactity. Anything added just flows over.

Turn the pre-amp gain down, adjust the master volume to taste, and then work with the boost out front. On the Guv'nor, turn the gain down and level up. The Shredmaster is just a dirt box, not good for boosting. The EQ will work but I'm not much of a fan of using EQ's as a boost. I'll use either an actual boost pedal or an OD set up to boost.

The issue that I have with turning the gain knob down is that I feel that there's not enough gain (I play metal most of the time), so I max out the gain, and roll back the volume instead for rythm. I thought I could just use a good OD pedal (Guv'nor) for boost but it didn't work.

Thanks!

 

[fretburner]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

hey! i gotta dig my own thread up.

would a volume pedal work?

would a volume pedal color my tone?

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

Take stratman's suggestion in a simpler direction. Learn to work the volume knob on your guitar. Keep that volume knob around 7 or so for normal stuff, then kick it up to 10 when you solo?

The world of tone opened up to me when I started doing this.

I also spend MUCH less time stomping on pedals.....

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: Boosting for Solos on a tube amp

A volume pedal would essentially give you the same results as Scott F's suggestion.

If you're using a lot of gain, rolling back the volume, whether you do it with the guitar's volume knob or a pedal, will clean the tone up. The more gain you use, the more you'll have to roll back the volume before there's an actual volume drop. As you decrease your guitar's volume and the amount of distortion decreases, your sound will start to become more responsive to how hard or soft you pick.

A lot of guitarists set the gain on their amp so it's in that range where you can turn the guitar volume up a bit or pick harder and get some crunch and sustain, and back it off and play clean. It's a beautiful sound, and some amps are better for this than others.

OTOH, if your style requires a lot of gain, nothing you do to fiddle with the volume out in front of your amp is gonna matter much. Your boost is gonna have to happen after the amp's preamp. If it has an effects loop, a volume pedal placed there would do the trick.

I'm not sure what type of metal you play. A lot of the 80's shredders like George Lynch and Yngwie Malmsteen actually don't use massive amounts of gain. The tone of their guitars comes through, and it's very responsive. The sustain isn't coming from just turning the amp's gain way up.