Effects loop question

[oliver]

Hi guys,

I hope I am able to explain my issue, Here goes:

I have a Mesa DC-5 which I really dig. I use the amp distortion as my main crunch and run chorus/phase/delay thru the amp effects loop which sounds great to me.

My problem is that I like to play a variety of styles and would like to experiment using fuzz boxes/overdrive pedals/distortion pedals as well. I do have a Marshall Guv'nor which goes in the front of the amp as my "blues pedal". The Guv'nor sounds great but when I kick on any of the modulation effects thru the effects loop it sounds like ass.
If I plug the modulation effects thru the front end after the distortion pedal it sounds good but the amp distortion with effects sounds like crap.

In other words can I use my amp distortion for some songs and use distortion pedals for others and have the effects sound good with both chains?
Would a special cable or "switch/ab ?!? box do the trick

Do I make any sense what so ever? Please help!!!!

 

[Faraday]

Re: Effects loop question

Hi guys,

I hope I am able to explain my issue, Here goes:

I have a Mesa DC-5 which I really dig. I use the amp distortion as my main crunch and run chorus/phase/delay thru the amp effects loop which sounds great to me.

My problem is that I like to play a variety of styles and would like to experiment using fuzz boxes/overdrive pedals/distortion pedals as well. I do have a Marshall Guv'nor which goes in the front of the amp as my "blues pedal". The Guv'nor sounds great but when I kick on any of the modulation effects thru the effects loop it sounds like ass.
If I plug the modulation effects thru the front end after the distortion pedal it sounds good but the amp distortion with effects sounds like crap.

In other words can I use my amp distortion for some songs and use distortion pedals for others and have the effects sound good with both chains?
Would a special cable or "switch/ab ?!? box do the trick

Do I make any sense what so ever? Please help!!!!

Is there a switch on the amp to turn the fx loop on and off or disengage it? If so, you may be able to place your effects in the fx loop of a mixer and switch between front ending them and placing them in the boogie's fx loop. Also why do you have that pic of Oliver, the John Denver boy clone?

 

[koss]

Re: Effects loop question

Hello i also use a guvnor and it doesn't seem to like a drive pedal in front of it . Does anyone know if you can rewire the loop so that the pedal switches off instead of on when the guvnor is engaged . This would mean you could have a drive etc as your first channel and the guvnor as a lead channel . im not sure if this would help with your problem , but if anyone has any ideas it would be really appreciated

 

[Aceman]

Re: Effects loop question

Dang - this is harder than it seems.....

I think this can be done with a loop pedal and two ABY


Guitar to Guv to Loop. If the loop is ON - go through the swirl, back into to loop, and out to the front of amp.

If the loop is OFF you send the guitar straight into the front of the amp - no swirl into the front.


Then you need ABY CH/PH/FL and ABY
The ABY going into the swirl pedals gets input from either the loop in the loop pedal - A channel of ABY , or the amp fx send - B channel ABY.
Then the out put of the Swirl goes to the ABY and splits to either A - receive of the loop, or B - the fx return of amp!

SO...loop ON
and Swirl In A
and Swirl out A = All pedals straight into amp

and Loop OFF
Swirl In B
Swirl Out B = Guitar straight to amp, and Swirl in the amp loop.


Gotta be a better way.....I think Boss makes a switcher that would do this....

 

[Jacew]

Re: Effects loop question

Why does the guv'nor in front of amp make effects in a loop to sound bad?

Maybe you need level correction?

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Effects loop question

I believe your DC-5 has a PARALLEL efx loop, as does my DC-3 (and my Maverick 212.) My other Mesas use a SERIES loop. My Mark IV and Mark V amps are switchable loops.

My system for all my Mesas, is to run my Boss CE-3 and my Boss PH-1r as the last pedals in my chain, in front of the amp. Only my delays and my Boss Pitch Shifter/Harmonizer are used in the efx loop.

I would strongly advise you to read the Owner's Manual for your DC-5. The CHANNEL MASTER(S) act as EFFECTS SEND, while the OUTPUT LEVEL acts as the EFFECTS RETURN. (If I'm remembering this correctly.) You must maintain a balance between these controls and the EFFECTS LEVEL control (on the back of the amp.) I believe Mesa recommends running your effect 100% WET, and adjusting the final blend with the EFFECTS LEVEL control on the amp.

The Owner's Manual for the DC-5 is available on the Mesa website.

Several of their amps from the mid-1990s use this PARALLEL LOOP, but many players preferred a SERIES LOOP. There is a simple mod available to change the loop from Parallel to Series. There may be a mod available for a footswitch to turn the LOOP on/off. I would call Mesa and see what they recommend. Be sure to check out The Boogie Board Forum, too. Great resources for all things Boogie.

One other thing. If you are running your Guv'nor with too much output into a marginal V1 preamp tube, it can sound funky. The Mesa SP12AX7 is a good tube to run in V1, because of its low noise, gain and durability.

The DC-5 is a great amp.

Good luck!

Bill

 

[CaptainWhizz]

Re: Effects loop question

If you tweak the settings on the modulation pedals while the Guvnor is on can you get a good sound? It might just be that the settings that sound good with one drive tone don't fit with another? Although, I guess that would mean having twice the pedals, to have different settings.

Do you use the Guvnor in front of completely clean settings on the amp? If so, have you tried using the Guvnor in the loop? Or what about using a switching pedal to choose between the amp's preamp or the Guvnor?

Boss line selector pedal, loop A goes out to the amp input, then from the effects loop send out of the amp back into The A return of the pedal. Loop B is just the Guvnor. Output of the pedal goes to the modulation pedals then to the effects loop return of the amp. This might not work so well if the amp has a parallel effects loop, or if the Guvnor isn't good as a preamp.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Effects loop question

My Mesa Blue Angel has a parallel effects loop, too. Some Mesas do, some don't, but read that manual to be sure. Another idea is a separate set of mod pedals for when you use the fuzz.

 

[koss]

Re: Effects loop question

Hi thanks for your thoughts and ideas . i was hoping that someone out there would know what wires to swap on the pedal to change the function , but again thanks
Ian

 

[CaptainWhizz]

Re: Effects loop question

Sorry, I only just realised that you revived an old thread, I was answering the OP.
What was your problem? I didn’t quite understand I’m afraid. What’s your rig, what’s the issue, and what are you after?

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Effects loop question

Sorry, I only just realised that you revived an old thread, I was answering the OP.
What was your problem? I didn’t quite understand I’m afraid. What’s your rig, what’s the issue, and what are you after?

He started a new thread here.

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?327844-Original-Guvnor-Loop

I didn’t even know a Guvnor had a loop until today.

Koss, how does it work now?

 

[koss]

Re: Effects loop question

Hi thanks for you interest im using a Marshall 1973x combo with an sl drive as my main crunch tone and the Guvnor as my lead . Problem is that the Guvnor doesn't like the sl in front of it so i have to switch off the sl before switching on the Guvnor . The Guvnor has a loop built in so you can add other pedals , but when you switch on the Guvnor it adds the SL . What i would like is that the SL is running through the loop until i switch on the Guvnor pedal and when i switch on it switches off the loop . I hope this makes sense as im hoping i can swop a wire inside the Guvnor to reverse the loop function . As i don't have any room left on my board for a seperate looper im hoping someone can help .
Regards
Ian