Re: EQ changes distortion tone?
Well... don't take my advice and opinions too seriously, but here it is
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If you're not too sure what an EQ pedal does, i can try to explain it to you.
An EQ, or Equalizer, was invented and designed to equalize the different frequencies of audio equipment, to give it a flat, reference sound. Nowadays, they are mostly used by musicians to change their tone, and for mixing recordings\production of music. Overall, to change the bass\mid\treble amount in the sound. A Graphic EQ, the type usually used for EQ pedals, has sliders, with each one amplifying or cutting (turning down) certain frequencies. So, if you turn up the "100hz" slider, you'll get an increase in volume at the 100 hertz frequency, which is in the bass area. If you are familiar with the "sound" of different frequencies, it shouldn't be a problem to adjust an EQ. Bass is from 0 to 200hz, mids are from 200hz to 1.5khz, and then there is "presence" and over that, treble. Though, different people can put different frequency bands into different categories, so don't trust me completely on this.
About the EQ settings: I believe it's the "crown" and the "smile".
The "Crown" i believe is cutting the frequency bands on the left and right (bass and treble) and boosting the mids, therefore the bands look like a "crown". This will fatten up and focus your tone alot, and is very good if you want to distort a "clean" amp like a fender, or another bright amp with little gain. Though, it will make your amp sound muffled if it's already high gain, or just middy. One thing i always do, when using an EQ pedal infront of my amp, is cutting everything under 100hz. This will not really kill the bass in your tone, but it will remove alot of "mud" and "fart" from your cab. The "lows" people hear from an amp, is usually low mids, around 200-400hz. So don't worry!
The "Smile" or "smiley face" is boosting bass and treble, and cutting mids. The freq bands then look like a smiley mouth. I'm not a fan of this particular way of EQ'ing, since it's the same kind of EQ'ing that nu-metal bands use, no mids, and tons of bass and treble. Though, everything can be good, if usen wisely and sparingly!
Again, the use of an EQ all cooks down to personal preference, so just play with it and see how accenting different frequency bands affects your tone. In general, when using a EQ infront of the amp, adding low mids will make your sound fatter and more "roar-y", mid-mids (if there is such a word) will give you more of a honky, aggressive sound, and high mids will make you cut better. Everything with moderation!
I have a Boss GEB-7 equalizer, which is designed for bass. Though, i find it almost perfect for guitar uses too, except for that it has too little bands between 800hz and 4.5khz, NONE!
. It's a reliable, sturdy pedal, which i use alot. Compared to the GE-7 (guitar eq) it has more bands in the mid\low mid area, which is good for shaping the fundamental tone of a bass or guitar, but it has less bands in the high mids\treble, which may dissapoint if you want to boost the high mids or presence. I'm gonna buy a Boss Guitar EQ as soon as i find one used too, then i'll have a mighty fine pair of EQ's.
Sorry if this post is too long, i just tried to mention everything that you maybe needed to know. And for the last time, everything in this post is just IMO\Personal experiences.
Cheers!
-Erlend
