Please Critique My Rig

Re: Please Critique My Rig

Where did you get your main drive ? Are you using Bad Monkey as a booster ?

yes i'm using it for a boost. i don't have the money to buy a lot of the gear that people on the forum have. i had heard the bad monkey was a poor mans tube screamer so i bought it.
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

I might upgrade the pedals in the loop, but if it all work for you - rock it hard.

I can definitely hear the lynch/Gilbert in those clips!

Sounds fine to me. Must sound better now.

ace do you have any suggestions on the pedals i'm running through the loop, thanks
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

I'm with Ace, it sounds fine. The EC is a fine guitar, and if it feels right to you, it is right for you. FTR, I have the same amp and it sounds great. Not sure I would take a DSL over it for what I do.
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

please critique my rig. i'm into zakk wylde, paul gilbert, steve vai, killswitch engage, george lynch. i guess i'm going for a mixture of 80's shred with a bit more heaviness added to it.

guitar: esp ec1000 with emg's or something similar

head: blackstar ht-20

cab: randall 2x12 with 25 watt greenbacks (i get to return this tomorrow because the ohms don't match my head)

pedals in front, in order: Digitech XMS Compressor, Digitech Bad Monkey Overdrive

pedals in loop, in order: Fish n Chips Eq, MXR M-135 Smart Gate, Deltalab Digital Delay

Any Suggestions or Tips?

Unless I was leaving it on all the time... I would get a bypass loop switcher pedal for the Monkey.... It sounds good when it is engaged... when bypassed not so much...
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

Looks like the the OD is the loop of his noise suppressor in this diagram.

I have a NS2 and I like to keep my TS9 on most of the time. I have not found any real difference running the TS9 straight into the NS2 or through the loop of the NS2. I think adam's got a great tone and like his style. When was this made? I though he was using splawn nitro as of their last album. never seen him with a H&K
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

I have a NS2 and I like to keep my TS9 on most of the time. I have not found any real difference running the TS9 straight into the NS2 or through the loop of the NS2. I think adam's got a great tone and like his style. When was this made? I though he was using splawn nitro as of their last album. never seen him with a H&K

i just bought a used ns2 for $50 today. should i replace the bad monkey with a ts9?
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

i thought it was suppose to add more sustain to my lead tone.

It can, it can also add noise. Lots of people use 'em, lots of people hate 'em. But, for a polished/produced sound, they help. If you are using tons of gain it might not be necessary, but they have their places.

I just picked up a CS-3 from a friend and tried it on my board, took me a while to dial it in, I'm kinda liking it now. May get a Monte Allums mod kit for it and see what that does.

As far as replacing the Monkey with a TS, try a TS and see if you like it better. I'm not sure the buffer in a TS is any better than the Monkey(?).
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

i just bought a used ns2 for $50 today. should i replace the bad monkey with a ts9?

I wouldn't be in a total hurry to go to the TS9. I think the BM should get you in the area you want to be. If you get nic-picky with your tone then yeah maybe a TS9 with a Mod. I really wasn't happy with the stock TS9. It cut out the bass and had a grating high end. The monte allums mod curred that. The mod was $20, and used TS9's you'd maybe find for $60-$70 in the store. so for $100 I think you can find better overdrives IMO. Try to YouTube way huge green rhino, I would have bought that if i didn't mod the TS9. Good score on the NS2. It's sort of an unsung pedal but it's worth every penny.
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

Any Suggestions or Tips?
This:
if it all works for you - rock it hard.
Other suggestions from someone who's spent way too much money on gear over the years:
  • Don't go fishing for suggestions about how to improve your rig. If you're happy with it, be happy. If you're not, at least understand what it is you don't like so you can focus the conversation. Otherwise people will just recommend more expensive stuff that might not actually suit you any better.
  • Know what it is you're going for when it comes to tone. You can waste a lot of money chasing tone when it's a moving target.
  • Know what it is you really like about your current rig. You definitely don't want to lose that in any "upgrades".
  • Don't underestimate contentment. You've got a solid rig. Sometimes more is just more.
  • Don't obsess over nailing someone else's tone. Kind of related to the contentment thing but even if you love ____'s tone, don't be afraid of sounding like yourself except when playing in a tribute band.
  • Don't worry what people think. It's not a very rock & roll attitude to run with the pack.
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

Why pay to mod a TS when you can get a ZW44 stock, and not have the bass cut!

i've got one of those pedals. i guess i'll try it in place of the bad monkey. from what i can remember it added a lot of noise. i'll try it again.
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

Alec's post for the win, great insight and right on the money. I'd love to have all the $ back that I've spent chasing "tone" (wouldn't mind having some of the amps/guitars/pedals that I've sold back either). Sometimes we (guitar players) have what we want and don't know it.

Also don't forget what John Suhr said: "Practice fixes most tone problems." (Maybe the exact quote, but you get the idea).
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

i've got one of those pedals. i guess i'll try it in place of the bad monkey. from what i can remember it added a lot of noise. i'll try it again.

put the smart gate in the fx loop, the zw 44 in front of the amp, NOT the loop... with less than half of it's gain
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

I won't make any observations about the rig, as it's more than enough to cover your needs. I'll critique the sound a bit though, if you don't mind. A bit less distortion overall for some clarity, and more bass and mids would go a long way, for me.
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

I won't make any observations about the rig, as it's more than enough to cover your needs. I'll critique the sound a bit though, if you don't mind. A bit less distortion overall for some clarity, and more bass and mids would go a long way, for me.

i absolutely don't mind and i appreciate the input
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

Really???... wow, well maybe you used the tone knob al the way up... at twelve o clock is as transparent as they come... AND as pretty much al ODs it is a TS, in this case is a TS808 modded to let the bass pass
 
Re: Please Critique My Rig

Honestly, the only way I'd criticize your rig would be if you told me you wanted to play Damien Rice-style sensible acoustic folk/pop.
 
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