some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
First off, before I started, I liked my tone. I figured I'd tweek things a bit, and that would be it.....
....boy, was I wrong.
After a four hour tweeking session, I ended up changing everything, and it sounds so much better now.
(For those that don't know, Mesa Recto Preamp -> Mesa 2:100 power amp -> Mesa Recto 4x12. The current settings were done with a Les Paul w/ EMG85
and 81(b), then tested again with a Strat w/DiMarzio Super Distortion(b) [my JB equipped Strat is on loan...])
The clean channel is now very warm with a hard, crunchy overdrive when the guitar's volume is maxed. It cleans up very nicely (much nicer than it did with my old settings) as you turn the guitar volume down, and will hit early 80s levels of gain at max volume. It reacts well to OD pedals.
(old/new)
Channel Voice - Brit / Fat
Gain - 13:00 / 11:15
Treb - 12:00 / 12:45
Mids - 10:00 / 10:45
Bass - 12:00 / 09:30
Pres - 12:00 / 09:30
Mast - 09:00 / 11:00
(The Fat channel voicing is voiced similar to the clean channel on the MkI preamp. It's a touch higher gain than the clean voice, with a slightly more bassy tone. I left the amps master volume at 15:15.)
Channel 2 is alot tighter sounding, with a heavy, chunky muting sound. With the old settings I sometimes found it to get the right feel with the palm mutes. I assumed it was due to excessive output from the EMGs, as I didn't have the same problem with my JB equipped guitar. I kept lowering the volume on the EMGs to tighten the mutes up, but then they lost some of the punch I was after. However, after dropping the gain and bass quite a bit they come out hard and near break your teeth. I also upped the mids a tad, which helped out too.
Oddly enough, this setting cleans up remarkably well. I actually get a good and very useful clean sound when I roll the guitar volume down to around 1 or 2. It's a touch fatter, and a little less brite than the cleans on the channel 1.
(old/new)
Channel Voice - Vintage / Vintage
Gain - 13:00 / 11:00
Treb - 12:00 / 12:00
Mids - 11:00 / 11:30
Bass - 12:00 / 10:00
Pres - 11:00 / 10:00
Mast - 12:30 / 10:45
Basically, I ended up tweeking everything for much more clarity and definition, and cut the overall gain for a tighter rhythm sound. With these new settings I need to rely on OD's to push me up to the levels of gain required for good high gain soloing. I did try to drop my guitar volume to 8 and set the rhythm gain for that volume (which would let me dime the guitars volume for solo boosts), but I found that compromised my rhythm tone slightly, and kept the amp from cleaning up as nicely....
....and since I'm predominantly a rhythm player, I'd rather sacrifice some lead tone than compromise on my rhythm tone.
/long post...
....boy, was I wrong.
After a four hour tweeking session, I ended up changing everything, and it sounds so much better now.
(For those that don't know, Mesa Recto Preamp -> Mesa 2:100 power amp -> Mesa Recto 4x12. The current settings were done with a Les Paul w/ EMG85
and 81(b), then tested again with a Strat w/DiMarzio Super Distortion(b) [my JB equipped Strat is on loan...])The clean channel is now very warm with a hard, crunchy overdrive when the guitar's volume is maxed. It cleans up very nicely (much nicer than it did with my old settings) as you turn the guitar volume down, and will hit early 80s levels of gain at max volume. It reacts well to OD pedals.
(old/new)
Channel Voice - Brit / Fat
Gain - 13:00 / 11:15
Treb - 12:00 / 12:45
Mids - 10:00 / 10:45
Bass - 12:00 / 09:30
Pres - 12:00 / 09:30
Mast - 09:00 / 11:00
(The Fat channel voicing is voiced similar to the clean channel on the MkI preamp. It's a touch higher gain than the clean voice, with a slightly more bassy tone. I left the amps master volume at 15:15.)
Channel 2 is alot tighter sounding, with a heavy, chunky muting sound. With the old settings I sometimes found it to get the right feel with the palm mutes. I assumed it was due to excessive output from the EMGs, as I didn't have the same problem with my JB equipped guitar. I kept lowering the volume on the EMGs to tighten the mutes up, but then they lost some of the punch I was after. However, after dropping the gain and bass quite a bit they come out hard and near break your teeth. I also upped the mids a tad, which helped out too.
Oddly enough, this setting cleans up remarkably well. I actually get a good and very useful clean sound when I roll the guitar volume down to around 1 or 2. It's a touch fatter, and a little less brite than the cleans on the channel 1.
(old/new)
Channel Voice - Vintage / Vintage
Gain - 13:00 / 11:00
Treb - 12:00 / 12:00
Mids - 11:00 / 11:30
Bass - 12:00 / 10:00
Pres - 11:00 / 10:00
Mast - 12:30 / 10:45
Basically, I ended up tweeking everything for much more clarity and definition, and cut the overall gain for a tighter rhythm sound. With these new settings I need to rely on OD's to push me up to the levels of gain required for good high gain soloing. I did try to drop my guitar volume to 8 and set the rhythm gain for that volume (which would let me dime the guitars volume for solo boosts), but I found that compromised my rhythm tone slightly, and kept the amp from cleaning up as nicely....
....and since I'm predominantly a rhythm player, I'd rather sacrifice some lead tone than compromise on my rhythm tone.
/long post...
