Solo boost help!

[Guitar Guy]

I can get a good variety of tones with the current set up but when I come up to do a solo, i need some volume. To fix this i got a ts9dx and it works well for boosting clean and overdrive sounds. The problem is when using my metal zone and the ts9dx, there is no volume boost! After trying a variety of pedal placement and setting options nothing worked. The only thing i can think of to be the problem is that the tubescreamer introduces more preamp volume when i will need power amp volume to effectively raise the volume of high gain sounds. Does this sound valid?

If so, i would have to use 1) an amp with two master volumes that are footswitchable like a mesa or 2) an amp with two clean channels like a fender blackface and switch between them using an amp switcher.Does this sound like a good solution?

Also, would clean boost pedals like the mxr micro amp or eh lpb work to boost all sounds evenly?

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Solo boost help!

I use a Keeley Time Machine Boost on the Modern setting for clean volume boosts. It doesn't color the tone at all. If you crank the volume on the boost enough, you'll get more drive from your amp. However, there's still enough leeway with the boost to bump up the volume without introducing extra drive.

There are other clean FET boosts out there worth looking into. (The Keeley TMB is $269 new.) The Bad Bob Booster will get you the same thing for half the price, since you're not also paying for a built-in Rangemaster clone.

Hope this helps.

- Keith

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Solo boost help!

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/effectsdescr.shtml#booster

 

[brit84]

Re: Solo boost help!

The problem is when using my metal zone and the ts9dx
QUOTE]

you say it yourself. Just too much at the same time, you have no headroom left. A eq pedal or a clean boost may work for just volume.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Solo boost help!

I've spent quite a bit of time and money trying to solve this for myself, and I'm finally happy with the way I achieve it these days. I turn the volume on my guitar all the way up and set my amp/pedals for solos and then back off the guitars volume for rhythm. :smack:

 

[Guitar Guy]

Re: Solo boost help!

What about putting clean boosts in an fx loop? My main concern is getting a pretty even volume boost no matter the amount of gain.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Solo boost help!

Yup, that's a good idea. In fact, there are some who use a Boss GE-7 Equalizer for that very purpose.

- Keith

 

[YJM_Rocks]

Re: Solo boost help!

I think your best bet is putting a boost or EQ in the effects loop.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Re: Solo boost help!

Well i've heard that putting it in loop will give the best boost but i'm new to clean boosts so i don't really know where to put it.

Could you recomend a good one. the one i like the best is the keeley katana but its a little pricey at $180. I was also thinking about the mxr micro amp or the new eh lpb nano.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Solo boost help!

There are many ways to do this, from a Boss BD-2 set with distortion at zero and level max (sounds almost tube-amp-ish) to the Seymour Duncan pickup booster, to amps with more than one channel of distortion, etc. All these are perfectly valid.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Re: Solo boost help!

Well i use a tubescreamer currently but as i said above it gives less of a boost with the more gain i use. I also tried doing the amp channel thing you mentioned but while it gave me volume, it took away distortion so thats why i turned my attention to clean boosts.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Solo boost help!

The key thing with getting a volume boost is not so much which pedal you use but where you put it. If you are playing with a heavily distorted sound, whatever you put in front of that won't increase your volume, it'll just increase your gain.

Putting a good clean boost in your FX loop (i.e. after any pre-amp or pedal distortion) is a good solution, provided your power amp isn't maxed out. I've used a Boss GE-7 in the FX loop of my Marshall Jubilee for an effective volume boost.

I don't know what your rig consists of, but another thought is that if you currently have the Tubescreamer before the Metal Zone, try putting them the other way round.

Finally, there are some amps (e.g. Tech 21 Trademark 60) and pedals (e.g. Carl Martin PlexiTone) that have a clean boost built in.

 

[baritone]

Re: Solo boost help!

I don't think this is what you are looking for, but I like to run my TS9DX into my Metal Zone every once in a while. It's nothing like a clean boost, but I keep the distortion all the way down on both pedals, crank the volume on both pedals, and spend a lot of time tweaking the EQ knobs on both pedals. With the TS9DX (or most of my overdrive or distortion pedals) by itself, I like to turn the gain all the way down and crank the volume. I like the + mode the best right now.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Solo boost help!

I think your best bet is putting a boost or EQ in the effects loop.

+1. People are recommending different pedals left and right and I don't care how many decibels of clean headroom a clean boost pedal is advertised as having, if it's in front of your preamp, it WILL clip your preamp and you WILL lose that headroom.

If you need clean volume for solos, it's all about putting a clean boost pedal in the FX Loop of an amp (if you have one that is, if you don't.... well.... a different amp might be something to look into).

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Solo boost help!

The problem that you're running into is a problem of gain staging. Are you running your TS-9 into your metal zone? If that's the case, you're boosting the signal, then hitting it with a distortion that acts as a limiter, so you won't get a volume boost.

Throwing the TS-9 after the metal zone will boost the volume of the distortion produced. (You have a limited signal that's got a volume boost after it.) You'll get the same effect by placing the TS-9 in the effects loop and the metal zone infront of the amp.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Re: Solo boost help!

From what i hear a clean boost is what i need. What are some good ones that won't break the bank?

What about morely little aligators, it sounds like a good idea having a volume pedal with a min-volume knob but the reviews aren't so good.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Solo boost help!

From what i hear a clean boost is what i need. What are some good ones that won't break the bank?

What about morely little aligators, it sounds like a good idea having a volume pedal with a min-volume knob but the reviews aren't so good.

You've already got one . . . set your tubescreamer to be as clean as possible and turn up the volume on it. Place it after your other distortion pedal and it will act as a clean boost.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Re: Solo boost help!

I also need to boost channels on the amp which is why i think a cleanboost in the loop will be better overall.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Solo boost help!

I also need to boost channels on the amp which is why i think a cleanboost in the loop will be better overall.

So put the tubescreamer in the effects loop . . .

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Solo boost help!

You sure that TS won't add mids to the tone, even with the gain down?