Spikey Highs... Clean only

SongsForTheDeaf

SongsForTheDeaf

New member
So I'm getting alot of spikey highs on the higher strings mostly on the cleans..With my fuzz or dirt pedals on its much smoother and not as piercing...Its so spikey that my bandmates girlfriend actually brought it up.

Just curious as to how to fix this, I've tried EQ on the amp and the only way to smooth it out is taking the mids out significantly but then I can't cut through or have that great distortion sound I have now with my pedals..

Any ideas fellas ?

I seem to have this problem with both my guitars.
 
Re: Spikey Highs... Clean only

Sounds like an amp EQ problem to me. You need those mids, don't cut them down. Cut the treble and/or presence some.

Beam Blockers work great. Years ago I had a problem with way too much piercing treble directly in front of my speakers. Off to the side a bit (where I would generally stand) it sounded terrific. I installed Beam Blockers and they dispersed the highs from directly in front of the spkrs to the rest of the dispersion pattern. Now they sound great at any place in front of the spkrs...even directly in front.

BBs are a good investment...they work.

But play with your amp EQ and pup height and adjust the pole screws to help compensate for volume imbalance string to string.
 
Re: Spikey Highs... Clean only

I have the treble at 0!!! no Presence knob...thanks guys I have been researching Beam Blockers the past hour and I think I'm goanna get one for my Mesa 1x12 combo... The amp is a bit directional already so if it disperses the highs better that would be perfect!

I was looking at compressors too but worry they might mess with my sound too much
 
Last edited:
Re: Spikey Highs... Clean only

I put a thick chunk of duct tape in front of the speaker on my amp grill now just to see if that does anything.... I know its not even close to being as good as a beam blocker and its ugly as hell
 
Re: Spikey Highs... Clean only

gibson175 said:
whats the axe? what amp? what pickups? how old are the toobs?
Click to expand...

Tele Deluxe/Ibanez Roadcore...Mesa Boogie 5:50 Express...Stock Pickups and the tubes are spankin new! well the amp is so I assume the tubes are newish, It was on the floor but not plugged in
 
Last edited:
Re: Spikey Highs... Clean only

The effect you're enjoying from your dirt pedals is compression. Lots of classic clean tones we all enjoy have some variety of compression on them. For simplicity, I like "orange squeezers" types of pedals. For versatility I love my wampler ego compressor
 
Re: Spikey Highs... Clean only

hmmm I think getting a compressor will be my last resort if the beam blocker does not work. I saw a used Marshall Compressor pedal at my store with 4 knobs so I could pick that up for cheap to see if a little bit of compression helps
 
Re: Spikey Highs... Clean only

teles are always pretty trebly of course...especially with a5 pickups....but the reason i sold my boogie was that the clean sound was "too prisitine"...to clean, too defined, too cold. Maybe its the combination of all elements?
I gave up trying to get a "better" tone than all the classic recordings and just started using old skool fender amps etc cos they just do it so well with so little need for knob tweaking.
 
Re: Spikey Highs... Clean only

If u don't like compressors, an eq pedal might work better. It has a different feel than the amp eq. Throw it in the fx loop if u have one.
 
Re: Spikey Highs... Clean only

The problem you'll have is that anything you do to the clean will affect the dirty too....unless you have multiple channels.

I'm not sure if tubes need some burn-in time to start sounding good, but something that has some more warmth might help. Treble on 0 is sign there's something fundamentally wrong.

Also - check your unplugged tone. Maybe there is something buzzing which is translating to sharp highs.
 
Re: Spikey Highs... Clean only

Pickup and pole piece height is the first one I thought of for the balance between treble and bass strings. that's about the only one I can think of that doesn't affect the sound of the whole guitar so much as just that balance of the high strings.

tone and volume controls on the guitar is one that probably doesn't need to be said but... Everything on "10" can be stupid bright for a lot of guitars and amps. Everything should still sound good with your dirt pedals though you may change your settings a bit. I've liked those russian k40y-9 tone caps in a few guitars now.


Messing with string brands and gauge might help. I like GHS boomers and cleartones for taking the spike out of clean tones.
Thick picks are good too.

Try a really long, possible coiled guitar cable. like a few other suggestions this will affect your dirty sound too but you might like it.

also I usually pick a lot closer to the neck for warm clean tones...

Maybe get graphtech saddles for the higher strings?

JJ or sovtek LPS preamp tubes and EH, Sovtek, or JJ power tubes. No tung-sol or chinese tubes. This will make MINOR differences but you might find it enough.
 
Re: Spikey Highs... Clean only

i have experienced this before and for awhile. As for the buzzing my guitars bridge actually buzzes a bit when I strum... sounds like something might be loose but I can't figure out what.

I also agree with you Gibson that Mesa cleans are very ...."pristine"
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Push back wire and shielded wire
Replies
4
Views
273
Artie
Artie
baba o'riley
Fs/ft: Od and Fuzz
Replies
2
Views
469
baba o'riley
baba o'riley
80's_Metal
New BFG
Replies
8
Views
387
80's_Metal
80's_Metal
F
Ceriatone 18W Questions
Replies
0
Views
228
fretburner
F
M
What Humbucker and single-coils for me?
Replies
17
Views
131
MrFlexx
M
Back
Top