The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

[LLL]

(This is a guitar+stomp+amp kind of topic, so doesn't exactly fit in one particular forum; could fit into any.)

Everyone has a "yeah, that's enough gain/distortion I need to play what I like, and any more is overkill" point... and what I'm talking about here
is an actual quantifiable point and not an estimation; in other words, "exactly this plus this and that piece of gear does it for me".

I determined my own point recently - after installing my old JB into my beater strat. I always had an estimation prior, but nailed it recently.

Here's my maximum gain/dist point for my needs:

SD JB pickup
|
dimed Marshall Plexi circuit



Plenty of gain/dist on tap for rhythm and leads. Classic rock, old school metal, hair metal etc.

I point this out because to me it's funny how I have all these stompboxes, but don't need any to reach that max level with the
right combination of pickup + amp (in my case). Installing the JB was a sort of epiphany for me in this regard.

Now, if I was playing anything more metal than the genres indicated, it probably wouldn't be enough.
If I was sticking to the blues, it would be too much.

Anyhoo, what's your maximum point at - what gets you there (specifically speaking) and what style of music?

 

[Jacew]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

Not sure about maximum gain. It seems I'm always little by little dialing it up when I play, then dialing it down when I record something. Then start slowly dial it back up again. Gainwise somewhere between AC/DC and EVH I guess.

That is with gain knob between 2 and 3 o'clock with a boost in front. I prefer gain structure and tone with the boost rather than upping gain on amp. It's more aggressive yet less gainy at the same time.

Of course with 20w amp the overall volume also affects.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

I don't really ever go beyond 1/2 way on the sustain of a big muff into a clean amp. I'll very occasionally max out the gain of my Boss BD-2 which is surprisingly gainy as well.

Much more than that and it's fun to play, but when you actually record the sounds and listen it's not really musical any more.

 

[Mincer]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

Maximum for me is my 805 Overdrive with the gain about 75% into a dead clean amp. That's about as much gain as any other TS-type pedal on max.

 

[Cynical]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

I'm a death metal guy.

Duncan BWs set close to the strings into a Bogner Twin Jet on Channel 2 with the gain at 2'o clock, channel presence max (channel presence affects saturation a lot on that amp) is my go to.

On 2203-style circuits, I usually run gain dimed, MV at 7.5, with either a TS-9 or SD-1 out in front with the drive at 8 'o clock and level at max.

 

[chadd]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

A 59/custom into my Mesa Road King with the gain about noon is as much as I need, maybe even a little too much.

 

[DankStar]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

If I can palm mute on the g string and it doesn’t sound weak.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

The vast majority of the time, I'm playing bluesy rock stuff. The maximum gain I typically use is a Green Rhino with the level up pretty high, gain half or less, stacked with either a modded DS-1 or EHX Soul Food. Those are typically set similarly to the Rhino. If I'm using one of my little modeling amps, I also put a Danelectro Fab Distortion after all the other pedals, unity volume, neutral-ish tone, and the gain barely on to drown out the digitalness.

If I've been listening to Nirvana or Dinosaur Jr and feel like reliving my grunge-worshipping youth, I'll plug my Jaguar into the Soul Food and DS-1, gain cranked on both for endless sustain and controlled feedback at any volume.

 

[dystrust]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

For me it really depends on what style and guitar I'm playing. About the most I ever use is a Duncan Custom into a Jet City JCA22H lead channel with the gain at about 1 o'clock for heavy AIC-style stuff. For leads I like slightly more, but it never really goes above about 2 o'clock.

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

For me it is not fixed but it has something to do with sustain and dynamics. I crank it up just until notes stop choking but not up until the rig doesn't respond to my picking power.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

I use Mesas, but I have several different ones. The Maverick doesn't have as much gain as the Mark Series or my DC-3. Even so, on the Mesa LEAD channels I'm rarely above 6-7 on the numbered dials, or 1-2 o'clock on the pointers.

I am typically using a DOD FX-10 preamp as an always on boost with my G&L Legacys with vintage single coils, but I often turn it off with the Les Pauls and 335s with PAF variants.

I do not play metal; I'm doing classic rock, blues, country and a little jazz. Probably the gainiest I get is Santana, ZZ Top, Bad Company, etc. I could say that a smooth Santana tone is often what I'm shooting for, but sometimes his bass lines get flubby and I avoid that.

I play clean A LOT...and I mean really CLEAN. Buddy Holly clean. Nile Rodgers clean. Twangy guitar clean. I can actually get away with playing louder than some would, because my tone is SO clean. That heavy distortion can be a real turn-off for some mixed-generation audiences. It causes ear fatigue. Playing clean allows me to make my lead and crunch tones really stand out and be more effective. Or so I'm told.

One of the big frustrations for me is that in listening to YouTube amp demos, the players spend very little time playing clean...all kinds of chugging and gain...but I want to hear those boring, blah, pristine clean tones and what the amp sounds like cranked up, right at the verge of distortion.

Bill

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

Playing at home I typically max the gain on everything. But, when I was playing in a band i would run a Mesa MkV on 45w setting, Channel 3 MkIV, mode gain at 1-2 o'clock, Master Volume about noon, and hit the front end with a maxed out clean boost. Pickups were vintage output humbucker (Wide Range, 57 Classic, T-Tops) and mile-high output single coils. Also used similar settings on my JCM900 and Electra Dyne.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

A couple songs I've written need a totally saturated metal sound. Think about all the 90s bands that popularized that scoopy Rectifier sound, it's gotta get that level of gain. I have to run the gain medium high on my supersonic 22 and hit it with a boost pedal set to more volume than dirt.
Part of it is, I have no humbuckers, and the hottest single coil I have is maybe 9k... So the pedals/amp have to do some lifting.
Some of the bands I listen to use things like rectos, Jubilees, Triamps, 5150s and so sometimes I like to say yeah I go for that modern hard rock/metal sound with a lot of preamp

Mostly though it's anywhere from totally clean to i dunno like Clapton, the stones, AC/DC, Zeppelin, up to stuff like early black Sabbath and deep purple. So, overdriven but not super saturated by today's standards.

I like a lot of different music and tones and so I need some heavy gain on occasion but most days I would be fine with a clean or cleanish amp and maybe a tube screamer or similar.

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[Old Guy]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

I like higher distortion blues. I generally just use the gain in the Amp for my lead tones. I use pedals for everything in between. The gain usually lives at about 2 to 3 o'clock on the dial for the gain channel on the amps I've had. I like that Gary Moore-ish lead tone.

 

[Aceman]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

I don't know that I have a maximum. I do have an EHX Metal Muff /Top Boost I break out every once and again. I will say, however, that in my old age, and in band settings, I notice I use less all the time.

Mesa Stiletto on Tight Gain, with preamp at about 1 o'clock; Enough Gain for PG's, not too much for Custom.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

The JB is made for that style of amp. IMO it totally sucks in lower wattage amps – no clarity, no treble. It just sounds like someone blowing their nose. But put it in an amp with some headroom, and you can dial in plenty of crunch while retaining some clarity. It's a great pickup for light pickers too. I am too heavy handed to use it.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

I usually have my amp's gain at about 1-2 o'clock & no boost (a bit this way or that according to the amp I'm using, but seldom above 2 o'clock) ...so it's gainy enough for solo's but still percussive for rhythm. I don't like anemic, dry amp tones..

 

[some_dude]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

Dual Rectifier, vintage channel, gain between 10:00 and 12:30. The louder I can run the amp the less gain I need. I aim for a sound that’s more percussive than saturated.

Pickups vary. Everything from a Telecaster Del Ray on one end to a PRS Dragon on the other.

I don’t like to boost the amp but I keep an overdrive on my board because sometimes when playing leads it’ll feel like my notes are running out of gas and need a little help sustaining.

 

[DKSEARS]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

With my Soldanos, I’m running the preamp gain on drive channels around 2-4 on the number dial and the master volumes nearly wide open when I can, or through a UA Ox for attenuation.

I play mostly classic rock in a worship setting with a variety of guitars ranging from a Tele with an SD Broadcaster bridge pickup through various humbucker equipped guitars with the strongest pickup most likely being a Super Distortion.

I don’t like changing much on my amps except a few minor tone changes between guitars and let each guitar’s tone speak.


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[Jacew]

Re: The Maximum Gain/Dist Point For Your Needs

I don't really ever go beyond 1/2 way on the sustain of a big muff into a clean amp. I'll very occasionally max out the gain of my Boss BD-2 which is surprisingly gainy as well.

Much more than that and it's fun to play, but when you actually record the sounds and listen it's not really musical any more.

I usually pretty much keep my fuzzes below 10 o'clock. (Big Muff and Fox TM clone). Above that sustain just seems to add very little tone wise, and just adds imbalance to the response.