What are you doing for a solo boost?

[That90'sGuy]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

For solos I usually do two things:

1) Clean boost (I use a GoudieFX Crystal Boost) in the FX Loop of whatever amp I'm using at the time. This way I can get a good volume boost without ever pushing the frontend of the amp (so no more added overdrive characteristics at the same time)

2) Lovekraft Mojo Drive... this pedal almost always gets used for solos through whatever crunch tone I've got going on at the time (it just pushes it to give it a liquid kinda feel to it and really smoothens and sweetens out the tone). It just works really well.

 

[Loserchief]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

My amp has two footswitchable master-volumes. One set to rhythm volume one a little higher for solo boost.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

Depends on the axe, depends on the amp.

On my Les Pauls I'll typically throttle down the neck pickup and punch in to the mid position or the bridge. On one Les Paul the bridge just lacks the punch overall and as I result I only bounce between mid and neck position. On another I can bounce between all three positions and get good sounds. The Epi hollowbody I actually find I can use all three positions for different sounds for all aspects of playing.

The Strats have the volume rolled down and I kick it up for solos and throw it to the bridge position for EQing if I need that cut.

I'm not a huge fan of pedals for this as I find that I can never get the amount of boost to be comfortable for me; I'll constantly want to change it and mess with the setting. And if I can't do that then I'm fiddling with knobs on the guitar and it gets to be way more work than I really want it to be.

 

[Rich_T]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

I turn the rat off. The note definition increases and the guitar cuts a lot more.

 

[mrfjones]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

either turn my volume knob up on the guitar or step on my zvex SHO, either one works but they sure do make the amp react differently (i usually have the zvex running pretty hot)

 

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

Boss SD-1

 

[ErikH]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

I use the manual mode on my Valvetronix AD50 for lead boosts. Just add in a touch more drive and volume with the same settings as my rhythm patch. I have a modded SD-1 out front that I'll kick on if I need more drive.

My Marshall has 2 master volumes that are switchable which, IMO, is a great feature and I'm surprised it hasn't been incorporated in to other amps more.

Depending on the song will determine whether I kick in the lead boost or not too. Sometimes I roll back the guitar volume and bring it up for leads. Just depends on the dynamics of the song.

 

[Ascension]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

With my Fender Prosonic I just use the guitar volume knob. With the Super-Sonic I run a Line 6 Echo Park delay in the loop and set the levels to get a pretty good volume and gain jump. The SS also engages an extra 12AX7 when you switch in the loop. the extra 12AX fattens the tone a little as well as using the pre and post gain controlls on the loop to dial in a volume boost so this works very well with this particular amp as a solo boost.

 

[jeremy]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

its either turning the guitar up from 6 to 10 or hitting the sd pup booster or barber ltd depending on whats happening. 80% of the time im running straight in with no pedals so its all about volume control management.

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

Volume knob and/or Bad Monkey. The Monkey adds a little volume and a little push in the mids.

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

I have always avoided doing this with a pedal too. A clean boost is less effective going into a distorted amp. Sometimes you don't get any more volume, just more distortion. And simply turning up is a crude way of standing out in a mix. It more often results in drowning others out than you standing out, and often results in volume wars (some musicians believe they have to be the loudest instrument in the band all the time, even when someone else is soloing).

Currently I use the Attack button on my Genz Benz El Diablo head. It's more about contouring the EQ and dynamics so the guitar cuts through more than just boosting volume.

From recording and mixing, I've learned that EQing an instrument to stand out in the mix is more effective than just turning the volume up.

I experimented with using a stationary set wah for solos (the Dunlop Q Zone). But I decided what that did to the tone was too drastic.

LAst Christmas Santa brought me a BBE Freq Boost. Though it can be used to boost level, the beauty of this pedal is it EQ's the guitar, giving it a nasty attitude and making it stand out more without having to get louder.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

Most of the time....well I use my volumeknob alot
IF not enough...I have a 20db booster on most of my drives....loud enuff!

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

I have two different pedals to get more grind on than the amp will do unless it's raging...a Rocktron Austin Gold OD, and a Tube Works Blue Tube. I use the BT to get more of a spongy crunch out of the amp, then if I want to go into Santana-land, I step on the Austin Gold. It adds a high and upper-mids punch that makes the tone stand out at the same volume.

It sounds like it'd be a bunch of distortion, but I run these pedals with small gain and more level boost...both pedals will clean up very well with the volume knob on the LP on 7, and it'll stay bright down to 4 on the knobs, so I have a wide range of sounds.

 

[lpmarshall]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

The "Solo" function on my Splawn. In the past I've tried TubeScreamers, but it just doesn't seem to cut it for me. I also used the GE-7 with a mid hump and slight volume boost, and that worked pretty well.

 

[tone4days]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

switch to the other channel with the volume set louder

good luck
t4d

 

[jimmy]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

When I need a solo b00st, I just switch my amp onto its "awesome channel," and kick it into "awesome gear" and I just SHRED AWAY, man!

SHRED AWAY!

 

[sosomething]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

I make the rest of my bandmates turn down.

 

[Axl H]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

I rarely touch my volumeknob, unless I want to clean my sound up.
I use the boost in my Plexitone or my modded SD-1.

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

Generally I keep my volume at about 5-7 for rhythm, and set up the amp so I get a fat clear tone with the guitar volume at 10 for leads.

 

[pinto79]

Re: What are you doing for a solo boost?

I make the rest of my bandmates turn down.

That's brilliant.

I just make a second patch that's identical with a boosted volume and more delay for a bigger overall feel.