General Music Chat

Wow guys, thanks again for the wealth of information. You've given me a TON to think about and try!
As far as what artist has the sound I'm looking for....I cant really nail that one down. Thats why I put some cover samples on my main page just so you could hear the tone I'm trying to recreate. I used it in the leads for bad girlfriend and careless whisper. I managed to get a tone that i can deal with in the meantime, but it doesnt scream through the mix like when I used the digitech.
After reading your suggestions and looking around online, I noticed that I could possibly still use the digitech along with my analog pedals (without the A/B box--although i really like this idea!) but I'm not sure how to connect it up. Usually when I hook the digitech up, I cannot use the footswitch that came with my amp. Maybe theres a way to connect it up so that this would be possible? (using the effects loop or something? I really have no idea lol)
Also, the digitech has a bypass mode. Is this an option at all? (ex: hook the digitech up with the analog pedals, put it on bypas and only use it when i want the certain tones only the digitech can produce?) I dont really enjoy the distortion and so on that comes from the digitech, so i dont want it to be my sole tone provider any longer.
I know im not making any sense, and I thank you for bearing with me. I'm a total noob and its very obvious when it comes to this pedalboard thing. I guess I spent too long in the effects processing world.

To use the Digitech in line with all your analog pedals, you'd definitely have to have it on bypass. I looked it up online and read the manual and the bypass is an analog bypass, meaning it would be completely clean and wouldn't affect your other sounds. The reason I suggested the splitter and A/B was so that you wouldn't have to be stomping all your analog pedals to turn them off to go to the Digitech. With the splitter and the A/B you could leave the Digitech set for your desired effect, and the A/B would switch straight to it without having to turn your other effects off.

Hey thanks for the reply! I DID forget to mention I'm playing through a very basic Marshall MG100HDFX/MG412 Slant Cab Half Stack. I apologize for leaving that out.
The reason for ditching the DigiTech and going analog: I'm a little tired of the whole effects modeling. Every guitar sounds exactly same. You dont get the little nuances from guitar to guitar. Also, in a live situation, its a pain to have to rearrange and reorder all the presets depending on the setlists. Also, I'm tired of having to be VERY careful where I step. The Digitech's pedals are VERY close together and its EXTREMELY easy to accidently stomp of BOTH pedals causing the bypass to function (which sucks), or you mean to hit the right pedal to cycle right but you end up hitting the left and get a tone you really werent trying for, OR step just a TAD too far to the right and you cut your volume off completely.
Additionally, I really did enjoy the versatility of the DigiTech when I was playing in a cover band. It allowed me to recreate various tones that fit well with the different songs we played. I could go from a killer Avenged Sevenfold tone to a Ted Nugent sound with ease. But for this new project, I really dont need all that, plus the hassle that comes with the digitech in a performance setting.
Really, the only tone I want to keep from it is the lead one I'm speaking of. The rest of the tones arent all that great and can be created in a much better (truer) and easier way with my new setup. I just really dig that tone and want to capture it again.
Sorry for the long post, and if I am annoying anyone......thanks again for all of your help!!

Im not trying to be an ass, but that Marshall you are using isnt really that great of an amp, more of a boat anchor in my opinion, but thats just my opinion. If you like the digitech just use it as a preamp and run it into the effects return of the amp. That make the amp just a power amp and bypassses the preamp section. On my amps when I line in a preamp like this the only control that works on the amp at this point is the master volume.

I didnt mean to diss your amp like I did, but it may not get the tone you want. On the other hand most amps can be milked to get a decent tone or two out of them. Its just those amps are very thin and hollow sounding to my ears.

I would recomend long term getting a better amp head. Tube 50-100 watts, based on the diagram you are going for a pretty heavy sound. Mesa Dual Rectifier, Marshall JCM 800, Soldano SLO are some of the amps that come to mind that would make you happy, of course they will set you back a couple of grand.

Good Luck and Keep Pushing for that elusive tone.

Im not trying to be an ass, but that Marshall you are using isnt really that great of an amp.

I would recomend long term getting a better amp head. Tube 50-100 watts, based on the diagram you are going for a pretty heavy sound. Mesa Dual Rectifier, Marshall JCM 800, Soldano SLO are some of the amps that come to mind that would make you happy, of course they will set you back a couple of grand.

Good Luck and Keep Pushing for that elusive tone.

^^^^ Agreed with our veteran tourmaster JW.

The best way to get a great tone is to start from the source which is guitar>amp>cab. That is where your tone is originally going to form and if you don't sound good there, there is no point in adding effects. If you are complaining about not hearing the nuances of your guitar, you have to lay off the effects. For example, you have your settings with a compressor and noise gate and that combination alone cancels out most of the dynamics that comes from the guitar and strings. Save your money from buying pedals and get a decent amp. Carvin has very good tube amps (V3, Mastertube series) for not a lot of money. Soldano and Laneys have impressive tone in my opinion but cost more money. Peavey has the JSX combo series that have been getting great reviews across the board. Try out as many amps as you can before buying them. Good luck.

Hey guys, thanks! yeah, there is no doubt that my amp isn't the best at all. This I know, but alas, money was an issue when i bought it and I needed a half stack fast (mega clearance deal). but now that I've been able to save a little bit, I can start shopping around for a better one. I'm looking at Mesa, but until I can afford it, I thought I would try and get the best tones possible with what i have right now. I'm not into buying too many pedals (actually the ones I have now were all waaaay cheaper than retail price, so its not like I spent a lot), but I would like to have some effects (def not overdo it like some people I've seen who have just an obscene amount). I guess after all is said and done, I just want a lead tone that rips through the mix. I suppose recreating something is a lil silly, but it was all I had to go on at the time. Now that i've been playing around with my setup, I realize there are a ton of ways to get different tones, just havent come up with that screamer yet, lol.
Thanks for the advice on the amps, as that will be my next undertaking....fun fun.....you guys rock. Its a pleasure to finally chat with some of you after just sitting by and reading so many posts.

BP, I will revisit this for a second. Finances prevent getting the amp, I understand that and frankly, I have a house full of Mesa's and my own lead tone is not always there.

Try to set your amp up for a good rythym sound. Im sure if you play with it enough you can find a usable tone. For your lead tone play with the Boss Distortion unit, from the looks of your other settings you are scooping your eq. If the distortion unit has eq on it, boost the mids some and then use your wah to bring out the lead tone. I wouldnt use chorus or flange on a lead tone unless you just want that effect. My Mesa amps I use a wah a lot for getting my lead tone to cut. I dont use it as a wah but more as a mid boost, I push down about halfway on it til I can feel it cutting thru. Ive found that my Mesa amps work for rythyms best with the mid scooped and if you go straight to a lead they sound a little empty. So my advice with the equipment you have is to work some way to boost your mids for leads. I think you will find that they cut thru when you focus on that area of your sound.

Good Luck, this is a good subject and its good to hear other guitarist veiws on setting up tones.

BP,

Nice tone on Bad GF, I thought that was the record when I first turned it on. Listening to your tone I would say go after the mids for your solos like I did in the above post. That will make them ride on top of the rythym sounds you are producing.

Sounds Good

Keep Rockin!

JW (And all others who have responded)
thanks so much for your advice!! I've been trying your method and its a little more effective, yet not quite there.
I took my problem to practice the other day (was trying to avoid that as I didnt want to use up valuable time) but the guys all agreed that this tone from my digitech is DEF valuable and worth saving. We managed to get the digitech hooked up, but now there is a new problem, lol.

I have the digitech on bypass when I am not using it and then I just stomp a pedal to get it to my lead tone and then bypass when I am done.
My problem is: I must be on the clean channel of my amp when I want to use the digitech. If I am on the distorted channel I get this horrible hissing and feedback sound. This makes it a bit difficult to go from playing a song (on the distorted channel), having to click to the clean channel, THEN hitting the digitech for the lead tone all in a split second (and then all that in reverse to get back into the song). I would like to be able to stay on my distorted channel and simply hit the digitech, play the lead, then put it back on bypass and be on with my business.
Right now, the digitech is hooked into the back of my head through the effects loop. Yes, yes, my sh!tty amp footswitch only controls the DFX built into the head, so it isnt really controlling what I have hooked into the loop. (note to self, start saving more money for better amp and fast).
Is there a way to get rid of this hissing and feedback? Should I just go with the A/B thing ratsass was talking about? Im thinking this is the best way, the more I mess with it.

BP, could you maybe program a couple more sounds in the Digitech unit for your rythyms. If youve got a good lead tone then surely you can program it for a rythym sound also. Those Marshalls just sound to buzz sawee to me, but thats my opinion.

I can run my POD into the effects return of my amps and the only thing working on the amp is the master volume.

Good Luck and keep on messing with it til you get what you want.

Humm, not real familiar with your amp. I run my effects through the effects loop on the amp and not in the signal path from my guitar.
The diagram that came with my amp suggested that this was the optimum routing for less "noise" in the system.
Then again I am only throwing a little delay into the solo riffs. But it does seem to cut through a little better.