Stage One and Quilter T12

Alex Stewart · From: California, USA

Hi all,

I can't lift much after two back operations and was looking for a nice, light amp to go with my Zum Stage One. I bought a Travis Toy TT12 for the weight and can still return it.

I am having a hard time getting a good clean Lloyd Green tone out of it. My Strats and Teles are crystal clean through the Quilter, so I don't think it is the amp. The tone I am getting is good, but always has that 'growl', which I really like, but would like to get a good round clean tone out of it, too. The tone I am getting is pretty close to forum member Steve Hinson's tone on 'Oildale' from 'The Saints' 'Tassajara' album with Herb Pedersen and Mike Beck. I love Steve's tone on that song, but I want the variety that he gets in other songs, too, of course.

It feels like the combination of amp and guitar aren't gelling. I have gotten nice Lloyd Green 'Round Clean' out of the Stage One with other amps, but I have been working on tone all week and can't get the nice, round clean out of the Quilter and the Stage One. I measure the Stage One pickup output at 16 ohms, which seems in line with PSG humbucker pups.

I am out of ideas. I keep my volume pedal low, Quilter @ 200W and Gain low. Tried every combination with the Full Q and Vintage. Today I tired the FRFR for the heck of it and that was actually the cleanest and felt like with some more time I could dial that in for good Clean. Weird.

Any suggestions welcome and thanks.

btw...Steve Hinson...I am stealing all your licks off of 'Tassajara'...I love them...hope you don't mind Smile

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

FWIW my EQ settings are FullQ, Bass 12 O'clock, Mid and Treble 2 clicks Left of 12 O'clock. I've used these settings with a Franklin and GFI.
From a Travis Toy promo video my settings are the same as his.

Best steel sound I've had since a AB768 chassis Twin Reverb with JBL's.

Alex Stewart · From: California, USA

Thanks Jack,

I appreciate you giving me some input. I have followed the threads where you and Travis both posted photos of your settings. That is where I started. I guess I just need to work on my technique more. I just picked up PSG a couple years ago.

In Buddy Emmon's 'Witchita Lineman', he goes back and forth between the two tones. The chords are clean and glassy and the single note melody is 'growly'. In the Outro @ 2:20 he has both tones going at the same time on the two tracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T23Z1e8UnPM

I have heard it said that there are two tone 'camps' Emmons and Green. I'm sure we all like both and I guess I'll eventually learn how to go back and forth. My first lexicon for PSG tone was 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo'. My band does all the steel songs on that album and the tones of Lloyd Green and Jay Dee Maness is where I went while learning (well, at least trying to learn...lol) all their parts.

Michael Sawyer · From: North Carolina, USA

[quote="Jack Stoner"]FWIW my EQ settings are FullQ, Bass 12 O'clock, Mid and Treble 2 clicks Left of 12 O'clock. I've used these settings with a Franklin and GFI.
From a Travis Toy promo video my settings are the same as his.

My TT 12 settings are right there with yours,and sound pretty dang good on my old 8 string Fenders.

I have had mine about 2 months,played 3 shows with it,and i am still tweaking the settings,so i am probably not much good on any advice to the OP,but i found there is a world of different voices on this little amp.

Tucker Jackson · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Alex, besides the volume pedal, is there anything else in your signal chain that could be overdriving the amp input? And is it a pot volume pedal, or one where you can adjust the output level?

Since your 6-stringers are clean but the PSG is not, that may be because a steel pickup has a bigger magnet and is usually hotter. You might try lowering the pickup a little to see if that has any effect on the slight breakup you're hearing. Bonus: it might get your tone closer to the 60's style 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo' thing.

Alex Stewart · From: California, USA

Michael and Tucker,

Thank you both for your input. Today I am having much better luck and it is with the settings that both Jack and Tucker suggested.

Michael, I am using a Stage One pot VP and a Sarno Freeloader in my signal chain and I run the Sarno at about 6; seems to have always taken the 'edge' off for me.

I am having a really good tone day today with the Quilter for the first time and I'm not sure why. It's like just reaching out to you all helped in itself, which doesn't make any sense, I know.

I guess my 69 year-old ears are finicky. (When in doubt or embarrassed, always blame it on age!)

Tucker Jackson · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Glad you got it sorted.

I've been puzzling some more on this... if the problem crops again, make sure the Freeloader is first in line, patched in before the volume pedal.

If that doesn't fix it, just for kicks, try temporarily removing it from the chain.

But you're good for now!

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