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Topic: pick ups and amps |
Richard Lester
From:
Constable, New York, USA
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Posted 1 Mar 2024 4:45 pm |
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Fellow steelers,
All amps and pick-ups are not compatible with each other. Example: Some amps can't handle "hot" pick-ups and they can cause distortion and overtones, even a hum. This advice come to me by an amp manufacturer and an amp repairman. Out of curiosity, I tested their theories and found they were right. Just wanted to share this info with you all.
Rich
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Zum D-10, GFI S10 keyless ultra, 2020 Flight Ready SD-10 Rittenberry, Quilter Steelaire, Telonics vol. pedal |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 4 Mar 2024 8:08 pm
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| I agree. My experience has led me to a few miss matched gear. The buffer right out of my steel has solved problems on several. But the results are not always favorable for tone. |
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 5 Mar 2024 6:30 am
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| That all depends on what sound you're looking for (except for the hum, which cannot be caused by a "mismatched" pickup and amp). |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 9 Mar 2024 2:50 pm Re: pick ups and amps
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| Richard Lester wrote: |
Fellow steelers,
All amps and pick-ups are not compatible with each other. Example: Some amps can't handle "hot" pick-ups… |
Well….yes and no. We Steelers normally play with a volume pedal, and that can control what the amp “sees”. Normally, the answer to the hot pickup problem is to turn the amp volumes ALL the way up. That forces the player to usem a limited amount of volume pedal, which, in turn limits input to the amplifier and any EFX between the volume pedal and amp. It seems counter-intuitive, but it works. However, a great many players cannot control the volume pedal totally, so that becomes the limitation in this case. (Of course, this volume pedal solution does not work on EFX that are inserted between the guitar and volume pedal.)
Regardless of the amp I’m using, and regardless of whether I’m playing quietly at home or in an big arena, the volumes are always maxed. I’m comfortable with using the pedal for total control of my max volume, but most others aren’t. It can exacerbate any noise problem, though, so you have to keep that in mind. |
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Larry Hobson
From:
Valley Grande (Selma) Al USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2024 6:28 pm Amp and volume
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| Donny, Am I right, you turn the volume control all the way to max . Never tried that. Usually set mine to average needed volume with pedal around mid travel , leaving remaining pedal travel to facilitate sustain. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 9 Mar 2024 8:13 pm
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That’s right, Larry. The added bonus when you do this is, that since you have more travel left above your “normal” volume pedal position, you also have more available volume left for more sustain. What keyed me into this is seeing how Buddy Emmons set his amp when he was playing at the ISGC. He set the volume twice as high as any other player, even though he was using the same amp!
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Larry Hobson
From:
Valley Grande (Selma) Al USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2024 8:39 pm Pickup and amp
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| Interesting! Always seemed to get a little better tone with volume pedal advanced somewhat away from the low end BUT that assumption may be incorrect. Any perceived better tone may be due to the increase in the volume itself regardless of whether it comes as a result of the pedal's pot position or amp volume setting. Pondering |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 10 Mar 2024 6:15 am
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Larry, running a pot-pedal in the lower regions can reduce the available treble due to loading, but there are answers to this. You can use a buffer, you can add the “Myrick-mod” to your volume pedal, or you can simply turn up the treble control.
Of course, if you’re using a powered pedal (and you have it set for zero gain), you don’t have to do anything. |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2024 1:30 pm
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| You could also put the volume pedal in an effects loop, if your amp has one. This sends a pretty true preamp signal to the VP with all the gain and eq bells and whistles at any volume level. |
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Tommy Shown
From:
Denham Springs, La.
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Posted 25 Mar 2024 10:33 pm
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| How would one do that on a 112 with a Pro FexII hooked up to the 112? |
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Tommy Shown
From:
Denham Springs, La.
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Posted 25 Mar 2024 10:34 pm
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| How would one do that on a 112 with a Pro FexII hooked up to the 112? |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 26 Mar 2024 9:50 am
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Tommy, it depends on what effects you are using in the Profex. If you are just adding delay, chorus, or verb, you can run it straight to the 112’s input or put it in the post-eq loop. Any overdrive effects should be routed to the amp input. It may be possible to set up the Profex signal chain and cable the input/outputs to accommodate some effects to go into the loop and others to go to the input.
Volume pedal, from what I understand of the 112, would go into the pre-eq loop, in order to maximize the full effect of the pre-amp gain structure and eq at any volume pedal position. This may or may not be desirable, depending on the settings and/or the player who wants to be able to back off the gain with a lowering of volume.
It’s worth experimenting with to see what difference it makes in your tone or effects sound. Amp loop behavior is not necessarily all the same, and it could make a big difference in your sound.
So-
Guitar->112 Input
VP->PreEQ Loop
Profex->PostEQ Loop
Or-
Guitar->Profex->112 Input
VP->PreEQ Loop
I’m not going to recommend any wiring connection scheme for splitting the Profex signal chain because I do not own nor have experience with either the 112 or the Profex. The other connection schemes will do no harm. |
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