I need help with my distortion! help!

[Cal]

Hiya!

Firstly let me give you a run down of my gear:

Ibanez RG 520QS - With raised stock p/ups (v8+v7)
Boss ME-30 (which i use for distortion and is known to have ****ty distortion)
Original Crybaby - Jim Dunlop
Roland 408 Amp(shown below) - which i connect upto a quadbox for live gigs.



http://www.guitarmag.com/issues/9807/roland.html

I am finding that my distortions are sounding muddy/boxy esp. when the amp is cranked. I play in an original band that plays rock and metal. I connect the Roland amp to a quadbox cabinet for live gigs.

Is it worth me gettin rid of the ME-30 and buyin a good pre amp such as the Mesa/Boogie twin-V?

The only effects I use on the ME-30 are the chorus,reverb,compressor and noise gate (the wah is **** so that why i got the crybaby).

What kind of sound can I expect from the guitar and amp package that I'm using if I decide to get a twin-v or other pre-amps?

Can anyone suggest anythin else to improve my tone?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm not very experience in the amp side of things.

Thanks. :P[/img]

[winterlong]

I'd get a better amp if I were you, not a new preamp.

[caprile]

for gigs, you need a good half stack that really moves some air.

[Lonely Raven]

for gigs, you need a good half stack that really moves some air.

Spoken like a true guitarest...

The number one complaint from sound guys (besides venue sound) is
that the guitarest is trying to blow everyone off the stage with his wall
of sound.

As long as you have a mike and PA, you can honestly get by with just
a 1X12 that just sounds *KILLER*. I've seen some fantastic guitarest
play with little 25watt tube amps from the 60's and sound just *huge*

Cal, have you tried putting a distortion pedal in front of your ME-30?
I'm dating myself here, but I used to have an ME-5...which I think had
better distortion then the ME-30, but I still ran pedals in front of it.
I had a BOSS DS-1, BOSS SD-1, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and Ibanez
Metal Charger.

If you want some cheap fun, and an easy way to get *good* (subjective)
distion, just find a used BOSS DS-1. I picked another one up a few days
ago for $25. The worse you could do is not like it and have to sell it for
what you paid for it.

Honestly, try and work with what you have as best as you can. Don't get
caught up in the "Quest for the Holy Grail of Sound". Unless you are
*very* lucky, not very picky, or have a budget of a Pro, you probably
won't find it easily.

[Two hands31]

Buy Line6.

[shawn]

right on two hands 31.

in my opinion, the me-30 sucks something major. sloppy, undefined mush for tone. if you insist on using the rig you have with a multiprocessor, get a gt-3, gt-5, or best case scenario, the gt-6. those are good bang for the buck units and have excellent sound quality (without movin up to rack stuff of course). but, if i were you, id get a different amp. its true that you can use a small amp to get great tone, but it has to be a small amp that can produce great tone, and the roland just isnt it. so id say dont try and beef up the roland, itd be like putting a turbo on a KIA sephia.

[Two hands31]

On a more serious note, if you want lots of effects, but still a simple amp + pedal system, the Line6 Flextone II or even Vetta with Floorboard is what you may want to look into. I'm very happy with the tones I get with my 60-watt 1x12 Flextone II combo, and at the only gigs I play (my youth group) the sound guy (luckily a friend) keeps telling me to turn it down (so I turn it up. ).

[RSVampire]

I also agree on getting a Line6. Lonely Raven is right too...listen to Steve Morse when he says "during vocals...turn your tone knob all the way down...you'll still be pushing air...but it'll put a spot where the vocals can go..making a happy sound guy" And Half Stacks aren't needed for gigs. Unless your playing in stadiums