I need some effect advice.

[Guitarzan088]

I have this Realistic Ten Band Graphic Equaizer that I recieved from a friend about a year ago. I never really got around using it until now. Recently I have been looking at a few guitar effects as I have none. One of them being MXRs M-108 Ten Band EQ.

So instead of spending 120 bucks on a new MXR, would it be possible for me to run my guitar through the EQ that I have?

The only reason I ask is because it seems to be deisigned for use with old tape based stero systems, plus instead of the standard 1/4" mono plug ithas the RCA Red/White jacks.

If I run my guitar signal through this will I experience a loss in quality? I want to use it in the FX loop on my Splawn Quickrod, which would require switching from 1/4 to RCA and back.

[Salamander In The Sun]

Is the name of the brand Realistic?

[Gusfmm]

Why do you need to use that EQ? EQ is not an effect. It is a tool. Graphic EQ's are of very limited use on guitar rigs. If you need to shape your guitar sound and you definitively need to use EQ for that, then you need a good 5-band parametric EQ or a multiFX with similar capabilities.

Gus.

[elcid]

Originally Posted by Guitarzan088

If I run my guitar signal through this will I experience a loss in quality? I want to use it in the FX loop on my Splawn Quickrod, which would require switching from 1/4 to RCA and back.

It's a 10 year old Radio Shack EQ, yes you will have a loss in tone quality.

[carlos seo]

Yup, I agree with elcid.

I had one of these old EQs for stereo systems and I experienced a lot of noise and loss of tone. Now I'm happily stuck with a Boss GE-7.

Regards,

Carlos

[Drew]

Out of curiosity, are you pretty happy with your overall tone, as it is, or do you not dig the sound you've got coming out of the amp?

If you're pretty happy, then odds are you don't really need an EQ to make it better. And, if you're not, well, I'd think changing the amp would be a better bet than adding an EQ to your rig.

I'm sort of old-school in this respect, but I've always thought that a good rig (especially something like a Splawn) should sound pretty much right without the need for any additional EQ tweaking to make it useable, and if it doesn't then maybe a different rig is the answer, not slapping a band-aid on the existing one.

[elcid]

Personally, I would never put an EQ anywhere in my rig.

[Salamander In The Sun]

Originally Posted by elcid

Personally, I would never put an EQ anywhere in my rig.

Really? How come?

[elcid]

Why bother. The amp has an EQ, the distortion/over drive pedal(s) have an EQ, the guitar has a tone knob. There's more than enough EQ already available.

[Salamander In The Sun]

Originally Posted by elcid

Why bother. The amp has an EQ, the distortion/over drive pedal(s) have an EQ, the guitar has a tone knob. There's more than enough EQ already available.

Yeah, but an EQ could be good for somebody who likes to tweak every little frequency.

It confuses me, and I don't have much use for it, but I'd imagine that somebody out there could put one to good use. Don't you think?

I agree with you, though. I have too many little knobs and switches to worry about as it is, I don't need any more.

[Martyr Machine]

Originally Posted by elcid

Why bother. The amp has an EQ, the distortion/over drive pedal(s) have an EQ, the guitar has a tone knob. There's more than enough EQ already available.

It effectively gives you a third channel.

[elcid]

Originally Posted by Salamander In The Sun

It confuses me, and I don't have much use for it, but I'd imagine that somebody out there could put one to good use. Don't you think?

Not really, it's actually pretty high on my list of things I think are pointless, but to each his own

[Drew]

Originally Posted by Salamander In The Sun

Yeah, but an EQ could be good for somebody who likes to tweak every little frequency.

It confuses me, and I don't have much use for it, but I'd imagine that somebody out there could put one to good use. Don't you think?

I agree with you, though. I have too many little knobs and switches to worry about as it is, I don't need any more.

While I grant that this is truue, I have yet to actually hear anyone go that route of "tweaking every frequency" and getting better results than they would by just using a more appropriate amp.

Don't get me wrong, I do a bit of EQ tweaking here and there in a mix, but it's pretty subtle stuff, a hi-pass to cut out some low end rumble, a few slight notches here and there to help the guitar sit against the bass, etc. Live, most of these things wouldn't be very apparent at all, and the fact remains that I'm not doing any real tone "changing" but rather just rolling back frequency ranges that aren't really part of the fundamental tone, to leave more room for other instruments that need them.

If you find you have to do anything more than light tweaks, odds are you're playing the wrong amp.

[TheMusicBucket]

The only thing that I would use an EQ pedal for is a slight volume/freq boost. But there are plenty of OD and boost pedals out there that will do just that.

So, IMO it's not worth it.