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2K views 21 replies 7 participants last post by  Dantesstudio 
#1 ·
So before i start heres my current rig.
Amp- Mesa stiletto deuce stage II
Cab- Orange 1 by 12 celestion and a mesa rectifire 2 by 12
Guitars- Ibanez S 2170se(fitted with a tone zone and an air norton), Ibanez JS100
Pedals- Ibanez Ac chorus, Ibanez TS1, Tech 21 Boost R.V.B (reverb), a wah that is in a Cry baby shell but has been modded to the point is sounds nothing like the og cry baby which is what i was going for, it also doubles as a volume pedal when turned off.

I have narrowed down my compressor search to two pedals. A BBE opto stomp and an MXR dyna comp. Which of the two would you buy?

My other question is where do i go from here? I want to be able to achieve a really focused distortion channel. I want something that will allow my tone to sound very fluid and powerful kind of like the lead tones of John Petrucci on songs like Hollow Years, In the Name of God, or Another Day. What pedals or devices could help me with this? I was thinking of perhaps a new distortion pedal since at the moment i only use amp distortion. I have tried a BBE Double Drive and a Fulltone OCD niether of which i liked. Any suggestions.

Thanks.
 
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#2 ·
Forgot those two compressors. Get the Barber Tonepress. It's one of the best compressors for the money out there.

You don't need a new distortion pedal with a great amp like that to get fluid lead sounds (that'd be like going a step backwards). You probably need a nice overdrive to couple with your gain channel to get those fluid lead sounds. I'd recommend the Xotic BB Preamp for that. Use the gain channel in conjunction with the pedal.
 
#7 ·
WAY back in the day JP used to use a Tone Zone - Images and Words, I believe.

Honestly, grab a THD Hot Plate or a Weber attenuator or something - anything but the Marshall Powerbreak, really. The Stiletto shares with the Rectifier series a significant volume sensitivity where it's OK at low volumes, but it gets exponentially better as the levels come up. I've got a Rectoverb combo (50 watts) and honestly I don't think I could justify owning one as a bedroom amp if it wasn't for the THD.

Once the poweramp starts coming into the picture in a big way, you'll feel like you ave a whole new amp.

Also, experiment with using your Tube Screamer as a clean boost - I leave mine with the gain a touch below 1, the volume at unity, and tone wherever it happens to sound right (usually a touch over halfway). It gives a tighter metal rhythm sound, and I'm sort of split for leads - it's more dynamic and open without it, but it has more of that Satriani feel with. It's not just gain levels, exactly, but the WAY the amp overdrives that changes, and the way the sound is focused...
 
#8 ·
WAY back in the day JP used to use a Tone Zone - Images and Words, I believe.

Honestly, grab a THD Hot Plate or a Weber attenuator or something - anything but the Marshall Powerbreak, really. The Stiletto shares with the Rectifier series a significant volume sensitivity where it's OK at low volumes, but it gets exponentially better as the levels come up. I've got a Rectoverb combo (50 watts) and honestly I don't think I could justify owning one as a bedroom amp if it wasn't for the THD.

Once the poweramp starts coming into the picture in a big way, you'll feel like you ave a whole new amp.

Also, experiment with using your Tube Screamer as a clean boost - I leave mine with the gain a touch below 1, the volume at unity, and tone wherever it happens to sound right (usually a touch over halfway). It gives a tighter metal rhythm sound, and I'm sort of split for leads - it's more dynamic and open without it, but it has more of that Satriani feel with. It's not just gain levels, exactly, but the WAY the amp overdrives that changes, and the way the sound is focused...
What is a THD hot plate or a weber ateunater. Sorry but i dont know much about anything really. And how do you feel about a compressor. I just bought a Dynacomp and its really stupid. When i turn up my distored channle then it begins to get really distant sounding and losses all of its base sound. Also, if i set the level appropiatly for the clean channle i suffer a huge volume drop when i switch to the distorted channle.

You dont think the Tone Zone is going to be able to achieve the tone i want?
 
#9 · (Edited)
I don't want to sound harsh, but I think you need to research a bit more and spend some more time with your gear before you spend any more money.

For example, of course when you use a compressor you will lose some bass (depending on how it's set). That's the point of a compressor (to compress the signal).

You're really going to have to spend a lot of time tweaking to get things how you like them. It's not something you do in one day. Some people spend countless years and amounts of money just to find that particular tone in their head. A magical pickup swap or pedal change more than likely isn't going to be the answer. It's just a small part of the overall tonal equation (guitars, amps, volume, pedals, tubes, etc...).

My advice? Play around with what you already have and get to know their features like the back of your hand. Then you will know where to proceed.

And to answer your question, an attenuator is a device that lets you run your tubes at a higher power without an increase in volume. As you may or may not know, when you crank a tube amp, the power tubes will begin to "open up" and sound really good. Tube amps usually sound much better when they are run at higher volumes.

Hope this can be of some help. :D
 
#10 ·
No bro i know what compressor does. Like it sounds very very distant. It takes off ALL of the treble. I have tried these out i tried 8 different compressors and this is the one i picked after taking one of them home to demo. The one they ordered for me did not behave to same way. I have researched it. I have tried countless pedals in my rig and tweeked them for hours. It took me 6 months to convence my self i needed i new amp when i was playing through a Tone Blaster. I take my time with stuff like that. That is why i am on this forum right now asking yall what i should get. I know how i want my rig to sound and i know how it currently sounds. Trust me dude ive messed with it.

Dont take that as me being offended though i know what you mean. When ever i am at stores i always see little rich kids with no talent just buying equipment to buy it. Its frustrating i wish i had their money. I worked as much as a teenager can work to buy the rig i have now. I just feel that i could make it better and i want to know how.
 
#13 ·
It is hard to describe tone with words. I want a very focused lead tone. I want it to have a sort of "Bubbly" sound. Listen to the live version of Innocence Faded on the score cd. That is sort of what i want. I very tight but reverb filled lead tone. I like my rythem tone and i LOVE my clean tone. The stiletto doesnt need much help on the clean just a little reverb which is what my tech 21 RVB boost is for.

I am almost where i want i just gotta find that lead tone.
 
#12 ·
Oops, I just posted that you should try a power attenuator, then realised someone had already beat me to it. Hehe. Running a compressor into your amp will take away all the dynamic range, and from the tones you say you're after, I think you want more articulation in your sound, which can be achieved by turning the amp up (and using an attenuator to bring it down to a usable level). It will still compress, but in a different way that will retain and, usually, enhance the detail of your playing, whereas a compressor pedal can sap these details away. So I think you should forget about buying a compressor and think about an attenuator.
 
#14 ·
Here's the description (the first part of it, anyway, before they start talking about added features) from the MF website:

[quote="Musician's Friend']The THD Hot Plate Attenuator is a power attenuator and noise reducer that lets you attain the incredible sound of your amp running at high output and full distortion but at recording, small club, and neighbor-friendly volumes. It also makes a perfect dummy load.

A power attenuator is simply a device placed between the speaker output and the speaker cabinet. It acts like a huge master volume control and permits the amp to be turned up most or all the way while absorbing most of the power generated by the amplifier and turning this power into heat. It passes a small part of the power to the speaker.

Designed for use strictly with vacuum tube guitar amplifiers, each version of the Hot Plate is optimized for a specific impedance. These inductive loads are frequency-compensated, which means you get the best possible sound for that impedance speaker and amplifier combination. Plus the Hot Plate is no simple power attenuator. It offers many capabilities that make it a great addition to any tone-hungry player's arsenal.[/quote]

It's basically a little box that bleeds volume off your amp that you plug in between your speaker output and your speaker. It's not 100% transparent, and it definitely colors your tone a little bit (though the bright and deep switches really do a wonderful job of compensating for this), but my experience has been the difference between the sound of my Rectoverb without a hotplate and the sound of a Rectoverb with a hot plate but running MUCH harder because I'm bleeding off 16db before the signal hits the speaker is huge, and it sounds WAY better with than without.

The Stilettos and Rectifiers are pretty volume sensitive, and I'd argue that you haven't really "heard" what the amp can do until you've heard it wide open. An attenuator is simply a way to do that without killing nearby innocent bystanders.
 
#15 ·
Well, cranking the volume changes the tone, too. Here's what happens when you crank the volume. If you view the distorted preamp output on the oscilloscope, you will see that the output is "spiky" and squarish waves have "valleys" in them. Valleys are the scooped mids and lower mids, spikes represent "sizzle" and harshness in the highs. So when the output tubes begin to compress, spikes are much reduced, the amp gets darker, you get more sustain, and where you set your tone controls begins to matter less and less. Then after some point output tubes themselves begin to distort, which increases apparent brightness, since the output gets "spiky" again.
 
#18 ·
Thank you to everyone but this guy. I love my stiletto. I am in highschool and cant afford a new amp and even if i could i wouldnt want to. And no i am probably gonna go to a music school and my dad wont let me join the army even so i am to liberal and Bush opposed to go.

So if i get an ateunator i should hands down get the hot plate. Will this keep me from being able to use the solo button on my amp for more volume in certain songs? I like that feature of the amp it keeps me from turning knobs on stage. I have a 16 ohm 1 by 12 orange cab and an 8 ohm 2 by 12 mesa cab. Which ohm ateunator should i get? Do i have to buy two or can i use one for both of the?
 
#22 ·
I havent really found a whole lot of atteunators out there on the web. There arent any in town to try out so i dont know how ill try one. I think i am gonna have to buy one site unseen.

Ya i know a guy who went over there and he always talks about how the media doesnt report the "Good" of the war. I think what the actual soliders are doing is wonderful and they are all incredible men and women. I just dont really agree with any part of our government. Besides i am 5'7 and colorblind meaning i definatly would not be a good solider lol. I see your point and i agree with you.
 
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