Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Gazz on July 21, 2007, 10:36:40 AM
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I'm about to spend some dosh on hopefully "the right" unit but would like some second opinions:
I use a Les Paul Gold Top through Marshall VS100 combo, want a "lush valve/gain sound" without having to change my amp, considering:
Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor
EH English Muffin
Carl Martin Plexitone
Would a PROCO RAT pedal be a waste of time if I purchased on of the above too?
All have good reviews but really want best unit to compliment the guitar/amp i have. I play primarily hard rock/punky music and want that dirty rock sound
Thanks v much :D
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for 'lush valve sounds' you need a valve amp, it's that simple. put the cash you're gonna spend on the pedal towards a valve amp - it's the best solution in the long run.
as for the RAT pedal, don't buy a new one (they're shite). the original RAT was great, but they're using different opamps now that sound very different. how do I know this? - I've got a mate who's mad on RAT pedals and I've gutted some of his reissue pedals with the original circuit as backups for his original.
:twisted:
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for 'lush valve sounds' you need a valve amp, it's that simple. put the cash you're gonna spend on the pedal towards a valve amp - it's the best solution in the long run.
+1, simple. you want a valve sound, yu gotta get yourself a valve amp I'm afraid.
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You might want to check out the new Blackstar HT Dual. Put that through the clean channel on your amp and it'll sound awesome.
£139 of valve distortion awesome-ness :D
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I wouldn't get the new proco solo it sounds very fizzy and drops your volume instead of boosting. Maybe a pedal with a tube in it like the symour dunk twin tube?
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I wouldn't get the new proco solo it sounds very fizzy and drops your volume instead of boosting. Maybe a pedal with a tube in it like the symour dunk twin tube?
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:D Have to agree with the guys, you want a valve sound get a valve amp.
:D 8)
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Thanks for the comments......
I've read some reviews and listened to some FX demos on youtube and manufacturers sites and it's a toss up between the Blackstar HT Dual and the Seymour Duncan Twin Tube .....both have fantastic sounds, the Blackstar is approx £40 cheaper and the SD fx sems to have non-user replaceable tubes.....
Any ideas/recommendations on which FX unit would appear to be "the best"....any experiences with either?.....both seems very good units capable of doing the job I need
CHEERZ :)
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I can only speak for the Blackstar. It was being demo'd in my local shop on Friday afternoon back-to-back with a Radial Plexitone(?). It blew the radial away with its sheer depth of tone. This was through a Laney Lionheart combo set clean. It went from crunch to high gain and sounded superb. I don't think you'd be disappointed with it, plus it has a speaker emulated line out for recording with...
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twinfan did they test out the Blackstar boost pedal as well? I'm thinking of getting one. How did the Lionhearts sound btw? Are they as good as the reviews say?
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i'm firmly in the 'get a valve amp for valve sounds' camp
Keep seeing more pedals appearing on the market with a valve included in the design somehow. cant help but feel its just a marketing ploy.
In an amp you have valves running at really high voltages, something like 400v normally. In a pedal you have them running about 9-18v - its just not the same thing!!!!
I know some pedal designs probably really do benifit from a valve being included - look to the smaller makers for those. I cant help but think the larger manufacturers would include a valve purely for the fact a 'nice glowy valve' in the design would make more people buy it
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I think I read that the BS pedals step up the voltage internally so it runs at hundreds of volts...
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tbh i dont know much about them - i presume its not running on batteries to get that voltage
sorry for the rant i just think its worth looking out for, a nice glowy valve doesnt automatically make valve sounds - need pushing a bit more for that.....
..... which is why i still think its best to get a nice valve amp and a couple of good old stompboxes
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just checked out the SD and blackstar, they do both run on higher voltages to get the tube working properly but i would definately go with the blackstar over the SD. British made with valves you can change!! I dont like all SD's talk of subminiture valves
Gimme a big burning glass bottle and i am happy!!!!
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According to Guitarist mag Blackstar pedals run the internal valves at 300v - seems like a lot to me! There's some kind of switch which lets you run it at different bias settings to get different sounds across the spectrum as well, looks awesome! I'm saving up for the "pure filth" pedal as we speak :twisted:
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I think I read that the BS pedals step up the voltage internally so it runs at hundreds of volts...
Yep, they run at big volts to make the valve work properly. It works and sounds like an amp distortion. Seriously. I have a lot of overdrive/distortion pedals and I know their limitations. The Blackstar Dual smokes a fat one :twisted:
twinfan did they test out the Blackstar boost pedal as well? I'm thinking of getting one
Nope, they were only testing the Dual. They had the other pedals in stock though. I'm not convinced that a valve boost is any better than a solid state one. Speaking of boosters, I'm just about to order the Phil Hilborne Thunder Tomate booster...
How did the Lionhearts sound btw? Are they as good as the reviews say?
To be honest, I wasn't blown away. I thought it would sound superb, given the reviews, and yes it did sound good. It wasn't a patch on my Matamp Little Rock in my opinion, and the gains were very ordinary. You should try one out though, and see what you think. I'm very happy with my current amps at the moment so it would be hard to tempt me away to anything else...
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Thanks for your opinion twinfan, I guess I'll wait til I get a chance to try one out (the blackstar). Also you may have managed to convince me that I need a Little Rock. Now I just need to find money somehow :(
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The Blackstar does sound awesome.
The Laney Lionheart got top marks in another mag this month, so it can't be that bad. I think my expectations were too high...
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I've tried my Tube Factor on a POS Mosfet Marshall once. It actually made it sound half decent.
This pedal also runs @ something like 300 - 400 volts.
It doesn't matter if it's fed by a 14 volt adapter. A 300 volt stun gun is fed by a 9 volt battery.