Bearfoot Model H 3k too hot

[hhylkema]

I just got a Bearfoot Model H (3 knob) and I think it sounds fantastic; however, there is one problem I am having. The output is super loud. I have to set the volume knob at 8:00 or less in order to have it blend well with my clean sound and/ or overdrive sounds. Is this normal? I want to set the volume at like noon to open it up a bit, but that would be ridiculously loud. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

[Abandoned]

The volume knob does have a lot of volume on tap.

[Seegs]

Originally Posted by hhylkema

I just got a Bearfoot Model H (3 knob) and I think it sounds fantastic; however, there is one problem I am having. The output is super loud. I have to set the volume knob at 8:00 or less in order to have it blend well with my clean sound and/ or overdrive sounds. Is this normal? I want to set the volume at like noon to open it up a bit, but that would be ridiculously loud. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Yes it is normal...I just got done upgrading the 4K in the European Tourbox and this mod addresses this issue very nicely. Ask Donner if the 3k can be upgraded as well. It's just a pot change that takes about 5 minutes to do

Chow,
Seegs

[Sauron]

Yes it's very loud and have a lot of headroom, killer pedal, it has also quite a lot of gain and very amp like feeling and tone!

Alessandro

[WolfStache]

Originally Posted by Seegs

Yes it is normal...I just got done upgrading the 4K in the European Tourbox and this mod addresses this issue very nicely. Ask Donner if the 3k can be upgraded as well. It's just a pot change that takes about 5 minutes to do

Chow,
Seegs

Curious about this now. I really really dig my 3 knobber but I wish it was a tad less murky. I never have the vol above 9. Does this mod address this as well? Also all the 4 knobbers from here on out are gonna be updated yes? Cool stuffs Seegs!

[Ben C.]

Originally Posted by hhylkema

I just got a Bearfoot Model H (3 knob) and I think it sounds fantastic; however, there is one problem I am having. The output is super loud. I have to set the volume knob at 8:00 or less in order to have it blend well with my clean sound and/ or overdrive sounds. Is this normal? I want to set the volume at like noon to open it up a bit, but that would be ridiculously loud.

If 'unity' is at 8 o'clock with the current volume pot, and would be 11 o'clock with a different volume pot, you're not going to be 'opening up' the sound of the pedal with a pot change; you will just be setting the new pot for 11 to = the old pot at 8.

If you're perceiving the pedal 'opening up' at noon (which has a sig. vol boost), you're actually perceiving your amp's input being hit with a hot signal, not the pedal changing character.

[zosozep7]

Does the bjfe have the same problem?

[goldie-gold]

How is this a problem?

I have an EGDM with a really hot output. I just set it to the right level. So what if the dial is set to 10 o'clock and the level an any other pedal is set to 2 o'clock?

I agree with Ben C about the hitting of the iput too.

I also think that, in the main, most OD/Dist/Fuzz pedals sound better when hitting the front end hard.

[Morningstaru]

Yarr I mean unless the pedal was designed to "open up" with volume, it won't really do anything but change the volume.

Usually simple fuzzes sometimes do this (like the meathead),
but on a 3knob/4knob OD like the Model H I don't think this is the case.

[Seegs]

This upgrade gives you a more gradual taper and makes it much easier to dial in a suitable volume.

The other way you're too soft than you're too loud and that can be a real problem as there is no real sweet spot. I like the improvement a lot as it gives me a larger range of acceptable volume. I don't know if it is available for the 3k.

The upgrades also sweetened up the overall tonality of the 4K pedal but that may have more to do with the treble pot being reduced from 100K to 10K. Drive and tone were left stock.

In general changing the volume pot seems to have adressed having a more gradual taper so either you like the texture of the MH or not the upgrades are not gonna make you like the overall tone or texture of the pedal which is amazing as it is.

Chow,
Seegs

[WolfStache]

^ This is what I figured. Cool man, thanks for clearing that up. I was wondering if anything else changed in the circuit.

[coldfingaz]

Originally Posted by goldie-gold

How is this a problem?

I completely agree. I'm so happy with the original BF release that I've never even considered the 4-knob version.

I also had a BJFE v2 & the original BF is very similar to that.

[sladest]

i think we're onto something here......a PEDAL soak/attenuator......all jokes aside, my model h 3 knobber is the same. i find it can also be a great treble boost paired with my fuzz's. although its silly to think of it as anything else but a great od pedal.

[drbob1]

Umm, a pedal soak/attenuator would be a volume pedal... I think you can find something like that out there (or build a "pad pedal" in a tiny box with a single knob, throw in an DMZ style buffer if you're worried about tone suck).

[DonneR]

well really the SBEQ is a great 'pedal soak' at the end of the dirt section, thats kind of what it does ~ absorbs some of the icepick and warms up the rest and the more gain its fed the more it warms up - so you could run your gain pedal hotter than normal and reign it back in with the SBEQ ......



Yes the H is a 'Hot' pedal ~ thats part of the Hiwatt 'feel', like you have something more powerful than you doing the work in your chain.. like riding a Horse.

The revision on the 4 knob Hs actually returns it to this feeling and just adds the more even spread on the Treble knob.....

One of the beauties of the H is the way it follows your guitars volume knob down into light dirt, which is the oldschool way for Pete to get the full range of dirt.....and this is part of the design.

The EARLY 4 knob Hs serve a purpose to those that wanted a bit less gain push and lots more treble ....... enjoy them, there wont be anymore like that ; ]

Those that wanted less gain will be better served by our upcoming releases I think