Guitar (83 LP) totally sounds better out of the chain

[sixstring531]

I've been writing recently about my newer 83 LP Standard with Shaw pickups and how I wasn't really digging the tones (Bad Cat Black Cat) I was getting. Felt too hot, not much control---- well......

Yesterday I plugged it straight into the amp (friend borrow board) and it sounds friggin awesome. I'm not changing a thing on this guitar. No squealing at all. I was about to drop $$ on an RS kit because it sounded muffled...etc, but now I know the prob is in my chain on the board.

So, when I get the board back, I am going to switch things around. Going to try the TU2 (had it out of the chain with a TB switcher....but noticed the switcher was actually adding noise) after the OD pedals before MOD and Delay and at the front of my chain to see if it makes it better when plugged into the board.

I am powering with a DC Brick (which does just fine by me) and using the no-solder planetwaves cables. Any suggestions (other than buying more expensive stuff)?

My chain right now is TIM>DLS>Choralflange>Nova Delay>TU2>AMP

 

[The Golden Boy]

So the guitar sounds awesome right into the amp.

The guitar sounded like poop with things between it and the amp.

You still want to put stuff between the guitar and the amp?

 

[sixstring531]

LOL.......yeah, I really need to for what I'm doing.

 

[eyeball987]

Better cables, boost/buffer placement, etc...

I found that adding a MXR Micro Amp at the front of the chain and setting it to about noon negated any tone sucks that I noticed when going straight in. Elixir also sent me a new cable to try out and I am shocked how much clearer and brighter it is compared to my Planet Waves cable I was using. Youtube has some comparison vids on these. I don't know how much those are going to sell for on the street but I am hoping they have some patch cables too.

 

[Sizeofanocean]

That's exactly why I don't like pedals I have a few, and with a BBE Sonic Maximizer first in the chain the difference isn't noticeable (recommended!), but still I play straight into the amp most of the time, love the simplicity too...

And +1 on the Elixir cables, I have a Klotz which had the lowest resistance I could find at the time, but the Elixir really is a step above it (even lower resistance), amazingly clear, and rugged too.

 

[chaos]

. . . try putting the time based effects in the loop. It was a massive improvement for me. I run my chorus and delay in the loop.

Chaos

 

[The Golden Boy]

LOL.......yeah, I really need to for what I'm doing.

I totally know what you're saying.

Just intrigued by the irony of it.

 

[sixstring531]

The planet waves are my patch cables -- my guitar cables are 1. Livewire 2. Older Dimarzio Braid cable (was expensive 15 years ago )

 

[just_one_more]

First thing to do is see if it is just 1 pedal loading you down, or an accumulation of all of it. If you have a vox wah or some of the Marshall pedals in there, that would be my first guess as I have personally had to deal with those. There are plenty of others. Try each pedal on its own to see if you find the culprit. If not start adding them 1 at a time. It may be a single pedal that is not true bypass or properly buffered that is loading you down, or it could be a combo of all of it. If it ends up being all of it, as mentioned a buffer (MXR micro amp or Seymour Duncan SFX01 type pedal set for untiy gain) as the first device and that should be able to drive the chain. Moving time based effects to the loop is also a good idea if that is the tone you are after.

 

[D.G.]

You want a good quality buffer as the first pedal in your chain. It doesn't have to be dedicated buffer. I like the buffers in the Tech21 pedals, though I actually use the boost side of a ZVex Box of Rock set to unity gain on my board. Keep in mind that some pedals do NOT like to have a buffer before them, such as some fuzz boxes.

 

[sixstring531]

How's the buff on my TU2 -- I'll try it tonight and see if that can tame the tones a bit.