i want sustainnnnnnnnnnnnnnn (BJF Pale Green?)

[themusicboxstudios]

Well the title says it all, i was wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to a pedal that can give me some nice lead sustain, but with lower gain tones (think ryan adams overdriven blackface type tones). I'm guessing a compressor would be the ticket. any ideas? BJF already has caught my eye with the pale green. any thoughts?

thanks, jon

 

[drolling]

I've been wanting a BJF comp, but I'm probably going to get the EGDM first. I've been told that it's really natural sounding and has a fast attack so you don't get that wierd pumping that so many comps do. I've got a couple of his pedals, and I get the feeling that everything he makes is worth having. If you don't like it, you can flip it in the emporium in about 5 minutes.

I did just get a nice compressor from Diamond. It's an 'opto' comp, so it doesn't have that dynamic killing effect that many pedals do. Sounds like a rackmount studio compressor, but very simple to operate, w/a tilt EQ, that boosts bass or treble - not like the standard tone pot that just rolls off the highs. I order most of my gear online these days, but I actually found this one in a store. After playing thru' it w/the shops amps & guitars, I had to get it. Sounds even better w/my own gear.

 

[Seegs]

I've had the PGC and foolishly sold it...it didn't have much squish...or kill your dynamics and it certainly didn't pump or give you heavy chicken pickin type compression...

in fact it was more a tone enhancer in that it just made your clean tone sound richer...more sparkly and just plain fuller...it was also great at smoothing my dirt boxes out and giving them more articulation and sustain...

it was the kind of comp. that you leave on all the time as when you turn it off your tone is a bit duller...a very musical comp.

I now have a Diamond comp. on the way and would love to have a PGC here just to compare the two...I'd probably end up keeping both of em'

Chow,
Seegs

 

[ccoker]

I don't have one, but the barber tone press makes a lot of sense (the blend knob) and it gets great reviews
price is right as well

probably will get one

 

[fast ricky love]

I've had the PGC and foolishly sold it...it didn't have much squish...or kill your dynamics and it certainly didn't pump or give you heavy chicken pickin type compression...

in fact it was more a tone enhancer in that it just made your clean tone sound richer...more sparkly and just plain fuller...it was also great at smoothing my dirt boxes out and giving them more articulation and sustain...

it was the kind of comp. that you leave on all the time as when you turn it off your tone is a bit duller...a very musical comp.

I now have a Diamond comp. on the way and would love to have a PGC here just to compare the two...I'd probably end up keeping both of em'

Chow,
Seegs

Please do post your thoughts once you compare the two... I have a Diamond Comp I LOVE and am using after my Timmy to toneshape just that smidge necessary... as happy as I am with it I still wonder if the PGC would be better or event the BJF EQ...?

 

[Seegs]

Please do post your thoughts once you compare the two... I have a Diamond Comp I LOVE and am using after my Timmy to toneshape just that smidge necessary... as happy as I am with it I still wonder if the PGC would be better or event the BJF EQ...?

Will do...fwiw I've had 2 Tonepresses...the 2nd time was just to revisit it and make sure I didn't make another mistake...I liked it as a thickening clean boost but as a compressor I didn't like the thickening...nice concept but in reality it didn't quite work for me...I much prefered the PGC...I also had a SBEQ which was originally designed to take the piezo quack out of acoustics...I know I stand in the minority but I also preferred the tonal enhancements of the PGC on my electric setup to the SBEQ...

Chow,
Seegs

 

[fast ricky love]

Thanks Seegs, I look forward to hearing about it. I am curious about that PGC compared to the Diamond...

 

[58lespaulman]

I think they are set up the same way with the EQ knob.. Rich I think you got a good compressor in the Diamond but if your like me you'll always look for something better. Hey Rich I finally changed to the Mi Audio Blues Pro, and the Timmy. Dude you got to try the Blues Pro, I would bet anything that you would love it.. I've been through alot of overdrive just like you and this is the best for Blues that I've ever heard, and it's only $89.00.

 

[themusicboxstudios]

thanks for the replies everyone. so is a compressor really what i need? no one really talked about sustain ... haha.

 

[fast ricky love]

Oh yeah, Shane, I have been trying EVERYTHING lately! BUT what has happened that got me to re-evaluate the compressor thing is that I put a Scumback speaker in my Bruno and it is IT! I was using the Diamond to add that last bit of beef to the tone with the G12H30 I had in there before, but now I'm finding the Scumback is making the compressor a bit redundant. I've got the Diamond set so low that I then started to think that maybe the BJF EQ would be what I now need... actually I don't REALLY need it either, that speaker is just wonderful... but ya never know til you try it I guess.

Anyway, I think you might be right about the Blues Pro, but is it really better than the Timmy? You'd be amazed at the list of OD's I've put up against the Timmy and have ALL come up short to my ears... some have been VERY good, and if I didn't have the Timmy I'd have been pretty happy. But the Timmy just is SOOO right for me.

BACK to the question at hand... YES! A good compressor will provide that sustain.

 

[drbob1]

Sustain-that's a tough one. I've been working on that for solos at church-wanting something that'll give smooth sustain, cool harmonics and not be noisy. So far I've tried about 25 od's and fuzzes in various combinations. The best things at sustaining by themselves actually turned out to be Big Muff style fuzzes-the "Little Big Muff" and the Sustain Punch Creamy Dreamer. Both are pretty noisy thru a vintage Vox, but the sustain and harmonics are great. Even better run thru a Timmy for a little added grit and the EQ control. The CD has the advantage that you can set it for sustain only, or for sustain and fuzz, also it's loud enough to give a significant (read dangerous to your speaker) boost for solo work. I've tried a compressor-Analogman Ross style, and to get the sustain I need it started pumping (cutting off the attack of notes then surging in volume-nasty effect). I haven't tried any of my real opto or other compressors yet, so that's still in the works...

 

[Don Rusk]

Yes I think what sets the PGC apart is its attack - it doesnt have that little fake sounding 'ping' on the front of the note....its also very low distortion so as mentioned its also a sweet tone enhancer by itself...
I use it either on clean parts or as a solo boost into a drive, adds sustain and harmonic content without loosing the leading edge of the picked note.....

 

[58lespaulman]

I still love the Timmy, and for a lot of stuff the Timmy is King, but you got to hear the BP for Blues style guitar tones. But the Timmy will do stuff that the BP won't do, so they both have there part. I think with the GE-7 Sniper I have the complete combo. What about the EQ or nature knob on the PGC, how does it work? DonneR can you elaberate a little on what the EQ knob does?


Shane Pasqualla
WET ANIMAL
http://www.wetanimal.net

 

[Frosty]

I have a BJF pale green comp and it is a beautiful, sweet, quiet pedal. That said, if you want serious sustain, I recommend the Keeley. I have both and they are different animals. The keeley can give more boost and more thick sustaining lines when playing a solo.

 

[dinrodef]

EBOW

 

[Don Rusk]

I still love the Timmy, and for a lot of stuff the Timmy is King, but you got to hear the BP for Blues style guitar tones. But the Timmy will do stuff that the BP won't do, so they both have there part. I think with the GE-7 Sniper I have the complete combo. What about the EQ or nature knob on the PGC, how does it work? DonneR can you elaberate a little on what the EQ knob does?


Shane Pasqualla
WET ANIMAL
http://www.wetanimal.net

Right ~ drive pedals also usually can add some compression too, and kicking in a second drive pedal can also help with sustain if you get them stacked right (it can also turn to mush)....and if you put the second pedal engaged first, it not only adds its own sustain but pushes the last one harder which can add more compression (ie 2 TSs, second one engaged, then kick in the first one for lead boost)....... or you can use an attenuator before your speaker and drive your amp harder so it compresses too...... or use less effecient speakers so they compress at a lower volume, or even less powerful tubes that will break up easier at lower volumes.....

simple sustain or the continued sounding of the note without resorting to compression can also be improved in your guitar itself by using more resonant woods and vibration happy hardware etc....

so assuming your happy with your guitar/tubes,trannies and speakers and the amount of distortion in your drive pedal and just want more sustain then a compressor pedal is the simplest way to get it....

oh yeah the PGC .....

uh the Pale Green compressor originally only had two knobs....

Most compressors roll off some highs becasue of what a compressor circuit does to the signal..... it adds very light distortion and since bass is attenuated more than treble you end up with a treble spike --- the PGC uses some special very high quality parts so it keeps the signal pure and actually enhances it - but it also had the little treble spike/bass loss that most compressors have......

So BJ made a special EQ knob that to the left replaces the bass lost without adding noise - and to t he right rolls off some highs like the red and gray comps
So at noon its the uneffected original PGC with slight bass loss and treble spike(great for pushing into an overdrive for boost) to the left gradually rolls the bass back in and to t he right adjusts the treble................
THEN he found a way to take out the 'fakeness' in the atack when you turn up the compression ( what turns most people away from comps eventually) and this is part of the third knob too...... so its a unique high quality, deceptively simple looking unit ------

if you just want some sustain then sure any comp will do or even another drive box........the PGC does it and tries to keep your signal purer... and the PGC into the SBEQ gives the sweetest clean tones Ive heard.

 

[Seegs]

Yes I think what sets the PGC apart is its attack - it doesnt have that little fake sounding 'ping' on the front of the note....quote]

Well I got the Diamond in today and it sounds really great but pretty different from the PGC...first off iit has that attack thing goin on...its not major in any sense of the word and better than most compressors but in comparison to the PGC it's noticeable...the PGC is just so natural sounding and feeling...

otoh I found the eq. knob usable throughout its whole range and it was a little more versatle than the nature knob on the PGC which tends to have its sweet spots...

I will have to check this out on my acoustic but my first impressions are that it will be good for soft arrpegiated passages...finger style parts and light strumming...for hard funk style playing or strumming it was a bit too pingy for my tastes something that the PGC excells at...

I like both boxes in front of my dirt boxes rather than after...in front they both tend to smooth out and sweeten the unruly ones...remove fizz and give better articulation and increase sustain and harmonics even at very low volumns...

I checked out the Diamond with a Honeybee, Menatone Foxy Brown, Workingmans Blue through a 64 Deluxe/Cannabis Rex and a Strat with Antiquities at really low volumn and the sound was huge...cranking it just gives you more of the same....

All in all I like the Diamond but the attack thing could be a deal breaker for me it all depends on how it works with my acoustic as to whether it stays or goes...

Chow,
Seegs

 

[fast ricky love]

Interesting Seegs, I found the attack to be fine with my Diamond, but that said, I've not compared it with the PGC... the EQ knob tho' is just the dog's bollocks. How that expression equates to something great I don't get btw...

 

[Seegs]

Hey Ricky the attack thing is subtle but noticeable especially in comparison to the PGC...that is the remarkable think about that comp...how natural feeling and sounding it is...but the Diamond is certainly no slouch...

that expression certainly works for me

Chow,
Seegs

 

[rh]

After going through the usual suspects for a compressor (the Barber and Keeley were particularly great) I settled on a BJF. Just something about it was a notch up over the others IMHO.