Low gain sound, high gain feel?

Discussion in 'Effects, Pedals, Strings & Things' started by bshields, Sep 3, 2019.

  1. Sep 3, 2019 #1
    bshields

    bshields Member

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    Hi guys - need some guidance.

    I love the way a Fuzz Factory feels super responsive at high gain, so easy to play, but still controllable and clear.

    I've never been able to get that easy-to-play-but-not-choked/congested feel without fuzz, using a clean tone through a compressor (usually optical, sometimes with a blend knob). I feel either like the sound is completely choked, or weak and doesn't sustain the same way.

    Have any of you found a way to achieve extremely responsive feel with low gain? What did you use? For the record, often talking about pretty quiet amps, really looking to get those tones via pedals vs. from the amp alone.
     
    bshields, Sep 3, 2019
    bshields, Sep 3, 2019
    #1
  2. Sep 3, 2019 #2
    thesjkexperienc

    thesjkexperienc ^^^ I made this guitar^^^ Supporting Member

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    I use a treble booster into an OD pedal and adjust the gain with the guitars volume knob.

    You might try going over unity gain on the volume and lower the compression until there is no pumping with the compressor.
     
    thesjkexperienc, Sep 3, 2019
    thesjkexperienc, Sep 3, 2019
    #2
    Tom Gross likes this.
  3. Sep 3, 2019 #3
    Purple_Plexi

    Purple_Plexi Member

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    Not sure I get the Fuzz Factory analogy, but I imagine you'll get what you're looking for by stacking a couple nice touch sensitive pedals hitting the front end of your amp.
     
    Purple_Plexi, Sep 3, 2019
    Purple_Plexi, Sep 3, 2019
    #3
  4. Sep 3, 2019 #4
    prowlinacage

    prowlinacage Member

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    Barber Gain Changer
     
    prowlinacage, Sep 3, 2019
    prowlinacage, Sep 3, 2019
    #4
    Daytona57 likes this.
  5. Sep 3, 2019 #5
    TimH

    TimH Member

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    How quiet are we talking here?
     
    TimH, Sep 3, 2019
    TimH, Sep 3, 2019
    #5
  6. Sep 3, 2019 #6
    smj

    smj Member

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    For me... sometimes just a simple boost into a slightly dirty tube amp w/a bit of delay.... lower wattage amps like 15-20watts. The amp is really the key component here.

    Sean Meredith-Jones
    www.seanmeredithjones.com
     
    smj, Sep 3, 2019
    smj, Sep 3, 2019
    #6
    GeorgeNada likes this.
  7. Sep 3, 2019 #7
    Big in Japan

    Big in Japan Member

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    The Lovepedal Super Lead MKII feels like a cranked up high headroom amp. It's not totally clean, but it has that response without a lot of gain or a ton of compression.
     
    Big in Japan, Sep 3, 2019
    Big in Japan, Sep 3, 2019
    #7
  8. Sep 3, 2019 #8
    jvin248

    jvin248 Member

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    .

    You are caught in the Venn vortex of tone between these two video techniques.




    .
     
    jvin248, Sep 3, 2019
    jvin248, Sep 3, 2019
    #8
  9. Sep 3, 2019 #9
    Tom Gross

    Tom Gross Silver Supporting Member

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    Try a germanium fuzz with the guitar volume down. I use a Keeley Fuzz Head with my strat's volume on 4-6 with some delay and get a wonderful clean to cleanish sound that really rings and feels great.
     
    Tom Gross, Sep 3, 2019
    Tom Gross, Sep 3, 2019
    #9
  10. Sep 4, 2019 #10
    Anytime

    Anytime Member

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    Zendrive or Euphoria is what I use, depending on the amp.
     
    Anytime, Sep 4, 2019
    Anytime, Sep 4, 2019
    #10
    dirk_benedict likes this.
  11. Sep 4, 2019 #11
    Daytona57

    Daytona57 Member

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    Fairfield Barbershop V2, will boost amp for lower gain break up with touch sensitivity, picking dynamics and string separation.

    You can dial in sag, with the Sag knob. A very flexible preamp or boost pedal.

    YMMV
     
    Daytona57, Sep 4, 2019
    Daytona57, Sep 4, 2019
    #11
    bshields likes this.
  12. Sep 4, 2019 #12
    bshields

    bshields Member

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    More that I can't rely on amp gain / power amp anything. Loud enough to get over a drumkit when placed literally in front of it, but backline could be a 100W aimed into a crowd 10 feet away. Really not enough to get it breathing.

    More than anything else, I'm trying to make a stiff, pretty cold amp (barely moving the speaker cones) to feel like the real deal - an amp turned up loud enough to sound powerful, not just over-the-top distorted. Going for chunky. Somehow, I'd like recreate that killer easy-to-play feel at low volume with a pedal chain.
     
    bshields, Sep 4, 2019
    bshields, Sep 4, 2019
    #12

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