Pedal advice for humbuckers and AC15c

W

Whiper11

Member
Messages
116
Hi all

I need some advice regarding a pedal for my humbucker laden PRS SE that goes into a AC15. I modded the PRS to have reasonably low output Kinman pickups. I also run the guitars into the normal channel not the top boost, I find my other guitars prefer the normal channel.

I run a strat type guitar into a tumnus - glorious.

I run a tele into a paisley drive - fabulous

I run my PRS into anything and the base just about knocks me backwards. I'm thinking I need a treble booster or something similar. Anybody with any suggestions out there that may assist?

I like running one guitar into its own separate pedal so I don't have to change settings all the time.

I don't gig just bedroom levels and I can't crank the amp due to kids and neighbours etc.

Any help or thoughts greatly appreciated.
 
J

Jaydnt

Member
Messages
141
Crowther hotcake. Or a catalinbread naga viper. The hotcake was designed around vox amps and just works perfectly with the gain stages/voicing/whatever. The naga viper is also perfect as the ac15 is so sensitive to being driven with a boost and this one works particularly well IME. Both also let you use the guitar's volume as a gain knob.
 
W

Whiper11

Member
Messages
116
Hi guys

Thanks for your help, the Naga Viper looks intriguing. I potentially have access to a Greer Amps - Pork 'N Beans. How does this compare to some of the pedals mentioned above?
 
dwoverdrive

dwoverdrive

Silver Supporting Member
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3,710
The best thing I've heard into an AC30 or AC15 is a Fulldrive 2 in comp cut. Strymon OB1 is great with treble boost on and adjust with output knob. Just enough compression to kill the boom
 
Stagger Lee

Stagger Lee

Member
Messages
92
I would suggest that the Naga Viper may not be the best bet at bedroom levels, treble boosters really require the amp to be already overdriving to sound good. In fact any booster if the amp is at bedroom level will just increase the volume.

I use an OCD and a Rat with my AC15 both at bedroom and gig levels. I would say that the OCD is probably better if you are playing quietly. The low end loss of the Rat which works great with a band may make it sound a little less pleasing in the bedroom. Both are fantastic with the AC15 (the best I've found after many years experimentation).
 
W

Whiper11

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Messages
116
Stagger Lee said:
I would suggest that the Naga Viper may not be the best bet at bedroom levels, treble boosters really require the amp to be already overdriving to sound good. In fact any booster if the amp is at bedroom level will just increase the volume.
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Hi

Forgive my noobism. My AC has a master volume which I keep quite low with the normal channel having maybe 3/4 volume which puts it close to and around breakup. Does that not satisfy the cooking amp part or does it need to be actually loud in the first place?
 
Kylote

Kylote

Member
Messages
4,692
You talking about your neck pickup? Mine is very bassy on my Gibson SG (490/498)... I mostly play on my bridge pickup, but I occasionally use my EQD Tone Job to drop some of the bass and boost some of the treble when I want to use my neck pickup.
 
morgan918

morgan918

Member
Messages
3,387
snow and steel said:
Different pickups may be the answer?
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Yeah, I'd say this too.

If not, you could try and OCD or a Rat clone or Timmy. I've used all those with humbuckers on an AC15TBX. Depends on what kind of tones you're looking for. A Rat sounds good between almost anything.
 
snow and steel

snow and steel

Silver Supporting Member
Messages
6,938
I've gotten AC15's and AC30's MANY times as provided backline and I use humbuckers and my standard pedalboard and never had any issues. I'm guessing the stock pickups are bass heavy and causing the issue, hence my suggestion.

I fyou do replace the pickups, since you'll have it all the way apart, meter the pots and make sure they are 500K pots, and it might also be a good time to install copper tape shielding to minimize noise and interference [its cheap, and easy to do if you've already got it ripped apart].
 
71strat

71strat

Member
Messages
9,291
Roger Mayer Concorde+ Treble Booster.

Analogman Beano Boost.

Also check the pots regardless if you change pups or not. I also like a .015 neck cap value.

Empress ParaEQ with Boost.
 
W

Whiper11

Member
Messages
116
Hi all

The pickups are fine, I have replaced them with Kinman low output humbuckers recently and they are excellent apart from the bass issue. Although reading about it seems like treble boosters were almost invented for humbuckers and AC's. My pots and switches have also recently been upgraded when i changed my pickups

As an update I borrowed the Porn 'n Beans mentioned above and it seems like its the answer. It seems to solve the exact problem I described and sounds great. It sounds like I picture humbuckers through an AC to sound at any rate! The only thing is its germanium I believe and there is some noise when stacked and I often get a pop when I turn on the pedal. It does sound killer stacked with a fuzz but gees the noise is epic. I guess that's fuzz though

My next question is therefore then, I can purchase a second hand a Mad Professor Ruby Red booster locally for a good price or a naga viper locally for a slightly worse price. I don't have any second hand pork 'n beans options at present. Being in Australia I don't believe they will come up very often. I can buy it new for around $250-$260. The Mad Professor is $140 and the naga is $180. A new Beano would be lovely but they would be $305 locally.

Any thoughts on whether either of those two will offer something similar?
 
T

tripperj

Member
Messages
41
Did you try turning the bass down on your amp, this might not warrant a new pedal. But if you just want a reason to get another pedal...thats another story;)
 
W

Whiper11

Member
Messages
116
tripperj said:
Did you try turning the bass down on your amp, this might not warrant a new pedal. But if you just want a reason to get another pedal...thats another story;)
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I am absolutely staggered by your suggestion good sir. When can a situation never be improved with a new pedal? I humbly suggest you take a long walk down a hall of mirrors and take one damn good look at yourself.

I'm not sure if this comment needs to be reviewed by the moderators or not but really!!!
 
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