solo boosts

D

dumass

New member
hey, i use a carvin mts 3200, and i would like to buy a pedal that would be good for solo boosts and soloing. i can then use my amp only for rhythm parts where less gain is needed. i was considering the boss ds-1...any opinions?

i also have a stupid question...while i do use the solo boost, would i have my amp on the clean or the distortion channel? i've never used any pedals before, so i'm unfamiliar with this.

also, my footswitch for the amp has a switch for reverb/effects. if i leave the pedal turned on, and then hit the effects switch, will it turn on and off with every hit? (given that i put the ds-1 through my effects loop...or should i run it through the guitar to the amp...?)
 
If you're not trying to add more distortion, you might consider a compressor. You can use it to add sustain and volume without extra distortion, that will muddy up your lead. Run compression and distortion petals between the guitar and amp, not in the efx loop.
 
thats the thing...i am trying to add more distortion, because if i got a pedal, then i would the amps distortion jus for rhythm...when less dst is needed...that way i can also limit the feedback. but when i use the ds-1 on my amp, will i have to use it in the clean channel or the lead channel?
 
I never found the magic solo boost. I tried a straight volume pedal, various distortion with varying results.

The main problem is if you are already running distorted, much of the boost get's soaked up by the amp. Throwing distortion onto a gain channel can produce sounds that are cool, but too complex to use all the time, and again, some of the boost get's compressed by the amp. Not really sure how healthy it is to drive an amp really hard either.

I'd say a compressor is the best "stomp" for the job. You can add some boost and also dial in some tones that are more typical of lead passages.

In the end I never used a pedal live, just twisted the dials on the guitar and amp as required. Like, I'd start a song with the gain on 8 then walk over and flip it to 10 for the lead, and just finish the song that way, maybe laying back a bit on the guitar for the last verse.

Programmable footswitches that actually twist the pots on the amp would be nice :).
 
Doug H said:
The main problem is if you are already running distorted, much of the boost get's soaked up by the amp.
Click to expand...

Yep. I usually either back off the amp's gain or the guitar's volume a bit so the boost will have more effect. Most OD/dist/fuzz pedals can be set with the volume cranked and the gain/drive/distortion turned down a la a "clean" boost which will be more ampish and less pedalish.
 
The other guitar player in my band has the same amp. he sets the amp volume loud enough for leads (clean or lead channel) and uses a volume pedal to lower the volume to the right level for rythym.
 
would using a volume pedal also back off the gain too? because that way a lot of times when we have stops i get feedback...and backin off the gain would solve that
 
And it's not that much different than using a tube amp's gain knob, which is usually a volume pot after the first stage, sometimes with some caps for brightness.
 
i went to the store 2day n tried out the boss ds-1...and i actually like it, and i tried it in the high gain channel on a line 6 flextone, it seemed to have the sound i was looking for....something with nice gain to sustain me. i think i'm going to go with that...

plus its price is great!
 
I use only the amplifier's 'distortion' and use nothing more for leadwork.

I use a volume pedal, but quite often, I just quiet down my attack on rhythm parts and fire away on leads. Much like a vocalist will 'ride' the mic at the end of a long, extended note or vibrato to gain some additional volume.

I like being able to listen to a recording and know which guitar I am playing. You can't do that with a pedalboard of effects.

Just personal opinion...Robert
 
Get a compressor/limiter for the feedback.

For the more distortion during leads, just keep your amp ready for lead distortion and
adjust for the other parts with you playing style and the volume/tone knobs on your guitar.

Getting louder than your amp's settings during solo parts really should be the job of the sound man.

The booster pedals don't give you enough control over the tone after engaged and can sometimes make the sound worse in the PA.

If you don't have a sound man yet then don't worry about it, I'll bet the audience can still hear your solos.
 
And I forgot to mention...

...the old SRV trick with two pedals. One set for about unity volume but adding distortion/grit, the other set for not much added grit but a big volume boost. IIRC, SRV used the fuzz face for some dirt and the TS9 for the boost, but I'm also not an SRV expert ;) and someone else may be able to tell you exactly what he used.
 
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