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Boss AC-3 advice needed

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Dr. Zontar

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Oct 30, 2009, 7:43:46 AM10/30/09
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I have a holiday party gig coming up where I'll need to have both
acoustic and electric sounds. I happened to see a used AC-3 pedal at a
decent price, so I bought it.

I tried it out at home with my Strat and the effects return of a
Fender Princeton 112 (I didn't have a PA there at the time). It
sounded pretty good. But any time I turned the "Body" control up, I
got a weird bass artifact. It added a nice fullness to the sound, but
also an annoying thump.

Is this common? Or did it happen because I was using the power section
of a guitar amp? I've run other modeling device into it before without
any problems.

My real acoustic is down-tuned to B. I really don't want to go through
the trouble of restringing it and tuning it to standard for just one
night... then putting the heavy strings back on and tuning down again.
Besides, I can't stand new strings.

I'll get a chance to try the AC-3 through the PA this Sunday.
Hopefully it will sound better then. Any advice? Thanks in advance.

- Rich

Stephen Cowell

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Oct 30, 2009, 8:47:18 AM10/30/09
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"Dr. Zontar" <drzo...@yahoo.com> wrote

Sounds like you need another box guitar. Either that, or a
true baritone guitar.

Don't pass this opportunity up! You know you *need* it...
__
Steve
.

"Blessings of the State... Blessings of the Masses... Buy More.
Buy More Now."


Dr. Zontar

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Oct 30, 2009, 9:21:21 AM10/30/09
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On Oct 30, 8:47 am, "Stephen Cowell"
<stephenleeNOSPAMcow...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Sounds like you need another box guitar.  Either that, or a
> true baritone guitar.
>
> Don't pass this opportunity up!  You know you *need* it...

Nah. My old Greco acoustic is used mainly for writing - when I'm too
lazy to go to the other room and plug in an electric. It sits in the
bedroom in case inspiration strikes. And I have the Greco and 4
different electrics tuned to B. With the right strings and intonation
adjustments, they all sound fine.

- Rich

Message has been deleted

Dr. Zontar

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Oct 30, 2009, 12:38:07 PM10/30/09
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On Oct 30, 11:44 am, LULU <lulupakal...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Rich . . . sounds like you've already pinpointed the problem.  The
> "body" knob simulates a more jumbo body type of sound by basically
> adding various bass frequencies.  The lower tuning of your guitar
> probably adds to the simulated bass and thus creates an artifact.  


Thanks. Just to clarify - the Strat is the only guitar I still have in
standard tuning. I keep it for jamming with "normal" people...

> pedal will sound better if you use the line out and run that signal
> through an acoustic amp or the PA.  The AC-3 is a nice pedal for going
> from acoustic to heavy rock sounds in the same tune ala Led Zeppelin.

That's what I'm hoping for. The set list we're doing jumps a lot from
acoustic to electric (not so much within the songs, but from one to
the next).

- Rich

TheChris

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Oct 31, 2009, 8:50:28 PM10/31/09
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"Dr. Zontar" <drzo...@yahoo.com> wrote in news:0d2aca08-e334-404b-b778-
f45619...@a31g2000yqn.googlegroups.com:

I have an AC-2 - but the same rules apply... DON'T use it through an
amp.. Keep it towards the front of your signal chain, and use the DI
out (whatever it's called) and plug that into the PA... I had to make a
cable... TRS to an XLR.... Everytime you step on the pedal, it will cut
the signal to your amp, and send a clean signal to the PA with an
acoustic sound that's voiced for full-range speakers..

I had mine for 2 years before I did that... and it all changed after I
tried it like that...

TheChris

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Oct 31, 2009, 8:52:06 PM10/31/09
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LULU <lulupa...@yahoo.com> wrote in news:c99ffc60-13ed-402d-ab0f-
733043...@d9g2000prh.googlegroups.com:

> X-No-Archive: yes


>
> On Oct 30, 4:43�am, "Dr. Zontar" <drzon...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>But any time I turned the "Body" control up, I
>> got a weird bass artifact. It added a nice fullness to the sound, but
>> also an annoying thump.
>>

>> I'll get a chance to try the AC-3 through the PA this Sunday.
>> Hopefully it will sound better then. Any advice? Thanks in advance.
>>
>> - Rich
>
>

> Rich . . . sounds like you've already pinpointed the problem. The
> "body" knob simulates a more jumbo body type of sound by basically
> adding various bass frequencies. The lower tuning of your guitar

> probably adds to the simulated bass and thus creates an artifact. The


> pedal will sound better if you use the line out and run that signal
> through an acoustic amp or the PA. The AC-3 is a nice pedal for going
> from acoustic to heavy rock sounds in the same tune ala Led Zeppelin.
>

> Good Luck,
> Lulu : )
>
>

Totally agree... good advice.. Isn't going from heavy rock sounds to
acoustic in a flash breathtaking? :)

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