Stomp box/pedalboard for playing an archtop through a PA system

[Jonathan]

I am looking for a stomp box or pedalboard I can plug an archtop into that will give me a warm, "tubey" sound. The output doesn't have to be stereo.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,
Jonathan

[rpjazzguitar]

I tried a Tonelab SE, but, frankly, I thought the guitar sounded better without it.

I think a DI box helps.

[thomas]

The starved-tube stompboxes I've heard all sounded like crap to me. If you've got the money, Jim Soloway gets an amazing sound out of the latest POD. We're talking around $400 I think. After hearing Jim I want one.

[Gerry]

My only stomp-box/pedalboard advice is the Boss GT3.

http://tinyurl.com/6grjuwq

I think the modern equivalent now is likely the ME-70. The GT3 series
had COSM stuff in it too. The newer one has real knobs to turn which
would be handy, and is about the same price I paid then, around $300.
There are many vastly chear on ebay.

But it does everything imaginable as far a floorboard goes, including
scores of things you don't care about likely. I had a pedalboard before
that, Ibanez, that last almost 20 years that I used with the requisite
Morley. This one will, with the volume pedal built in, will undoubtedly
outlive my family line. You can throw it off a tall building and it
might chip the paint.

These days I don't even use reverb, but if I go to a gig or a jam, the
Gt3 is in the car in case I need to be someone else.
--
Music is the best means we have of digesting time. -- W. H. Auden

[Dan Hunting]

The main thing you need is a preamp to lower the output impedance of your guitar. That alone will make a tremendous difference in your sound. The 1/4" inputs of PA systems don't seem to like the high impedance of most guitar pickups. Plus there's often a long cord between the stage and the mixer which makes things worse.

I play at an open-mic night, plugged straight into the mixer. People with flat tops sounded find, but no amount of EQ at the mixer would get my sound even close to right. It finally occurred to me that all those other guitars had little battery operated preamps that lower the impedance. Since I'm handy with a soldering iron, I threw together about $30 worth of parts to make a little preamp that clips onto my belt. I didn't want to go with a stomp box because it's best to minimize the distance between the guitar and the preamp. It works like a charm. Although it's got a gain control and active treble and bass, I just leave the controls flat. As I came off stage the first time I used this gizmo, the guy at the mixer said, "So THAT'S what you're supposed to sound like!"

- Dan Hunting

[Nate Najar]

On Thursday, November 15, 2012 2:40:45 PM UTC-5, Jonathan wrote:

do you actually want effects? if not, get a good instrument preamp/DI. The best one is very hardly known.

http://www.fire-eye.com

I use one with my classical and also with the arch top on some gigs. it sounds fabulous. Just a nice full guitar sound.

If you want effects, I can't help you. Those boxes are all thin and rocker-y

N

[Jonathan]

All I really want is a little reverb, but I already have a Boss digital reverb pedal. Does the DI box do anything other than fix the impedance mismatch?

Thanks,
Jonathan

[Jonathan]

For some reason, I thought you had a POD.

[Jonathan]

Me too.
I was curious if there was a cheaper solution, since I just want a little reverb and a warm tone.

[Nate Najar]

if you have the Boss reverb pedal, then get that red eye I linked you to. you can put the reverb (and a tuner if you want) in the DI's loop. It mainly fixes the impedance mismatch, it also has a switchable gain stage and a well placed adjustable high frequency rolloff. But i have used a ton of different DI boxes that fix the impedance issue and none sound as full or clear as this little box.

[Gerry]

On 2012-11-17 02:30:49 +0000, Jonathan said:

>> These days I don't even use reverb, but if I go to a gig or a jam, the
>> Gt3 is in the car in case I need to be someone else.
>

> For some reason, I thought you had a POD.

No, it's a GT3 that I've selected to not use. I have a friend with a
POD and was impressed with the sounds, but it wasn't foot-operable on
the floor, didn't have a volume pedal so I decided to stick with the
one I'm currently not using.

I understand you can get kick-pedals for the POD, but it does raise the
initial outlay considerably.

[Jim Soloway]

>
> I understand you can get kick-pedals for the POD, but it does raise the
>
> initial outlay considerably.
>
> --

In addition to the desktop unit (which is what i use), the Pod HD series includes three floorboard models (the 300, 400 and 500). Each includes a series of foot switches and a volume/wah/expression pedal. The internal software on the 500 is identical to what I have in the desktop unit plus it has much more versatile i/o and connectivity options. With some of the discounting that's available on the 500, the price is ver similar to the desktop model. The down side is the size. I don't need the switching options of the 500, so the desktop model is ideal for me. Given its tonal performance, it's comprehensive features, its convenience and power for recording, I have to say that I consider the Pod HD to be probably the best value in gear that I've ever had. I'm now using it with a Carvin DCM200L power amp and a passive full range wedge monitor and I'm absolutely thrilled with the tone I'm getting.

[Jonathan]

Just for curiosity's sake, do you know if there is a similar device (impedance matcher?) that will let you play an electrified acoustic (like an Ovation) through an electric guitar amplifier like a Twin Reverb?

[David J. Littleboy]

"Jonathan" wrote:
>>>>>>>
Just for curiosity's sake, do you know if there is a similar device
(impedance matcher?) that will let you play an electrified acoustic (like
an Ovation) through an electric guitar amplifier like a Twin Reverb?
<<<<<<<<

Yes, there is. It's called a "cable". (I like the sound of an acoustic with
a pickup through a generic guitar amp. FWWI, I prefer in-soundhole magnetic
(designed for acoustic strings) pups to piezo pups, and things like the L.R.
Baggs ibeam and Anthem better than the magnetic pups. But piezo seems to be
the mainstream here. Go figure.

-- David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

[Jonathan]

Isn't there going to be an impedance mismatch? Aren't "acoustic" amps like the California Blonde and Fishman Loudbox specially designed for active pickups?

[Nate Najar]

no. Any input sees a passive acoustic pickup exactly like an electric guitar pickup. An electric guitar amp is designed for this type of input. An active pickup does not care what you plug it into.

The main difference in an acoustic amp and an electric amp is that an electric guitar amplifier's speaker system is not full range. They roll off around 5khz give or take. Acoustic amplifiers are full range- for all intents and purposes they are mini public address systems.

[Jonathan]

Thanks for the explanation!

[David J. Littleboy]

"Jonathan" wrote:
On Saturday, November 17, 2012 10:30:07 AM UTC-5, David J. Littleboy wrote:
> "Jonathan" wrote:
>
> >>>>>>>
>
> Just for curiosity's sake, do you know if there is a similar device
> (impedance matcher?) that will let you play an electrified acoustic (like
> an Ovation) through an electric guitar amplifier like a Twin Reverb?
> <<<<<<<<
>
> Yes, there is. It's called a "cable". (I like the sound of an acoustic
> with

> a pickup through a generic guitar amp.)

Isn't there going to be an impedance mismatch?
<<<<<<<<<<

No. They're designed to plug into an amp. They work fine. (Really: I've
owned a lot of picked up acoustics.)

> Aren't "acoustic" amps like the California Blonde and Fishman Loudbox
> specially designed for active pickups?

No. They're designed to have the excessively bright and harsh high end that
so many people confuse with "high fidelity". (Also, the "active" acoustic
guitar pups are simply pups that can't be plugged directly into an amp
without the active bit: it's the active bit that makes them work directly
with amps.)

[rpjazzguitar]

According to the owner's manual of a Boss Reverb pedal, the output impedence is 1Kohm. 1000 ohms.

As I understand it, typical low impedence signals are more like 600 ohms, but typical high impedence signals are many thousands.

So, if you're using the reverb pedal, you probably won't need additional impedence matching.

No?

[Jonathan]

I have a 20 year old Crate acoustic guitar amplifier, and next to the input jack is a button that says "Active/Piezo." Do you have any idea what the function of that button might be?

[Greger Hoel]

On Sun, 18 Nov 2012 02:04:43 +0100, Jonathan <gosto.d...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> I have a 20 year old Crate acoustic guitar amplifier, and next to the
> input jack is a button that says "Active/Piezo." Do you have any idea
> what the function of that button might be?

To connect the tweeter.

--
Using Opera's revolutionary email client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

[Jonathan]

Are you sure about that? Here is what the manual says:

Active/Piezo switch. Use this switch to select the type of pickup on
your instrument. For active electronic pickups, set the switch to
“active” (switch out). For passive/magnetic pickups, set it to “piezo”
(switch depressed).

[ts...@hotmail.com]

maybe try a combo of a Barb-e-q pedal with a Dr. scientist reverb front end and a LR Baggs para e.q. direct box for additional e.q. . If you want you can use the Para EQ efx. loop
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