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Post by tjstrat on Apr 25, 2006 18:19:50 GMT -7
I have a Maz 18 and a 38 Studio lead and have a line on a Carmen Ghia locally. My question is: how does the Ghia cooperate with volume boost pedals like the Everman pot? The other two amps are equipped with effects loops and I have the Pot in the loop so that I can kick in a volume boost for solos without compromising my tone. Since the CG is a bare bones amp and generally without a loop, I would probably have an overdrive, a tuner, and the boost more or less in line. At about what point does the Ghia begin to lose clean headroom, and do solo boost pedals work at all past that point, or am I best off using my guitar's volume control to roll down to rhythm levels? I never like to do that because it always leads to onstage volume creep, but the Ghia sounds like it's too good NOT to own. Any input at all?
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Post by ampaholic on Apr 27, 2006 5:22:23 GMT -7
tjstrat, I am by no means an expert but I think I can give you a perspectice from a relative newcomer to DR. Z gear, and in particular the Carmen Ghia. I have owned my Ghia for about 3 or 4 months and love it more everytime I gig or practice. And keep in mind this is coming from a die hard vintage amp guy! My set-up is a Ghia head and a single 12 open back Z cab loaded with a Weber alnico Blue Dog. Guitar home base for me is a USACG tele with Fralin pickups and Callaham hardware. Although I have a bunch of effects pedals that I use with other amps my pedal of choice with the Ghia is a Fulltone OCD. Whether it is good luck or good management this is a deadly rig! The simplicity of a 2 knob amp, 2 knob guitar and 2 knob pedal really appeals to me and I'm thinking the uncluttered signal path also contributes to the incredible tone that I am getting. The components all work so well together that I leave the OCD on all the time and control volume, tone and level of grind totally from the volume and tone control on the Tele. Crank the guitar volume and this rig snarls like a mad dog. Back off the volume and it cleans up with a sparkle on the high end that is stunning. I have never witnessed an amp that is so reactive to minute adjustment of the guitar controls. It would be naive to say this is the last amp I will ever buy however for the first time in years I've stopped looking! I for one thank the Dr. for curing a really bad case of GAS! ;D
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Post by tjstrat on Apr 27, 2006 15:55:31 GMT -7
My problem is that I'm simple minded and spoiled and just learning how to work inside the confines of relatively simple amps after decades of Mesas, Riveras, and Buddas. I'm getting into the subtlties of dynamics from the guitar, but it's a hard road. I have an FD II and an OCD on my board, so I may bring the Maz Studio Lead to my gig this weekend but try a set or two with the new Ghia just to see how it goes. I was impressed at one in a GC but never have actually auditioned one with my own gear, except for an old Direct Drive...
Anyway, I bought the thing. Iguess I'll find out what I need to know soon enough. And I'll try your suggestions regarding the OCD with my Comanches...
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Post by tjstrat on Apr 29, 2006 15:57:27 GMT -7
Amp, a great post... I ran one set through a Banzai Fireball I and Diabolical Gristle Tone Manipulator, then the second and third through the big rig that included the OCD, and somewhere early on I tried the approach you recommended, running the OCD all the time and adjusting gain via the guitar volume knob... by golly, the lightbulb went on. I've been playing for thirty plus years and never had a guitar and amp interact that way... It sounded wonderful.
Doing it again tonight, and will A/B with the Maz 38 Studio Lead, but the Ghia is a beast. It has probably made my Maz 18 close to expendable...
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Post by bustertheboy on Apr 29, 2006 17:23:32 GMT -7
for me, i am really pleased with my modded and much maligned TS10 tubescreamer- ts808 mods done from geofex site, then better capacitors put in- really gets away from the common complaints leveled at the the boxes other thing is a germanium box- i've got a fuzzface clone i built with bits from small bear electronics- matched transistors- it's great driven by a guitar with a 100pf cap across volume- roll back volume to clean up the pedal- beautiful boosted tone- lots of detail what am i saying- i guess try anything- the tone is all in your fingers- recent guitar player article- not sure who, may have been derek trucks, said have the tone in your head and find a way to achieve it
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Post by Telemanic on Apr 30, 2006 16:05:15 GMT -7
Not sure cause i dont own a GIA,........Yet! ha, ..... but i do have a lovepedal COT 50 that is AMAZING, One knob amazing! it simply sounds great no matter how you use it. I have a feeling it would KILL with a Gia. There are two versions availible, and the site does not discuss the difference, but the blue led is lower gain and the red is higher. Both are VERY Plexi ish, and clean up soooo... good from the guitar, you'll probably want leave it on all the time. Suddenly my OCD is gettin lonely! I'm goin for a Eternity next!
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Post by jatmosphere on Apr 30, 2006 18:13:10 GMT -7
howdy ya'll, the Ghia seems to love all the OD pedals that i've given her. the COT50 is a way sweet way to go, love the way she sounds w/ it. As well I just tried my old Rat pedal today and it was really awesome too. Interested in trying a 12HB7 in the PI/V2 and see how the OD's respond w/ the extra clean headroom? have to say that the stock tubed Ghia is WAY LOUD too! did the cherry poppin' gig last week w/ a pretty loud rock band (www.brotherloverocks.com). though a re-issue twin cab w/ 12" ceramic Jensen's. '57 Les Paul Special (w/ my main pedal board - custom wah, Menatone RS, Dyna Comp, RC Booster & early Menatone Blue Collar, Small Stone phaser, AD-9, Menatone pleasure trem 5000 and a blue SIB echodrive). the CG rocked it way hard... @ 9 o'clock on the volume dial?! w/ plenty of clean head room to spare. this amp can handle 0 to 10 pedals and still gives you the sweet tonal nirvana. IMHO, she is the BEAUTY and the BEAST! [ps - living in NYC/subway travel, tend to travel light and just bring a head to gigs when possible and use whatever back-line amp/cab is available. used to drag my bassman, but those days are over now... thanks to the CG!] DR. Z you are the man!
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Post by bustertheboy on May 1, 2006 0:57:18 GMT -7
the 12BH7 helps with clean headroom, humbuckers and pedals- effective, only thing is i don't think it is as detailed in either clean or overdrive- i alternate between 12BH7- NOS RCA for when i need lots of headroom and 12ax7 ANOS GE for when detail and fairly unassisted overdrive is the order of the day both in PI (v2) you do need to rethink your volume settings because the BH7 is substantially lower gain to drive the output stage- which is where the overdrive comes from with a ghia yeh my ghia is loud even with green backs- i did a gig with a guy with a 50w marshall with 4x12 cab recently and i wasn't far behind- just couldn't clean up as much
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Post by jatmosphere on May 1, 2006 3:02:31 GMT -7
hey busterboy, thanks so much for the detailed info. quite helpful. i'm putting in an order for a 12BH7 today. got a few nos 12ax7 to try out too. yeah, it's all about driving those sweet EL84's! have a great day!
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Post by ampaholic on May 2, 2006 9:52:28 GMT -7
A new revelation! I'm not usually one to buy based purely on a review however the Tonequest review of the Analogman Beano Boost as "we can not recommend this pedal highly enough" caused me to take a chance. It took me a while to find one however it arrived a couple of days ago. WOW! This thing is a screamer! It has a tone all it's own, and even Analogman states that it colors your tone, but what a color! After much trial and error I have found the Beano used in front of the OCD then direct into the Ghia is unbelievable. Sustain for days, incredible note definition and the three way switch for low, mids and highs makes it fabulous for humbuckers or single coils. Just when I thought things couldn't get any better! ;D
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Post by steveinnashville on May 3, 2006 12:48:35 GMT -7
I've been boosting my Ghia with an old FET booster (died- homebrew), the Hotcake (gone, Bluesberry may arrive today, though), Hellbaby and Hellbilly... even with the CompROSSor and Squeeze Factor some... bottom line is that the Ghia loves being boosted... a little or a lot. A medium boost can give you an awesome dirtyishcleanish blend that is very responsive to dynamics and feel... a big boost and you're just smoking. I'm completely stoked about the Bluesberry getting here (and the Emma Discumbobulator and Red Witch Deluxe Moon Phaser!)....
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