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Post by Rockerfeller on Feb 23, 2017 7:46:39 GMT -7
Over the next three nights, I get to try out my new pedal board set up. Because the Z-Lux sounds so good, I have pulled all the pedals I use for dirt OFF of my board, except for one: the Greer Lightspeed (which is a fantastic pedal). I have only left it on as a security blanket because I can't remember the last time I did a gig without a dirt pedal. I have worked through all the tones for our sets each of the three nights and I think the Z-Lux can handle it all. The plan is to not use the Greer Lightspeed unless I am desperate!
I don't don't count my tuner as a pedal, because it is a tuner so here is what remains:
Barber Tone Press Greer Lightspeed Aqua Puss Silver Archer (for a pure clean boost)
That is it
I don't count the boost pedal or the Trem and Verb foot switch, because those are not in my pedal chain. So into the great unknown I go....
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2017 8:21:02 GMT -7
Are you using a Brakelite? I'd have to run pretty loud to get power tube distortion without one, and I'm kind of done with attenuators.
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Post by Rockerfeller on Feb 23, 2017 8:49:21 GMT -7
Are you using a Brakelite? I'd have to run pretty loud to get power tube distortion without one, and I'm kind of done with attenuators. No Brakelite. BUT the band is pretty loud, thanks to IluvPunz and his Therapy on the other side of the stage. Not to mention our drummer whose nickname is "Hammer" I can get all my dirt needs from the ZLux with the volume up around 1-2pm. My problem has always been rolling the guitar volume knob back to clean things up AND stay as loud as I need for country clean leads. I have worked that out, I think, and this 3 day stretch of gig's is my test.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2017 9:08:32 GMT -7
Gotcha. We're doing mostly classic rock/R&B/dirty blues, so I need a little more dirt than that, I guess. Although I find that at gig levels, a medium-gain dirt pedal is all I need to get the kind of grit and sustain I'm after on most of our tunes. I'm even playing around with (gasp) cleans on a couple of things, which is really weird for me--but the Lux has great, fat cleans at gig volume, so why not?
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Post by Rockerfeller on Feb 23, 2017 9:24:03 GMT -7
Gotcha. We're doing mostly classic rock/R&B/dirty blues, so I need a little more dirt than that, I guess. Although I find that at gig levels, a medium-gain dirt pedal is all I need to get the kind of grit and sustain I'm after on most of our tunes. I'm even playing around with (gasp) cleans on a couple of things, which is really weird for me--but the Lux has great, fat cleans at gig volume, so why not? Exactly my thoughts. The Greer Lightspeed IS a low gain drive pedal ANYWAY, so when I use it, it is just to give me a little bit more dirt at lower volume. We have a two guitar set up and the Therapy / Lester side of the stage provides a little bit more of the dirt, so I don't have to have as much on the Z-Lux Tele side of the stage. It balances out pretty well.
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Post by doctorice on Feb 23, 2017 9:32:23 GMT -7
Looking forward to hearing how you like the revised set up.
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Post by Faze on Feb 23, 2017 9:46:34 GMT -7
Yea the Z-Lux and your guitar and a boost is really all you need if you can get the Z-Lux cranked up. I could easily gig with just my archer icon but most the time I don't even use it I just use the variable boost engaged at about half way up. My volume is at about 12-1 master about 12-2 depending on how loud we are on any given Sunday. I rarely take my pedal board. I like the pure tone of the Z-Lux! With the archer if you want some louder cleans you use it set at low gain to get that clean tone to boost in your signal when you play your country leads and chicken picking.
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Post by Rockerfeller on Feb 24, 2017 7:51:15 GMT -7
Looking forward to hearing how you like the revised set up. Well, I have officially played a gig in the 21st century WITHOUT using a dirt pedal! We had everything in the set list last night from Cash and George Strait country to ZZ Top, Zeppelin, AC/DC and GnR's and the Z-Lux with the boost covered it all. I was so amazed at how great that amp sounds without pedals. I set the gain at about 1:30 and ran it at half power (something I seldom do, 1/2 power that is). For tonight's show, I think I may turn up the gain to about 2-3pm and see what that does to the set up. I did end up using my compressor a lot more to tame her for the quieter clean stuff, in combination with a volume knob roll off. After "Sweet Child of Mine", a guy in the crowd came up to compliment me on the ending solo and was just gushing about it. The thing is, I was thinking about how freaking killer the amp was sounding while I was playing the solo and it took me to that place where you close your eyes and become one with the song. THAT was the amp and her tone that made that happen. Hey, but let's not get carried away. After all, it was only ONE show.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Feb 24, 2017 9:58:05 GMT -7
^^^^^This!
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Post by renegade44 on Mar 7, 2017 6:41:00 GMT -7
The Z-Lux really shines the light on bad pedals. There are several gigs with no pedals at all. Hard to beat a great tone.
I did add a Wampler Tumnus and Clarksdale, WayHuge Overrated Special, and ElectroHarmonix SoulFood to my Boss Chorus. I could gig with those five. (and my tuner)
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Post by Rockerfeller on Mar 7, 2017 7:11:50 GMT -7
The Z-Lux really shines the light on bad pedals. There are several gigs with no pedals at all. Hard to beat a great tone. I did add a Wampler Tumnus and Clarksdale, WayHuge Overrated Special, and ElectroHarmonix SoulFood to my Boss Chorus. I could gig with those five. (and my tuner) "Currently" (translation: this week) my pedal board consists of two compressors, a dyna-comp for country tone, a Baber Tone Press for rock tones set slightly below unity gain which tames the volume when guitar volume is on 11, an Aqua Puss, and a Archer Ikon for clean boost. Of course, there is the Trem /Rev of thre amp and the boost pedal (which I have nick-named "The Loud Pedal!". I did three gigs in a row without using a dirt pedal (Greer Lightspeed). My conclusion is that the Z-Lux can handle everything, dirt wise, that I need for gigs. The only reason I think I would need to use a dirt pedal is in a really small room, and that is what dirt pedals were designed for: get the cranked sound of a tube amp at lower volumes. For most of my gigs, the lower volume thing is not critical. Currently, there are no dirt pedals on my board, and that is the way I am "planning" on keeping it. One thing that I did notice is that I did all three of those shows on half power, and two of the shows were huge rooms. When I use to run it as a clean amp, with dirt pedals for the dirt, I had it on full power 90% of the time
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Post by Faze on Mar 13, 2017 6:44:34 GMT -7
I am now down to just a fulltone Clyde wah and my el Capistan delay. And I rarely use them live. I Plan on getting the strymon sunset for some more aggressive overdrive and dirt. But for the most part really have to agree that the Z-Lux has shrunk my pedal board too! I just can't get over how good this amp sounds just with the boost and your guitar I played yesterday and most the time I keep the boost at about half way up but yesterday I turned it all the way up and I could feel the amp just coming through my fret board just a really awesome crunchy overdrive and what's great about it is it's all amp so the notes are really articulate. Much better then any pedal in my honest opinion. I love the cleans on this amp. That variable boost is great too. I ended up even selling my archer icon. I just use the boost now.
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Post by Rockerfeller on Mar 13, 2017 6:52:10 GMT -7
I am now down to just a fulltone Clyde wah and my el Capistan delay. And I rarely use them live. I Plan on getting the strymon sunset for some more aggressive overdrive and dirt. But for the most part really have to agree that the Z-Lux has shrunk my pedal board too! I just can't get over how good this amp sounds just with the boost and your guitar I played yesterday and most the time I keep the boost at about half way up but yesterday I turned it all the way up and I could feel the amp just coming through my fret board just a really awesome crunchy overdrive and what's great about it is it's all amp so the notes are really articulate. Much better then any pedal in my honest opinion. I love the cleans on this amp. That variable boost is great too. I ended up even selling my archer icon. I just use the boost now. I use the boost full on for solo's and I use the Archer Ikon set simply as a clean boost for real clean country stuff. The ZLux boost, full on is perfect as a rock lead boost, at least for me. I step on that thing and no matter where my rhythm volume is sitting in the mix, my lead lines are heard. With all that said, I just bought a Zwreck head, because I have a sickness and can't stop buying gear. At least I get to write it all off on my taxes! So I put my Greer Lightspeed, and my Diamond Tremolo BACK on my pedal board. I sold my Boing Reverb pedal two days pefore I bought a Wreck (Fool!) Oh well, So I am selling my Remedy, and the ZWreck and ZLux will shoot it out to see which one becomes the main gigging amp. The one that takes second place will be become the bands "back up" amp
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Post by Faze on Mar 13, 2017 10:06:17 GMT -7
I have a feeling I may regret selling my archer icon.
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Post by Rockerfeller on Mar 13, 2017 10:16:21 GMT -7
I have a feeling I may regret selling my archer icon. Randy, it is such a great pedal for a clean boost. I have not even used it for anything other than that and just LOVE it!
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Post by Faze on Mar 13, 2017 11:20:27 GMT -7
I have a feeling I may regret selling my archer icon. Randy, it is such a great pedal for a clean boost. I have not even used it for anything other than that and just LOVE it! I agree I was using it the same way I didn't really like the overdrive tone of it but as a clean boost it adds that shimmer to the tone. Kind of a organic like sparkle just a touch of top end clarity real warm sounding sweet clean boost tone. Great pedal I already miss it. I was in a bind and I ended up selling it. Might have to look for another one when I get back on my feet.
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geno
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Post by geno on Mar 22, 2017 18:27:20 GMT -7
After 10 days and 2 gigs with the Z-Lux, I can see exactly what you guys are saying. I was never a HUGE pedalboard guy, but I've always used clean amps and 3-4 different overdrives (different guitars / amps sound best with different pedals), but with the Z-lux, not only has my board gotten smaller, but the range of overdrive I now prefer to use has been reduced. I'm finding that too much gain hides all the wonderful characteristics this amp puts out.
I've gone through a large number of Drive Pedals, to to find the ones that work best... I went through the following so far:
Zendrive, Timmy, Vertex Boost, Ikon, TS9, Signa Drive, Wampler Hotwired (Brent Mason Sig). OCD, East River Drive, JRAD .45 Caliber, RC Booster V1, RC Booster V2, JHS Sweet Tea, BB Preamp, VS Audio Royal Flush.
Of those 15 Pedals, I am now settled on the following arrangement:
Amp --> Archer Ikon --> .45 Cal --> East River Drive --> RC Boost --> Chorus --> Guitar
The Ikon is always on at a low gain setting (a little less than 9 O'Clock) The .45 is best for low gain rhythm and some blues leads. Gain at about 1 O'Clock. The ERD (it's an 808 clone. VERY good pedal for VERY low cost) for medium gain work (classic rock, country, blues) - Gain at about 2 O'Clock. RC Boost for clean boost, lead boost (unless I'm using the variable gain footswitch for this).
Stacking the .45 Cal and the ERD sound great too for the heavier rock stuff (AC/DC, Deep Purple, Steppenwolf) etc.
Every single one of these have HUGE dynamics and touch sensitivity through this amp. you can hear every string, even when grinding hard on the overdriven stuff. Excellent amp!!
Also, one otherpoint I have noticed. EVERY guitar I own sounds excellent through this amp. most of my other amps "like" one or two guitars, but some can sound terrible while others sound great. Not the Z Lux.
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Post by renegade44 on Mar 28, 2017 12:23:31 GMT -7
Try the Wampler Tumnus. I really like what is brings. I also really like the Wampler Clarksdale. I could get by with just those two.
I have a Way Huge Overrated Special. It's a fun pedal to take my overdrive into almost fuzz range . . .
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geno
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Post by geno on Mar 29, 2017 16:34:52 GMT -7
I posted in the other thread about finding a boost pedal that does for me the same thing that the Z variable boost switch does... The PCE Aluminum Falcon III pedal sounds identical to the VB when I use it as a solo boost. It's replacing the RC in the lineup above.
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geno
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Post by geno on Mar 29, 2017 16:36:05 GMT -7
I posted in the other thread about finding a boost pedal that does for me the same thing that the Z variable boost switch does... The PCE Aluminum Falcon III pedal sounds identical to the VB when I use it as a solo boost. It's replacing the RC in the lineup above. Far less compressed and better gain structure than the RC booster for my tastes.
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