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Post by jcv on Feb 27, 2008 7:27:29 GMT -7
Anyone using a pedalboard with the GT? I hear lots of talk of how it's a great amp for running "bareback" but who's using pedals, which ones are you using and how are you using them? I only had a short time with my GT before I had a tube problem... now I have to wait for my tubes to get from NH to CA then wait for a new set to get back to me so I have time to think
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Post by Don on Feb 27, 2008 11:19:33 GMT -7
Anyone using a pedalboard with the GT? I hear lots of talk of how it's a great amp for running "bareback" but who's using pedals, which ones are you using and how are you using them? I only had a short time with my GT before I had a tube problem... now I have to wait for my tubes to get from NH to CA then wait for a new set to get back to me so I have time to think My GT ... IS the overdrive pedal.
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Post by Phil (aka Phil) on Feb 27, 2008 13:15:30 GMT -7
I use my Room Mate with it sometimes, but as far as an OD/booster...no. Maybe a little phaser or flanger when I want to play EVH but that's about it.
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Post by jcv on Feb 27, 2008 14:30:08 GMT -7
Now, don't you guys play any songs that require you to run your guitar volume all the way up for the most possible gain? If so, how do you get a boost for your solos?
For instance, I do several ZZ Top songs and I'd probably need my guitar volume cranked to get the tone I want for the rythm... then, I'd need something for my solo - mybe an RC Booster? I'm just surprised noone else runs into this problem. I also can't get cleans from my GT... I can get a lot cleaner than running wide open but it's still quite gritty even with my guitar volume down to like 4.
I bought the GT because I LOVE how it sounds... I'm just wondering if it will be versatile enough for me. I'll definitely take it to a few jams and play the heck out of it before I make any decisions.
Any other GT owners out there? Are you using pedals?
Thanks for the replies so far Jay
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Feb 27, 2008 17:09:26 GMT -7
I haven't gigged mine as a single unit yet (I've used it in the dual head setup though). If I did, I would plan on my guitar down to about 3 for cleans, up around 6 for crunch, and wide open for solos. That seems to be where things fall with my guitar - my Tele anyway. I think that would probably change dramatically with a different guitar - this amp is very sensitive to the level of the input signal, so I would say if you're using a humbucker guitar you might not be able to get down to the clean stuff unless you screw the pickups way down away from the strings, or run your guitar through a volume pedal or something. But with single coils it works really nice from pristine clean all the way up to raunch.
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Post by Phil (aka Phil) on Feb 27, 2008 17:43:36 GMT -7
Hey Jay,
What kind of guitar are you using, and what kind of pickups? Also, what kind of speaker cab are you using?
You said that you only had a short time with it before you had a tube problem- are you sure that you've heard it "100% healthy"?
The reason I ask is: with mine, using single coils, it's "Stangray clean" at "3" on the guitar's volume knob, "ZZ Top" is about "7" and "more than VH gain" at 10. Using hotter pickups (like 8.5K humbuckers) takes away from some of the clean but doesn't make it insanely dirtier or anything at 10. What you described is "backwards"- not clean *enough* and not dirty enough. That's really weird unless you have a tube problem.
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Post by jcv on Feb 27, 2008 20:10:51 GMT -7
My main guitars are a Suhr Pro Series and a Carvin Bolt. They both have an HB in the bridge position. I seem to get decent amp volume at around 4-5 on my guitar volume knob. At 3 it seems to drop off... so that might be clean but also to quiet. When I'm looking for some ZZ Top type gain, I'm using the bridge humbucker and I can only get close with the guitar volume wide open. I'm running the GT through an Avatar 2x12 loaded with a G12 H30 and a V30. If I end up really loving the GT, I'll treat it to a Z-Best eventually Maybe it was "sick" all along??? I look forward to giving it a workout once I get some new tubes. Even though I'm getting some tubes under warranty, I might just try to get some spares while I'm waiting... just so I can start using this amp again!
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Post by Phil (aka Phil) on Feb 28, 2008 12:02:10 GMT -7
Jay, One word of "warning" about tubes for the GT. I had a little adventure with mine a couple of months ago. One of the the tubes in my MAZ Sr. blew and I didn't have any GT EL84 #6's. The Sr's tubes were the original ones and needed changing anyway, so I took the stock #6's that were in the GT and put them in the MAZ.
A couple of days later I got a brand new quad of GT EL84#5's on clearance and put them in the GT. When I turned the switch on the GT it hummed like crazy. It sill played fine but the background noise was really high.
I took the #5's that hummed like crazy in the GT out and put them into the MAZ SR. and they sounded *great*. I then put the #6's that came out of the GT back in the GT and it sounded just like it always has: noise free, beautiful and world class. From this small sample size "experiment" I cannot draw too many conclusions, other than the GT may be very picky about output tubes. I theorize that the GT is so "close to the edge" design wise that it may want to see really closely matched tubes, maybe even falling in the current draw range of GT's #6 grade exclusively.
Since I do not have any more scientific data, all I can say is: be careful of what tubes you put into this high performance machine. I treat it like a top fuel dragster that needs racing fuel.
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Post by jcv on Mar 4, 2008 6:35:48 GMT -7
Phil, thanks for the heads up on tubes. I got some tubes locally and was only able to get #5's - so of course I was a bit worried But... I put them in and the amp seems perfectly fine. I think it eve sounds a little better than it did before. But still... with my Suhr Pro (position 4 or 5) I still can't get true clean unless my guitar volume is at 3, and then I experience WAY too much of a volume drop. Things are great all the way down to 4 on my guitar volume... and I'm still getting a gritty tone there. When using my bridge humbucker, I really like my guitar volume dimed to get where I want to be for songs like Cheap Sunglasses by ZZ Top or Bridge to Better Days by Joe Bonamassa. I'm considering getting a Crunch Box and setting it up for a great rythm sound with my guitar volume at around 6, then I'll have all the lead boost I'll need. For 90% of the songs in my rep, I can easily run straight in to the GT - no problem. I think if I start gigging, I'd want to use at least some pedals, not matter what amp I'm using... you just gotta have a little delay or wah handy when you need it So... this amp is really growing on me! Yesterday, I played through it for an hour then switched to the Galaxie... I switched right back to the GT and that never happens! The GAL always feels like home. I think this means the honeymoon has officially started LOL.
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