Ethos Clean II Preamp Pedal

[Jim Soloway]

I know at least a couple people here have owned/do own/have tried the Ethos pedal (either pre-amp or with power amp). Any thoughts on how it works as the front end of a clean jazz rig?

[dmorash]

I find it has a great pushed clean sound. I really like it for rock playing, or a situation where you have to cut through when working with a drummer or something. For a straight ahead clean archtop sound I generally don't like using pedals and prefer a clean fender style sound. The Ethos has a very cool clean sound but it is not a Fender type of voice.

[srs]

dmorash
are you describing the ethos pedal only, or the pedal with the built in 30 watt power amp? if it's the pedal, what amp are you using or have you tried?

[Greaser]

I haven't tried the Ethos yet, I'd like to, but he is making and selling the Ethos power amp seperately now. I'm thinking about getting one to pair with my Kingsley Juggler. Rob says the power amp is about as loud as a Deluxe Reverb. I dont think it's listed on his website yet. He sent me the spec sheet with pics that I could email to you.

You might also check out the Kingsley Juggler. It has a Fender type clean channel and a light overdrive channel and it has 2 12ax7's running at high voltage. It can be used direct to a power amp or in front of a regular guitar amp. It sounds absolutely phenomenal. I have some clips I could email to you if you'd like.

[3625]

I've got an Ethos pedal (without power amp) - I use it only on clean with an archtop. Tonally it's very much a traditional guitar amp sound as opposed to either a henriksen or acoustic image. It's supposed to emulate a dumble, so in some ways it reminds me of a fender, kinda...sorta... It has it's own voice I suppose, so you'd either dig it or you wouldn't. Very much a rich mid-range tone, not a lot of bottom end which is fine by me - I find it's good for sitting the guitar well in the mix and projecting through (without being harsh).

Very high spec + high quality signal path - it actually does what it's supposed to, which doesn't always happen with lower end gear IME. It's a real swiss army knife, meaning I could use it perfectly well going straight into a power amp/pa/guitar amp and be able to dial in a tone I was happy with, all the time feeling like I was playing through a guitar amp.

Lot's of subtle options in terms of eq and voicing - for example, top end: there's this knob on the side which is a treble cut, it sort of acts like the tone knob on your guitar, plus a brite switch, and the treble and presence knobs on the front panel - so I like to dial in a sound which cuts through and isn't muddy, yet is rich without harshness (the dreaded 'ice pick') and all these options are really helpful allowing me to tweak and sculpt regardless of whether I'm running through studio monitors, channel 2 on my bass player's acoustic image, yada yada... So I'd say it has it's own voice, but all the tone shaping features mean you can get that sound through a variety of speaker/amp combo's - as opposed to a piece of gear that sounds great through one type of set up, and loses that character through something different, if you catch my drift.

Being all analog, solid-state, it's got that immediacy of tone and attack which I like + the flexibility of a modeler in many respects without the latency.

Jim, I like it because it makes the guitar stand out when playing with a bass player, however for solo guitar you might want something with a wider response, like a fender twin sort of thing. However, because you play detuned, it could be great, giving a clarity and punch to the lower registers. I trust you've seen Tim Lerch's youtube clips of the ethos? I think there's one where he plays solo chord melody on an archtop through it. Any questions, I'm happy to answer best I can, Cheers

[3625]

I find it has a great pushed clean sound. I really like it for rock playing, or a situation where you have to cut through when working with a drummer or something. For a straight ahead clean archtop sound I generally don't like using pedals and prefer a clean fender style sound. The Ethos has a very cool clean sound but it is not a Fender type of voice.

"pushed clean" - that's a good description, like a natural compression. Re: fender - I'd describe it as fenderish as compared to a polytone/henriksen/etc. but I get what you mean - the ethos is it's own thing I guess. I don't know much about dumbles, maybe he modded the fenders for a thicker mid-range tone? and that's what the ethos is sort of like?

[jorgemg1984]

Dumble type tones - from gear demos and a two-rock I played - are a little different from a blackface sound (to my ears). Less boomy bass, sweeter highs and less scooped low-mids. And the mid knob is more active too...

[Sammo]

I have amp version with TLE/classic switch, it's my third one (TLE -> TLE/Classic -> amp). I have not gigged with it as "clean jazz amp" but at least at home, I find it better than Hot Rod Deluxe or my Fuchs modded Traynor to get that kind of sound.

There are lots of options to shape clean tone other than treble, mid and bass controls (presence, global hi cut and five switches) and I feel I don't have to make compromises to get great overdrive tone too. I think just about all of my overdrive pedals sound better through Ethos' clean channel than "real" amp.

I think Rob hinted that in addition to power amp, they will release clean only version of Ethos, that has optional step filter section just like Dumble Steel String Singer (Dumble of choice by SRV, Eric Johnson and John Mayer).

Here is Tim Lerch playing Ethos (check out 4:50 for archtop and 9:23 for Ted Greene-style telecaster):

[dmorash]

dmorash
are you describing the ethos pedal only, or the pedal with the built in 30 watt power amp? if it's the pedal, what amp are you using or have you tried?

I'm using the pedal version without built in amp through fender or fender style amps - deluxe and Princeton to be specific.

[TLerch]

Here is a new vid using the Ethos clean channel direct into and Mbox. with just a little reverb

enjoy
all the best
Tim

[jzucker]

I find it has a great pushed clean sound. I really like it for rock playing, or a situation where you have to cut through when working with a drummer or something. For a straight ahead clean archtop sound I generally don't like using pedals and prefer a clean fender style sound. The Ethos has a very cool clean sound but it is not a Fender type of voice.

i disagree. It's definitely from the fender branch of the amplifier tree as is the dumble clean. It's a bit more middy sounding than a BF fender sound it it can get as clean as you want without getting overdriven. Of course, it does give you that pushed fender sound as well if you crank up the gain. The beauty is its versatility. He's also coming out with a clean-only version of the pedal in a couple months.

When I compare it to my fender AB763 style preamp box, the preamp box would be a 10 and the ethos would be an 8 or 8.5 I think in terms of copping the tube feel. It doesn't quite have the tube feel but it's very pleasing. If you have the dough, it's worth getting the alembic , the sarno of something based on a real fender preamp. I listened to the kingsley clips and didn't hear anything really clean. Also, he's probably running those clips through a class A power amp or maybe even one of his full amps so it's hard to tell. Also , with 2 12AX7 tubes the preamp can't be based on an AB763 fender design unless he's bypassing one of them in the clean channel

[jzucker]

i was actually going to get mine upgraded to the amplifier version but found it's well over $200 for the upgrade and for a 30 watt amp, I didn't think it was worth it considering that you can get a carvin BX-250 with tone controls, effect loop, etc., for less money and it's 250W ! For that dough, I'll just velcro it onto the carvin.

[medblues]

My BX-250 does not have an effect loop, did you get a newer different one ?

[Greaser]

I have the Kingsley Juggler and the clean channel is very clean. I don't know how he did the clips on his website but the clean channel sounds cleaner than those. The clean channel does use only 1 of the tubes and the other is activated for the OD channel, which is sort of a Dumble-type.

I do have some clips that Simon emailed me of the Juggler plugged into the power amp of one of his el84 amps that I could forward if anyone wants to have a listen. I know, not the most transparent but gives you a better idea than playing through the front end of an amp. It is surprisingly versatile and the eq is great.

I would like to get the Ethos power amp to run the Juggler into and pair them up with a small, light cabinet. I think that would make a nice, portable setup.

i disagree. It's definitely from the fender branch of the amplifier tree as is the dumble clean. It's a bit more middy sounding than a BF fender sound it it can get as clean as you want without getting overdriven. Of course, it does give you that pushed fender sound as well if you crank up the gain. The beauty is its versatility. He's also coming out with a clean-only version of the pedal in a couple months.

When I compare it to my fender AB763 style preamp box, the preamp box would be a 10 and the ethos would be an 8 or 8.5 I think in terms of copping the tube feel. It doesn't quite have the tube feel but it's very pleasing. If you have the dough, it's worth getting the alembic , the sarno of something based on a real fender preamp. I listened to the kingsley clips and didn't hear anything really clean. Also, he's probably running those clips through a class A power amp or maybe even one of his full amps so it's hard to tell. Also , with 2 12AX7 tubes the preamp can't be based on an AB763 fender design unless he's bypassing one of them in the clean channel

[jzucker]

just talked to simon. The kingley to get is the squier. It's available with a dumble, fender or top boost voice. Under $300. One tube, one channel, clean tones.

Kingsley Amplifiers