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Hey Guys,
Having only owned jazz boxes, I am woefully ignorant when it comes to pedals and effects. I play a small archtop with a single floating pick-up through a Henriksen 110 and an Ear Candy extension cab.
I play in a sextet with a forceful drummer and two horn players, playing straight-ahead jazz. I've come up with a solution to block my F-holes to combat feedback, but I'm still being told by the members that I'm not being heard well-enough on my solos. My volume and tone controls are on a pin wheel assembly underneath my pickguard, so I don't find it that convenient to get to.
So, my question is there a device I could use to quickly pump-up my volume or output and then be able to restore itself to my regular level? I understand this is probably a pretty naïve question. But, it's coming from someone who has never used as much as a wah-wah pedal. Is it only a matter of getting a volume pedal or is there something else that would be recommended. I don't want to spend a lot of money on pedals/effects.Last edited by jazzfreak; 05-14-2018 at 03:57 PM.
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05-14-2018 03:32 PM
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What you're describing is typically achieved with what's called "boost pedals". They are extremely ubiquitous in pedal boards. They just push your volume by a predetermined amount when you engage them (on off switch controlled by foot). When you finish your solo you just turn them off.
Originally Posted by jazzfreak
Most overdrive pedals can function as clean boosters as well when the gain is set to 0. Some have an inherent EQ coloration. Typically they would boost upper mids which helps being heard in the mix.
You can get pedals where you can adjust the nature of the boost (bass boost, mid boost, treble boost, transparent). One such pedal I use is called "Spark Booster" produced by TC Electronic.
The most iconic one probably is the Ibanez Tube Screamer. Although an overdrive pedal, many (including SRV) use/used it as a clean mid-humped volume booster.
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Thank you!
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One thing to add though, boosting a tube amp may result in overdriving the pre-amp tube (or even power-map depending on the volume of the amp). This is of course one of the objectives of boosters for some (including SRV Originally Posted by jazzfreak
). If there is enough head room in the amp that shouldn't be a problem though, then it'll just function as a clean volume boost. Besides I just noticed you mention using an Henriksen, not a tube amp.
Last edited by Tal_175; 05-14-2018 at 04:27 PM.
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I bought an Xotic RC Booster V2 which doesn’t color your tone. It also has treble and bass controls which really help in shaping your sound. I rarely turn it off. Awesome pedal which really fattens up the sound of your guitar and gives amazing presence. A must have for playing with a full rhythm section.
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Just went on the website for a local shop that has a 42 percent discount on a TC Electric Spark Mini 20dB Boost. Probably will carry my gear in there to try it out
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Decrease bass and treble as you increase volume, check out Fletcher-Munson.
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My solution was to get a graphic equalizer pedal (my Boss EQ is okay but I think there are better ones out there) and boost the frequencies I want to pop out more during a solo. Doesn’t take a lot of boost that way, and you can boost mids more than upper and lower as per Jorge’s post above.
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The Boss is cool, especially after a few mods - I had one with Monte Allums kit and it was noiseless, almost.
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I agree that a boost pedal is the first thing to try.
Also, a compressor will increase volume/presense and let the instrument sit better in the mix. Compression can make the various instruments come thru more clearly. The downside is loss of transients (which is sometimes a wanted side affect). Loss or not loss of transients can be affected by the use of the "attack" control on a compressor. Used judicially the loss in transients will hardly be noticable in a typical electric guitar sound. In studio recordings, it's pretty common that some compression is put on just about every track.
The more acoustic quality of your sound the more important the transients are as they are a big part of an acoustic guitar sound. On a dreadnaught, for example, I generally don't like anything but very light compression just lightly taming some of the highest peaks.
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I use a Boss GE7 EQ pedal, because I have it. I can either have it boost or decrease volume when engaged, depending on the situation. Sometimes I want to EQ the solo sound, sometimes the rhythm. The volume slider goes both ways, and the pedal works fairly well. There may be newer and better solutions, but I don't want to spend more money on something that I don't use very often. I got it as a throw-in with an amp purchase 30 years or so ago, and it still works fine.
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I used to use an old DOD Bi-Fet Preamp pedal as a sort of “reverse” boost. I’d keep it on with the volume level below unity and then kick it off as the “boost”. It creates a different tone this way.
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The clean-boost idea is good!
Also … tell the other guys to turn down!!
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depending on your amp and the amount of headroom it has, either a clean boost ( or a colored/ flavored boost, if you prefer) or a compressor would be the way to go. possibly an eq pedal if you are comfy operating one.
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Short answer
Whatever pick you use, always use new ones. (keep reading)
Some detail:
My experience that regardless of pick type a new pick brings surprisingly higher presence and maybe even higher stable volume than the very same used one. I suppose it is because the surface is not polished yet. Interestingly the effect is way better can be hear acoustically then through the amp. I am sure this will not change the main characteristics of you tone, so it worth to try and compare.
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I also agree the compressor thing. It sounds a definitely "no do" in jazz, but in reality almost _all_ jazz guitar recording you are listening, went out compressing (the guitar track I mean) in studio, even Benson or even acoustic recordings too. This is the part why they sound professional. (just for record: I am not saying that it is enough to use professional equipment and methods, to sound like Benson, Kreisberg or Antoine Boyer)
Having compression is like a safety belt, you can pick bravely in any string in any fret, there will not be disturbing high sound explosions and resonances in the volume. As a result your place in the band will be more stable and hearable within solo or a line.
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Hey guys, I have a henriksen 310. What is the “presence” control supposed to do?
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Presence controls have been around for a long time, even on early stereo units, and I've seen them on various amps. I've never been able to hear much difference between any settings on them. I mostly ignored the presence knob on whatever had them.
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I don't have an Henriksen. But there was a presence knob on a Mesa amp I used to have. It scooped the mids when dialed down. Boosted mids when dimed. It was basically an active mid knob. But the effect was rather subtle. Originally Posted by joe2758
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Presence control? My understanding (far from perfect) is as follows.
For a simplified explanation, in tube amps, the bass, mid and treble usually work at the pre-amp stage, in a subtractive manner (full open at 10 is the pure sound, rolling it back towards zero will cut treble, mid or bass). The presence control usually comes into the power amp stage, and generally provides a degree of mid and high boost. Fender post a good explanation here for their amps.
In solid state amps the same type of effect is usually the objective - some mid/high boost. This is certainly the case of my 1980s Laney Linebacker which I pull out occasionally, and with the presence above 3 (but never more than 5/6) notes in the upper register ring out more clearly, particularly on single coil pickups. Above 6 however, the sound becomes very shrill and unless you really want a cutting ice-pick clarity in the higher register (particulary harmonics), it's something I generally avoid - unless competing with electric fiddle or mandolin in the mix.Last edited by Ray175; 05-15-2018 at 02:50 PM.
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Why not a volume pedal? I would personally use that instead of a boost.
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This is a good point. When you solo they are suppose to be accompaning you! You should be able to take it down to a whisper and the band should follow along. (And taking it down to a whisper is one of the things I appreciate when I've seen Metheny live). Originally Posted by marcwhy
Also … tell the other guys to turn down!!
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so it sounds like for a classic jazz tone, the presence would be rolled completely off or low. I agree that I barely hear a difference anyway
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I think that depends on whether you're playing an archtop or a solid body. Acoustical resonance of archtops absorb high frequency notes from the springs quickly and emit them acoustically but that means they don't come out through the pickups as much and get a darker tone. People who play jazz with Tele's turn down the tone knob to imitate this effect. Originally Posted by joe2758
When I listen to earlier players who used archtops (Herb Ellis, Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell etc.) I don't hear a rolled off archtop sound. But when I listen to Ed Bickert, Ted Greene etc there is the rolled off Tele sound.
I know it's a common position that classic jazz tone is obtained by rolling off tone of archtop but did the legends really roll off their tone when using archtops?
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Seems to me that a volume pedal would do it.
You turn both the amp and guitar up to as loud as you need to play.
Then, you control the volume with the pedal.
Advantages:
1. You can constantly adjust your volume in accordance with what the band is doing - without taking your hands off the strings.
2. Depending on the unit, it may result in less change in tone than using the volume knob on the guitar (actually, I'm not certain about this).
3. You can isolate pick attack from volume. That is, you can pick lightly and be loud, or pick hard and be quiet. That gives a couple more options on feel.
4. Volume swells are possible, if that's part of your style.
5. Easy to turn off the sound when you tune.
Disadvantages:
1. It may be hard to use if you sit on a stool or stand. Easiest in an ordinary chair.
2. Something else to carry and plug in, requiring another cable.
3. Cost.
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I play a 175 and roll my tone knob all the way off, not a legend though. My favorite tone is this:
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