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One thing you can do quickly, cheaply, and easily is to mod the Vibrolux a little. Pull the V1 tube (assuming you're using the reverb channel). This will drive the reverb channel preamp more, giving slight distortion at higher volumes. Costs nothing, easily reversible by just reinserting the tube. Having a solid-state rectifier also increases the clean headroom, so if you have one, replace it with a 5U4 tube. Other mods are explained here: BF/SF Vibrolux Reverb | fenderguru.com
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10-22-2022 11:04 AM
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Originally Posted by guavajelly
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Originally Posted by guavajelly
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Originally Posted by ruger9
It can probably be found used as well, so not necessarily an expensive try out.
Another worth considering is the new Duke of Tone, which is being put out by MXR in collaboration with Analogman, because he can't keep up with demand for the King of Tone- at least a 4 year wait list!
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Considering using a lower powered amp: I have a blues jr. 15 – 15 watts, master volume, 1 x 12" – and it is fighting. I also used a princeton on a gig lately and it was fighting. These kind of 12-15 watt amps are cool and they give me the tone I want, but they are fighting to provide the volume and headroom I also need. And honestly all these amps are very compressed in the lower register.
Here's a video to proove in a similar venue using the blues jr.:
To me that is already (a little bit) too trashy – and you can hear that notes in the lower register get burried in the sounds of organs of drums. Very obvious when we play the bridge of Fire Eater – the first song in the compilation at around 0:05.
I'm a fan of Alter and he has a series of videos playing his 335 through a tiny pro junior.
He sounds great but I think that his band plays a little quieter than mine.
The Vibrolux OTOH has more headroom and also a more complete sound – I think due to the bigger cabinet and two speaker (2 x 10") – It just needs to be tamed a little bit. Just a notch.
Yesterday I contacted the guy who makes the attentuator I tried (see OP) and told him that the first level of attentuation (1/4) was already too quiet. He quickly responded that he could make me one with less reduction at no extra cost – so I ordered one that reduces output to 3/4 or 1/2 (it has a switch). I'm looking forward to try that. I hope that this gives me the option to use the full volume, something a little more than the blues jr. and something in between – like 3 Amps in one. I hope that works out like that. ;-)
Wish me luck.Last edited by guavajelly; 10-29-2022 at 04:59 AM.
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FWIW here's a link to the attentuator (standard configuration with 1/4 and 1/10): VARISUCKER 50 Watt
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Put a fender Princeton through a toob metro gp. Plenty of hair then haha
it actually sounds fab
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Another thing i sometimes do when i need more volume is just carry two amps. A small tube one, and a light ss one, like an Aer or ZT lunchbox.
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FWIW I tested the Harley Benton (made by Joyo) "Ultimate Drive" meanwhile. While it will not do exactly what a cranked amp does it still produces a very nice amp-like overdrive with the drive around 8 or 9 o'clock and also excels as a clean boost with drive on zero. It's also very dynamic for a pedal – much more than my Rat or Tube Screamer. My telecaster loves it. If I understand correctly it's a clone of the Fulltone OCD? It's only 29.95 € so I thought I give it a try.
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Originally Posted by guavajelly
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Hey Ozoro,
I like it. It took me a bit of turning the knobs to figure out how to use it. I also don't have a lot of experience. It is a bit hissy when turning up the gain and tone knobs, so my first thought was to send it back. But when I found out how to set it up (with the gain under 9 o'clock and the tone at 1 o'clock) there was no hiss and I liked the tone – especially with the tele and strat. And it reacts much like a tube amp, cleaning up very nicely with soft picking or turning down the guitar volume. Cranking up the gain takes it into fuzz which can come in handy – we play one song with the funk band that requires fuzz.
With the ES 330 I like it with the gain off, it becomes a nice booster then. The pickups in my ES 330 are like twice as loud as the fender pickups. I doubt that it will do exactly what a cranked tube amp does but it sure does a better job than my Rat or tube screamer clone which both add more compression.
I only played it with my blues junior at home so far. Will try it with the Vibrolux on the next gig. I think with the attentuator I ordered and/or this I will be able to dial in what I want to hear – basically still a clean tone but with some hair and magic tube mojo – if that makes sense ;-).
BTW I also ordered the American True Tone you recommended with the Ultimate Drive. I had one for years until our bass player "stole" it from me (he didn't actually steal it but borrowed it and instead of giving it back sent me the money to buy a new one ;-). I think this works fine as an emergency amp or substitute for an amp. I also have a Tech 21 Fly Rig (my DI-rig, I don't fly but drive my bike to local gigs) and IMHO the tone is as good as the sans amp in that unit. In front of an amp and speaker I don't like it that much. Maybe because the speaker sim fights with the actual speaker? The frequency curve to me sounds weird in front of an amp and I can't dial it out (same with the fly rig btw) But it's great as a preamp to go into a DI, so it will just live in my gig bag in case my amp or the fly rig fails.
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Originally Posted by guavajelly
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Originally Posted by John A.
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The Wampler Dual Fusion set on channel 1…
I play 99.9% clean. Distortion and Overdrive has never found a home here. This is the only pedal I’ve found that does it for me. Adjust channel 1 for the slightest hint of OD/Distortion and almost forget it’s on. Very natural, responds well to pick attack.
Highly recommended.
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Duplicate.
Musescore search and replace
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