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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

2621.0. "Harsh vs Warmth" by CHEFS::BRIGGSR (Four Flat Tyres on a Muddy Road) Mon Nov 09 1992 04:01

    
    Well I bought a BOSS ME6 the other month and very impressed I have been
    by it. At least I have been impressed playing at home level and when
    using it with headphones. However, lately I have been cranking up the
    amp and now I'm finding real problems....
    
    I have a Fender Champ 12 (Valve/Tube) amp. Using the ME6 with the amp
    turned up 3/4 then I find the overall sound extremely harsh. The sound
    (no matter what effect) just lacks any degree of warmth. Plugging the
    guitar straight into the amp results in a much warmer sound with or
    without the amp's overdrive in.
    
    Sooooo, have I stumbled across the "You can't beat the warmth of a
    straight valve sound" debate? Is it just that the digital circuitry in
    the ME6 is resulting in a harsh sound? Is this just a fact of life with
    such kit? Or is it a question of cost? I have an ALESIS Microverb III
    which (digital circuitry and all) produces a nice warm delay/reverb.
    However, the cost of this unit was not far short of the ME6 with its
    8/9 effects.
    
    Or, have I just not discovered which effect combinations/setings should
    be turned up to give a warmer tone?
    
    Richard
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2621.1TECRUS::LONELY::ROSTBassus OpheliusMon Nov 09 1992 07:2210
    My own experience has been that most solid state units whether analog
    or digital get harsh at high volumes, my tendency is to roll back the
    highs a bit (distortion boosts highs anyway).  The warmest sounding
    solid state sound I've heard is the Scholz units (OK, sue me) but they
    are still not super warm.
    
    Anyway, most of the FX units today seem to be voiced for metal type
    sounds, which tend IMHO towards harsher sounds.
    
    						Billy Lorenzo
2621.2CHEFS::BRIGGSRFour Flat Tyres on a Muddy RoadTue Nov 10 1992 10:567
    
    I wold agree with your last statement. Certainly if I want to sound
    like Metallica or similar then no problem. But I can't, for instance,
    get a nice warm distorted bluesy sound or even the warmth of the famous
    Honky Tonk Women riff.
    
    Richard
2621.3TS10....NAVY5::SDANDREAgwadlluB cixelsyDTue Nov 10 1992 11:044
    get an Ibanez Tube Screamer...tubes in a box....I swear by it...turned
    my Dean Markley solid state 35watter into a 435 watt tube amp.