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I put mine right after the horrid DOD "Tuna" tuner.

Then, the Ross distortion.

Er, thanks Chris.
Maybe we should have a Bass Compressors C/NC though?

There's only one way to get the classic 12 string sound, and that's what I'm looking for.
I'm thinking I may have found it.

Still curious if anyone uses their downstream in the effects chain and why.

-A

The only one that I have tried that sounds even remotely good is the Demeter COMP-1
A friend uses one with his 12 string Rics.....does that Byrds and classic Who thing.......hot damn

BadComrade wrote:Compression on bass guitar sucks. So do those hair band things that people stick on their headstocks.

If a bass player can't play at a consistent volume or can't mute their strings with their hands, then they just need to sell the rack-of-lights "bass rig" and their bass as well.

What the fuck you using compression on your bass for anyway BC? Don't be pulling that Wooten shit with harmonics or I'll kick your ass.

i'm bumping this thread because i have a total beginner question.
for guitar players:

when do you use your compressor pedals?
is it for just adding some sustain when you are playing melodic lines?
for playing arpeggios and make them sound even?
for playing rythm in a way that i just dont quite understand?

i have a standard boss compressor sustainer, it works fine but im not using it much, but it's mostly because i dont completely 'get' it's use in guitar playing situations. i thought it would be nice playing clean rythm but i hate how it removes all the dynamics in my playing. i tried it as a 'lead boost' of sorts, it works, but i think an overdrive would do the same..

I too thought about getting a Janglebox sometime ago, but then I'm not sure I really need it.
would a booster/EQ pedal with the gain and treble controls turned up do about the same, in front of a tube preamp?

Good question, Benny.
It's sort of a mysterious effect because it does a lot of things, but they are all subtle, when you compare it to time based effects and fuzz boxes.

People use it for different things.

You can set it as a boost. When you kick it in, it will not only make your louder, but it will even out the volume of the notes you play all over the neck. Personally, I rather just use a boost pedal (Microamp, etc.)

You can set it to accentuate the "pluck" of your guitar, for that modern blues tone. Particularly cliche' when using a Strat in the "notch" position.
There are no words to describe how much this sound makes me want to wretch.

Similarly, it can be used for a funk guitar sound, like you hear on old Chic records.

Set aggressively, it can "squash" your tone, which will mess with the attack of your signal. On a six string, it's fairly subtle, and not worth the BS of putting another pedal on your board. Maybe use it in the studio if you like that sort of thing.

On a 12 string, it's how you get the McGuinn tone. Lots of compression and plugging DI into the mixing desk is how you pull a Byrds.
This is the only thing I use my compressor for, which is why I bought one specifically designed for this application. It's called The Jangle Box. It also brightens up a Tele nicely if I want a chimey sound, but don't want to carry a 12 string with me.

In most instances, they just don't do enough for me to merit having one on my board. If you don't have a good distortion, people will notice. Leave the compressor at home and nobody's going to say "you know, that guitar needs something extra..."
If they do, they deserve to get headstocked across the forehead.

-A

thebugman wrote:I too thought about getting a Janglebox sometime ago, but then I'm not sure I really need it.
would a booster/EQ pedal with the gain and treble controls turned up do about the same, in front of a tube preamp?

At the risk of sounding terse, no.
The "squash" is important if you want that particular type of jangle.

That's not to say that it wouldn't sound good though.

I use another treble boost, modeled after the old Rangemaster, and it sounds extra fiiiiiiine.
I like the way 60's recordings sound though.



-A

thanks for the detailed reply alex! i know you used it to "pull a byrds" but i don't have a 12 string and also i'm not interested in that tone at all..
(the other day i played a friend's rickenbacker 620 and now i want one tough)

alex maiolo wrote:You can set it to accentuate the "pluck" of your guitar, for that modern blues tone. Particularly cliche' when using a Strat in the "notch" position.
There are no words to describe how much this sound makes me want to wretch.

hah! the other day i did exactly that with a squier strat. the drummer in our band almost puked.

also, why do you use it on your bass?
maybe i need to ditch it and just found a nice overdrive. (still asking people, i have like 10 choices so far. i'm starting to hate the boutique pedal market)
thanks as always.

alex maiolo wrote:I use another treble boost, modeled after the old Rangemaster, and it sounds extra fiiiiiiine.
I like the way 60's recordings sound though.

yes me too. Sounds like we're going for something similar. I use a rangemaster clone and an AC30 clone with alnico speakers. A favorite trick of mine is to use the tube preamp of a tube tape echo as a booster in front of the amp. Set the echo to a very short delay to get a room kind of sound, max the gain of the echo preamp and back off the guitar volume some...the result is a crystal clear tone, similar as with a rangemaster, but even better sounding. Ok I'll stop with the tone blabber now.