Effects You Like Best With Vjr.

[ssgfowler]

be nice to start a database of pedals' date=' multi-effects, etc., that make the VJ "sing"... I had a Zoom G2 - kinda "meh' with my VJ and 2 other old tube amps (sounded OK with my SS amps)... my Cheap Korg AX5G ME Pedal sounds great with "tweaking". But I'd LOVE some analog pedals.[/quote']

 

Strangedogs had this idea in a previous post. Sounds like a good idea to me.

I don't like tons of effects, but every guitar player has a few they just can't live without.

So, which ones (pedals, multi effects, etc., have you found that sound really good?

 

 

For me:

Marshall RF-1 Reverb

Modtone Vintage Analog Delay (both in FX loop).

Marshall ED-1 Compressor (used as a lead boost or when I want to play Gn'R or Judas Priest songs w/o turning the amp to 10.

Dunlop Crybaby Wah (modified)

[strangedogs]

I use mine with different things - Tubescreamer, ART STUDIO TUBE Preamp, DS-1 but lately I just use my Korg AX5G MultiEffects Pedal with it to add Reverb, Chorus, etc. (I love the ROTARY effect it has) - the VJ loves most pedals... It didn't seem to really enjoy my Zoom G2 as much as my Korg (sold the G2) but with my Korg it has some amazing sounds including low volume (living room volume) HI-GAIN Metal... and the Korg doesn't hamper the VJ's natural overdrive when cranking it up. I also found a Cheap Lil' $29 Art Studio Tube Preamp (Musician's Friend sale) will boost the VJ somewhat - and you can actually overdrive it by increasing the input and output knobs or push the +20 DB switch! You can boost the cleans at up to about 11:00 and after that BOOST the gain and VOLUME too. I use it with everything although it can get a bit "noisy" when pushed with other pedals...

 

I also found that you can use a tubescreamer like an Attenuator - Turn the VJ WIDE OPEN and turn the LEVEL on the TS down to low Volume & have a fully cranked up VJ at ULTRA-LOW levels. I'm too poor right now to afford an Attenuator but that's next on my list. A WEBER Mini-Mass probably. When the Wife's home (99% of the time) she doesn't wanna hear my RAWKIN' LOUD :( B)

 

I figure my next one is gonna be a deaf girl. I live 35 miles from the St. Augustine School for the deaf and blind and if need be I'm goin' shoppin' ! Deaf as a stump, Young and slightly "simple" would be good too 'eh!

[Robo]

I use a Bad Monkey once in awhile with my Valve Special, but my VJr doesn't seem to like it as well.

I've been using an EH Holy Stain that works quite well with the VJr. I've got several other distortion

pedals, but they all sound like fuzzes to me, too fizzy too The Holy Stain has a pretty respectable

reverb, fuzz and distortion. In fact it's fuzz, sounds more like tube distortion than all my distortion pedals.

The fuzz and distortion on the HS are quite responsive to the volume on the guitar. I've always been

one to dime my amps and just use the guitars volume as a tone knob, and the SH is the only pedal

I've used that responds almost as well as an amp. Well worth $99.00USD from Sweetwater.com.

[strangedogs]

interesting - I might have to test out a stain... yeah back "in the day" I used an LP and a Marshall 100-watt Super Lead - no pedals until the end of the 70's when I finally did spring for a "Phase-Shifter" - I used my Volume Knobs a lot - in those days we learned what they're there for. I eventually bought a Morley Volume Pedal (big chrome thing) but found myself still trying to use my pinky on the knobs - Italians aren't real coordinated :-

[Robo]

I always just used amp distortion and sometimes with an EH LPB1 or homemade preamp to kick the front, then in the mid eighties I bought an Arion flanger, fun at first, but got old fast. Had it out only a few times since then. Everywhere I ever lived I could dime 100 watts, until I moved here. Close neighbors. The reason why I bought the 5 watt Epi's. Still too loud dimed tho. I really need an affordable distortion pedal that plays like the cranked output stage of a tube amp.

[strangedogs]

...I really need an affordable distortion pedal that plays like the cranked output stage of a tube amp.

 

me too bud, me too. I love the sound of a tube amp on 11! I had a Marshall 100-watt and lived in Apartment Complexes. Finally somewhere in the late 70's I bought a Sholtz POWER SOAK and finally could at least hear my Marshall at home without having to drag it to our practice warehouse we rented... a Big Block Marshall on 1 or 2 sounds like hammered crap. I also had a Fender Twin and bought a NEW SS AMP for practicing - A SUNN BETA-LEAD (with the "all-new" 70's CMOS Technology). SS was coming in strong and SUNN was good stuff. I actually gigged with the Beta-Lead a few times - everyone was switching cause they were more reliable and had better sounds at lower volumes. We didn't have P.A.'s much in those days - we played through our amps and bar owners were gettin' real strict finally about "TURN IT DOWN GUYS". The poor drummer couldn't even hear himself with a bunch of 100-watt Tube Amps all around him .

[Steven Lister]

When the Wife's home (99% of the time) she doesn't wanna hear my RAWKIN' LOUD. I figure my next one is gonna be a deaf girl....' date=' and if need be I'm goin' shoppin'![/quote']

...and if one or the other 'has to go' it'd be a right lowdown unforgivable crying shame to set VJr. out onto the curb.

 

POD effects (compressor and reverb) with or without amp/cab models are good -- never use delay, tremolo, chorus, flanger (they may be okay just not my thing)

Boss/Keeley BD-2 is a terrific overdrive/distortion for creamin' to screamin' blues

Keeley compressor is excellent

 

Still shopping for a wah -- don't use one much so I don't want to spend a lot (just want a great one, all of you know how it is). Anyone tried the Behringer Hellebabe? Great price + no pot to wear out

Also, waiting to try the new Valve Sr. reverb before deciding whether to buy a spring type reverb pedal.

 

Not a big fan of pedals overall -- VJr. V3 with tube upgrade takes me most everywhere I want to go 80% of the time.

Truly amazingly versatile little amp for just one knob control! :-

 

Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-"

[scott58]

POD XT Live is Vj sweetness.

[strangedogs]

Steven - I'm with you son... most of my life I never used pedals - just GUITAR -> AMP. My V3 Combo is a whole lotta fun just on it's own. I can hammer out great Blues and Classic Rock too with just a 1 knob, 5-watt baby like the VJ.

 

Last night I stayed up till almost 5:00 AM and have come up with a newer rendition of Lil' Red Rooster - using a glass bottleneck... maybe I'll try to record it so ya'll can hear it - fused Howlin' Wolf's Version with the Stones Version and man it was soundin' RIGHT with just my LP and my VJ...

[mrjones200x]

What does the pod actually do?

 

Do you run your guitar into it then into your amp and it acts like a pedal (But with loads of effect including amp simulations and effects)

 

Does it do recording or anything like that?

 

Lots say there great but dont know much myself

 

Thanks

 

I tried the boss ds-1 with my valve junior and it sounds crap to me. Went from nice crunch to digital thin sounding mess!

 

Want a chorus pedal for the guns and roses sound

[Robo]

Steven - I'm with you son... most of my life I never used pedals - just GUITAR -> AMP. My V3 Combo is a whole lotta fun just on it's own. I can hammer out great Blues and Classic Rock too with just a 1 knob' date=' 5-watt baby like the VJ.

 

Last night I stayed up till almost 5:00 AM and have come up with a newer rendition of Lil' Red Rooster - using a glass bottleneck... maybe I'll try to record it so ya'll can hear it - fused Howlin' Wolf's Version with the Stones Version and man it was soundin' RIGHT with just my LP and my VJ...[/quote']

Ever hear the Pot Liquor version, of Red Rooster?

[cGil]

Things that go good with Junior...

 

The Line 6 POD is a digital sandbox. Digitech GSP1101 is yet another. There are countless more, but what about analog effects the VJr likes?

 

An RMC Picture Wah is excellent with the VJr. It's real old, old school, and has a throaty, vocal quality the usual Crybaby just can't touch. It will, however, pick a fight over being first in line with certain fuzz boxes, as many old school fuzz's will insist on being first in line after your pickups. So this is the kind of wah that must follow the fuzz, or use a buffer (like what Foxrox made for it) to make the fuzz think it's still talking directly to the pickups. Other RMC wah pedals have the buffer built in.

 

The ZVex Fuzz Factory is an excellent example of an old school fuzz that demands being first on the pedal board. And it's like a fuzz with a variable steroid IV pump stuck in a vein and has more than enough control to keep you dialing up new tones for months. It'll do anything from old Fuzz Face, to new fuzz, to dying amp, to on-the-edge theramin squeals and an almost endless list of things in between. Best of all it sounds like an old treble boost when you roll off the guitar volume. This kind of insane in the membrane stuff is an essential tool in my kit. It can be a little bright with a VJr, so a tone pot mod on a VJr is also essential. Using the guitar's tone pot is also a good idea.

 

The Carl Martin Compressor, is a studio quality compressor in a too-tall (square) stomp pedal. It's got tons and tons of super clean gain and doubles as a full bandwidth super boost when the compression is rolled off. For compression duties, the controls are very sensitive so it can be a little tricky to use, but it's capable of anything from an utterly transparent level of compression to a slightly heavier stomp on the dynamics than an MXR dynacomp, but without the MXR's coloring.

 

The EH Memory Man Deluxe (old version, non-true bypass) is just one of those AC-wired, bucket brigade, TL072 opamp'd kinda delay pedals you either love or hate. The overload light is part of the problem cuz it's too sensitive and folks think they need to turn it down. If you use your ears to set the volume, though, the overload light will be lit... a lot. I've learned to ignore it. Being active bypass helps maintain a proper drive to push the signal to the amp, but it also makes it more sensitive at the input stage and more easily overdriven by things like boosts and fuzz pedals. It works very well after a compressor or even a tube distortion box as those can help compress and limit the signal fed into the Memory Man. I would rather it be battery powered and cut the AC cords to my pedal board, but it's got a certain grungy tone I haven't found elsewhere. I'm still looking.

 

Gil...

[mrjones200x]

What does a compressor do for the sound?

 

Sounds like pod ok for ss amp then as it will kill your tube tone down to a digital level

[scott58]

What does a compressor do for the sound?

 

Sounds like pod ok for ss amp then as it will kill your tube tone down to a digital level

 

Not so, don't get me wrong, there is certainly some digital sounding crap to be found in the POD and frankly there are effects in there I will never use, but over all there is alot of outstanding tone in the POD/Vj. I've used my POD through several SS amps and direct into a PA. It does not sound as good as through the Vj and I'm talking several magnitudes of better not just a little. With an SS amp I thought I was getting some fairly decent tone, but with the tubes in the valve junior everything just got richer and fatter. Better still i can balance the natural OD in the Vj with the Tubescreamer model in the POD and if it's to loud just turn down the volume on the POD and the tone doesn't change it just gets quieter. If i need to clean it up a bit back off the volume on the guitar and turn it back up with the POD etc. Unbelievable versatility with this thing. Soldano amp models for zepplin, mesa dual rec for some decent plexi. AC 30 for some nice blues. I could go on but i'm sure you get it. The thing with the POD is it's not plug and play you got to learn how to use it. There are subdirectories in this thing that make all the difference when searching for good tone and it took me about a month to start figuring that out, but now that i've had it for a year I won't give this up. My only next step now is a couple of thousand for a new head and thousands more in analog pedals, which is a bummer because i'm not a rich man and it's going to be years before that happens On the plus side i'll be a much better player by then.

 

To answer your compressor ?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_(electric_guitar)

[cGil]

Compressors boost the quiet stuff and squish the loud stuff. If it has a "limiter" mode, it'll just squish the loud stuff. Too much squish at too low of a signal threshold and pick attack is also severely squished.

That's the -very- short version.

 

Yep. POD's sound do great into a VJr, especially with an fx loop return to plug it into. The Digitech toys do too, and so does the Zoom G1 pedal a friend of mine uses. But with models, it's about getting the basics of the tone down, and letting the VJr's tube power amp de-digitize that stuff. It is a little less "true" to the models since the power tube, OT, speaker, and cab ALL color the tone, but boy does it ever sound good anyway. Line 6 knows this, and is the very reason they're now selling amps with tube power to drive the speaker. But consider that best model results come the power tube kept in the clean zone, and you can bet they also chose the most uncolored speakers they could find. Same game with the Atomic modeler power amp. Even so, models can be turned off. I love getting my own tones with my VJr's and my usual speakers. The digital stuff can be icing on that cake or totally disastrous, but great tone is always just a tweak away from most factory settings.

 

Gil...

 

Oh, by the way, the new firmware for the Digitech GSP1101 is still buggy. :D

[scott58]

The thing for me is I have never plugged into 1/2 the amps it models so I don't know what it's suppose to sound like.

Same with the Variax. The question i ask myself is does it sound better then comparable SS offerings and $500 guitars.

In my opinion yes it does and with 25 different guitars (including acoustics & 12 strings) plus 30 something amp models

and all the effects. My possibilities are endless.

 

Disclaimer: The acoustics don't sound that good with the POD/Vj. I a/b through a PA with 7 band EQ for that.

[Steven Lister]

Yep. POD's sound do great into a VJr...' date=' it's about getting the basics of the tone down, and letting the VJr's tube power amp de-digitize that stuff.[/quote']

ABSOLUTELY 110 % --- And a good way to do this is to run VJr. HOT (1 o-clock to max level) to let the tube tone come shining through and without letting POD "take over" (see POD manual) the amp -- which is exactly the opposite of what you want POD to do with most SS amps.

 

It is a little less "true" to the models since the power tube' date=' OT, speaker, and cab ALL color the tone, but boy does it ever sound good anyway. Even so, models can be turned off. I love getting my own tones with my VJr's and my usual speakers. The digital stuff can be icing on that cake or totally disastrous, but great tone is always just a tweak away from most factory settings.[/quote']

ABSOLUTELY 110% --- And as scott58 pointed out, we don't usually have brand XXX amp setting there to A/B for "trueness" anyway. Personally, being true to the real deal means diddley..., what I'm after is a variety of TONE GREATNESS.

Bang-for-bucks? --- at $450 POD/VJr. gives HUGE RETURN (and variety).

 

cgil and I have had our share of opinion differences here regarding VJr., but we obviously share a passion for great tone and love how VJr. answers the call.

 

Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-"

[cGil]

Indeed! Here's to good tone! Cheers!

 

Funny thing about this latest digital "crap". I've had my Digitech upstairs for a week, plugged into the computer by USB to get used to the on-the-box operating system as well as the editing software. I need to edit all the user patches to use with my amps, which are all downstairs. So I'm jamming through headphones, and I gotta admit, some of the factory patches are pretty darn impressive. And I mean REALLY impressive. They've even got some of the amp bloom stuff down so well, it's actually scary good. This thing turned out to be the best headphone gizmo I've had or heard so far. Too bad you can't clip it on a strap.

 

Gil...

[strangedogs]

I've been saying for a long time that if I could get the sound I'm getting from my Computer through my Amp I'd be happy as a lark. I'm running a Mac G5 with Logic as my DAW and usually use Guitar Rig 3 and also Amplitube 2 - also using IMPULSE RESPONSES for the CABS - now everything is coming out sounding rich and FAT but when I try to REAMP my SOUND OUT into an amp, either SS or TUBE it loses something... I'm sure all the Digital to Analog is probably ONE of the culprits, along with 100 other things but I'm trying still. Been using 2 small FENDER FRONTMAN 15R's I picked up cheap on Ebay as my computer speakers, tried running Direct into my old 60-watt ROLAND (set clean as snow), tried a lot of different amps, etc (Haven't tried any type of actual monitors cause I don't have any) but still not as RICH and SWEET as what's coming out of the computer with computer speakers/subwoofer system or headphones... wassup with all that?

[layboomo]

Indeed! Here's to good tone! Cheers!

 

Funny thing about this latest digital "crap". I've had my Digitech upstairs for a week' date=' plugged into the computer by USB to get used to the on-the-box operating system as well as the editing software. I need to edit all the user patches to use with my amps, which are all downstairs. So I'm jamming through headphones, and I gotta admit, some of the factory patches are pretty darn impressive. And I mean REALLY impressive. They've even got some of the amp bloom stuff down so well, it's actually scary good. This thing turned out to be the best headphone gizmo I've had or heard so far. Too bad you can't clip it on a strap.

 

Gil...[/quote']

 

Gil.....you must resist the dark side Gil......Nah ...I have had a few modelers too and I currently use an M-audio Blackbox Re-loaded as a computer interface..... and with some detailed tweaking some of the models are scary good....I hate to admit it. I got it on a blowout sale for $99 with the pedal board because I needed a mic/line in interface. All of the models etc...are just a bonus...but they are very handy. Most of the people who say this or that modeler is junk ,don't spend the time to Really tweak the sounds and that's a "Must Do" IMHO with most modelers....especially feeding guitar amps since the factory models were designed to feed full range pa speakers or computer line inputs for the most part. I can see using a valve jr to "warm up" the tones of a modeler as many have....but in all honesty, a pod sounds like a pod plugged into anything....and that's not meant to be good or bad....it is what it is. For me the valve jr is best naked but I have never been big on effects anyway.

[Cole]

The only effect pedal i put between my guitar and Vj is a noise suppressor(P90's hum)

I love the sound of just the guitar in to amp. I do own a big muff and LPB-1 clean boost

but haven't used them since i' modded my Vj. WHen i get some money i may buy the EH

holy Stain for the reverb not the fuzz and OD. I've heard it is Really good and i find myself

wanting some verb every now and then.

[rafaelh]

What does the pod actually do?

 

Do you run your guitar into it then into your amp and it acts like a pedal (But with loads of effect including amp simulations and effects)

 

Does it do recording or anything like that?

 

Lots say there great but dont know much myself

 

Thanks

 

I tried the boss ds-1 with my valve junior and it sounds crap to me. Went from nice crunch to digital thin sounding mess!

 

Want a chorus pedal for the guns and roses sound

 

I don't care to much for amp modelers or multi effects units. Not that they aren't good or bad, I've heard some folks get killer sounds out of them, but I've just hit rock bottom with them....plus I just don't care or have the patience for the constant knob tweaking thing. This is as far as going into an amp with one...using one as a DI is a totaly different story though.

 

A while back got a job where they didn't allow amps on stage...everybody went to the board. So a friend gave me his POD (the 2.0 version) to use as a DI box, and man was I impressed. At first I just used the amp modeling side only, basicaly just as an amp with a couple of pedals up front, but after a while decided to take advantage of the convenience of just dragging out the POD and started using some of it's gain and compressor....still had the reverb mixed at the board though. At any rate I had a balst with it...especially when it came to setting up and tearing down.

 

I guess running one in front of a bad sounding amp might help(?), but I don't understand why some one would run one in front of a good, or expensive, amp. I'm only talking amp modelers not muli-effect units...if you do allot of covers a multi-effect unit would be handy I guess...LOL... once you take the time to figure the thing out, to overwhelming for this old knot head.

 

At any rate IMO I guess it really don't matter what gear one uses or how, the end result is to get that smile on your face when you play. It be a boring world if all us God chitlins liked the same thing all the time every time I be thinking. For myself I prefer less...LOL...mainly out of laziness.

 

BTW and FWIW most of the gear I own, or buy now a days, is mainly for playing out not at home, which to me makes a big differnce in deciding on purchasing new gear and when getting opinions on such. Some of the stuff I have sounds great on stage, but just horrible at home. Makes me wonder why I bother buying the darn thing when I try them at home.

 

Anyways I mostly just run a McCoy wah, TS-9, a delay and a Boss EQ normaly. The EQ I've used the longest, and it either sits with the amp as part of its EQ or on the board as a clean boost. The EQ is one of the most overlooked pedals I belive. Allot you can do with that simple pedal...IMO, just as is everything else, everybody should carry one in their gig bag I think.

[scott58]

I doubt if i'd use a POD on an expensive head either, but at that point i have to make the commitment

to probably 5 or $6000 in amp/cab and pedals. I'm not prepared for that yet. The problem is I like to play

alot of different stuff. i go from Buck Owens to Metalica And everything in between. You just can't do that

cheaply without something like a POD. Even with that the tones most of us are trying to compete for comes

from million dollar studios anyway. It's always a compromise. Again i had to ask myself some specific questions.

Is the POD a better preamp then the standard digital setups in SS amps. The answer for me was yes. I ran it

through my PA for awhile in it was pretty good. I plugged into the VJ only out of curiousity after I bought one for

my G/F. That's been several months ago and I haven't plugged the POD into any of my other gear since. I think

it says alot for the Vj that now the only other amp head i'm interested in is almost $2000. Throw in the cab for

another $1000 and god knows what in pedals. Let's just say i'm glad i took the time to learn the POD and found

out about the VJ. Anything else is going to get rudely expensive for me.

[rafaelh]

Yes sir I do agree. It most certainly can get rudely expensive, as you put it, to try and emulate all those tones by outright buying the seperate gears, but one thing is to use a multi-effects pedal to cover allot of ground. The other is to use an amp modeler in front of a high dollar amp or already great sounding one the way I've seen some folks do, which is what I was referring to as far as not making much sense to me.

 

I know a couple of guys, and heard and seen few more, with thousand bucks invested in there amps and plug a 300 dollar amp modeler in front of it. Why spend so much on amp to do that is what seems odd to me.

 

BTW....I don't mean no disrespect or to offend any one, that's not my way. We just be rapping here. If I did I truly am sorry.

 

Anyhow before I was given the POD, being free I couldn't pass that up, I did demo a few others. The feel, or vibe, of playing through a tube amp might not have been there, but sound wise and convinience I could immediatly see the appeal towards these units. I did try it through my amps but didn't care for that at all either, my intent was not to use it like that anyways so no big deal.....LOL...we still got to experiment I guess.

[dumhole327]

I don't use or have many pedals, try to really keep it simple. I use Keeley modded BD-2 when it's 3 in the morning and can't crank the amp way up, or when I need a little extra drive to really push it off the edge. I use a Keeley Fuzz Head for those amp exploding fuzz tones. Both of those work really well with the VJ, and fiddling between them, I can get some of the best sounds I've ever heard. I also plug in the trusty MXR 10-band EQ when I'm trying to get more specific tones like Slash's tone and boosted or scooped mids for various applications.