EQ for guitar is this usefull

[PRS MAN]

I know what my eq on my acoustic does and the eq on my ipod but what would be the advantages and disadvantages to use a eq on my guitar and would it help with creating a very strong bass sound.

thanks

[picker]

Boss, and a lot of other FX companies as well, have made stompbox graphic EQs for guitars for years. They can be a big help working with the tone of your instrument or amp. Steve Stephens used one of the Boss boxes a lot back in the day with Billy Idol. He liked pushing the 200hz to get more low-end womp, so I'd say you can probably get what you're looking for out of one.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Good info from picker above....

 

What kind of guitar and amp are you using? And what sort of sound and style of music are you going for?

 

If you want to increase the amount of bass in your electric guitars sound, yes, many of the EQ pedals (and other EQ devices) out there will help you do that.

 

For fat, full bass-emphasis with your guitar, you may also want to check out some octave-down pedals, like the Boss OC-3 Super Octave (will do chords pretty well), DigiTech Whammy, FoxRox Octron (a fuzz with blendable octave-down AND octave-up; LOVE mine!), Electro Harmonix POG and HOG multi-octave (will do chords; as used by Jack White/White Stripes "Blue Orchid"), Eventide Pitch Factor (top-shelf, will do nearly ANYTHING)...

 

The MXR Blue Box is a quirky thick, dirty fuzz with two-octaves-down for single-note leads, not always so good with chords (Jimmy Page used one on the solo in Led Zeppelin's "Fool In The Rain" on In Through The Out Door), and currently they're CHEAP; weird and kinda fussy, though- if you get one, I will gladly tell you how to get the best out of it.

 

If you meant, could you also use an EQ to create a very strong sound for a bass, there are EQ pedals (and preamps, and other EQ devices) out there that will help you do that, too.

 

There are also various active/battery-powered EQ units that can be installed in your guitar or bass, usually replacing a normal tone-control or two...

[picker]

The MXR Blue Box is a quirky thick, dirty fuzz with two-octaves-down for single-note leads, not always so good with chords (Jimmy Page used one on the solo in Led Zeppelin's "Fool In The Rain" on In Through The Out Door)...

 

Really? I thought he was using that first Roland Guitar synth(303?) on that. But, I have to admit that it sure sounds like an Octave box. I had the one made by Pearl back in the 80's, and it sounded a lot like that.

[G. A. Donis]

I use to use a EQ stompbox. I think it was DOD but it has been years since I've used it. Now, since I'm using a Vetta it has all kinds of EQ available. An EQ can definately help refine your tone.

 

I have a Boss Octave OC-2 which is not very good. It most definately does not do polyphony and barely did single notes well. I haven't heard the OC-3 so maybe it was a big improvement over what I have. I recently picked up a POG2 and this thing is the shiznit! It is now my most over-used effect . I get looks from the drummer whenever I kick it on (3 or 4 songs in out set list).

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

You need to explain more about what you are trying to do. Eq pretty much sounds like shit if you are trying to use it to create tones that are not there in the first place.

[Michael.Saulnier]

An EQ for guitar is a very useful tool.

 

If you're looking to emphasize the low end, you can certainly raise the eq levels for those frequencies.

 

It might also be better to actually only slightly raise the bass levels, but LOWER the mid's and high's a bit.

 

This way, you can play your amp a bit higher volume, but only the bass tones will be raised. This may help especially if the bass gets too distorted from pushing the low end too much with the eq.

 

You can also use the eq either in line with the rest of your pedals... (in this case, I like it to be near the end of the chain), or put it in the effects loop if you have one.

 

Experiment to see what works best to give you the tone you want.

 

Good luck!

 

M

[Larryz]

re; EQ's close your eyes when you adjust it...if it sounds good...leave her right there....don't forget you have more bass controls on your guitar and amp and may not need any more...try it out of line and in line...then let your ears do the talking..

[d halfnote]

You need to explain more about what you are trying to do. Eq pretty much sounds like shit if you are trying to use it to create tones that are not there in the first place.

 

The main use of EQ is to compensate for a situation, whether recording & trying to accomodate the mix or performing & trying to "fix" the sound in the room (something I found a parametric to be helpful with on bass).

 

I'm confused by this opening:

I know what my eq on my acoustic does... but what would be the advantages and disadvantages to use a eq on my guitar...

thanks

Are you speaking of an electric guitar in the 2nd reference ?

How do you perceive the use w/ acoustic ?

 

 

[tylerD]

Eq= Awesome =Yes!!!

[Terrell]

EQ is the essential sound tool. However, used poorly it creates problems. Especially Graphic EQs! EQ before a distorted amplifier is usually going to produce unwanted noise or artifacts...

 

EQ in a modeling amp is uber useful! You can shape a tone and RESPONSE nicely... Response is the key to playing in my book!

 

My experience...

[A String]

Personally, I wouldn't use an EQ on my electric. I used to use a parametric EQ on my acoustic as it had no built in EQ and I had a Parametric with a sweepable mid that allowed me to really get a rich, live tone from my guitar.

 

I'm not a fan of Graphic EQ pedals, at all.

[Caevan O’Shite]

So, PRS MAN-

 

Just exactly what is it that you want to achieve, that you thought maybe an EQ could help?

 

What guitar, pickups, amp, and any other gear are you using?

 

For what styles of music?

 

"Rhythm" guitar, or "lead", or "all of it"?

[PRS MAN]

i have a Paul Reed Smith Guitar SE EG, it has stock pickups, i am using a Peavy Rage 158, and i do lead and rhythm and i want to bring out the bass in my distortion settings, sometime the sound gets lost in my feedbacks

[G. A. Donis]

I'm not sure what you mean by "lost in my feedbacks". Do you mean in your monitor mix or the overall mix in general?

 

If your guitar gets lost in the overall band mix it may be that you have removed too much of the mid frequencies? I tend to scoop out my mids too much when it is just me listening to the amp and then when I'm with the band I find that I don't cut through. Bumping the mids up seemed to help with this.

 

If you are wanting to bring out the lower frequencies you have to watch out and since your tone could be competing with the bass which will tend to make the overall mix sound muddy.

 

I'm no sound expert but I've found that the tone I really, really like (bassy and scooped mids) when it is just the guitar does not translate very well to a band mix. The mids will help your guitar cut through and be heard.

[fantasticsound]

Okay, first things first...

 

EQ is a tool and, as some have suggested, used wisely it can provide a much broader palette of sounds to your instrument and rig.

 

That said, your Peavey Rage is a rather "vanilla", solid state practice amp with a small speaker. No amount of eq will improve the bass response of this amp in the measure, I suspect, you desire.

 

As the saying goes, "You can't polish a turd and regardless how you try, in the end it still stinks."

 

Your amp is a decent practice amp with precious little character and a speaker that simply isn't designed to reinforce bass. You need to upgrade the amp before wasting money on an eq if bass response is your goal.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

And don't forget that there are a couple of overdrives now that push the low end. The Fulltone has been discussed here before.

[fantasticsound]

LOL! A Fulltone in front of a Peavey Rage, Bill?? Wouldn't that be akin to putting off road tires on an otherwise stock, Chevy Cavalier and attempting to drive in the back woods? A fine gourmet steak sauce on Spam?

 

(Hopefully that came out pithy, but not rude... )

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Well, you know me, I'd as soon put an eq in a circuit as eat dirt. The only even slightly affordable eq that I use is the one that comes on the Midas XL4 console. Usually, if you think that you need an eq on a sound source, you've probably got a problem and if your answer is to put an eq in the chain, I think that you need a little more experience. (There, was that more like what you'd expect me to say? [g])

 

Seriously fellas, we've all used eqs and tried to make magical things happen with them. If we are going to get anything like that to work it isn't going to say "Boss" or "Adam" on the label. Just examine technically what happens to your signal with the addition of each 'band' of control in an equalizer, and you'll question why anyone even makes the things.

 

In the dark and dim past I used a stompbox eq to convert my low level acoustic guitar signal to something that could push a DI.

 

And like some others here, I've used parametrics on acoustics.

 

But on an electric? Hell, I've got a bypass switch on my Pellow to get the pickups tot he amp with no electronics in the way at all... that is how much I dislike eq on source material.

 

In mixdown, that is a different situation, but we're also using significantly better quality eqs.

[PRS MAN]

so i am just wasting my money on the eq and this should go with out saying but it is a transtube but... it is very old, i thnk and it contains a blue marvel speaker, but i got for a 120 with a art and luthrie acoustic guitar, good deal i thought

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

You have several ways to go I guess. Just curious... have you ever changed the tubes in your amp? Have you tried any of the tube options? You could always ask Myles his advice.

 

As I mentioned before, there are overdrive stomp boxes that emphasize the low end.

 

Many of us have gone to different amp solutions... I've traded in my vintage amp collection and sat down with a THD and a Reverend Goblin, a 1940s Valco and a 1960s Vox. The THD and the Reverend caused me to not bother to keep the others. But I'd sure hate to suggest that you buy a new amp until we know that you've explored the logical and reasonable cheap or free options.

[PRS MAN]

no i havent changed the tubes in the amp, i honestly did not know i could change them or i would have done that

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Well, before you run out and buy new tubes at the local music store, I recommend that you write down the tube numbers and approach Myles about good selections for your amp. (assuming that it is a tube amp... so many are.) The choice of not only tube number but who's tube matching that number and when and where it was made can greatly affect the sound of your amp.

 

Also, in terms of looking for mode low end... have you made use of local boundaries to extend the low end response? And there is a company that makes a little cradle in which you can sit your amp, which takes the back pressure of the speaker and funnels it around to the front, pushing it at the audience. This tends to have a lower frequency component than that comes directly off of the front of the speaker.

[anderz]

http://ibanez.com/Feature/unfinished-business

 

Great guitars like these have active EQ's; the EQ can basically create a treble or bass boost (of course, depending on the pickup).

 

Amps can also create a strong bass sound as well, as Bill says in the above post, ask Myles. Definitely.

[Bluesape]

no i havent changed the tubes in the amp, i honestly did not know i could change them or i would have done that

 

Your amp is solid state: no tubes. As Neil said, it's an OK practice amp, but not realistic for a band situation. You need to decide what amp your budget can handle.