RBLA Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 I have a '75 Fender Champ and a Highway 1 strat and I'm looking for a pedal to help get some heavy crunch sounds through. I have a Boss SD-1, which I love for blues and rock, but need a little more grit for heavy crunch. Any suggestions? This is a sound I really like: web page Is this possible to get with my amp? (I know I probably need to drop a HB or mini HB in the bridge too. I'm thinking hot rail or jb jr.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Strat Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Originally posted by RBLA: This is a sound I really like: http://www.fender.com/products/cyber/preset.php?qual=HI&num=C72&name=Mista+Scary Is this possible to get with my amp? (I know I probably need to drop a HB or mini HB in the bridge too. I'm thinking hot rail or jb jr.)The switch to a humbucker like the JB jr. or Hot Rails is the best thing you can do. The JB jr or Hot Rails will kick the crap out of the preamp in the Champ. Using an overdrive pedal along with cranking the Champ would complete the package. I'd go with the JB jr. for metal and the Hot Rails for more Smashing Pumpkins/avant-guarde tones. *edit* - Another thing you can do is take your Champ to a guitar amp tech and get him to add a switch between the 10k Midrange control or resistor and circuit ground. When the switch is open it removes the tone stack from the circuit and really increases the gain and volume of the amp. BlueStrat a.k.a. "El Guapo" ...Better fuzz through science... http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werewolf by Night Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 You'll never make that little open-back Champ sound quite like a closed-back Marshall cab, but you can get a lot of different sounds with various overdrive and distortion pedals. (Props to bluestrat for the tone-disconnect idea, as well as hotter pickup suggestions, by the way. Excellent ideas!) A sound that I really like a lot from blackface and silverface Champs is that of one being hit hard by a cranked-up clean boost or compressor. Champs sound unreal, just screaming all tortured like this way! Feedback yelps and squalls like the sound of splitting wood. Anything that you can plug between your guitar and amp that will increase the volume of the signal will get you into the ballpark. Overdrive pedals usually provide a strong boost and also often affect the sound with some degree of distortion of their own and tonal coloration. Distortion pedals might get you closest to the sound you want- that is a "Cyber"-amp take on George Lynch through a Marshall half-stack, right?- at reasonable volumes; try a few out, and try a lot of variations of control settings. Experiment with different amounts of both gain/distortion and volume/output to find the best match for your guitar and Champ. (Hmmn, perhaps a Seymour Duncan "Screamin' Demon" George Lynch sig-model pickup lies in your future?) If you're recording, close-mic that little speaker, you might be surprised at how "big" those little Champs sound on playback. A classic studio set-up! And... keep some good, strong tubes in there; ask Myles Rose on the "Feel free to ask Myles"-thread here on this Guitar Forum to recommend some specific tube brands, models, and ratings for you, and describe to him exactly what you want to achieve. He's a fan of Champs of all kinds himself, and he knows his stuff inside and out! Oh, here; I ran across this cheap mod-kit here from Torres Engineering that sounds worth looking into; pre-sorted components with specific values chosen to bring the most out of your Champ. Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBLA Posted May 4, 2004 Author Share Posted May 4, 2004 Thanks for the great ideas. I think I will try the pickup change first. Do you know if the JB jr sounds the same as a full size JB? My Highway 1 is routed h-s-h. I could drop a full size humbucker in the bridge and change the pickguard if that will produce a fuller sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Strat Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 With the JB jr, you'll need to file the corners of the pickup cut-out a bit, but if you buy a H-S-S pickguard, the JB should just drop right in. When I installed the JB jr. in my Strat, I got a blue moto pickguard for looks (something I was considering anyway) so if you're wanting a different look, I'd go with the full sized JB and a new pickguard. If tone is your only consideration, then the JB jr. should do just fine. I've never tried a full-sized JB, so I can't help you there, but I can nail the tones Dave Mustaine gets with his JB equipped Jackson Y2KV with my JB jr. equipped Strat. BlueStrat a.k.a. "El Guapo" ...Better fuzz through science... http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBLA Posted May 6, 2004 Author Share Posted May 6, 2004 Thanks again guys! I'll be trying some of these mods really soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billster Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 Originally posted by Caevan O'Shite: You'll never make that little open-back Champ sound quite like a closed-back Marshall cab, but you can get a lot of different sounds with various overdrive and distortion pedals. A sound that I really like a lot from blackface and silverface Champs is that of one being hit hard by a cranked-up clean boost or compressor. Champs sound unreal, just screaming all tortured like this way! Feedback yelps and squalls like the sound of splitting wood. Anything that you can plug between your guitar and amp that will increase the volume of the signal will get you into the ballpark. Overdrive pedals usually provide a strong boost and also often affect the sound with some degree of distortion of their own and tonal coloration. If you're recording, close-mic that little speaker, you might be surprised at how "big" those little Champs sound on playback. A classic studio set-up! Here, here! (perhaps hear, hear!?) I happen to have an example of a guitar solo made with exactly that setup. I have an old (late 60's) Champ - point to point wiring, no IC's. We pushed it with an Ibanez Tube Screamer, and a crybaby wah, set and forget as a midboost, turned everything to 11, and played the solo. The rythm guitar is a Hafler T3 through a stereo power amp and 2x10 cabinets. I definitely think you will want humbuckers to really push the amp. Buy my CD on CD Baby! Bill Hartzell - the website MySpace?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werewolf by Night Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 Nice example there, billster! What guitars were used? Is that you playing the solo, the rhythm, or both? Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billster Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 Originally posted by Caevan O'Shite: Nice example there, billster! What guitars were used? Is that you playing the solo, the rhythm, or both?Oh yeah, the guitar. Mid 80's Gibson SG with stock humbuckers. That's me with both rythm & lead. Thanks for the thumbs up Buy my CD on CD Baby! Bill Hartzell - the website MySpace?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werewolf by Night Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 Thanks for the real-life working field-specimen! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBLA Posted May 10, 2004 Author Share Posted May 10, 2004 Billster. Thanks for the great example! Sounds great. I was thinking about getting one of the new re-issue Ibanez tube screamers. After hearing your example, now it's a must. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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