| Author | Message | ||
| weekapaugh
New Username: weekapaugh Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2004 |
Wondering about how versatile the tribute is. Besides Dead I play alot of Phish and was wondering if I could get a similar Trey tone from this guitar. Also, how well do the pickups interact with pedals, specifically tube screamers (just light breakup, not metal) Thanks and any feedback is welcome, mike | ||
| hollis
Senior Member Username: hollis Post Number: 431 Registered: 11-2003 |
Hi Mike, First of all, welcome to the club. I saw your question in the dreaming section, but was waiting for one of our Tributarians to answer, they are far better versed in answering than I.... Since they seem to be temporarily elsewhere, please allow this limited answer. The Skylark’s electronics allow for an almost unlimited pallet of sounds. And since the Tribute has even more to choose from, it’s got to be unbelievably versatile. Alembic electronics are the cleanest I've ever worked with, which translates into an excellent interaction with or without effects. I hope this helps a little... | ||
| weekapaugh
New Username: weekapaugh Post Number: 3 Registered: 10-2004 |
Hey Hollis, Thanks for the response. I mostly play clean so thats good to hear about the electronics. ...oh yeah, I posted in the wrong section first...still a newbie  | ||
| hydrargyrum
Junior Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 32 Registered: 3-2004 |
Hello All, Has anyone noticed that they have difficulty with either Fuzz or Octavia effects with the active electronics in Alembics? I have a few Zvex pedals (possibly the Alembic of pedal builders), and he openly admits that some pieces from his line do not interact well with active electronics (ie fuzz factory, octane III, wooly mammoth). I have definitely noticed a change in performance with my Skylark and previously with my Orion baritone. I can still get some really nice tones, but the pedals have a more limited useful range (IMHO) than with my previous non-Alembic/non-active electronic guitars. Is this a problem unique to this manufacturer? BTW, anyone who has never heard a zvex effect pedal should check out his website for an interesting selection of audio samples. | ||
| pace
Member Username: pace Post Number: 62 Registered: 4-2004 |
5{that the db boost that active electronics provide can sometimes destroy the headroom in certain circuits. If you install a TRS line in your guitar before the op amp I'd expect your arsenal of pedals to behave fine. I dont know exactly how the Tribute/Further schematic incorporates it's effects loop, but I'd imagine it would be after the pup buffers..... Anyone know?!? | ||
| hollis
Senior Member Username: hollis Post Number: 432 Registered: 11-2003 |
Ya know, now that you mention it, I don't really know how my effects react plugged in line between my guitar and amp. I run all my effects through the effects loops on my combo-amps and pre-amps. Hmmmmm..... | ||
| lbpesq
Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 75 Registered: 7-2004 |
Mike: I run my '83 Electrum (dual humbuckers) with '93 electronics (pan - low pass filter - Q switch) through a cordless into my pedal board, then to a volume pedal and the amp. I leave the guitar volume on 10 at all times and use the pedal to adjust volume. Kind of the same concept as the effects loop in Tributes/Furthers. On mine the sound does go through the filter first, but at least my pedals always see the same level signal. I have found that the active PUs on the Alembic require some tweaking of some pedals. (I previously usually played a strat and a PRS CE24). My Super Tube (Tube Screamer family with extra control) had to be turned down and I'm still messing with it. It also seems that my Wah Wah (Teese Picture Wah) doesn't like the low pass filter set too bassy. But you will also find that the Alembic sounds so much fuller and present when played clean that you don't want as much grit. Bill, the guitar one. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Junior Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 33 Registered: 3-2004 |
Bill, You're quite right. I love that shimmering crystal clear sound almost enough to give up all effects pedals. It's interesting to hear you've had similar experiences with the active electronics. Perhaps I'll try as hollis mentioned and reposition my effects into my effects loop. I've never made much use of it before, so this should be an interesting experiment. Pace, I am going to plead ignorance here, what is a TRS line? Kevin | ||
| davehouck
Senior Member Username: davehouck Post Number: 940 Registered: 5-2002 |
TRS = tip, ring, sleeve. It refers to the use of a stereo jack as a mono input and mono output; so the effects loop in your guitar will only need one jack instead of two. Kevin, I'm curious; try turning down the trim pots inside your guitar's control cavity and see what effect that has on your Zvex pedals. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Junior Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 34 Registered: 3-2004 |
Well, no luck with the effects loop. It seemed my handmade boutique pedals did nothing in my soldano's effects loop except possibly decrease the signal. However my Boss chorus seeemed to do fine. Interesting . . . I'll give turning down the trim pots a shot. Kevin | ||
| hollis
Senior Member Username: hollis Post Number: 442 Registered: 11-2003 |
Kevin, Curiouser and curiouser…. I do have a tendency to agree… I rarely use any effects at all these days. The guitar has so many great tones without them, I kinda hate to muck it up…. However, any time I’ve used effects, I haven’t had those problems. How’d the trim pot adjustments work? I have mine at just over ½ way up on the bridge, and right at ½ on the neck. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Junior Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 35 Registered: 3-2004 |
Well, still haven't got a chance to try the trim pots, but I do have an answer about the effects loop. It seems this a a line level effects loop, and subsequently there are some problems. I will quote the tech. support from soldano, who were quite prompt in sending a reply: "my guess is that the signal level of the loop is too high. We have had reports of problems using stomp boxes is the loops of our amps and this is usually the cause. The loop level is nominally +4db line level for rack mount studio effects while typically stomp boxes are -10db guitar level. What happens is that the pedal cannot output as strong as signal as that which it receives from the amp. If the stomp box is designed such that it passes the incoming signal through and adds an effect to it, the effect added may not be strong enough to be easily heard over the original signal. Usually what people tell us is that the pedal reduces the volume level when engaged, this due to the lower output signal." They went on to suggest that I might try placing a volume pedal in the front of the loop to reduce the line level so that the effect might be heard, or mod the amp. I think I'll try the trim pots first . . . | ||
| hollis
Senior Member Username: hollis Post Number: 443 Registered: 11-2003 |
This is all starting to make sense to me. The only effects I'm currently running are rack mount effects. Tonight, I'll dig through the suitcase of stomp boxes and see how some of those work. I'll let you know. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Junior Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 36 Registered: 3-2004 |
Cool, thanks! I'd appreciate the comparison. It still seems funny to me that the Boss Chorus worked though . . . | ||
| lbpesq
Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 79 Registered: 7-2004 |
Kevin: Reading your post reminds me that I encountered similar problems when I first got my Boogie Mark III (about 18 years ago) and tried to put my stomp boxes in the amp effect loop. Mesa gave me an explanation which, as I recall, is the same that you received. Bill, the guitar one | ||
| hollis
Senior Member Username: hollis Post Number: 444 Registered: 11-2003 |
I'm running through Mesa myself..... | ||
| hollis
Senior Member Username: hollis Post Number: 453 Registered: 11-2003 |
Hey Kevin, Well, I did a little checking last night. And when I say a little, I mean a little.... Apparently, senior management has been doing a little cleaning up, and most of my old stomp boxes have gone to Good Will. Those that I still have, have been boxed up and stacked in the garage among a myriad of knick knacks and basic clutter. Ah well, that's cool, but I could only run a test with my Mesa V-Twin foot pedal tube pre-amp(thank God I still have it). It worked well both through the effects loop and when running it directly from guitar to V-Twin to amp... Now that being said, the V-Twin has different lines out:guitar amp,mixing board, and headphones, so it's probably not a fair test. Sorry that I can't be of more help. Although I sure had a blast kicking it with that V-Twin last night. Man, I love my Skylark. Did you get a chance to do any trim pot adjustments? | ||
| hydrargyrum
Junior Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 37 Registered: 3-2004 |
Gone to goodwill! Man, let me know the next time Senior Management decides to clean out a closet. I tried the trim pots, with no real improvement. I suppose I will have to live witht the reduced playability of these particular pedals, or come up with a way of reducing the line level (I'd hate to by a volume pedal just for that!). Perhaps I can wire up a volume pot with a couple of inputs and stick it in the chain. | ||
| jalevinemd
Intermediate Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 113 Registered: 12-2003 |
Kevin, About the fuzz. I have a Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face that I recently purchased. I played my 2 Alembics through it and almost returned the thing b/c I thought it was defective. I tried changing the batteries and...nothing. It wasn't as bad with individual notes (still lousy) but chords sounded like they were being played underwater...even with the fuzz level at the absolute minimum. Tried it with my other guitars (all passive) and BOOM! There was that classic fuzz sound. I guess those active electronics don't dig the fuzz! Jonathan | ||
| dadabass2001
Advanced Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 281 Registered: 6-2002 |
Jonathan "I guess those active electronics don't dig the fuzz!" Just my 2¢ but wouldn't that be the fuzz doesn't dig active electronics? Mike | ||
| jalevinemd
Intermediate Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 114 Registered: 12-2003 |
I guess so...darn fuzzy bastards! | ||
| pace
Member Username: pace Post Number: 66 Registered: 4-2004 |
The Fuzz Face is an awsome but primative circuit (two germainum diodes) and the tone does not react with the gain in the linear proportions we'd expect from a typical gain stage. The E.H. Big Muff and Zvex pedals are kind of the same.... If you're expecting your gain and tone to behave the same way as a Tube Screamer or a Boss then forget it..... | ||
| hydrargyrum
Junior Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 38 Registered: 3-2004 |
The last thing I want my tone to behave like is a Boss pedal, or for that matter a tube screamer (sorry to TS fans, just my personal preferences). | ||
| hollis
Senior Member Username: hollis Post Number: 463 Registered: 11-2003 |
I fully recommend Mesa's V-Twin pre-amp pedal, 2 count 'em 2 12AX7's, very versatile. If you can't get the distortion you want outta it, then man, you're even more distorted than me.... |
