DRRI, Overdrive, and Humbuckers

[NDRU]

This is an oft covered subject, but I still have questions about using an overdrive with a DRRI--specifically with humbuckers.

I use a Sparkle drive, and through channel 1 it sounds really good with a Strat (not fizzy, as it can be through the V channel), but there's too much midrange with a HB equipped guitar.

The Sparkle drive is basically a tube screamer, so it has a mid boost. My guitar is already very middy, and as I can't cut mids on the overdrive, amp or guitar, it's a puzzling conundrum!

Has anyone found the right recipe for overdrive, humbuckers & the DRRI (and please share any settings you use on the amp, guitar, input jack, channel, etc. )?

Thanks

[Offshore Angler]

You can cut the mids with a DRRI. You turn up the bass and treble.

[phantomman]

You can cut the mids with a DRRI. You turn up the bass and treble.

That's about the only option with a passive tone stack and no middle control. Unless you want to tweak the tone caps in the guitar......

You could also try a new brighter speaker in the amp as well.

HTH

[NDRU]

That's about the only option with a passive tone stack and no middle control. Unless you want to tweak the tone caps in the guitar......

You could also try a new brighter speaker in the amp as well.

HTH

The problem is that it's actually too bright. Maybe harsh is a better word if bright=treble & harsh=mids. But it's very bright.

At any rate I have been turning the tone on the OD way down, but it doesn't fully solve the problem.

I'm looking more for a drive pedal that doesn't boost mids.

[NDRU]

You can cut the mids with a DRRI. You turn up the bass and treble.

That's a possibility, I'll definitely try it.

I have generally had them at about 5, rather than at any extreme, as I am getting used to the amp.

[Cottage]

I had really good success with a Barber Direct Drive and a DRRI. There are also a couple of mods you can do. 1. clip the bright cap. 2. There is a way to adjust middle by changing the value of a resister. Check into it @ the Gear Page, Les Paul forum etc.

[NDRU]

I had really good success with a Barber Direct Drive and a DRRI. There are also a couple of mods you can do. 1. clip the bright cap. 2. There is a way to adjust middle by changing the value of a resister. Check into it @ the Gear Page, Les Paul forum etc.

You use a Les Paul? What tone settings/channel do you use on the amp?

[Joobsauce]

You can always get an EQ pedal to use with humbucker-only guitars, although those aren't always cheap for some odd reason.

Or you could always replace the humbuckers with humbucker sized P-90's haha!

[dirtdog]

NDRU -

Hmm, my bandmates have noticed that my tone is less bright with my Les Paul (through the DRRI) - compared to my Strat, that is...surprise, surprise.

Personally, I'm digging my tone at the moment (think Joe Walsh, James Gang, Funk #49). I use the bridge p/u on the LP most of the time and I go into the Vibrato channel - unless it's a really fuzzy tone I'm after. I tend to go for more "cut" in my tone and I can get to that place with my setup.

I use a Sparkle Drive for grit as well as a Fulltone OCD for full-on overdrive.

I'll make note of my settings tomorrow at practice and let you know what I do...

DD

[NDRU]

NDRU -

Hmm, my bandmates have noticed that my tone is less bright with my Les Paul (through the DRRI) - compared to my Strat, that is...surprise, surprise.

Personally, I'm digging my tone at the moment (think Joe Walsh, James Gang, Funk #49). I use the bridge p/u on the LP most of the time and I go into the Vibrato channel - unless it's a really fuzzy tone I'm after. I tend to go for more "cut" in my tone and I can get to that place with my setup.

I use a Sparkle Drive for grit as well as a Fulltone OCD for full-on overdrive.

I'll make note of my settings tomorrow at practice and let you know what I do...

DD

Thanks a lot. I'd like to know your settings, since you're using a similar setup, what with the Sparkle Drive 'n' all!

[NDRU]

You can always get an EQ pedal to use with humbucker-only guitars, although those aren't always cheap for some odd reason.

Or you could always replace the humbuckers with humbucker sized P-90's haha!

you're right, they're not cheap, are they?

I was thinking about maybe getting one, but I'd rather be able to hit one OD pedal than an OD & EQ if possible. But that is still a definite consideration.

[Wilko]

I use a Les Paul with my Deluxe Reverb all the time.

The bass, treble controls are set up in such a way as to have effective three point EQ. They are "flat" at 5. Don't be afraid to use the amp's tone controls.

I like to use less than 5 for bass, less than 4-8 treble witha less Paul when loud. Very warm, rich sound.

[NDRU]

I use a Les Paul with my Deluxe Reverb all the time.

The bass, treble controls are set up in such a way as to have effective three point EQ. They are "flat" at 5. Don't be afraid to use the amp's tone controls.

I like to use less than 5 for bass, less than 4-8 treble witha less Paul when loud. Very warm, rich sound.

I've read (here) that the bass gets muddy when the volume is increased, so I avoided turning it up, but I think that may be the answer. Less volume, more bass & treble.

[Offshore Angler]

I've read (here) that the bass gets muddy when the volume is increased, so I avoided turning it up, but I think that may be the answer. Less volume, more bass & treble.

If it's too bright, you bring DOWN the Bass and Treble and bring the volume up. That will give it a smoother, rounder sound.

If a DRRI is too harsh, the tones are set too high and the volume too low.

It is perfectly acceptable to run the tones at 2 or 3.

[NDRU]

If it's too bright, you bring DOWN the Bass and Treble and bring the volume up. That will give it a smoother, rounder sound.

If a DRRI is too harsh, the tones are set too high and the volume too low.

It is perfectly acceptable to run the tones at 2 or 3.

it feels too, middy, not to trebly, but I will definitely mess w/ turning the tone controls down as well as up.

[Offshore Angler]

It's all good, you just need to understand that the volume and tone controls on a DRRI are interactive. You can't just dial in a tone and then make it louder or softer with the volume knob. You as long as it's not honky in the mids, you might try fiddling with the pickup heights on the Lester. It all starts with your pick and fretting technique and ends with the speaker. Everything in between is fair game. It's only a theory, but you might be blaming the amp for the guitar's sound.

Chuck

[NDRU]

It's all good, you just need to understand that the volume and tone controls on a DRRI are interactive. You can't just dial in a tone and then make it louder or softer with the volume knob. You as long as it's not honky in the mids, you might try fiddling with the pickup heights on the Lester. It all starts with your pick and fretting technique and ends with the speaker. Everything in between is fair game. It's only a theory, but you might be blaming the amp for the guitar's sound.

Chuck

Yeah I am pretty confident that I can get a good sound out of the amp (I already have) but it was so easy with the Strat. I know the tone is there, I just have to find it.

[dirtdog]

Ok, here's what I'm doing....

Strat/LP -> Boss TU-2 -> Sparkle Drive -> OCD -> 535Q Wah -> Memory Man -> Input 2, Vib channel on DRRI.

DRRI: Volume between 1 and 2 (jam levels), 4-5 (gig levels), Bass and Treb varies, but usually between 4 and 6.

Sparkle Drive - most often, all 4 dials pointing straight up at 12:00. If I'm going for a bit more drive, back off the clean (10:00), increase the gain (2:00)

OCD - Vol and tone at 12:00, drive anywhere between 9:00 and 12:00

Strat/LP - most often on bridge or middle position, volume up or down based on what I'm doing in the tune.

DD

[NDRU]

Seems the missing ingredient for me was turning the amp up past 4, and using the volume knobs on my guitar.

I won't know until I really mess with it in rehearsal, but that seems to be the variable that I was missing.

[dirtdog]

Yeah, I'd advocate the messing around a bit as I know that I probably don't have the definitive tone for HB pups and the DRRI....

That said, I do like the tone that I'm getting....a lot!

Oh, and rarely do I have both the SparkleDrive and the OCD engaged at the same time. I have 'em both since they both do different things for me with the two different guitars.

DD

[NDRU]

Do you use one more for one guitar and one for the other, or do you use them both for both guitars?

[Wilko]

Here's a video of me shot last Sunday at a big club gig. Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r-NiyQSGxc

I'm going into #1 with a 68 Les Paul with PAFs that are set real close to the strings.

64 Deluxe Reverb, Vol 3-4, Treble 6, Bass 7, Rev 3

[dirtdog]

Do you use one more for one guitar and one for the other, or do you use them both for both guitars?

I've found that I use the SD with the Strat for that Texas blues tone and the OCD with the LP for that higher gain British tone. Both through the Vib channel...

[dirtdog]

Here's a video of me shot last Sunday at a big club gig. Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r-NiyQSGxc

I'm going into #1 with a 68 Les Paul with PAFs that are set real close to the strings.

64 Deluxe Reverb, Vol 3-4, Treble 6, Bass 7, Rev 3

Wilko - I'm definitely in your tonal territory when I'm not using the OCD...you're going straight into the amp, no effects?

DD

[Wilko]

Straight in.

Oh, the sound on that camcorder is hell.

I think the same guy shot one of us where I'm playing my strat and a tube screamer and the sound is a weird midrange=O-rama. Real snarky like a cocked whah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGZ_cv4q23I

[dirtdog]

Straight in.

Oh, the sound on that camcorder is hell.

I think the same guy shot one of us where I'm playing my strat and a tube screamer and the sound is a weird midrange=O-rama. Real snarky like a cocked whah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGZ_cv4q23I

But taken in context....in the mix with the vox and other instruments, you can get a pretty good idea...

[Erock_Germany]

With both Strat and ES 335 I actually play with the guitar tone controls a bit if I feel I am too bright - which depends on which pedal I am using or how I set he DRRI. Just backing off the tone a little from where you normally play works wonders

Kind of like the guitar volume thread that is going on right now.....

[Cottage]

You use a Les Paul? What tone settings/channel do you use on the amp?

Well. these days I'm into a TopHat CR 2X12. However, my settings on the DRRI with the LP, were something like Treble 4, Bass 7; Vol. about 4 w/ the DD to taste. Those changed when I did the mods. Easily kept up with a funky Blues ensemble. Oh yeah. I also installed one of those Jensen alnico reissues.

[NDRU]

I just picked up a Fulltone OCD, tried it for a minute in the store (fortunately I had my guitar & the store had a DRRI), but basically got it on reputation.

I've just been messing around at home with it, and it does not have that harsh feel I've been getting from my Sparkledrive & humbuckers, not on either channel. Sounds good (but different) on both channels.

The cool thing is that it has a switch that goes from a lower gain bassier mellower tone to a higher gain middy tone--sort of like a Fender/Marshall switch. So it's kind of two overdrives in one.

I wouldn't say it's not providing a sound of its own (it's not totally transparent), I just happen to think that sound is really good.

I'm excited to hear how this works with the band.