Do YOU need EQ ?

[Anand Mahangoe]

Hi Gentz !
I have always like to use an EQ as my to go 'Clean Boost", I prefer this above using drive pedals because most of them have their own character and I don't want to change the overdrive sound of my Amp ( Marshall Silver Jubilee).

Hope you dig the tones and looking forward hearing what you use.....!

Thanks !

[S. Cane]

Howdy, Anand!

Back when I used pedals for boosting I’d prefer the EHX LPB-1. A clean booster pedal.

Nowadays I just use the guitar’s volume knob.

[Anand Mahangoe]

Howdy, Anand!

Back when I used pedals for boosting I’d prefer the EHX LPB-1. A clean booster pedal.

Nowadays I just use the guitar’s volume knob.

Hey Sergio ! Thanks man and yes I agree with the Volume knob too......would love to use it that way but thats not enough to get my guitar louder in the mix live for my Leads.....Unless the sound engineer would help me but he is usually late and by the time the solo is gone he would realise that...

[ch willie]

If the eq pedal is "transparent," I don't know why it wouldn't work.

However, our experts here can tell you yes or no with more accuracy.

[S. Cane]

Hey Sergio ! Thanks man and yes I agree with the Volume knob too......would love to use it that way but thats not enough to get my guitar louder in the mix live for my Leads.....Unless the sound engineer would help me but he is usually late and by the time the solo is gone he would realise that...

I set the guitar volume somewhere between 7 and 8 and then get the rig set for the tones I want. When I solo or riff harder, I raise the guitar knob to 10 and it roars. Works fine for me.

My philosophy nowadays is ‘play more guitar and tap dance less’ :)

[Offshore Angler]

Yeah, I never got the whole lead boost thing either. It makes it impossible to roll off on a ballad and to control the grind. The very first thing I look for in an amp or processor is how it responds to the volume control. If you can't control the dirt with the volume keep looking.

Same thing applies to an OD or distortion.

If you have untapped volume on the amp you're really limiting yourself. I always set up with my guitar around 5 and then set the amp volume to the venue. If I need to get louder, I turn up.

Waiting for a soundman to anticipate your mood is certain doom and rarely ever works, at least in my experience, unless you're scripted and blocked on the stage. But by that time the lights and sound are at a pretty high pro level.

If you want to use a pedal to raise your volume - may I suggest - use a volume pedal. I do use one on my big digital rig and it's nice when you want a crunchy rhythm. You can pound the front end of your chain to get the grind but regulate the amp output with the pedal.

Chuck

[OldStrummer]

I'm the "rookie" in this thread, so don't mind me. But I'm curious. I've used equalizers in audio playback, and mostly to "flavor" the sound. Sometimes for the type of music, sometimes for the venue/speakers (home, car, store, etc.). I'm just not sure how a pedal with ten sliders fits.

I say this because my electric playing is pretty rudimentary, and I usually set my sound before I start playing. My amps are mostly small modeling amps (Fender Mustang II, Fender Champion 40, Line6 AMPLIFi30, etc.). If I want to change the sound, I do so before playing a song, and don't try to modify the effect during. I know, I know, I'm missing out on a great experience. But it is what it is for me...

So, what benefit does an equalizer pedal give? I can't see bending down to adjust the sliders, either during or between songs, so how is it different than turning knobs on the amp?

[Offshore Angler]

OS, an EQ has lets you fine-tune the band you want modify. Where an amp only has maybe 3 controls, Bass, Mid, and Treble. These are usually high or low-pass filters. the EQ lets you in and pick a frequency to raise or lower. You can have 32 bands on an EQ so you can really dial it in. Usually, IMHO, if you need to EQ the guitar to get it to sound good there's an issue somewhere else -typically in the speaker - you're trying to correct.

One time I would say the EQ may be beneficial is if, say you use a Fender Deluxe Reverb, but you REALLY need a Marshall sound for a song. In that case, having an EQ pedal to scoop the mids that you can turn on and off is handy. You still won't have that closed-back tight response and bottom end, but at least you'll be in the same neighborhood as the ballpark. Which is generally good enough. Live playing is sometimes akin to impressionist painting. You only need enough detail for the audience to recognize it. They'll fill in the missing details in their heads.

IMHO, YMMV,

Chuck

[phantomman]

Live playing is sometimes akin to impressionist painting. You only need enough detail for the audience to recognize it. They'll fill in the missing details in their heads.

+1

And don't forget......perfect is the enemy of "pretty good".

[Offshore Angler]

I also need to clarify something I left out of my post, a rather glaring omission.

An EQ isn't a filter like a tone control, it allows you to BOOST certain frequencies rather than just acting like a hi or lo pass filter. That's the real power of an EQ. It can compensate for any sonic deficiencies in you rig.

Chuck