Trying to get the best out of my amp before I get a new one.

Karl Hungus

Any help in this matter would be appreciated muchly.

Now, the amp I use for my guitar was the cheapest available at the time and it was originally used for Bass when I first started out playing about 5 years ago. It's a Laney HCM30B, and put simply, it's pretty damned naff. Sounds horrible! I've been talking to Feylya in person and I've decided that getting myself a Roland MicroCube would be great for practice, seeing as it's easily affordable at €105 on Thomann. Still, that's €105 I don't actually have yet.

I've been messing around with the settings on the amp trying to see what kinda sound I can strain out of the thing, but so far while I've got it to sound a little less horrible, it's just naff and half the time is just stinging my ears with so much feedback and whine.

So basically I'm asking if there anyone there who's a bit more savy with amps know any tricks I can try to get a little bit more out of the amp? Maybe suggest some settings I might've overlooked?

I've also got a Boss Metal Zone pedal, so if you can suggest a few settings to try with that too, I'd be gratefull.

Anything to stretch the life of this fella out a bit more would be much appreciated.

Doctor J

Easiest thing would be to stick the Laney in Buy and Sell and pass the problem onto someone else, it might help you get the Microcube quicker. It's a bass amp, so it's not going to have eq circuitry designed to work with the higher frequencies of a guitar. I'd guess you're having to boost the mids and highs more than the amp was ever really expected to work with to get away from the sea of mud sound a guitar going through a bass amp will naturally deliver. By boosting frequencies you'll make it more snsitive to squealing high feedback. Maybe try removing low end from the amp and pedal, rather than boosting higher frequencies, it might help but I can't see you getting good tone from that setup.

Karl Hungus

I might see if the guy in town will take a trade-in against the microcube so, but he's charging a bit much. Buy and Sell, or maybe someone here on board might be an idea, but I'd like to have the Cube before I get rid of my amp, just to have something to play through.

Doctor J

Try the For Sale section on Gigsmart's forum too, it gets a fair bit of traffic

bombidol

hassle the gods that be about the musical equipment section of for Sale here too.
Like J Said, Cut the bass out of the amp and boost the mid a little and the high a lot. also turn up the Gain on the amp and the Pedal a bit. the Metal Zone wouldnt be helping much as its not a great pedal to begin with. but if its all you have its all you have.

Karl Hungus

bombidol wrote:

the Metal Zone wouldnt be helping much as its not a great pedal to begin with.

!

Funny, when I was looking for a pedal, it came highly recommended by quite a few chaps so I got it, and I found it quite neat.

What would a good pedal be so?

Doctor J

The Metal Zone kicks ass, especially if you want to play Metal

Just bear in mind when you're using the Laney, that the eq is designed for an instrument an octave lower than your guitar so the bass control is just going to fill your sound with low end mush that regular guitar amps just don't have. Avoid boosting the bejesus out of your mids and highs, cos that'll cause it to be more prone to feedback.

The Metal Zone has a fair bit of meat in the low end too, so maybe try to dial some of that out on the pedal too, it might get you a bit nearer a workable tone without the painful squeal. Try and remove the bad things in your tone, rather than boosting what you want to try and cover up the bad stuff.

bombidol

Not a metal Zone fan at all. Try a Turbo Rat its 100 Times the pedal the Metal Zone is

Karl Hungus

Doesn't seem to be a majority opinion there bombidol... I think I'm grand with it at the moment though, so I won't try and flog it for the Rat any time soon.

Doctor J, I'll definetly try what you said tomorrow when there's nobody in the house to disturb, and I'll let you know how I got on. But tbh, this amp was useless even when playing bass, so I got myself a nice Trace Elliot Boxer 30 last year. So I'm long overdue to get a decent amp for the guitar.

Any thoughts on the Microcube lads? Big step up from the Laney tbh.

Doctor J

Keep your eye out for a Fender Roc Pro combo. They have the sweetest tube distortion channel, should get one for a small bit more than the Microcube.

bombidol

trust in gar lol. If the MZ suits you for the time being thats cool. If you ever get a chance to use a Turbo Rat you'll see where im coming from though

daram

I agree with bombidol on the metalzone. ive never liked it.

I am MAN

lol man just let go

Karl Hungus

Well, I did some blagging, and the microcube is on it's way.
Thank you Music Maker, €119 and free shipping.

John

I'd be of the opinion that the Rat is better than the metal zone too. Although I own neither, I use a DOD pedal that dabhoys picked up in a bargain bin somewhere, works a treat.

Karl Hungus

Didn't really get much at all out of the old amp, I tried what you said, Doctor J but it doesn't help much with the tone or the squeeling feedback. Thanks none the less.

Doctor J

Meh, no worries, it was worth a shot. When will you get the microcube?

feylya

Another satisfied customer. Now to get a microcube too. Anyone want to buy a bass & case for the price of a microcube or trade for one :P

bombidol

What Bass guitar is it? im in the market for one, a cheap one lol

I am MAN

I dont know why you got a microcube it only has 2watts of power ya could pick up a 15w marshall for round the same price!

masto1983

bombidol wrote:

What Bass guitar is it? im in the market for one, a cheap one lol

I have a Tanglewood 4k i'm thinkin of selling. Gimme a shout & ill send u pics if u want.

feylya

bombidol wrote:

What Bass guitar is it? im in the market for one, a cheap one lol

It's a Legend P-Bass. Comes with a hard case. There's a couple of chunks of finish off it, on the lower horn and on the top of the neck joint but otherwise it's fine. Just have to put the tone pot back in :P

I Am Man wrote:

I dont know why you got a microcube it only has 2watts of power ya could pick up a 15w marshall for round the same price!

The reason he got a Microcube is because it sounds a thousand times better than a 15W Marshall. And it's incredibly loud for it's size!

I am MAN

Just read up on some reviews and stuff and I still think your mad goin for the microcube over a marshall mg15cd, ive read equally good reviews for both and I've got a 2w marshall amp also and its just not near as loud as you would want it to be.

feylya

You talking about that tiny little Marshall that you strap to your belt? You're comparing that to a Roland with COSM modelling?

I am MAN

Well its 2 watts isnt it, Im just going by what I know and have read it just doesnt add up I personally wouldnt have went for it but its not me I guess.

feylya

Ever try a microcube? And you think 2W's is small? I know a custom amp builder building 0.5W TUBE amps! This isn't a gigging amp. It's a recording/practing amp.

I am MAN

No I havent but I might try one next time im in town to see what the fuss is about I just imagined it to sound really low because 2watts doesnt come across to me as a whole lot of power, will try one over the weekend.

feylya

Don't forget that watts aren't everything. And to double the volume of a 10W amp, you need a 100W amp!

Karl Hungus

Well, my MicroCube arrived today.

Still early days with it so to speak so I've got a lot of time to wrangle some better sounds out of it, but jesus man! COSM modeling switched to the Mesa Boogie Rectifier Stack channel, bit of gain, tone and a little reverb... My metal zone is out the window tbh! Doing a lot of fiddling about with the different effects and tbh, my digitech pedal is out the window too so to speak, as I'm getting everything that gives me with better sound altogether. Only problem is that at times it can give a bit of a 'crackle' which I hope to iron out, but that's a small bad point compared to the feedback I was getting with the Laney.

I think I'm actually going to hang onto the Laney mind you, that, the Metal Zone, and my second guitar, The Mockingbird means that I can quite easily jam with peeps without the lugging of gear.

feylya

Try the JC Clean, Chorus and delay. Mmmmm, clean

Glad you like it.

Karl Hungus

Yeah, I was messing about with some clean tones playing some of the more chilled Opeth stuff... Nice.

feylya

Yup, told ya it was good. Now, to get rid of my bass

Karl Hungus

Yeah, I've still got a lot of ironing out the sound yet, but I've a real nice 'Master Of Puppets' sound now, which isn't bad but I'm dead set on getting more of a Chuck Schuldiner sound. Any suggestions?

feylya

Eh, never heard the guy play tbh... It's a loud little bastard though, isn't it

Karl Hungus

It is indeed, Feylya! atm I'm playing with the tone and gain turned up quite a bit, but the volume knob is only around the 3 mark and it crushes my 30 Watt Laney.

bombidol

how much are you looking for the bass guitar?

feylya

I'd take a new Microcube for the bass and case, no strap. So that's about €120 for the bass and case.