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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 9:04 am
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I have to say I admire the diligence you put into the wording of your posts.
You typically come within millimetres of the troll-line without actually crossing it.
I would imagine that is no easy feat.

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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 9:14 am
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I guess it all boils down to what are you comfortable with during a performance.

If the two tones you can get out of a basic 2 channel amp are good for you, then yea, OFF you go.

I do like some delay, occasional modulation and a good transparent compressor for especially clean settings.

I think it largely depends on what you're doing, a top forty / classic rock cover band, (IMHO) you're going to be hard pressed to pull off everything you would need to in a four set gig with a minimalist setup, unless you just don't GAF about the sticky details.

this is one thing that makes amps like the Mustangs attractive. you can grab a ton of sounds from these, and if you have the III and up, you can use the added advantage of the 2 + 4 button foot switches.

my tube amps always sound better than my mustangs, but in some situations, it's worth it to go with a more portable, simple setup. (especially if your in an quick on/quick off setting like a multi band event)

at the end of the day, it's always a compromise!


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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 9:33 am
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I haven't paid any attention to the Mustang amps since I first tried one, oh say, 4 years ago? Have they been around that long? I can't remember exactly but it was little while back. It was a Mustang 3 and there were some passable tones in there which were surprisingly close facsimiles to real tone but you had to scroll through them in one direction only, which made the amp useless. You could get a foot controller that would allow you to have better access but the price of the controller basically doubled your investment, taking away the only reason to buy one; economy. Is it still the case that you have to scroll through in one direction?

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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 9:39 am
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strings10927 wrote:
apparently some are foolish enough to think they are getting a different "tone" by changing their picking attack. :lol:

Yes, those of us foolish enough to prefer amps where ADSR is significant, and the envelope of the attack phase indeed changes the decay and sustain phases.
Of course, some are better served by simpler amps that work on an on/off principle.


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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 12:07 pm
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Perhaps we are working from different definition of what 'tone' is. if I select a different brand of strings and it changes how long notes sustain ... have I now arrived at a new 'tone'?

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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 12:14 pm
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strings10927 wrote:
apparently some are foolish enough to think they are getting a different "tone" by changing their picking attack. :lol:

I generally don't use a pick--I mostly use my thumb, forefinger and middle finger and their respective fingernails...the ring finger and pinkie will make an occasional appearance as well.

Where I pick and how hard I pick makes a HUGE difference in the sound of my song.

If I gently pick/strum closer to the neck, I get a fatter, warmer, darker tone...if I pick or strum a little harder at the same spot, the tone becomes less dark, and a bit more "round" (a la SRV). If I flail away at that same spot, the tone is still warm, but a bit harsher.

Likewise, if I start picking closer to the bridge, the tone becomes brighter and a little less round (think of Jimmie Vaughan); picking or strumming harder will add harshness and even a bit of "overdrive" (in the sense that the playing generally gets less fluid and smooth as I pick harder).

On the rare occasions I use a plectrum, the same thing happens, depending on where/how hard I pick...except there's another added dimension from the thickness/material of the pick itself, besides the fact that a pick will generally be a bit "brighter" than my flesh and fingernails.

Picking/strumming dynamics can drastically change the sound/tone of the song.

I can (and have) played gigs with just a guitar and an amp--using picking dynamics, amp eq, guitar tone/pickup selection/volume settings, etc., to vary the sound from song to song.

Having said that, I will continue to use pedals, whether individually or in conjunction with others. It's easier, and I prefer the variety of options at my feet.

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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 12:50 pm
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strings10927 wrote:
Perhaps we are working from different definition of what 'tone' is. if I select a different brand of strings and it changes how long notes sustain ... have I now arrived at a new 'tone'?


Sustain was not identified in the OP.
Why would you bring that up?
Just curious.

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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 12:52 pm
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Well I'll be dipped! I was thinking you guys were crazy, but I just clipped my fingernails and the tone of my amp was immediately more "punchy" and "rounded".

But it still sounded a little 'brittle' so I filed them nice and smooth. All I can say is I am now in tone heaven!

For my next upgrade, I'm looking at installing a band-aid on my right thumb. I'm guessing the increased mass will lead to a deeper and more satisfying bass response. :D

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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 12:53 pm
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Sustain was not identified in the OP.
Why would you bring that up?.

I didn't.

arth1 wrote:
Yes, those of us foolish enough to prefer amps where ADSR is significant, and the envelope of the attack phase indeed changes the decay and sustain phases.

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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 12:55 pm
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strings10927 wrote:
Perhaps we are working from different definition of what 'tone' is. if I select a different brand of strings and it changes how long notes sustain ... have I now arrived at a new 'tone'?

There are a few different definitions of "tone"--everything from the difference in sound when we adjust the various TONE knobs on our amps and guitars, to the difference in pickups (or where the pickup is mounted on the body) to the different construction of the guitar itself (solidbody, thinline/semi-hollow, hollowbody, etc.), to the (always controversial) "type of wood" arguments regard the body, neck or fretboard of the instrument, to the type of amp or speaker or components/materials within the amp or speaker, to the effects used (on-board or out-board or after the fact in a recording situation).

However, there's a lot to be said about the sound differences between playing/picking styles of different players...and that's a part of "tone", too.

In one configuration of my band, the second guitarist and I used to trade guitars in the middle of a song. We'd throw it to the bassist...during the bass solo, I would hand the other guitarist my guitar, and he'd hand me his. Furthermore, we were trading rigs, too--I was playing through his pedals and amp, he was playing through mine.

He had a Humbucker-loaded, mahogany-bodied G&L with a maple fretboard, going into a collection of (mostly Boss) pedals (totally different from my collection) and finally blasting out of a Roland JC120 amp (I hate those amps).

I was using an alder-bodied Stratocaster with SP90 pickups and a rosewood fingerboard, going into my personal amalgamation of pedals and finally coming to a '63-reissue Fender Vibroverb.

Even with these massively different rigs, we each sounded like ourselves.

Yes, his rig's overall tone was brighter and more distorted than mine, But still sounded like me when I started playing.
Likewise, my rig was warmer-sounding and generally less harsh, but he sounded suspiciously like himself when he started playing.

There were differences--and both of us were glad at the end of the song when we switched back to our own gear--but it proved that the tone is in the hands of the player just as much as his/her gear.

I could walk up to Eric Clapton's rig, strap on his guitar, and sound nothing like him...as much as I love his playing, he's never really influenced how I play.

At the same time, Clapton could strap on my guitar, and he's going to sound (first of all) MUCH better than me and (second of all) NOTHING like me.

Gear does change the tone--gear can also change how you play (different neck profile, setup, sustain differences between axes and amps, etc.), but ultimately, the tone in in the hands as much as it is in anything.

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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 1:03 pm
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strings10927 wrote:
Well I'll be dipped! I was thinking you guys were crazy, but I just clipped my fingernails and the tone of my amp was immediately more "punchy" and "rounded".

But it still sounded a little 'brittle' so I filed them nice and smooth. All I can say is I am now in tone heaven!

For my next upgrade, I'm looking at installing a band-aid on my right thumb. I'm guessing the increased mass will lead to a deeper and more satisfying bass response. :D

I'm assuming you are trying to be funny. If so, you failed.

Picking dynamics will change the way a performance sounds, tonally.

I was giving specific examples of how that is true, when I should have just said that one succinct statement...of course, you would have argued that point as well, due to your narrow world view and inability to accept any other opinion or idea than your own.

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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 1:06 pm
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So, strings, correct me if I am wrong here but it looks to me like you don't think there is any difference in tone if it is only a difference in the level of overdrive/distortion.

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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 1:09 pm
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re the Mustangs:

Is it still the case that you have to scroll through in one direction?

yea, if you're using the LCD to get your sounds.

I've got a long USB cable in my studio room, so I just fire up fuse, and use that to get around.

There's a quick access setting, this gives you access to three presets (w/4 button fs, or 2 with the 2 button)

as you indicated, you can also use the "mode" setting w/ the 4 button controller, to change from QA (quick access) to preset "up"/"down", so you can arrange the preset in groups, so that your quick access presets are nearby other frequently used presets

combing the two and four button FS gives you quite a bit of remote control, so once you have your sounds arranged, the foot controller can run the amp on stage, the cables are like 20 feet long. (standard fender issue fs cables as would come with a Deville, or the like)

the four button swithc is a bit price, (60 bucks) the 2 button is about 30 bucks..

the 4 comes stock with the MIV, the MIII only comes with the two,
the MV comes with both!


Last edited by KidBlast on Mon Mar 07, 2016 1:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 1:14 pm
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KidBlast wrote:
re the Mustangs:

Is it still the case that you have to scroll through in one direction?

yea, if you're using the LCD to get your sounds.

I've got a long USB cable in my studio room, so I just fire up fuse, and use that to get around.

There's a quick access setting, this gives you access to three presets (w/4 button fs, or 2 with the 2 button)

you can also use the "mode" setting w/ the 4 button controller, to change from QA (quick access) to preset "up"/"down", so you can arrange the preset in groups, so that your quick access presets are nearby other frequently used presets

combing the two and four button FS gives you quite a bit of remote control, so once you have your sounds arranged, the foot controller can run the amp on stage, the cables are like 20 feet long.
(standard fender issue fs cables as would come with a Deville, or the like)

So, for stage use, you basically have a one channel amplifier unless you buy the foot controller or are prepared to set up a laptop at your station. Or you're prepared to stoop over and cycle through presets. How much are these switchers?

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Post subject: Re: Question for those who use just a footswitch...
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 1:16 pm
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strings10927 wrote:
Perhaps we are working from different definition of what 'tone' is. if I select a different brand of strings and it changes how long notes sustain ... have I now arrived at a new 'tone'?

The decay and sustain phases aren't just a measure of how long a note sounds. The waveform of the phase becomes different, making the sound different.

I can pick soft, and get a clean sound.
I can pick with a stronger attack, and the tone breaks up and continues to break up in the sustain phase. The envelope of the attack affects how the decay and sustain phases sound.

Even with SS amps, the attack matters. Or you've never played a squealie.


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