Best way to Fatten up my lead tone

    Hello All.


    I finally took my KPA to Band Practice last night.


    I set it all up, turned it on and nothing, pulled cables nothing.
    So I rebooted everything and then Bam.


    So I was really happy with my Rhythm, Cleans sounded great, Crunch sound great really great, but my lead tone just sounded a bit thin.
    But on the high strings up the neck, it might be hard to explain.


    Around the 12th fret the notes start to thin out and looses body. Like I have turned up the treble and lost Mid and Bass.


    I was using the Pure Booster for my solo's set it around 3, I think that might have something to do with it, as my heavy sounds all sounded Fantastic.


    Perhaps I needed an EQ and Lead Booster or a Different Effect for Solo.


    Any Body experience this?


    Almost forgot, I am using a Fender USA Deluxe Strat with Single coils x 3 - N3 with a S1 Switching.


    Gezza.

    Edited 2 times, last by Gezza ().

    Hello guys,


    Could please give me some settings for the compressor?


    I really wish we could tone match some effects - like the Cry Baby Wah.


    I have a Tone Barber Tone Press - would love to emulate this.


    So if you have any settings please let me know.


    Thanks,


    Gezza.

    Hey Lasvideo,


    I have that, what I meant was a List of other effect and there settings.


    Barber Tone Press - Settings are, ect.


    It has Volume, Blend, Sustain. I have my settings Volume 2 o'clock, Blend 11 o'clock, Sustain 2 o'clock and I leave it on all the time.
    So I am trying to replicate that.


    The Kemper Compressor has the following,


    Intensity, Attack, Squash, mix, Volume.


    So if you have some settings that work, please let me know.


    Gezza

    Here is what Barber says about settings similar to what you use with your Tone Press(from their manual):


    The two o clock position should be about the same as the bypass with most standard pickups. (so, same volume as when bypassed, to counteract the below gain)


    Turning the blend control all the way counter clockwise will make the Tone Press a “class A” clean boost pedal with about 8 db of boost, as you turn the Blend control to a
    neutral position (about 12 o clock) the output that is available rises to about 15 db. ( 11 o clock would be, maybe 12 db or so?)


    The Sustain control is "much like what you would expect from vintage guitar compressors"

    Hi gezza, you need a plain old eq boost to cut the mix. You could use the namesake cut the mix eq preset in the as a starter and experiment.


    The magic ingredient will be in the 100Hz-2kHz range most likely which are the guitars fundamental frequencies.

    New talent management advice to Laura Cox -


    “Laura want to break the internet? let’s shoot another video of you covering the Nightrain solo in the blue singlet, but this time we’ll crank up the air conditioning”.

    Hey Guys,


    I have just done some more testing.


    I would say that a Strat with Single Coils gives you more bite in the bridge. Fender N3 Noiseless Pickups.
    I think I am hearing an Ice Pick sound in my lead tone.
    Now I like a lot of gain in my solos.


    When I use the Kemper I am hearing a extended High tone, am also use 2 x 12 Cab with Vintage 30's
    They have a range of 70hz to 5000hz.
    I have Put an EQ in the Slot D and taken out 10Khz.


    Still testing.


    I feel Like I'm getting closer to my sound.


    I think we need more Stop boxes, MI Audio Crunch Box and BB Pre-Amp.


    Many Thanks,


    Gezza.

    Hey Guys,


    I think the culprit might be the Matrix GT-800FX.
    It has a Frequency range of 8kz to 24khz.
    So running a passive FR speaker would be great, but I'm not.
    Like I said the Vintage 30 has a FR of 70hz to 5khz.


    I think I'm getting close, more testing.


    Anybody else running 2 x 12 Speaker cab have the same issues?


    Gezza.

    You could always use your tone press in front of the Kemper. Go into the eq between the amp and cab and turn the bass and mids up a bit... if there's lots of highs, back the highs off some

    TONE IS PARAMOUNT :D8) 8o

    Quote from Gezza

    Matrix GT-800FX


    Long, disjointed answer/more questions below :)


    I'm no expert, but I think your thinking is off on this subject. Frequency responses given by the manufacturers rarely mean all that much in these situation. In any case, having a high frequency response unit driving a unit with lesser frequency response should not give any problems.
    That being said, combining different gear can often yield unexpected results. I would just advise against using the specs given by the manufacturer to sort it out :) For instance, these specs are usually given as the value at which an incoming signal has been attenuated by 3 dB - this means that there is still SOUND above and below these frequencies, it is just not as loud. This is just to say that the numbers are (or can be) misleading. Often they are just used to sell stuff :)



    EQing in lower mid frequencies - I would be wary of this, as it can sometimes turn to mud real fast, and maybe clash with the other instruments or vocal.


    If you up the gain a lot, maybe you should dial down the presence or treble a bit. You could knock down your guitar's tone control a bit, too. That might be the best way.
    Which pickup do you use for solo stuff? If you're on the bridge pup, maybe you would be better of switching to the neck pup or something.


    I realise that you have not had these problems during band practice with your "previous" amp, but this is like using any other completely new amp that might react differently.


    Have you tried many/some other profiles? Do they all react the same way?


    Does the problem occur on all strings above the 12th fret?


    (I realize these are probably stupid questions, hope you bear with me :-))


    Is there any chance the string height is too low, or something has happened (exposed to sun/cold) - do you have string buzz when playing without an amp in the "problem areas" of the neck?




    I think you should maybe try without the pedal for the solos if you can - sometimes "gain" (distortion) makes guitar tones THIN rather than thick.
    If you do play with high gain, I would suspect that a compressor wouldn't be of much help (distortion is essentially compression).



    Did you remember to turn off the "cabinet" part of the kemper profile you were using?


    Sometimes adding a slight delay of say an 8th or 16th note, set to low feedback (so maybe just one "echo") and mixed in to taste can really fatten up a lead guitar, I find.



    My advice: Process of elimination. Show up to the next band practice an hour earlier, and start by removing all pedals from the chain and experiment with different profiles on the kemper instead (for now at least). Guitar->Kemper->Power amp -> Cab. Turn off all stomps and effects in the kemper, using only the amp and eq sections of the stack, nothing more. Mess around with different profiles. mess with the gain and the EQ on the Kemper. Then try adding that delay I was talking about :-). See if any of this helps.