Volume difference with different guitars.

  • Hey All,


    I have seen posts on here about people having issues with their volumes being drastically different when switching guitars. I was concerned that I would have that issue. I have a Kemper Stage. I play a wide variety of guitars but one that I play a lot is a Suhr custom build that has a humbucker in the bridge and two single coils in it. I have an EP booster on my pedal board that I use when I go to the in between settings (2 and 4) as well as when I go to a single coil. I have been very pleasantly surprised that when running the Kemper I do not have this issue. I can switch between my different pickup selections and the only volume drop I notice is the in between settings and they are not much of a drop at all. This is a huge bonus for me for a live rig. I don't know what I am doing different than others that have posted about this on here but I am very happy with the way this is working.


    I will also add that I do not seem to have the issues with profiles that others are having. I purchased the Dirty Surley pack from Tone Junkie. I find these to be very good profiles. I have a Twin Sister amp so I have something real to compare them to. I find that with TJ and MBritt profiles all I have to do is just a bit of EQ tweaks to get the sound I want. I also adjust the effects they put on them to my liking. To me the TJ profiles just have way too many effects on them for my taste and use. They are easy to dial back though. I have been able to find pretty much every tone I have been looking for in the DS pack and other free profiles I have found.


    I couldn't be happier with my choice to buy the Kemper Stage. I have 5 rigs setup that cover pretty much all of the different tones that I typically use when playing gigs. Now all I have to do is get them in a live environment to see how they perform. I am betting that since I tweaked them to sound very similar to my amp with pedals that they will sound just as good, probably better since I won't have to deal with the volume differences. This thing is one of the best pieces of gear I have spent money on in a long time. I have had it for about 9 months now. I just wanted to take a moment to brag on this thing. :S:love:<3

  • Hey All,


    I have seen posts on here about people having issues with their volumes being drastically different when switching guitars. I was concerned that I would have that issue. I have a Kemper Stage. I play a wide variety of guitars but one that I play a lot is a Suhr custom build that has a humbucker in the bridge and two single coils in it. I have an EP booster on my pedal board that I use when I go to the in between settings (2 and 4) as well as when I go to a single coil. I have been very pleasantly surprised that when running the Kemper I do not have this issue. I can switch between my different pickup selections and the only volume drop I notice is the in between settings and they are not much of a drop at all. This is a huge bonus for me for a live rig. I don't know what I am doing different than others that have posted about this on here but I am very happy with the way this is working.

    me too. I use a range of guitars with single coils and hum buckers but never need to change anything to compensate. Once Clean Sense it correctly set the KPA is just plug’n’play for me too.



    I also adjust the effects they put on them to my liking. To me the TJ profiles just have way too many effects on them for my taste and use. They are easy to dial back though. I have been able to find pretty much every tone I have been looking for in the DS pack and other free profiles I have found.

    Ain’t that the truth ?


    I usually lock all FX to something useable before auditioning any of Jonathan’s profiles otherwise I can’t here the amp for all the Delay and Reverb that he drowns them in. Fortunately, it is pretty easy to kill all that mush and the the basic profiles are always really good so it isn’t too much of a b%%l ache ?

  • I expect different guitars to sound different from each other :)


    Although, I'll admit that my stage guitars have a similar output level. The Strat with Clapton preamp can be as loud as my humbucker guitars, and rolling the treble control back far enough on my Telecaster can put it squarely into a similar tonal range.


    But, when I'm recording, they all can show their individual strengths :)

  • I expect different guitars to sound different from each other :)


    Although, I'll admit that my stage guitars have a similar output level. The Strat with Clapton preamp can be as loud as my humbucker guitars, and rolling the treble control back far enough on my Telecaster can put it squarely into a similar tonal range.


    But, when I'm recording, they all can show their individual strengths :)

    The guitars definitely sound different. A humbucker sounds like it should and a single coil sounds like you would expect. The surprise for me was that the volume doesn't drop off like it does when using a real amp when switching between the humbucker and a single coil. I love that it is working this way.

  • I've only noticed a difference in compression, not volume, going from hot to cold humbuckers and hums to single. That difference is really noticeable for me if I switch out guitars on an edge-of-breakup profile.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • Once Clean Sense it correctly set the KPA is just plug’n’play for me too.

    so, what is "correctly set"? Ok, you are relativizing "for me".
    Anyway: the manual states the Clean Sense is a controlling the loudness between clean sounds and distorted sounds. That's not: pick ups.

  • so, what is "correctly set"? Ok, you are relativizing "for me".
    Anyway: the manual states the Clean Sense is a controlling the loudness between clean sounds and distorted sounds. That's not: pick ups.

    I didn't make any changes to the clean sense on mine. If I get a chance I can take a look and see what it is set at. I don't know if that will help at all.

  • so, what is "correctly set"? Ok, you are relativizing "for me".
    Anyway: the manual states the Clean Sense is a controlling the loudness between clean sounds and distorted sounds. That's not: pick ups.

    I am saying set correctly for each user. What is correct for me may not be correct for you and vice versa.


    I am simply saying that once a user has found a a setting that balances clean and dirty for them they will probably not need to tweak it much (if at all) between guitars.


    I believe (and this is purely my personal experience not a fact) that a player’s choice of pick (hard V soft) and the way they play (light picking or heavy attack) make more difference than pickups and therefore changing guitars doesn’t make a big enough difference to get hung up on.


    I use Jazz iii picks and hit the strings pretty hard. All my guitars from low output Strats to heavy humbucker setting on my PRS 513, Seymour Duncan P-Rails, Hot Humbucker Set, JB etc work fine with a clean sense setting around -5. CK said that my guitars must have super hot pickups to need this setting but they verifiably do not so the the output difference must be related to playing style which doesn’t change that much from guitar to guitar for the same person. Hence the reason I think many people are over thinking the need to set clean sense differently for each guitar.

  • I believe (and this is purely my personal experience not a fact) that a player’s choice of pick (hard V soft) and the way they play (light picking or heavy attack) make more difference than pickups and therefore changing guitars doesn’t make a big enough difference to get hung up on.


    I use Jazz iii picks and hit the strings pretty hard. All my guitars from low output Strats to heavy humbucker setting on my PRS 513, Seymour Duncan P-Rails, Hot Humbucker Set, JB etc work fine with a clean sense setting around -5. CK said that my guitars must have super hot pickups to need this setting but they verifiably do not so the the output difference must be related to playing style which doesn’t change that much from guitar to guitar for the same person. Hence the reason I think many people are over thinking the need to set clean sense differently for each guitar.

    There may be something to this. I use Dunop Tortex 1.14 picks. I have used them for years. I don't think anyone would describe my playing as being shy about digging into the strings. I use 10s on all of my guitars. I dig in the same on every guitar I play. That could be delivering a fairly consistent attack coming from the guitar no matter what guitar it is. Maybe the Kemper can sense that and that is how it regulates the incoming volume. Interesting thought.

  • Another factor that might contribute is string gauge. I no CK has said that he has a Strat (I think) with light strings (which I assumed meant 9’s or even 8’s) so his settings would be quote different from mine which are either 10’s or 11’s. Hitting 11’s hard with a Jazz iii will give a very different output than tickling a set of 8’s with a pick shaped Rizzla paper ?