Two Rock advice please

jellyroll

So I bought a Two Rock Studio Pro combo thinking I could use a pedal to get rock tones. The clean tone is great but I have so far failed to get any good low/medium gain sounds with pedals. Is it possible that an amp can be too clean, or is it more likely I haven't tried the right pedals? So far, I've tried Fulldrive and Maxon tubescreamers, Boss SD1, Zoom G3, Box of Rock, BB pre-amp, Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Blue and Wampler Euphoria. I have a Liquid Sunshine on its way but if that isn't "the one" I'm inclined to swap the amp. In fairness to all these pedals, I'm trying to achieve these tones at bedroom volumes and maybe that's not what they are designed for? There is a Two Rock Sensor which has a second channel. Perhaps I should go that route?

ToneControl

http://www.bearfootfx.com/product/honey-bee-overdrive/

Klon Klone

Zendrive 1 or 2

I think ` or even all of those should be worth a try, they are my favourites with a similar clean amp

koss59

All those pedals you've already tried should be sounding great with it, how loud have you got the amp turned up?

ToneControl

getting good tone at bedroom levels with an real valve amp with that power will be a problem

For your budget there, I'd recommend getting and AxeFx 2 or a Kemper

ThePrettyDamned

Duncan power grid is pretty good, but to be honest, it's not really a rocky kinda amp till its cooking - you might have been better off with a 2 channel, 50 watter. They sound great at any volume, assuming it's a half decent amp. Peavey, soldano, fender (machete), laney - none are far eastern manufactured (I'm assuming you're avoiding that if going two rock?) and all will probably be a better amp for you.

koss59

Just read it's bedroom levels, the best pedal in the world isn't going to sound good at those levels.

Get a modeler. 

exocet

I'd agree that this type of amp only really "sings" when used at stage volumes. The Honey Bee is a very good option to add some nice harmonic interest to which you can then add some dirtier OD pedals to give you a lead tone. The Timmy also works well with this style of amp.

koss59

Just to add, I'm not sure what the Sensor is like but I tried a Two Rock Jet with two channels at louder than bedroom levels and the overdrive really wasn't good, I was told it really had to be turned up to sound good.

JohnPerry

I have a Two Rock Jet with a 1x12 cab. I never touch the overdrive section. For drive I use a Kingsley Jester (or for low-gain stuff a Kingsley Page) into the amp set fairly clean. The sound is spectacular with both pedals. At home volumes. No, I never thought that was possible either. Do not sell that amp. Get a Kingsley pedal. Equally important, put some old Mullard 12ax7s in the Two Rock. Made an enormous difference to mine.

Lodious

I have a studio Pro...do you understand the master volume is really round the back? (not being patronising, it took me a while!)

thisisguitar

@JohnPerry has a point. I have a Kingsley Jouster, and it sounds great for low volume gain at home… and it sounds brilliant at volume. 

In fairness, the Two Rock Studio 50w I have, with 2x12, sounds best when it's cranked and the Boost know is pulled out… just a TS-9 on top then sounds amazing (with a US Telecaster). 

@Lodious I didn't realise when I first tested them either!

57Deluxe

Did you not get to see the Two Rock comparison tests done by intheblues on YT??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf60cmyrFcU

jellyroll

@Lodious - you may have a good point. I am aware of the rear volume and have always tended to keep that at quite a low setting. How do you use yours? @JohnPerry - thanks for the suggestions, I'll give them a try. @ToneControl - thanks.

thisisguitar

57Deluxe said:

Did you not get to see the Two Rock comparison tests done by intheblues on YT??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf60cmyrFcU

I will say the 22w Studio Pro doesn't have the boost switch on it. They are much more flexible with that feature (35w and up have it). If you like to control the amp from the guitar volume knob, then you can really do amazing things with it and just a TS-9 for lead work. Neither of those amps are great at home volumes though.

exocet

I didn't think that the Studio Pro had a Master Vol on the rear panel? The "plus" variant has a Contour control on the rear panel, other Two Rock models have Overdrive "trigger" control (sets the level hitting the overdrive 1st valve stage) - but I thought that all Master Volumes were on front panel?

thisisguitar

@exocet It's on the back labelled as 'effect level', it is effectively the master volume even though there is one with that label on the front.

exocet

That'll be the FX return level control?

Traditionally, the FX Loop on a Two Rock is a simple "serial loop" so I would expect that the FX level would only impact on the signal coming back through the FX Return. If you are using the loop then the FX Return will act as a the Global Master Volume because the FX Loop is traditionally located "Post Master Volume"

thisisguitar

When I first tried a couple I didn't know, and was confused as to why the 50w wasn't much louder than the 35w!

It seems a strange setup, but the effect level does work as a master with nothing in the loop… I haven't put anything through the loop since a couple of days of having it so can't remember how much effect it has on the overall volume.

thisisguitar

I think he shows it in this video if memory serves… am unable to watch it to check right now, but the guy doing the demo was the one I bought my amp from and was the only reason I found out!

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/video-two-rock-amp-demos-498912

exocet

I guess that the FX Return is always in circuit, if you plug into the Loop it will control the FX Return level else it will act as a Global Master.

If it's designed like most Two Rocks, this control will be "Post Master Volume" but pre "Phase Inverter". It may well introduce an additional Valve stage acting as a buffer / gain stage so cranking the Master Up (front panel) and the setting the FX Return Low may well give you an extra bit of "hair".

Lodious

When I use mine at home at loud(ish) bedroom volumes, I run the master round the back at just under half, the gain at about 11 o clock (i.e. just under half) and the master on the front at about 2 o clock (i.e. a bit over halfway). I use it with a powerbrake, and I totally love it. As others have mentioned, the poweramp needs to be cooking to get the best from it, they sound pretty horrible quiet (IMHO). I've just tried it with the back panel master on full, and with the gain on full, and the front master turned down, it's pretty close to being totally clean, so the rear master is pretty important!