Eq pedals: how did I manage without?

ThePrettyDamned

So I've recently been playing with a boss ge7 into a vox ac15 style amp and into lepou plugins for teh brootz. 

It's not noisy unless I boost high stuff quite a lot - I'm either lucky, or (this one is old and battered) maybe it's been modded in a past life. 

It's so damn useful. Single coil tones from a humbucker, transparent boost, mid boost, Curing harsh top end, cocked wah sound, making a smooth sound more open and mean, boosting the vox, using as a cut for the vox, making the vox sound more like a fender, stomping "bass bleed" on tight riffs...

Seriously, this thing is so damn useful! It can easily replace most clean boost pedals as you just move the sliders until its approximated the boost you used...

So why do I never see them? They used to be very popular indeed, but they've fallen in popularity. I'm considering the source audio one so I can have some presets. It's smaller than having three or four boss ones! 

guitarfishbay

They can be very useful. I like the Empress Para EQ with boost, though it's not cheap.

Cookiemonster

I use a cheap one in the same way, been thinking of upgrading. on sounds like on Andertons they use one quite a lot.

vasselmeyer

Defnitely one of the the most underrated effect you can get. There's an awesome Source Audio  EQ pedal that can have presets  so you can bring in  radically different EQs with just the press of a button (or via midi).

Modulus_Amps

I use one when voicing an amp, trimming boosting and then I change the circuit to match, once you understand the frequency curves of the tones you are going for they are an invaluable tool.

nick79

I've got a cheap one i use all the time, works great. Usually use it for cleans to get a bit more sparkle, but works great in the loop for a solo boost if you up the mids a bit. 

DesVegas

Absolutely agree, i got a ge7 last week and have it at the end of my chain, its great (and quiet so far)

This page is good http://www.grailtone.com/tone-settings/eq/view-predistortion-eq-settings.html

I'm using the "Sounds Like The Kirk Hammet Sound of One" setting at the moment, very bright

sgosden

I think I'm too lazy to fiddle with each slider. I keep putting an EQ on my board, then never really utilising it so taking it off. In my head I Think I'm going to use it to set my sound properly at each gig... reality If we get a sound check, its just to set levels and never have time to properly tweak anything other than the 3 band on my amp.

 I have a SA that I may be selling off in favour of a EQD tone job... as it has less options.

AxeWieldingBastard

Yep, GE7 is great. I don't find I always need one on my board. But it's a pedal you never want to sell; because just when you think it's become obsolete and banished to pedal exile, you find that you have a new use for it. I'm currently using it quite a a lot with my Strat near the beginning of the chain to add a bit more juice to my guitar's volume pot and a bit more shape to the distorted sound.

I did own a MXR 10 band EQ, but it wasn't anywhere near as useful to me as the GE7. I think the frequency selection you have control over is different on the two pedals.

Gassage

Seriously, I have 2 maniac EQ's (ST2 and the 3Q-1, both Cornish) and everything is about those and tweaking. I can use pretty much any of the distortions or Tube Drivers and change the tone via the EQ.

I have 6 or 7 different settings...the ST2 on the shimmer setting which is so sweet it's crazy.

Aidanspaghetti

I've got a Tc electronics sustain and para Ed pedal that's pretty cool, but the little latching switch is bust and I need to get it fixed.... Great for making a sc sound like a hb..... Really useful, I believe run in a loop in the amp is a whole new interesting ballgame, must try it sometime...

ThePrettyDamned

Gassage said:

Seriously, I have 2 maniac EQ's (ST2 and the 3Q-1, both Cornish) and everything is about those and tweaking. I can use pretty much any of the distortions or Tube Drivers and change the tone via the EQ.

I have 6 or 7 different settings...the ST2 on the shimmer setting which is so sweet it's crazy.

I was pretty astonished at what I could accomplish with a simple boss distortion and a ge7 (either before or after). 

If after, the tone shaping was crazy powerful - I could emulate quite a lot of different sounds really easily by using my ears. Fender style overdrive? Scoop mids a bit, push treble a bit, push bass until it's a bit flabby. 6505? Upper mids up, treble back a hair and low bass cut down. 

The pedal, effectively, is just there to distort the signal. It does have some influence for sure (the ds-2 crunch is less compressed than an sd-1 at high gain, for example) but it's surprising how many tone you can get out. 

I bet a rat is perfect as it's got that madly powerful filter. 

Voxman

I've been extolling the virtues of an EQ for the last 15 years, especially in an fx loop for tone shaping. 

TTBZ

Anyone have a solution for the sliders getting knocked in transit? A cover or something for a ge7 would make a lot of sense. The source audio seems like the best solution though, if it's not a faff to adjust the sliders.

I've always used an eq in the loop as a lead boost but going to experiment with using it the other way - set the amp for a fat middy lead sound, then volume cut and eq for a more scooped and subdued rhythm tone, turn it off for solos.

Beexter

Don't overlook the Zoom Multi-stomps - they have Graphic EQ's and Parametric EQ's built in and you can store loads of presets. You could get up to 6 Eq pedals (each with a different setting)  in each of its 50 patch memories, giving you a potential 300 presets.  
Kind of makes the Source Audios 4 presets seem a bit meagre. You can pick them up for around £50 used and they can do so much more (including a built in tuner)

mike_l

@ThePrettyDamned ; when I had one I liked having the 2 sliders on the left and the furthest right set neutral and the remaining set to max, gave a very nice Pete Townshend type sound into a clean Marshall.

Gassage

ThePrettyDamned said:

Gassage said:

Seriously, I have 2 maniac EQ's (ST2 and the 3Q-1, both Cornish) and everything is about those and tweaking. I can use pretty much any of the distortions or Tube Drivers and change the tone via the EQ.

I have 6 or 7 different settings...the ST2 on the shimmer setting which is so sweet it's crazy.

I was pretty astonished at what I could accomplish with a simple boss distortion and a ge7 (either before or after). 

If after, the tone shaping was crazy powerful - I could emulate quite a lot of different sounds really easily by using my ears. Fender style overdrive? Scoop mids a bit, push treble a bit, push bass until it's a bit flabby. 6505? Upper mids up, treble back a hair and low bass cut down. 

The pedal, effectively, is just there to distort the signal. It does have some influence for sure (the ds-2 crunch is less compressed than an sd-1 at high gain, for example) but it's surprising how many tone you can get out. 

I bet a rat is perfect as it's got that madly powerful filter. 

Absolutely spot on with the RAT- did you see my J40 demo with all the dirt? Amongst all the glitteratia, the one that amazed was my old Rat rack thing. And it's into 2 EQ's, and I can go from TS9 to Muff with it.

If you want to try something really cute, the Source Audio Para EQ is, I believe, a digitally controlled anlaog signal thing and it's MIDI enabled- you can store 5 (I think) of patches on it and recall on fly either via the pedal or a MIDI cont- they go for 80-100 second hand and are insanely good. DG used 3 on the last tour in his rig.

If ever you see a TC1128 or 1220 going, and they fetch fuck all, just grab it- the 1128 is just incredible, and is the only truly analog digitally controlled rack unit for guitar I know of. I had one but the bloody display went and I couldn't find another.

If you called an EQ pedal the GraphicDrive or ParaDrive or something, every guitarist in the world would buy one, but they're just thought of as meh by most.

Gassage

In fact, there are so many cheap options- both of the TC pedals (one had 4 knobs, the other 8 and 2 sliders), the Monte Allum modded GE7 (can do it yourself), MXR, SA...the Cornish ST2 and 3Q-1 are just magical for the depth of sound they produce, ST2 especially. It kind of enhances all the frequencies and acts as a 4 band EQ- you can get an ST2 for 250-275 on a good day.

spark240

DesVegas said:

Absolutely agree, i got a ge7 last week and have it at the end of my chain, its great (and quiet so far)

This page is good http://www.grailtone.com/tone-settings/eq/view-predistortion-eq-settings.html

I'm using the "Sounds Like The Kirk Hammet Sound of One" setting at the moment, very bright

Glad to see you like it !

FelineGuitars

Steve Stevens has a new pedal from rocket and it's a Klon with a graphic eq 

FelineGuitars

FelineGuitars said:

Steve Stevens has a new pedal from rocket and it's a Klon with a graphic eq 

The Rockaway Archer is an overdrive EQ all in one. The Rockaway Archer was developed for legendary guitarist Steve Stevens as an all in one solution to Steve’s overdrive and EQ needs.

Rockaway Archer features:

• Six band graphic EQ
• Volume and gain knobs
• I/O jacks at the head of the pedal
• 9V DC operation with standard – tip and + sleeve
• Approximately 4” x 2.50” in size

The settings include Up to 18dB of cut or boost at 6 different frequencies. Each frequency is increased by pushing its corresponding slider up on the pedal or decreased by pushing them down. This also adds or decreases volume. It is a great way to hit the front end of an amp harder than a stock Archer. The Rockaway Archer has an incredible variety of sounds due to the multitude of ways the EQ section can be used!