Any Two Rock users here? Would appreciate your thoughts on gain pedals :-)

thisisguitar · November 2013

Hi Guys.

I've recently bought a Two Rock Studio Pro 50 and I'm interested in what you are using for gain.

Anything in particular you are digging or maybe you have tried and disliked?

I'm currently using an Ibanez TS9 reissue and a Bogner Ecstasy Red pedal. I have a Timmy arriving tomorrow to test too. The TS9 is fantastic, but the Bogner really isn't (though it was great with my Mesa).

Lynden

rocknrollrelic · November 2013

@HoraceB uses a Two Rock, think he has an OCD but let him pipe into this thread as he has tried many pedals through his TR.

JohnPerry · November 2013

I have a TR Jet. The Kingsley Jester is unbeatable through it. The Page is wonderful too.

thisisguitar · November 2013

Thank you both.

I spotted the Kingsley Jester on the gig rig site. I have two other pedals that he mentions on there, and they are both awesome. I'll put it on the list :-) Will have a look at The Page too.

Just got up at 8am on a Saturday to pick up the Timmy (customs stopped it), it better be good!

Biggest problem I have is the amount of ground to cover, but I am taking an approach of 'best clean sound possible, add pedals'.

thisisguitar · November 2013

Just checking out The Page… sounds great :-)

koss59 · November 2013

I have one and I think it's hard to beat an old Fulldrive 2 in comp cut ( but I'm yet to find anything better with any amp )

Not tried a modern mosfet one but in my experience they never sound as good.

HoraceB · November 2013

I've got a Gain Master 35 and so far the OCD (on the 18volt setting) and my old RAT (circa 1984) sound the best. I also use a MXR CAE boost (again on 18 volt setting) through the loop for boost which works really well on the gain channel. I've tried a TS9 Keeley Modded, (which was great through my old Mojado, interestingly the RAT was not so good through that but shines with the Two Rock) TS8, Carl Martin Plexitone and even a Joyo Voodoo which was the worst.

I had a Joyo Ultimate drive which was also really good, that prompted me to get the OCD which in my opinion does sound better.

The quest goes on though.

I'm currently after a fuzz and would like to try a Fulltone 69.

To be continued

thisisguitar · November 2013

Thanks koss59. Tried the modern one through a Fender Blues Junior the other day, sounded good but haven't tried it through the Two Rock yet. Will have to check out ebay.

Horace B, thank you for you input. I can nab an OCD from a mate and try that at 18v. Can do the same with a RAT, though I'll have to work out which model he has.

Was just watching this video on the Kingsley site. The Harlot seems very flexible:

http://kingsleyamplifiers.com/products/pedals/23/

I can see me ending up with a pedalboard just for the front end at this rate :-)

PS. I thought rocknrollrelic was trying to say you have an actual OCD!

AndyJP · November 2013

I've got a studio pro 35 combo. I tried a fair few od pedals with it. Most of them worked really well to be fair, just a case of finding a combo that worked.

Currently I've got a keeley modded ts9 that is ace. Also got a Carl Martin plexitone (the new small one), that is the mutts nuts through the TR. I use the ts9 as my boost.

I found the Zendrive was a little too dark through the two rock as the amp is a little dark sounding itself. The providence sov2 sounded cracking.

Checkout this vid. The guy is testing a ton of od pedals through a two rock Amp. Found it pretty useful. http://youtu.be/WuTt8YFblcE

thisisguitar · November 2013

Cheers Andy.

I fancy trying the FTT SOV-2 and the Plexitone. Both are for sale on here actually :-) Am currently booting pedals off my board while I work out where to go. 12 pedals is ridiculous!

Think I saw this video before I got the amp actually. Thanks for posting it, am checking it again :-)

frictionfraction · November 2013

Been using a studio pro 35 combo. Best pedal I found was a mojo rook. I also used a xotic custom shop bob preamp to add some mids and gain for solos

Catthan · November 2013

Matt Scoffield runs a Klon and a FTT SOV2 through his TRs iirc. he sounds great if you're in this sorta thing. I ve had the PT and it's one of the best MIAB pedals! Good luck with your search!

hywelg · November 2013

Also consider a very clean boost just to push the front end of the amp. I use an Xotic RC into a DrZ EZG and that works exceptionally well. If you want different flavours, try a Menatone TBIAC for AC30 tones, WorkingMans Blue for JTM45 or Blue Collar for 80's Marshall. SOV 1 and 2 are no brainers, Menatone Red Snapper was one Matt Schofield used to rely on heavily, and is very good

I have a Suhr Riot for distortion which is nicely nasty, and a Wampler Pinnacle for high gain Marshall territory. Dont forget to add some nice Chorus or Univibe sounds plus the obligatory delay. Oh and a wah pedal, and maybe a fuzz. Soon mounts up doesn't it!

thisisguitar · November 2013

Thanks for taking the time guys.

Catthan, I believe Matt has booted the Klon off the board in favour of a Vemuram Jan Ray recently… which is a very close copy of a Timmy as far as I can tell?! The SOV is likely next on the list with a Kingsley Harlot and an OCD.

I tried the Suhr again the Bogner Red and I think the Bogner won hands down, was in another league.

Hyweig, I appreciate the pointers. I went to try an EZG and it died a minute into playing… hence the Two Rock became the one. Will be AB'ing my rig against it on Monday actually. Looking forward to seeing how it compares. Tried a Wampler Plextortion and quite liked it, though not enough to buy.

Biggest problem I have is that I play in a Chili's tribute, but would like tones from Vai, Eric Johnson, Gilmour, Vaughan and Mayer… preferably without buying several amps to match the guitars I have :-)

ToneControl · November 2013

try a Joyo sweet baby, or a better clone or real Honey Bee, nicely warms up and smears the sound a bit - does a lot of Mayer blurred tones (when using a clean amp)

Matt Scofield used a SOV2 with a smeared amp sound, and I found my SOV2 crisped that up when I used a similar amp, which I assume was his intention, but this was no use to me when playing a crisper amp (I tried a studio pro 35 and 50 and think crisp was the way I felt it played)

A Joyo US Dream (Riot clone) is a good cheap way to try a riot sound if you can't borrow one. Excellent high-gain US rock sound with a clean head.

ThePrettyDamned · November 2013

I prefer the sound of the Joyo us dream to the suhr riot... Weird, right?

Getting a fru style sound isn't too difficult - you can do well with a Marshall guvnor 2, keep the gain fairly low and spend a while dialling. That's your Marshall clean (put it into a clean amp), then use a boss ds2 or mega distortion for his drive. He also uses an ic big muff I think, and some weird time/modulation stuff that will cost a bomb. Single coils only, no in between positions.

Vai - use his sig dual distortion. It's probably 2 modded ds-1s side by side, but it does sound good. The satchurator is also really good for those liquid lead tones and rock rhythm. Again, both work great into a clean amp. Humbuckers are order of the day.

Build an axis fuzz for the fuzz face style playing.

Yup, it adds up...The dirty little secret could also work for the Marshall alike sounds, but the guvnor 2 is amazingly underrated for reasons beyond me... Luckily, a satchurator would approximate satch, vai and frusciante distortion really, really well, so that would be my first port of call (it's a modded ds1 style circuit iirc).

I'll just edit - I'm not a two rock user, but most of the pedals I've recommended are heavily voiced, as in, they don't care what they go into - they sound the way they do regardless. So your amp might not sound like your amp with them, but that's kind of the point.

thisisguitar · November 2013

Thanks ToneControl. I'll add the Honey Bee or clone to my list.

ThePrettyDamned, thank you for the effort you made with the post, much appreciated. Have just been offered to borrow a Marshall Guvnor 1 (non-UK) actually, not aware of what the differences are between the models I will admit. Copying John's pedalboard is pretty much impossible, not to mention impractical!

Fuzz is the next main port of call for me actually. Sovtek green Big Muff and a Silicon Fuzz Face are on the list to try out.

Satchurator is really cheap now! £49 at GAK according to google.

johnmontana · November 2013

Just curious..if you don't mind asking...is this the 50w combo version that was for sale on this forum a while a go?

thisisguitar · November 2013

Hi John,

No, it is a 50w head with matching cab.

thisisguitar · November 2013

I noticed you are thinking of getting one. Have you tried one yet?

ThePrettyDamned · November 2013

That's alright mate. Good thing with fru is he has very distinctive sounds - listen to the opening at slane castle, or the solo on dani california, and it's so obviously a boss turbo distortion in turbo mode. Luckily, these pedals are not too pricey and they're super reliable so you'll never need to get a new footswitch...

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Any Two Rock users here? Would appreciate your thoughts on gain pedals :-)

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