VH4 - channel 3 gain amount.... how gainy is your channel 3?

Orvillain

Active member
Sometimes I feel like my channel 3 isn't quite gainy or punchy enough. I often have to turn up the gain to about 3-4 o'clock to get the level I want. This is without any boost or anything like that. My pickup is a Seymour Duncan Distortion in the bridge of my Les Paul.


Could it just be preamp tubes??
 
Sometimes I feel like my channel 3 isn't quite gainy or punchy enough. I often have to turn up the gain to about 3-4 o'clock to get the level I want. This is without any boost or anything like that. My pickup is a Seymour Duncan Distortion in the bridge of my Les Paul.


Could it just be preamp tubes??

It may be also an EQ and volume thing, usually scooping a bit or increasing volume will give you way more punch and gain feeling.

It may also be a preamp tube where tung sol and JJ have a bit less gain then Chinese for example.

What are the other settings?
What speaker are you using?
Can you measure the distance from pickup to the string?
 
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I honestly felt that way until I crank the volume . It’s ok to turn the gain up high on that channel too .I turn channel 3 gain almost all the way and boost with ts9 and it’s solid and tight and full .
 
It may be also an EQ and volume thing, usually scooping a bit or increasing volume will give you way more punch and gain feeling.

It may also be a preamp tube where tung sol and JJ have a bit less gain then Chinese for example.

What are the other settings?
What speaker are you using?
Can you measure the distance from pickup to the string?

Hey Leo! Hope you're well.

275376303_10158578154740777_482272164627604904_n.jpg


Those are my settings. I am currently using a loadbox with an Ownhammer Diezel cab impulse response, but normally I use an Egnater cab with V30's.

Channel 3 - gain noon, volume noon, treble 3 o'clock, middle 3 o'clock, and bass noon.
Master volume is at 10 o'clock, presence at 2 o'clock, and deep at 2 o'clock.

Here is a clip:


My pickup to the string is 5mm on the bass side, and 6mm on the treble side. I'm hitting the strings hard.

It is a great tone, I just wonder if I should be running the gain so high to get extra oompf out of it - normally I run the gain at 3 o'clock. I choose noon in this test to show how it sounds.
 
Hey Leo! Hope you're well.

275376303_10158578154740777_482272164627604904_n.jpg


Those are my settings. I am currently using a loadbox with an Ownhammer Diezel cab impulse response, but normally I use an Egnater cab with V30's.

Channel 3 - gain noon, volume noon, treble 3 o'clock, middle 3 o'clock, and bass noon.
Master volume is at 10 o'clock, presence at 2 o'clock, and deep at 2 o'clock.

Here is a clip:


My pickup to the string is 5mm on the bass side, and 6mm on the treble side. I'm hitting the strings hard.

It is a great tone, I just wonder if I should be running the gain so high to get extra oompf out of it - normally I run the gain at 3 o'clock. I choose noon in this test to show how it sounds.


Gain seems ok, however I'd say 6mm distance from string seems way too high, with my les pauls I have:

500T
2.5mm bass side
2.25mm treble side

498T
1.75mm bass side
1.75mm treble side

Dirty Fingers (I believe closer to SH6)
2.5mm bass side
2.5mm treble side
 
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Okie dokie, I'll try tweaking the pickup height. I had it this low originally to avoid ice-picky transients, but I don't mind going a bit higher and seeing how I get on. I wasn't sure if there was anything going on electronically with the amp, I guess not. It is quite an old one, from 2001. I've done the changes in the service guide already.

Cheers!
 
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Okie dokie, I'll try tweaking the pickup height. I had it this low originally to avoid ice-picky transients, but I don't mind going a bit higher and seeing how I get on. I wasn't sure if there was anything going on electronically with the amp, I guess not. It is quite an old one, from 2001. I've done the changes in the service guide already.

Cheers!
I think that once you raise your pickup it will start sound big again.

I'd suggest going at least 2.8mm both sides and fix the pole piece to follow the radius of your guitar, then slightly reduce G one to decrease a bit the middy transient.

Also make sure the action of the guitar is ok and there is no dampening happening (you can better hear it unplugged), usually ice picky transient is because the strings are not vibrating as good as they can
 
Probably at about 3/10 o clock but I normally push the front end with some form of boost. Currently using the horizon drive to give it that metal chug thing, so gain all the way down on the pedal, level halfway up (which would be about 8 ish on a tube screamer pedal).
 
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