SmallBox tone setting revelation!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Waldo Nova
  • Start date Start date
Waldo Nova

Waldo Nova

Member
I've owned a BE100 for a couple years, love it. I ordered a SmallBox WildWood that arrived a few days ago and am loving that too. I've been playing seriously for 38 years (I'm 51) and played Mesa/Boogies for most of that time. Setting the bass control on those amps above 2 is unheard of because there is so much bass and it gets unusable at a point. Last night I was fooling with the tone controls on my SmallBox and I set the controls all at 10 just to see how they would react. OH MY GOD!!! It sounds perfect! The tone isn't the same if you set them all at 5, or 7... all at 10! I then tried it on my BE100 and that sounds great too!! Give it a try and see what you think!
 
A little while back, I started running my bass all the way up, and mids somewhere between 3:00 and max, sounds glorious on the JJ. Then Phil X posted an amp pic yesterday - bass & mids both maxed. I might be on to something :)
 
sgill72 said:
Recently decided to try a Twin Sister, only to try and dial it in like a Smallbox. I'm an idiot. Purchased a WW Smallbox, and all is well in the world.
Click to expand...
Didn’t jive with the TS huh?
 
LP Freak said:
Didn’t jive with the TS huh?
Click to expand...
Twin Sister is s a great amp, but I found myself doing everything to get it to sound like a Smallbox. SS rectifier, lowering the deep to 9 o'clock, swapping the Redback for a Creamback, all of it. It's just a little too fat in the bottom for me. If I was rocking single coils only...it would have been perfect. But it's just a little too much with humbuckers.

I tried a plethora of Marshall's, Bogner, Mezzabarba, Suhr, various other Friedman's and always come back to the Smallbox. I picked up a Wildwood version. Couldn't be happier. The Smallbox is my desert island amp, without question.
 
Last edited:
Watching the Akira Takasaki video on YouTube was helpful for me, playing a LP. I’ve since tweaked them to my liking.
I too really wanted to like the TS for a higher gain setting, but my SB50 always won out. However, the TS had one of the sweetest clean, edge of breakout tone for me…
 
Reading my post from almost a year ago, still set my bass maxed....I was surprised to see recently that Dave recommends in the BE100DLX manual to start with the bass on 10 as well ;)
 
Waldo Nova said:
I've owned a BE100 for a couple years, love it. I ordered a SmallBox WildWood that arrived a few days ago and am loving that too. I've been playing seriously for 38 years (I'm 51) and played Mesa/Boogies for most of that time. Setting the bass control on those amps above 2 is unheard of because there is so much bass and it gets unusable at a point. Last night I was fooling with the tone controls on my SmallBox and I set the controls all at 10 just to see how they would react. OH MY GOD!!! It sounds perfect! The tone isn't the same if you set them all at 5, or 7... all at 10! I then tried it on my BE100 and that sounds great too!! Give it a try and see what you think!
Click to expand...
I have the Wildwood spec’d smallbox limited with the extra gain in off white. Best amp ever.
 
My Smallbox Combo is one of the more versatile amps I have and gets a lot of use. Been experimenting with speakers lately. Don't care for the Creamback that came in mine. Used a EVM12 Classic in it for a while. You can sure hear how much more efficient the EV is. Jonesing for one of the Celestion Neo 250W Copperbacks.

YRSvES3.jpg
 
I have a Wildwood Smallbox combo, and I run the bass at 3 o’clock with a 6 band in the loop boosting 100 hz. I like low end! Mids about 2 o’clock, treble about noon, presence just cracked open. Great amp!
 
Running the bass on a BE or SB above noon you killed your mids and ability to be heard in a mix. at least for rock and classic metal where you actually want to be heard.
Stay tuned for video demo with SB and Golden pearl
:cool:
I will start with some gained tones then boost em to take it to the point of perfection! :cool:
 
cragginshred77 said:
Running the bass on a BE or SB above noon you killed your mids and ability to be heard in a mix. at least for rock and classic metal where you actually want to be heard.
Stay tuned for video demo with SB and Golden pearl
:cool:
I will start with some gained tones then boost em to take it to the point of perfection! :cool:
Click to expand...
Yeah I agree, both my Twin Sister and Smallbox have the bass dialed well below noon. Wondering if jacking the bass is a low volume/at home thing?
 
tallcoolone said:
Yeah I agree, both my Twin Sister and Smallbox have the bass dialed well below noon. Wondering if jacking the bass is a low volume/at home thing?
Click to expand...
cragginshred77 said:
Running the bass on a BE or SB above noon you killed your mids and ability to be heard in a mix. at least for rock and classic metal where you actually want to be heard.
Stay tuned for video demo with SB and Golden pearl
:cool:
I will start with some gained tones then boost em to take it to the point of perfection! :cool:
Click to expand...
You'll have to ask Steve Stevens and many others who run their Friedman this way too.....he certainly doesn't have that problem
 
Purpleibby said:
You'll have to ask Steve Stevens and many others who run their Friedman this way too.....he certainly doesn't have that problem
Click to expand...
I would be happy to, maybe he’ll jump in the thread! It’s not a yes or no question, no offense meant. People dig different things
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top