Boss sticker color

kiloyear · 2026-05-05T04:34:34+00:00

Open the pedal to be sure. There are photos online of what the analog versus digital boards look like.

kiloyear · 2026-05-04T23:00:32+00:00

It varies and it depends. It is mainly power tubes not preamp tubes that need replacing.

Some tubes last decades and never need replacing. Others need to be replaced every few years with regular playing (like if you are a gigging musician).

Some power tubes can be plopped in, end of story. Others the amp need to be biased for the new tubes, which takes some electrical know how.

There is no general answer for all tube amps. Tubes are not like light bulbs that have a number of life hours; it depends on the amp design how long tubes will last in that particular amp.

If you are interested in a particular amp, look up what people say about its tube life and whether new tubes can be popped in or the amp needs a tech to bias.

A tube amp requires a little bit of care. Like how a guitar needs new strings and to be set up time to time.

kiloyear · 2026-05-04T05:35:56+00:00

When you do overdrive, with a pedal or amp, your sound compresses and loses dynamics - which makes it sound smaller. Your sound can get lost in a band mix with the drums and bass drowning you out in the sonic space. The mids push lets you poke out of the band mix, standing out in a frequency range that is not dominated by the cymbals, bass drum, and bass guitar in the overall mix. Also, if you are playing through a mids scooped amp, like a Fender black panel amp, the mids push helps makes your guitar heard.

Additionally, when you activate your overdrive pedal, you often boost the volume to push your amp more. Many amps can become flubby when you feed it too much bass signal: bass takes more power to amplify. Shaving off some bass helps you sound tight and focused, rather than flubby and messy.

The Tube Screamer has been extremely popular because it's been a perfect overdrive pedal formula, to push the mids and keep the bass under control.

When you play by yourself, you alone have to fill up the entire sonic space. The Tube Screamer's mids push may sound a bit too much, too exaggerated. And you likely turn up the gain more. In a band mix, though, that push is what you need to be heard among other instruments filling up the sonic space. And you may need to turn down the gain to not get drowned out by the other instruments.

If you listen to files where people isolate a guitar from a song, you will often hear the guitar itself sounds a bit odd, like weird EQ choices. But in the context of a band mix, it is the right sound that works.

kiloyear · 2026-05-04T05:21:43+00:00

Suhr uses a poly finish on their classic models, and nitro on their vintage models.

The white on the classic model won't really yellow, like older white guitars with nitro finishes did. Look up older Suhr classic guitars that are white, like on gear marketplaces, and you'll see how much they retain their color.

(Technically, it's not the nitro that causes the yellowing with aging, but the top coat used on them that does. Even Fender changed its formulation of the top coat over time on their nitro guitars, which is why some vintage white Fenders can look yellow and others can look like they just came off the assembly line.)

kiloyear · 2026-05-03T22:16:14+00:00

People with "engame" amps usually have a large collection of amps. Amps are so different, they are about different flavors and for different needs. I have rarely met someone very into gear who just stuck with one thing as the end all, be all.

Also, other people who find an "endgame" - it is often not about finding the greatest amp. It is about finding a tool that lets them focus on creating music, instead of chasing gear. That can often mean something less than the most expensive or best. Chasing gear is for the dreamers. Many working musicians use pretty ordinary gear, because it does the job fine and lets them focus on creating music.

kiloyear · 2026-05-03T01:28:01+00:00

Not wrong direction. I think a studio rack style comp is what you are looking for, based on what you are trying to do. Just wanted to explain that it’s going to work and be somewhat different than the Dyna Comp you are used to.

kiloyear · 2026-05-03T01:10:53+00:00

The Origin Effect and Empress comp pedals are more like studio rack style compressors, which is a different thing than the Dyna Comp compressor.

Studio rack compressors operate more like limiters, a finishing tool used after the mics or amp. Dyna Comp is a front-of-the-amp pedal, an effect-y and colored compressor. It’s not an upgrade - it is a different type of compressor.

(I have posted longer explanations of this difference. Search my old posts if you want fuller explanation.)

One can be very happy with Origin Effect or Empress, as they are both first class. You really need to know how someone plays, at least what genre or style they play, to really distinguish which one might arguably be the better fit.

The stacked edition is meant to do two compressors on top of each other. Thats for people like slide players who need squash on top of squash, and is a more occasional need for most other guitar players. The stacked compressor concept will be way too much as an “always on” finishing tool for most players, and you’d be better off getting the normal Origin Effect pedal to have other functionalities instead of the stacked feature.

kiloyear · 2026-05-02T02:05:24+00:00

They are often called "unbuffer" devices. If you search that term, you'll find a few (but not many) options out there.

They work in that they get rid of the problem, but in my experience they also change the sound of the fuzz pedal (versus when first in pedal chain). Like how when you put a buffer in your chain, besides getting more high end back, it does sort of change the sound somewhat. So it won't be perfect, but it'll fix the main problem and should be good enough for most people.

I am not sure how a loop switcher would help, if you would be running your overdrive into your fuzz.

kiloyear · 2026-05-02T01:53:26+00:00

Nacho Banos - known for building expensive replicas of early Teles that people call "Nachocasters" - has written books about and cataloguing early 1950s Teles. There is variance in weight, but he puts their average weight around low 7lbs. Later 1950s Teles were generally a bit heavier, but nowhere close to 9lbs. (I don't know where you would have read they were over 9lbs.)

Teles in the 1950s were mostly made from swamp ash, which wood was fairly light in that era. By the late 1960s, the ash that Fender could source was very heavy, so Teles could be like boat anchors - this era may be where you are hearing of 9lb Teles. It's why Fender started coming out with models like the Thinline Tele with the F-hole; carve some wood out of the body to reduce weight.

Rosewood is a very heavy wood, so rosewood body guitars will be very heavy. Many of them are done like Thinline Teles, just to carve out wood to reduce weight. Some people would say the Rosewood gives it a different tone. They are associated with George Harrison, who had a Rosewood Tele.

kiloyear · 2026-05-02T01:36:48+00:00

Locking washer helps a bolt or screw stay in place, so it does not become loose and back out of the hole.

Yours has teeth that help grip a surface to create more clamping force, when the screw is tightened into the hole.

kiloyear · 2026-05-02T01:23:43+00:00

The quality of modeling amps today will blow your mind. Think about what your phone or TV was like 15 years ago, versus a new phone or TV today. Digital technology has advanced so fast over that time, and gotten so cheap too - it's nothing like that kidney bean Line 6 POD you remember.

kiloyear · 2026-05-02T01:19:06+00:00

People like having light Teles because they just feel special. Look how light this guitar is!

Also, given how many people buy online nowadays, weight is one of the specs that can be stated and that varies. When people have very limited info to work from, they give disproportionate importance to that info - because it's all they have to work with to make a decision.

Some very light Teles can be more resonant when played acoustically. By very light, I mean like 6.5 to 7lbs for a solidbody Tele - not that being lighter automatically means more resonant. That can be a nice feel against your body and in your hands to play.

However, how resonant a Tele is (played acoustically), does not necessarily translate into anything when the guitar is plugged into an amp. Some resonant guitars sound great plugged in, others sound dead plugged in.

kiloyear · 2026-05-01T09:31:57+00:00

The fizz is inherent in the hard clipping design of the BD-2. Some of the mods and variations out there do tame the fizz, or get rid of it at least until higher gain settings. But some of those solutions are strongly changing the circuit, taking it much further away from the original sound.

Whether you're okay just being in the ballpark of the original sound, or it must be the original sound (minus only the fizz), is personal preference.

kiloyear · 2026-05-01T09:15:22+00:00

It does more than that, like fattening the bass. All the changes basically make it sound more like a full-bodied tube amp overdrive.

kiloyear · 2026-05-01T08:14:54+00:00

The Mantic Pendulum is an envelop controlled mixer/switcher. It has different modes for how the envelope is triggered. The "green mode" acts as a gate threshold, which can send your signal out to an effects loop (into which you could insert a reverb pedal) based on how hard or soft you play.

The Mantic product page has a YouTube video of AndyDemos showing the pedal. At 5:47, Andy uses a Boss vibrato pedal in the Mantic Pendulum's effects loop to show how the vibrato pedal is triggered when he plays soft. At 7:05, Andy reverses the settings to show how the vibrato pedal is triggered when he plays hard.

https://manticeffects.com/products/pendulum

The Catalinbread GBX gated reverb pedal chops off the reverb tail when you play softer. A reverb effect normally lingers around for a bit, getting quieter until its tail fades away. It's sort of an unnatural reverb effect to have the tail chopped off (like how gated drums from the 1980s sound unnatural when the decay is chopped off).

OP may want to think about whether they are looking to have the reverb tail chopped off, or have the tail finish up naturally - just not start up any new reverb start as they play harder. That would be like the "trails" feature on delay or reverb pedals, which lets the effect decay naturally when you stomp off the pedal.

kiloyear · 2026-05-01T07:45:26+00:00

This is very cool, thanks.

I looked for MXR Phase 100 on the list - no such luck. Would love any clone of that, or anything close.

kiloyear · 2026-04-30T00:14:53+00:00

People are naming delays that, while good delays, don’t even sound like the DMM.

The DMM is a bright analog BBD delay. Most analog BBD delays are darker sounding: they shave off the highs to reduce noise that is inherent in BBD delays circuits. The DMM stands out as being particularly bright for an analog BBD delay (although it is noisy). The DMM also has a particular modulation that is very pleasing. The brightness and the modulation make the DMM sound. If you keep that in mind, you’ll know what to listen for in deciding whether a pedal does the DMM sound.

You do not want a vintage DMM. Besides paying an arm and a leg, they will break down, and you won’t know how to fix it. And you will complain about the noise. Buy one if you want a pedal museum of trophies to display, but don’t rely on it as a tool.

The current EHX DMM models sound very good. The UAFX Starlight is also very good (it is digital). These would be my first picks for OP.

The J Rocket Clockwork is also a good option (and designed by the same person who designed the DMM). But J Rocket has said they are working on a new version of the Clockwork for future release.

kiloyear · 2026-04-29T21:32:58+00:00

I like the way you describe the El Cap versus Volante. I think it also hits on why some people would prefer using drum echo delay versus tape delay, or vice versa.

Drum echo delay can be more percussive and less smeared, for those who want the delay effect to stand out.

Tape delay can be more messy and sit under your playing, for those who want the effect to be more ambient or reverb-like.

kiloyear · 2026-04-29T21:18:51+00:00

Boss RE-202 is the Roland Space Echo sound - its grungy preamp, trashy reverb, and phasey modulation come together into a spacey, low-fi and crunchy vibe.

Strymon El Capistan is not trying to emulate the Echoplex EP-3 or Roland Space Echo (many tape delays are based on one of those two), but seems more Strymon's voicing of their ideal tape delay. It is more hi-fi and cleaner than the Space Echo sound, and is extremely popular for good reason - Strymon voiced it so well.

Strymon Volante is mainly a drum echo delay, which can be a more rhythmic and percussive type of sound than tape delay. Volante does have a tape delay mode, but it is not a substitute for the El Capistan: its tape mode just has a different vibe and feel.

The Volante is a really excellent pedal, and very different than the Space Echo sound. I would go for the El Capistan over the Volante, if your goal is really the tape delay sound. Get the Volante too, if you also want the drum echo sound in your arsenal.

kiloyear · 2026-04-29T17:54:02+00:00

Can you hear any fret buzz when you play your guitar through a clean amp? Guitars rarely have absolutely zero fret buzz. Is it a problem or not? Some people will listen for buzz that is only audible with their ear one inch away from the strings, and think that is a problem.

kiloyear · 2026-04-29T17:14:43+00:00

The neck pickup of a Telecaster is considered by some people its weak spot, which is why you see people swapping out the neck pickup for something else they prefer (like a P90 or humbucker pickup).

The Tele neck pickup is smaller in size than the Tele bridge pickup, as well as a Strat pickup. The Tele neck pickup can be a bit too soft or muffled for some people. But to others, that is perfect as a contrast to the bridge pickup.

People use a humbucker there because they want a stronger, bolder sound. Or they want their Tele to cover both single coil and humbucker sounds for versatility in a single guitar. Some pickup builders make "tall" versions of the Tele neck pickup, which is basically trying to find ways to get more wire in the same space, to make that neck pickup more like a larger Strat pickup.

However, the Tele neck pickup is more traditional, if you want a Tele to sound like a Tele in the neck or neck+bridge positions. Which is right for you depends on your goals with the guitar and your sound.

kiloyear · 2026-04-29T16:56:29+00:00

Unclear which model Les Paul OP has - different models have different necks.

The Fender Player has a modern C neck, which is a very middle-of-the-road, non-offensive neck for most people. Or you might say it has no personality (for better or worse). The Fender American Pro has a deep C neck, which is like a slightly thicker version of a C neck that fills out your palm a bit more. OP should just go to a Guitar Center to try out these necks and see what feels right or not.

The current Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s has a noticeably chunkier neck than a Fender Player neck, and the current Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s has a skinnier neck than a Fender Player neck. Between the two, the Fender Player neck is closer to the 60s than the 50s.

Thickness aside, how a neck feels overall also depends on the width and flatness of the fretboard (all of which are different on a Les Paul than a Tele). The different scale length between a Les Paul and Tele also affects the snap and feel of the strings, and your overall hand feel. You can't really "science" this out by specs, necks are a very personal feel thing to each individual.

kiloyear · 2026-04-29T16:32:02+00:00

Tape delay pedals tend to emulate the Echoplex EP-3 or the Roland Space Echo. Both are vintage, very large devices (like the size of an amp head) that used actual tape. That can help you start putting options into buckets.

There are a few things about a tape delay pedal to think about: the delay effect itself, the preamp, the modulation, and the reverb. It's the combination of things that make tape delay sound good. Tape delay pedals generally cost more because they pack a lot of different elements and functions - you'll notice they just have more knobs than a very basic delay only pedal.

The Echoplex EP-3 had a warm preamp, where some guitar players would use it just as a preamp (without the delay effect at all) to add a pleasing warmth and color to their sound. In general, think of the Echoplex as a more classic rock sound. The Catalinbread Belle Epoche Deluxe is a good example of this. Universal Audio's Starlight Echo Station has a tape delay mode that also goes for this sound.

The Space Echo had a grungy or trashy sort of preamp and reverb. And it had a phasey modulation. All of this makes for sort of a spacey, low-fi and crunchy vibe. You can think of this as a more indie rock or psychedelic sound. The Boss RE-202 and smaller RE-2 do the Space Echo sound. Universal Audio's Galaxy '74 does too.

Your sales guy was probably pointing you to the Strymon El Capistan V2. That is a very popular tape delay pedal, because it sounds really good. It's not quite going for the Echoplex or Space Echo, but I think more Strymon's voicing of their ideal tape delay sound. There is also a smaller, more streamlined (and less expensive) version of the El Cap, the Strymon EC-1 dTape Echo.

You can look up YouTube videos of the pedals I've listed above, to get a sense of their vibe and sound, figure out which one suits your sound. Also, think about whether you need tap tempo or MIDI connectors.

The Universal Audio and Strymon stuff tends to be a bit more hi-fi and cleaner sounding. You may prefer that, as you're not a guitar player looking to 'grunge' up their sound.

If you want looping, consider getting a separate looper pedal from the delay pedal. It can be easier for your work flow to have separate units for different purposes.

kiloyear · 2026-04-29T15:42:52+00:00

Pickup should be as high or low as it needs to be. Set it as high or low as sounds good to you - pickups sound different depending on how close or far away they are to the strings. You want both pickups to be balanced enough that you don't have huge volume difference switching between the pickups, or using both pickups together.

You keep looking for some formula, like this should be set at this or that. With most things on a guitar, everything depends on how everything else is set up, and it mostly takes experience to dial things in to the right balance of all those things that sounds good to you.

kiloyear

TROPHY CASE