Recently received my Fuzzhugger(fx) Sonic Shroom. A pretty cool fuzz. Self-oscillates, but is still really playable because the oscillations fade when there's a signal. The controls are kinda unorthodox, they are really interactive with each other instead of being independent, and they don't have quite the same functions as a typical fuzz pedal's knob.

Between that and all my other fuzzes, I think my fuzz craving is finally satiated. There is some chance that I may check out some Devi Ever pedals somewhere down the line, but they aren't "must-gets." I'm pretty stoked with the palette I've got already.

Aw shit, I can't wait to see what the Sonic Shroom and Wolf Computer sound like together. I contemplated ordering a custom pedal from Fuzzhugger that would combine the Velcrobot (another zippy, fuzz-facey fuzz) and Sonic Shroom (all the ilovefuzz.com folks were really urging me to do it, too), but then I thought, eh, the Velcrobot is cool and all, but what I think I wanted the Wolf Computer more.

Fades when there's a signal? interesting, sort of like a dynamic delay that kicks in when you stop playing. I'd like to combine those two.

Don't know if this stuff would be redundant for you, or you may already know of JPTR fx, but they are also very interesting. If I didn't already have enough delay's, I'd be all over the dual one this guy makes. The Super Weirdo Fuzz may be down your alley?

http://www.ehx.com/assets/jpg640h/mel9.jpg

Just picked up one of these!

:love:

ohhhh man...i'm jealous, you're stoked.

friend of mine kinda talked me out of one because for recordings we have a Roland XV-88 at our disposal, so it's not really needed. But I still want a Mel-9 on the pedalboard regardless.

I've just bought myself this Digitech Valve FX guitar preamp.

http://i.imgur.com/rx8pwJ2.jpg

I paid a little on the high side for it, along with a foot controller, but this is apparently a very good condition one, with, hopefully, the latest firmware, and an LCD screen upgrade that Digitech offered - which is a big plus, because with some of these, the original blue LCD becomes faded over time, and harder to read.

I'm going to make a 2nd, smaller rig with this, that I'm thinking I'll use for playing live (which I want to actually start doing).

As I think can be heard in this demo vid, this preamp is at the centre of some of Machina's heavy guitar sounds (eg. Imploding Voice).



The Valve FX was also a part of BC's Machina tour rig. There are a whopping 5 of them in this setup:

https://forum.guitar.com/sites/forum...machinarig.jpg

Aside from the LCD screen fading with age, another issue these preamps seem to have is specific to the European versions, and it again affects the LCD screen, though it is apparently caused by voltage routing, for the sake of adapting the USA model to European voltage level:

http://www2.digitech.com/soundcomm/g..._id=1022050967

BTW, while looking for a used unit to purchase, I also found this one that's going for cheap ($90 USD) on Craigslist, though its screen is reportedly largely faded - but the device is otherwise functional. If it's possible to source a replacement LCD, then it'd be a sweet deal for someone: https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/msg/6001596016.html

Splurged today on a PettyJohn Pettydrive V2, though I did have a trade-in that brought the out of pocket expense down a bit. Spent a couple hours jamming around earlier and quickly found useful tones. I've got their Fuze as well, so I knew the circuitry would work well with my set-up. Between the two Pettyjohn's, a Talons and the MXR Fullbore...i'm done searching for OD/Distortion/Fuzz. fini. for a good while anyway...i barely rarely use the Zvex and Big Muff Pi as it is.


https://reverb-res.cloudinary.com/im...xebmk7hpvw.jpg

FUCK i want to swap out the C9 with this IMMEDIATELY

Yeah it great! Trying my best to not use it on everything!!

Here's the classic Beatles flute setting on the chorus and second verse. Also I think I was using the orchestral setting with the sustain cranked up with a phaser and possibly a delay to get the sweeping synthy stuff that flies through the whole song.
https://soundcloud.com/soniclovenoize/pilot-light

I'm using it in my bass board now, which is great because the pedal gets confused when you play bellow a low A. Otherwise you're able to get some crazy bass undertones with it.

those are some real cool sounds sonic. That orchestral setting is worth the price on its own, but I haven't heard it used like you have there on Pilot Light...rather creative... gets me thinking...mmmmm, drooling more so. However, sometimes when it comes down to cost vs. need, a pedal I need wins over one I want. It's kinda been that way with the Mel-9, damnit.

I know I just said I was done with dirt pedals, but...


http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/ODAwWDgwMA..._id=8800005007




Next pedal is either this or the Mel-9, which may be more of a need now. I have a Fullbore Metal that works for one specific sound that is really all I need that type of tone for -- a huge Randall amp like chug. I run it through a harmonizer though, which cuts the fizz of it and I finally figured out how the frequency knob interacts highly with the treble one, almost like a Zvex. That also helped cut the annoying part of this pedal, damn high frequency fizz.

If the Filaments can get that chug like the Fullbore, but at better fidelity with much better versatility, then I may just make the purchase and put off the Mel-9 a little further down the line.

Thanks TOC :)

wow this really strikingly does sound exactly like machina guitar tone, i wish he would stay on the relevant presets just a bit longer, it's strange and cool hearing that one tone factor so isolated

KILL IT

Question for all you rad shredders out there in axe land:

When you're playing something with the typical open chords do you use the same finger position for a given chord every single time, or do you change it based on the context?

I'm trying to work on my playing. Sometimes a certain finger position feels right in one context, but wrong in another.

yeah i'd say i do that sometimes. though not very often. only if it's really required.

muscle memory goes a long way, if you confuse yourself too much it'll just not sound as good

i wish i could buy a Kemper or AxeFX

Kempers sound so fucking incredible

I'm big into open chord acoustic music, and I do a lot of hammer-ons and try to build internal melodies into chord changes a lot. There are some chords I finger differently based on context (lolol). G major is a good example. It just depends where I need my fingers to move around that chord.

The one I've found myself wanting to change up on most often is A Major. There are like 3 different ways that all seem like they could be "right"

I taught myself guitar and used to sort of pride myself on a lack of foundation knowledge. Now I just want to play my git proficiently and effectively. I took a beginner's class in college after I had been playing for several years, and I'm pretty sure dude was telling us to do A Maj with the middle finger on the D string, index finger on G string and ring finger on B string. That doesn't seem very useful but I got used to it back then. We playing classical gits though.

I mean I feel like I've never seen someone play an A major like that, but to each his own.

isn't the right way index on D, middle on G, ring on B? that seems intuitive

the boss way to play A maj is with only one finger

ah see I kind of hate barring shit. I will never bar strings if there is another way to do the chord

Yeh, your way is what I usually use. Sometimes I start with the middle on D doh.

yeah best to learn it this way I think

I've been learning flamenco stuff but played with a pick on an electric guitar so it's some gross cultural appropriation

I tend to barre it by default, but my problem is that I find it hard to get the high-E string to ring that way.

Sometimes I use three different fingers, but only if I consciously make the effort to not do it how I intuitively do it.

I dunno, I know I have all three notes of the triad without that extra E, but it doesn't sound "full" enough without it.

I figured out the scale just by ear and I can feel it a lot harder than the pentatonics

but I'm bad at playing the chords properly which is funny because it's the same open chords you just play them differently idk it sounds like ass when I try it

plus I'm not exactly sure what kind of effects will be suitable for my new interest in electric Latin because my jangle set up clashes too hard

imo barring strings usually causes at least a little bit of loss in the fullness of the sound of each note because it's hard to fret the strings as well

my reasoning is just that it leaves the other fingers free

so you might as well learn it that way

but if it's a case of it's entirely interchangeable in terms of difficulty it really doesn't matter

Kemper, yes! the Axe...mehhhh. It's a great unit, no doubt, but unless you wanna tweak knobs all day and not play much, then...anyway, it's easy to get lost with that kind of thing.

i fret A major with one finger when i want to add something melodic on top of it - a hammer on or pull off or slide or something. the downside it that you pretty much have to give up the high E string if you wanna keep it fluid.

if i really wanna hear the high E i'll just fret it with 3 fingers

This is completely ridiculous, but it has to be posted itt:

i could find a use for that sound in a shoegaze song for sure. pretty cool in a way

It's got bit commander kinda vibe at the end. Those be some weird sounds, that kind of thing.

Filaments came in today and I'm about to get mid-evil with this little beast of a gimp...gonna call up some hard mofo's with a blow torch and a pair of plyers -- and then put all that down and play guitar and shit. I'll shoot for 120db's at some point.

testing out the new rig
simply loving these soundz

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...db506f0acf.jpg

Nice skirt