Are people still digging their Plank Crankers?

[bill]

I don't have one but do use my HBE Power Screamer with Fat Boost pretty often. I have enjoyed reading your reviews on various pedals you are trying out. I went through that same thing last year and came to conclusions that work for my style and gig. I think everything I use is in my signature. The only lack I have is a channel switcher which is a cheap way to use both inputs of my 59. One will be overdriven and dry the other will be everything I have plus reverb drenched, wet, ride the wild surf, Dick Dale to the max.

 

[jonny toetags]

I'm currently trying the Wampler Plextortion, Wampler Pinnacle, and a Menatone KOTB.
Chris

Which Wampler are you liking better?
I am in the same situation as you...i need a 'distortion' rather than a pure OD.
They have so many to choose from i don't know which one to try first.

 

[CharFace]

Plank Cranker fired up every time I turn the amp on. I can get "my" tone with the PC @ a volume level that is compliant with the Kid and Wife approval factor. I could not do this with my Bad Monkey - it's a good pedal but required some more volume.

Well its either this or brave the red channel on the DSL and I don't think anyone is ever really prepared for that

 

[duesentrieb]

Yup. Mine is permanently attached to my pedalboard. To add some bite when soloing, so more as a booster than a distortion. Its pretty cool and many guys are asking me: wtf is that?

I like it.

 

[dstroud]

Yeah, I still like mine - it's kind of my "B" sound. I use my Tubescreamer for more traditional rock tones with my 800, then switch to the Plank Cranker if I need a more scooped sound - it's cool to have the 2 tones at my feet because they make the same amp sound pretty different (like going from Marshall to Mesa).

 

[Capulin Overdrive]

meh, it's a cool pedal, just seem to find something that gets along better with the amps i've got.

 

[blackba]

meh, it's a cool pedal, just seem to find something that gets along better with the amps i've got.

What amps do you have that the Plank Cranker is not working well with?

I am using the plank cranker with my mark IV R2 channel as a boost and as an overdrive with my Vox AC50. I am really liking it for boosting R2, sounds better than the Maxon OD-808 which I used to use for that task.

 

[mysticaxe]

On my board for boosting solos on my JCM800. Still really digging it.

 

[dstroud]

On my board for boosting solos on my JCM800. Still really digging it.

Of all my amps, it works best with my 800, and it works VERY well with that amp !

 

[mysticaxe]

On my board for boosting solos on my JCM800. Still really digging it.

Of all my amps, it works best with my 800, and it works VERY well with that amp !

Makes the thing sound like its about to blow up!

 

[Subclavian]

yup,
my plank cranker made the cut for the "world tour"


sub

 

[Copperhead]

I'm currently flopping back and forth, I need two OD pedals; one as a "stand alone" for a classic lower gain sound on the clean channel, and one for boosting the lead channel.

With my amp and pickups, seems like my "other" OD works better on the lower gain, I am playing around with the boost side now to see which is best. I will tell you this, the Plank Cranker does by far have the most clean volume boost of anything I've tried.

 

[Subclavian]

Cool to hear that many are still liking it. My personal opinion is that it's best for boosting an already distorting amp, because it keeps the low end in tact and doesn't add annoying mids or treble.

Chris

yeah, you, Bob, and the HBE guys did a great job. I guess since you and I have similar tastes in equipment, sounds, etc it worked out perfect for me. Thanks bud!

sub

 

[stratotone]

You guys need to try the plank in front of a distortion pedal... I've had some pretty cool tones hitting distortions with an overdrive or boost in front of them. Worth a shot anyways.

Pete

 

[Marshall Law]

I use mine at home with the Marshall's, sounds killer, but then again any pedal sounds killer with my Marshall's

 

[blackba]

I used my Plank Cranker this weekend into my Twin Reverb and it sounded GREAT. I had it in the "Crank" mode with the gain around 11:00 o'clock and the tone around 3:00 o'clock. It sounded nice for lighter distorted tones! It actually surprised me a bit, since this "Crank" mode was designed to boost an already distorted amp, not really to run into a clean amp.

Chris

Are you using the boost function at all? I am wondering if that boost feature would help me when I want to get a little boost for fillers but not be over the top. I have my EQ setup for a strong solo boost, but it would be too much for the little fills I do in some songs....

 

[jasonP]

Plank Cranker fired up every time I turn the amp on. I can get "my" tone with the PC @ a volume level that is compliant with the Kid and Wife approval factor. I could not do this with my Bad Monkey - it's a good pedal but required some more volume.

Well its either this or brave the red channel on the DSL and I don't think anyone is ever really prepared for that

You know that is something that I think people do have trouble with on the DSL and distorted channel. It either lacks bass with the bass boost out and bass cranked or it has to much with the bass boost in then it can have to loose of a feeling. I've found what works well if your going to use the channel is bass boost and use the bass knob as the resonace control on the amp. Put it around 3 or so and see if that helps. I've also found that the distortion channel likes the EMG pickups. I've found this sounds very good to me and find it works well for the tone I'm looking for. If I'm using passives then I go for the crunch channel and boost it and find my tone there.

I'd like to hear a pedal like the plexidistortion through the dsl see how good that can sound.

 

[CharFace]

Plank Cranker fired up every time I turn the amp on. I can get "my" tone with the PC @ a volume level that is compliant with the Kid and Wife approval factor. I could not do this with my Bad Monkey - it's a good pedal but required some more volume.

Well its either this or brave the red channel on the DSL and I don't think anyone is ever really prepared for that

You know that is something that I think people do have trouble with on the DSL and distorted channel. It either lacks bass with the bass boost out and bass cranked or it has to much with the bass boost in then it can have to loose of a feeling. I've found what works well if your going to use the channel is bass boost and use the bass knob as the resonace control on the amp. Put it around 3 or so and see if that helps. I've also found that the distortion channel likes the EMG pickups. I've found this sounds very good to me and find it works well for the tone I'm looking for. If I'm using passives then I go for the crunch channel and boost it and find my tone there.

I'd like to hear a pedal like the plexidistortion through the dsl see how good that can sound.

I will try that with the bass control

Odd that you mention EMG's, as I just powered down the DSL a few minutes ago after playing my EMG equipped Jackson. I always have an easy time dialing in the red channel with it, but it bugs me to no end when I use it on green. Its the exact opposite of all of my other guitars which are passive at the moment

I really need to stop fighting with myself and learn not to fix what ain't broken

 

[jasonP]

Plank Cranker fired up every time I turn the amp on. I can get "my" tone with the PC @ a volume level that is compliant with the Kid and Wife approval factor. I could not do this with my Bad Monkey - it's a good pedal but required some more volume.

Well its either this or brave the red channel on the DSL and I don't think anyone is ever really prepared for that

You know that is something that I think people do have trouble with on the DSL and distorted channel. It either lacks bass with the bass boost out and bass cranked or it has to much with the bass boost in then it can have to loose of a feeling. I've found what works well if your going to use the channel is bass boost and use the bass knob as the resonace control on the amp. Put it around 3 or so and see if that helps. I've also found that the distortion channel likes the EMG pickups. I've found this sounds very good to me and find it works well for the tone I'm looking for. If I'm using passives then I go for the crunch channel and boost it and find my tone there.

I'd like to hear a pedal like the plexidistortion through the dsl see how good that can sound.

I will try that with the bass control

Odd that you mention EMG's, as I just powered down the DSL a few minutes ago after playing my EMG equipped Jackson. I always have an easy time dialing in the red channel with it, but it bugs me to no end when I use it on green. Its the exact opposite of all of my other guitars which are passive at the moment

I really need to stop fighting with myself and learn not to fix what ain't broken

I've got a charvel that has singles in the neck and middle and 81 in the bridge. I find this guitar works very well for cleans, as does 60 in the neck in my strat. Put a little delay and chorus in the loop and really makes the amp sound great. The passive pickups sound huge in compared to the EMGs with this amp (I suppose any amp/guitar). But IMO, I find almost to big on the distortion channel. I've always found I've had to dial way down on the bass with some pickups to make it work for me, like around 2. But the EMGs are a lot tighter and thinner sounding so you can run the bass way up and still be tight with a lot of gain. The one thing I don't like about the EMGs is when backing the volume down they don't clean up. But they seem to work very well for me with this amp for the sound I want.