Got an idea for faking a second channel on my amp... am I crazy?

GreatRedDragon

Well-known member
Current situation: I have a Ceriatone 2203. It's one channel, and that one channel is fucking bananas. But more and more lately I'm playing more music that really calls for a clean channel, better than what I can do by stomping the SD-1 and rolling my volume knob.

My idea is to use something like a Boss LS-2 to create two loops: One that runs through my overdrive, into the amp and out the FX Send, and one that runs through a pre-amp pedal, with the output running into the FX Return of the amp. So I could set my 2203 for a really powerful dirty tone and have a Fender preamp pedal with some chorus on it on standby, or the inverse and run a MT-2 into the loop return for my dirty sound and dial in my amp for cleans. Or even have an EHX 9 series pedal in the loop to switch between keyboards and guitar.

The obvious problem is the Ceriatone effects loop and the tone suckage. My solution for that would be something like a Boss EH-2, just running next to the amp head boosting the signal and giving it back some sparkle.

But before I run out and drop a couple hundred bucks on some pedals for my master plan, does anyone see any problems I've missed?
 
Current situation: I have a Ceriatone 2203. It's one channel, and that one channel is fucking bananas. But more and more lately I'm playing more music that really calls for a clean channel, better than what I can do by stomping the SD-1 and rolling my volume knob.

My idea is to use something like a Boss LS-2 to create two loops: One that runs through my overdrive, into the amp and out the FX Send, and one that runs through a pre-amp pedal, with the output running into the FX Return of the amp. So I could set my 2203 for a really powerful dirty tone and have a Fender preamp pedal with some chorus on it on standby, or the inverse and run a MT-2 into the loop return for my dirty sound and dial in my amp for cleans. Or even have an EHX 9 series pedal in the loop to switch between keyboards and guitar.

The obvious problem is the Ceriatone effects loop and the tone suckage. My solution for that would be something like a Boss EH-2, just running next to the amp head boosting the signal and giving it back some sparkle.

But before I run out and drop a couple hundred bucks on some pedals for my master plan, does anyone see any problems I've missed?
You can't just plug into the low sensitivity jack? My Ceriatone 2204 is super clean on low sensitivity.
 
What happens if you use an A/B box and have one output feed your favorite boost into the high sensitivity input and the other output feeding the low sensitivity input?
 
If you really love that Ceriatone, you can spend a little more & create a 4CM set up with another tube preamp, and EQ pedal to offset any tone suck from the loop. I'm fond of Synergy modular preamps, used SYN-1 goes for about $400, bunch of choices for clean modules in the $200-300 range used (older single channel Randall for the low end of the range). More complex approach would be a whole 2nd amp for clean using amp switcher, some act like a load box so you could have 2 heads going into a single cab, I've never used one, someone else would need to weigh in with suggestions. Whole thing would be heavy/bulky, pricy, and complex.
 
Plug into high input. Resist putting gain on full. Put it on 3/4 or 1/2 instead. Use your SD1 for heavy tones. Add another or TS9 and stack them if needed. Use No pedals (or compressor) for in between tones in conjunction with your guitars vol pot and get yourself a Paul Gilbert Detox pedal to kick on for cleans. An EQ can also be used for this with level low. Add a compressor to put back some sparkle in your clean.
 
Get your amp fitted with a proper loop then your idea will work well. Might work well anyway if the cables are short enough or you use a buffer close to the fx send
 
2 easy solutions...

Get the PG Detox pedal for 150$...you just get the level down and raise the treble....

Get a boss eq7 that does the same thing for 50$....

Any eq with a global level will do...straight to the front end of your amp...
 
Using the low input as a pedal platform was my intention when I bought the amp, but now I'm wanting to make it footswitchable.
I'd go low input, pedals. You can setup separate pedal chains for your clean and gain sounds, clicking between them with a simple selector.
The low input on these amps is underrated.
A good pedal into the low input can sound as good, if not better, than the gain on the hi input.
An Okko Diablo into the low input on my 1984 4104 sounds darn near identical to the amp's hi input. Plus, fuzzes and higher gain dirt boxes sound killer, and I can run delays and loopers in front of the amp, eliminating the need for an effects loop. Which is good, since you say the Ceriatone effects loop sucks. Seems like putting everything in front of the amp into the lo input is the most simple solution.
 
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I'm not 100% certain on the 2203 ceriatone you have but the king Kong I was able to drop in a metro loop very easily. With that you'll be able to do anything you want.
 
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WTF?. This is RIG TALK!
You must acquire another amp that does what you need.
This will help continue the inevitable cycle of amp flipping needed for this forum to thrive.
You can't think logically and try to make what you have work for it's unintended purposes...that will cause others to think logically.
Not only would this cause the implosion of the forum,but could destroy the internet entirely.
 
Get your amp fitted with a proper loop then your idea will work well. Might work well anyway if the cables are short enough or you use a buffer close to the fx send
I did some experimenting running cables across the send and return. I found that if I ran a 6" patch out to a Boss pedal the tone I got was 95% of going straight in, so I figure an EH-2 would be a perfect solution.

Plug into high input. Resist putting gain on full. Put it on 3/4 or 1/2 instead. Use your SD1 for heavy tones. Add another or TS9 and stack them if needed. Use No pedals (or compressor) for in between tones in conjunction with your guitars vol pot and get yourself a Paul Gilbert Detox pedal to kick on for cleans. An EQ can also be used for this with level low. Add a compressor to put back some sparkle in your clean.
I'm going to try this first and see how she goes. I'm gonna use the LS-2 because it's cheap and I can jump between two loops without tapdancing, and I might use a CS-3 as a limiter on the clean side.
 
2 easy solutions...

Get the PG Detox pedal for 150$...you just get the level down and raise the treble....

Get a boss eq7 that does the same thing for 50$....

Any eq with a global level will do...straight to the front end of your amp...

I was going to say, EQ pedal will do it if it has a gain knob and you can still shape the tone to make up for loss of high end when rolling back or just stepping on it. Gotta think old school if you want old school functionality.
 
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