Help with G string 2

[maddnotez]

Ok so this pedal is pretty amazing and I don't want to get rid of it because it tames the feedback and my amp hiss but I'm starting to figure out that this may be the root to my FX loop issues. Worst case scenario I could sell for regular gate and deal with amp hiss.

Some of you may have seen me crying about my FX loop and pedals. Well I finally got to test each pedal individually and they can all handle my FX loop signal just fine.

The problem is when I connect the Gstring 2 and my Koko Boost together.

I'm trying to figure out a way to connect this without getting the horrible squeal when I turn my channel volume up (which also acts as my FX send)

Here is what the G2 instructions say:

Connect Guitar to Guitar in
Connect Guitar out to the input of the amp
Connect DEC IN to loop send
Connect DEC out to loop return

For best performance place all gain pedals in front of the amplifier and DEC IN. You can put Delay/Verb after the G string and before loop return.

I get very confused when dealing with terms like "in front of the amp". My logic is usually backwards so whenever I'm discussing things like that I just list my chain, for example: Guitar, OD, Tuner, Amp.

So anyway it says to put gain pedals in front of amp and dec in. That's confusing because they're two different things since the "Guitar out" of the pedal goes to the amp but the only way this works is to either put in the loop which sounds like shit or go from the Amp intput to my Boost pedal output and then my Boost pedal input to the guitar out of the Gstring which normally goes to the amp.

All that seems right to me but that is when I'm getting the horrible squeal. I don't have a lot of Boost pedals handy to test, I hooked up the Boneshaker the same way and it does the same thing but since the Boneshaker has a level on it I can turn it down to get rid of the squeal.

I'll be testing this with other Boost pedals soon but for now.... Does anyone have any experience with the Gstring 2? Is there any other way to hook this up?

It's driving me crazy tbh. Here is a pic of the instructions and a video of the squealing.

 

[XSSIVE]

It's their wording that seems mixed up. It should say guitar in and not dec in when talking about the gain pedals before the amp. The way the G-string works is by tracking dry guitar direct into it to know when to open and shut the gate basically. So it's only doing noise cancellation in its FX loop which is in the amps FX loop.

There would be two ways to go about it....

guitar > guitar in dec > guitar out dec > drive pedals > amp input

FX loop send > dec in > dec out > delay > reverb > FX loop return

OR

guitar > drive pedals > guitar in dec > guitar out dec > amp input

FX loop send > dec in > dec out > delay > reverb > FX loop return

You certainly want the dec before reverb and delay so it doesn't cut off the trails and it just cuts off the preamp hiss there.

The variable is where you put your drive pedals, before or after the guitar in of the dec.

 

[mrhiwatt]

I run my Gstring as Xssesive pointed out.
guitar > guitar in dec > guitar out dec > drive pedals > amp input

FX loop send > dec in > dec out > delay > reverb > FX loop return
used it this way for my previous amp EVH 5153 50 and use that way for my Mesa JP2C

MrHiwatt

 

[fusedbrain]

Referencing the drawing you posted:

Guitar plugs directly into MIDDLE jack on RIGHT side of Decimator.

2nd cable goes from TOP jack on RIGHT side of Decimator to drive pedals, OD's , boosts etc...

Output of last drive pedal goes to amp input.

Amp FX SEND plugs into BOTTOM jack on right side of Decimator.

Jack on LEFT side of Decimator connects to FX return on amp. I put my delays and verbs between the LEFT jack on the Decimator and the FX return on the amp so that the Decimator doesn't cut off the tails.

This is how I have mine hooked up and it works perfectly.

And ya their wording is confusing.

Hope this helps!!

 

[maddnotez]

Ok cool thanks. Will check again in a few.

 

[errrrrl]

Referencing the drawing you posted:

Guitar plugs directly into MIDDLE jack on RIGHT side of Decimator.

2nd cable goes from TOP jack on RIGHT side of Decimator to drive pedals, OD's , boosts etc...

Output of last drive pedal goes to amp input.

Amp FX SEND plugs into BOTTOM jack on right side of Decimator.

Jack on LEFT side of Decimator connects to FX return on amp. I put my delays and verbs between the LEFT jack on the Decimator and the FX return on the amp so that the Decimator doesn't cut off the tails.

This is how I have mine hooked up and it works perfectly.

And ya their wording is confusing.

Hope this helps!!

Aw damn... I have mine like this except I go Guitar -> boost/OD -> Gstring guitar in... So it should be Gstring guitar in -> Guitar out -> boost/OD -> amp? Gonna give this a try, thanks.

 

[maddnotez]

guitar > drive pedals > guitar in dec > guitar out dec > amp input

FX loop send > dec in > dec out > delay > reverb > FX loop return

You certainly want the dec before reverb and delay so it doesn't cut off the trails and it just cuts off the preamp hiss there.

The variable is where you put your drive pedals, before or after the guitar in of the dec.

This second option was the one

Thank you so much for the reply man I have been going crazy about this for a while now.


Edit: To Errrrrl or anyone else messing with this pedal. Both options Xessive posted work but since my loop is line level, this first option posted would overdrive whatever was in front (my Boost pedal) because the signal was so hot.

I have no idea why it does what it does but I'm guessing each option provides a different output level from the loop signal?

 

[fusedbrain]

Referencing the drawing you posted:

Guitar plugs directly into MIDDLE jack on RIGHT side of Decimator.

2nd cable goes from TOP jack on RIGHT side of Decimator to drive pedals, OD's , boosts etc...

Output of last drive pedal goes to amp input.

Amp FX SEND plugs into BOTTOM jack on right side of Decimator.

Jack on LEFT side of Decimator connects to FX return on amp. I put my delays and verbs between the LEFT jack on the Decimator and the FX return on the amp so that the Decimator doesn't cut off the tails.

This is how I have mine hooked up and it works perfectly.

And ya their wording is confusing.

Hope this helps!!

Aw damn... I have mine like this except I go Guitar -> boost/OD -> Gstring guitar in... So it should be Gstring guitar in -> Guitar out -> boost/OD -> amp? Gonna give this a try, thanks.

Because the G string is using the guitar signal to trigger the gate in the loop, for me it seems to work best with the purest signal direct from the guitar as the trigger. So I put the drive pedals after the G string.
All the gate action happens in the loop, so you can put the OD's before the G string, but after works best for me. I like to set the threshhold on the G string as low as possible but still kill the noise, and I don't want any noise or hiss from any drive pedals keeping the gate open.