Need helping choosing a good preamp!?!?!?!?!?

[nantz]

I work as a guitar tech for a local guitar player in my area. Though I'm only 21 and he's only 22 the way he plays and his tone is 80's all the way. If you want to take a listen http://www.youtube.com/5150Ctaylor. Anyways I'm looking for any advice I can get on a good preamp that would really help to bring out the tone especially on the bottom high e strings, the sound we have isn't bad and it sounds like the 80's guys but it definitely doesn't "scream". So basically the sound is there but it is a little weak. Looking for a preamp to through in the rack to just give a nice boost to the signal to really bring out the bends.

Here's what we're running for reference:
Head:
Splawn Quick Rod
Rack:
TC Electronics G-Major
Rocktron Hush Super C
Korg DD-1 Tuner
Pedals:
Morley Bad Horsey
Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer
Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
MXR Phase 90
MXR EVH 117 Flanger

 

[Anonymous]

I might be selling my Egnater M4 with 8 modules pretty soon, look at the Egnater M4 and let me know what you think. You will get tones for DAYS with this thing and the modules that I have!!!

 

[mchn13]

The B and high E strings? Usually I think of the low E when you say bottom. What guitar? Pickups? Sounds like you should be able to get what you want out of that setup... might just need to adjust the pole pieces

 

[mchn13]

A lot of the 80's guys got by on a lot less than that rig for sure.

 

[nantz]

The B and high E strings? Usually I think of the low E when you say bottom. What guitar? Pickups? Sounds like you should be able to get what you want out of that setup... might just need to adjust the pole pieces

Right now there is one main guitar that he's using and it's a Charvel San Dimas Style 1 2H Slime Green with a Rio Grande Barbeque Bucker at the bridge and the standard Seymour Duncan at the neck that it came with.

 

[racerevlon]

Lose the G-Major in the loop or get an Ebtech Line Level Shifter.

 

[glpg80]

I'd lose the g-major in the loop, or run a MIDI setup to remove it completely when not in use/only insert it when needed.

Hit the tube screamer with a clean boost first, that is a trick Loomis does.

Since the amplifier is a splawn quick rod, those are not dark amplifiers to begin with in my experience. But for darker amplifiers you can stick a parametric EQ in the loop - boost the mids in the amplifier to a larger value than normal and then cut them back to normal where you do not need them and boosting the areas you do want them elsewhere in the mix.

Have the boss modified for true bypass unless it is not in the signal path when not in use.

Those EVH Flangers are terrible tone suckers as well. Make sure it is out of the signal chain when not in use. Try these and i guarantee you will have plenty to work with - solo's will cut more and the amp will feel more alive than ever.

 

[Shark Diver]

'80s preamps.
Soldano x88r. ADA. Good start.

 

[GtarLover]

I'd lose the g-major in the loop

I will have to agree with this, especially with the Quick Rod. I have found that as soon as the loop is engaged the Quick Rod loses something, and NOT in a good way.

For me, the ONLY way to run effects with that amp is off the pedal board and leave the loop disengaged. You will get MUCH more of the awesome tone of the amp and not get any of the weakness you spoke of.

Of course that's my experience and my opinion. I just could never stomach what happens to the Quick Rod tone when ANYTHING was in the loop. But with the loop OFF, the Quick Rod is AMAZING!!

Otherwise, as far as preamps, I agree with Shark...80's = ADA MP1 w/ 3TM (many players used these), any Soldano pre (I prefer the X99, but they're not cheap), Bogner Fish (think classic Alice In Chains). I actually own all of these and love them. I guess it depends on what tones you are after and how much you are willing to invest. The MP1 is the least expensive, followed by some of the Soldano pre's (not the X99), but the 77 or the 88, then a reissue Fish (try with and without Cantrell mod, if possible) can be had for around $2000 used, I think.

I still recommend taking the loop out of the equation first, especially with the Quick Rod, and seeing if that just solves it.

Good Luck

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

For you guys taking the G major out of the loop, how are you running delays and verbs then? Are you going wet/dry or just run the delays and verbs straight out front as desired off loops at your feet? Finding delays that work well in front of a gainier amp like a Splawn would be hard would it not?? much worse than effects in the loop.

 

[glpg80]

For you guys taking the G major out of the loop, how are you running delays and verbs then?

or run a MIDI setup to remove it completely when not in use/only insert it when needed.

Are you going wet/dry or just run the delays and verbs straight out front as desired off [midi] loops at your feet?

W/D/W is one option too, yes. either option is easier with MIDI - unless you only use one effect in your amps effects loop and are happy engaging/disengaging the loop to keep that awesome dry tone

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Ahh gotcha, so dry tone using natural room ambience when you play out anywhere and kicking in the delay only for leads through the loop.