Treble booster + high gain amp to cut?

[tjnx]

Im looking to get either an eq or a Naga Viper mk2 in hopes of adding just a little more cut. Right now I like the Viper most but I will be playing a lot of high gain and 7 string stuff. Just curious if that could be an issue or if I should chase something else..

Eq wise I'm looking at either a typical boss/mxr 6, 7, or 10 band, the pteq, or maybe a used orange two stroke. I had an original Para EQ but sold it because it seemed to flatten the tone a bit or something, even bypassed. I know the new one has a lot of options but I'm a hesitant to drop that much again.

I also tend to prefer analog eqs over digital, some eqs tend to sound better than others. Any thoughts?

 

[fek]

I tried the Naga Viper for a bit years ago. Didn't work for what I wanted out of it. With your description, I would get the MXR 10 band. Inexpensive on the used market, lots of freq bands to play with, gain and volume sliders...

 

[RaceU4her]

i would check out that newer ibanez parametric pedal

 

[cardinal]

Another +1 for a PEQ pedal. Just dial in a high mid kick with your preference for the particular frequency and Q.

There should be plenty of transparent options. I had an old Ibanez and a VFE Rocket that was great. The Empress pedals seem to be good reviews.

 

[tjnx]

Yeah been thinking the 10 band or the pteq. I've got a gift card for GC but its not in stock at the moment. They've got some used ones but they're as expensive or more ?? than new.

Maybe I'll wait for that Ibanez pteq, it seems like a great deal

 

[Tone Monster]

My paraEQ is cold and clinical.

 

[tjnx]

My paraEQ is cold and clinical.

same didn't like my old one

 

[tjnx]

I tried the Naga Viper for a bit years ago. Didn't work for what I wanted out of it. With your description, I would get the MXR 10 band. Inexpensive on the used market, lots of freq bands to play with, gain and volume sliders...

would you mind describing a bit about what you didn't like about the viper? did it push too much sabbath or was it too nasal? In a way I kind of like the cocked wah effect I'm hearing in videos but it might be hit or miss.

that 10 band seems to work well with metal tones

 

[Zado]

Honestly TBs are very picky with amps, and tend to deliver the best thru dark, mellow, fat tube amps. Otherwise get an eq

 

[griff10672]

The Naga is silicon based ... traditionally a Treble Booster is Germanium ... that's what makes Rangemaster clones so expensive ...

but point being ... the Naga is going to sound and react different than a Germanium based TB ... I just fixed a footswitch on @skoora 's Naga ..

I put it on my board for a few hours .... I liked the Naga a lot .... but was very different than my Rangemaster clone ...best way to describe it is .. it eats the same way but the flavor is different

cocked wah ? and cut ? what exactly are you looking to achieve ?

I skimmed through the thread quick ...... but that new EQ where you can tune the " Q " for each frequency ( I think Ibanez makes it ) might be exactly what you're looking for .... as mentioned

 

[Bxlxaxkxe]

I used to hit a Diezel Einstein with a naga viper for some extra brightness and cut. Worked well I thought. Never tried it in a band context though not sure how much of a difference it would actually make

What was even better for me was the TB side of the drybell engine. I now have the unit 67 - thing is badass

 

[JakeusUrungus]

Treble boosters rule, and the Naga Viper is a killer pedal! That being said, I've tried a handful treble boosters into higher-gain amps with mixed results, and none with results that I would choose over a boost/overdrive or EQ.

To my ear, most of them sound either too mid focused or too compressed when pushing a lot of gain, but your ears are king for your sound!

 

[Devin]

Diamond Marquis is the only treble booster I've owned and I enjoyed it as a boost through high gain


Not enough to keep though; prefer a good OD

 

[CarlF]

Something like the Fulltone, Ranger. It has several adjustable frequencies at which the treble boost operates, from Rangemaster to darker, like Iommi-style treble booster.
In the late 90s Ritchie Blackmore was using a treble booster with a ENGL Savage amplifier

 

[GuitarVacation]

Something like the Fulltone, Ranger. It has several adjustable frequencies at which the treble boost operates, from Rangemaster to darker, like Iommi-style treble booster.
In the late 90s Ritchie Blackmore was using a treble booster with a ENGL Savage amplifier

I agree. The TB's with the knob that adjusts the input cap value (I think that's the usual method) can go from the full TB range, all the way to some great thick sounding fuzz tones.

For the OP: I would think of any kind of TB akin to a rangemaster etc. as adding a fuzz to your rig. That doesn't mean it won't get the desired effect, but the feel, attack, and plain old added gain will change things up. I think it changes a dirty amp in a very positive way, but if you're doing tight chugs and stuff, it may or may not be a positive change for you.

I've never played a Naga Viper, but my impression is it's kind of a TB with some other circuit refinement added to kind of do the whole TB>amp thing all in one. Anybody with hands on experience please correct me if I'm wrong.

My takeaway from just listening to clips is if you already have a good amp dirt sound going, a TB with the cap adjustment knob would be what I would choose.

One more consideration, if you're doing the 7 string thing, don't know if you're using any active PUs, but I'd definitely look into how a more vintage style TB will interact with the pickups you're using. In that respect the Naga Viper may have an input that is more catered to actives, buffers etc. I don't remember specifically, but the NV seems like a product CB would design to avoid some of the picky aspects of vintage fuzz designs.

There are no steadfast rules with this stuff. I recently played one of my active guitars with a germanium tone bender, full expecting it to sound like crap. Sounded great, no crazy active buffer artifacts to be had LOL.

Last, not to oversimplify and/or assume you haven't already tried this, but I think you could accomplish what you described with a tubesceamer or similar. Volume knob up, tone up to taste for the amount of high end you want to introduce, probably won't need much on the gain knob. It will also tighten some low end, which will give more perception of high end addition, and will for sure add some "cut through."

 

[D-Rock]

I've been using a Guptech Viper clone and love what it does. I set it conservatively and have it before my BD-2 boost and GE-7. The Viper adds a nice compressed treble cut and some warmth. What I like most is the touch sensitivity and tube feel it adds to my SS and digital heads.

 

[GuitarVacation]

I've been using a Guptech Viper clone and love what it does. I set it conservatively and have it before my BD-2 boost and GE-7. The Viper adds a nice compressed treble cut and some warmth. What I like most is the touch sensitivity and tube feel it adds to my SS and digital heads.

View attachment 428339

Nice! Got some great versatility there with the dirt options and EQ. What's your opinion on running the NG clone into a dirty amp vs clean. I know you mentioned digital and SS options, but both can sound great IMO.

Love Guptech. They singlehandedly raised the status of Canada in spite of Molson Ice and Crown Royal.

 

[skoora]

would you mind describing a bit about what you didn't like about the viper? did it push too much sabbath or was it too nasal? In a way I kind of like the cocked wah effect I'm hearing in videos but it might be hit or miss.

that 10 band seems to work well with metal tones

What amp are you using?

What I like about the Viper and what makes it work more than it should across multiple amps, is the knob it has to change the frequency range of the where it boosts. You can thicken and warm up the boost by just turning it to the left a bit.
Vintage high gain on the orange channel of a recto and a Viper is a beautiful thing.

 

[D-Rock]

Nice! Got some great versatility there with the dirt options and EQ. What's your opinion on running the NG clone into a dirty amp vs clean. I know you mentioned digital and SS options, but both can sound great IMO.

Love Guptech. They singlehandedly raised the status of Canada in spite of Molson Ice and Crown Royal.

These are all "always on" pedals used to craft a single unique modern high gain tone. I use the same setup with my tube heads as well. The Viper is a powerful pedal for sure and sounds best as close to your guitar input as possible, otherwise it's attack and effect begins to soften. Cleans I can't say because I don't mess with them.

Guptech is great, I've got 4 of them on my board. One cadveat is that they are from Quebec, which the rest of Canada are kinda fed up with and have been for a long time. Especially us out in the West. Lol

 

[EyesOfTheSouth!]

I love my Naga Viper. But to be honest, I can get VERY similar results by running a standard SD-1 (not Waza and not clone) with volume maxed, gain just cracked, and tone maxed out.