Kinda Gassing for a Pork Loin

[fatcat]

Had the hots for one for a while to get light drive, and having the clean blend is just neat.

I have 3 distortion/ fuzz/ overdrives and I'm just trying to find just the right sound, without having to crank the amp. Derek Trucks-ish, but in a pedal.

Worth it?

[mal paso]

Try the Used Gear section at Guitarcenter.com. Should find one for a good price.

And I've heard nothing but good things about the PL

[blargfromspace]

I use one and really like it. I've got all the tone controls set to their most trebly settings as it can be a bit murky.

[ruger9]

The clean blend really does help when you're trying to get that tone w/o cranking the amp. Give it a try, it's a good pedal. I've owned it twice (and don't own it know), because I too had problems with it being a bit murky, BUT at the time I was running my rid differently than I am now. IMO it's got the best clean blend in the business, because it ISN'T clean, which is why it works so well.... it doesn't sound like clean being mixed in with dirty, it sounds like what you get as you turn the amp up (power tube distortion).

[JesterR]

I would say, that PL shines in live situation. On lower volume at home it sounds a little weak and muddy. But on higher levels of volume it gives full and natural sound.

[cynic79]

Joe Bonamassa had some interesting thoughts on the Pork Loin in the most recent issue of Guitar Player. He said it adds "weight" to his sound, as if he was running it through a Neve console.

Of course, he also calls his rig "The Wall of Dull," because he runs the treble controls on his amp so low, so take his opinion for what it's worth.

[gtrguru]

I was talked out of getting one at my local store. The place has a stack of used ones that people GAS for and sell back within the first year according to the owner.

[bossking7]

Originally Posted by mal paso

Try the Used Gear section at Guitarcenter.com. Should find one for a good price.

And I've heard nothing but good things about the PL

Yep. +1

[Pants]

One thing I've noticed about the PL is that it kind of doesn't have any character... it feels good to play, but it ends up sounding pretty dull when you A/B it with pretty much any other OD. Not trying to dissuade you- just a heads up that maybe you should compare it head to head with a few other drives on the market.

From the Derek Trucks live album I have, it almost sounds like you could get his tone with a humbucker axe and a Zendrive. It has that smoothness to it.

[JesterR]

Originally Posted by Pants

One thing I've noticed about the PL is that it kind of doesn't have any character...

Guys on TGP would say transparent.

[Pants]

"Bluesy" and "transparent"... that's just how I like my tone, man!

[JohnK24]

Originally Posted by cynic79

Joe Bonamassa had some interesting thoughts on the Pork Loin in the most recent issue of Guitar Player. He said it adds "weight" to his sound, as if he was running it through a Neve console.

Of course, he also calls his rig "The Wall of Dull," because he runs the treble controls on his amp so low, so take his opinion for what it's worth.

Two comments...I thought the PL was muddy and dull. Never could dial in a good dynamic tone using all the internal and external controls.

Regarding Joe Bo...with a "wall" of 100 watt amps and four 4x12s - why does he even use pedals...it's just a mass of volume.

[ChipOnly]

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Love my pork loin. Anybody that doesn't like theirs, I'm about ready to buy a back-up... Or maybe even a second on the board.

Takes time to dial, and the internal trimmers are important.

Also, remember that the tone is a high-frequency roll-off, so anything but all the way up is losing treble.

[6Shotsdown]

A/B it with a Sparkle Drive. I would be interested in those results.

[ruger9]

Originally Posted by 6Shotsdown

A/B it with a Sparkle Drive. I would be interested in those results.

I have, but the old version of the SD. I don't know if the new one was changed...

the clean blend on the SD id DEAD CLEAN... and personally, I don't think it blends as well as the "dirty clean" blend does on the PL.

[ChipOnly]

Originally Posted by ruger9

the clean blend on the SD id DEAD CLEAN... and personally, I don't think it blends as well as the "dirty clean" blend does on the PL.

+1, my experience as well, having owned both. The SD's clean sounded, I don't know, layered on top of or underneath the drive sound - they sounded separate, distinct, and to me, kind of unnatural. The PL's blended sound are more cohesive - less like two amps, one dirty, one clean, which is how the SD sounds to me - and I found the PL to be more sensitive to picking dynamics in general, which I think helps too.

I generally run my clean nearly all the way up on the PL, with dirt at about 11 o'clock.

[6Shotsdown]

I have a newer SD but from I like the demos I've heard from the PL better. But you know how that goes.

[ruger9]

Originally Posted by ChipOnly

I generally run my clean nearly all the way up on the PL, with dirt at about 11 o'clock.

That's how I ran my clean blend on the PL too.

[11 Gauge]

Originally Posted by ChipOnly

The SD's clean sounded, I don't know, layered on top of or underneath the drive sound - they sounded separate, distinct, and to me, kind of unnatural. The PL's blended sound are more cohesive - less like two amps, one dirty, one clean...

That's an excellent explanation.

The SD simply has a unity gain op amp stage that is run in parallel with the TS circuit.

A "soft clipping" OD pedal has the clipping diodes in its negative feedback loop, which also means that there is a unity gain signal mixed in as well!

The stock clipping threshold of a TS (in this case it's the TS9, basically) is kinda congested and overly compressed IMO, especially with all the bass below ~700Hz rolled off...

Anyway - the PL actually has a separate circuit comprised of "discrete" transistor stages for the clean side, and the OD side gets "summed" with the clean at a "post level/volume" op amp gain stage. And - the PL's OD circuit isn't really a TS9. For starters, the clipping threshold is greater because of the set of series diodes (2 series pairs, IIRC).

So...when you start to open up the clipping threshold and there's an actual "preamp summing stage," the blend is going to sound more...uh...blended!

IIRC, the clean preamp is two pairs of bipolar transistors in a sort of push-pull arrangement to give the max headroom, but give kind of a dark/warm sort of clipping if pushed really hard. And by clipping, I don't mean buzzy distortion, obviously. But since they aren't op amp stages or some kinda jFET/mosFET preamp, you don't get all that sparkly/bright kinda stuff, either.

[fatcat]

I have often thought...the type of sound Im truely looking for doesn't, or can't exist in a pedal. I have been looking for that kind of sound for a while.

Derek's tone is pretty much cranked amp.. I think he's using a super reverb and a custom PRS, and he is just plugging in that SG reissue straight in and cranking...it isn't really dirty, it's just a thick clean...

I know how to get the tone, I have sufficient quality gear, but I can never play with my toys at a sufficient level to get there because of my living situation. I wish I had a sound proof man cave.

I have an itch I can't scratch

I had been looking at the PL as a good possibility, to maybe get there.

besides, it never hurts to have another dirt pedal.

the Catalinbread stuff looks good too, but I might check out the tried and true Boss BLues Driver..

0.011, you inspire me. you are gonna have me pulling out my old college texts.