EQ pedal vs Joyo American Sound/ Sansamp??

[giogolf]

So I picked up the Horse American Sound pedal from Amazon and have been putting it through its paces.. For reference its just another version of the Joyo American sound (it was $7 cheaper though)

The reason I am wanting to try this type of pedal is to tone shape my 2 amps with my variety of Guitars (LP, Tele and Strat)

The amps Vox P15r and AC4c112.. Now the AC 4 is for sale because it just doesn’t do what I want it to, the P15r as everyone here raves about is nearly perfect.. So why do I need to tone shape?? I want to go from my Strat to my LP without turning the EQ on my amp for quick changes.. So basically now, I have painters tape on the controls which say (LP/S). The tele and strat use S..

The LP gets really muddy on the S setting and the Strat sounds brittle in the LP setting hence the need to shape the tone for each guitar.. Weirdly, when I was playing weekly in a band I never had this problem with my 68 Twin.. My Controls and Volume remained the same for all 3 guitars and my pedals took care of the rest..

Ok ramble on.. so the American Sound completely transforms both amps while using my LP.. I almost went down the pickup and wiring swap rabbit hole but I knew there was more realistic option..

Now, I dial my anp for the Strat/ Tele and then the American Sound pedal for the LP.. All is blissful… but Im thinking, do I just need an EQ pedal instead? I dont use the AS pedal for boost or overdrive just to dime a clear punchy tone with my LP just like I get with my Tele/ Strat straight in my amp.

So will a EQ be better as I can really fine tune the tone across 10 bands or is the AS pedal actually providing some color that I like?

Phew that was TMI.. sorry for the ramble

Looking forward to your feedback as always..

 

[JL_LI]

I use a BOSS EQ-200 to equalize my guitars. I tame the harshness out of single coils and get clarity from humbuckers and a Gretsch with a mud switch. I don’t think a tone pedal does that. On the other hand, if my Fenders were good thru my amp and my only problem was with a LP and a cheap boost/tone pedal fixed the problem, I’d keep using what works. Don’t throw money at problems you don’t have.

 

[giogolf]

I use a BOSS EQ-200 to equalize my guitars. I tame the harshness out of single coils and get clarity from humbuckers and a Gretsch with a mud switch. I don’t think a tone pedal does that. On the other hand, if my Fenders were good thru my amp and my only problem was with a LP and a cheap boost/tone pedal fixed the problem, I’d keep using what works. Don’t throw money at problems you don’t have.

I agree.. I only ask because the American Sound has 6 knobs. Treble/ Mid/ Bass and then Volume/ Voice/ Gain. I pretty much have the gain nearly off.. The voice is set Neutral at around 8 oclock, and then its just volume, Mid/Bass/ Treble to my liking.. So I am thinking I am just using this as an EQ pedal.. When I A/B it off it doesnt seem to add that much color.. It does do a good job of getting my AC4 to sound closer to Princeton... But again, I dont know if its because I am EQ or coloring it.

 

[JL_LI]

I agree.. I only ask because the American Sound has 6 knobs. Treble/ Mid/ Bass and then Volume/ Voice/ Gain. I pretty much have the gain nearly off.. The voice is set Neutral at around 8 oclock, and then its just volume, Mid/Bass/ Treble to my liking.. So I am thinking I am just using this as an EQ pedal.. When I A/B it off it doesnt seem to add that much color.. It does do a good job of getting my AC4 to sound closer to Princeton... But again, I dont know if its because I am EQ or coloring it.

It’s immaterial if you’re coloring your sound if you’re getting the sound you like and need. Claim it as your own.

 

[giogolf]

It’s immaterial if you’re coloring your sound if you’re getting the sound you like and need. Claim it as your own.

You know one is trying to tell you something, and its the right advice, but your brain inst listening? Well, that's what just happened.. you made a good point in your first comment, then it finally sunk in my thick head on the second one


Thanks!

 

[Bikersluggo]

I like the AS because it has the ability to color the tone in interesting ways if you want it to. I have both - Joyo AS and several 5 band/6 band EQ's plus another parametric EQ, plus another clean boost with both treble and bass that I would consider for a job like this. I was shocked at how powerful and good the tone shaping was on the AS when I got it. Plus it can make about any amp sound like a Fender Tweed or a Blackface.

 

[giogolf]

I like the AS because it has the ability to color the tone in interesting ways if you want it to. I have both - Joyo AS and several 5 band/6 band EQ's plus another parametric EQ, plus another clean boost with both treble and bass that I would consider for a job like this. I was shocked at how powerful and good the tone shaping was on the AS when I got it. Plus it can make about any amp sound like a Fender Tweed or a Blackface.

Yeah, I am pretty impressed.. Its making me reconsider selling my AC4 now.. By itself the AC4 takes a lot of tweaking to get a decent tone, where the Pathfinder just sounds good everywhere with all guitars, but just a bit muddy with the LP..

Im going to play some more tomorrow with the AS and the AC4.. Now Im thinking of getting the Marshall Joyo/ Horse pedal to have a dedicated Plexi OD tone

 

[JustABluesGuy]

Are you trying to make them sound the same or just more similar? I enjoy their differences.

I love my American Sound, but it’s an amp in a box and not what I would go to for smoothing the transition between single coils and HBs.

I would go with an EQ on one of the guitars. I think there is even a pedal out there that is designed to emulate different pups. Digitech?

With the AS you are basically just using two different amps. If it works for you, that’s good, but ideally you should be able to plug both guitars into the AS and straight into the PA if necessary.

I would check out this in your situation.

 

[mexicanyella]

@giogolf , I agree that if the AS is sounding good, go with it...easy to replace if it breaks or walks off, too.

One thing to keep in mind that might give you some new ways to play with its EQ (if you didn’t already know):

That voice knob is before the distortion part of the circuit, and to the left of center it’s cutting a low mids frequency band, cutting greater and greater amounts as you roll it to the left. It could be seen as making the sound “more Fender Blackfacer” as you do that, or just seen as dipping more and more out of the low mids on a graphic EQ.

As you turn it right of center, instead of dipping that low mid frequency band, it’s boosting an upper mid frequency band, making the sound “tweeder.”

The B/M/T EQ knobs along the top are post-distortion EQ and act sort of like the EQ on a mixer channel strip.

I have the British Sound, which is laid out the same way, and I use it to record bass, way at the clean end of its range, so in effect I’m doing what you’re doing...using it as EQ and maybe just a bit of dirt. I start with the B/M/T all at noon and play with the (highly interactive) voice and gain knob: settings to the right push the dirt stage harder because of the upper mid boost, thus the dirt stage gets dirtier, earlier. I get the general character and dirt-to-clean range I like that way, then use the B/M/T knobs to fine tune it.

 

[giogolf]

@giogolf , I agree that if the AS is sounding good, go with it...easy to replace if it breaks or walks off, too.

One thing to keep in mind that might give you some new ways to play with its EQ (if you didn’t already know):

That voice knob is before the distortion part of the circuit, and to the left of center it’s cutting a low mids frequency band, cutting greater and greater amounts as you roll it to the left. It could be seen as making the sound “more Fender Blackfacer” as you do that, or just seen as dipping more and more out of the low mids on a graphic EQ.

As you turn it right of center, instead of dipping that low mid frequency band, it’s boosting an upper mid frequency band, making the sound “tweeder.”

The B/M/T EQ knobs along the top are post-distortion EQ and act sort of like the EQ on a mixer channel strip.

I have the British Sound, which is laid out the same way, and I use it to record bass, way at the clean end of its range, so in effect I’m doing what you’re doing...using it as EQ and maybe just a bit of dirt. I start with the B/M/T all at noon and play with the (highly interactive) voice and gain knob: settings to the right push the dirt stage harder because of the upper mid boost, thus the dirt stage gets dirtier, earlier. I get the general character and dirt-to-clean range I like that way, then use the B/M/T knobs to fine tune it.

Sweet, thank you! I was wondering why I like the Voice knob in the left side range more.. Im a Fender BF man at heart, so every time I hear Mids I cringe..

Ive since sold the AC4 and picked up a DRRI, and it’s glorious, but to loud for most days in the house.. So now using the American Tone to shape my Pathfinder 15r into a more BF sound..

Its pretty cool, because now I have a sweet Vox chime, then engage the AM Sound when I want BF tones.. Very versatile.

If I knew had to build amps, I would attempt to build a 5 watt all tune, extremely neutral sounding amp with just a Volume, Treb, Mid and Bass knobs.. Then just use my pedals and the AM and British Tone pedals for shaping..

JHS makes a neutral pedal platform tube amp but its to loud and cost north of $2000 on sweetwater

 

[mexicanyella]

I am the opposite; I tend to run the gain real low and push it hard with upper mids from the voice knob way to the right, maybe 4-5 o’clock...but that’s with a P-bass with flats...that translates differently than it would on guitar. I use more moderate (but still right of center) settings with guitar, but I lean in the Marshall direction.