how would you do this?

[wades_keys]

lol, the tube screamer model in the gnx is the ONLY distortion model that even comes close to what I was looking for, but still not good enough. I know the old Ibanez screamers are the {censored}. Friend told me the new ones are ass.

that's why you buy the maxon 0d-808

[nAmzrTakin]

I just don't have this kind of cash laying around...

 

 

Mesa bo......... oh, nevermind

[enroper]

I think maybe you're getting a little ahead of yourself. Hell, I haven't even heard of your band and i'm pretty wired into the local scene. so chill.

I've seen some of the best venues in philly filled up nicely with just a princeton reverb.

go used, and you can get a pro rig for about $1500.

[bostonwal]

Peavey Classic 30 used (as was mentioned)
used MIM Strat and throw in some Fender Fat 50s pickups. With the pop/folk thing you're going for that would be great.

The Classic 30 has a footswitchable overdrive channel which is nice and it has nice reverb too. So, just add a delay pedal (lots of good ones under $100) and you're set for that pop/folk gig.

[stevesherbert]

i think the best approach is to upgrade your rig one part at a time. a good tube amp is 100% essential, IMO, for a decent guitar sound. those pod super FX things sound horrible next to a real amp. a 20 watt tube amp will be loud enough for any club you're at, i have a 40 watt super reverb and i can't even turn it up past 3!

 

i recommend finding a good used gear dealer in your area and tell him what you're looking for. he'll keep his ear to the ground for you, and you can wait for good deals to come along without having to be constantly hunting yourself. you can always rent a nice guitar (or amp) for live gigs until you buy one yourself.

[Nijyo]

 

i think the best approach is to upgrade your rig one part at a time. a good tube amp is 100% essential, IMO, for a decent guitar sound. those pod super FX things sound horrible next to a real amp. a 20 watt tube amp will be loud enough for any club you're at, i have a 40 watt super reverb and i can't even turn it up past 3! i recommend finding a good used gear dealer in your area and tell him what you're looking for. he'll keep his ear to the ground for you, and you can wait for good deals to come along without having to be constantly hunting yourself. you can always rent a nice guitar (or amp) for live gigs until you buy one yourself.

 

 

Don't knock the Pod XTs. More "big" acts use them than you might suspect. Not only that, but if you're a cover band that wants to replicate the sound of the originals closely, they're excellent.

 

As is said here often, 99% of your audience isn't going to know the difference, anyway. Tone Questing is easily overemphasized.

[blackknight]

quick idea: Find a used Japanese Strat from the 80s. Believe it or not you can find a fair amount of them on ebay or craigslist and they are VERY well made instruments generally in the $350-$500 range on criagslist and maybe $500-$600 on Ebay. Here is one starting at $329 http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Stratocaster-1986-Made-in-Japan-electric-guitar_W0QQitemZ230319272991QQihZ013QQcategoryZ2384QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

 

These are the Squier (or Squire, never can remember) Strats from that period, right? I have one of those, have played it at home for over 20 years, never done much gigging but it's a great little guitar for my purposes. I bought my Variax a couple of years ago and bequeathed the Strat to my (now) 16 year old son, who's been trying to melt his own face off with it in the basement since then.

 

I've tried to look for info on it, just to see if it was worth anything (I'd heard that the Japanese strats were better made than many of the later non-US ones), but my Strat has 2 humbuckers rather than the more normal arrangement, and I never found much info on that config (maybe it was done at the local store I bought it at for some reason)

[chadd]

Peavey Classic 30 used (as was mentioned) used MIM Strat and throw in some Fender Fat 50s pickups. With the pop/folk thing you're going for that would be great. The Classic 30 has a footswitchable overdrive channel which is nice and it has nice reverb too. So, just add a delay pedal (lots of good ones under $100) and you're set for that pop/folk gig.

 

I threw some fender noiseless pups in my MIM and with a little work it plays and sounds better than most MIA strats. I probably have less than $400 invested in that guitar, including having some neck work done on it.

[Austincowbell]

These are the Squier (or Squire, never can remember) Strats from that period, right? I have one of those, have played it at home for over 20 years, never done much gigging but it's a great little guitar for my purposes. I bought my Variax a couple of years ago and bequeathed the Strat to my (now) 16 year old son, who's been trying to melt his own face off with it in the basement since then. I've tried to look for info on it, just to see if it was worth anything (I'd heard that the Japanese strats were better made than many of the later non-US ones), but my Strat has 2 humbuckers rather than the more normal arrangement, and I never found much info on that config (maybe it was done at the local store I bought it at for some reason)

The had MIJ and CIJ Squires but I am referring to the actual "Fender Stratocaster" which was made in Japan in the 80s. These are a million times better than the MIM Strats which I would avoid at all cost.

[chadd]

The had MIJ and CIJ Squires but I am referring to the actual "Fender Stratocaster" which was made in Japan in the 80s. These are a million times better than the MIM Strats which I would avoid at all cost.

 

 

There are decent MIMs out there, you just have to weed through a lot of below average pieces to find the gems.

[ggm1960]

 

There are decent MIMs out there, you just have to weed through a lot of below average pieces to find the gems.

 

 

The thing I don't like about the MIM guitars is that they're only 21 fret.

 

If I were going to play the stuff I heard on that website I'd use my AmStd Telecaster, I might even consider pulling my Twin Reverb amp out of retirement if the room was big enough and my old DOD Overdrive Plus would be a must along with my DOD analog delay for a slapback. I'd twang the {censored} of it but that's just the kind of guy I am.

[Austincowbell]

There are decent MIMs out there, you just have to weed through a lot of below average pieces to find the gems.

I agree 100% but unless someone really knows their stuff they need to stay away from MIM fenders. They like to use all sorts of mismatched pieces to put them together and a lot of franken-guitars leave their factory. Considering the difference in quality I think people are crazy to go with a MIM strat over a used japanese strat.

[Nijyo]

 

The thing I don't like about the MIM guitars is that they're only 21 fret. If I were going to play the stuff I heard on that website I'd use my AmStd Telecaster, I might even consider pulling my Twin Reverb amp out of retirement if the room was big enough and my old DOD Overdrive Plus would be a must along with my DOD analog delay for a slapback. I'd twang the {censored} of it but that's just the kind of guy I am.

 

 

If I didn't really like Ibanez Wizard necks, I'd probably prefer something that wasn't 24 fret, personally.

[NewTruth]

Yeah, that's why I would go with a decent amp first. Reasons being - you can still sound good, even if the guitar is shyte. It will add a bit of natural compression which ='s sustain...so that'll help in that regard. SS will just sound like shyte if you're trying to fight the rest of the band.

 

 

I don't know about that. I've found that really good amps bring out everything in a guitar. If the guitar sucks then a really good amp will make that loud and clear (no pun intended). On the other hand, if you've got a decent to excellent guitar, then a really good amp will make that guitar shine.

 

I think buying a used guitar and used amp of your liking is the best approach. Use the GNX for just the effects until you can afford something better would be my suggestion.

[Janx]

ask your bandmates what they think of your sound. Part of your problem may be GAS/tonequesting.

If you do make changes, try to change one piece at a time, so you can figure out what made the most difference. Borrowing a different pedal for rehearsal (buy and return....) might let you test more thoroughly.

It sounds like most folks think GNX sucks, compared to BOSS or POD. I've got POD, haven't really tried the others except for Korg. The POD is easy to drive (especially with a PC to configure it ahead of time). Treat Amp Modeling as an effect, not as an Amp, and you just dial in tones you like.

You could probably trade the GNX for a different set of pedals. Then work on replacing the amp. Then work on replacing a guitar. Bear in mind, you could do this forever...

[BATCAT]

You could buy a pick up a used MIA Strat, a Fender Hot Rod deluxe, and a handful of decent stompboxes, and for under two grand you could sound good enough for any stage...

[wades_keys]

My old guitarist's signal chain:

PRS McCarty
DigiJunk GNX
Fender Blackface, fully restored and serviced

Result: thin, lifeless tone that was buried in the mix.

Lose the GNX dude - if it could make a nice PRS and blackface sound like {censored}, I can only imagine what you're dealing with.

Guitarist #2 in that band:
70's strat
Maxon 0d-808
70'S Fender Silverface

Result: clean, clear tone.

You decide man, but I'm telling ya - losing that GNX will get you the biggest tonal benefit right now.

[Kramerguy]

I think maybe you're getting a little ahead of yourself. Hell, I haven't even heard of your band and i'm pretty wired into the local scene. so chill. I've seen some of the best venues in philly filled up nicely with just a princeton reverb. go used, and you can get a pro rig for about $1500.

There's an old saying:
Dress for the job you want, not the one you have. I don't think I'm getting ahead of myself on my need for better gear, although, as many have pointed out, there's tons of used options for much less $.

As far as if you've heard of us, well, we're not really in philly, or even near it, so We made the news with the CD release party (ch. 69 news, but that IS the major network out here in the sticks)
http://wfmz.com/view/?id=604239&title=Local%20Singer%20Releases%202nd%20Album

So now we're looking to boost into the next level, which means my gear is no longer suitable.

I think it was Wades who asked in a later thread if the other band members noticed it, and I would have to answer yes, although, rather than look like a noob who has no ear, I brought it up before any of them to let them know that I knew my gear needed to be upgraded; fwiw, nobody disagreed.

THANKS everyone for all the suggestions. I do appreciate all of them, and I plan on trying out quite a bit of new gear in the next few weeks and see what I can come up with. It's not really a GAS situation for me, I hate spending money lol. I did manage to put aside about $500 since I made the OP, I'm thinking of just stacking it and waiting for the right gear at the right price. Lots to try out first to get an idea of what I need. And yes, I'm dumping the GNX pedal lol, prob not going to go with another digital pedal at all, but will try a few out just to be sure.

[SunRaFan]

I'd suggest just looking for a used fender tube amp. That + 1 or 2 pedals and you'll be set for most genres. Just be sure to get one big enough that it gives you the clean headroom you need.

 

As far as guitars go, how well it stays in tune, how well it intonates, and how comfortable it is to play up and and down the neck matters a lot more than it's price or who made it. If cash is short, I'd just pick whichever guitar you currently like the best and focus on getting it setup in the best way possible.

[Kramerguy]

I'd suggest just looking for a used fender tube amp. That + 1 or 2 pedals and you'll be set for most genres. Just be sure to get one big enough that it gives you the clean headroom you need. As far as guitars go, how well it stays in tune, how well it intonates, and how comfortable it is to play up and and down the neck matters a lot more than it's price or who made it. If cash is short, I'd just pick whichever guitar you currently like the best and focus on getting it setup in the best way possible.

 

 

I do my own setups, the one I use now is a Douglass WR model I bought from Rondo for $150 lol. I replaced the bridge pup, and it's got a pretty crappy licensed FR, but FWIW, the neck is straight, it stays in tune through the hardest divebombs, and is fairly comfortable to play. My big issue with it is that it's sustain is sorely lacking, and the config is h/s/s. I really think I need a single coil in the bridge slot to get the right tone for this project.

 

I also have an Epiphone dot which is a fine guitar, great in fact, but it's also humbucker config, and I need a trem for a few of the songs. I actually use the epi for one song I tune to Eb on (and as a backup). I have a couple of other guitars as well, but one (my kramer) is totally 80's glam and FF pink, just WAY too 80's for the venues and genre of this project (but the perfect guitar for me, tone and feel, etc.. lol), and an Agile LP copy, that again, no trem and humbuckers, but otherwise is a fine guitar.

 

I think I'm going to go with the MIJ strat, as I did own a MIM a while ago (I bought it in the mid 90's), and it was complete {censored}, never stayed in tune, intonation wouldn't hold past one song, and it buzzed worse than hive of angry bees. It was a total lemon. It made me hate strats for a long time lol.

[Micky Z]

+1 on the MIJ Strat, especially 80's vintage - great guitars. And Peavey Classic 30's (and Delta Blues) are great amps.

[germs]

OP, my heart goes out to you! Believe it or not, there are quite a few of us in similar situations.

The best thing to do is upgrade what you have one piece at a time. Here's my current live rig, used in venues from 500-2000 cap:

Avatar 2x12 Modern
Peavey SupremeXL 100w
Line6 PODXT Live run into the effects return

Yeah, no {censored}. The whole rig can be purchased new for $1100.

But now, you can get a decent tube amp (Peavey Windsor or ValveKing) on the cheap!

But most importantly, get a better processor. And don't forget to turn the proper sims off if you want your cab or head to shine through. It's all about experimentation...

[ggm1960]

 

I'm dumping the GNX pedal lol, prob not going to go with another digital pedal at all, but will try a few out just to be sure.

 

 

I really like Digitech pedals and I'm way overdue to replace my RP2000. If it weren't for all that stupid drum pattern/beats crap they put on 'em I would have got a GNX before now.

 

Even I will have to admit though that there is a problem with putting them in front of a tube amp and I've yet to figure out why the sound becomes so brittle, not that I've spent much time worrying about it.

[strathound]

you can get a used american strat, G&L or studio les paul for under $800. I would start there and go with the boss ME 50 ($300) instead of a full pedal array (its VERY programmable and has boss effects which are very solid) and you can get a used fender hot rod deluxe which at 40 watts is a LOT louder than you think for $450. You're looking at $1500-1600. is that doable? most important is going to be the boss ME-50. That GNX is just going to ruin your life.

 

 

If you are trying to save money, look at getting a used Mexican strat. You can get them on EBay for a couple hundred. And people WAY OVERVALUE the American strats. The Mexican strats have gotten a LOT better in quality. In the blues community here in Texas, that's one of the local secrets. You won't be disappointed. With the money you save, you can easily afford a nice amp.

[Kramerguy]

If you are trying to save money, look at getting a used Mexican strat. You can get them on EBay for a couple hundred. And people WAY OVERVALUE the American strats. The Mexican strats have gotten a LOT better in quality. In the blues community here in Texas, that's one of the local secrets. You won't be disappointed. With the money you save, you can easily afford a nice amp.

 

 

On mexi-strats: thanks but no thanks.

 

Sorry, but I bought one new in the 90's and it was probably the worst guitar I've ever owned. I tried to give them a chance since then, played many off the store walls, at friends houses, etc.. They all seem to suffer from the same poor construction and materials.