Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

[Chuckracer]

You summed it up nicely, Chris. I need to get a Mesa or something reasonably inexpensive to use as a gigging workhorse. Which means I'll have to sell a guitar.

Pete, no there is no relay for the loop right now, so I guess that would be part of the mod. I'm thinking (guessing) it may work well as there would really be nothing "in" the loop this way. At the most a very short Monster Cable.

Any more thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

[LRGman]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

If the loop sucks, why not through the front end? You could just use a clean eq that won't color your sound when "bypassed." Bypassed would be your lead. And the eq "on" would be rhythm. Although instead of trying to boost your signal with the eq for lead which can muddy it up. Use it a normal line level the cut for rhythm like you want to do in the loop.

You could also try and find a volume pedal through the front end and and eq to compensate for any signal degradation.

You sound like me I don't like going through anything that degrades my signal. You are probably going to have to make some type of compromise if you want to use your amp in this manner.

[skidd]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

I had my Boogie modded by them in the loop. Made a huge difference. A buddy of mine used to run his volume pedal in the loop last after all the effects.

[skidd]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

The mod from booige was/is call a Deaf Louie effects loop. If thats helps at all.

[rstites]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

It'll definitely require a relay to be added, in addition to a pot and a jack. Add the associated R's and power for switching the relay (LDR in this case) and you're there. Pete, check my logic here. I'd just add another resister in parallel with the Overdrive volume pot and switch it in/out. When it's on the volume pot will be lower thus lowering volume (more current shunted to ground). However, I'd still have Soldano do the actual work.

Ross

[toejam]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

I (like Skidd said) would suggest a Dunlop Volume Pedal in either the loop or straight into the front end.

[Chuckracer]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

If you run a Volume pedal in the loop, you have the signal leaving the amp going 20 feet to the front of the stage, through the pedal, and back another 20 feet back to the amp. 40 feet of send/return? No thanks!

Running it into the front of the amp will be the same as rolling off the volume control on the guitar. The gain dies when down and its not enough of a difference. Besides, its not a tone change I want, but a volume change.

Runnung anything in the loop puts me back where I am at the moment. The Pro-Q may be better than using the JFX. Its OK, but I'm demanding as hell and will settle for perfection only. I guess that's what attracted me to the SLO in the first place.

Ross, you got it goin on. I don't care about the warranty, so I need to know the rest of the story here. That switched resister may as well be a varible resistor, yes? So, with relay and such we have a second, footswitchable master volume, yes?

[rstites]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

Chuck,

One thing on the volume pedal in the loop: this will be a signal with plenty of juice, so you won't hear the degredation there that you would if you were running 40' of cable in front of the amp. I'm not saying it won't suck the tone (especially since it sounds like anything in the loop sucks tone), but it may be worth giving a shot at that. I also think running a clean boost in front may be worth trying out - I mentioned a couple of them somewhere. Neither of these may work for you, but it'd sure be nice to eliminate them before opening up the amp and hacking away. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Enough preaching...back to you question. Yes, I would make the resistor in parallel a pot so you can vary the boost. Yes, with relay and footswitch you'd have another master volume. What I propose would only work for the OD channel. I tried to think of something that'd work on both channels and I think I know how to do it, but I'm less certain. You could put the resistor/pot in the signal path, after the master volumes, and put the LDR in parallel with it. Then switching the LDR would create a short around the 'boost' pot which would let more signal flow and create an effective boost for whichever channel is currently being used. My concern with this is that it actually changes the base signal flow a bit, whereas my first suggestion wouldn't do anything to the base circuit. You'd just connect it to the OD Master Volume pot and you'd need to pull power for the relay.

I'd like to hear Pete's thoughts on this though.

Ross

[Chuckracer]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

OK, I do like the level headed approach, so I will try to borrow a good volume pedal and a clean boost and try those avenues first.

This is geting interesting, and I'm learning a lot in the process. Thanks so much everybody for all the help here. Thanks to Vince, too, who emailed me with some ideas to try as well!

I do have my white GMP up for sale or trade for a Recto, so I can keep the SLO, which would be wise.

[Soloist1]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

Unfortunately Chuck anything in the loop is going to sound crappy. The ProQ is a great unit but will suck the tone out of the effects loop as well since it is the nature of the beast. Hey here's a thought on the mod situation of your SLO. I noticed rstites talking about not being able to boost both channels of the SLO and only the OD channel. Since the SLO shares the EQ section would it be possible to put a level boost that is switchable somewhere in the EQ circuit or just after it? Just a thought. My CAE has a secondary EQ that is switchable and is capable of boosting the signal after the primary EQ section of the preamp. One of the best things about the CAE besides the fact one EQ adjustment doesn't affect the others for that channel like the Soldano stuff. That is the one thing I hated about the sp77.

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

My suggestion for the effect loop would be
If SLO's loop is poor, why not to use the slave out and send the line level signal to effect unit, then to a power amp then to cabs.
I used to do that with SLO with a VHT power amp years ago and worked well.

About boosting your Volume,send the amp to John Suhr and get a boost(on/off footswitchable).
This works to turn the vol. slightly up(not the gain).
Great for soloing without changing CH or setting of EQ.
I think John Suhr can do this job(takes 3-4weeks I think).

[OklaStrat]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

Ross' idea sounds workable, but if you have the amp modded, have some bigwig/guitar nerd dude do it if Soldano doesn't. Don't have friendly fred the local amp tech do it - if you have someone like Suhr or Soldano or Bradshaw/etc do it, then if you don't like the mod, you can leave it and sell the amp as a 'modded by famous guitar nerd-one of a kind' deal.

If you sell it as an amp modded by friendly fred (or wacky pete the amp geek) then you're looking at losing money, no matter how well the mod was performed.

From all the complaints I hear about the SLO effects loop, it makes me wonder if it's a passive loop with some resistors in there to isolate it or if it has some gain stages. Adding an effects loop is dead simple on any amp without one - making a GOOD SOUNDING one that works with a variety of devices is a lot harder.

Pete

[Chuckracer]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

SLO Schematic. You probably know this, but...

http://www1.korksoft.com/~schem/newa...ano_slo100.pdf

[Chuckracer]

Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

OK, I wish this whole thing haden't bled into two seperate section of the board, so with that in mind I thought I should start this question here and go for three! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

I have an idea that could work great for my volume boost needs on the SLO. I don't have a line out on this one, but I have two plugged holes instead.

Make the loop footswitchable. Also give it an adjustable send level. Run the send at roughly 80% of the volume level of the amp with out the loop engaged. Switch the loop in and out depending on needs, and probably run a short jumper between the jacks. Presto. Footswitchable, adjustable volume boost, or actually rythhm cut.

For switching have the mono channel switch jack changed to a stereo switch and use a two button footswitch like a Marshall switch.

Waddya think?

*edited cause I can't write no good*

[ February 18, 2003, 12:33 PM: Message edited by: Chuckracer ]

[OklaStrat]

Re: Pete, Ross, Chris, et.al...

Is the fx loop already footswitchable in/out? if not, then whoever mods it is going to have to also put a relay in there... it's not the footswitch that changes channels in an amp, it's a relay being shunted to ground.

Pete