Need help with a db pad for EMG input

[Bryan]

Here's the deal.

I have an '88 Strat with the EMG DG20 system. Totally love the guitar and its tone. The problem is the input is way too hot for my amps and pedals.

My old Line 6 AX212 amp had an incredibly useful "Guitar Input" knob that allowed me to dial down the guitar's input, yet still retained the quality of the pickups.

My new amps (Fender Deluxe Reverb and Marshall DSL 2000) do not have this feature. So now everything I play is on the edge of clipping.

I can't even use my BK Tube Driver because even on the lowest settings, the guitar causes the unit to distort.

Solution: I need something to reduce the guitar's input level, like the Line 6 Guitar Input knob or a db pad for the input, like other amps have.

Does such a thing exist? A pedal or something of the like that do the trick. This is really bugging me a lot and I need to solve this problem.

Thanks up front.

[toejam]

Turning down the gain on the amps doesn't help?

[Bryan]

The Fender doesn't have a gain. Just volume, bass, and treble.

But it's too hot for even the pedals before the amp. I need something to adjust the input signal before the pedals. I can't get my Tube Driver to give me a smooth OD because the signal causes it to distort more than I want it to.

It's just too bad I couldn't get the Guitar Input circuit from the Line 6 amp and put it in a pedal. Problem solved.

[toejam]

Hmm. Weird. I know EMGs are pretty hot, but I've never had a problem with them being that hot. Does turning down the SPC and EXG controls help at all?

[soc_monki]

yea...i use 81's and i dont think theyre really any hotter than a good set of passives (like a JB or Distortion). do the DG sets have the preamp and stuff to boost the signal? if so, id see if you could turn that down. i dont think those pickups should be that hot unless they had some help.

[rjohnstone]

Sounds like you have the SPC set too hot.
Turn it down. Hell roll both knobs all the way back and let it go into bypass mode. If it's still to hot, you may have other problems like a bad DG-20 board.

[hippietim]

drop your pickups down.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

the tone knobs on the DG20 are the exg (bass and treble boost) and the spc (mid boost)

turn them all the way down, and you'll be using just the pickups and they should not be too HOT for your amps and pedals.

those are boost knobs. and rarely should be used together.
the exg works good on the front pickup for clean stuff. and the spc works well as a solo boost.

[Bryan]

I use them one or the other. I never use them together.

It just bothers me that no one makes an input adjustable pad. It's such a simple device and they come standard on a lot of amps.

I just thought of something. It might be that my battery is going bad and might nee dto be changed. That certainly would cause a "dirty" signal to be coming from the guitar. Lemme try that and see if it helps any.