Clean Amps and EMG's

Maybe I should be more precise. I don't think the preamp is an issue per se, I just don't like the way it reacts when it clips. One of the strengths of EMG pickups is in my opinion that they can yield a very tight, clean sound without any interference (DI-signal). Some people may refer to it as "sterile sounding". However, that is only the case when the preamp isn't pushed into clipping. That's the way I used EMGs, not how you should use it. Others might like the sound of a pushed EMG. If it works for them, it's perfectly fine.
 
Try this little trick:

Volume block first in your signal chain.
Type set to LOG5.
Set volume to desired level. (noonish works for me, most of the time)

This also works really well for higher gain applications. With the Volume block engaged, it is the perfect complimentary crunch sound to whatever high gain tone you have going on.
 
Ok I tried lowering the input trim, using the jazz chorus, rolling back the volume and still get break up with slamming chords. I'm using 81/85 combo, I'm trying to clean up the 85. I switched to my Charvel with JBs, and I had plenty of headroom on the 5153 green, US Clean, Shiver Clean, and of course the Jazz 120 and Deluxe Reverb.

I tried everything I could think of but still getting break up on my EMGs. Note, playing lightly I can stay clean but as soon as I slam chords it breaks up. I have another guitar with EMG 89 that splits that I can try as well
 
dkenin said:
Ok I tried lowering the input trim, using the jazz chorus, rolling back the volume and still get break up with slamming chords. I'm using 81/85 combo, I'm trying to clean up the 85. I switched to my Charvel with JBs, and I had plenty of headroom on the 5153 green, US Clean, Shiver Clean, and of course the Jazz 120 and Deluxe Reverb.

I tried everything I could think of but still getting break up on my EMGs. Note, playing lightly I can stay clean but as soon as I slam chords it breaks up. I have another guitar with EMG 89 that splits that I can try as well
Click to expand...

Did you try my suggestion?
 
Wow I must have missed your post... Let me try that I will get back to you! Thank you for your response!
 
I want to post a I AGREE with the post. I have EMG's as stated before on my EB MM 1993-95 Luke II. I played on the first 1-5 presets, and the approx. 11 American Clean, when I play some harder funky parts OR hit hard on the Top 3 strings (Low E, A, D), it distorts and is NOT clear and clean, it has some fuzz behind it. I want pristine cleans!

003 Deluxe Verb is the cleanest, but still has FUZZ and is distorting when I am using my EMG's. Also have a Charvel So Cal, but that has 2 HB's so that is another issue all together.

I am ALSO a new Owner, so I Am going to go back and read the suggestions others already listed. You don't have to walk Us step through step, BUT, since we are new, can you be more specific.


One guy stated:

Input trim is input trim. It is called like that and can be found on the ADV-page if you're using the front panel.


Where is the ADV Tab??? Under what front panel Button??? edit????

Biggness stated:

"Volume block first in your signal chain.
Type set to LOG5.
Set volume to desired level. (noonish works for me, most of the time)"

OK I am using Front Panel looking at it on 004 (DeluxeVerb) a Clean Patch. How do I get to Volume Block First in my Signal Chain? I am not sure what menu I need to go into.

Can you say for example, Hit Edit Button on front of AFX, scroll over to Amp, then use PAGE button to go over to Volume Block and turn it down to X. That would help me :mrgreen

I know it is basic, but just tell me what button (ex: Global, Layout, I/O, Control, etc etc) I need to press to get where I need to go to do the adjusting, and then, what menu/parameter within that button do I adjust?

I will be so happy to hear a clean tone and not a fuzzy mess! Thanks so much!


TEX:encouragement:
 
OK found it, under AMP, then use PAGE to scroll to the ADV tab, then go down and adjust it.............


THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it worked like a champ!


Bigness, I still have no idea where the hell LOG5 is located???? I didn't do this, but would like to know where it is to try it too.


Volume block first in your signal chain.
Type set to LOG5.
 
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@dkenin: How does the DI-signal sound like? If it is fuzzy, then there is no way to get it back to pristine clean through an amp.
 
TexasAxeSlinger said:
OK found it, under AMP, then use PAGE to scroll to the ADV tab, then go down and adjust it.............


THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it worked like a champ!


Bigness, I still have no idea where the hell LOG5 is located???? I didn't do this, but would like to know where it is to try it too.


Volume block first in your signal chain.
Type set to LOG5.
Click to expand...

I believe it is fully clockwise, under the Volume Type parameter, in the Vol/Pan block. After reducing the volume, you may want to increase the level.
 
Thanks Bigness! I will try it and appreciate your response. I am liking this thing so much more. It was giving me a few issues, some of it was Pick Up Guitar related, but now I am getting good cleans and nice disctortions.

My 1993 Ernie Ball MusicMan Luke II sounds great for cleans, but not as good as my Charvel So Cal for distortion patches. The EMG's sound more brittle and SLIGHTLY harsh, trebily. The So Cal is thick and defined and sound completely different, so pick ups DO make a huge difference in the output sound characteristics. Also sometimes the EMG's make a little noise on distortion channels when you stop playing, but it might be my pick ups wires might need to be checked as I might have a slight connection issue.

Anyway that 1st thing totally solved the issue with the cleans breaking up and NOT remaining clean. I am going to compliment this with Bigness's suggestion next to see what that does. Once I turned down the input down to make the guitar stay clean, I saved the first 10 Clean Patches so it stays that way.
 
Yes, I also noticed that my clean tones that were clean in 11b are now breaking up in 11.

I mainly live on guitars with humbuckers, but even with 11b, the input trim was set to .25.
Now with 11b, I need to lower it. I find this strange.

Someone help me understand why I can plug the same guitar into my deluxe reverb and produce crystal clean tone, but when I reset the deluxe on the Axe Fx2 to default it's very distorted?

This seems strange I would need to deviate this much with input trim, then to have to compensate for volume loss by so much with the amp output level setting.
 
Ive gotten great cleans with my Schecter 8 string. Comes with EMG808s.
Just lower the input trim and tweak aiming at your hardest strums. So you have the dynamic range. Choose amps wisely. Some of them break up easily. My clean go to amps are the Shiva clean, the Usa Clean, the Buttery and the double vrb.
It is also good to check eq levels on the amp. Higher comp settings will give you a thicker bass response, so that would help distort. I lower the comp if its not at 0. And if the bass is still thick, I dial basa just a tad.
 
It has nothing to do with the input trim, or needing an 18 volt mod... I've been using EMG's in all of my guitars since 1985... I have never had a problem with clean amps.

But this distorting of clean tones has happened TWICE with firmware revs in the AxeFX II... the first time it was fixed in the next rev, and I'm sure it will again...

Something happened between v11b and v11... Cleans were pristine with the same guitars in v11b the DAY BEFORE updating to v11, AFTER v11, they break up like the input gain is on 6... It is a FIRMWARE issue. Not complaining, because I know it will be fixed... Just letting them know there is an issue...
 
flyingfadr said:
It has nothing to do with the input trim, or needing an 18 volt mod... I've been using EMG's in all of my guitars since 1985... I have never had a problem with clean amps.

But this distorting of clean tones has happened TWICE with firmware revs in the AxeFX II... the first time it was fixed in the next rev, and I'm sure it will again...

Something happened between v11b and v11... Cleans were pristine with the same guitars in v11b the DAY BEFORE updating to v11, AFTER v11, they break up like the input gain is on 6... It is a FIRMWARE issue. Not complaining, because I know it will be fixed... Just letting them know there is an issue...
Click to expand...

This is what I've been saying.

It sure would be nice if Cliff could chime in on this cause I don't wanna spend a bunch of time making adjustments only to have it changed again with 11.01 and have to re-adjust. I have a lot of patches, of which are pretty tweaked out for specific songs and I am using many different amps so its a ton of reworking that I may be able to avoid if things are reverting or changed in 11.01
 
I'm sure he will chime in by releasing an 11.01 update soon... might be good just to leave patches as they are and wait for the update... he fixed it the last time, I'm sure he will again...
 
Try the 24 volt mod! I got it on ebay and it's great. It uses 2 12 volt batterries and it's smaller than a 9 volt! I think it has made my tone better. I'm getting great clean sounds out of my Axe Fx 2.
 
flyingfadr said:
I've been thinking of trying the 1.21 Jiggawatt mod that Doc Brown came up with... :-/
Click to expand...

Lol! A friend of mine told me about it and I thought that that's quite high but apparently they can be powered up to 27 volts if I'm not mistaken.
 
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