Advice On Controlling Sound/Levels In Preset With Different Pickup Guitars

Baz The Axeman

Baz The Axeman

Member
Hi guys,

I hope you can help here.

Say a build a preset that's a high gain sound, doesn't matter what, while using a medium output passive humbucker guitar. Sounds great
Say then I want to also use that same preset with a guitar with high output pickups, say EMGs, and also with a Strat with low power single coils.

How do people account for this in the preset and especially handle this when changing guitars live?

Cheers In Advance
 
Same here.
I start with the same template but choose drive/amp/cab to suit the different types.
I have different presets for:
  • Lo Gain HB's (SD Al Pro II,..)
  • Hi Gain HB's: (SD JB,...)
  • Single cuts with SD '59's
  • Strat
  • Tele
  • Semi
I went with the different channel per type but since I got more guitar types than channels ;)
I use the channels to make different types/levels of gain.
 
MisterE said:
Same here.
I start with the same template but choose drive/amp/cab to suit the different types.
I have different presets for:
  • Lo Gain HB's (SD Al Pro II,..)
  • Hi Gain HB's: (SD JB,...)
  • Single cuts with SD '59's
  • Strat
  • Tele
  • Semi
Click to expand...
Yup. Always copy over the template and then build from there.
 
Copy the preset or live with the tonal differences the other guitars offer.

I will plug my jazzmaster or tele into a preset i built with a prs tuned down to C - still sounds great.
 
I’ve been considering having an Volume as my first block, have it tied to a CS and have it lock on the preset once engaged.

To save switches I’d probably use the Hold function to engaged it.
 
You can use an analogue volume pedal before the Axe and roll down the volume of the louder guitars.

You can roll down the volume pot on your louder guitars.

You can add resistors to a switcher before the Axe.

All of these scenarios will help you even out the volume of the guitars. Then you'll probably come to the conclusion that your guitars all sound so different from eachother that you'll want to make new presets anyway.
 
Does it tend to be the Input Drive or the Output Level that needs to be adjusted? If so then I could just add a per preset control to the front panel and amend on the fly. Would that work?
 
I would say Input Trim instead of either. (Edited--read it wrong the first time).

By the way, I suggested to Leon the other day that he might do one of his videos on this subject. He said it was already on his "to do" list, so hopefully he might give some insight. I struggle with this problem too.
 
Last edited:
Baz The Axeman said:
Does it tend to be the Input Drive or the Output Level that needs to be adjusted? If so then I could just add a per preset control to the front panel and amend on the fly. Would that work?
Click to expand...

If you’re trying to make your passive guitars equal to your active guitars, I’d start with raising the Input Trim as that’ll hit the amp harder like the actives are doing. Then vice versa going in reverse, making your active guitars sound closer to your passive presets. After you’ve reached the desired volume/gain, I’d start start tweaking the rest of the pre-amp, if need be.

Personally, I just made different presets for my other guitars because there’s enough of a difference that I wanted to tweak other areas aside from amount of gain it the actives were delivering. Though sometimes when I‘m recording, switching to a different guitar but staying on the same preset is just enough of a difference to disrupt the mirror image stereo thing and give the guitars some variance.
 
I usually add a null filter block right after input 1 with a level boost. Add this control to the Performance screen so that you can easily change it when switching guitars. Or add the bypass control to your foot switch.
 
Baz The Axeman said:
Hi guys,

I hope you can help here.

Say a build a preset that's a high gain sound, doesn't matter what, while using a medium output passive humbucker guitar. Sounds great
Say then I want to also use that same preset with a guitar with high output pickups, say EMGs, and also with a Strat with low power single coils.

How do people account for this in the preset and especially handle this when changing guitars live?

Cheers In Advance
Click to expand...

The AxeFX has a feature intended to be used specifically to help with this problem: I/O->Input->Input Gain (not input level). When you switch guitars, adjust that value to help make all your presets generate the proper amount of distortion or output level for the new guitar.
 
GlennO said:
The AxeFX has a feature intended to be used specifically to help with this problem: I/O->Input->Input Gain (not input level). When you switch guitars, adjust that value to help make all your presets generate the proper amount of distortion or output level for the new guitar.
Click to expand...
Input gain in the IO menu is just for the convertors... doesn’t affect the level in the grid.
 
I was thinking about this yesterday and in my opinion the input level in the input block needs to be tweaked somehow so that turning it up doesnt fuzz up the sound, the input block has 4 channels so that can be sorted too.
 
The only way I've managed to do this is to assign a control switch to the Input Boost control with a gain of about 15db. My MusicMan Luke IIIs run so hot even my les paul with BKP Mules sounds don't come close to the output of the Lukes.

I since abandoned trying to do this and have dedicated presets per guitar.
 
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