Using Different Guitars With Different Output

jamn4jc

jamn4jc

Experienced
I've been through a lot of threads, some new, some old on this topic and am looking for a sanity check. I've got various guitars with different output levels. I want to preserve the gain structure in my presets and if possible, avoid creating different presets for different guitars

I play once a week and each week I may use a different guitar. The goal is to make as few changes to a handful of presets to accommodate the guitar I am using any given week. There is no need for this type of adjustment during a set/show/performance. Between weeks... yes. In any given week... no.

Based on a recommendation from Yek, I am thinking that I can use the LEVEL parameter in the Input-Gate block to achieve this. To make it easier, I could save an instance of the block in the library for each guitar and load it up as needed (e.g IG-GuitarA.blk; IG-GuitarB.blk; IG-GuitarC.blk; etc...). To automate this even more, I'm hoping that I can leverage global blocks and make the change in one place, as needed, and be done.

Is the Input-Gate Level parameter a good strategy? Does using the block library and hopefully, a global block make sense?
 
USMC_Trev said:
I think adjusting your input trim is the simplest approach that screws with the preset itself the least,
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Input Trim in the amp block?

My thinking is that I need to adjust the level before the drive block(s) (i.e. earlier in the signal chain) to preserve the gain structure along the entire path. I've also thought about an EQ or Filter block at the start of the chain. My understanding is that the Instr In in the I/O menu is not used for this purpose.
 
jamn4jc said:
Input Trim in the amp block?

My thinking is that I need to adjust the level before the drive block(s) (i.e. earlier in the signal chain) to preserve the gain structure along the entire path. I've also thought about an EQ or Filter block at the start of the chain. My understanding is that the Instr In in the I/O menu is not used for this purpose.
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Exactly. I think the best way is to use a global volume/filter/eq block at the beginning of the chain.

With an EQ you can not only compensate for differences in output levels but also for differences in the voicing.
 
I enjoy the differences in guitars shining through..l adjust with drive blocks, guitar volume or the volume pedal if I need to, but I play them because they are different. if one is just not at all suited for a song I won't use it, but I've never really had that happen.
 
jlynnb1 said:
I enjoy the differences in guitars shining through..l adjust with drive blocks, guitar volume or the volume pedal if I need to, but I play them because they are different. if one is just not at all suited for a song I won't use it, but I've never really had that happen.
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That's always been the way I do it as well. But then my guitars are all humbucker equipped medium to hi output pickup guitars. Still they all sound uniquely different.

I have 2 with pretty hot pickups, but very different voicings, and a few others with mid to medium hot pickups, and I go to them for different flavors as needed. Most of them are wired for either coil splitting or series/parallel to add a bit of versatility, but the more traditional single coil sounds are a bit less of a priority in my music. Split humbuckers do it well enough for me.
 
As a follow-up... a GLOBAL GEQ block at the start of the chain does exactly what I need. I make one change to adjust the LEVEL and all my presets for that week are automatically updated.
 
The only reason I adjust anything is if one of my higher output guitars starts clipping input 1. Then I'll go into I/O and set input sensitivity so that it tickles the red if I strum hard. One of my guitars I have to set at 37% while the rest I keep at about 49%. I don't really switch guitars live enough for it to matter.
 
Two thoughts: 1) on the Axe FX, use the Global amp gain to compensate across all presets for different guitars, or 2) outside of the Axe FX, consider something like the Seymour Duncan Pickup Boost pedal at the front end of your signal chain and set the gain to compensate for the lower output guitar.

By the way, that pickup boost is a nice pedal to have in any case, particularly for boosting clean sounds without modifying or messing up your tone.
 
searching said:
The only reason I adjust anything is if one of my higher output guitars starts clipping input 1. Then I'll go into I/O and set input sensitivity so that it tickles the red if I strum hard. One of my guitars I have to set at 37% while the rest I keep at about 49%. I don't really switch guitars live enough for it to matter.
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Set it at 37% and leave it there. There’s no difference in tone or gain with 49%.
 
why not having the guitar input level per patch iso on system level. (only one setting for all your guitars) ...is in my eyes a small shortcoming in the axe....sounds as a change FAS could easily implement.
 
USMC_Trev said:
Different guitars and different pickups with different voicings and thus different sounds is kinda the whole point. I thought goal here was just to compensate for output, not to make all the guitars sound the same.
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You are correct. I could have used a FILTER block. I figured that if I'm adding a block, it might as well have the ability to EQ, if needed. For now, I'm keeping the EQ flat and only using the LEVEL parameter.
 
I just set my AxeFX up using the loudest guitar I owned and ensured the AxeFX did not clip with that guitar. Then just left that setting in place for all of the other guitars.
 
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