Ok, so i've got my rig pretty much settled these days: Marshall JCM900 'split' in two - the preamp switched/looped with me POD Pro, then feeding into the poweramp of the JCM.

But when im just running JCM by itself, with no intervention from the POD, the distortion just doesn't quite have 'it', it lacks a little clarity and definition. What would help bring the guitar out a little more- im by no means looking for a really cutting, sterile clarity, just a little more to enhance the sound. Am i looking for a well set up EQ pedal, or is it something a little more cunning?

Cheers

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A lot of people will snigger at me for saying this. But try a BBE Sonic Maximiser.

It does what you say, brings out clarity but some people say it sounds too processed. Try one and if you like it buy one.

Actually before i even read this post this is exactly what i was thinking. I don't havea BBE but i've heard its definately good for that. If not that, then maybe the boss eq pedal and attempt to "dial it in." But what you sound like you need is possibly the BBE.

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I've got a BBE and I also was going to suggest trying it. I couldn't live without it now that I'm use to having it. The amount of clearity is adjustable so you set it to how you like it and forget it. Once set it is pretty universal to all your different sounds and doesn't need to be adjusted like EQs need to be.

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thing about the BBE is that most people overuse its features.

If you have the Sonic maximise to anywhere above high noon you are going to ruin your sound.

Keep it tastefully set and it should be ok

I don't know about the BBE, but maybe you should get a 31-band rack EQ, those are really powerful when it comes to molding your sound. It's probably much harder to set up than a BBE but hell if you're very picky about definition you wont mind.

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I agree for the most part, but since I sealed and insulated my cab I found that it handles bass freqs much better then before. I have tweeked my EQs and BBE to match the cabs new responce. My BBE is the last FX in my chain of FX. It is in my amps FX loop, but it can also be placed before the amps guitar input. I like mine better in the FX loop just before the power amp.

On my BBE, I now have the Lo Contour knob set around the 12:50 O'clock position and the Process knob set around the 11:20 O'Clock position. Every setup is different so settings will be different. The BBE is ment to be a transperant tool, so yes, use common sense and don't over do it with the BBE. A little less is better then too much when it come to the BBE. Settings between 10:00-1:00 O'Clock positions seem to work really good for guitar.

Edit: Used correctly, the BBE with even an amps EQ is a powerful tool. My setup has a 9 band graphic ( AMP ), active EQ with mid sweep ( Amp ), and multiple parametric EQ stages ( GT-8 ). I require no further EQ options in my setup. For me, my EQs help mold my tone while the BBE maintains clearity and prevents signal lose.

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