Author Topic: Tribute versatility......? (Read 419 times)

weekapaugh · « **on:** October 18, 2004, 01:56:33 PM »

Wondering about how versatile the tribute is. Besides Dead I play alot of Phish and was wondering if I could get a similar Trey tone from this guitar. Also, how well do the pickups interact with pedals, specifically tube screamers (just light breakup, not metal)

Thanks and any feedback is welcome,
mike

hollis · « **Reply #1 on:** October 18, 2004, 02:31:18 PM »

Hi Mike,
First of all, welcome to the club. I saw your question in the dreaming section, but was waiting for one of our Tributarians to answer, they are far better versed in answering than I....

Since they seem to be temporarily elsewhere, please allow this limited answer. The Skylark?s electronics allow for an almost unlimited pallet of sounds. And since the Tribute has even more to choose from, it?s got to be unbelievably versatile.

Alembic electronics are the cleanest I've ever worked with, which translates into an excellent interaction with or without effects.

I hope this helps a little...

weekapaugh · « **Reply #2 on:** October 18, 2004, 02:41:30 PM »

Hey Hollis,

Thanks for the response. I mostly play clean so thats good to hear about the electronics.

...oh yeah, I posted in the wrong section first...still a newbie

hydrargyrum · « **Reply #3 on:** October 18, 2004, 02:46:09 PM »

Hello All,

Has anyone noticed that they have difficulty with either Fuzz or Octavia effects with the active electronics in Alembics? I have a few Zvex pedals (possibly the Alembic of pedal builders), and he openly admits that some pieces from his line do not interact well with active electronics (ie fuzz factory, octane III, wooly mammoth). I have definitely noticed a change in performance with my Skylark and previously with my Orion baritone. I can still get some really nice tones, but the pedals have a more limited useful range (IMHO) than with my previous non-Alembic/non-active electronic guitars. Is this a problem unique to this manufacturer? BTW, anyone who has never heard a zvex effect pedal should check out his website for an interesting selection of audio samples.

pace · « **Reply #4 on:** October 18, 2004, 03:06:32 PM »

5{that the db boost that active electronics provide can sometimes destroy the headroom in certain circuits. If you install a TRS line in your guitar before the op amp I'd expect your arsenal of pedals to behave fine. I dont know exactly how the Tribute/Further schematic incorporates it's effects loop, but I'd imagine it would be after the pup buffers..... Anyone know?!?

hollis · « **Reply #5 on:** October 18, 2004, 03:47:15 PM »

Ya know, now that you mention it, I don't really know how my effects react plugged in line between my guitar and amp. I run all my effects through the effects loops on my combo-amps and pre-amps. Hmmmmm.....

lbpesq · « **Reply #6 on:** October 18, 2004, 10:10:53 PM »

Mike:

I run my '83 Electrum (dual humbuckers) with '93 electronics (pan - low pass filter - Q switch) through a cordless into my pedal board, then to a volume pedal and the amp. I leave the guitar volume on 10 at all times and use the pedal to adjust volume. Kind of the same concept as the effects loop in Tributes/Furthers. On mine the sound does go through the filter first, but at least my pedals always see the same level signal.

I have found that the active PUs on the Alembic require some tweaking of some pedals. (I previously usually played a strat and a PRS CE24). My Super Tube (Tube Screamer family with extra control) had to be turned down and I'm still messing with it. It also seems that my Wah Wah (Teese Picture Wah) doesn't like the low pass filter set too bassy. But you will also find that the Alembic sounds so much fuller and present when played clean that you don't want as much grit.

Bill, the guitar one.

hydrargyrum · « **Reply #7 on:** October 19, 2004, 06:19:34 AM »

Bill,

You're quite right. I love that shimmering crystal clear sound almost enough to give up all effects pedals. It's interesting to hear you've had similar experiences with the active electronics. Perhaps I'll try as hollis mentioned and reposition my effects into my effects loop. I've never made much use of it before, so this should be an interesting experiment.

Pace,
I am going to plead ignorance here, what is a TRS line?

Kevin

David Houck · « **Reply #8 on:** October 19, 2004, 06:31:40 AM »

TRS = tip, ring, sleeve. It refers to the use of a stereo jack as a mono input and mono output; so the effects loop in your guitar will only need one jack instead of two.

Kevin, I'm curious; try turning down the trim pots inside your guitar's control cavity and see what effect that has on your Zvex pedals.

hydrargyrum · « **Reply #9 on:** October 20, 2004, 06:54:40 AM »

Well, no luck with the effects loop. It seemed my handmade boutique pedals did nothing in my soldano's effects loop except possibly decrease the signal. However my Boss chorus seeemed to do fine. Interesting . . .
I'll give turning down the trim pots a shot.

Kevin

hollis · « **Reply #10 on:** October 20, 2004, 11:08:02 AM »

Kevin,

Curiouser and curiouser?.

I do have a tendency to agree? I rarely use any effects at all these days. The guitar has so many great tones without them, I kinda hate to muck it up?. However, any time I?ve used effects, I haven?t had those problems.

How?d the trim pot adjustments work? I have mine at just over ? way up on the bridge, and right at ? on the neck.

hydrargyrum · « **Reply #11 on:** October 20, 2004, 02:09:38 PM »

Well, still haven't got a chance to try the trim pots, but I do have an answer about the effects loop. It seems this a a line level effects loop, and subsequently there are some problems. I will quote the tech. support from soldano, who were quite prompt in sending a reply:

my guess is that the signal level of the loop is too high. We have had reports of problems using stomp boxes is the loops of our amps and this is usually the cause. The loop level is nominally +4db line level for rack mount studio effects while typically stomp boxes are -10db guitar level. What happens is that the pedal cannot output as strong as signal as that which it receives from the amp. If the stomp box is designed such that it passes the incoming signal through and adds an effect to it, the effect added may not be strong enough to be easily heard over the original signal. Usually what people tell us is that the pedal reduces the volume level when engaged, this due to the lower output signal.

They went on to suggest that I might try placing a volume pedal in the front of the loop to reduce the line level so that the effect might be heard, or mod the amp. I think I'll try the trim pots first . . .

hollis · « **Reply #12 on:** October 20, 2004, 02:29:05 PM »

This is all starting to make sense to me. The only effects I'm currently running are rack mount effects. Tonight, I'll dig through the suitcase of stomp boxes and see how some of those work. I'll let you know.

hydrargyrum · « **Reply #13 on:** October 20, 2004, 02:44:25 PM »

Cool, thanks! I'd appreciate the comparison. It still seems funny to me that the Boss Chorus worked though . . .

lbpesq · « **Reply #14 on:** October 20, 2004, 02:45:43 PM »

Kevin:

Reading your post reminds me that I encountered similar problems when I first got my Boogie Mark III (about 18 years ago) and tried to put my stomp boxes in the amp effect loop. Mesa gave me an explanation which, as I recall, is the same that you received.

Bill, the guitar one