Egnater SL Module Funny Sound With OD Pedal

[451stroker]

I've been experimenting with my new Egnater Mod 50 with the T/D and SL modules. For a high gain overdrive, I tried my MI Audio Crunch Box in front of the amp and found that it only sounded good in front of the T/D module. When I used the Crunch Box in front of either channel of the SL module, the overdrive became very squishy when playing low notes. It was bad to the point that the low notes almost seemed to fizzle and static out when I was playing fast leads. I thought something might be wrong with the pedal, but I confirmed that it sounded great in front of both channels of the T/D module. What's weird is that both channels of the SL module sound great on their own with no overdrive pedal in front of them. The problem is that I need a modern high gain sound to go along with the vintage modules in this amp. I always that it would be best to overdrive the SL module because I read good things about people using distortion pedals in front of Plexi amps, which this module emulates.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? The Crunch Box is supposed to sound like a boosted Marshall. Is there some weird frequency cancellation thing going on when using the Crunch Box in front of the SL module?

Thanks!

 

[Nightdare]

You never overdrive an overdrive
you simply give it a clean boost

If you start overdriving an already distorted amp, the clipping and by that the compression will become immense

Grab that OD pedal
Switch to the SL module with it's setting to your taste
-Set OD on the pedal to zero
-Slowly turn up the VOLUME on the pedal untill you reach the saturation you desire (or if it turns into mud you better rethink desire and replace is with useability)
perhaps a little toneshaping here and there and you're done

 

[tung]

When I used the Crunch Box in front of either channel of the SL module, the overdrive became very squishy when playing low notes. It was bad to the point that the low notes almost seemed to fizzle and static out when I was playing fast leads.

Thanks!

From what you said here, it sounds like there's just way too much gain going on. That's why after a certain point, the bass just crapped out (think Hendrix fuzzed out Marshall, that's from overdriving the master and the Fuzzface giving out too much gain, not in a good way).
I always like to run a boost in front of my RM stuff, but I always had to make sure if running the gain on the modules high, the I would back it off on the boost pedal, and vice versa.

 

[451stroker]

I tried it with the gain on the Crunch Box at zero and brought up the Crunch Box volume. It turned to mud. I then turned up the gain on the Crunch Box and got back some of the harmonic richness, but at the same time, created the same squishy compression situation.

I then tried turning the gain on the SL module down as far as it would go while still making a sound. I still got a bad fuzzy compression.

This is kind of puzzling. I thought it was very common to overdrive the front end of a Marshall Plexi with a pedal, which is what I'm emulating by overdriving the Egnater SL. I've always had high gain amps before this one, so I never ran into these problems before.

Is it possible the module doesn't work with this particular pedal, or am I going to run into this with any pedal?

Also, how does the SL2 compare to the SL? I hear that it's higher gain, but I don't want to lose the Plexi sound of the SL.

Thanks.

 

[eyeball987]

Something just isn't playing right with the other. Post your signal chain going from your guitar all the way up to the amp. Also, have you checked the tubes in the module?

 

[alboz28]

The Crunch Box is not a transparent sounding pedal. It is meant to be a Marshall in a box and played through a fairly clean channel of an amp. If you are looking to boost the front end of an SL+ etc. I would recommend a BB Preamp, or Tubescreamer type distortion to add a little more .

Any of the Crunch Box, Purple Plexi and Brown Sound in a box types of pedals are voiced to emulate a cranked amp and do not operate well as a boost to an already existing overdriven sound

 

[Julia]

If you want a tight overdrive to it, don't use a Crunchbox. Use a tubescreamer.

Otherwise you can boost your signal to the point of sputtering and where it feels like the whole amp is sagging. So don't do that unless you want that sound for something.

Another way to get that same sound is to cascade a fuzzface into a muff with the gain dimed on the fuzzface in front of a dirty module (gain around 10:00 on this). Makes a good sound for Stoner Doom.

 

[bruce egnater]

I've never tried the Crunch Box but it sounds like it may not be cutting the low end as required for a tight, overdriven sound. Probably does sound cool on the clean channels but if you jam too much bass into a high gain amp, it will surely get muddy. I agree, this simply just may not be the right pedal for what you are trying to achieve. Try a different pedal? TS or OCD maybe?

 

[mboogman]

I used to use my Barber LTD in front of an SL, and it was great. The thing that's so nice about the LTD is that it's got internal trim pots to let you tailor the response to suit your needs, and that includes making sure there's not too much bass.

 

[451stroker]

Just tried a DOD 250 in front of the SL module and have the exact same problem. This pedal is also having the same effect on the T/D module. As far as I know, the DOD 250 is more of a boost similar to the Tube Screamer rather than a distortion pedal. It seems my amp can't take a pedal in front of it. I bought the amp used, so I don't know if something is wrong with it. It sounds fine when I play straight through the amp though. This is really stumping me. Any other suggestions?

 

[Mattfig]

If you want a tight overdrive to it, don't use a Crunchbox. Use a tubescreamer.

Otherwise you can boost your signal to the point of sputtering and where it feels like the whole amp is sagging. So don't do that unless you want that sound for something.

Another way to get that same sound is to cascade a fuzzface into a muff with the gain dimed on the fuzzface in front of a dirty module (gain around 10:00 on this). Makes a good sound for Stoner Doom.

+1
+1+1 =3

 

[HughJasol]

The problem is with your SL module . . . I think you should sell it to me! :wink:

 

[451stroker]

Do you have an SL2 you want to trade me?

 

[HughJasol]

I don't . . . I do have an SL2 that was modded by Dave Friedman into an HBE (Hairy Brown Eye) that I would part with; but we'd be a little off balance with a striaght-across trade.

I'll PM you . . .

 

[m0jo]

You should look at the Crunchbox like a distortion: it's made to create a tone on it's own. It's not meant as an overdrive (ie. to add something to the sound).

This is probably why it doesn't play nice like alboz28 already said.

Try these depending on the tones you want:
Brighter od, lots of harmonics: Boss SD-1, Boss BD-2 (thicker)
Smooth, lots of mids: Ibanez/Maxon TS9
A bit fatter: Ibanez/Maxon TS808 (or any modded tubescreamer), maybe a Fultone OCD or Visual Sound Route 808
Pure transparent gain: any clean boost (cheap: EHX LPB1 or expensiver: Way Huge Angry Troll for a lot of punch or a Pigtronix Class A Boost)

Disclaimer:
There's a zillion other pedals, but these are just the ones I can come up with that will give you a good idea of where you want to go.

Don't choose based on the word "bright" I used, go play them and see how you like them, maybe "bright" for me is "clear" for you.

 

[Julia]

The Crunchbox and a lot of these distortion pedals are made to be run in front of a clean amp, like a Fender Twin clean channel to make them sound like a "Marshall".