KH1

Anyone got the KH1 mod yet? I have a Blackface for cleans but I find it distorts when used at higher volumes with EMG's. I have tried turning the gain way down which helps, but I read that the KH1 will stay cleaner at high volume with actives. What do you all think?

I have the KH3 already and may just go for all 3. I am not even that big a Metallica fan lol. They sound sweet though. In a metal kind of way :twisted:

I should have the KH1 and KH3 sometime today...but I have to leave for work in about an hour I'll post some pix and thoughts later since I have a blackface too.

I bought KH-1 off ebay last week. I use a SD JB in the bridge and could never get a really clean sound from the clean module or the blackface. This module stays very clean unless you hammer on the strings. It's just what I was looking for. Excellent clarity and the tone controls do their job. I highly recommend this module for anyone who needs a clean module with mild or zero breakup.

Thanks man. What about when using the neck pick up for cleans? I do alot of my clean stuff on the neck pU - alot of appeggio stuff and even open strumming with some chorus added it. I find the Blackface clips too early with EMGs maybe I need to get my ESP Horizon back from my brother....lol

I also use EMGs and bought the KH-1 for this purpose. Unfortunately it doesn't help that much. The only way to strum chords and keep a clean sound is to keep the gain around 9 o'clock, and reduce the volume on the pickups.

I only got it today so I need to spend more time with it but it's not as plug and play with actives as I had hoped.

I spent some time with the KH-1 yesterday and unfortunately, it just doesn't have the headroom I was looking for. Great module for regular or moderately hot pickups. It just can't handle my EMG's without breaking up unless I'm really careful with my attack or lower the guitar's volume.

I compared it with an ada mp-1 (solid state) and a mesa boogie studio preamp and got shimmering cleans very easily.

So the bad news is that the KH-1 is not what I hoped it would be. The good news tough, is that it justifies for the studio preamp to stay in my rack and have a spare mod slot in my RM4

I'm with Steven. I just posted a review of my entire rig in the rig section and one of the things I talk about is the lack of headroom in the kh1. Through any EMG pickups it just blows out the module..no matter how much you trim the guitar volume. How can this be when Kirk uses EMG exclusively... I even tested it with my Kirk Ouija KH-2 guitar. I own 13 modules and this is really disappointing!

What settings are you guys using? I am using an emg 60 in one guitar and a duncan livewire mustaine (active) in another guitar and both get great cleans with no breakup... :?:

Couple ideas for you guys...

use a lower gain preamp tube in the KH1. I'd try V1 first (tube on the left as you look at the front of the module).

2nd thing I'd try is possibly making the R1-3 resistors a little smaller. What are they now?

Pete

Hi,
You guys just totally bummed me out. I too was looking to get a KH1 for my cleans cause I just can't seem to get loud enough without breakup with my "Clean" module and thought the KH1 would be the answer. Have you guys tried the Blackface and if so, do you get more headroom with that or the KH1??

Thanks,
Dave

I'm gonna make a clip tomorrow of the KH1 and Blackface. IMO, both are really great. The Blackface seems like it has slightly more body to the overall tone but the KH1 has a nice balance and a cool high end chirp/bite to it. I am still using it with no problems being too hot...it sounds GREAT for metallica clean stuff.

okstrat said:

Couple ideas for you guys...

use a lower gain preamp tube in the KH1. I'd try V1 first (tube on the left as you look at the front of the module).

2nd thing I'd try is possibly making the R1-3 resistors a little smaller. What are they now?

Pete

Click to expand...

Pete,
R1 & R3 are 150 ohm

okstrat said:

Couple ideas for you guys...

use a lower gain preamp tube in the KH1. I'd try V1 first (tube on the left as you look at the front of the module).

2nd thing I'd try is possibly making the R1-3 resistors a little smaller. What are they now?

Pete

Click to expand...

Pete's idea worked for me on the kh-1. I put a 12AT7 tube in the left position. Even with a guitar with EMG 81 pickups, it cleaned the sound up considerably. If you go to this link, it will explain how different preamp tubes can be used to lower the gain factor of an amplifier: http://thetubestore.com/gainfactor.html

Good luck.

EZE said:

okstrat said:

Couple ideas for you guys...

use a lower gain preamp tube in the KH1. I'd try V1 first (tube on the left as you look at the front of the module).

2nd thing I'd try is possibly making the R1-3 resistors a little smaller. What are they now?

Pete

Click to expand...

Pete's idea worked for me on the kh-1. I put a 12AT7 tube in the left position. Even with a guitar with EMG 81 pickups, it cleaned the sound up considerably. If you go to this link, it will explain how different preamp tubes can be used to lower the gain factor of an amplifier: http://thetubestore.com/gainfactor.html

Good luck.

Click to expand...

if you tried a 12AT7 and liked it I recommend trying a 5751 instead.

Maybe others who have this module can try a tube change as well, this is one of the mods I really had my eye on, but this is disappointing to hear.

i tried a 12at7 in V1 of my blackface module and it did not sound good at all. it had less breakup but the module lost all of its mojo. it was a groove tube 12at7...maybe a different brand or a 12au7 would work better. but i'm thinking about going for the kh1.

is there a huge difference in the headroom of the kh1 compared to the blackface? right now im using seymour duncan passive pickups ('59 and JB) so you wouldn't think i would be having issues.

See I don't have any issues with my Blackface and I'm using a Warmoth V with a single EMG 81. I back my module gain way back to like 9 or 10:00 and then I crank the module volume up to about 1 or 2:00. I also back my bass, mids, & treble lower than noon and leave the bright switch off. Throw a chorus pedal up front and I get shimmering cleans with minimal breakup. The 81 is really bright so you definately have to watch the treble and presence. Oh, I also lower the volume on my guitar a bit and helps out as well.