While tweaking around with my Jazz Chorus, I tried something. Had the amp set with bass, mid and treble all at around 12 noon to 1. I then dialled the distortion to around 2...
I know, bear with me...
I then plugged the guitar into a Dr Scientist Cleanness then that straight to the front of the amp. On the Cleanness, I cranked the Low and Mid EQ dials on it and left the Hi at around 1 o'clock, turned the gain & mix knobs all the way up and left the volume at noon. Then master to 9 o'clock...
And...well I was shocked. It sounded great. Really great. I had a usable distortion (well almost a fuzz) on my JC. The Cleanness filled out the thin gain channel so well, good note definition and great fuzzy sustain.
I was shocked. Either Ryan at Dr Scientist is a genius or all that the JC's distortion needs to make it usable is a good EQ pedal....so both.
A revelation. Might need that Roland footswitch for the dirty channel after all!
Comments
Now: would it be mad to have a 2nd Rat on the board for more, well, Ratty tones and leave the other in "Muff mode"?
As The Cleanness does such fantastic things to my Rat, maybe for overall sparkle to add to my clean tone/the whole chain, a boost (e.g. an Xotic EP) or an optical comp at the beginning of the chain? As goes the latter, I'm not sure what either such pedal would do to a solid state amp like a JC 40.
Yes, I'm going mental, maybe, but it is all about the tone and this is The FB after all...
I see where you're coming from, you can chase the perfect tone all of your life, I suppose, and neglect your playing.