anyone have any recomendations for a good solid state channel switching head?

Hemisaurus · May 26, 2011, 06:03:01 PM

Well I'm assuming you want the RAT on for switching to a particular channel, you could use a single footswitch for the reverb, and use a 2 TS to 1 TRS adaptor cable to bringthem into the same jack. Or yiu could save the old switch on the RAT, drill another hole for another switch, and yet another jack and turn you RAT into the whole enchilada.

Basically

Footswitch 1 is a new 3 pole, it turns on the rat and switches the channel
Footswitch 2 is the original rat 2 pole switch, 1 pole of it turns on the reverb

you could always use the spare pole for an indicator LED, you already have a battery in the RAT

justinhedrick · May 26, 2011, 08:09:24 PM

i'm thinking about just having a custom footswitch made, where 1 stomp turns on the loop and switches the channel. make it the same height as the rat. done and done?

Hemisaurus · May 26, 2011, 08:40:27 PM

Didn't realise the effects loop was switchable, sounds like all you need is a regular footswitch, with a TRS jack at the end, where one stomp does both tip and ring, dependent of course on which way the switching works. If short to ground gives you the right channel for your distortion, your golden, if it doesn't you'd need a 2 pole switch, and wire it one on, one off for the stomp and vice versa for the next.

One caveat, before you go making a footswitch, or having one made, see if you like the sound of your RAT in the Effects loop, most people run distortion, fuzz and overdrive before the amp input, running it in the effects loop, means the signal will have been run through the preamp first, gain'd up and EQ'd so you won't be able to overdrive the amp input.

justinhedrick · May 26, 2011, 09:13:05 PM

Quote from: Hemisaurus on May 26, 2011, 08:40:27 PM
Didn't realise the effects loop was switchable, sounds like all you need is a regular footswitch, with a TRS jack at the end, where one stomp does both tip and ring, dependent of course on which way the switching works. If short to ground gives you the right channel for your distortion, your golden, if it doesn't you'd need a 2 pole switch, and wire it one on, one off for the stomp and vice versa for the next.

One caveat, before you go making a footswitch, or having one made, see if you like the sound of your RAT in the Effects loop, most people run distortion, fuzz and overdrive before the amp input, running it in the effects loop, means the signal will have been run through the preamp first, gain'd up and EQ'd so you won't be able to overdrive the amp input.

oh i should have been more clear: the rat will be going to my VTM60 through a 2x15. the bandit will be running clean/dirty as well with an EQ pedal in the loop to tighten up the distortion. so when i go from clean to distortion i will need to hit BOTH the channel selector for the bandit and switch on the rat pedal.

grimniggzy · May 27, 2011, 02:27:03 PM

Not 100% sure but I think you could probably get that done with 2 of these...
http://www.bosscorp.co.jp/products/en/LS-2/

justinhedrick · May 27, 2011, 03:08:51 PM

Quote from: grimniggzy on May 27, 2011, 02:27:03 PM
Not 100% sure but I think you could probably get that done with 2 of these...
http://www.bosscorp.co.jp/products/en/LS-2/

i could do that, but that would STILL require some fancy footwork!

grimniggzy · May 27, 2011, 03:49:29 PM

hmm, i guess so but you might be able to work it out if they're right next to each other.
I'm sure it'd be easier with pedals that had top jacks though.

justinhedrick · May 29, 2011, 09:18:11 AM

yeah, it's a shame that one of those boss pedals didn't have the ability to switch channels on an amp AND switch another effect. but i guess that's pretty specialized, isn't it?!

Burdt · May 30, 2011, 01:53:27 PM

My main (i.e only) amp is one of those crate GT3500 amp heads (350 watts at, like, 2 ohms, mind you). I'm not sure about the whole switching thing you're trying to do with pedals and channels simultaneously, but i don't see why this amp wouldn't fill that aspect. As someone mentioned, it's almost identical to an old ampeg amp's circuitry. But, on the the words of praise.

I'm not a solid state amp fan, but i'm also broke, so that makes things difficult. The amp honestly has (for what its worth to us lot) awesome clean tones, that was the first thing that really stuck out to me, the reverb (switchable) is also really quite good. I use the amp mainly as a single channel volume monolith with pedals doing all the distortion work, a decent amount of tapdancing with the pedals, mind you. For this purpose, at this price, the amp is absolutely phenomenal. If want some warm (for solid state) volume and have some nice pedals, the thing's a brick shithouse that blares.

Now, the distortion. The distortion is easily one of the better in-amp solid state distortions i've heard, but not for stoner rock. You could play ina grindcore outfit with just straight into this amp, no worries (infact dying fetus do just that i believe). I could never coax a believable stoner breakup sound from it, but being three channels, will easily serve as a "boost".

All in all it's just about a perfect intermediate level amp. You can bang it around, it's not very expensive, it's loud as balls and works very well with pedals.

That's pretty much my feelings on the subject, that being said, i'd love a good tube amp, but until that's practical, this amp's been an absolute champ.

justinhedrick · May 31, 2011, 11:05:22 AM

i remember reading about those crates when they came out. weren't they SPECIFICALLY marketed as having the ampeg pre amp circuit?

anway, as for the amp search: it is all but a done deal. i'm picking up a peavey bandit for $125 today after work. even if i don't like it, i feel i can sell it for what i bought it for.

Hemisaurus · May 31, 2011, 12:11:46 PM

Nick from Hellfire Trigger actually used an Ampeg B, I forget whether it was a B1 or a B2 rack bass amp for guitar and took all his tone from his pedals.

You're just confusing yourself with all this fancy switching talk Justin, it can be done, but you must be a master, or have an extra leg

justinhedrick · May 31, 2011, 12:21:00 PM

Quote from: Hemisaurus on May 31, 2011, 12:11:46 PM
Nick from Hellfire Trigger actually used an Ampeg B, I forget whether it was a B1 or a B2 rack bass amp for guitar and took all his tone from his pedals.

You're just confusing yourself with all this fancy switching talk Justin, it can be done, but you must be a master, or have an extra leg

oh hemi! i bet you say that to all the boys! i know it can be done, but shit, i might get this thing home and decide that i don't even need to use my VTM anymore . . .