roadhouse strat and deluxe hotrod

[humanbn]

I play with a roadhouse strat through an American deluxe hotrod amp. I have rewired my guitar to have three in series selections. My problem is that the sound is still a bit empty. It's great when I can crank the amp up to around 6 but under that it doesn't seem to feed back much. I would like more but without using pedals; not that I have any problem with pedals I just can't afford them. Does anyone know of any mods that I can do to my amp to increase the effect of the speaker magnet interacting with my pickup magnets? I want more sustain and feedback. Am I just barking up an empty tree? Or, should I simply learn how to place my fingers on the strings better?

[newey]

Bn-

Well, this is the age-old dilemma- How to wail out without having the neighbors wail back?

I'm a little mystified by your statement that pedals are "too expensive". You have a very nice guitar and amp, surely you could save up the $50-$75 a decent sustain pedal would cost you. Or, it could go on your birthday/xmas list. I don't have a guitar or amp anywhere near as nice but I've accumulated a hootload of pedals over the years.

But since you don't want to or can't go that route, here's a simple suggestion.. I'm guessing that your amp is probably sitting on the floor somewhere and that the floor is probably carpeted. Try getting the amp up off the floor, put it up on a table or something sturdy so it won't fall off (i.e., not a good use for a cardboard box!) and see if that helps. If it does help, you may want to invest in an amp stand as a more permanent solution. I have one of these:

www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Musicians-Gear-Deluxe-Amp-Stand?sku=451065

$20 at MF, very sturdy, you can't go wrong at that price. It also tilts the amp back which helps as well.

If you want the speaker to interact more with the pups, you have to introduce them to each other first! I'm always amazed at how many players use a great amp and speaker trying to move carpet instead of air . . .

[humanbn]

Thanks dude but I do all of that already. No carpet, lift the amp and tilt it up. Facing the amplifier always helps with feedback but I don't want to look at my amp the whole time. It really doesn't matter. I'll figure something out. Thanks anyway.

[newey]

Ok, so scratch all that out . . .

If you truly want to mod your amp, Torres has a kit:

www.torresengineering.com/fenbluesdelb.html

(All the usual disclaimers apply, I don't know them, never dealt with them, etc.)

But I got the impression you were looking for something simpler, that maybe didn't involve dismembering your amp.. If so, can't think of anything- sorry!

[humanbn]

Thanks, I'll check into it. I have done some modifications to my amp already. I'm going to put a new rectifier in it soon. Thanks again.

[andy]

I played a Deluxe Hotrod for many years- and I remember finding the same thing. For the main part it suited my needs anyway, and I never tried a distortion pedal through it (I was a bit of a valve snob at the time), but I still wonder if that might have helped. The best bet for now I guess would be to try something cheap like a Boss DS-1- a low cost and easy way to see if pedals are the route to go, and one with enough raw edge to counteract the smooth response of those Deluxe amps.

Otherwise though, the amp is quite polite as I remember- a rougher speaker like a Celestion might help give a bit more grit and mid-range (the best thing for sustain and musical feedback, in most books), or perhaps a Marshall or some such is in order? Fenders do tend to lack the frequencies for full scale rock even with the newer high gain pre-amps.

[mlrpa]

Behringer has a really great sounding pedal, the vintage overdrive, that is a great sounding stomper, and it's only $30.00! Try it, it works on anything, and gives a nice warm tone.