I'm in the process of designing a rack, and am new to the idea. I haven't had the money to spend on gear that I would have liked, so I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row before I go and blow enough money to buy a car.
I know that I want to start with a Boss GT-Pro and use it for my preamp for a while to see if I can make some sounds I like, and I also know that I would like to run a setup with 12"speakers in isolation cabs to keep the noise in my poorly insulated apartment down (among other quite possibly frivolous excuses). I know isocabs beg for a low power tube amp turned up to 11, but I have always hated my all tube half stack (I currently run the line out from my B-52 Tri-Mode into the input of my Kustom 2x12 solid state combo for crushing metal tone). Advice in this department is appreciated.
That being said, I found this tube preamp kit, The Anvil, that I am absolutely fascinated with (sorry, but the page is in German. I can translate it for you if required):
http://www.andyszeugs.de/projekte/anvil/anvil.html
My current distortion setup is a Boss ML-2 Metalcore with an EQ on either side with both volumes at max; the input has the mids boosted, and the output has the mids cut. The overdrive I get with the boosted volumes really makes a tube preamp shine, but I wonder if the "Fender-like" clean channel would handle effects well (plus, I HATE Fender). I also am not a huge fan of the rhythm channel and would like to replace it with something approaching the Peavy JSX's lead channel. I'm also considering swapping it out for another clean channel to give my pedals the best possible tone I can. If you know of any schematics repository, as well as any good ideas for replacement channels, please let me know. Also, any advice on this is appreciated.
Just in case it will help, I play metal almost exclusively. I plan on using the Boss to broaden my sonic range in order to get by in cover gigs. The sound I want can best be described as a mix between Pantera's Cowboys From Hell and anything Marc Rizzo has done with Soulfly. Blistering and tight, while punchy and powerful. For my cleans, I want what any guitarist wants - warm, dark, and liquid with infinite headroom.
I know that I want to start with a Boss GT-Pro and use it for my preamp for a while to see if I can make some sounds I like, and I also know that I would like to run a setup with 12"speakers in isolation cabs to keep the noise in my poorly insulated apartment down (among other quite possibly frivolous excuses). I know isocabs beg for a low power tube amp turned up to 11, but I have always hated my all tube half stack (I currently run the line out from my B-52 Tri-Mode into the input of my Kustom 2x12 solid state combo for crushing metal tone). Advice in this department is appreciated.
That being said, I found this tube preamp kit, The Anvil, that I am absolutely fascinated with (sorry, but the page is in German. I can translate it for you if required):
http://www.andyszeugs.de/projekte/anvil/anvil.html
My current distortion setup is a Boss ML-2 Metalcore with an EQ on either side with both volumes at max; the input has the mids boosted, and the output has the mids cut. The overdrive I get with the boosted volumes really makes a tube preamp shine, but I wonder if the "Fender-like" clean channel would handle effects well (plus, I HATE Fender). I also am not a huge fan of the rhythm channel and would like to replace it with something approaching the Peavy JSX's lead channel. I'm also considering swapping it out for another clean channel to give my pedals the best possible tone I can. If you know of any schematics repository, as well as any good ideas for replacement channels, please let me know. Also, any advice on this is appreciated.
Just in case it will help, I play metal almost exclusively. I plan on using the Boss to broaden my sonic range in order to get by in cover gigs. The sound I want can best be described as a mix between Pantera's Cowboys From Hell and anything Marc Rizzo has done with Soulfly. Blistering and tight, while punchy and powerful. For my cleans, I want what any guitarist wants - warm, dark, and liquid with infinite headroom.