Understanding the EP Booster

Gear Aquisition Syndrome is a serious disorder.... FX etc

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Re: Understanding the EP Booster

Post by GrantB »

Conway wrote:
GrantB wrote:
Conway wrote:Have you tried a KTR Klon?
I reckon on a 5E3 that will just muddy things up even further...at least in my experience.
I think it would work well with gain on minimum and treble around 1-2 o'clock. I haven't had a tweed amp for a while but the KTR is great with Fender blackfaces.
Agreed, that's where they shine through. But 5E3 and Blackface are in two different solar systems.
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Re: Understanding the EP Booster

Post by Aquila Rossa »

re the OP and low end emphasis. Try an EQ pedal with the EP. The EP boost does do some subtle eq, but is kind of full range when it comes to boost. If you boost the low end of the guitar into a 5E3, the amp's preamp is designed in a way that will try to reproduce those lows rather than attenuate them and potentially flub out and overpower the highs. If too fat and bassy, notch out the lows, i.e., a high pass filter set somewhere around 80-100hz

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Re: Understanding the EP Booster

Post by vintage52 »

The Nova System I bought off BG has taught me how to get closer and closer to a sound I like and hear in my head.

While containing no unicorn tears, it has a solid base to push into my 5E3.

Nice thing is I've had to learn what the EQ does, just how much gain I don't need to get a nice Tele jangly thing going on that breaks up when pushed or go full noise and have a Marshallesque like drive happening.

The EQ thing I like. Few highs while dropping the bass can be almost ice picky but not quite.
I have a weird tele anyway as tonally it sits more midrange than other 52 reissues I've played.

Try EQ - try range master type thing. I found I needed to lift the highs a little.

And then I started playing with the tone control on the amp and jumpered the channels.....but that's off topic....

:)

Good luck with the search and that is part of the fun.
Wellington

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Re: Understanding the EP Booster

Post by calling card »

12ax7 in V1 is a whole lot of 5E3 boost, is yours 12ay7 ? that's the goldilocks valve.
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Re: Understanding the EP Booster

Post by Aquila Rossa »

p.s Late Plexi amps thru to many modern amps have a preamp that filters out lows, so they can handle a hotter input signal. Older amps often had a flatter preamp that would not handle a hot signal so well. The extra bass in the hotter signal would overload the amp. That can sound okay, but lots of guitarists preferred a sound more focused in the mids and highs. The hot signal into the amp was either modded with a pedal to be lass bassy, or the amps themselves were modded. The original treble boosters were popular for this reason. They took bass out rather than adding lots of treble and got rid of the flub. Not needed in many modern amps, which is why treble boosters are not as commonly used.

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Re: Understanding the EP Booster

Post by Reg18 »

calling card wrote:12ax7 in V1 is a whole lot of 5E3 boost, is yours 12ay7 ? that's the goldilocks valve.
Yeah it has a 12ax7, have been meaning to try a 12ay7 as that's what it's designed for right? just don't have any lying around.
It's not so much the boost/gain but shaping the low end that's the problem. Or are you saying putting a 12ay7 in will change this as well?

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Re: Understanding the EP Booster

Post by Aquila Rossa »

here is an article that may help. it is a common complaint with 5E3. Option three in the article may sort it. I would try reducing bass with an Eq pedal tho.

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/ ... ed-deluxes

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Re: Understanding the EP Booster

Post by Aquila Rossa »

ps. "it reduces the amount of gain in the lower frequencies" is the key point. gain as in amplitude, not distortion. Reduce the amount of bass being amplified in the amp's preamp by changing caps, or reducing it before it gets to the amp with an eq or treble booster (tube screamer can do this too, but add distortion and colour).

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Re: Understanding the EP Booster

Post by calling card »

Reg18 wrote:
calling card wrote:12ax7 in V1 is a whole lot of 5E3 boost, is yours 12ay7 ? that's the goldilocks valve.
Yeah it has a 12ax7, have been meaning to try a 12ay7 as that's what it's designed for right? just don't have any lying around.
It's not so much the boost/gain but shaping the low end that's the problem. Or are you saying putting a 12ay7 in will change this as well?
Hard to say, your amp may vary from my authentic Ryanized version. No change to bassiness, just more relaxed & puurred like a happy cat, sweeter off and on gain sound.
I remember when I first got this thing and thinking it felt like it would tear the cabinet apart the way it shook with low freq. I think it was the alnico speaker reacting poorly to bass, problem seemed to vapourise away over time/speaker burn in.
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