Will Freeloader enhance tone of Fender Mustang Modeling Amp?

[Bob Bestor]

I have a Mullen Discovery that I use with a Goodrich H10K volume pedal and a Fender Mustang III v2 modeling amp. Will the Sarno Freeloader improve the tone of this set up?

[John Goux]

The Freeloader will help you sculpt the EQ in subtle way.
“Improving the tone” is a subjective thing.
I would think the Sarno Black Box, which is tube, would improve the tone of a digital amp. That my subjective opinion, but I’m not a Mustang III user.
John

[Barry Coker]

I have used several amps both solid state and tube amps. with Goodrich match box, an Izzy and a Black Box. To my ear the Black Box gives the best tone with all amps. even on a Black Face Fender. I am thinking about a Freeloader myself to use with a light weight rig but I won't let my Black Box go its great.


Barry

[George Kimery]

Freeloader is a solid state tone control. I just went through this with Brad Sarno. He said this is pretty much what is built into the Black Box and is controlled by the vari-z knob. He said the addition of the tube in the Black Box would make it a much better choice for solid state amps. If you have a Black Box, you don't need a Free Loader, you already have one.

[John Gould]

I know this subject has been talked about several times. What the Freeloader, the Lil Izzy and other devices like those cure the problem of Impedance between a Pickup and a Volume pedal . So it won't change or enhance the amp but what it does do is let the amp see more frequency response coming out of the Steel in a manner of speaking . You should be able to get a decent tone out of the Mustang III . I use one now on my gigs although I have changed out the stock speaker.

[Larry Dering]

John, I just got a Mustang 111v2 and would like to know what setting you are using and why you changed the speaker.

[John Gould]

I use the studio pre-amp for the amp and turn it up pretty high on both the gain and volume . I set the highs between 4 and 5 the mids about 2 and the lows about 8 . Reverb and Delay to taste . The reason I changed out the speaker was the stock speaker had too much high end for my ears for the Pedal Steel . It also seem to lack the warm bottom that I look for in a steel amp . I posted a entire thing here on the forum about my speaker change and a shootout between 2 different speakers .

[Tom Wolverton]

Short answer. Yes, probably. I use a FL with my Mustang II. Works great.

[Bob Bestor]

Thanks for the replies everybody. I emailed Brad Sarno and while he likes the Freeloader for this, he LOVES the Black Box. So I am thinking about waiting and saving up for the Black Box. And while I do like the tone I get from my Mustang, I am always interested in making it better. Thanks again.

[John Goux]

I just received a BB used.
I sometimes practice steel through a Fishman Loudbox Mini because it is so small. It sounds ok for steel but the solid state quality of it eventually irritates my ears.
Tonight I hooked up the BB with the Loudbox and it gave it a nice tube bounce to the notes, and better sustain.
Now I really want to try this BB with some of the modeling or SS amps.
John