Help with Boogie Studio Pre

Jeremy Moyers · Post by **Jeremy Moyers** » 13 Feb 2002 4:32 pm

I just got another studio pre and was trying to get it dialed in. I would get very close to getting the tone I was looking for and then i would change one thing and it would be gone and I could not get it back. Now i know that everyones settings are going to be different because of their hands and that particular guitar etc. but does anyone have any tips on a good starting spot? I have searched for posts in the past and someone said that paul posted his settings here once but I could not find them. Any help would be appreciated. BTW I am going out of the studio outs. Also, so you use the bright switch on or off.

Thanks

Jeremy

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 13 Feb 2002 5:17 pm

I start with the bass on ten, then add middle and treble until it sounds good.

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 14 Feb 2002 1:44 am

My settings:

both volumes at six (find the sweet spot)
treble on 4
mid on 5
bass on 5 (as far as I know, Paul puts his bass almost to zero and doesn't use the EQ)
brightswitch off
reverb on 3
eq on little V shape (750 a little low middle)
recording outputs
(listen to the difference between Pauls sound and my sound in the background-song on the Steeldays-site, click on banner below

)
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my web-site
my bands CODand TSC[This message was edited by Johan Jansen on 14 February 2002 at 01:53 AM.]

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 14 Feb 2002 7:52 am

Hello Jeremy,
I had Paul`s post of January `99 printed out in my "files".This is what his settings were then:
Treble 6-7
Bass 6
Mids 3-4

Hope this helps..

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Olli Haavisto
Polar steeler
Finland

Jeremy Moyers · Post by **Jeremy Moyers** » 14 Feb 2002 8:39 am

Thanks guys,

I normally would not ask such a question because I know that everyones settings are going to be different, but this preamp seams to be really touchy. I also understand that different power amps and different cabinets will sound different as well. I am guessing that one reason Paul may run his bass a little lower that some of you other guys has to do with the two twelve closed back cabinets that he uses in the studio.I have not used it out on the job yet, I guess that is always the real test. So far I think I am going to really like it though. Thanks again.

Jeremy

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 14 Feb 2002 9:07 am

I think it's due to the way Paul picks. I took a lesson with him back in the 70's and the bass on his Session 400 was set very low, somewhere between 0 and 2 I think. He sounded great of course, but my tone is very thin when set that way.

John Flewellen · Post by **John Flewellen** » 25 Feb 2002 5:03 pm

I know this thread is getting a little long in the tooth, but I just joined this forum, so I couldn't post before that. I first got a Mesa studio pre-amp a few years back for regular 6 string electric. I noticed that the pre-amp had a lot of "grind" to it. I replaced one or two of the 12ax7 tubes with 12at7's. This cut down the grind a bit. After all, the amp is designed for 'metal' players. I had a good amp tech put a resistor or two on some of the pins of the tube sockets to pad them down even more (if you need a copy of the schematic, let me know). Also, Torres Engineering makes a 6 position tone selector switch (or used to). This adds more tonal selections. There is also a Torres Engineering "Marshall switch". Anyway, the tone changed the tone from what Mesa calls "viscious and snarling" to what my tech calls "fat and sassy". It is now like a stereo Fender. I have not tried this yet with a pedal steel yet, however. But there is a lot you can do to this pre-amp to change the tone other than change the knob settings.

Greg Derksen · Post by **Greg Derksen** » 26 Feb 2002 9:12 am

Jeremy, I remember Paul saying also that no two Pre's are the same, and that the treble
is slightly different on each one, but they
are around 6 or 7, Also BL pickups push the
front end pretty hard, You can get the PF
mod schematic from boogie, all it does is
lower the input a bit so you don't get that
gritty sound when you push your volumn all the way to the floor, Not sure about the
bright switch though,
I would love to hear Paul's tone off his
speakers, it may not be what I think it is.
Mike Johnson also gets that tone from his
set-up, Greg

Jeremy Moyers · Post by **Jeremy Moyers** » 26 Feb 2002 9:41 am

Thanks for all the replys,

I have gotten this thing dialed in and it is the best tone that I have ever had. I also am using a 2x12 closed back boogie cabinet that I wired stereo so it is about as far from your "traditional"steel rig as you can get, but it really does sound wonderfull. I have been wanting to try using the studio pre through a 2x12 closed back cabinet every since the first session that I got to hang out on that Paul was playing on. He gave me some tips on setting the rig, but for some reason I was having trouble finding that sweet spot at first.

Greg, Just FYI, I have asked Paul about the Modded pre amps and he said that his preamp is stock and has not been modded. Also, I have heard Pauls tone off the Speakers and it truly is great. It is interesting how dry he runs his rig most of the time though. Paul truly is a very garacious man and has taken alot of time from his buisy schedule to show me licks and to give me advice through out the years.

BTW I have also played through Bruce Boutons Boogie rig which is modded and it sounds great as well. Bruce is another guy who has helped me out along the way.

Thanks again,

Jeremy[This message was edited by Jeremy Moyers on 26 February 2002 at 09:55 AM.]

SveinungL · Post by **SveinungL** » 8 Mar 2002 12:25 am

Hello. Just in case you are interested, here are my settings. I go through a Studio pre - to a Mosvalve 500 - to two Mesa Boogie 1x12 open cabinets, which are placed on the floor behind me, angled upwards against me. My settings are as follows: No middle (or just a little bit), bass 5 treble 6-7. No bright switch, and I go out through the regular outputs of the pre amp. I sometimes use the EQ depending on the sound in the room. I go through a Lexicon MPX500, basiclly just for reverb. I play an Anapeg steelguitar, witch is very rich in tone itself so thats maybe why I don't crank up all the settings.... don't know. I'm quite happy with these settings anyway.....

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Thanks SveinungL - Norway
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Kentucky Riders

Kevin Post · Post by **Kevin Post** » 8 Mar 2002 5:49 am

Hey Jeremy, what are you doing these days? Johan, nice playing, especially at the end.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 8 Mar 2002 8:11 am

slightly off topic . . .
I wasn't aware that Paul used a closed back 2x12 cab in the studio, but I kinda found that combination myself when I bought a '65 Bassman, thinking I'd run it stereo with my session and get tube warmth + solid state balls. That didn't work and is a lot of stuff to haul, but what I did find was that the old Bassman cabinet is a great match for my 70s Session 400. I stack a single 15 cab on top of the Bassman bottom and it's a match made in heaven.

I'll have to try it with my MosValve and rack system one of these days. I assume that's what Paul uses it with. I use a 2112 instead of the Boogie pre, but that could be another interesting combination.

FWIW.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

Kenny Foy · Post by **Kenny Foy** » 15 Mar 2002 6:28 am

Sveinugl, Why the name Kentucky Riders? Do you have any ties to Ky?