Thump & Chime

look ma no tubes!Ahh... chunky lows, chimey highs, and thick, bright single notes. I call it "Thump & Chime". The three main factors in getting this sound are the player's touch, the guitar pickups, and the gain structure from guitar to amp. I have a tube amp, but my tone quest led me to assemble this rig which adapts well to different environments.  

I made a pedalboard from some nice bits of wood and found a carrying case at the thrift store. The compressor increases presence in the mix, which helps in a bright room or outside. The Saucy Box is good for a boost, the Rat for big sustainy leads. The delay has a combination of features. I favor the "Deluxe Memory Man" setting. Slapback going into reverb and tremolo makes a nice vintage sound.  

The guitar is a Strat with med-low output pickups. The pedals are; Xotic SP Compressor, Way Huge Saucy Box, Pro-Co Rat, EHX Canyon with external tap-tempo switch, Mr Black Deluxe Deluxe Plus Reverb/Tremolo. The amp is a Quilter Micro-Block 45 on the pedalboard. I found a used Weber California 10" 16Ω. My friend Tim Miller built a sealed enclosure for it. The Quilter is bright and the Weber is dark. Together, they sound real nice.

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