Volume drop w/ Kemper Fuzz

mtmartin71 · March 28, 2022 at 5:36 PM

So this may be the same behavior in the "real world" but I don't have a way to check it.

I'm trying to go for a Smashing Pumpkins thing which, I'm pretty sure, is a JCM800 + Big Muff. I've got a Reampzone JCM800 2203 gained up (no pedal baked in) and trying to add a Big Muff to that. I've tried both the old Muffin distortion and also playing with the Kemper Fuzz. What's happening when I hit that fuzz is that the whole bottom end is falling out and also...probably because of that...it feels like it's actually dropping the volume which is not what I want. Is this how it happens with a real Big Muff? Even if an amp is gained out, a pedal normally just changes the tone and doesn't drop the volume per se. Maybe I need to be adding the Big Muff to more of a breakup amp.

I think I've seen some others counter this kind of thing with a post amp block EQ. Just looking for some tips and tricks here.

BayouTexan · March 28, 2022 at 7:38 PM

Quote from mtmartin71

So this may be the same behavior in the "real world" but I don't have a way to check it.

Max out the volume and gain of an any amp and then add a stomp to it and see what happens. *HINT: It won't get any louder and may appear to sound lower by adding a different type of compression to the signal.

DonPetersen · March 28, 2022 at 8:25 PM

Quote from mtmartin71

Maybe I need to be adding the Big Muff to more of a breakup amp.

probably a good idea.
A part of the Smashing Pumpkins guitar sound supposedly is the unusually high number of layered takes which builds up the wall of sound.
Individually, these tracks usually have less gain than the total mix suggests, so it is tricky to get a sound like that live anyway.

Best of luck!