Rabid Robert Blues Solo

[Robert]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rT_lRqChxuA/SfZri8dpOHI/AAAAAAAAXlI/Se5mF6tFphQ/s400/DGreenRabidSquirrel.jpg
Hey guys, it's me, Rabid Robert.
I used the DVM's Rabid Rodent (loose copy of a RAT) pedal on this clip. You can see the amp, it's the Mack GEM, and I'm playing at extremely low volume too... barely talking volume. At one point in the clip, my V-pick hits the pickup, and that noise itself is probably louder than what comes out of the amp! :eek:

A true "bedroom" amp. I used it at 0.4 watt mode, turned way down (how bizarre isn't that?!).

Guitar is the Michael Kelly Patriot Shadow.

Xyzlmn_GY54

[birv2]

OH YEAH!!!

:dude

More!

[tjcurtin1]

I think that's the best sound I've heard from that guitar, Robert. Nice combination with the Gem, and a tasty solo! I'm going to try to transcribe some of that, per your last blog suggestion. Lastly, I appreciated being able to see you play along with the amp - thanks!

[bigG]

Oh yeah! Smmmmmokin'! Burn it up, RR(R)! :applause

[duhvoodooman]

:AOK Handily disproving the false assertion that you can't get good tone at bedroom volume levels! :applause

[sumitomo]

Yes Sir! I likes it! great playing as always and that little gem seem like a great little home and recording amph!Sumi:D

[M29]

Man that was sweet Robert. I am going to snatch some of that. What I can that is. :thwap Thanks as always.

M

[piebaldpython]

Darn it Robert.......you are just burnin' those frets up. Great bluesy stuff.

The Gem sounds awesome......just curious......but which setting did you have the Rabid Rodent set on? Was the Ruetz mod on or off?

[Robert]

Darn it Robert.......you are just burnin' those frets up. Great bluesy stuff.

The Gem sounds awesome......just curious......but which setting did you have the Rabid Rodent set on? Was the Ruetz mod on or off?

The Rodent had the Mutate selector on the 3rd notch. All the other knobs at 1 o'clock, Ruetz mod switch was off.

Thanks, glad you enjoyed my bulls*** noodling!

[sunvalleylaw]

Awesome! I don't use that setting that much as I tend to get stuck on positions 2 and 5, though I remember thinking I liked that 3rd position last time i checked it out. I need to re-visit it. When did you get a Rodent? How did I miss that?

[Algonquin]

Good rockin clip Rob :AOK

[Robert]

I got a rodent a few weeks ago, but I haven't really had time to make a demo of it yet. I guess this could be a mini-demo - the Rodent in Rabid action ha!

[FrankAxtell]

nice solo...I think that was your best tone yet.:applause

[Commodore 64]

I really love that tone too. Sounds Awesome. Gotta figure out how to dial in my Boss Blues Driver with my Blackheart.

I have a MK guitar with PAF-Plus pickups. Are you playing on the neck PUP then?

[Robert]

No. I only used the bridge pickup.

Thanks Frank and everyone else - glad that sounded decent. I thought it was too sloppy at first, but the computer speakers hide the lack of elegance! :)

[duhvoodooman]

The Rodent had the Mutate selector on the 3rd notch. All the other knobs at 1 o'clock, Ruetz mod switch was off.
For those of you reading this who aren't familiar with it, here's the pedal that Robert is referring to:


http://www.duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/RRv2_top.jpg

It's based upon the BYOC Mighty Mouse, which is a souped up ProCo Rat clone circuit. I then add several enhancements of my own to create the Rodent.

The Mutate selector is that top knob, but the photo doesn't show the labeling. It's a 6-way rotary switch that gives you 6 different signal clipping settings. Position 3 that Robert used in the video clip uses a pair of J201 JFETs to give a warm, bluesy distortion character--perfect for the blues soloing Robert was doing. SVL refers to positions 2 and 5, both of which use a pair of red LED's; position 2 is a harder edged distortion, while 5 gives a softer overdrive type of clipping.

The "Ruetz" switch changes the voicing of the pedal substantially, dropping the overall gain and flattening the EQ profile. For players who find the stock Rat voicing a bit too mid-rangey and aggressive, this tames the mids, brings up the bass end, and smooths out the tone. I like it because having it as a switchable setting doubles the Rodent's voices from 6 to 12.

BTW, just like the original Rat, the "Filter" control cuts treble as you you turn it clockwise, rather than adding it, as most tone controls do.

More details on the pedal are posted HERE (http://www.duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/RRv2.htm).

[Commodore 64]

DuhVOodooman: I like to tinker. I have replaced capacitors on motherboards, TV Power Supplies, laptops, etc. These footpedal things are FASCINATING. As stated before, I have a Boss Blues Driver. I'd like to try building my own from a kit. Any suggestions? I like blues.

Would the Marshall Blues Breaker (http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=139&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=45) be a good beginners project? Or should I try something else, since I already have the Blues Driver? Perhaps a Reverb Pedal since I don't have reverb?

[duhvoodooman]

Would the Marshall Blues Breaker (http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=139&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=45) be a good beginners project?
While the Blues Breaker makes a great first project, my recommendation would be the BYOC version of this pedal, the British Blues Overdrive (http://www.buildyourownclone.com/bbod.html). It's $10 more than the GGG kit, but you get a really superior layout that greatly simplifies the build. Plus, when you make your first kit order from BYOC, you can get the "First Time Customer Kit (http://www.buildyourownclone.com/firsttimecustomer.html)", with a Confidence Boost and a signal tester, for free! That's easily worth more than the $10 cost differential right there.

I'm always encouraging fellow Fretters to try their hand at the BYOC kits, but few do, probably because they are pitiful little girly-men!!! So go for it and confront these wimps with their shameful lack of manhood! ;) :D

P.S. If you go for the BBOD kit, send me a PM and I'll tip you off to a very simple modification to the circuit that really improves the pedal's tone.

Oops! Got way off-topic here, so apologies to Robert & I gotta post this on myself:

:offtopic

[guitardan777]

Fantasitc tone and clippage.....sweet !

[SuperSwede]

Thats a no-nonsense tone you have there R.. me like :)