[Harp-L] Squeal Killer update

["Maurice Thaler" <maurice.thaler@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Folks,

 

So, I have had a few gigs with the Squeal Killer, here is a preliminary
impression.

I am using it with my Fender Bassman 59' Reissue. At first I tried it with
the standard tube set as recommended by Jason (Squeal Killer guy), but for
my situation the amp was still a bit too hot, so I put back my two
replacement pre-amp tubes which brings down the gain a bit. 

 

First off, it TOTALLY changes your tone, so per the instructions I set
things in the middle for bass, mid & treble. Also, I have my bright and
normal inputs strapped. I am mostly using an Audix Fireball V, although I do
have a custom mic from Greg but the Audix fits in my small hands better and
it is easier to get a good seal for those nice low notes. Perhaps next week
I will switch to the other mic and see how that affects the setup. 


At any rate, it really does an amazing job of removing feedback, and giving
more "balls" to the sound coming out of the amp. Of course to add to the
complexity of the situation, my weekly gig got moved outdoors, which of
course changes the sound again in a major way. So this was my third week
using the Squeal Killer. One thing is, I am leaning towards not using my
Holy Grail pedal, as it seems to really mess with the sound in a bad way.
With it turned off, I can crank the amp a lot and not get any feedback. With
the Holy Grail on, and set to about 9 o'clock, I can start getting feedback
if I am not careful, and the sound was not as crunchy as I liked. With it
out, the sound was cleaner with a bit of crunch (sounds like a contradiction
but it is what it is) but also more dynamic. Another thing is I find now I
can turn up the volume more and do some more nuanced playing, using more
"baby breath" type notes, and pulling away from the mic to get different
tonality. It gives me more options. 

 

I like to play bass lines often, using LOW-F playing 2nd position C not to
mention using my A & G harps (in E and D). With this pedal you get a really
fat bass sound, which is very satisfying. 

 

So, I can't say I "Know" the pedal yet, but I am liking it, and am looking
forward to really getting the sound tuned to my liking. I haven't tried it
yet, but am interested it testing it with my 1972 Fender Princeton. That amp
sounds great on its own, and I am interested to see what the Squeal Killer
will add to its sound.

 

 

-Maurice

 

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