In this post we will be looking at the first batch of presets available for Vintage Guitar. This collection of sounds is a brief introduction to the various configurations that are possible including pure amplifier distortion, clean compression, direct flanging, two flavors of vintage fuzz, and some classic tones associated with a few famous musicians.
Crunch
An essential rhythm tone. Not too much gain, not too little. Mids are bottomed out, at least as much as they can be with a passive filter, bass is slightly increased, and treble is slightly decreased to create a smooth but powerful tone. If you’re finding this sounds too thin to your ear, try layering multiple guitar parts. A lot of classic rock recordings are built off of this foundation.
Fuzz I
Featuring the FZ100A Fuzz. The first fuzz pedal, soon to give birth to a new industry. Open up the extended control menu and try increasing the Transistor Cutoff parameter for a more gated effect.
Comping
Featuring the VG100 Compressor. If you haven’t spent a lot of time playing with compression, do yourself a favor and try strumming a few notes and chords with this preset. Decreasing the Threshold/Ratio will increase the compressor’s ability to mask pick attack.
Woman
This is a take on one of the many tones you can find on early Cream records, what Eric Clapton referred to as his Woman Tone. The increased Bass and reduced Mid and Treble responses dial in a more muffled sound, though Clapton often turned down the Tone control on his guitar for an even greater effect. Engage the WH100 Wah to get midrange honk, and toggle Direct to simulate running distortion straight into the recording console.
Modern
Taking advantage of the custom tone stack provided by the VG100 Amplifier, increasing the Mid response will produce more quack than a traditional vintage amplifier, especially when paired with a humbucking pickup in the bridge position. Use this tone to achieve rhythm sounds closer to alternative and grunge rock of the 90’s.
Woodstock
A combination of the WH100 Wah, FZ101B Fuzz, and PH100 Phaser. A nod to Jimi Hendrix and his performance at Woodstock. Though this fuzz is not accurate, the design and sound is close to the pedal that was actually played, save for transistor type. Depending on the output of your guitar, dial the fuzz back to create a more balanced distortion both before and after the phaser. And stay tuned for new pedals regarding this famous player.
Hi Gain
With the VG100 Amplifier near full throttle and the Presence maxed out to give a looser feel, with the right guitar, this tone should land you in Van Halen territory. If you find that you still need more gain, use the VG100 Compressor to both increase your level as well as add additional sustain.
Flange
Featuring the FL100 Flanger. With this tone the amplifier is disabled to provide a very clean flange while keeping the speaker enabled to still allow for a natural sound. Engage the Filter Matrix and the expression pedal to sweep manually across the flanged frequency spectrum.
Fuzz II
Featuring the FZ101B Fuzz. In its day it was the next evolution in fuzz. Keep the gain low on higher output pickups to deliver a zippered fuzz effect made popular by the likes of Jimmy Page.
