Roadster needs more gain!!

[Ozwepaie]

more gain needed on the roadster?
i use the red channel set to modern as my lead sound. gain turned up to 3 o´clock and this is enough gain for leads.
but too much gain for a tight rhythm playing.

while using the orange channel set to vintage for leads (gain at 1 o´clock), i push it with an MXR ZW-44 overdrive.
love both lead-sounds. the red channel is a more singing, warm midrange lead and the orange with zw-44 is more cutting through with aggressive mids and highs and reminds me more of the 80´s metal solo-sounds.

+1 on the MXR ZW Set your ch4 gain @ 3'clock. Put the ZW in line before the amp input.
Set that to: lvl-3: tone-9: gain-9: You'll get that "crunch & munch".
The nice part is, the ZW is true by-pass. So it will not affect your clean tone when it's off.

 

[GuitarGuy503]

I've had Roadster for a few monthes and just so happened to have a JB in the bridge of my strat and don't like it. The burstbucker in my LP may need to be. I think some new pickups may be in order. Any ideas? What about the Tremonti Pickups in my 58RI LP?

 

[ZAO]

tremonti is good pu and another one i really liked was the suhr aldrich, bareknuckle pain killer sounds good too.

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

My guitar equipped with a Tone Zone was hot enough for me through the Roadster...

 

[Dave G.]

I could never imagine a Recto amp having not enough gain on tap. :lol: If your looking into a boost for it though check out the Digitech bad monkey....A GREAT pedal for very little cash! (cheap is good if your thinking of modding it anyway). I use one with my Dual and it works a charm. I use it on all my dirty tones both rythem and lead.

 

[Bruno Petrucci]

I had a Roadster head and the same problem you are talking about. Everyone here will say that you're crazy and so on, but I understand what you're missing because it must be what I was too.
Maybe it's not a matter of enough gain, but maybe some kind of quality in the gain department that some people seem to seek besides the "enough gain".
I tried a Bad Monkey and besides it is a great pedal and made a great difference in what I was looking for it wasn't enough.

So, my solution was the wise one: I sold the Roadster!

After that, I tried several amps, including the Mark V, the Diezel VH4 and the Engl Invader. My final decision was the EVH 5150 III! I'm very happy with the amp, it has much more gain than the Roadster and that special "thing" I was looking for in the gain department. The sustain, legatos and sweeps are much more fluid and natural now.

Please, do yourself a favor and go try another amps and see if there are some out there which can deliver what you want and need.

 

[vipmetal]

I have Rectifier preamp/2:50 and use BB Preamp to get that lead tone out of Vintage mode. Rocktron Patchmate Loop8 is great for selecting different pedals in front of amp and switching channels. My pedals and tones:

Clean channel + OCD = British crunch
Vintage mode + BB Preamp = Lead tone
Modern mode + EH nano Boost = Rhythm tone

I had the same problem (to get a decent lead tone) when I bought Rectifier, but now I'm extremely happy with my tones. Nice ugly rhythm tone and soaring lead. I thought it would not be possible but after watching Dream Theater's Live at Budokan, I knew it definately IS possible! =) At least for John.

 

[clutch71]

AS others have stated the Roadster has plenty of gain. I got to think though that if your happy with channels 1-3, then the issue could be the tube responsible for channel 4. Channels 3 and 4 are not voiced identical but can be dialed to sound similar. More tweakking could apply. I also doubt that the problem is your pups as well. Again I point to your satisfaction with the other channels.

Good luck

 

[boss4]

Is not quite more gain you want to achieve, is more the sustain in a not over-compressed sound (kinda violine, mellow singing but with the right response and attitude when you attack the strings harder)! Same problem here and solved with the Ibanez Tube Screamer TS-9. Also Maxon OD808, Ibanez TS808 or Boss TurboOverdrive OD-2 will do (in the front of the amp, not FX-Loop)!

 

[fluff191]

I jumped the OD808 ship and went to a Fulltone OCD. Sounds great for dirty-ing up a clean channel or as a boost.

 

[Neptical]

Yeah, a Roadster doesn't have that compression alot of folks are looking for to do the more smoother fluidy thang, and that's why most folks throw something like a BB Preamp out front to get it creamy. It's a lean-mean-rhythm machine, with some nice cleans. If you want something massive sounding with nice cleans *and* catered for soloing, hit up the Mark series. It's everything you need in a box--but a different sound then a Rec. I was looking at a Roadster some time back but decided against it because it was missing that one element ( for lead playing)..and being a tired fan of stompboxes, I decided against it. My expectations are pretty high spending that kind of cash with something right out of the box--so I believe it should be giving me everything I expect upon purchase.

~Nep~

 

[eagle]

If your a shredder you will need a pedal .Try a Suhr KoKo boost ,killer.

 

[Thatguy]

I'm thinking you need a gain pot that goes to 11!!
:lol:

 

[BoogieMan_SC]

....My lead tone has always had an over the top gain vibe about it (ala steve vai) .....

If looking for a Vai-like tone, pick up Robert Keeley's TS9DX FLEXI-4X2 modded Tube Screamer, used by Vai himself...

http://www.robertkeeley.com/product.php?id=36

I've got one and it makes my Road King II (much like your Roadster) totally sing...

 

[BostonRedSox]

You can still get really good lead tones from a Roadster. If you are playing Dream Theatre style licks however and want that super compressed, liquid lead tone that Petrucci has, look elsewhere. The Roadster is great at what it does, but from a Mesa Boogie perspective it sounds like you want a Mark series amp.