[budda]

Hey guys

i know a few of you guys own the JSX - how do you find the ultra channel? in comparison to the crunch channel, it's just too thin for me most of the time. i was wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to how i can thicken up my ultra channel, without altering the tone of the crunch channel?

right now i have the crunch channel set up for low gain, as to play some more punk-oriented stuff, and the ultra channel as my designated metal channel. whenever i crank up my crunch channel, i get some serious "oomph" out of my palm mutes, great tone for rhythm and leads.. the body leaves whenever i kick into ultra.

if anyone has found the same thing with the JSX (preferably owners, but im not picky), and has an idea of how to fix the "issue", that'd be great!

never thought i'd have any complaints about this brute

[7 Dying Trees]

I dunno, I haven't played about with mine as much as I'd have liked to so far. Just got a modded TS-7 to throw in front of it though, so I'll see.

But yeah, the crunch channel is definately where it's at on this amp. I've actually got the fat switch engaged on the ultra channel, as I really only think it'll ever get used for leads rather than rythm.

[budda]

i run both my FAT's off - apparently they make the biggest difference using single coils, i dont notice a huge jump when it's on. i'll mess with it and see how it goes though.

[noodles]

I hate to tell you this, but this was my exact complaint with the XXX. The crunch channel is great, with plenty of warm, thick gain that is just begging for chunky riffs and smooth leads. The Ultra channel is a complete disappointment in comparison, since it uses diode clipping to get all that gain--it is the Crunch channel, plus a distortion circuit.

This was a huge mistake IMHO, since most guitarists are gear junkies who would prefer to choose what distortion circuit they are putting in front of their tube preamp. It is the reason I eventually got rid of the amp. The half an hour I spent with the JSX told me it was simply a XXX with EL-34's and a noise gate. The Ultra channel is no more usable.

I was never trying to be a dick to you about your love of Peavey. Rather, I was speaking from experience. The 5150 is such a superior amp in comparison, and it has the real high gain channel that you are looking for. The JSX/XXX would be so much better if they just gave it two crunch channels instead.

[budda]

two crunch channels would be sweet.. if only there was a mod that could be done... dare i email peavey? lol

well, looks like im living on the crunch channel, guys. not like that's a bad thing :P. i just dont like having an extra channel sitting around that i know i wont use all that often. if only it wasnt missing the body!

i would probably end up selling it if i found something else with 3 channels that did what i want it to do, only i cant sell it - i got it for free, that'd make me a very bad person. its not bad i want another JSX head for the crunch channel.. is it? lol

[Toshiro]

Maybe have it sent off to be modded to have 2 crunch channels? The active EQ on the ultra probably doesn't help things.

[noodles]

You got it for free? Like a present from the parents or something?

An amp is a tool. If you need to upgrade your tools, you just go and do it. I hate this idea of not selling something because it was a gift. If it was a power drill, would you hold onto it? Tools are not sentimental.

[budda]

it wasnt from my parents, i got a full stack shipped to my house from the USA for free. and that's generosity you're not likely to see twice in a lifetime.

its not that i dont like the amp, its that the ultra pales in comparison to the crunch. toshiro, both the drive channels have active EQ.

dare i email voodoo amps and ask them what it'd cost to have my ultra channel modded to a crunch channel, with a slight EQ tweak? except that i can see that running me around $300-$400 (shipping, and currency conversion etc).

oh and dave, as for high gain - crunch channel turned up to 8, master on 4, gain dimed - the right amount of gain for me. a touch more would help on occasion. $5 says a 5150/6505 would have too much gain for me, lol

[bibz]

I guess were looking for different sounds, but my ultra channel screams brutal. I'm a scooper' though, so basically I'm getting the bass to be nice and chunky, keeping the highs in check, and making sure theres just enough in the middle to round things out nicely without any nasal tones. I'm sure when I get to 6l6's I'll be able to use more mids. The crunch channel to me has just enough gain for that middier tone, and with a boost gives an awesome solo ability.

The big thing with this amp is to make sure the presences and resonance is set properly. Its here where I'm able to clamp down on the bass reaction and fizz prevention I like, then just slight adjustments here and there on the eq/gain when switching between guitars.

[budda]

my mid is on 4 on my ultra channel

presence: 0
resonance: 2
treble: 6
mids: 4
bass: 7
volume: wherever
gain: 4
guitar: gibson LP studio (stock)

someone suggested changing the cap values to thicken things up, i dont even know where the caps are lol