COMPRESSION. The valve adds a limited amount of gentle, soft
knee compression from different strings, reducing the difference
between the loudest and the quietest levels of sound. This may be
an advantage for fingerstyle or arpeggio playing, looking for a
smoother and less uneven sound
OVERDRIVE. Unlike electric guitar valve pre-amps and amplifiers
with valve stages, EDB-2 VAP is not primarily designed for
overdriving the valve into distortion. Mainly for acoustic playing it
should be avoided. However, with a decent level of signal from a
pickup, such as a high output humbucker, some overdrive may be
obtained
To get a good overdrive sound from an acoustic guitar, it is best
achieved with a magnetic sound-hole type pickup, preferably a
humbucker and an active one to get a high signal level, such as
Headway’s SAM-1. Piezo pickups do not sound pleasant or
authentic when overdriven
Use Channel 1 and select Doubler. Turn Gain pot up high CW, turn
down Master Volume ACW to compensate and turn Valve Blend
Control up high CW. You may also wish to cut treble and presence
and boost mids, to achieve something closer to a classic thick
distorted sound
An acoustic guitar magnetic sound-hole pickup may sound more like
an electric or archtop if you use nickel plated steel wound strings or
stainless steel electric guitar strings. However, fitting all steel strings
with an acoustic sound-hole magnetic pickup may not balance string
to string accurately. With magnetic friendly alloy blends of strings,
such as “white bronze” or nickel plated bronze strings, an even
P. 49
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