750 Hz is probably the most sonically powerful band of the Graphic EQ’s five bands. Not so much in its potential
to cut toward the imbalanced or boost toward the unpleasant like the top of the 2200’s range, but rather more in
a musically active sense. Its ability to scoop or boost radically the all-important midrange where the guitar lives
in the frequency spectrum makes it the go-to for your most eective shaping for stylistic accuracy quickly. This
is especially true for jumping between old-school blues and R&B sounds that are filled in with ample midrange,
over to modern metal and heavy styles where literally dropping the 750 can get you in the territory with just
this one band’s setting. This is a bit of an overstatement, but it hints at the stylistically important power of the
750 Hz band.
Because of this shaping power and the importance of the midrange in the guitar’s makeup, as well as its place
in an ensemble landscape, this is a good time to recall the previously mentioned EQ Hangover we discussed
earlier. If there is any band among the five in the Graphic EQ that warps one’s tonal perspective the fastest, it
is 750 Hz. Pulling out or boosting the midrange quickly and eectively and then going back to a sound that
replaces it with more balance quickly, as can be the case when switching from one Mode that has it engaged
to one where it is not engaged, can at times sound very strange – even broken – while your ears adjust to the
dierence.
On that note, when stylistically possible, try to avoid going down the rabbit hole in terms of the 750 Hz slider.
The more you cut or boost the midrange, especially while also boosting the lows and highs alongside it with
adjacent bands, the more dicult it will be to return to a balanced sound where the EQ is not engaged. Over
EQ-ing is rarely a good thing for Tone, so approach the Graphic EQ as a tool for subtle enhancement, when
possible, instead of a “crutch” the entire amp leans on.
2200 kHz handles the next higher region from the upper midrange through the middle top end. This is an
important frequency range as, similar to 750 Hz, it handles part of the spectrum that defines how a given sound
will cut through a mix. The 2200’s top end sits above the midrange, adding definition to the pick attack and, in
a way, “placing things” in the time domain.
While cutting and boosting the 2200 kHz slider doesn’t change anything physically, it can seem as if it does,
as this lower top-end “cut” factor weighs heavily on how our ears perceive things in terms of a sound being
fast or slow feeling. Not just in the frequency range that the 2200 band controls, but also in the low-end and
lower midrange.
When dipping the 750 Hz slider in search of width and dimension, you can boost the 2200 band and dial in
attack for the low end to give the impression of tightening it up. This can be especially eective for heavier,
higher gain sounds in the Lead Mode.
From that perspective, it is the 750 Hz and 2200 kHz bands that are the most powerful and the most critical of
the five sliders to become familiar with and set appropriately for the sounds you want. Almost more than any
other, they determine how sounds feel to play and how authoritative or textural they will come across in a mix.
The 2200 band is also an important bridge to the harmonic region found in the 6600 band. Balancing these
two top-end sliders is very important, as the 2200 provides the glue that holds a harmonically enhanced sound
together, at least in terms of rhythmic accuracy and overall definition. The more harmonics that are showcased
with the boosting – and sometimes even cutting – of the 6600 band, the more critical the setting of the 2200
band becomes in terms of filling in gaps and creating a sound that is cohesive, musical, and rhythmically
accurate. For example, when searching for huge-sounding yet tight-tracking heavy sounds in the Lead Mode,
try working with and swapping the 2200 and 6600 bands to find the best blend of harmonic enhancement
and definitive pick attack. You may find the 2200 band set a little higher than its higher 6600 kHz counterpart
to add the “cut” that keeps the low strings tracking their tightest and most accurately.
6600 kHz stands watch over the uppermost harmonic region and though perhaps not as critical to the attack
frequencies, it is no less important to a balanced sound. Cutting or boosting the 6600 kHz band to extremes
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