Hoof + Black Eye = Less Feedback?

[MEC]

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

I have been using a Hoof Fuzz for the past few months and it sounds amazing. I honestly feel since I got the Hoof I have found "my" fuzz sound. The only problem I have with it is that when volume goes above unity (around 12 o'clock) which is where I need it to give a slight boost, I get bad screeching feedback once the sustain starts to decay and really any time the Hoof is on and I'm not playing. I would love for the sustain to fade into a "light buzz" or "mild feedback" for lack of a better terms as my various Big Muffs do. In fact the type of music I play (slooooooowwwwww and heavy) almost requires it. My question is if I used a Black Eye Boost following the Hoof and turned the volume down on the Hoof and up on the Black Eye would this give me more volume with less feedback? Are there any other suggestions for using the Hoof with the volume over unity and not getting so much feedback. I play an SG through an old Ampeg B-25-B and don't plan on replacing either to fix this problem, although modding the amp may be an option. The only other pedals I use are a Boss TU-2 before the Hoof and a Tech 21 Boost RVB reverb after the Hoof. I have tried adjusting the boost on the RVB but it doesn't fix the problem. Any help will be much appreciated and Jamie please feel free to chime in considering you built this beast and may know how to tame it.

Thanks for the awesome pedals and may 2011 be your best year yet!

[Monkeyboard]

When solving feedback issues start out changing the position of the amp and your own position. Different angles, distances etc. will change feedback levels.

If it doesn't work it didn't cost you a cent!

[MEC]

Yeah, I've tried that. I think it's just too much gain hitting the front of my amp. The tone I get with the Hoof is worth the dealing with the feedback. I just wish I could have the best of both worlds.

[jrmy]

Heavy Electronics makes a volume reduction pedal called Descend - http://www.heavyelectronics.com/DE.html - I haven't tried one, but have heard good things about Heavy pedals in general... I think the builder has logged in to ILF before... that could solve your gain-slamming-amp issue.

[MEC]

Heavy Electronics makes a volume reduction pedal called Descend - http://www.heavyelectronics.com/DE.html - I haven't tried one, but have heard good things about Heavy pedals in general... I think the builder has logged in to ILF before... that could solve your gain-slamming-amp issue.

Thanks, Heavy Electronics makes some cool stuff and they have great customer service too.
The problem is I want to keep the volume and rid myself of the feedback.
The Hoof doesn't feedback until after Midnight on the dial but for what I'm doing I like the volume to be up around 3am or about 1/4 of the dial above unity.
I was hoping the Black Eye (in a True Bypass Loop with the Hoof) would allow me to set the Hoof volume around 9 or 10 o'clock and the Black Eye around 3 and get a boost when engaged without getting the feedback that I'm getting using the Hoof by its self with the volume set at 3 o'clock.
Does anyone use the Hoof and Black Eye together? If so what are the results?

Thanks

[mauerkraut]

FIRST! what kinds of pickups are you using?

[MEC]

FIRST! what kinds of pickups are you using?

Thanks for the reply,

I'm using Gibson 490R and 490T alnico magnet humbuckers.
I am very happy with the tone I get from these pickups and the feedback wouldn't be reason enough for me to change them.
I have used these pickups with the same amp and more than my fair share of fuzz pedals and although I didn't always like the sounds I got, I never got this much feedback this easily...... even when I was trying to.

[mauerkraut]

Try a lower output humbucker, ie PAF, vintage style pickups. Borrow from a friend or try on someone else's. I had a friend who had a faded SG with those pickups... extremely hot. He had the same issue with a tube screamer. It's amazing how much better pedals react to lower output pickups. If you are not willing to change the pick ups, try lowering the pickup height, or even getting pickup covers. All these things will help dramatically.

[MEC]

Try a lower output humbucker, ie PAF, vintage style pickups. Borrow from a friend or try on someone else's. I had a friend who had a faded SG with those pickups... extremely hot. He had the same issue with a tube screamer. It's amazing how much better pedals react to lower output pickups. If you are not willing to change the pick ups, try lowering the pickup height, or even getting pickup covers. All these things will help dramatically.

Thanks Mauer,
I am playing a faded SG so maybe a small adjustment is the answer and if it doesn't completely correct my issue it should at the least tell me if I'm headed in the right direction.

Thanks again.

[earthdevice]

I don't think putting a black eye after the hoof is the best answer. Try lowering your pick up, different angles for you amp (even an inch does the trick sometimes), rolling back the tone or volume on your guitar a little when you want it to ring out, slowly bring down the fuzz level until it gets the same sound but sustains longer before it fades into feedback. All of these are things I do when a pedal sustains into feedback too quickly. I use my hoof with the level around 1 O'clock, tone in the middle, shift at 9 O'clock and fuzz between 1 and 3 O'clock through about 200w of amps nearly cranked. It'll feedback occasionally but nothing too out of control, usually just have to change my positioning.

[MEC]

I don't think putting a black eye after the hoof is the best answer. Try lowering your pick up, different angles for you amp (even an inch does the trick sometimes), rolling back the tone or volume on your guitar a little when you want it to ring out, slowly bring down the fuzz level until it gets the same sound but sustains longer before it fades into feedback. All of these are things I do when a pedal sustains into feedback too quickly. I use my hoof with the level around 1 O'clock, tone in the middle, shift at 9 O'clock and fuzz between 1 and 3 O'clock through about 200w of amps nearly cranked. It'll feedback occasionally but nothing too out of control, usually just have to change my positioning.

Thanks for the quick reply.
I'm definitely going to try lowering the PUPS in fact I'm having one of those "why didn't I think of that moments ".
I set mine up a little different: level at 2-3, tone at midnight, shift at 2-3, and fuzz maxed.
I think between lowering the PUPS and the fuzz dial I should be able to find a longer sustain with out losing volume.
Thanks again everybody for all the help.

+++Thanks to you Jamie for creating innovative pedals that don't break the bank.

[mauerkraut]

If none of those work the way you want, maybe try a pick up cover. Cheap solution... and a useless plus that it looks awesome

[MaggotBrainNY]

Turn the amp down.

Or embrace the feedback.

I chose the latter when presented with the same problem.

[phantasmagorovich]

Dunno if this might be a solution but I noticed my TAFM was much gainier when I had my tuner in front of it. The Boss has a Buffer that will affect the behaviour of Fuzz pedals, usually for worse. I've placed it in the middle of my chain now. Or you might want to mod it for true bypass.

[MEC]

I tried lowering the PUPS and fuzz dial and It helped a little. The only body positioning that seemed to make a small difference was standing behind the amp, and that's just not going to work.
As far as pickup covers go....I have used them before and they do look sweet but it seems to muffle the signal too much for my taste.
I am going to try phantasmagorovichs suggestion, It's too simple not to, in fact if it works I'll wire up a Baby A/B just for this purpose.
I am also just leaning towards doing like Maggot said "embrace the feedback" which is what I've been doing up to this point.

Thanks for all the suggestions.