Ampeg Scrambler it's a beast by itself or not???

[gigimarga]

Hello,

I've built an Ampeg Scrambler using MPSA13 instead of 2N5306 (it's impossible to find them in romanian stores  ).
It sounded nice, but not "beasty", as i heard in some sample - it has almost no fuzz and a low output volume on some settings.
After searching the formus, I've put it after a Big Muff/Rocktron Rampage/MXR Distortion+ and it sound much better.

So, my mainly question is: the Ampeg Scrambler has a strong fuzz by itself or not??

Thx a lot!

[Sir H C]

On its own really requires a high output guitar to be beasty.  Otherwise it is just "complex".

[MissionBrown]

I've built two.
One(mine) is very tame, still octavey and pin goodness(til I broke it oops)
But the one I made for a friend works extremely well.
Grindy fuzzy octavey beastliness!

I tested with 2 different guitars, one had a dimarzio paf pro and the other had a seymour duncan hotrails for telecaster pickup.

Both fairly high output pickups from memory.

[tcobretti]

I have built two, and both were very nasty, although not extremely high gain.  If you put a BMP in front of mine it would be unmanageable.

Here are some clips:
http://www.mrdwab.com/john/soundclipspage.html

[gigimarga]

Thx all for your replies!

I started this post after I've listened to the clips from http://www.mrdwab.com/john/soundclipspage.html and i realized what big differences are...

My guitar is a stock Squire Affinity (no mods), so i think that my single coils have a low output.

If i replace MPSA13 with 2N5306 could be sound much better?

[tcobretti]

One of mine had MPSA13s and it sounded great.  I doubt it'll make a difference, but I guess it's worth a try.  I suspect something is not quite right with your build.

[petemoore]

  I've heard others claim the same or question same...
  and Stick a booster in front...with the clipping and folding working in the circuit, if enough signal hits all that it should become mangles / fierce.

[Mark Hammer]

Listen to a real one by itself.  http://www.tonefrenzy.com/effects/ampeg_scrambler.html

[MikeH]

Ugh.  I think the scrambler is one of the most hideous effects around... but I do have to say that it does some pretty awesome things when placed in a feedback loop. 

[gigimarga]

Listen to a real one by itself.  http://www.tonefrenzy.com/effects/ampeg_scrambler.html

Thx a lot Mark...it seems that mine it's too soft...what's curious it's that i have the voltages exactly as here: http://ustomp.com/?p=9 

[Mark Hammer]

Ugh.  I think the scrambler is one of the most hideous effects around...

That is precisely why I stuck a Dist+ in front of mine....so I could tame the input signal and get something a little less hideous out of it.  Of course, if you want hideous, you can still get it.

Some things provide a certain tone that gives your playing a certain character or personality.  And some pedals are basically what you might call a "sound effect", used pretty much the same way you'd insert a wav file.  The stock Scrambler tends to fit in the latter category, AFAIC.  The "domesticated" Scrambler fits more in the former.

[gigimarga]

My voltages, using a 9V battery, are almost the same as in http://ustomp.com/?p=9:

          E       B      C
Q1   3.35   4.25   9.00
Q2   0.26   0.90   3.20
Q3   3.30   4.30   9.00
Q4   3.40   4.45   8.60

Can anyone confirm that these voltages are right?

[tiges_ tendres]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIil4LuXtAk

Here is what mine sounds like through a little gem amp.  Pickup used is some kind of Gretsch copy humbucker.

[gigimarga]

Thx a lot tiges_ tendres!
It's very clear for me that my Ampeg Scrambler has some problems...or maybe the fact i used it with single coils...

[Coriolis]

Hey!
Just want to say that I use my scrambler with a japanese strat, and it's plenty nasty for me.
As always with octavers, using the front pickup gives best results - some crazy ringmoddish tones in there.
Love it, in fact!

C

[gigimarga]

Hmmm...