• From: Foley
  • Registered: 2008-08-26
  • Posts: 22

Topic: Effects loop grief... Reverb... Delay... HELP. PLEASE.

Alright, here goes:

I just bought a Marshall JCM 900 Model 2500 MkIII 50w head. It sounds beautiful EXCEPT for one thing: No reverb. No fear though, because it does have an effects loop! But wait!
The effects loop is acting odd. There are three things that confuse me:
1. My Boss DD-3 works in front of the amp as it should. But, when I put it in the FX loop, the wet, decaying delay tones have this weird clipping or distortion attached to them. sad
2. My VanAmps Solemate reverb unit works beautifully in front of the amp,  but when thrown in the effects loop, it is super super quiet, even with the volume up on the reverb unit.
3. My Digitech Whammy and my Danelectro Flange pedals worked fine in the effects loop. No problems at all.

What is going on?? Are there any mods I could make to my loop to make it compatible with the effects? Or do I need different effects? Or a different amp? Is it broken? PLEASE HELP! ME LIFE IS ON THE LINE!! (not really but I am deeply frustrated.)

  • From: Florida, USA
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,420

Re: Effects loop grief... Reverb... Delay... HELP. PLEASE.

Man, I have to say that all the effects you listed and there place in the chain are exact opposite to where I would put them!  I ALWAYS run reverb and delay through the loop with most everything else (except a rotary simulator) through the front. To get a decent sound out of delays and reverbs in front requires  completely different settings BTW, and if you put those pedals set up that way in the loop you will probably be unhappy.  I run most of my pedals in the loop with everything basically at noon on the dials (a Boss DD-3 or DD-6, Boss RT-20 leslie sim, EH Holy Grail on Hall setting) and get very good sounds from my Marshall...I have the JCM2000, not sure about the loops in the JCM900 but I have seen Joe comment on the fact that basically Marshalls are the best with effects loops.  This is all assuming your loop is not broken or your cables are crapping out...you may want to try there first.  Good luck and let us know if it pans out okay!

'67 and '74 Fender Twin Reverbs, '74 Marshall 1987 lead mkII, Metro Superlead 100. Pedals from TC Electronic, Ibanez, Dunlop, BK Butler, Electro-Harmonix, Fulltone, Maestro/Gibson, Loopmaster switching, VoodooLab, Boss. Gibson and Fender guitars, Dimarzio pickups.