When using my tranducerized Flatiron, I found the natural sound to be thin and fairly lifeless (admittedly the fact my transducer is a horribly out of date Fishman installed in 1993 doesn't help). I use a Tubester tube overdrive unit with most of the gain rolled off for a clean tone, actually cutting the output volume to some amount (gain adjusted for dirtier stuff). This reduces my feedback and gives me the desired "umph" to compete with electric guitars and drums.
I run this into my Carvin amp, clean channel mostly, with about half the reverb (it's really a different spring reverb in these amps, more subtle than Fender's "Baby Jessica" tone). In the effects loop I have an antiquated Ibanez rackmount delay-harmonics processor, which I absolutely adore. A little delay (or a lot if that's what I'm going for) is perfect to restore the "double string" nature. I occasionally run a volume pedal in my chain, usually first, but I find that I don't need or use it much and worrying about a battery drives me crazy (none of the other effects require 9v, or even take them for that matter).
I can't be bothered to use much else, as I got sick of lugging a pedal chain around me everywhere I went when I used to play guitar primarily with jam/prog bands.
When I first started playing mandolin, I used to experiment with heavier distortions (H&K Tube Factor, Perscription Electronics Experience, Ibanez Tubescreamer) and phase shifting (MXR 90). Not to mention running mandolin through a Mesa Tremoverb Double Rectifier (it's amazing that guitarist think of Mesa's as a Holy Grail, as it was muddier and more prone to problems than any other amp I have owned, especially for Metal - at twice the price. I preferred my Marshall Bluesbreaker to be honest). None of it really stuck or amused me for long, as feedback would plague my poor acoustic mandolin... If I had a 5 string... Hmmm.. Different Story
Dave
1984 Flatiron A5-2
1930 (?) Regal Tenor
Toil without song is like a weary journey without an end.
H. P. Lovecraft
Bookmarks